Wario, the flatulent, garlic-loving counterpart to Mario’s non-gassy, casual garlic admirer, first appeared in Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins and has since gone on to appear in not one, but two separate series of his own: Land and Ware. Everyone loves a bit of the plumber in yellow, but can any of our good readers claim to love him this much?
A few weeks back, we spied a rather impressive collection of Wario-themed merch from super fan Topher Putnam. Encompassing games, figures, plushies and manga — yes, Wario manga — this is a collection that we were keen to get a closer look at. So, we did just that.
We reached out to Putnam, and he was more than happy to run us through the five tiers of his Wario display ‘tower’ (wonderfully organised, we might add). With pictures of the full collection and lines highlighting some of the specific treasures hidden within, this is a gallery that’s sure to make the Wario fans out there yellow green with envy.
But before we dive into the snaps, let’s hear from the collector himself about how this whole affair started:
This monstrous, towering 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 back in the nineties, so when I was introduced to the loud, boisterous, self-assured Wario, it was quite a confidence boost. I figured if that guy could learn to love himself, then I could too!
Fast forward a few decades and many games later (New Wario Land please, Nintendo!), and I have just about every piece of Wario merchandise ever made, with well over 100 pieces in the collection. Believe it or not, there is still some merchandise that didn’t quite make it into the collection, being either too big or awkward to properly display.
I’m a big fan of action figures, and despite Nintendo’s recent efforts to make more action figures in their World of Nintendo line, they have yet to release any from the WarioWare or Wario Land series save for Wario himself. Thus Wario’s extended cast remains largely unrepresented in the merchandise department. So, I went ahead and made them myself.
Now then, onto the collection! We’ll start with a look at the tower in all its glory and then break things down shelf by shelf with a brief summary from Topher.
Tier Five
The top tier contains some of the collection’s bigger items, with a couple of vehicles and a beefy Wario World backdrop.
The top of the collection is great because I can display the handcrafted Wario Car and Wario’s biplane, The Bulldog. It feels straight out of a Wario Land game! I also handmade the Wario-Man custom figure on the left. The Wario World display in the back was a gift from a close friend.
Tier Four
Onto the second layer now, a bright burst of yellow that’s positively rammed with moustachioed merch. We’re particularly keen on the two craft bead pixel art sprites in the foreground. Here’s what Topher had to say about this level:
I love this tier of the collection. It’s loud and in your face, just like Wario himself! The Wario Land 3 Music Box is a beautiful addition that was gifted to me by an amazing artist.
Tier Three
The next layer is a shrine to all things WarioWare, featuring most of the series’ main cast as excellent hand-made figurines. There’s also a good bit of Mario Kart (or, more accurately, Wario Kart) representation too.
We’ve also included a snap of Topher’s WarioWare keychain figures here which, at the moment, are naturally taking pride of place in his Christmas display.
What you see here is most of the primary WarioWare cast as custom action figures 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 that is a lot of fun!
Tier Two
Things get freaky on the fourth level down, with a creepy Wario Land 4 zombie taking centre stage. That’s not something you see every day, eh?
This tier is full of weird and wacky Wario products I have found over many years. Special shoutout to the Wario Bike in the far back! It wouldn’t feel like a Wario collection without it! Fun Fact: The plush Wario on the kart was the first piece of Wario merchandise I ever owned.
Tier One
Last, but by no means least, is the softest shelf of them all: the plushie shelf. This is also where you’ll find a particularly fetching Wario cap and slippers — how else can you show your passion while you’re out and about?
The bottom shelf has an assortment of Wario plushies, most of them made by another close friend and Wario fan. This collection could not have come to life without the amazing help and support of the Wario community!
It’s quite the collection, no? Thank you to Topher for taking the time to talk us through the full display and for the sweet snaps.
What do you make of this collection? Do you have one to rival it? Let us know in the comments.
