Artist Spotlight: Secret Base, HIDDY and the Skull Vinyl of Harajuku
Some brands you save for the right moment. Secret Base is one of them. We have over 400 pieces in stock right now, skulls all the way down, and it is time this shop got the full spotlight treatment. Grab a coffee. This one goes deep.
The Harajuku Skull Factory
HIDDY opened Secret Base in Harajuku on Christmas Eve 2001, which means the shop turns 25 this December. Osaka guy. He worked the counter at ZAAP, the famous Shibuya toy store, and when it closed he struck out on his own. He told the story himself in a great interview with NiEW, worth a read if you want it straight from the source.
You can spot a Secret Base pour from across the room. Clear vinyl, glitter, glow, skeletons floating inside the body. HIDDY says he was the first to run clear skeleton inserts in his figures, and once you have seen one lit up you understand why everybody copied the move. He keeps it simple otherwise. No big marketing push, he just makes what he likes.
How deep does this brand run with collectors? The biggest English language sofubi forum on the internet is called skullbrain.org, same name as one of Secret Base’s signature characters.
Artist Spotlight
Secret Base x Pushead 52 Weeks Blue Crete Siamese Skullpirate
Two crawling Skullpirates joined at the pour. Blue glow vinyl with gold paint on the skeletal backs, otherwise untouched. Incredible glow on these, outstanding in hand. From a December 2009 guerrilla sale at the shop. Loose, no bag or header. Siamese pours do not come around often, and this is a clean one.
$445 In stock View →
The Pushead Years
If you owned a Metallica shirt anytime in the last 40 years, you already know Pushead. Brian Schroeder fronted the Boise hardcore band Septic Death starting in 1981, drew decks for Zorlac, then spent decades as Metallica’s go to artist. His skulls were made for vinyl, and Secret Base has been his sofubi home for years. SkullPirate, SkullCaptain, SkullORM, SkullHevi, Skullwing. Pushead designs, Secret Base pours. We keep a wall of them.
Secret Base x Pushead Yellow x Clear Lame SkullHevi
Marbled yellow and clear vinyl loaded with silver glitter. Completely unpainted, the vinyl does all the work. Hold it up to a window and the light moves through the whole figure. Loose, no packaging, like new condition.
$399 In stock View →
Secret Base x Pushead Purple x Glow x Lame SkullCaptain SCORM
Purple, glow and glitter lame all in one pour. The captain with his ORM passenger, and the mixed vinyl gives every angle something different. Very cool in hand. If captains are your thing we also have the Purple on Glow Stumpy Skull Captain at $349 and the 5th Anniversary Blood Skullpirate, also $349.
$379 In stock View →
The Skullpirate wall, three ways. All $299, all in stock. The naming on these releases is half the fun, Pushead writes his release titles the way he letters his art, and we keep them exactly as issued. Say “dey glo Beeg Bhoss Stumpy Skullpirate” out loud and try not to smile.
Secret Base x Astro Zombies Fink Shit Skullwing
The winged skull in green vinyl with black, white and gold paint. Skullwing colorways have dropped through the Astro Zombies collab for years, including Superfestival exclusives, and this tribute colorway is one of the sharper ones. Loose, like new condition. Also on the shelf: the Green with Envy 30 Skullwing at the same price.
$299 In stock View →
Secret Base x Usugrow x Pushead Insomnia Popcorn Rebel Captain
Triple collab. Clear vinyl with black glitter, a marbled inner pour, painted lower half, and the Patchwerk paint application across the back. A lot of technique in one figure and it all lands. Loose, no packaging, like new. The V2 version is here too, same price.
$229 In stock View →
Skull Brains, Boogie Men and the Rest of the Family
The Pushead stuff gets the headlines, but the house characters are where Secret Base lives. Skull Brain, Skull Bee, the Cure collabs, the Balzac tie ins. The shop was built on these.
Skull(-)Brain @ BM + B Mask, Secret Base x Cure x Balzac
The namesake character in a three way collab with Cure and the Japanese horror punks Balzac. Clear orange vinyl with green, blue, white and more spray work, and the transparency lets all of it interact. Comes with the B Mask. Loose with header only, like new condition. Want a cheaper way into the character? The C-Brain Skullbrain is $32 and the Skullbrain plush is $14.
$189 In stock View →
Cure x Secret Base 0-1000 Boogie Man DesertCamo Version
Light brown vinyl with detailed camo paint. The military treatment completely changes the personality of this sculpt. Cure and Secret Base have been trading collabs for a long time and the 0-1000 Boogie Man line is the one to know. New in bag with header.
$299 In stock View →
Secret Base Pink Skullbee
The Skull Bee is usually the first Secret Base character people meet, and this is the sculpt at its most honest. Unpainted pink vinyl with a matte, almost candy like finish. Skull head, bee body. No paint, no tricks, just the sculpt. Loose, no bag or header, excellent condition. The little Green and Grey Honeybees run $27 if you want the mini version.
$44 In stock View →
The Three Tides Connection
Secret Base and the Three Tides Tattoo crew have a whole line of vinyl where tattoo art does the talking. The Goner Dogs and Obake Dogs carry full illustrations on flocked bodies, and no two releases feel alike.
Secret Base x Three Tides The Mummy Oekaki Goner Dog
Universal monster territory. Mummy artwork covers both sides of the flocked body and the black vinyl head sets it all off. There is a small spot of melted vinyl on the head. We would call it character, but look at the pics and judge for yourself. Signed on the foot and comes with the Oekaki Dog header. The artwork alone makes this one.
$289 In stock View →
A skull made of sushi. Full color or straight gold, $199 either way, both like new in original packaging. Clean paint on the full color version, and the golden one is exactly as ridiculous as it sounds. Fun stuff!
One more wildcard while we are here: Secret Base doing SpongeBob. The TAG exclusive OG SpongeBob SquarePants DX is $249, fresh in bag with header. Unexpected, and that is kind of the point.
Getting In Under $50
A 400 piece catalog means real entry points. All of these are in stock as this posts:
- Skullbrain Plush, $14
- Masked Pink Cosmo Warrior, $22
- Red Honeybee, loose, $24
- Green Honeybee and Grey Honeybee, $27 each
- Tan Micro Skull Bee Keshi, $29
- Battle Damaged Chrome Barbarian, $29
- C-Brain Skullbrain, $32
- Super7 Glow Frankenghost and Clear Frankenghost, $32 each
- Micro Infection Monster Werewolf, Mummy Head and Marbled Infection Leatherface, $42 each
- Batman Forever Skull Brain, loose, $42
Sold Out / Archive
Gone from the shelf, still worth knowing. This is what moves when it shows up:
- Secret Base x Pushead heviORM swan SONG Green skullHevi, $445
- Secret Base x Pushead Hyperstoic White SkullHevi, $429
- Cure x Secret Base Boogieman with S H K, $399
- Secret Base Custom Pinstripe Deka Skullbee, $399
- Secret Base x Usugrow x Pushead Blue x Glow Rebel Captain, $399
- Secret Base x Pushead Marbled Siamese SkullORM, $329
Dig Into the Full Catalog
This post barely scratches it. Over 400 Secret Base pieces are in stock in the Secret Base category right now, from $14 plush to guerrilla sale grails. If you want to go deeper on the brand, the official Secret Base store shows what HIDDY is pouring this month, and skullbrain.org is where the collectors compare notes. Happy hunting.
