Cheshire Cat Alice in Wonderland - BE@RBRICK
Over 156 years after the novel's first rush to print, Alice in Wonderland continues to captivate audiences around the world. The story's fanciful setting and memorable characters have inspired spin-offs across mediums. One of the story's most iconic characters is the Cheshire Cat. A sly and tricky creature, the Cheshire Cat represents the twisting, deceitful nature of a logic-free world, much like that of Wonderland. Medicom's BE@BRICK line captures the Cat's mischievous nature in the "NY@BRICK Cheshire Cat 400%" figure.
Alice in Wonderland x BE@RBRICK Collaboration Background
The Alice in Wonderland BE@RBRICK figures fall under the collaboration between Disney and Medicom Toys. Currently, BE@RBRICK produces two Alice in Wonderland figures: the NY@BRICK Cheshire Cat and the White Rabbit.
Collaboration Planning and Launch Information
The Disney and Medicom Toys collaboration began in 2002 with a trial 400% size Winnie the Pooh BE@RBRICK. As a promotional tie-in for the movie Alice Through the Looking Glass, Medicom released a White Rabbit R@BRICK in 2016. In 2017, Medicom announced two Alice in Wonderland traditional BE@RBRICK figures. The 400% size Cheshire Cat figure went on sale on Medicom's partner retailer websites in January 2018.
NY@BRICK Cheshire Cat 400%
The Cheshire Cat's iconic grin won't fade away in this NY@BRICK variation of Medicom Toys' BE@RBRICK line. As a NY@BRICK, the figure takes the shape of a block-style cat built with nine points of articulation. The Cheshire Cat takes his design from the 1951 Disney animated film. White and magenta stripes surround his body, leading to light pink details on his hands and inner ears. His mischievous grin spans the rounded contour of the model's face, widening it further. His eyes, simple and wide, highlight his twisted, farcical nature. The back features his tail, painted up along his back and the back of his head, ending with a light pink tip. His left leg features the Disney copyright logo as a mark of authenticity.
- Product Name: NY@BRICK Cheshire Cat 400%
- Series: Alice in Wonderland
- Manufacturer: Medicom Toy
- Specifications: Painted & articulated plastic figure
- Height (Approx.): 260mm | 10.2"
About Alice in Wonderland
Alice in Wonderland, originally Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, is an 1865 fantasy novel. Originally written by Lewis Carroll, the story centers on a young girl named Alice who stumbles through a rabbit hole into a fantasy. The tale has been adapted into numerous stage plays, live-action films, and animated specials. Most notably, Walt Disney Feature Animation produced an animated full-length film in 1951. Due to the story's massive popularity, its nonsensical motifs and visual themes frequently appear in video games and anime. The novel itself remains a classic example of the literary nonsense genre.
About Cheshire Cat
The Cheshire Cat is a fictional, dimension-bending cat in Alice in Wonderland. Its appearance varies between versions of the story. However, the Cat's distinct, mischievous grin remains in all its designs. Notably, the Cheshire Cat can slowly turn its body invisible, often leaving its grin as the last visible feature. The Cheshire Cat's personality also varies between retellings. In some cases, he tries to help Alice while in others he misleads her for fun. Outside of literature, the Cheshire Cat quickly gained traction as a figure in political cartoons, a symbol in psychedelic culture, and even in molecular biology.
Other Important Alice in Wonderland Characters
As a supporting character, the Cheshire Cat is only one of the many memorable characters in Lewis Carroll's classic novel.
Alice
Alice is the main character of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland and its sequel Through the Looking Glass. She is a young girl from Victorian Era Britain who accidentally falls into a rabbit hole into a fantasy world. In the original novels, Alice is around 7 years old, has a middle-class background, and is highly curious and clever. Some critics believe Alice was inspired by the daughter of Carroll's friend, Alice Liddell, though Carroll denied these claims. Today, Alice is a cultural icon present in parody works, films, and novels. The Disney animated version of Alice remains her most common portrayal.
White Rabbit
The White Rabbit is the opening figure of the story. His hurried entry prompts Alice to follow him and fall into the fantasy world of Wonderland. In most representations, the White Rabbit wears a waistcoat and carries a large pocket watch. His first lines refer to his lateness for the Red Queen's upcoming garden party, where Alice will meet him again. In the original novels, the White Rabbit acts rudely toward his servants and grovels under his superiors, such as the Queen. This contrasts with Alice, who tries to act politely toward everyone, and the Cheshire Cat who delights in misleading others.
Mad Hatter
Known as "the Hatter" in the original novel, the Mad Hatter is a prominent character in Alice in Wonderland. The Mad Hatter appears at an endless tea party with the March Hare. The Cheshire Cat warns Alice that both are "mad," leading to the Hatter's popular nickname. The Mad Hatter was sentenced to death by the Queen for "murdering time." However, his escape from death earned Time's respect, leading him to live his life forever at tea time. Despite his role as a supporting character, the Mad Hatter is often presented as the male lead in many Alice in Wonderland spin-off media.
Related Figures
Also from the BE@RBRICK and Alice in Wonderland collaboration is the White Rabbit BE@RBRICK figure. A traditional BE@RBRICK, the White Rabbit figure takes the traditional articulated bear form rather than the cat-shaped NY@BEAR model. The White Rabbit BE@RBRICK debuted along with the Cheshire Cat figure in 2017.
Links
NY@BRICK Cheshire Cat 400%
R@BBRICK White Rabbit 400%
BE@RBRICK Series
BE@BRICK Label