After about 15 years of hardcore toy collecting, Honolulu graphic artist Sanford Mock — aka Zakka — decided to make a vinyl toy of his own.

Miao, Zakka's modern twist on the iconic maneki neko lucky cat, should hit shelves soon, decorated for his initial release in a design by tokidoki artist Simone Legno.

Like traditional Japanese lucky cats, Miao has a beckoning paw raised in welcome, but rather than being colored traditional white and red, the first-edition Miao is a flesh-toned cat in maneki neko clothing, bright blue and stamped all over with Legno's edgy anime-inspired designs.

The real kicker is Miao's little rice-bodied pal, Mousubi, who comes packaged with the 7-inch Miao to serve as BFF, traveling companion and occasional snack.

"I wanted to do a kind of modern take on a cultural icon," explained Zakka. "It kind of came along later to have a best friend. ... Musubi is an iconic food thing."

Zakka, whose mild manners and casual style camouflage the depth of his toy obsession, shied away from disclosing his age — he's in his 40s — or how much he's spent on his toy collection, which is big enough to spread across several locations and impressive enough to have been mentioned in books.

He did talk about his progression from comic book enthusiast to toy collector and his decision to combine his passions to create Miao. "I put the discipline of my art with my love of collecting toys," he said.

Now he's calling on artist friends from around the world to use his platform to display their iconic styles.

The first 500 Miaos and Mousubis will feature Legno's design. By November, 49 other artists will put their original art on the vinyl cats and mice for an exhibit at the Subtext gallery in San Diego.

Most of those will be one-of-a-kind works of art, but a few will eventually be reproduced for limited release, Zakka said.

Miao has come into being at a time when the craze over urban vinyl collectibles has put some in high demand. Pairing with Legno for the first release could draw in collectors of the popular tokidoki characters, which have been printed on everything from handbags and jewelry to skateboards and sneakers.

Bruce Chin, co-owner of the Split Obsession specialty store and a toy collector himself, said tokidoki's ready-made fan base could help jumpstart Zakka's toy business.

"You know how popular that guy (Legno) was a few months ago. He's done a lot of things already. It's a good starting point for their company," Chin said. "He has such a following, people will pick it up."

Kathy Bachlott, owner of Urbanz Toys in Kaimuki, called the tokidoki phenomenon the "gateway to vinyl toys."

While the toys came before the purses and apparel, it wasn't until the brand took off that people in Hawai'i came searching for the adult-themed vinyl collectibles, she said.

"When we first had them, no one wanted them and we were putting them on sale," Bachlott said.

But after Le Sportsac put tokidoki on its purses, people came seeking out the toys. "It was shocking," Bachlott said.

For many, the interest in tokidoki led to an interest in the vinyl collectible art, which has been steadily gaining popularity in Hawai'i over the past year, Bachlott said. "Adults respond to it because it makes them feel like they're a kid again. They're like toys, but they have an adult theme."

Bachlott expects another new wave of interest in tokidoki after Legno's June 7 visit to Nordstrom at Ala Moana.

Coupled with heightened interest in vinyl collectibles, that could signal good things for Zakka's new toy.

For those who aren't tokidoki enthusiasts, though, blank figures ($40) are also available for do-it-yourself painting at zakka mono.com, along with the tokidoki emblazoned pair ($80).

As a serious collector, many of Zakka's favorite pieces are stored away for safekeeping, but Miao and Mousubi have been out on the town.

Zakka's wife, photographer Rae Huo, has photographed the pair — in varied "outfits" — in Tokyo, Los Angeles and Hong Kong. Zakka plans to take them further on his Web site, through a comic strip detailing their adventures.

In the future, Zakka said he wants to create heroes and monsters, like the Godzilla, Ultraman and Kikaida characters that turned him into a self-described obsessive collector.

For now, though, he's just trying to decide which artist will be featured in Miao and Mousubi's next release.