If Professor Trevor Bruttenholm had been a mad nineteenth-century scientist à la Doctor Frankenstein rather than a brilliant academic living at the time of World War II, the story of Hellboy might’ve just gone a bit different and he could’ve been Hellbot instead.
Bruce Whistlecraft is a UK artist who works under the pseudonym of Doktor A. He designed this steampunk figure of Hellboy which perfectly condenses his love for “urban pop culture” and “neo-victorian industrial neverlands” into 8 inches of neatly crafted awesomeness. Toy2R, a Hong Kong-based designer toy company, was in charge of manufacturing it as a part of its notorious Qee collection.
The figure is also currently featured in “Tarnished Dreams,” Doktor A’s first-ever solo exhibition in the UK, alongside other of his custom toys, drawings and paintings.
Hellbot is made of a variety of materials including vinyl, lead, rubber and polymer clay. While firmly rooted in the steampunk universe thanks to its brassy, all-screws-on retro appearance, it doesn’t differ greatly from the original Hellboy aside from the fact that, yes, it looks more like an automaton than a demon. This is because Doktor A is a big fan of the Mignola character and he wanted to keep his version of it as faithful as possible.
Hellbot, therefore, bears all the elementary characteristics that lend it an air of hellboyish familiarity: The horn stumps on the head, the protuberant jaw, the utility belt, the rosary beads, the Right Hand of Doom … even the ponytail and the goatee. The two main things missing are the long jacket and perhaps the revolver given to him by customed hero The Torch of Liberty. However, a steampunk rework of this gun may actually merit a sculpture all of its own.
Minor details aside, the vintage android may not be as wisecracking and conflicted as his demon counterpart but it definitely looks ready to go out into the gaslamp-lit streets and fight the occult. The “Tarnished Dreams” exhibition is on until April 30th so there’s still time for those located within reach to personally take a look at this charming tough guy.
Fans of Hellboy should check out Hellboy Art Vinyl Toy, Hellboy Mechabot Action Figure and Hellboy Good Samaritan Papercraft.
Via: Toys R Evil
