SANTA CRUZ X KID ROBOT 40th Anniv. GITD Screaming Hand Figure

Back in 2015, Kidrobot teamed up with Santa Cruz Skateboards to release a collectible figure of the iconic “Screaming Hand” design by illustrator and 2017 Skateboarding Hall of Fame inductee, Jim Phillips. They quickly sold out. Another run was released later in the year, but that batch disappeared like the first one. Based on what I’ve seen, I don’t believe they ever went back into production.

This vinyl statue is one of those things I didn’t discover existed until long after it was too late to do anything about it. Since then, I’ve regularly seen copies pop up on the secondary market listed for anywhere between $250 to $500 in various conditions. At one point, the art toy manufacturer released some zipper pulls of the Screaming Hand as blind boxes, but, for the last decade, there has been no indication that we would get another shot at the full-scale model, until now.

Jim Phillips created the first iteration of the screaming hand design back in 1985, but prior to that, he was already responsible for what would become two more of the most recognizable graphics in skateboarding history. The Santa Cruz “Dot” logo and the Independent “Maltese Cross” logo were both designed in collaboration with NHS Inc. (Santa Cruz, Independent Trucks, Slimeballs, etc) co-founder, Jay Shuirman in 1978.

Jim became the creative director for Santa Cruz in 1975, so it would take another decade before the Screaming Hand came to life. The roots of the design, however, began forming years before that. In the following quote taken from SantaCruzSkateboards.com, the legendary graphic artist provides some insight into the creation process of his most famous image.

“I’m often asked where I got the idea for the Screaming Hand… like I had a store where I could get images. Sometimes an idea just pops in my mind, and I’ve trained myself to be receptive. Screaming Hand dates back to high school where I liked to spend my time drawing epic surfing and skate- board pictures and give them to my friends. In typical surf scenes, I would draw a big wave and a goofy surfer with sight gags like circling shark fins or a clenched hand sticking out of the water like a drowning guy. That intrigued me after I saw a drowned guy at the beach, snot coming out of his nose after some men tried to revive him, the first dead person I ever saw. Stuck in my mind, I drew the clenched hand on my book covers and notepads. Fast forward, and NHS is forming a wheel line and asked for a logo for Speed Wheels Santa Cruz. As I sat at my drawing table and clenched my left hand, I penciled a sketch, thinking about how powerful the hand is, how artists have used it in gestures to express emotion. Then I thought about it being even more expressive if it had a mouth right on the palm, and how much more if it was screaming! I got pretty worked up and knew my drawing would make a cool logo, though it took some time to talk the manager into it. We made stickers and T-shirts, and soon the Screaming Hand proved itself as a powerful icon that certainly earned its own way.”

Later this year, a slightly different variant of the Santa Cruz Skateboards X Kidrobot collab is on its way to commemorate the 40th Anniversary of The Screaming Hand. This is great news for anyone who may want one of these gory severed appendages, whether they missed out during the first release(s), or never even knew about them at all. The sculpt for the collectible sits flat, resting upright like some unorthodox bust. The base of the vinyl statue is designed as a wave of gushing blood, providing a bold, dynamic sculpt that simulates motion and stays true to the energy and feel of the reference. The figure will measure 9 inches tall and appears to be the same sculpt as the 2015 release with one key difference: this time around it will glow in the dark!

Kidrobot has an open preorder currently on their website with shipping expected during “Q3 2025.” 

Check out the official product images for the release below.