Mutants (Imperfecz Toys / Ironhaus Pro monster minis)

One of my favorite recent indie toy offerings is the set pictured above simply called "Mutants," a collaboration between Luke Harris / Imperfecz Toys and Jimmy Rommel / Ironhaus Productions.

The Mutants are just what they sound like--a bunch of bizarro creatures that have faces in places where faces shouldn't be, arms in places where arms shouldn't be, and lots of other crazy features. These things strike a really nostalgic chord with me because they remind me exactly of the kind of weirdo monsters I'd spend hours thinking up and drawing by the dozens as a kid. They're imaginative, creepy-looking and fun!

The set consists of 11 different figures: 10 mutants and one mutant hunter (it was a great idea to include a character to battle the mutants). The figures range in size from under one inch to just under two inches.

They're made out of soft, bouncy rubber (if you've bought Ironhaus Pro creations or other rubber indie mini figures before you'll know exactly the kind), and the standard set comes in a variety of "flesh" tones, ranging from pale peach to deep pink to brown. I love the fact that the figures are presented in this way. It's a nod to the ever-popular MUSCLE-inspired color that so many mini figure collectors love, but at the same time the variety of shades adds some extra interest and helps to give the characters more distinct identities. Read more about the decision to color the Mutants this way over at the Imperfecz blog.

Although the flesh colors make up the standard release, there's also the opportunity to get the figures in other colors through a "blind bag" three-pack release. This release option offers three random figures in the flesh tones plus other colors, such as the glow blue pictured above.

At the time of writing this the Mutants are available through the Imperfecz online store in a variety of ways:

• A full set of 11 in various flesh tones (10 mutants and one mutant hunter) for $60--a great price for 11 indie cast figures!
• A selection of five different 2-packs in flesh tones for $15 each
• Bling-bagged 3-packs including alternate colors for $20 each
• The Mutant Hunter figure by itself for $10

It's tough to pick a favorite, but the donut monster (Dunkang) is pretty fantastic, as is the tallest mutant--the multi-armed Brachaeng--and Godo, a Blemmyae-like creature with a big head attached to one of his hands.

Here's a closer look at all of the figures in the set, including the specific name that each has been given by Imperfecz & Ironhaus (NOTE: the pairs shown in the photos don't correspond to how they're paired together in the 2-packs for sale):

BRACHAENG & CARAES

FOSSILUS & BLEMZINGER

MUKOU & JANUS

DUNKANG & TRONCO

GODO & SEWERSTEIN

MUTANT HUNTER