Tomopop Review: RoadKLZ's Zuzu plush

10:00 AM on 05.18.2010   |   Call Niero

When I saw the RoadKLZ plushes a few weeks back, it was love at first sight. I am a fan of all things morbid and cute, and these plushes fit the bill to a tee. With their adorable faces and delightfully squished appearance, I just knew that one day I would own one...or two...or as many as I could afford! Of course only the promotional shots were available, and they were being produced by a new company, so you probably couldn't help but wonder about quality control and the like. Well never fear, we here at Tomopop have an exclusive review of one of these awesome plushes!

Hit the jump for a detailed look at a very, very squished feline. 

Zuzu arrived at my doorstep wrapped in clear plastic, the standard packaging for plush toys. While vinyl and PVC try to seduce you with a pretty box, plushes get right to the point--you can see how adorable they are without taking off any packaging, and also test out the squishiness! 

Right out of his plastic prison, Zuzu is read to...well, lay around and look cute! Hey, he's roadkill, what else do you expect? As you can see, he is just as adorable as the prototype shots, if not even more so. He is fully packed with stuffing so he is nice and squishy, but also firm enough to not lose his shape after a few squeezes. His "fur" is incredibly soft and plush, with a nice short fur-like texture. 

His face is just too cute. The open mouth is felt, and the eyes are thread. They give Zuzu a great ragdoll appearance, especially with his floppy limbs. Fun fact--ragdoll is both a floppy toy and a type of cat. So basically....it describes Zuzu perfectly! I love the goofy shape of his head, it gives him a very unique feel while keeping in line with the whole squished-like-a-pancake theme.

For those who may have been concerned with quality, worry not, for Zuzu is pretty impeccably constructed. As you can see, all of the "seams" from sewing him together are carefully masked on the back of the plush. Also note how his tail springs up when he is on his back--there is actually a thin wire in it to give it a bit of springiness. Oh and the dust in this picture is from the asphalt, not the toy itself!

The cute, stubby ears are one of my favorite details. They are just ridiculously cute! For some reason tiny ears = more cuteness. Zuzu's are particularly small compared to his large head, but this only adds to the cuteness factor. I don't know about you guys, but my cats all have pretty gigantic ears--they were definitely cuter as teeny kittens with folded-down ears. Maybe that is why small ears are so adorable, they remind us of the cutest moments in a cat's life. 

Of course I had to give you guys a closeup of the actual part that makes Zuzu roadkill, the tire tracks! Please note that this is a prototype, so the tracks are painted on. In the production pieces, they will be silk screened, but will be the exact same pattern. The little blood burst is just so gruesome, but this is part of what makes Zuzu and the other plushes in this series awesome. Imagine your neighbor's reaction to seeing that on your couch!

His limbs are fairly poseable. The area where they are connected to the body has slightly less stuffing, so you can move them about relatively freely and set him up in whatever position you like best. You can also see the texture of his fur pretty clearly in this image. Don't you just want to reach out and pet him? 

Here is a better shot of his tail. As you can see, it holds its shape very well. You could bend it into a slightly different position if you wanted, but the original shape is pretty adorable. It curls the opposite way of his lower feet, and the tip is actually turned up a bit so that it ends up being level with his belly. 

Since Zuzu is roadkill, we decided to take him out and put him in his natural habitat. Thankfully no cars decided to run over him again! And during the shoot, one of his fellow felines got pretty concerned about his fallen comrade. Don't fret, Cornelius, Zuzu is just fine!

Poor Cornelius, so concerned! But Zuzu has an excellent home now, so there is no need to worry.

Zuzu is one of many characters in the RoadKLZ plush line, but I have to say that I have a soft spot for felines so he is definitely my favorite! I am exceedingly happy with how he turned out--the production quality is fantastic, he is soft and squishy, and balances cute and creepy perfectly. And honestly, what more do you want in a stuffed animal shaped like roadkill?

The RoadKLZ plush line is currently going in to production, and will be available for purchase very soon. We will be sure to keep you updated with ordering information! They will retail for $22 each, shipping included. And keep your eyes peeled for a contest where you can both help the company make some decisions and win one of these awesome plushes for your collection!

*UPDATE* You can buy one of the handpainted plushes now at the RoadKLZ store! Currently the frog, cat, bunny, skunk, cupid, devil and angel designs are up for order. 

Pictures are, as always, by the awesome Stephen Donaldson. Don't forget to check out the rest in the gallery, including a few more images featuring one of my very own fluffy felines, Mr. Cornelius!