Smiling girls and rosy boys, come and buy these little toys; they’re no coin-operated toys, although that could be a choice. Some are plastic, some elastic, but one thing’s for sure: they’re fan-freakin’-tastic.
JON KNOX
Jon Knox Studio
Hey, Jon. How are you? Just wondering, when was the last time you did something for the first time?
Hello, I’m going well, thank you. I baked a cake the other day that sucked so much I threw it in the garbage—that was a first.
Walk through a typical day. What’s your routine like?
When I manage to keep normal human hours (I have been known to stay up until 6am sometimes), I wake up around 9am, feed my dog Robbie, then drive down to the local cafe for an iced tea to go. I share my studio and workshop with my partner in our home in Portland, so I return home to start the work day. I’ll usually answer e-mails and do office work until lunchtime (I can’t deal with resin fumes on an empty stomach). After lunch, I work on whatever my current project is until about 6pm, stopping for an hour or so at 3:00pm to walk the dog at a trail near our house. If I’m working on a toy project, I’m usually casting toys in the garage. Otherwise, I’m in the studio drawing or painting with some form of TV or music on. If I’ve managed to pull myself away from work at a decent hour, we’ll make dinner and watch TV or play video games on the couch until bedtime.
Describe your creative process.
For the toys and sculptures, I often begin with a very loose sketch. I’ll usually pull ideas for hair and clothing from a folder of images I’ve saved on my computer for inspiration. Then I’ll construct an armature out of wire and aluminum foil. I sculpt the character’s details in clay on top of that, then cure it in an oven. Once the figure is hardened, I’ll make a 2-part silicone mold around the sculpture (a process that takes 2 days). Once the mold is ready, I mix a resin compound and pour it into the mold cavity (left by the original clay sculpture) to make a replica of the original. I generally make between 5 and 25 replicas, which I sand, prime, and paint by hand.
Describe your characters and the world they live in.
When I first started designing characters, I would make up these elaborate back stories and personalities because I felt like that was what I was supposed to do. I grew to dislike it because I felt like I was writing a children’s book that cheapened the visual. I think there’s something confronting and elusive about a character with no story. If people want a backstory that badly, they’ll attach one to it themselves, and that’s part of the appeal. People tell me all the time the characters remind them of a particular friend of theirs. Since my sculptures easily fall into the toy category, I think they are relatable because they evoke a sense of nostalgia, but at the same time the characters usually look indifferent or uncomfortable. It’s a candid moment. I like that their story and personality are obscure, and I think it’s a more sincere approach than “Pepper’s favorite food is cheese pizza”.
Why do you think designer toys have such a cult following? And personally, what is their appeal to you?
Designer toy culture has a lot of nuances to it, and the further you get into collecting, the more of a style and taste you develop. A person’s toy collection indicates their taste in art, and a lot of pieces are rare and hard to get ahold of. Some pieces are so expensive or hard to find that they act more as a trophy than a toy or piece of art. However, the pieces that are more readily available offer fans of a particular artist to own a piece of their work without spending thousands of dollars on an original painting. The genre allows you to be as casual or serious as you want.
Though I’ve amassed quite a large toy collection over the years, I got into toys as a designer. I was studying graphic design when I was introduced to designer toys, and it was sort of a lightbulb moment. I was getting so sick of type studies and information graphics, and toys were so fresh and expressive. It was instant joy – both familiar and new at the same time. I’m by and large self-taught when it comes to sculpting and toy production. I love having total control over what I make, and I’m excited by the things I’m continuing to learn.
What’s your favorite aspect of the culture of collectors/collectibles?
I love how it brings people together through common interests. With designer toys in particular, there isn’t a lot of negativity surrounding the culture. Everyone finds their niche and generally respects one another. In the 7 years I’ve been making and collecting toys, I’ve met so many amazing fans and made really close friends in the process. There are so many hard working artists, store/gallery owners, and bloggers – we all motivate each other and there’s always something new to wake up to every day.
Explain “Limited Edition.”
I think all value is perceived value. A lot of people naturally want something that other people don’t have or can’t have, which makes more coveted pieces sell out faster and drives second-hand market prices up. It drives people nuts and makes them want it even more. I don’t really pay attention to what goes on in that world. I didn’t set out to make my toys limited edition, it just happens naturally because I make most of them by hand and stop when I want to move on to the next project.
What’s the coolest part of being a “toymaker,” pardon the term?
Aside from all the amazing people I’ve met, I get to work from home on my own schedule, on my own terms. I’ve always been a night owl and design school made it worse, so if I want to stay up late working on something, I can do it comfortably. I’m in bed on my laptop finishing up this interview at 2am with reruns of Strangers With Candy on in the background.
Lastly, who would you most like to see playing with (or displaying) one of your figures?
Can they be fictional? If so, it would be my muse, Dawn Wiener from Welcome to the Dollhouse.
GARY HAM
Superham
Hey, Gary. How are you? Just wondering, when was the last time you did something for the first time?
The great part about being an artist is that everyday I get to do something new. Always experimenting and learning new approaches and techniques.
Walk through a typical day. What’s your routine like?
I begrudgingly wake up, shower, and play with the dog, a golden retriever. After some rough housing I pat him on the hat and head off to work for 10 hour days. I’m a full-time artist for an educational company. Once my work day is over, I head home for a little r and r with my wife and dog for a couple hours. Then it’s me time. I usually work about 3-4 hours a night working on my own personal art which is usually designing toys or creating something for a show somewhere.
Describe your creative process.
Really totally depends on the project. My drive to work is pretty long, so that is when I do much of my brainstorming. Oddly enough, I get a lot mentally done while driving. Once I have a few ideas, I sketch them out on paper to see if it looks as good on paper as it did in my head. If all goes well, I play around with some color schemes and hit the ground running to complete the project.
As a kid, what toys did you play with?
I was way into Hot Wheels, He-Man, and Transformers. Not sure what that says about me exactly, but probably shows my age a bit. Not sure what happened to most of them, but when my father pasted away my step mom found my old Transformers Jetfire with all its wear and tear. It’s the prize of my collection as it holds the most memories for me.
If there is any artistic movement you could revive, what would it be and why?
I love all the old retro styles used in cartoons and ads in the 40′ to 60′s and even old propaganda posters. Apparently, a lot of other artists do too because you can see a lot of inspiration and a revival of that retro design being incorporated into much of today’s art.
Describe the world that you imagine your characters to live in. And what are their personalities like?
Hmmmm…tough one. I like to think they live in a world of whimsy and not with the burden of difficult life decisions of humanity. I don’t think there are humans in their world actually. I imagine them just having a lot of fun in some crazy magical land. They are playful, fun, happy, often aloof and misunderstood creatures.
Why do you think designer toys have such a cult following? And personally, what is their appeal to you?
It’s just a bunch of people who refuse to grow up. People that collect designer toys appreciate the designs of toys and see them as art just like most people view fine art paintings and sculpture as art. Some people decorate their homes with twine balls and vases, the designer crowd uses toys. For me, designer toys connect with me on many levels. I find the most of the designs very aesthetically pleasing to the eye and like knowing they can be played with. My home is filled with toys and I enjoy being surrounded by all the fun designs and inspiration.
Explain “Limited Edition.”
Limited edition is a hyping machine. Slap the limited edition label on something and it instantly makes it seem more collectible. Designer toys tend to be very small runs, any where from 10 to 1,000 pieces. If there is 1,000 of something then they are more easy to come by and no real value there, but something that only had 10 or 100 pieces made, now there made be some added value there. Generally, if it’s a good design done by an established artist then those toys tend to quickly sell out and that will raise it’s value because of the lack of supply versus demand. Sadly, the designer toy scene is riddled with “flippers” who like to capitalize on the rare or super popular items. Flippers snatching up much of the limited toys shows how limited they were and also give them the heightened sense of value. In the toy game, flipping prices tend to set the monetary value, but to a collector, the real value is what it means to them.
What’s the coolest part of being a “toymaker,” pardon the term?
I love the entire process, but usually the best part is when you finally hold the toy in your hands for the first time. There is a sense of accomplishment and you know all your time and effort was worth while.
HOLLY STANWAY
A Little Stranger, Hey Cavey
Hey, Holly. How are you? Just wondering, when was the last time you did something for the first time?
I recently entered my first competitive running race. I started running a few years ago, but its always been something that i do on my own. It clears my mind and helps me be creative. I also like that its something i’m naturally pretty bad at and have no base of knowledge whatsoever, so every improvement feels like a victory, and there’s always something new to learn.
Walk through a typical day. What’s your routine like?
I wake up about 6 or 7, go for a run and when i get back i look at my to do list and get started! i organise my time into days which I split between Cavey, A Little Stranger projects, and freelance and consultancy work. I do everything for Cavey and a little stranger myself I don;t really have a typical day I can be blogging in the morning and sewing in the afternoon! I like to have a whole day on one area of my work, so i can completely focus on what i’m doing. I usually work till 7 or 8, and go out or have some friends over in the evening. Before I finish for the day i write a to do list for the next day, as well as update my list of things to do that week. I am a passionate list-writer, and would be totally lost without them!
Describe your creative process.
For my own work i start with a texture, or a colour, or a set of eyes i want to incorporate into the piece. I build on it and on it until i feel its done. I rarely plan what im going to do beforehand. In contrast my freelance work is very structured, i will have turnarounds or reference that the finished toy needs to look exactly like, so i spend alot of time planning and making sure everything is done in the right order.
What were you doing circa your pre-teen years that you could never get away with nowadays?
Sleeping a lot, now if i sleep till 8 i feel like i’ve had a lie in – i’m always so excited to get up and get started with my day!
If there is any artistic movement you could revive, what would it be and why?
that’s a really difficult question! Can i pick two? Bauhaus and Magic Realism. I love Bauhaus for the structured, organised-ness, and i love Magic Realism for the soft, fantasy, dreamlike aesthetic.
What’s your favorite aspect of the culture of collectors/collectibles?
I really love platform toys, seeing how each artist in a series interprets the toys and makes it their own. My own designer toy collection is quite sporadic as I tend to buy single pieces that i like rather than whole series’s. A large part of my collection is pieces that friends have made for me and all of them tell a little story which i love.
Besides unicorns, what mystical creature would you most like to see in person? (And why?)
Fizzgig from The Dark Crystal. I love that little face! He makes me laugh every time i watch that film. I still really want to be a Gellfling when i grown up!
What’s the coolest part of being a “toymaker,” pardon the term?
I love my job, so much that i never really think of it as a job. My work life is split into two distinctive parts – Cavey and A Little Stranger both of which are very public, so seeing pictures and posts of people enjoying my work is amazing. At the other end of the specturm my prototyping and consultancy work is very private and often secretive so I never get to talk about it. I still get a huge buzz whenever I see my work on the Shelves of Toys R Us, I don’t think I’ll ever get bored of that!
Lastly, who would you most like to see playing with (or displaying) one of your figures?
Tim Burton. He’s my favourite favourite favourite!
alittlestranger.com
heycavey.com
JOMIKE TEJIDO
Robotars
Hey, Jomike. How are you? Just wondering, when was the last time you did something for the first time?
Early this year, I cooked my first gourmet dish- eggs benedict.
Walk through a typical day. What’s your routine like?
I get up and cook breakfast for the family and then head off to my home studio, which is a former garage-turned multidisciplinary workspace. I work on different projects from architecture, illustration, to painting. Then early evening, I read stories to my daughter. If I do not fall asleep in the process, I get to relax or surf the web.
As a kid, what toys did you play with?
I played with mostly American-cartoon based toys of the early 90’s, like Transformers, M.A.S.K. and GI JOE. My dad is a scale modeler and Tamiya RC hobbyist as well, so I retired from the kiddie things earlier than most kids, because my dad’s toys made me feel like a “big boy.” For toys I didn’t have, I learned to make on my own, out of scrap cardboard. I think it says how resourceful and creative I can get whenever I want something.
What were you doing circa your pre-teen years that you could never get away with nowadays?
I usually played pranks on my older cousins who used to live in our house while they were in college. To my little cousin, I’d hide her Hello Kitty merch or pretend to harm it and say mean things to it because it was cute and girly.
If there is any artistic movement you could revive, what would it be and why?
I like DeStijl and Bauhaus. I love the Bauhaus concept of artists, artisans and architects are in one school of thought. My dream is to have an office like this. I like DeStijl’s play of shapes and simplicity that makes it very restful. My love for these can be seen in my Wood Menagerie collection at jmtejido.com.
Briefly describe the background of Robotars. How did you go from idea to actualization?
In 2004, I realized designer toys exist in Singapore, where I saw Devilrobots and Gloomy bear in a hip-hop clothes store. Then when I went to Tokyo in 2006, I was amazed to see all of the brands in full glory. It was then when I wanted to create a designer toy that would serve as an icon for nationalism and the environment. I chose a tarsier because it was a real animal, but I needed to inject a flavor of absurdity. This sparked the entire Robotars story. A robot tarsier hero that has a splitting head to encase Pinoy food snacks. His land will be attacked by alien invaders that plunder the land, and it’ll be up to this little hero to save it all.
I started out with a pre-assembled cardboard toy which I sold in art bazaars (such as the former Embassy yardsale, CubaoX events and the Yabang Pinoy bazaar, 2007), then produce a resin sculpture (2010). Along with the development process was his little hero story and universe: local animal friends, kaiju monsters, Pinoy food and the online game. Play it for free at www.jmtejido.com/robotars.
Starting June 2012, kids can also enjoy a quarterly Robotars Kids Magazine, which has comics and activities for grade school kids (free inside CodeRed Magazine).
Why do you think designer toys have such a cult following? And personally, what is their appeal to you?
I think its something psychological and personal. Since designer toys are designed with strong personalities and characters, it’s likely that people can relate to one of them. It could be things they hate, love, admire or fear- packed into a small unintimidating figure where its owner feels superior to it and actually own it.
To me, the it’s a genre that I considered yucky and girly as a kid has now evolved into something interesting, like how gloomy bear can be cute and a brutal killer at the same time. To me, meshing these two contrasts (or ironies) into a toy is something really inventive and bold.
What’s the coolest part of being a “toymaker,” pardon the term?
It is exciting for me to conceptualize, sketch and turn into something 3D and tangible. It may be because I grew up in an architectural home-office that my way of thinking is that ideas are invisible unless you draw them, and it’s merely a schematic unless you build it.
It gets me to get a virtual experience of owning a toy company, as my venture entirely self-funded as an outlet for my passion for art toys ( Only the box was sponsored by Vibal Publishing). Since I projected a portion of my savings to go into buying toys, I just transferred it all to creating my brand. I also enjoy organizing exhibits for my brand as well as my @Robotars Manila Facebook account. So please add me!
Who would you most like to see playing with (or displaying) one of your figures?
Anyone! I’d like 100 toy collectors to display my toys. That’s because I made the limited edition of 100 hand painted pieces for this first series.
Lastly, what’s next in store for you? Any early plans for more figures, collectibles, or collaborations?
A collaboration of limited edition pieces with Bullet Punk (Quiccs Maiquez) X Robotars.
jmtejido.com/robotars
SHEA BRITTAIN
Frankenfactory
Hey, Shea. How are you? Just wondering, when was the last time you did something for the first time?
At the end of 2011, I sculpted, learned to make molds, cast resin and airbrushed for the first time. I had always painted and drawn, but had never delved into the 3rd dimension before. I love trying new things. I used online tutorials, the MonsterKolor forum and Youtube University to figure everything out. WolfGirl was my first sculpture. If I had known more about the resin casting process at the time, I would have designed her differently. I’m thankful that I didn’t. I like her fat little resin body and skinny legs.
Walk through a typical day. What’s your routine like?
I work from home most days for a medical device company as a Marketing Director. We are a startup, so I do a lot of different tasks throughout the week. I sculpt when I can during conference calls or in the evenings and try to take breaks to make art during the day. Most of my airbrushing happens on the weekends and I feel like I am constantly racing sunsets to get everything done. I usually fall asleep reading, covered in clay or paint.
Describe your creative process.
I started painting when I was a kid as a therapy for frequent nightmares. I approach art from that perspective still. Most of the time I just have to clear my mind and start. There is always something just below the surface that I can tap into. Sometimes when I’m painting or drawing, I scribble lines and use what I see in the scribbles as my base. I also like to listen to music or watch re-runs of my favorite shows while I work. If I ever get to the point where producing art publicly loses its therapeutic qualities, I’ll have to change the way I’m doing things.
As a kid, what toys did you play with?
I loved Popples, Barbie, She-Ra, Atari and my Erector Set growing up. I didn’t play with a lot of toys. I liked going outside, making things, crafting, drawing, reading, swimming, sports and playing “make believe”. My best friend and I would play “Batman” a lot. She was always Catwoman and I was always Poison Ivy. I had an aversion to most toys with eyes because I was afraid that they would come to life. I haven’t grown out of assigning souls to inanimate objects with eyes, I just see them differently. I think my toy choices show that I was a hands on, energetic kid, with an over-active imagination.
What were you doing circa your pre-teen years that you could never get away with nowadays?
Not much, I was a pretty laid back and savvy kid. I don’t feel many restrictions as an adult, and I don’t think that I did anything when I was younger that I couldn’t get away with now. Maybe I’m overconfident in my ability to get away with things. Mostly, I was a quiet and introverted kid.
If there is any artistic movement you could revive, what would it be and why?
I’m a sucker for Baroque and Victorian Classicism. I don’t have the patience for that level of detail and perfection myself, but the styles can make the darkest themes achingly beautiful in a way that really moves me. Intense study, many hours, months, and years invested, obsessive attention to detail, large scale, and the ultimate pursuit of perfection and beauty. I don’t think that our current economy could sustain a massive movement with these qualities. We would all be poor and starving, surrounded by beautiful things that few could afford to buy.
Why do you think designer toys have such a cult following? And personally, what is their appeal to you?
I think that they have a cult following because they are wonderful. I love the community and artists and I think a lot of the collectors do too. I don’t have an affinity for objects in general. My attraction is for the characters and stories in physical form. On the most basic level for the high production volume toys, I appreciate the attention to design and how the artists work within the parameters of production restrictions.
What’s your favorite aspect of the culture of collectors/collectibles?
I enjoy the community. I like that the collectors are passionate and thoughtful about their collections. I like that the artists are unique and often take time to think about the collectors when they create a design. A symbiotic relationship. Often times art can be a selfish, which is great, but there is something special about art that is designed to be interesting, appealing or loved by others. It doesn’t feel exclusionary to me. I might be wrong, but ignorance is bliss in this case.
Explain “Limited Edition.”
Everything that I’ve produced at this point in my toy making has been limited, because there is only one of me and I’m limited to what I can produce. Toys on a small scale are expensive to make. I think that the actual value of limited edition is knowing that you possess or have created something special and unique. Artificial limitations on production give the perception of this value, but don’t always deliver on being something truly special.
What’s the coolest part of being a “toymaker,” pardon the term?
I love seeing my characters come to life in the 3rd Dimension. I also love that I can build the toys myself. Making art toys and being independent takes some of the pressure away from the process of art making and I feel freer to create, be playful and dark at my discretion. Street art, cave painting, fabrication and designer toys are where I thrive. I don’t feel like I fit into the fine art industry and feel uncomfortable in fine art venues that aren’t museums. I couldn’t make it as a full time “fine art” artist for many reasons. Making art toys is a release for me.
frankenfactory.com
Story by Giano D. Dionisio
