Day 170: KAWS

KAWS was born Brian Donnelly in Jersey City, New Jersey. He began his career as a graffiti artist growing up in Jersey City, New Jersey. Later moving to New York City in the 1990s, KAWS started subverting imagery on billboards, bus shelters and phone booth advertisements.

In the late 90s, KAWS began to design and produce limited edition vinyl toys. More toys and later clothing were made for Original Fake, a recent collaborative store with Medicom Toy. One of KAWS' early series, Package Paintings, was made in 2000. This series, entitled The Kimpsons, subverted the famous American cartoon, The Simpsons.

Download the PDF file here and make your own KAWS toy!

Tell us what toys you like to see by visiting our Facebook Fan page.

Summer School at MCAD!!

Can't wait to start my class next week at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. I've lived blocks from MCAD for many years and have always thought about taking classes there. While at the Art-a-Whirl a couple of weeks ago I picked up a booklet from MCAD with continuing studies in art education. I found the perfect class for me to bring my business to the next level.

Licensing for Artists is something I've been researching for a while now and can only find so much information from text and online. It will be nice to take a class with someone who has had some real world experience and get some good feedback from professionals in the business. The class will cover so many things I've had questions about in the last year including a licensing portfolio, brand identity and royalties. I hope to continue taking classes a la carte to free myself from the mundane routine of life. :) A class in mold making and screen printing is next on my list.

Day 168: Enid Coleslaw (Ghost World)

Ghost World is a comic book written and illustrated by Daniel Clowes. It was originally serialized in issues #11 through #18 of Clowes's comic book series Eightball, and was first published in book form in 1997 by Fantagraphics Books. A commercial and critical success, it was very popular with teenage audiences on its initial release and developed into a cult classic. The book has been reprinted in multiple editions and was the basis for the 2001 feature film of the same name.

Ghost World follows the day-to-day lives of best friends Enid Coleslaw and Rebecca Doppelmeyer, two cynical, pseudo-intellectual and intermittently witty teenage girls recently graduated from high school in the early 1990s. They spend their days wandering aimlessly around their unnamed American town, criticizing popular culture and the people they encounter while wondering what they will do for the rest of their days. As the comic progresses and Enid and Rebecca make the transition into adulthood, the two develop tensions and drift apart.

Download the PDF file here and make your own Enid toy!

Tell us what toys you like to see by visiting our Facebook Fan page.

Day 167: Lisa Marie Simpson

Lisa Marie Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons. She is the middle child of the eponymous family. Matt Groening, the creator of the Simpsons, named her after his younger sister Lisa Groening.

At eight years old Lisa is the second child of Homer and Marge, younger sister of Bart, and older sister of Maggie. She is highly intelligent and plays the baritone saxophone. She has been a vegetarian since season 7, converted to Buddhism in the season 13 and advocates for a variety of political causes, including human rights in Tibet.

Download the PDF file here and make your own Lisa Simpson toy!

More Simpsons toys here.



Tell us what toys you like to see by visiting our Facebook Fan page.

Busy, busy, busy...

Hey There!

If you're reading this, first of all - you rule! Second of all, glad you happened upon a new post; it's been a while...

But being busy means there is A LOT to report!

I recently took a trip to Portland and happened upon the 'Crafty Wonderland' show at the Portland Convention Center. There were HUNDREDS of super cool artists selling really great stuff! It was a good opportunity to talk to people about art, check out what's being done in the good ol' PNW art/craft scene and, of course, to buy some stuff! For example, this awesome hat made by 'moth & squirrel':

Yeah! That's Donatello on there!

Just prior to my trip to Portland, I had submitted a piece to Toy2R's 15th Anniversary Qeeology show (as mentioned in the 'breaking news' piece at the top of the blog), and here's the toy, Choco-Chip on a rampage, in all it's glory!!! :

There are many many more picture on the RAMPAGE TOYS Flickr Page, including many work in progress shots - so check it out! The original figure was a Earg Qee. I Sculpted the jowels and eyes, and modeled the teeth out of thin plastic card. The speckled paint was achieved by peppering (at a distance) with normal every-day spray paints - SPLATTER SPLATTER! The chocolate chips were individually sculpted and are 100% life sized! Each has his own little scared or confused expression :-)

Also in RAMPAGE TOYS news - NEW RESIN TOYS!!!! Yep, I've been lazy posting these guys, but here they are (finally) - the RAMPAGE TOYS' NACHTEULE!!!! Nachteule is German for 'Night Owl' (literally translated)... kind of a nick name I've acquired since I'm always up so late making stuff... I'm casting and painting various colorways for this figure, and here are the first three sets - including some that GLOW IN THE DARK!!!! YAY!!! I'm screen printing the header art on these guys, so you get two pieces of handmade artwork for each piece you buy! WOW! Some of the original colorways figures are on sale at MONSTER ART and CLOTHING in Ballard, but the rest won't be available until the Indie Banditas Show on June 26th and the Port Townsend American Legion Hall. Be there!

The Original Colorway! Edition of 3.

Disco Edition (of 3)! This has it all! It glows in the dark (check it here), AND it's got that awesome fishnet pattern on the wings! WOW-WEE! On top of all that - the header art glows in the dark too!!!

Sleepy Owl edition (of 3) :-) These guys glow like mad! Here's the evidence. And again - the header art glows! YAY!

Thanks for stopping by! Be sure to check the RAMPAGE Flickr Page for updates (on a very regular basis!). Ciao!

Sewing Friends Fabric Design

I love these characters and I've been working on some sewing accessories that feature them. I've just about finished the prototypes and will send the file to Spoonflower for printing within the week. This pattern will be used to for some mini zipper pouches. I plan to design more patterns featuring Mushroom Hill and my storybook characters.

Day 166: Tony the Tiger

Tony the Tiger is the advertising cartoon mascot for Kellogg's Frosted Flakes (also known as Frosties) breakfast cereal, appearing on its packaging and advertising. More recently, Tony has also become the mascot for Tony's Cinnamon Krunchers and Tiger Power.

Download the PDF file here and make your own Tony the Tiger toy!

Tell us what toys you like to see by visiting our Facebook Fan page.

Day 165: Miffy

Miffy is a small female rabbit in a series of picture books drawn and written by Dutch artist Dick Bruna. Her original Dutch name is Nijntje which stems from a toddler's pronunciation of the word "konijntje" meaning "little rabbit".

The first Miffy book was produced in 1955, and almost 30 others have followed. In total they have sold over 85 million copies, and inspired a television series as well as items such as clothes and toys featuring the character.

Download the PDF file here and make your own Miffy toy!

Tell us what toys you like to see by visiting our Facebook Fan page.

Day 164: Statue of Liberty

The Statue of Liberty (French: Statue de la Liberté), officially titled Liberty Enlightening the World (French: la Liberté éclairant le monde), dedicated on October 28, 1886, is a monument commemorating the centennial of the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence, given to the United States by the people of France to represent the friendship between the two countries established during the American Revolution. It represents a woman wearing a stola, a radiant crown and sandals, trampling a broken chain, carrying a torch in her raised right hand and a tabula ansata, where the date of the Declaration of Independence JULY IV MDCCLXXVI is inscribed, in her left arm.

Worldwide, the Statue of Liberty is one of the most recognizable icons of the United States. For many years it was one of the first glimpses of the United States for millions of immigrants and visitors after ocean voyages from around the world.

Download the PDF file here and make your own Statue of Liberty toy.

Tell us what toys you like to see by visiting our Facebook Fan page.

From the Archive - Day 2: Iron Man

For those who might have missed this... from our archive, posted on May 21, 2008.

Iron Man is a fictional character that first appeared in Tales of Suspense #39 (March 1963), and was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber, and artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby.

PDF here.

New Craft Show - The Talent Show

Typically my rule for a new show is to check it out before I participate. Even in its first year The Talent Show looks very promising. After seeing some of the artists signing on, one of my favorites being Too Many Suitors, I decided to give it a shot. The space looks beautiful and since I have plenty of inventory.. what the heck, I'll try it out. Sometimes you have to take a risk. Who knows it may be the next great indie craft show. Wish me luck, heres the scoop!

The Talent Show is a fine arts & craft event in the Kingfield neighborhood of Minneapolis, featuring over 30 high-quality craftspeople and fine artists.

June 5th & 6th, 2010
Saturday & Sunday 10AM-6PM
Rau+Barber Studio 4244 Nicollet Avenue S.
Minneapolis, MN 55409

Day 163: Mighty Mouse

Mighty Mouse is an animation superhero mouse character created by the Terrytoons studio for 20th Century Fox. Originally created as a parody of Superman, he first appeared in 1942 in a theatrical animated short entitled The Mouse of Tomorrow. The original name of the character was Super Mouse, but it was soon changed to Mighty Mouse.

During the 1980s, animator Ralph Bakshi created a new series of Mighty Mouse cartoons, entitled Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures. Its heavy satirical tone and humor makes it a collector's item even today; many collectors of older TV series seek out episodes of the Bakshi Mighty Mouse. The series was cancelled after two seasons, due to the controversy surrounding an episode in which Mighty Mouse sniffed a white powder that resembled cocaine. CBS and Bakshi denied this assertion. At first they claimed Mighty Mouse was sniffing his "lucky chunk of cheese", but later said the substance was "crushed flowers."

Download the PDF file here and make your own Mighty Mouse toy.

Tell us what toys you like to see by visiting our Facebook Fan page.

May Day Parade

In the mood for giant paper mache floats, hare krishna, patchouli, and mini donuts ... check out the annual May Day Parade! Held by In The Heart of the Beast don't miss next years festival on the first Sunday of May.

Giant Elephant made with Butter

Dr. Suess Horn

Age of Aquarius

Day of the Dead Skellies.

Giant Talking Tiger Head

Scary Misfit Skeletons

Nothing beats a shanty float with a couch and an oil drum pulled behind it.

Craftstravaganza 2010

I was a great day at the craft show yesterday. The weather was pleasant, the sales were a bit slow but I saw some old friends and met some new. I was really pleased with the look of my display. I think its the best so far. Thanks to all who came out to visit!