Press & Media
Six action figures built for heroic missions in 1994. Currently dealing with everyday life.
Press materials, character art and story angles below. Enquiries: press@stiffcompetition.shop
Fact card
| What it is | An original character brand — six characters, sold as digital collectible art and physical merch. |
|---|---|
| Launched | August 2026 |
| Based | UK-registered, operated remotely |
| Ships to | UK, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Europe |
| Team | One person. No staff, no agency. |
| Store | stiffcompetition.shop |
| Press contact | press@stiffcompetition.shop |
About
Stiff Competition is six original characters built like the action figures you'd have found on a shelf in 1994 — chunky sculpts, loud colours, and names that tell you immediately what kind of humour you're dealing with.
Out of the box, they aren't fighting anything. They're dealing with what everyone deals with: work, admin, group chats, the small indignities of being an adult. Heroic design, unheroic life. New work appears as an ongoing series across social media and the store.
The humour is period-correct to 1994, an era less careful than ours, and it hasn't aged entirely gracefully. That's deliberate, and it's meant fondly.
Please note — the backstory is fiction. The characters are presented as prototypes from a 1994 toy line by a company called RIGID-DYNE, crated up and forgotten for thirty-two years. None of it is real. It's original fiction written for the brand, fan wiki included.
The six
Major Wood
Infantry unit and squad commander. A hard-line strategist with a thrust-first tactical approach, who refuses to sit down on the grounds that softness is a security risk. “I'm up and I'm staying up!”
The Rear Admiral
Naval officer and precision logistics specialist, at sea so long he's forgotten how land-lubbers talk. “Requesting immediate boarding!”
Hammerin' Hanky
Construction worker. Believes a solid foundation is the key to a job well done. “I'm here for the big project. Heavy tool ready.”
The Grip
The squad's powerhouse. Specialises in full-body contact and manual handling. “A firm hold on the situation.”
Slick Willy
Wrestler, and the greasiest grappler in the game. You can't pin what you can't grab. “Coming in slippery!”
The Velvet Python
Wrestler and master of coiled positions. Don't let the soft texture fool you — as rigid as they come. “The Python is hungry.”
What's for sale
Digital art, sold as an NFT. One picture, one owner. Not a print, not a copy — buy it and it's recorded as yours permanently, on a public register nobody can alter. That record is the NFT. Bought with a card through the normal store checkout. Each character has multiple numbered editions.
Merch. Apparel, mugs, journals and museum-quality prints, made to order.
There is no physical action figure, and there never was.
Story angles
If one of these fits your readers better than the others, email press@stiffcompetition.shop and ask. We'll send the detail, the images and whatever else you need to write it.
One person with no background in ecommerce, blockchain or code built the entire operation — store, art, minting, customer support, content — on their own, using AI.
Buying digital art on a blockchain without needing to know anything about crypto first.
A complete 1990s toy line that never existed, invented on purpose — packaging, corporate history, decommission notice and all.
Every piece starts as a real memory — a place actually visited, an expression caught on a real face — then iterated through dozens of versions until it matches the picture in the creator's head.
Six characters means one of each is a finishable set — and why some collectors would rather own five of the same one.
A worldwide store with no stock, no warehouse and no staff, and a deliberate rule that no cost was accepted before revenue existed.
Images and assets
High-resolution character art, clean and without text, plus logo files and product images — available on request. Exclusives considered.
Founder
Stiff Competition is created and run by one person, who previously worked in business and technology consulting. Biography, headshot and interview availability on request.
Coverage
Nothing here yet. This section will list articles, podcasts and features as they appear.
Press enquiries
We reply to every genuine media enquiry. Please state your outlet and deadline.