The South Park gang 3D Printed
The South Park gang 3D Printed and signed by Matt Stone and Trey Parker
In chronological order the fads I remember from school are; POGs, a game that was marbles like in concept but involved winning rivals’ cardboard/plastic discs; geared yo-yos, who could spin for longest? Was the aim; Star Wars Tazos, which were a bit like POGs but branded to promote the launch of the Star Wars Special Editions Trilogy and free inside packs of crisps; Merlin Premier League football stickers, got got need need; and South Park character keychains, which were massively popular until my Christian Brother-based school cottoned on to the uncatholic nature of Matt Stone and Trey Parker’s animated TV series.
From memory one of the fascinations of the South Park keychains was down to the rendering in 3D of our favourite potty-mouthed 2D characters. South Park’s purposefully cruddy animation had been realised remarkably for the merchandise and thanks to Source3 they’ve been realised in the third dimension once more.
Teaming up with the official merchandise team behind South Park, Source3 are offering a selection of characters and scenery through either Amazon or Shapeways that are 3D printed in full colour. A lucky few purchasing the full set will have their figurines signed by Matt Stone and Trey Parker.
South Park now on Shapeways
South Park now on Shapeways
"We are thrilled to work with South Park, one of the deepest and most incredible portfolio of characters and moments ever created. Using 3D printing and on-demand production, we can create an evolving line of character collectibles previously unavailable to fans," says Scott Sellwood Head of Partnerships at Source3.
Collectables is big business, last month the prestigious Inc. 500 list had Loot Crate topping the lot with a staggering growth of 66,679% over the course of the last three years. Loot Crate is a subscription service to collectables from gaming and comic culture and Source3 is aiming to tap into that lucrative market by leveraging partnerships with established brands and offering 3D printed collectables.
Source3's portfolio already includes Capcom, the US army and several music legends, the addition of Comedy Central's South Park is perhaps its most iconic offering to date.
