Giant Squid (Adorables by Adore Plush)

Review and images by Fembrogon; edited by bmathison1972

Hello, Animal Toy Bloggers! My name is Fembrogon, from the Dinosaur Toy Blog. Although the vast majority of my creature collecting has been devoted to extinct life, there are plenty of extant animals which have long been a source of fascination as well. Perhaps the most enthralling species of all to me as a child was the mighty Architeuthis dux, or giant squid – an enormous deep-sea invertebrate as famous for its mystery as it is for its great size. Once thought to be mere monsters of sailors’ fantasies, the giant squid became wholly recognized as a remarkably real animal in the late 19th century. Due to their deep-sea habitat, studying giant squid has proven extra challenging for scientists, and it wasn’t until 2004 that we were even able to obtain photographs of giant squid live in the wild. I recall watching a number of programs broadcast by Discovery channel and National Geographic over the years, documenting the history of discovery and the unending quest for these elusive deep-sea giants.

One footnote of a memory from these programs was of what appeared to be an extra-large stuffed replica of a giant squid, resting on a shelf alongside numerous preserves and other samples of scientific materials – likely the office of someone like Dr. Clyde Roper, a leading scientist in giant squid studies. Perhaps it was only natural that owning my own giant-sized giant squid would become something of a holy grail for me in those early childhood years. Fast forward to the 2010s and 2020s, and it turns out multiple companies have taken a stab at producing a cuddly version of the near-mythical “ruling squid”. Squid might not seem like the most obvious choice for a stuffed animal; but a number of companies over the years have explored the boundaries of what weird and wonderful creatures can sell in this manner, and they have clearly met with success. After much consideration and needless hesitation, I recently (finally!) added one of these plush squid to my collection.

This plush giant squid toy – aptly nicknamed “Kraken” – comes from the company Adore Plush, which retails primarily online with their main shops through Amazon and eBay. Kraken the squid sells under the “Adorables” sub-line of toys, which are advertised on the company’s home website as gifts especially for “a budding scientist, devoted pet keeper, animal enthusiast, or a collector.” Adore’s giant squid measures a total of 75 cm (29.5 in) in length, with a 28 cm (11 in) mantle. The toy is quite robust in form, with a stout head & mantle, as well as large semi-circular fins that seem more akin to a colossal squid (Mesonychoteuthis) than a giant squid (Architeuthis). The polyester fiber filling keeps the toy well-stuffed and fairly sturdy, especially in the head and arms; however I have noticed in the months since getting it that the toy is prone to shed those fibers. The two feeding tentacles feel devoid of stuffing, in contrast; and are reduced to just about twice the length of the main arms, which are stitched into a slightly curved shape. A skinny, two-piece cloth beak is also stitched into the mouth.

Adore seems to have generally gone for a stylized approach with their giant squid. Besides the stouter body and fuzzy tentacles already mentioned, the enormous eyes of the toy – made in a glassy transparent plastic with a yellow iris – feature mildly vertical pupils, rather than the purely round pupils typically seen in real giant squids. Instead of suckers along the arms, the insides of the mouth, arms, and tentacles are adorned with a covering of short white filaments. This isn’t accurate in the least, looking more like the arms of a starfish than of a cephalopod; but it’s pleasantly soft to the touch and gives the toy a unique appearance. The connecting segment between the mantle and head is also colored white, in contrast to the main body’s dark velvet red. This segment looks more prominent than I’m used to seeing on giant squid reconstructions, but it breaks up the pure red silhouette, at least from an aesthetic perspective. One physical trait which has been omitted entirely on the toy is the siphon for jet propulsion – making it a little hard to tell if this toy has a right-side-up.

A curious feature added to Kraken is a small hanging loop at the tip of the mantle, which allows the owner to hang their squid from a wall or fixture instead of flat on a bed or other furniture. The loop is quite minute, so it will require a very small hook or nail that’s also sturdy enough to hold the toy’s weight. I haven’t had much opportunity to try storing the toy this way, but I’d be lying if I said the notion of decorating a wall or ceiling fan with a two-foot-long stuffed cephalopod didn’t amuse me somewhat.

Kraken the giant squid is just one of several giant squid toys available on the market today. Although this version by Adore isn’t as accurately designed as it could be, it’s still a very nice toy and a welcome addition to my collection. I’m sure my 6-year-old self would have been ecstatic to own this toy. If Kraken has managed to endear you by the end of reading this, you can obtain one of your own through Adore Plush’s Amazon page, as well as checking on eBay.