Flex The Head
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Flex The Head ⫘
Shaun Badong is the artist behind Pretty Scary Crew (PSC); the most loved (and hated) toy brand there is! For two weeks, PSC is taking over Empire Seven Studios with Flex The Head, the artists first-ever pop-up exhibition. This show will feature a variety of original artwork and custom merchandise including paintings, risograph prints, shirts, plushies, and custom painted one of a kind vinyl “sofubi” toys by PSC, Frank Mysterio, and Dansin. The artists will also feature an exclusive Empire Seven Studio toy release: Jun Jun “Lumpia Chip Colorway" that is inspired by their favorite nostalgic Filipino snack - lumpia chips.
Sofubi is a type soft vinyl toy that was popularized by Japan in the 1950s and 1960s. Unlike other mass-produced PVC toys, sofubi figures are typically crafted by artisans in limited quantities.
The name Pretty Scary Crew was coined when Badong designed one of his first characters, “Fake Ape.” His daughter, who was 6 years old at that time, always described his characters as “pretty scary.” This clicked for Badong that having a balance of pretty (positive) and scary (negative) for a toy brand name is a win. He later added “crew” as a fan of youth crews from the hardcore music scene. From there, Badong worked with Sato Seigan (a sofubi production factory in Tokyo) to start bringing his characters to life! Badong has always been a huge collector and enthusiast of all things kaiju and yokai, as his time growing up in the Philippines exposed him to Japanese culture. Shaun Badong’s work draws inspiration from his years of experience (and traumas) working as a nurse in behavioral health. As a means to cope and escape, Badong turned to art collecting and making.
Alongside his love of Japanese culture and tradition and Filipino influences, Badong has been heavily influenced by the late legend Kazuo Umezu and Cat Eyed Boy. Badong was also one of the founders of “Engkanto Toys,” a popular toy brand in the Philippines in 2020. One of his first sofubi Filipino designs was “El Kapre” (tree monster-like), and it was a collaborative effort between friends.
After his “Engkanto Toys” era, Badong joined Andrew Kim’s Advance Manga Class at the Art School of SF Bay in San Jose. In Kim’s class, Badong leaned the foundations of the art of manga, as well as the digital tools needed to create digital illustrations and animation. These new skills in anime illustration and digital art advanced Badong’s practice and helped expand his world of Pretty Scary Crew.
Also featured in Flex The Head are sofubi toys by Frank Mysterio, a well-known sofubi artist and painter who brings his Mexican heritage into a style that has made his work recognizable within the international toy scene, and Dansin, a master yokai illustrator, tattooist, sculptor, and painter from Luxembourg, who has been dominating the sofubi scene through his imaginative characters and unmistakable style.
The world of PSC extends beyond studio art and into music; alongside his visual art practice, Shaun Badong plays in two Bay Area punk bands, Middle College and Ordinary Neighbors. A Myth of What Was Forever was Ordinary Neighbors' first “proper album” and was an encapsulation of the spirit of “pinoy” punks who walk the thin line between polished and punk. That same energy is reflected in Flex The Head, where art, toys, cultural influences, and weirdness blend.
Stay weird forever, weirdos!