Illustrator Dipsy is teaming up with Taiwanese indie toy maker Dian Toys to bring his retro sci-fi world, "Neon Saga," to life in sofubi form. Inspired by 1950s pulp science fiction, the "Neon Saga" illustration series is now being realized as a line of collectible vinyl figures. The first wave features two characters: the "Science Officer Demon Cat" from the planet of the Cat-People, and the emotionless "Cyborg Brain Demon." Each figure comes on a blister card with a backer that features an original comic by Dipsy, delving into the character's origin and the wider universe. Let's dive into the cosmos of Neon Saga!
【Neon Saga】
In the cosmic void, a colossal, luminous neon brain known as "Boltzmann" came into being. The energy radiating from Boltzmann Neon gave rise to countless planets teeming with intelligent life. A vibrant universe was formed through interstellar dialogue, warfare, mutual aid, and trade. Neon Saga follows the adventures of various characters, each drawn by the mysterious power of the Neon energy and driven by their own unique convictions.
▲The characters of Neon Saga
▲A cinematic toy poster for Demon Cat (included with the Demon Cat figure).
▲A poster depicting Brain Demon's gradual, demonic transformation into a cyborg (included with the Brain Demon figure).
【Science Officer Demon Cat - Sofubi Figure】
The Cat-People are a highly adaptive race, capable of rapidly evolving to survive in the most extreme environments. To accelerate this process, their civilization separated the act of reproduction from the general populace, entrusting the continuation of their species to Science Officers. These officers created a type of rapidly growing and evolving embryonic form known as a "larva." However, the inherently warlike nature of the Cat-People gradually pushed their civilization toward ruin. In an act of defiance, the ever-obedient Science Officer Demon Cat, seeking to preserve his species, stole the last batch of larvae—originally intended to be bred as the final wave of soldiers. He smuggled them aboard an unmanned spaceship, opened a wormhole, and launched them toward a new, hidden sanctuary: Earth.
▲Science Officer Demon Cat in his original colorway.
▲Demon Cat in the Resistance colorway.
▲The origin comic for Demon Cat.
【Cyborg Brain Demon - Sofubi Figure】
The Cyborg race is renowned throughout the universe for its obsession with body modification, and an engineer named Chuck was a master in the field. This also made him a prime target for the "Naturalists," an organization on his planet that opposed physical augmentation.
Chuck had used reverse genetic engineering to cultivate a highly intelligent ancient creature, the Infinite Monkey, as his lab assistant. During an assassination attempt orchestrated by the Naturalists, Chuck's emotional core was destroyed, and his assistant was killed by a stray blast. Upon death, the Infinite Monkey's head came into contact with pure Neon energy in the lab, transforming it into a cursed artifact known as the "Skull of the Infinite Monkey."
The Skull can absorb the Neon energy from living beings, and with this power, its wielder can manipulate the very order of the cosmos, causing random changes in matter. Like a wishing well, it can create objects from nothing. With enough energy, it could even resurrect the dead...
And so, Chuck, the man-machine who lost his emotional core, became the cruel Brain Demon, with only one mission programmed into his mind: "Absorb life energy, resurrect the Infinite Monkey..."
▲Cyborg Brain Demon colorway.
▲Engineer Chuck colorway.
▲The origin comic for the Cyborg Brain Demon.
●NEON SAGA Series Blister-Carded Figure - Demon Cat
Price: NT$2480
Versions: Science Officer / Resistance
Size: 16 x 10.6 x 10.6 cm
Available now on the official website.
●NEON SAGA Series Blister-Carded Figure - Brain Demon
Price: NT$2180
Versions: Cyborg / Engineer
Size: 18 x 14 x 7.5 cm
Up for pre-order on the official website (shipping begins Sept. 15 - Sept. 20).
【About the Illustrator】
Dipsy Ho's style is inspired by American cinema and Western graphic novels. He excels at blending illustration with contemporary internet culture, the retro-futurism of sci-fi history, cyberpunk subgenres, and his own paranormal experiences.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dipsy0320/
Website: https://linktr.ee/dipsy0320