Phaeton from Exo Squad by Derek Crabbe

Here was an absolutely amazing gift from fellow collector Derek Crabbe. He presented this piece to me at OAX and I was thrilled to add a second Exo Squad piece to the collection, the first being a commission I picked up from Eranga recently. It meant a lot to receive something like this from a friend in the hobby.

I know the work that goes into a large 11x17 piece as I created one myself a few years back. This is a touching piece to add to the collection and it really captures Phaeton’s Neosapien Supremacism with that smug look that fits the character. If you have not seen the series, it touches on injustices that mirror real world situations. It brushed against adult themes that I feel I understood on some level as a child even if I did not fully realize it at the time.

I was an absolute fan of this show as a kid. I remember one of my best friend’s brothers having a large toy collection from the series and always being in awe of it. I later built up a solid toy collection of my own that I still kick myself for parting with at the beginning of covid. However, I still have a JT Marsh and Phaeton E-Frame along with an original Exo Squad enamel pin as reminders of my love for the show. One of the toys even serves as my Christmas stocking holder and my kids love the rocket firing action as I chase them around the house.

I know Derek reviewed the Exo Squad series on his show not too long ago and I wanted to be part of it, but life has been a bit busy for me lately. Thank you Derek for capturing the essence of my youthful electronic indulgences and for keeping the spirit of this series alive.