Clutter Magazine Issue 44 - Summer 2017 - 10 Years of SPLURRT!

ISSUE 44

SUMMER 2017

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ISSUE 44

SUMMER 2017

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SPLURRT 22 10 Years in the Making.

Article by Miranda O’Brien On The Cover “Cadaversary Kid”

by Robert Howell w/ Manic Images

THAILAND TOY EXPO

07

Cultural Revoltion Article by Barbara Pavone

RYCA A Tale of Two Artists Article by Seth Fischer

7TH ANNUAL DESIGNER TOY AWARDS

15

Winners Announced Hosted by Morgan Spurlock

30

VIOLENCE TOY

38

A History of Violence Article by Josh Kimberg

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TEAM CLUTTER

Seth Fischer Contributing Writer

Miranda O’Brien Editor-in-Chief

Jason Ryule Technical Coordinator

miranda@cluttermagazine.com

jason@tradeincool.com

Josh Kimberg Managing Editor

Brian VanHooker Contributing Writer

josh@cluttermagazine.com

brian@clutterstudios.com

Connor Donaldson Producer

Barbara Pavone Contributing Writer

connor@clutterstudios.com

Twitter: @ThePavoneReport

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Brittany DiPeri Design Associate Sarah Booz Copy Editor Twitter: @sarahbooz

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LEGAL The publishers would like to thank everyone who has furnished information and materials for this issue. The contents of CLUTTER MAGAZINE reflect the opinions of respective contributor or interview subject, and are not necessarily those of the publisher. All copyrights/rights to images (photographs, design) writing, and likeness are property of the respective owners.

Every effort has been made to reach copyright owners or their representatives. All other material is owned and copyrighted by Clutter Studios, LLC. Nothing may be reproduced in part or whole without prior written consent from Clutter Studios.

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CULTURAL REVOLUTION

BY BARBARA PAVONE

Title

Bangkok is a city like no other. There’s an energy in the air, a vibrancy in the food and a sparkle in the people that could not possibly be replicated anywhere else. It’s hard not to fall in love with the bustling metropolis that’s home to over 8 million people almost as soon as you step off the plane. Add to that an exciting, quickly growing designer toy scene and there’s no denying it: Bangkok is magic.

Flying over 8,000 miles from Montreal, Canada to Bangkok, Thailand to attend my very first Thailand Toy Expo (TTE, for short), I wasn’t sure what to expect. The expo celebrated its milestone fifth anniversary this past May, bringing together local and international artists to fill over 180 booths and, let me tell you, it sure as hell didn’t disappoint.

Returning to its annual home, TTE spread out across several floors of CentralWorld, one of Bangkok’s biggest malls and the tenth largest shopping complex in the world, creating an exciting labyrinth filled with gems.

As giants like COARSE, James Groman, and Ron English represented the West, it was the abundance of local artists and brands from the ASEAN that made TTE truly special. Just a few of my personal favorites included Kurobokan, Black Seed, Jwon Toy, Robin Tang Antics, and Pucky.

Over four days, running from May 4th to May 7th, collectors had the chance to meet their favorite artists, discover new talent, stock up on awesome toys and, if they were lucky, score some coveted exclusives and timed releases.

I arrived on the second day and kicked things off on a high note, snaggeing the very last Mini Muckey Meets Fluffy figure from Japan’s Instinctoy. Then it was off to sign up for the brand’s lottery for the day, before quickly walking (semi-jogging) downstairs to join the lineup at Kurobokan.

Unfortunately, said semi-jog wasn’t quite fast enough and I found myself at the end of the line, which snaked around a large chunk of the main floor. With most items sold out by the time I made it to the front, I was happy to find Eric Noah’s clear Gwen the Corgi prototypes, as well as larger custom Gwens, still up for grabs. Given Kurobokan’s strict one item per Clutter 44 - SPLURRT! | 9

person policy, this was a good moment to have a sidekick.

After picking up two of my favorite finds of the weekend — a clever Dogbird from Korea’s Third Stage, and a Banana Youkai from Japan’s K2TOY (a fantastically bizarre tattooed banana leg) — noon struck and I was off to the Instinctoy draw. As staff randomly picked numbers from a bag, half an hour went by. Then an hour. A green tea ice cream float provided sustenance, then it happened: my luck changed and my number was called. The Sleeping Negora from Konatsuya, and Inu-Harigon from Teresa Chiba were finally mine — success!

As die-hard fans from all over Asia mingled with passersby who were discovering the magic of designer toys for the first time, there was an overwhelming amount of action to take in. Signings, live customization sessions, a charity auction, and more rounded out the weekend, along with two huge gaming tents set up right outside CentralWorld. From rare customs to mainstream Funko releases, there was something for every type (and age) of collector. Yes, TTE should definitely be on your ‘Must-Visit’ list.

After all of the excitement was over, and I had miraculously managed to stuff all of my new toys into my suitcase, I caught up with 28-year-old Pongsthon Tumwattana (a.k.a.

Jeep), TTE’s founder and owner of JPX and JP TOYS. With a mission to pick his brain about the past, present, and future of the “first-ever toy event to get support from the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, T.C.E.B, and CentralWorld” I was ready to find out more.

How did you get the idea to start Thailand Toy Expo?

Here’s a brief introduction — if I tell you the original story, it’s going to be a book! [laughs] Before I collected designer toys, I collected a lot of Power Rangers products, which I still collect. When I accidentally met Kim Fung Wong and Ashley Wood from ThreeA in Beijing, they were the first to introduce me to designer toys.

Let me take you back to around six years ago. After a lot of researching and learning about designer toys, I opened a company called JP TOYS. ThreeA was the first brand I carried, followed by COARSE, Glitch Network, and many more. My goal was to present the uniqueness of designer toys to Thai fans.

During that time, I rented a space to display my collection at CentralWorld and 10 | Clutter 44 - SPLURRT!

everyone seemed surprised by it. After that, I travelled to many different places around the world, especially during the toy fair period, and studied their creativity and uniqueness and adapted the very best parts of each show to my own style.

Starting Thailand Toy Expo was super hard.

Many people around me strongly believed that what I was doing was risky and silly, and ultimately not going to be worth it. I wanted to prove them wrong and change the old stereotype that toys are bad or a nonsense product for daily life.

What was the hardest part of organizing that very first expo?

The hardest part was making everyone believe that this type of event could happen in the real world! The key factors are money, people, location, sponsors, brands… everything is hard! I had never organized this type of event before, but I thought it would be super easy since I had seen many people doing these types of events. I was wrong, it was super damn hard.

I planned for many years before I began.

The first year, I got rejected by one big company who was going to be my sponsor.

They canceled two weeks before the event.

During that same time, I got kicked out of my house. I stayed at my friend’s home and cried for two days. I was super stressed because I had made promises to all these brands that took a risk on my super new event.

Top Left Official 2017 5th Anniversary Poster Middle Left Coarse Toys Booth Bottom Left Central Convention Area Top Right Shoko Nakazawa.

Creator of Byron Bottom Right Jeep of Thailad Toy Expo and Mark Landwehr of Coarse Toys

Seven days before the event, I begged my mom for a chance to do what I wanted. She complained a lot, but finally decided to give me this opportunity to make it. I had no money to promote TTE, so I asked the brands who were attending to help. I [set everything up] with two of my friends and when the time came, many people came and queued to buy goods. The happiness and the smiles on their faces made it all worthwhile.

CentralWorld isn’t a typical exhibition venue. How did you end up in such a unique space?

I was bored with the old style exhibition hall event, so I wanted to come up with a new idea. The total area that we use now is Clutter 44 - SPLURRT! | 11

nearly 4,000 square feet. It’s an open mall and we use all the areas we can. We arrange everything by zones in order to make all attendants feel comfortable and toys easy to see.

than 620,000 people attending over four days! We decided to expand to an outside area of the mall. We had 120 booths and we hosted a RC racing event and midnight RC drift tournament.

Thailand Toy Expo celebrated its fifth anniversary this year — congratulations!

How has the event changed over the years?

2017 — Celebrating Five Years: This year was the toughest one since we had to find many new ways to attract people to attend, and also to bring new highlights to the show. So we opened a new area, limited to 15 booths, for international artists to join for free. We got 186 booths in total, proving that we are on the right track.

2013 — The Beginning: We used such a little area in the mall! There were only 20 booths at the event. There was lots of drama and learning, but it was the beginning.

2014 — Rise Of A New Era: I got a partner and a team who were willing to take risks with me and saw the potential of the event.

In 2014, we had 70 booths from around the world and expanded to one more area.

2015 — Beyond Imagination: This was the first year that we decided to fully open a new zone — the Thai Zone — where local artists could come and present their works to the world. This year we had 90 booths from around the world. My first toy company, called JPX, was also established during that time.

2016 — Turn Back Time: Many people started to pay attention to our event globally and it hit the most traffic. We had more 12 | Clutter 44 - SPLURRT!

Another highlight is that, on every second day of our event, we bring people with disabilities and from orphanages to the show and let them walk around, see the toys and meet the artists. We also have a charity auction of one-off products and all of the money goes to them directly.

What is the designer toy scene like in Thailand?

Thailand Toy Expo has created an unexpected outcome for our society. Many famous stars, celebrities and politicians have shown interest. Once they post on their social media, people come and follow.

I think this is the beginning of a new culture shock that will happen in Thailand through toys. The first TTE event also

Top Left Catronaut by JPX x Binko.

Top left bottom: Halo by JPX x coarse Top Right Ron English Booth Opposite Top Jeremyville Mural Opposite Bottom Central Convention Area with Molly statue and Playmobil characters.

created communities for many toy brands, which they formed on Facebook. It seems more open than before.

Everything sold out so quickly this year — it was unbelievable!

I never expected it to be this successful for selling products from all the brands. It really shocked me, and all the exhibitors!

What do you think makes designer toys so special and loved?

I believe that the best characteristic of designer toys is that you take all the imagination and creativity that you have and turn it into something you’re able to touch or play with. And, of course, they’re limited edition products with cool designs that attract more people than other toys.

Who are some of your personal favorite designers?

It’s a long, long list! [laughs] It seems like every artist is my favorite since I know many of them and each of them has taught me so many things. But, if I had to choose,

I would choose my first three teachers: Kim Fung Wong (ThreeZero), Ashley Wood (ThreeA), and Mark Landwehr and Sven Waschk (COARSE). They were the first group of people who trusted me and guided me to where I am today.

Looking to the future, what are your dreams for Thailand Toy Expo?

I would like to make Thailand Toy Expo a stage on which local and international artists have the opportunity to show their products to the world. Surprisingly, TTE has also become a place where artists come and meet each other and create new collaboration projects. This makes us feel like TTE is good for B2B, B2C, fan meets and more. I hope one day every toy company from around the world can come and join in — not just designer toys, but all toys — to make TTE a real expo.

Is there anything you’d like to add?

Nexy years event will be May 3rd-6th,2018!

THANKS TO EVERYONE!!! I LOVE YOU ALL!!!

To learn more, please visit: facebook.com/ ThailandToyExpo thailandtoyexpo.com

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This past ceremony marks the seventh annual Designer Toy Awards. The journey to this moment has been filled with remarkable art, community and the experience of acknowledgment that comes from taking a moment, or an evening, to celebrate and reflect on the achievements of the past year!

This year the DTA’s were honored to be hosted by Academy Award Nominee Morgan Spurlock! With his background as a film maker, and his love and support of designer toys, he was the perfect host to celebrate with.

We have to thank our partners in Five Points Festival, Leftfield Media, and Lagunitas for making it possible for the DTA’s to be held in the historic and revered Webster Hall.

We also have to thank all the people who made the DTA’s possible, so lets start with the nomination committees.

These are the amazing people who devote their time for free to go through all of the nominees and build the finalists lists. This process takes weeks of conversation, arguments and fretting. Every decision matters and every finalist should be honored that they were selected, this is the most grueling part of the process. This years committees were comprised of: (Pro Committee) Benny Kline of Tenacious Toys, David Schlesinger of Corner12,

Dov Kelemer of DKE Toys, Gary Rozanski of The Toy Chronicle, Huck Gee, Jason Freeny, Jackson Aw of Mighty Jaxx, Keegan Rooney of Trampt, Kyle Kirwan, Kirby Kerr of Rotofugi, Lee of Collect & Display, and Travis Lykins of Urban Vinyl Daily. (Public Committee) Rob Lumino, Lee Funai, Justin Cheah, and Ketha ‘Kay’ Insomphou.

Next we have to thank the the DTA Judging Panel including over 150industry professionals and notables each voted to select the winner in many of the categories, save for Best Blog, Best Toy Store, Best Online Toy Store, and the Fan Choice awards.

These six remaining winners were chosen by open voting by the public, so thank you to all the fans and supporters who showed up to express their voice!

Thank you to the Clutter staff who work endlessly and devotedly to the cause of helping grow and support the community we all love. Here at Clutter we don’t get to vote in any of the categories, but we do get to select the Lifetime Achievement award winners and the Hall of Fame. So thank you all for that privilege.

Lastly and not least, we have to thank all of the artists who create the amazing art we all love so much.

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THE 7TH ANNUAL CUSTOM OF THE YEAR BEST BLOG

WINNERS

THE TOY CHRONICLE

LUKA AND TAPISTREE GARY HAM PLATFORM: 20” DUNNY

BEST TOY STORE

PLAYHOUSE

BEST RESIN

THE ASTRONAUT ALEX PARDEE & TOYQUBE

BEST LICENSED

IRON GIANT MONDO

BEST MINI SERIES

GOLD LIFE

HUCK GEE & MIGHTYJAXX

BRAND OF THE YEAR

MIGHTY JAXX

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BEST DIY PLATFORM

BEST NON-PLASTIC

HUCK GEE

COARSE TOYS

THE BLANK

OMEN FADE - WOOD

BEST VINYL & PLASTIC

DO NOT DISTURB CUSTOM OF THE YEAR

COARSE TOYS

F.U. BABYTEQ ARMOR

BEST SOFUBI

BAKE-KUJIRA

QUICCS

CANDIE BOLTON

BEST NON-LICENSED

DARTH TRUMP

TIME BANDITS X SPECIAL ED TOYS

TOY OF THE YEAR

KING KORPSE

TOY OF THE YEAR

JAMES GROMAN & INSTINCTOY

MAGURO AME MOYASHI

BEST ONLINE TOY STORE

ROTOFUGI

BREAK-THROUGH ARTIST

CANDIE BOLTON

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

JUAN MUNIZ

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

JON-PAUL KAISER

Clutter 44 - SPLURRT! | 19

HALL OF FAME Some designer toys have become iconic within the community, helping establish the basis for all that would follow. These pieces, released well before the beginnings of the Designer Toy Awards, are recognized by being inducted into the DTA’s Hall of Fame.

The only requirements are that these pieces had to be released at least 12 years previous to induction and that they were pivotal in helping form the industry become what it is today.

FAFI GIRLS

BROTHERSWORKER

FAFI

BROTHERSFREE

TO-FU OYAKO

DUNCES

MC SUPERSIZE

DEVIL ROBOTS

GARY BASMAN

RON ENGLISH

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT There are just a few toys that have had such an outsized influence on the entire art toy movement. Tatsuhiko Akashi, founder and president of MediCom, has made some remarkable choices and landed on a design that affected almost everyone involved in designer toys when he designed the Kubrick and eventually the Be@rbrick. I doubt he knew the influence he would impact on all of us, but the choices he made were far reaching in their international, or rather global taste.

In appropriating aspects of the Lego man, with a warholian, appropriationist sensibility he was looking far outside of his home country of Japan. In today’s world we should all be looking far outside of our own states, countries, and borders - it’s a great precedent.

The naming of the original figure after the visionary director Kubrick Akashi was crossing personal passions with design for the masses, and gave us all a platform on which to etch our dreams and inspirations.

So we say hontou ni arigatou gozaimasu to you Akashi San. The world needs more people like you. Thank you for what you have achieved and the love we all feel from your work.

Clutter Magazine was proud to present the 2017 Lifetime Achievement award to Medicom Founder and president Tatsuhiko Akashi.

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TATSUHIKO AKASHI

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A DECADE IN THE MAKING

By Miranda O’Brien Images - Robert Howell w/ Manic Images

Krono (Camo) SECRETOY, 2017

Art Toys are reflections of the creators and collectors who inhabit our world, sometimes searching for the light and often compelled to the darkness.

And in our own ways, we are all monsters. Did you eat the last cupcake without asking? You monster! Did you lie to your wife about how you spent the rent money in a Kaiju lottery? Monster! Did you kill a man late one night with a chainsaw and eat his bloody guts with a spoon? You are a Monster! For the last 10 years Splurrt, Joe to his friends, has been a creator of monsters, pushing this genre forward in the US. With deep eastern influences and a constantly fresh approach, he has been the force behind several toys which are must have, classic additions to every Kaiju/ neo-kaiju/sofubi collectin out there. This kind of knack for knowing what needs to be made and his all-American good looks makes Splurrt one of the most unlikely and beloved neo-kaiju creators in the US and the world.

24 | Clutter 44 - SPLURRT!

Where did you grow up? Where did you go to school?

Tell us about your early influences, and what made a young Joe tick.

grails anymore, but if I did it would probably be the Masterwork Cadaver Kids, it’s just more meaningful to me than anything else.

I grew up in central Ohio, outside of Columbus. I had a pretty typical ‘90s childhood. I used to ride my bike and skateboard all over town. There was a hobby store next to me that I would stop in almost every day. They carried Ed Roth models and also some Japanese robot stuff, like Macross. And I’d build those kits, though I was pretty terrible at it. I also have an uncle who is a huge collector of comics, pulps, magazines, posters, and lots of other cool stuff, he started me collecting comics. Every birthday and christmas he would always send comics and magazines. He used to always send stuff like creepy magazines and EC reprints.

When did you start using the name SPLURRT? And where did it come from?

I was brainstorming names and at the time I caught that episode of Futurama about Slurm soda, and I just liked the sound of it, I thought maybe something similar would be a good angle.

Why did you start making toys?

I guess I was the kid in my school who was always the best in art class. I had a lot of encouragement to go to art school and ended up going to Columbus College of Art and Design. I majored in advertising and graphic design, I didn’t start sculpting or making toys until after college when I moved to New York. I had some exposure to designer toys seeing articles in design/art magazines and books. After I moved to New York and visited physical stores like Kidrobot and Toy Tokyo, I started to get more interested in designer toys. Just exploring everything that was out there, I found myself gravitating towards Japanese vinyl toys, specifically the independent artists creating neo-kaiju and the neohenshin cyborg suits and figures companies like Secret Base and Medicom were making.

When you were first exposed to Designer Toys, what were the pieces/artists that caught your attention?

I had been catching the designer toy spreads in Juxtapoz magazine. I remember, I saw the Kaws x Pushead companion and that really caught my attention. I had to go look up other Pushead toys.

Through that, I kind of discovered the Medicom Henshin Cyborg figures he had done, the Cocobat figures. That led to me learning more about henshin figures, and I discovered the neo-henshin vinyl suits Secret Base was making, which opened me up to the world of Secret Base. The more I looked into these Japanese toys the more I discovered – Bounty Hunter, Real Head, Skull Toys... Maybe there was a mystery that came from things being largely lost in translation, but at the time it just seemed like this exotic Tokyo underground scene, and it felt like it was the coolest shit on the planet.

What toys would we find in your collection now, and which is your holy grail?

I have so much... I’m not a person who just collects one maker or is very focused. Over 10 years I’ve pretty much bought whatever I liked. I like variety, and it’s so wide ranging it’s hard to answer. As far as grails, I have or have had a lot of super expensive hyped stuff, and then I compare it to a beautiful kaiju from a company like M1 or Nostalgic Heroes and to me that stuff is just as beautiful... if not more Truthfully I don’t really have Cadaver Twins (Garamon) SPLURRT, 2016 Clutter 44 - SPLURRT! | 25

Puppoo the Evil Unchi (1st release) SPLURRT, 2015

For fame and fortune, I have yet to receive either.

Tell us about the first toy you made. What was its inspiration? How did you make it? And what were the stand out things you learned?

It was a resin figure called The Executioner, it had ball joint joints at the neck and arms. I stitched together cloth hoods for every figure. It had a big axe arm and a little gimp arm, at the time, I really loved all the arm weapon/accessories for henshin cyborg figures and that kind of inspired the axe arm.

Looking back at it now, I think it was very belonging to that era of mid-2000s Japanese Street figure or urban vinyl design.

I really taught myself how to sculpt making that figure, I was working on it for a ridiculously long amount of time, I think it took me over half a year to sculpt it because I just didn’t know anything, I was just teaching myself as I went.

What are some of the recurring themes in your work, and why?

Death and resurrection. Idols and demons that transcend mortality. I try to balance the dark themes with cute aesthetics. Maybe making light of serious shit just helps people deal with unanswerable questions?

26 | Clutter 44 - SPLURRT!

Shinjuku Demon (unpainted black) SPLURRT, 2016

Where do you draw your inspiration from for the creatures you decide to make?

I think a lot of it comes from stuff I enjoyed as a kid – Ed Roth models, Mad Balls and other gross out toys, comics like Tales From the Crypt. I just enjoy vintage aesthetics when it comes to monsters and creatures, it just has genuine spirit. I think it’s lost in a lot of newer monsterism, there’s like a train of thought out there that you just have to keep adding more shit or more detail to make something cooler than the last guy. I like simple, simple with a great idea and spirit behind it.

Tell us the story of how you got your first sofubi figure made. Japanese factories are all about relationships, so you must have some interesting stories from over the years.

I had been making original resin figures for awhile and was nearing a place where I thought my figures were getting good enough to make the jump to vinyl.

At the time I think Japanese factories were kind of thought to be unreceptive to manufacturing for outsiders. Fortunately, a few westerners had taken the plunge and moved to Japan and were starting to make their own toys. At the time Velocitron was there making his toys and had started to offer production assistance to other Americans. It was after I sculpted the Cadaver Kid, I felt really

Usir (marbled black and red), SPLURRT, 2017

confident it was good enough for vinyl, so he helped me get that made, and then I followed that up with the Diggler.

I do have some interesting stories... I don’t know if interesting is the right word, it has been a true roller coaster ride. I’m just going to say, you live and learn and I have new production avenues now with great people in place, and I’m looking forward to things operating much smoother moving forward.

Do you see yourself as an American artist working inside of a Japanese cultural format or as an artist working inside of a new American culture inspired

by Japanese techniques? (In other words, are you making Japanese toys or are you making American toys using Japanese factories?)

I’m an American artist working inside of a new global culture, inspired by Japanese technique, definitely. Truthfully, I actually have very little interest in Japanese pop culture anymore. I was thinking about going back to Tokyo recently because I don’t think I’ve been in 4 or 5 years, but I just ended up going to Hawaii instead. Weighing wandering around Tokyo Mandarakes, to sitting on a beach, I choose sitting on a beach, lol.

It’s changed so much, in just a few years. Once sofubi caught on throughout other Asian countries, it’s just become so popular globally, so many people

Mecha Brain Cadaver Kid (marbled blue and red), SPLURRT, 2017

outside of America and Japan, in other Asian countries have started making sofubi too, and many Chinese factories have started to manufacture slush casted vinyl toys as well. It’s not just America and Japan anymore, it’s a global culture.

How hard is the process of revisions with a factory that is so far away and speaks a different language?

Fortunately, I have point people in place who also speak English. But when I need to deal directly with someone who does not, I just use a professional translation service to write and read emails. It can cost 5 or 10 dollars an email. I always try to include a lot of labeled pictures as well to make it clear.

Manufacturing anything and running a business, you just have to stay creative and find solutions to overcome whatever obstacles you face.

What is SECRETOY? And what’s the difference between that and SPLURRT? I wanted to make some Kaiju toys inspired by western monsters, most noticeably by Ray Harryhausen. I didn’t really feel like the aesthetic fit within what I was doing with SPLURRT, so I created an alternate brand, SECRETOY to make western kaiju under. I’ve released the Cinema Monster, with the alternate Tauro head, Krono, and the Met Death Golem under SECRETOY. Under SPLURRT I keep most of my stuff that seems more toyish...is

Clutter 44 - SPLURRT! | 27

that a word? Most of it has more of those super deformed proportions and is a little more inspired by the toys and monsters I loved as a kid.

You have worked on a lot of collaborations over the years, do you think that’s an important part in challenging your growth as an artist? Do you enjoy collaborating?

I used to enjoy collaborating when things were in earlier stages. Now there are just so many ideas I have and don’t have time to execute, I don’t really want to collaborate anymore because I just want to try and get my own stuff done. Collaborating has to be mutually beneficial and I think add some kind of unique value to your work that you just couldn’t achieve otherwise. That said, I would definitely be receptive if an opportunity like that arose and enjoy trying something new.

Do you work outside of sofubi? Or does your work have to be sofubi for you to feel like it’s your work?

I’ve done resin in the past and fiberglass. I love making a new figure and operating like “ok, I’ll make a thousand of

these over the next 5 years and I’ll be able to pull it in all these different colors and paint it dozens of different ways and have fun with it, and it will be affordable and available enough that thousands of people can buy it”. And not only can they buy it, it’s not fragile, and it only weighs a couple ounces, so they can pick it up and play with it and twist limbs, and take it with them when they go places to photograph it. It’s just such an effective and efficient way of making art, I can’t imagine departing from it.

Do you think Chinese slush vinyl is as valid as sofubi?

Chinese vinyl has come light years in recent years. It’s still not quite to Japanese levels, and it has limited options in terms of colors and effects, but I will say it’s at a place now where I would make toys in China.

What words would you use to describe your work? Is it Kaiju? Is it horror?

That is a good question, I’ve called it neokaiju in the past, more recently I’ve heard labels like horror toy, and also ugly toy which I like. Why do you have to put labels on it? I’m just a dude making vinyl dollies.

How would you like your work to be perceived?

I’d like it to be perceived as art in an affordable and available form. Everyone making toys has their own process, some are hands off and really just art directors, some do everything. I do everything except the mold making process. I design, sculpt, paint, create the packaging and promo materials. The vinyl is pulled by master craftsmen in Japan. When you buy my toys you are really getting a handmade object, you are not buying a mass produced action figure or platform toy.

Do you think that the greatest Kaiju and Neo-Kaiju creations are the simplest forms? After all, it’s all about the silhouette. Are you heralding the dawn of the new age of toy minimalism?

I think form itself is the hardest to master.

You could do the same basic form with 100 different subtle changes and each version would have a unique character.

Many of my personal favorite toys have what many would say is a simple form, but I don’t want to belittle the effort that was put into them because sometimes things

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Masterworks Cadaver Kid, (Clutter Five Points exclusive 1st release) SPLURRT, 2017

seem deceptively simple, but it’s only because a great deal of thought went into solving the design.

I’m not heralding minimalism, I just think in this day and age with digital sculpting and the competitive drive to do something bigger or better than the last guy, it’s easy to go overboard on textures and details and unnecessary additions. For example look at the Krono, interesting powerful silhouette, coupled with the fierceness of expression that was a strong base.

I didn’t need to add a million scales to make it look real, or make every arm a different thing, a simple rough texture getting a little bumpier around the head, and a rough four pectoral chest was all it needed.

stance on flippers?

I wouldn’t say sofubi is hot, I’d say it’s just started to gain exposure. It was pretty obscure and didn’t get a lot of exposure outside of Japan for awhile, but in my opinion, it is so much more deserving of recognition than other forms of indie toys like resin bootlegs, or platform toys. As far as flippers go, fuck those guys. They aren’t working for me helping me make toys so I don’t know why they deserve to make any money off of my work. They should put whatever money they make in an envelope and mail it to me.

They are just hurting real collectors. The guys who genuinely appreciate and want the toy but can’t afford to spend 2 or 3x retail, so it’s just sitting on eBay in a void. People get frustrated, people will lose interest and quit collecting.

How has your process changed over the years?

It’s become much more formulaic. You start not knowing a damn thing, you have your successes and your failures and over time it all starts to make sense until suddenly, you actually know what you’re doing and you actually have a process.

Do you prefer painting or sculpting toys?

Sculpting no doubt. To me it’s the most challenging aspect.

How has the sofubi industry changed? Is it bigger, smaller, easier to enter, etc?

It’s definitely gotten much bigger and more popular. When I started making sofubi, it felt like it was actually in a recession. Now, it’s booming. It became popular throughout huge metro areas in Asia outside of Japan. Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Thailand. There is a huge demand, and subsequently, I think that has been kind of negative, I think people are just buying feverishly without discern. This has kind of allowed dozens upon dozens of new people to jump in with what I would say are figures that could probably use a little more polish or work, and they sell because there is such a demand now. And factories in China have started to do slush casting and manufacture sofubi so more avenues are available now, and you don’t have to have the Japanese connections. You can just find a factory on Alibaba and roll the dice.

What’s been the hardest part of being an indie toy maker?

The hardest part is waiting, lol. You’re always waiting on something.

The indie toy scene goes through buying trends, sofubi being a hot one right now, so what’s your Met Death Golem (1st version), SECRETOY, 2017

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Images from Decayed exhibition at Deaths Vault Gallery

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How do you feel about other people painting your toys?

Nowadays as I’m making a toy in the sculpting process I already start to see different colorways and paints I want to do. So I would prefer to execute my own visions.

But it can be interesting to see someone else’s take an approach from an angle you never thought of. What I don’t like is if someone is like, let me paint a Skeletor version or another common homage, that’s not original.

I’d rather see something I’d never think of doing and be surprised by the result.

more and more stuff, continue to keep trying to get more people interested in sofubi and designer toys. Pixar, if you’re reading this, let’s get a Cadaver Kid major motion picture going.

For more information on SPLURRT please visit: instagram.com/splurrt

Congratulations on the recent 10-year celebration show at MVHs Deaths Vault Gallery. How was the show for you?

It was great, so many familiar faces who have been there showing support for years. It was a very social event, everyone grabbing lunch together and having a few beers, catching up, having fun. It’s not just queue up and wait your turn. I was very happy with all the paint and the figures on display, everyone really was enjoying the work and leaving happy with their scores. You never know what lies ahead, so it’s nice to just stop and make a record of where you’ve been and what you’ve achieved, reflect on the milestone. The Deaths Vault Gallery is a beautiful space, and Rich [Montanari Jr., owner of Mutant Vinyl Hardcore] lives the sofubi life, he knows what you need from a gallery if you’re going to show with them.

What advice would you give an aspiring toy maker?

I think people get the idea to make toys and they get super excited. Maybe a little too excited, they can sometimes just feel like every idea they have is amazing, and the truth is, it’s probably not. With social media, people are just very nice, they’ll like your stuff, you follow them so they follow you, they tell you your stuff looks great, but when you’re finally ready to sell something 99% of them are going to have a reason they can’t afford it right now, but the truth is you’re their Instagram buddy and they are being nice. They are never going to give you the critical feedback you need, so be critical of yourself.

Collect toys. I have probably a thousand toys, there is a big difference looking at a photo online and holding a toy in hand. You need to study toy design, analyze toys in hand.

Watch tutorials on how to sculpt and paint. Look outside of designer toys. There are sculptors out there working in special fx makeup or doing garage kits or whatever else, giving amazing tutorials on everything you need to know.

What do you see for the next 10 years of SPLURRT? Global domination, we’re going to put SPLURRT stores in every city, we’re going to put a SPLURRT on Mars. No, I don’t know. I will just keep trying to grow it and make

Bone Usir DX (collaboration with Mutant Vinyl Hardcore), SECRETOY, 2014

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A TALE OF TWO ARTISTS.

BY SETH FISCHER

It’s a fairly common story. A successful street artist yearns to broaden their scope in the art world and branches out into various other mediums.

Fantastically, not only does said artist succeed in the transition, but thrives.

This is the story of Ryan Callanan, who had previously made his mark as a street artist under the name Ryca. Callanan whose symbolic use of iconic pop culture figures, lyrics, as well as various other emblems, has allowed him to shine globally, not only within the art world but also within the music world.

From his wildly successful Hip Hop Legends series, to his collaboration with UK legends The Prodigy (not to mention working with icons such as Fatboy Slim and Kasabian), to his use of the smiley face symbol representative of early ‘80s rave culture, music has consistently been a prevailing motif in much of Rycas’ work. However, that would still just be scratching the surface of just how widespread his influences are. In fact, you’re probably already more familiar with his works than you think.

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What is the difference between Ryca and Ryan Callanan as both an artist and as a thinker?

Ryca is the naughty child who can’t grow up. Ryan is trying to establish himself as a fine artist. They share a studio and often wear each other’s shoes, they sleep in the same bed but don’t always get along.

Who is Ryca?

I grew up in East London, Bethnal Green (near Shoreditch) before it became gentrified and cool... before it was the center of the street art universe (2000’s to now). My earliest memories of art have to be VHS boxes and 12” record sleeves. I’m still fascinated by movie art and music - music being the more ambiguous in terms of subject (Pink Floyd, Beatles, Oasis, Prodigy etc.). Most movie posters are pretty but obvious.

Are you more influenced by culture, time, or geography... or is it an amalgamation of all three?

I think today’s world is an amalgamation. Social media is the epitome of that. I like to think culture and history are the driving forces. Geography is a less important ingredient but certainly a goal with my finished works (world wide appeal).

The use of the Smiley Face in particular, which you have become very synonymous with - Is that more a representation of England, that particular era or that particular (rave) culture?

The smiley/acid face has a very poignant place in British culture. It served as the icon for a cultural revolution. I’m interested in its world wide identity.

In today’s society and to youngsters, it is the grandfather of emojis, a smart phone language that is the fastest growing language on earth.

Were you a Raver?

I consider myself a second generation raver. I was too young to go out to acid house raves. I got into UK garage and drum ‘n’ bass (jungle) in the late ‘90s - two sub genres that grew from acid house. I used to go to the “raves” but they were a lot more organized and legal. However, they did run from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. and I would often be there til the sun came up.

When did you first recognize your art as a potential for a career?

I sold my first silkscreen print on eBay 25 minutes after listing it. Within 24 hours I had sold six prints.

This filled me with confidence.

You have a style that, at least in my eyes, is meant to be perceived as light-hearted, humorous and thought-provoking. Is there a political subtext

or do you aim to steer clear of that?

I have touched on serious subjects, but for the most part, I like to have a laugh. Satire and wit are pre-programmed into British people I think. It helps break the ice in social situations and I hate conceptual art that makes people feel alienated. So humor in art is like putting the welcome mat out for everyone.

You’ve been quoted as declaring Kaws to be “the most important artist in the world right now.” From an artistic standpoint, it seems as if your careers have sort of mirrored each other in terms of the timelines of your progression or evolution from one medium to another (Street art to 3D). Why him?

I have been a fan of Kaws for many years. His route into “high art” is fascinating: graffiti-toys-gallery-museum.

Anyone interested in arguing bootleg toys are NOT a valid art form, needs to look at what Kaws has done over the last 10-20 years. Look at how he has evolved his ideas in terms of scale, quality and presentation. I don’t think any other contemporary artist has a more relevant portfolio.

How did you discover designer toys and bootlegs?

I discovered them via a friend and toy/art collector Selim Varol. He bought a pink edition of my ONA ISLAM (2007) print and proceeded to show me all of his pink-themed artwork. This included Gay Empire. It also included Kozik, Kaws companions, Kidrobot and Be@rbricks... I mean thousands of pieces! It was a massive overdose for your first hit! Selim and I clicked and remain good

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friends, he still collects my work.

What made you want to shift into the world of 3D, particularly action figures?

I studied model making and then 3D design in college and I made my first action figure in 1999 with a project brief on “world leaders”.

I chose Stalin and made a blister, backing card, and painted figurine. It was during this project I discovered Shepard Fairey’s art because I was looking into the communist propaganda aesthetic. I always had a passion for art history and life drawing, I still believe life drawing is the most important discipline for any artist no matter what their refined discipline. Humans are your only competition, know your enemy :) After finding success as a street artist, what turned you towards using your talents to produce action figures and move in that direction?

I was using Star Wars as a key ingredient to 34 | Clutter 44 - SPLURRT!

my art at the time. I’d just put out Reservoir Troopers and r2tag2 and I had the idea for a crucified stormtrooper and the name Start Wars as the answer to “what good purpose does religion serve?” - I messed around with a Poft2 trooper figure, cutting, gluing and resculpting him into the classic pose. I made a simple one-piece mold and he was my first “flat back figure”. If you notice with all my resin toys I make them flat back. I just don’t see the point in wasting time on the backs when nothing I make is supposed to leave the blister. I also like the idea that if anyone did remove my toys they would be massively let down and extremely difficult to display.

Do you remember the first 3D piece you created for a gallery?

My first 3D pieces were made in 2008.

I made a few different works, some textbased pieces, and the OG smiley face. The works never sold, but the feedback was incredible and spurred me on to develop and experiment.

Above: The Prodigy (rave heroes) , 2017 Opposite: Top: Holy Shit, 2016 Middle: Start Wars, 2010 Bottom: Untitled

Your Hip Hop Legends series is amazing. Did you choose those artists because of their place in the hip hop hierarchy or was it something more personal than that?

The Hip Hop Legends are exactly that - masters of their craft. Guys who changed the game, bashed my ear drums, and are still on my playlists. Biggie is the Shakespeare & Beethoven of hip hop in my opinion.

They all either represent New York or California.

Any thoughts on expanding to include those lost from elsewhere? Phife Dawg, J Dilla or Guru for example?

I got into hip hop around 94 to 98, but it wasn’t my only music listening. The UK is music-rich and US hip hop wasn’t on the radio much, it was only the big records and hits. I found Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, that lead to Eazy-E, in turn to NWA, then to Dre, Tupac, Deathrow (Records) and the rivals on the East Coast. I first heard Biggie’s Life After Death album, two weeks after he had passed. Imagine discovering one of your favorite artists at the same time you know they are not around to make any more music.

You’ve also worked with several electronic artists on collaborations both within the musical world and within the art world. Is it safe to say music has had a profound influence on who you are as a person and an artist?

Music is the soundtrack to life. It’s a time machine.

Everyone has tracks that take them back to a place, a time, a memory. Collaborating with musicians is a dream come true. Musical artists can do something that a visual artist, in my opinion, cannot - send you on a journey back in time. Music is for everyone, unlike an original painting that only one person can own. Music belongs to anyone and everyone. There is a real power in what music can do to people. Gigs and concerts - thousands of people coming together for a moment. It certainly has parallels with visual art but for me, music is a much more socially powerful.

How did the Rave Heroes collab with The Prodigy come about?

Liam Howlett [co-founder and leader of the British electronic band The Prodigy] had bought a few of my works over the years. I had a collector who was a mutual friend and said (to him) in conversation I’d like to do their toys. The rest they say is history!

Are there plans to continue this series along the same lines as Hip Hop Legends (although living) or was this just a unique one-off?

The Prodigy 3-pack was a one-off. Music and musicians are certainly something I’m working on.

I have a few Grime [a UK hip hop genre] artists I’m interested in doing something with. There is also a rich wealth of passed music icons I’d like to

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celebrate in 3.75”.

The Art Trooper series, all influences or just paying respect to the artists that paved the way?

The Art Trooper series is a personal check-list of artists who have inspired me in one way or another. My rule being, like with the Hip Hop legends, that they have sadly passed away. I want to help immortalize them further. You can probably guess I love American artists!

Star Wars has also obviously had a profound effect on you. What about it in particular and what made you want to incorporate it into your art?

I’m fanatical. I know stuff about Star Wars no one needs to know. Canon shit. Stupid shit. It’s in my head and I can’t delete it. It’s stored with my Basquiat art files, Wu-Tang tracks, and Monty Python sound bites.

My brain is the opposite of what an OCD person’s apartment looks like. I like to think of it of it as a pop-up toy shop hosting a rap battle in the middle of a museum.

Who would be your dream collaboration? Both artist and musician?

I can honestly say I have fulfilled my dream collaboration. I did the official “Prodigy” 3-pack toys earlier this year, they were countersigned by the band and sold only via their webstore. We sold 250 units at £150 each, so it was pretty lucrative. I do have a lot of ambition. I’d love to work in different genres of music.

In fact, there are things bubbling away right now...

Wasters Of The Universe, Optimus Primed – you were obviously a child of 1980’s cartoons. Were they an early influence?

Toys from the ‘80s are to blame for 66% of the person I am today.

What do you collect?

I collect too much. I have a pretty extensive 3A collection - I’ve been collecting since year one. I have a few Kaws toys and obviously Star Wars. I’m worryingly getting hooked on vintage carded figures.

Why is it so important for you to amalgamate street art with pop culture and what to you does it represent?

The street art movement is the most important art movement since pop art. It hasn’t been fully embraced by the art establishment but history tells you that this is normal and part of the “test” of validity. Pop culture is an essential part of street art as it was with pop art.

Is there still a line between the two? Is street art considered pop culture now or is there still a discrepancy?

The line is painted in chalk.

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The world of bootleg toys has exploded in recent years, with other artists like Sucklord finding a home with this particular niche.

Is it the novelty of something so off-kilter?

I believe bootleg toys are a genuine spin-off genre of “street art”. It shares the same ethos of taking something that doesn’t belong to

Above: Art Trooper (2 pack), 2017 Wasters of the Universe - Man Machine, 2017 Opposite -Top: Studio shot with RYCA & mega absofuckinlutely in view, 2015 Bottom: Painted Street Art, Japan, 2015

you (a wall or toy figure) and reworking it into your own. This, in turn, transfers ownership in some weird way. It is a way of celebrating the toys I loved as a child and still as an adult. I like to throw in satire, sarcasm, and cross-referencing.

Do you think your work is bootleg?

Not in the sense of I’m just making copies of existing figures and passing them off. My toy work is subverted, reworked and, often now, original sculpts. There are certainly some pieces that are more “booleggy” than original, but that’s because some of the key ingredients to making a new piece are kit bashed.

Who do you admire in the bootleg genre?

I have to admit up until recently (Instagram and visiting the states to attend shows), I knew very little about the genre/scene. I admire Sucklord because he is the genesis.

I really like Trap Toys from the UK. I own some Panda Propaganda pieces, and Green Plastic Tunnels is doing some weird abstract trippy wonderful shit too.

When you’re not pumping out incredible art, how do you get your creative juice flowing and out to the masses?

I do this 24/7, I’m never off work and don’t consider what I do as work either. I’m always inspired, always let down and often pissed off at some of the brilliant ideas I discover - pissed off in the sense (that) I didn’t think of it! But this only spurs me on to create new, more and keep momentum.

I use Instagram all the time. It’s great for

getting my work seen, it’s great for discovering and it’s awful if you have low self-esteem. I worry about what my son will have to grow up with. I can’t imagine being at senior school and having Facebook.

What one piece of advice would you give a young RYCA? Don’t pass up those £35 Banksy prints in favor of drinking and raving! Get a bigger student loan and do both!

What is next?

I want to make a short film with my space cadet character.

To keep up-to-date with RYCA please visit: instagram.com/ryca_artist

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MORE ADULT TOYS THAN YOUR MOTHER. www.thetoychronicle.com

A History of Violence

By Josh Kimberg

In the mid 1800’s, the famous American showman and huckster P.T. Barnum amassed a fortune by exhibiting various “freaks” and “monsters” to gullible tourists for a nominal fee. Now, most of these “freaks” were simply people with birth defects and dwarfs with limited employment options, but his star attraction, known as “The Feejee Mermaid” was something else entirely.

The “Mermaid” was actually just a dead monkey sewn onto a fish by an old Japanese fisherman, but the gruesome creature was a compelling attraction for decades and was actually part of a rich tradition of ancient Japanese artwork where they created “hybrids” out of dead animals.

Today, a couple of guys named Zach and Ezra are continuing the tradition of the gruesome exploit. Compelled to create by a mutual love of B-movies, the obscure and the horrific, the guys at Violence Toy are creating artwork which has attracted a lot of attention in the neo-Kaiju scene.

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How did you come to the name Violence toys?

Zach (Z) - We had many different names written down when we started, and we wanted something that communicated our focus on B genre films. I have an arcade cabinet of the game Violence Fight and added it to the list because I loved the title.

After a while, it was the name that stuck out the most to us. We dropped the Fight part of the name, added toy, and kept it.

Ezra (E) - I think keeping names easy and to the point works best, and Violence Toy seemed to fit exactly what we were looking for.

How did you two meet?

Z - We met through tattooing in Austin Texas, and became friends through similar artistic viewpoints and styles.

E - Even though we worked at different shops we would [work on] collaborative paintings and drawings. Then we decided to bring that creativity to toys, something we are both passionate about.

As you came from the world of Tattooing, how did you stumble across the world of indie toys and Kaiju?

E - Both of us have been tattooing for over 10 years.

Toys have been a passion of ours for some time.

We have always been fans of obscure, cult, horror, and sci-fi movies since we were young. The world of indie toys and Kaiju fell into place naturally since we are also collectors of the weird.

When did you first know you wanted to make your own toys?

How did you set about making your first vinyl toy, did you have help navigating the process?

E - We were very fortunate to be able to start making vinyl toys. Our good friend Skinner gave us the reference to start the process. The beginning was a learning process that was slow and hard, but very informative. There was a definitive idea of what we wanted to create and we moved toward that goal.

We wanted to start with an interchangeable “mix a monster” outlook to the first toys. It has changed since then, but we don’t regret the initial process.

The hardest part about creating toys is the wait.

There is nothing we like more than creating, and creating monsters is the best.

What are some of your inspirations?

E - I have always looked for the weirdest and [most] unusual reference materials for tattooing. Mostly overlapping in the same realms as Zach, and that has always been the building blocks for our creative process.

Z - Pulling inspiration from vintage pulp artwork, vintage toys, obscure genres of film, comics, outsider, and folk art. I would say it mostly comes from anything related to Science Fiction and Horror.

How do you divide the artwork between the two of you?

Z - We do everything 50/50 as much as we can. Sometimes the painted runs are by Ezra, and other times

Z - As soon as I realized that it was a possibility.

I started out building models as a kid, then kitbashing, pouring resin and, eventually, I jumped to vinyl with the help of Ezra in 2015. We both had plans to make vinyl toys and decided that our visions were close enough that we needed to do it together.

E - For me, it was something I was very interested in doing for years. When we started talking about it as a team it became a real possibility.

What was the first toy you made?

Z - For Violence, We sculpted a couple of reptoid resin figures that we had available at the first Mondo Con, I think we only made 6-10 sets of them. We had both already experimented with resin projects in the past and knew that we wanted Violence to be mainly vinyl, so we chose to focus on that. Our first vinyl toys were the Asogian Assassin, Trollborg, Time-Gore, and Death Car Exterminator consisting of two bodies, four heads, and six arms so that all the characters could be an interchangeable platform.

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myself. Most of the time we are both painting and sharing all development. We prefer to have Violence Toy be a completely cooperative entity.

E - I think the fact that we both had previous art careers through tattooing and painting helped us to drop the “artist” ego, and just do our best to make the toys that we want to see made. We also learned to airbrush together and can easily match each other’s styles if we need to. Our tattooing and painting approaches are similar, which made this an inspiring and fun transition into toy making.

Can you walk us through your process of making a new toy a little?

E - Our process is very organic. Since we don’t live in the same city anymore, we constantly communicate about ideas – sharing current and vintage toys, and art that speaks to us. The method of feeding off each other and changing something about the other person’s ideas and sketches is important. It keeps a constant check and balance to the creative process. Our goal is to not have two individual styles but to have a mix of what is in our heads combined into the same unified vision. We really focus on having different sizes, shapes, and looks to what we do. The way we create is the same way we collect. It’s all about the layers and how it is displayed.

Pack your display shelf with as many monsters as possible, and with the most diversity achievable.

Do you prefer painting or sculpting toys?

Painting is definitely our favorite. We rarely do runs with the same paint application. Most of what we do is oneoff paint jobs that really stand out as being one-of-akind. The process of creating something that is different every time is the most rewarding part.

What are some of the favorite pieces you have made?

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Z - I’m most proud of our newest ones, Mutant Cop and The Tower. We’re continually learning and trying to improve with everything we do, which makes picking a favorite difficult.

E - I feel like we are constantly learning, and the newest toys always seem better than the last.

We are already working on new toys for this year, and can’t wait until they come out.

Do you have artistic aspirations outside of vinyl toys?

Z - I prefer to keep my aspirations vague because I don’t want to become complacent within any particular style, approach, or medium. With toys, everything is thought out and developed. With art, I prefer a more automatic approach. I appreciate the elements of risk involved with just making something from your subconscious influence. Many times I don’t like what I make and that disappointment keeps me excited and ready to continually develop with any new influence or process I may find.

E - I have never had strong aspirations other than to create. It is what has driven me on a day-to-day basis my whole life. I constantly like to experiment and try new creative things.

Keeping an open mind can always bring you closer to something you never thought you would do.

Does being American affect your work? Do you see a big difference between what you are currently making compared to your Japanese cohorts?

E - We both approach toys like tattooing: pull in inspirations, appropriate properly, and be true to who you are.

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Z - I personally feel that it doesn’t other than the differences we grow up with culturally.

I have yet to visit Japan so it’s hard to say.

Judging by tattooing, there is a difference. The same way most Americans improperly tattoo Japanese images, and the Japanese improperly tattoo American Traditional. There are plenty of exceptions of course, [but] it’s a general barrier in all mediums, country to country, that I think affects those that grew up without the aid of the internet. The way information is exchanged is changing everything. Our experience with what our cultures and influences are and how we apply it to our personal interests and creativity is getting easier for everyone.

had sweaters from Middle of Beyond, can you tell me about that?

What do you collect?

Z - We have a lot of exciting toy-related things happening this year. We plan to continue varied Violence Toy releases throughout the year, as well as introduce some new characters to build on the universe that we have titled The Drones of Saturn. All of our current characters and Gorelords characters live within this larger realm. Aside from Violence Toy, we have been working hard at developing a new toy company with an amazing new partner that we will announce later this year. The only details we can give away at the moment is that it will be called “Phanstasma” and will focus more on licensed toys and goods. Keep an eye out as we start announcing more details soon.

E - Pretty much everything. I go through phases of collecting certain things more than others.

It’s mostly toys, taxidermy, skulls, antique circus items, books, and original art.

Z - All types of toys, books, VHS tapes, records, tattoos, vintage, folk art, monster masks, and most anything I can utilize as a reference.

I bought an amazing Christmas ornament from your booth at Dcon, and I saw you

E - Middle of Beyond [www.middleofbeyond.com] is my main business that I work on, it’s focused on creating the unique. I transitioned into that full time after 13 years of tattooing a few years ago. Focusing on Ugly Christmas Sweaters, Ornaments, Home Goods, and Beyond. I have a lot of plans for MOB, and have some really fun ideas for the future. It really has opened my world to designing and creating fun stuff that I enjoy.

What can we all expect next from Violence toys?

For more information on Violence Toy please visit: violencetoy.com