Wario, the bloated, garlic-loving counterpart to Mario's non-gassy, occasional garlic-lover, first appeared in Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins and has since appeared in not one, but two separate series: Land and Ware. Everyone loves a bit of a plumber in yellow, but can any of our fine readers claim to love him this many?
A few weeks ago, we spied a quite an impressive collection Wario themed merchandise from a super fan Topher Putnam. Includes games, figures, plush and manga — yes, Wario branch — this is the collection we wanted to take a closer look at. So we did just that.
We reached out to Putnam and he was more than happy to take us through the five levels of his Wario exhibition 'tower' (beautifully organized we might add). With images of the entire collection and lines highlighting some of the specific treasures hidden within, this is a gallery sure to get Wario fans excited yellow green with envy.
But before we dive into the footage, let's hear from the collector himself how this whole affair started:
This monstrous, tall Wario collection is quite the spectacle and has been growing for some time. But why Wario? I was a bit of a quiet, awkward kid in the 90s, so it was a confidence booster when I met the loud, boisterous, confident Wari. I understood if that a guy could learn to love himself, then so could I!
Fast forward several decades and many games later (New Land of Wario please, Nintendo!) and I have almost every piece of Wario merchandise ever made, with over 100 pieces in my collection. Believe it or not, there is still some merchandise that hasn't made it into the collection, either because it's too big or clunky to display properly.
I'm a big fan of action figures, and despite Nintendo's recent efforts to make more action figures in theirs World of Nintendo line, they have not yet released any from WarioWare or Land of Wario series except for Wari himself. Therefore, Wario's expanded cast remains largely unrepresented in the merchandise department. So I made them myself.
Now, on to the collection! We'll start with a look at the tower in all its glory, then break things down shelf-by-shelf with a quick recap from Topher.
Level five
The top level contains some of the larger items of the collection, with several vehicles and a strong backdrop from Wario World.
The top of the collection is great as they can display the handcrafted Wario Car and Wario's biplane, The Bulldog. It feels straight out of a Land of Wario game! I also handmade the custom Wario-Man figure on the left. The Wario World the screen at the back was a gift from a close friend.
Level four
Now on the second layer, a bright burst of yellow that is positively loaded with mustache merchandise. We are particularly interested in the two bead craft art pixel art sprites in the foreground. Here's what Topher had to say about this level:
I like this level of collection. It's loud and in your face, just like Wario himself! The Wario Land 3 Music Box is a wonderful accessory that was gifted to me by an amazing artist.
Level three
The next tier is a shrine to all things WarioWare, featuring most of the series' main cast as exquisite hand-crafted figurines. There is also a good part Mario Kart (or, more precisely, Wario Kart) representation as well.
We've also included a shot of Topher's WarioWare key chain figures here, which of course currently take pride of place in his Christmas display.
What you see here is most of the primary WarioWare cast as custom action figures that I made myself, with a little help of course from some fellow talented Wario fans. They move and articulate just like a real action figure should, so it's a lot of fun!
Second level
Things get creepy on the fourth level down, with a creepy Wario Land 4 zombie taking center stage. That's not something you see every day, is it?
This level is full of weird and wacky Wario products that I've found over the years. Special shout out to the Wario bike on the back! It wouldn't feel like a Wario collection without it! Fun fact: The Wario to the map plush was the first piece of Wario merchandise I ever owned.
First level
Last, but by no means least, is the softest shelf of all: the plush shelf. You'll also find a particularly adorable Wario cap and slippers here — how else can you show your passion while you're out and about?
On the bottom shelf is an assortment of Wario plushies, most of which were made by another close friend and Wario fan. This collection could not come to life without the incredible help and support of the Wario community!
Quite a collection, isn't it? Thanks to Topher for taking the time to chat with us through full screen and for the sweet photos.
What do you think of this collection? Do you have a rival? Let us know in the comments.
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