Fuei Shokai Erlkonig Boxed

Here are pics I snapped of Fuei Shokai's new figure: Erlkonig, which I first reported about here.

The figure comes in a very nice wooden box.

It's available at TACO Che, in Nakano Broadway, for 7,000 yen.

New Fuei Shokai character: Erlkonig

Hot on the heels of the release of their first character, Slender Man, Fuei Shokai is back in the saddle with a new one, called Erlkonig, The figure looks to have the body of Slender Man, but with new paint work and other noticeable differences.

Erlkonig has a cape, as well as a crown of sorts...a crown of nightmares, that is. The headpiece is composed of three real bones, this time from a badger. (Incidentally, Slender Man's teeth were human, but Fuei Shokai has emphasized that they were found, not purchased.) The crown looks to be tied together with a wire.

Erlkonig was just released in Japan - this weekend, in fact. It's being sold at Tacoche, a store on the 3rd floor of Nakano Broadway. The price is 7,000 yen. I asked Fuei Shokai if the figure will be available elsewhere, and they said international distribution of their line is being handled through Lulubell (as with Slender Man). No word yet when Erlkonig will be made available overseas.

Erlkonig is an old Danish folktale, which later became a poem by Goethe, a Schubert composition, and so on. Erlkonig (Elf King, from the original Danish) is an evil mystical being that stalks the forest and carries children away. Creepy stuff.

Fuei Shokai's new toy version of the legend certainly carries a sinister connotation!

More about Fuei Shokai (and ordering info)

After Superfestival 57, I reported on a newcomer on the sofubi scene: Fuei Shokai. They had a single figure for sale at their booth. Remember this?

If not, you'll probably remember this: the SF version had a rattle inside that turned out to be a tooth!

Fuei Shokai wrote in to tell us more about the company:

"FUEI SHOKAI Soft Vinyl Doll Making is a brand based on an urban legend in the world. Have a strange character, and give everyone a sense of distrust and fear of the world by specializing in monster."

And some words from Fuei Shokai about the above figure, Slender Man:

"The first doll is called the SLENDER MAN. A description of the SLENDER MAN: SLENDER MAN is American urban legends, legends of the current form is a little different, and rather deep roots of the legend of precedent. In the former West SLENDER MAN is Germany's 18th century seems Erlkönig. Erlkönig and the words are from a mistranslation of the Danish Elverkonge. Elverkonge "the king of the fairies" and that means, Erlkönig the "king of black alder" is. Erlkönig carry away was a traveler wandering in the woods to die. SLENDER MAN is targeted to children present. The urban legend and SLENDER MAN dark woods at night, country road, the road appears in the foggy city. SLENDER MAN invisible to adults, only children can see the SLENDER MAN. Are also said to appear in a child's dream. Ignore it and judge for creativity and runaway children are reported. Children who are targeted by The SLENDER MAN missing from the world. Whereabouts is unknown of course."

Lulubell is working with Fuei Shokai to make the figure available to collectors worldwide. Lulubell's image:

The 6.5" figure is available on Lulubell's site for $50, which is a great price for a sofubi figure of this size.

I've also learned that the figures shipping from Lulubell also come with a tooth inside, so there's a bit of macabre bundled together with the sofubi!