REVIEW/UNBOXING - Well, DAM! GUERS' Obsidian Beaver Finally Lands on My Shelf... And This Resin Art Toy Is a Beauty!

Well, look who finally decided to join the colony! A little while back, I featured a brand new designer toy project from Montreal-based artist Zine called GUERS, and I was immediately drawn to the character, the story behind it, and the fantastic old-school cartoon styling. Fast forward a couple of months, and I now have the OBSIDIAN edition sitting right in front of me! Of course, that meant it was time to fire up the camera, crack this bad boy open, and give him a proper SpankyStokes YouTube unboxing!

If you missed my original GUERS feature, here's a little background. Zine created GUERS as an original cartoon beaver mascot with a larger vision in mind. Rather than jumping from one unrelated character to the next, he wanted to build an entire collectible world around one recognizable design, introducing new colors, editions, and interpretations as the project grows. Pretty rad concept, right?

The debut series, THE COLONY, introduced two editions, Mocha and Obsidian, with each standing a substantial 11" tall and featuring hand-cast, hand-painted resin construction. Both colorways were originally announced as limited editions of just 50 individually numbered pieces, with an original retail price of $229. Now, let's talk about this Obsidian edition because this dude looks fantastic!

The first thing that jumped out at me was that beautiful matte-black finish. The entire body is covered in this deep, stealthy black, contrasted by those oversized white diamond-shaped eyes and classic white cartoon gloves. Add in those massive eyebrows, buck teeth, rounded belly, oversized shoes, and mischievous little grin, and you've got a character that feels like he walked straight out of a vintage cartoon!

There is something really satisfying about the simplicity of the design. It doesn't need a dozen colors, complicated patterns, or a pile of accessories to make an impression. The silhouette alone is recognizable, and those big white eyes practically jump right off the face. That's the kind of character design I love seeing in the designer toy world! What makes GUERS even more interesting is the story behind the little guy. Zine chose the beaver partly because of its connection to Canada, a country that gave him a fresh start in life. Beavers are builders by nature, constantly working, creating, and shaping their surroundings. That idea became the foundation for THE COLONY, a project centered around building something new and creating a community along the way.

And that really is what makes the independent designer toy scene so special. Someone comes up with an idea, puts in the work, creates a character, and eventually turns that vision into something collectors can actually hold in their hands. Seeing those projects go from concept art to a full-size resin collectible never gets old!

I filmed a brand new YouTube unboxing of the GUERS Obsidian edition, giving everyone a closer look at the figure, the sculpt, the finish, and all those awesome little details that make this beaver such a fun addition to the collection. The original THE COLONY release has now closed, but you can visit GUERS' official website to sign up for updates on the next drop. Be sure to follow @guers.art on Instagram as well to see where Zine takes this character next. Head over to my SpankyStokes YouTube channel to check out the full Obsidian unboxing, and while you're there, give the video a thumbs up, subscribe, and leave a comment telling me which version you prefer. Are you going with the dark and mysterious Obsidian or the original Mocha? I'm digging this little builder, and I can't wait to see what joins THE COLONY next!