I love the medium of designer vinyl, but I can't deny that I also have a very certain sense of what aesthetics appeal to me, and while I appreciate the art form in general, there's a lot in the genre that doesn't motivate me to go out and make a purchase. Enter Crappy Cat, a Van Beater design from Jamungo, which I've been salivating over since the beginning of the year.

I admit, the design boasts my major weakness -- red, white and black. There's more to him than that, however. This cat could put my New Orleans-bred drinking skills to shame, as is evidenced by the box art (see the gallery for more shots). Hit the jump and take a stroll with me into Crappy's ever-intoxicated world.

Any cat lover or fan of drunken humor is going to see the appeal of Crappy without a moment's hesitation. The 9" figure boasts a wide, flat head which is larger than his entire body, giving the piece a bold, whimsical feel. The red shirt and accents suit him perfectly -- this cat is not interested in taking your shit. Ever.

Crappy brought beer to this shindig. He also drank it. There's one left and I gotta tell you, if you think you're getting it, you're dead wrong. However, just because you can't have the beer doesn't mean you can't check out the label: "Big Winner Malt Beverage". This can is detailed all the way down to the perfectly intact metal tab on the top of the can. Don't be thinking about popping that open, now.

As you can see, Crappy has a twin. Kind of. Except they fight a lot (mostly about beer and who gets the last one). Both these guys have a semi-matte finish, which works well for the sculpt -- I think anything too glossy would have been overwhelming. The Mono version is limited to 250 pieces, few of which are left for sale. If you actually read this review, you'll know that we have one to give away on Tomopop very soon. 

One thing to note for collectors that like to play with their toys is that Crappy does not have a lot of adjustable options. His arms and hands will move, but the legs and head cannot be adjusted. Of course, designer vinyl enthusiasts normally collect more to display than to play with, and this piece will make a handsome statement on any shelf you choose to set him on.

Van Beater didn't stop at making an incredible collectible, choosing to extend the brand to shirts, stickers and prints. Even the box Crappy ships in is worth displaying, with an illustration of Crappy's life of overindulgence on each side. I'll bet he's a fan of Oscar Wilde's "I might be lying in the gutter, but I'm staring at the stars" sentiment.

I guess red Crappy won the war. Head over to Jamungo.com to get your very own drunken feline, which retails for $65 and is one of the most distinctive toys to grace my collection. It's not often that I feel that everything about a toy lives up to the hype and excitement preceding its release, but Crappy Cat deliver. With a pricetag like that, you can't go wrong here!