Piper Vinyl Figure Review (Funko Shop Exclusive)

There are few cuter things in this world than Piper, the title character and star of Pixar's 2016 short film (which debuted in front of Finding Dory in theaters). Piper instantly became one of my all-time favorite shorts and I am completely thrilled to finally have her represented in my collection as a collectible! On June 5th, Funko released this amazing vinyl figure on their "pop up shop" website, which is fourth in their Pixar short film limited edition vinyl figure series (following Bao, Knick Knack and Presto). I am so happy to see this line continuing strong!

The packaging, as usual, is designed with collectors in mind and is completely display worthy (featuring a sandy beach/ocean backdrop). On the back, it reads:
 "Piper" tells the story of a hungry sandpiper hatching who ventures from her nest for the first time to dig for food by the shoreline. The only problem is, the food is buried beneath the sand where scary waves roll up onto the shore."

The box is much smaller than I was expecting, measuring at about 6" wide and 5" tall. And what's that? She comes with a second little character? Yup, her tiny hermit crab friend that she meets during her adventure to find food! Such a fun and unexpected addition.

Now let's take a look at this amazing figure out of the package...

Piper is definitely the smallest vinyl figure yet, at only 2.5" tall x 2" wide, but that doesn't keep her from being the cutest. Her likeness here is 100% spot on, as if she jumped out of the TV and plopped herself on my shelf! The same goes for the hermit crab friend (who's only 1" tall)—so incredibly adorable! Funko really outdid themselves here; from the sculpt, to the paint application, to the packaging...it's all perfection.

If you and/or someone you know loves Piper, this is a must have and I can't recommend it enough! Lucky for you, if you haven't purchased it quite yet, it's still in stock on the Funko Shop website HERE. Hurry before the waves wash it away! Retail price is $15.00 (+$6.95 shipping).

I don't take any short film merch for granted, as it's a rare treat and we're so lucky these days to have more of it thanks to Funko. What are your thoughts? Did you pick this figure up or plan to? Who would you like to see next? I'm still holding out hope for Partly Cloudy and Day & Night! Looking forward to hearing what you think down below.

★★★★★

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Pixar Studios Short Films Tsum Tsum Set (D23 Expo 2017 Exclusive)

A few months back, I got word from a couple sources that an exclusive Tsum Tsum set based on some of Pixar's short films was to be released at this year's D23 Expo. I didn't know if it was true (I honestly maybe even doubted it a little bit), but boy did I hope it was.

Well, you all know the ending to this story...the reports ended up being true and I couldn't be more excited! This has got to be up there with some of my favorite Pixar merch ever. Not only am I an avid Tsum Tsum collector, but I'm also obsessed with anything released related to the Pixar shorts (especially limited editions). Combine the two and you have a real winning combination for me. This was a must have.

This Pixar Short Films Tsum Tsum set was only available within the Disney Store at the 2017 D23 Expo during the weekend of July 14-16. Only 1000 units were produced. The set includes eight fantastic characters (of various sizes) from four Pixar short films: Two birds (one mini and one micro Tsum) from For the Birds, the magician (mini Tsum) and Alec the rabbit (micro Tsum) from Presto, the sheep and jackalope (both mini Tsums) from Boundin' and Piper's mom (mini Tsum) and Piper (micro Tsum) from Piper.

First of all, the packaging is just so awesome. I absolutely love how the Tsums are displayed in the box with their faces peeking out (each duo with a background and 3D cardboard logo to match their film). The simple white box, the metallic lettering and the silver ribbon handle gives off a fantastic impression. You know you have something special here from just the look of the box. Very classy.

Original retail price was $54.95.

Note: You may have notice my box is not in the best condition. Unfortunately the eBay seller did not pack it very well and it got a bit crumpled in the mail.

Let's take a closer look at these guys loose!

PRESTO

I have to note that the Presto set even comes with a removable magician's hat, which is such a fun added touch. You can display Alec in it peeking out or have the magician himself wear it. I love the embroidered carrot detail on Alec's side as well.

 

PIPER

BOUNDIN'

FOR THE BIRDS

Even though I wasn't lucky enough to go to the D23 Expo this year, I'm so happy to have gotten a steal of a deal for this through eBay. A big thanks to all my friends who attempted to help me get this while they were there at the convention! It's the thought and effort that counts. :)

If you're interested in adding this amazing set to your collection, check out this direct link to current eBay listings. These short films are rarely represented through merchandise, so I would jump at the chance to get this set if you're a big fan of Pixar Animation Studios. You won't be disappointed!

It's so hard to pick favorites, but Alec (with that hat, those floppy ears and that carrot) might be the winner for me (with Piper being a close second). Honestly though, I love them all and appreciate all the details on each one. Which are your favorites? What are your overall thoughts on this set? Let me know in the comments below!

Piper: Pixar Studio Store Exclusive Greeting Card (Art by Jason Deamer)

When Pixar's short film Piper arrived in theaters last year with Finding Dory, it almost instantly became one of my all time favorite Pixar shorts. To this day, it still takes my breath away and continues to charm me with each viewing. I don't think anyone could see Piper and dislike it—it's just that good.

I was thrilled when my friend [Disney freelance Artist] Jerrod Maruyama sent me this in a recent care package—another something I didn't even know existed! Here we have this beautiful Pixar Studio Store (not open to the public) exclusive Piper greeting card. This is one of the most elegantly illustrated Pixar art pieces I've seen. From the soft, "beachy" colors to the overall classy design, layout and fonts; it really captures the tenderness of the film, not to mention it feels so different from any other Pixar art I own. Plus there's Piper right there front and center—one of the cutest Pixar characters ever created. You can't go wrong here.

I love how it says "Drawn from Nature by J. Deamer" down in the bottom left. Obviously the "from nature" part is humorous (subtle, yet funny if you think about it), but the "by J. Deamer" is of course absolutely true. Jason Deamer works at Pixar in the animation department (art director and character designer) and was the production designer on Piper.

The text "Hungrius Littlus Birdis" is obviously some sort of play on words for Hungry Little Bird. The year the film was released (2016) can be seen in the upper left hand corner (along with some sort of numero sign for some reason?) and "Printed & Colored in Emeryville, CA" is straightforward. The only thing I don't quite get is why it says "PLATE XVIII." in the upper right hand corner. I understand that those are roman numerals for 18, but I don't get what it's trying to say overall. If you know what the heck that means, definitely let me know.

The back of the card is simple and straightforward with only the Pixar Animation Studios logo. The inside of the card is 100% blank.

Other than the just released D23 Expo exclusive Piper Tsum Tsum set (which I'll be reviewing here soon), this card, a pin and a plush (all Pixar Studio Store exclusives) are really the only pieces of Piper merch out there (and interestingly, none of which is available to the general public). One of my goals in life is to get that Piper plush, but that's going to be near impossible.

What are your thoughts on Piper and what do you think of this gorgeous card? Let me know in the comment selection below.

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Piper: Original Soundtrack by Adrian Belew

Piper, Disney·Pixar's latest theatrical short currently playing ahead of Finding Dory, is as beautiful as they come. Audiences everywhere have fallen in love with the adorably fearful sandpiper and have awed over the incredible "painterly" visuals, the sweet simplistic story and the accompanying musical score by Adrian Belew (yes, the same singer/guitarist of the rock band King Crimson).

Whether it's a feature film or a short, music has always played a significant role in any Pixar production. For Piper, it was indeed no different. The score is fun, bright, heartfelt and emotional with a certain uniqueness that matches the visuals on screen just perfectly. The main theme that Belew has created for Piper is one that has stuck with me since the first time I saw the film; it's a charming little melody.

If you're like me, you were probably hoping that the score for Piper would someday be made available for purchase. Well hope no longer because the 5 minute, 42 second long track from the film has just been released today [digitally] by Walt Disney Records via iTunes and Amazon! You can download it for just $1.29 (digital booklet included).

Composer Adrian Belew

My hat goes off to Belew, Piper director Alan Barillaro, Jake Monaco (who arranged and orchestrated this music) and the entire Pixar team. Marvelous work!

As a side note, I love the fact that Pixar has been widely releasing their short film scores. The Blue Umbrella score was similarly released as a digital single in 2013 and the song from LAVA was available on the Inside Out soundtrack. Interestingly however, we did not get a Sanjay's Super Team track (which is a shame since it was pretty neat). Could it be on the horizon? Either way, lets hope this trend continues.

What are your thoughts on Piper? Shout it out in the comments below!