Active in the designer toy scene for roughly 20 years now; American artist Gabriel Rivas, known as Nerviswr3k, creates works bursting with personality that sit perfectly in the mid point between cute and creepy. Toys, and sculptures utilising hyperdetailed components, cartoony forms, and often incorporating teeth – Lots and lots of spikey, gnashing teeth.
Paying heed to the classic era of 1950’s monsters, whilst also mixing in the aesthetics of graffiti, comics, fantasy, and sci-fi.
Early in his career; Nerviswr3k created a sculptural ‘base’ for many of his figures – named the Drone Blank. A 3 legged, bulbous, creature with enough clear space to act as a perfect canvas.
Then in 2018, Nerviswr3k made his Drone Blank available to other toy artists to work on. Resulting in the very first Drone Blank custom show in November of that year – Featuring 46 artists and held as part of DesignerCon, in Anaheim, CA, USA.
Fast forward roughly 6 years and Nerviswr3k is curating the 2nd Drone Blank custom show – Opening January 11th 2025 at Ghost Fox in Texas, USA. Featuring roughly 60 artists, including Nerviswr3k himself!
With Nerviswr3k’s assistance, we chatted to the man himself; along with 13 artists involved in the show. To learn about them, their art, their approach to their custom Drone; and to take a look at their many wonderful creations!
Check it all out, below…
Nerviswr3k – The Man Himself
Name and date of birth?
Nerviswr3k
02.03.78
Where were you born; and where do you currently reside?
I was born in the border town of El Paso, Texas. That’s where my life was for the first 19 years.
Then I transplanted along with my newborn and newly married wife to the desert valley of Phoenix, Arizona, where I currently call home.
For those at home – please explain a bit about yourself, your art, the Drone Blank figure you created, and the upcoming custom show.
Nothing really interesting about me, I’m rather simple in my ways. I focus mainly on traditional sculpting and character design. The art I create is what brings me to this interview.
I think I’m just a vessel that this stuff I create passes through me and has to be shared. I don’t know what it is that drives me to create but it consumes me, it’s what I feel I have to do.
I mean I am a father and a husband first and foremost but everything else takes a backseat to creating art.
The Drone bank figure is a platform that I have used since early in my customizing days.
Back when I started doing this, I first started customizing Kidrobot Munnys in 2006. A few years after that I got tired of paying 25-30 dollars for a blank 8inch Munny and decided to start creating my own characters; and a base platform was developed which turned into the drone blank.
This platform was the main shape I used for many of my characters which became a staple and lent itself very well to other designs, it was a very transformative shape that I thought would be very friendly to other artists! I took a chance and organized my own custom show for the drone back in 2018 at Designercon with about 40 artists and it turned out great. Sold out about 3/4 of the show.
Your Drone Blank debuted as a platform for other artist’s to use back in 2018, 6 years ago, yet what seems like a lifetime compared to the changes in the designer toy scene since then.
… and we were wondering:
* What impact do you think digital printing has had, and will continue to have, on the scene?
This is a very tough question for me because i feel very strong about traditional sculpting and am a purist when it comes to that. I also have a lot of peers that do 3d printing and don’t want to offend or put anyone down.
I can respect the skill it takes to 3d sculpt or that realm of creating, to each their own by all means; but to me personally, I prefer sculpting by hand.
I don’t think it’ll have an impact on traditional sculpting because digital sculpting or 3d printing can’t capture the soul or emotion that a handmade piece can.
* How do you think the recent influx of new fans from all over the globe, and the associated hype factor connected to certain toys and makers, has affected the community?
If anything it has only divided and made it easier to spot who is in it for a quick buck or to seem “cool.”
It sure has brought out a lot of fakers and people that have not put in the work. But I’ve seen hundreds come and go. The real ones stick around.
* Any new creators you have fallen in love with since 2018?
I stick with the og artists that continue to inspire such as Alex Pardee, ESC toys, Frank Mysterio, Jeremy Fish, Andrew Bell, and Sket One. But one person that I recently have been blown away by is “Mr” I got to see his work and sculpts at the Phoenix Museum a few years back. I was blown away.
Also lastly I have a lot of respect to these artists that took the time to be in this show that have put in work for years!
What has led you to recently embrace and create art for the fingerboard community?
It is another newfound passion that reminds me of the early designer art toy scene. So much creativity and it requires a lot of hands on skill which was so hard to figure out – such as how to press and make fingerboards. I hope to introduce more of this into my art and into the designer art toy community.
Also the fingerboard community I found online and in this city is so welcoming. And I feel that fingerboarding embraces its contributors, something the art toy community I feel from experience has failed to do so.
Links
- Nerviswr3k – Instagram
- Nerviswr3k – Online Store
- Nerviswr3k’s Custom Drone Shows – 2018 Article and Interview about the 1st Drone Show via Art Whore
- Nerviswr3k’s Custom Drone Shows – 2018 Preview Article and Interviews about the 1st Drone Show via Art Whore
Sneak-E
Name and date of birth?
Sneak-E.
Nov 93’
Where were you born; and where do you currently reside?
New Jersey and still sneakin around Jersey!
For those at home – please explain a bit about yourself and your art.
I am a self taught artist with a style based on a mixture of classic cartoons, graffiti, anime, and more.
What led you to discover and fall in love with the designer toy scene?
Finding out about the artist Kaws while I was in hs.
How are you approaching the Drone Blank platform with your piece in the show?
With a mixture of my oc and the coolness of the drone I got a pretty dope turnout – Nebula Drone.
Links
- Sneak-E – Instagram
- Sneak-E – Online Store
Sket One
Name and date of birth?
Sket One.
8/16/1970
Where were you born; and where do you currently reside?
For those at home – please explain a bit about yourself and your art.
I am a painter, illustrator, and designer.
I began my career as a graffiti artist in the 80’s. In 2003 I started designing vinyl toys for such toymakers including:, Medicom, 3-D Retro, I am Retro, Kidrobot, and more.
I have succeeded in exhibiting custom resin work and canvases both nationally and internationally in various galleries. Showing a passion for uniting distinct components of pop culture into pieces of art that are startlingly cohesive and original. Such innovation has led me to work with Facebook, Lucas Film, CBS, Universal Music, NFL, MLB, Hasbro, Ford, Topps, Coca-Cola, Warner Bros, Sideshow, and ZooYork Skateboards.
What led you to discover and fall in love with the designer toy scene?
I love designing things and I am always up for a challenge and when I met Tristan Eaton long ago he gave me that challenge designing a Dunny for Series 1.
How are you approaching the Drone Blank platform with your piece in the show?
When I do customs I am always very aware of the toys’ ORIGINAL shape – I feel if you’re customizing something you can ad but you really need to make sure the original platform can been seen and heard.
I chose mine to be mimic’d after a Jaw Breaker, I usually touch on food and candy/ice-cream and felt this was fun and unique enough to execute.
Links
Rick Strohmeyer
Name and date of birth?
Rick Strohmeyer
1976
Where were you born; and where do you currently reside?
El Paso, TX.
Saint Paul, MN.
For those at home – please explain a bit about yourself and your art.
In the early 90’s I was trained as a renaissance painter and abandoned the practice upon entering the University of Texas at El Paso. While at UTEP I received a double major in Printmaking and Graphic Design.
After leaving college corporate America scooped me up for my amazing graphic design skills.
In 2005 I started down the path of public education. I first started teaching art in Texas and one short year later I was in Saint Paul. For the next 17 years I worked for Saint Paul schools as an Autism aid, an after school art teacher, and a Lego robotics coach. I still continued to make art and discovered the joy of painting custom designer toys in 2010.*
I have been painting custom sculptures for the past 14 years.
In 2022 I left Saint Paul Public School to be a full time painter/ artist.
I have returned to my painting roots to create big and bold coloured portraits. Most subjects are my personal choices, but I am open to suggestions and commissions.
What led you to discover and fall in love with the designer toy scene?
I bought my first Munny in 2009 then customized it for a local competition. After winning second place in that event I was hooked and have been painting custom toys ever since. Some incredibly poppy and other with a sense of hyper realism.
How are you approaching the Drone Blank platform with your piece in the show?
I approached the Drone with a surreal vibe. I wanted to make it look like it belonged in a natural setting and then make it look like it was on fire. I asked Nervis if he could cast mine black with a void and he did.
The void acted as my “flaming cut” and I proceeded to paint it like a Hawaiian sea slug.
This poor slug has had a rough day. He’s scooting around the ocean floor when BOOM his snoot is cut off due to volcanic activity. It’s quite coincidental for me that Kilauea has been active since I’ve finished this piece.
Links
- Rick Strohmeyer – Website and Online Store
- Rick Strohmeyer – Instagram
Pj Halliwill
Name and date of birth?
Pj Halliwill
1969 (yep I’m an oldie that’s young at heart.)
Where were you born; and where do you currently reside?
Grew up in rural Ohio.
My husband and I currently reside in Berea, Ohio (Cleveland) with our dog, 3 cats and lots of other monsters.
For those at home – please explain a bit about yourself and your art.
It’s all about, having fun, experimentation, and well… Making monsters!
I am primarily a sculptor. Stoneware clays that are fired into ceramics is my all time favorite medium. Paperclay & Cosclay flexible polymer clays are both very liberating and fun to use as well.
I also enjoy drawing, painting, assemblage, making jewellery… I pretty much dabble in anything that can be a conduit for expressing my imagination. As a refreshing change of pace I also find collaborations to be really fun and rewarding.
Monsters, Oddlings and Misfits are what I love to create most. There seems to be many of them lurking in the shadows of my mind. I enjoy sitting down and letting them reveal themselves to me through my hands as I create. It is just the most fun and rewarding experience.
I typically do not plan out my creations. Usually I don’t do any drawings or studies. Instead it’s my preference to let the medium guide by imagination and inspiration.
With each step I am lead to more inspiration and a clearer vision as the medium reveals what’s next in its development. Eventually I have a character before my eyes that I had not previously known existed.
This process is my favorite because it feels the most natural and organic to me. It allows me to transfer them in the most fresh and direct way from their previous existence of rattling around in my imagination into becoming a tangible thing of reality.
In the end it’s like meeting a new friend that can now to be shared with others as well.
I’m inspired by nature, insects, fairies, folklore, and myths.
As a child I had a wonderful invisible friend monster so he is probably the true origin of my love for monsters.
Of course growing up I became drawn to things like Sigmund and the Sea Monsters, The Twilight Zone, all the classic monsters, horror moves, crazy sci-fi B movies too.
With Friday nights spent trying to stay up to watch movies on The Hoolihan and Big Chuck Show. While Saturdays at grandmas house I would get to watch cool monster movies presented by Superhost.
Yup I was hooked on weird stuff from a very young age.
What led you to discover and fall in love with the designer toy scene?
Although I’ve been creating original sculptures for almost a decade now, I’m very new to the designer toy world.
What I love so far about this art form and its community is that it offers a wonderful and diverse world of creativity, collaboration, and originality; while being based in playful roots.
Everyone seems to be very open, supportive, friendly, and helpful. That allows for a great avenue for expression and creativity; with lots of collaboration and fun projects. Which is exactly why I was excited to participate in this event!
How are you approaching the Drone Blank platform with your piece in the show?
I was so excited to be able to participate in this show.
This project is a cool challenge for me.
I often build sculptures using a combination of clays, but until now I haven’t ever sculpted using epoxy clay as the primary medium.
Contrary to my usual process, with this sculpt I decided early on that I would create the majority of this fella using Apoxie Sculpt then create the limbs & wings using Cosclay. This allowed me to utilize the best attributes of each clay.
Apoxie Sculpt was a no brainer because it’s a great “no bake” curing medium. It’s a very workable clay and it becomes very durable once cured.
While Cosclay is a baked clay, it remains flexible after baking, allowing me the freedom of building thin delicate parts that are not nearly as fragile as other clay options. These Cosclay pieces were built and baked separately from the Apoxie Sculpt then the two were merged together to make a complete unified sculpture.
Another fun part of this project is that I usually don’t make completely altered versions from previously created pieces. And I’ve definitely not worked with altering a resin casting. But I really enjoyed stretching my wings to see where it would take me.
This casting was already such a lovable great design that it not only offered so many options for altering which was really fun but it was also a bit sad to think of making changes to it. I really loved that little blank Drone.
My plan entailed trying to create something that incorporated the original drone in a way that it may still be somewhat recognizable in the final piece.
Along the way I wanted to create a narrative piece that also represents my love of creatures, textures, dark whimsy, and my overall style as a sculptor. So I ended up created my representation of a menacing, greedy and gluttonous tooth fairy.
Inspired by ancient folklore and myth which is much more dark and gruesome than our modern lore about the tooth fairy “The ‘Other’ Tooth Fairy” is always on the hunt for teeth to sustain his own existence. He is obsessed with acquiring teeth often by any means.
Every tooth collected is pushed down into his own flesh where it is then absorbed of all its life force. Replenishing his own and extending his life. He must always be sure to find replacements faster than they are being absorbed or else meet his own demise.
I’m excited to have this creation be a part of such a wonderful show , it’s an honour to be amongst so many talented artists.
Links
- Pj Halliwill – Instagram
Poor Al
Name and Date of Birth?
Poor Al.
I’m old. Extra old.
Where were you born; and where do you currently reside?
Born near Disneyland.
I currently live in Los Angeles.
For those at home – please explain a bit about yourself and your art.
I started doing graffiti at 18.
I got into “fine art” from a guy Lance De Los Reyes (Rambo) in 1999. I’ve had the privilege to show with hundreds of incredible artists over the years.
I was curator of an innovative ‘collaborative’ art show series called Collabro in the 2000’s.
I’ve always painted robots and ants.
I am not really a fan of robots or what they represent, but rather think of myself as a broken robot that has been mis-programmed and won’t follow the commands being fed to me.
I believe the future will be absurd, like a parking lot full of Waymo‘s trying to park at the end of the night, honking at each other and nearly colliding for hours. And armed with weapons – I can only imagine the horrific results of this absurdity.
What led you to discover and fall in love with the designer toy scene?
I started doing sculptures as part of my art series for the “Mechanical Garden” back in 2003. I had created mechanical owls, insects with ‘lights’ that actually turned on, and a big mechanical flower with a video screen inserted into it (that played a DVD of a bee queen moving from out of her hive to another location).
At the time, the designer toy scene here in the US was just really getting off the ground. My first exposure to it was a Kid Robot store in Santa Monica, so probably late 2003. I’ve designed a lot of toys that just never got manufactured, for a variety of reasons.
I had spinal injuries that really slowed down my fine art career in 2009 through 2018 (I have what is called “Failed Back Syndrome“.) So at times I couldn’t really physically manage to create art during that time period. But, I’m healthier now, and the materials, technology, and ability to create pieces I had always wanted to create has got me extremely excited to be creating custom toys again.
How are you approaching the Drone Blank platform with your piece in the show?
I wanted to do something that didn’t ignore the shaping of the Drone Blank entirely but rather ‘built onto’ it as a real base for what I wanted to create. I had a ‘DIY’ Christmas ornament from a few years ago that was just sitting around and it had a ‘globe’ component that I decided would make a nice top for the piece.
Conceptually, I really enjoy nature, and I imagine that when there is little nature left (including humans), the robots will attempt to preserve or grow ‘nature’ as something that keeps them believing they are still existing in a ‘natural’ world. So my piece is really that. A robot, with an ironic little garden on his head.
Links
Mr. Walters aka Nerfect
Name and date of birth?
Mr. Walters.
April 1973.
Where were you born; and where do you currently reside?
Atlanta, Georgia.
Berwyn, Illinois.
For those at home – please explain a bit about yourself and your art.
I’m a full-time artist, entrepreneur and toymaker, my personal brand is Nerfect. I have a history in graphic design and illustration but am open to new media and disciplines if a project requires it. I enjoy figuring out how to do things.
My personal artwork is character-driven and is inspired by my love of cartoons and folk art. I’m also a big fan of pugs, and a large part of my brand Nerfect is dedicated to a growing series of pug characters.
What led you to discover and fall in love with the designer toy scene?
I’ve always collected things that inspired me visually. When I discovered that artists were designing and producing toys of their characters and artwork, I was intrigued. I don’t think I even considered this to be an option as an independent artist and designer.
It was also a great way to collect the work of artists that inspired me and my own work.
How are you approaching the Drone Blank platform with your piece in the show?
Like most “custom shows” you’re dealing with someone else’s preferences as far as character design and proportions go, and I always try my best to respect that and work with that, not fight to force this figure into my preferred style of character design.
With Drone, and maybe this is because the name inspired it subconsciously, I wanted to get the figure up in the air, flying.
I added created a small outcropping for the figure to be taking off from, and built a cartoony, Victorian-style flight apparatus, giving the Drone figure wings. I also added facial features and other details like I would have on one of my characters.
Links
Joshua “Sketch” Colon
Name and date of birth?
Joshua “Sketch” Colon
October 09 1982
Where were you born; and where do you currently reside?
Born and raised in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.
Currently reside in Rockaway Park, NY.
For those at home – please explain a bit about yourself and your art.
I’ve always been into art graffiti and hip hop music – I started art and drawing around 7 by drawing Ninja Turtles for my friends, then got into graffiti a little older. I fell in love with the style, colors, and freedom behind it.
My art has always been illustrations and painting. I try to dive into all styles from cartoons, to realistic portraits; from pencil to painting.
I became a graphic designer as I got older and worked in the city designing and branding for corporations. Then I started to learn 3d modelling and got into designing and printing.
What led you to discover and fall in love with the designer toy scene?
I’ve always loved toys – big influences in collecting was from Todd McFarlane. I got into designer toys after meeting the folks at The Creatives: Trading Card Projects.
I started developing my own designer toys from my character Mr Sketch – Designer toys are elevated figures and a new way of collecting art as an adult.
I like customizing designer toys. I like creating designer toys and seeing what other techniques and styles other artists come out with.
Concepts are always intriguing. Just like the Drone .
How are you approaching the Drone Blank platform with your piece in the show?
I wanted to try to keep the great base and design that it has when creating onto and around it.
I wanted to throw a lot of my style of graffiti illustration and exaggerate parts where is it is able, to create a dynamic scene.
I 3d modelled and printed; traditionally modelled, and used multiple materials on this piece.
It really is a true customizers’ dream.
Links
- Joshua “Sketch” Colon – Website and Online Store
- Joshua “Sketch” Colon – Instagram
Jay “Toofless” O’Leary
Name and date of birth?
Jay “Toofless” O’Leary
I was born may 9th 1982
Where were you born; and where do you currently reside?
I was born in Fremont, California; moved to Salem, Portland in 1989; moved to Boise in 2000 and am still here in Boise, Idaho currently.
For those at home – please explain a bit about yourself and your art.
I have always been a weird loud lowbrow street style artist – also been tattooing professionally since 2000.
I sketch for TOPPS making sketch cards for Garbage Pail Kids, Wacky Packs, Star Wars, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – also created 9 series of my own cards; made a couple comix.
Been in the bootleg scene since 2015-16.
My style is very unique and weird but has opened many doors for my self and others with a news paper I am drawing and creating about artists I have met on my travels; and in an alley I am an art director for called ‘Freak Alley: An Open Air Art Gallery‘.
What led you to discover and fall in love with the designer toy scene?
‘Toy Break‘ with George, Aileen, and Ben. I was an art guest and featured – also a huge fan of the new art I was introduced to in there and shown I could do it.
Also, another big one was when I randomly met Mad Toy Design and Buff Monster at an art show at a toy shop in Saltlake.
Also when I was visiting the city I found a weird store there called Super 7 on Geary and bought some stuff; they said I gotta go see a shop called Zero Friends. I met Alex and my brain was melted after going into that shop realizing I owned some of his art from a show when I was buying some cool shirts at a place called Upper Playground – they had a back room with a art show running “Pardee.” A way killer short shop in China Town off burnside.
How are you approaching the Drone Blank platform with your piece in the show?
This is my first Kustom show on a resin platform like this – So hella nervous.
I am opening a designer tattoo/art gallery here in Boise and made a shirt design paying homage to one of my fav artists, Nychos, so I am doing that design on this platform for the drone show.
I love the weird shit we create so I hope you dig what I am doodlin.
Links
- Jay “Toofless” O’Leary – Online Store
- Jay “Toofless” O’Leary – Instagram
Grimly
Name and date of birth?
Grimly.
Est.1970s
Where were you born; and where do you currently reside?
For those at home – please explain a bit about yourself and your art.
I live and work in the Boston Metro area. Growing up during the fall of the first Punk Empire, during the birth of the Graffiti Movement, my art is influenced by the idea we can create new worlds for ourselves.
I describe my work as the artistic endeavour of an aging punk raised on cassette tapes and anarchy anthems. If the music taught me how to feel, the art taught me how to express it.
Characters depicting emotions in a world of bright colors, rainbows, and balloons define my artistic style.
What led you to discover and fall in love with the designer toy scene?
The freedom of the designer toy scene is both what attracts me and retains me. The openness to create your own platform, augment or transform an existing platform, or colourway a popular toy is juxtaposed to the traditional art scene. Layer in the Venn Diagram overlap of graffiti culture and sticker scene, and you have a creative underworld that extends globally.
One important aspect to the toy scene is the people; the artists, the collectors, and the galleries are extremely supportive. An art colony where the emphasis is on self-improvement over competition allows for organic growth and discovery, and, in turn, better art
How are you approaching the Drone Blank platform with your piece in the show?
I have been mentally working on the idea to create creatures inspired by the Alebrijes of Oaxaca. I am fascinated with the history of the alebrijes and the idea that a fever-dream can so deeply become part of culture.
In most of my work, I start with a concept and then continue to refine and reduce the original idea until it is representative of the inspiration that started the work. I also really wanted to experiment with blacklight. The idea of reflecting light in the darkest environments feels very relevant to me at this time.
Links
- Grimly – Instagram
Sean “GOREilla” Regalado
Name and date of birth?
Sean ‘GOREilla’ Regalado.
1974
Where were you born; and where do you currently reside?
Southern California Native.
For those at home – please explain a bit about yourself and your art.
I am a nostalgic realist with a tendency toward narrative art.
I earned a BA in Art with an emphasis in Sculpture from UCSC.
For over 25 years, I have taught ceramics and sculpture, primarily at a local high school and more recently at the community college level.
I don’t have a preferred medium; instead, I believe the medium should reflect or complement the needs, themes, or forms of each piece or show.
What led you to discover and fall in love with the designer toy scene?
I entered the scene around 2005, feeling disillusioned with the fine art world. A friend introduced me to Cannibal Flower and Hi-Fructose Magazine, which opened my eyes to an entirely new creative space.
Around that time, Dunnys were just starting to gain popularity, and I was captivated by how artists were pushing boundaries with the platform. Creators like Huck Gee, Scribe, and Woes were making incredible custom pieces, which reignited my excitement for art.
Back then, few artists were sculpting on these forms, so I saw an opportunity to explore something unique. This led me to connect with other like-minded creatives, such as J Ryu, Chris Ryniak, and Edgar Pasten, who were innovating within the medium and even designing their own platforms. I began collaborating with Danny and Phung Tran, using their plastic Cell Base to create custom pieces.
During this time, I discovered a supportive group of fellow artists, including Ryan Soto, Tony Tran, Fett Up, Mike FX, Tiffany Flanagan, and Kindnuggets.
By 2011, I had started showcasing my work, participating in custom shows with groups like TAG, Martian Toys, and Eat Your Art Out. Designer Con became a major influence, providing a platform to connect with other creators and collectors. I was fortunate to exhibit my custom pieces and artwork in group shows curated by Carmen “Jane Dope” Acosta, Kyle Kirwan, and Big C.
In 2019, I was side-lined by carpal tunnel syndrome, which forced me to step back for a time.
Now, I’m still teaching and gradually re-engaging with group shows, reconnecting with the creative community that has always inspired me
How are you approaching the Drone Blank platform with your piece in the show?
I wanted to honour the form created by Nerviswr3k, but with so many incredible artists participating in the show, I knew I needed to make my work stand out.
After spending a lot of time studying the form, I realized the base resembled an insect’s body. This sparked the idea to
explore that direction. I also wanted to experiment with other materials, drawing inspiration from the work of Felt Mistress.
Links
Bryanna Smith aka Chromatic Spacejunk
Name and date of birth?
Bryanna Smith aka Chromatic Spacejunk.
08/07/1989.
Where were you born; and where do you currently reside?
I was born and raised in Southern California. My hometown is Rancho Cucamonga.
I am now currently in Mesa, Arizona.
For those at home – please explain a bit about yourself and your art.
I am a freelance Multimedia illustrator/designer and Co-Founder/Director of Partnerships for the Nonprofit art community, Sketch Club Cafe in Phoenix, Arizona.
In my art, my personal mission is to create pieces that play in the realms of reality and otherworldly. I invite viewers to immerse themselves in a place where ordinary nature becomes something more magical.
My style is hyper-colorful, combining cute and cosmic elements. I consider much of my work to be mixed media with a primary focus on acrylic bases and markers.
What led you to discover and fall in love with the designer toy scene?
Growing up in Southern California, I’ve always been immersed in the arts and culture in LA and surrounding cities such as Pomona, CA , where I went to Art School.
I often enjoyed going to opening receptions at places like Giant Robot and Munky King.
How are you approaching the Drone Blank platform with your piece in the show?
The Drone Blank show is my first experience participating in the Toy Art world. My approach with my piece was to experiment and get out of my 2D comfort zone.
I created a piece of my original character, Kozumo, as a melting ice cream. This work is inspired by artists like Luke Chueh, who utilize original characters to express themselves.
Links
Bits
Name and date of birth?
Bits.
Where were you born; and where do you currently reside?
Buffalo, NY – same.
For those at home – please explain a bit about yourself and your art.
I’ve been an art enthusiast most of my life, first as a musician in a metalcore band, then as a graphic and web designer, then as an animator; and finally today as a toy creator.
I discovered and fell in love with the crypto scene in 2017 and have worked with many notable projects in that space and then in 2020 I discovered the designer toy scene and began collecting feverishly and now designing.
The focus of my art has been mainly crypto related, but also highly based on form and flow. I love natural colors and textures mixing with digital components like low poly flat forms. Lots of my customs have simple cave-like doodles on them and mostly everything has buttcheeks, that’s sort of my signature thing to do.
What led you to discover and fall in love with the designer toy scene?
Everything started for me by finding a Buckeye Rot by Sket One. Seeing it had a killer tomato vibe really stuck with me and then I researched more and found the whole world of designer toys and got hooked.
How are you approaching the Drone Blank platform with your piece in the show?
My approach for the show is taking a more functional approach, separating the head and integrating a hinge on the back to essentially eat other designer toys.
I’m calling it Knaws.
Links
- Bits – Website
- Bits – Instagram
- Bits – Online Store
Colin “Big C” Hoffman
Name and date of birth?
Colin “Big C” Hoffman
Where were you born; and where do you currently reside?
The Yay!
SF Bay Area, Northern Califas. Born, raised, and currently residing.
For those at home – please explain a bit about yourself and your art.
My art is extremely multidimensional in look, feel, subject matter, and execution. I do everything from children’s books to work about the veteran suicide epidemic.
I paint, sculpt and write.
What led you to discover and fall in love with the designer toy scene?
That’s a 2 part question. Part 1 – The U.S. designer toy scene (dts) was started by Paul Budnitz in San Francisco. I just happened to frequent the world famous Haight St. area, and happened to visit the Kidrobot store frequently.
That was before it had a mascot or it’s own IP’s. They mostly sold 12″ figures from Asia (similar to what Hot Toys makes).
I suppose you can say I was here from the beginning.
Part 2 – I fell in love with the scene when Kozik did the UltraViolent Nade with Jamungo. I became a huge Jamungo collector and developed a great relationship with Jamungo founders Ferg & Van Beater.
Connections with the DTS lead to me discovering that I had an visual artistic abilities. If you like what I do, give credit to Tinker Hatfield, Sean Cunningham, Todd McFarlane, Frank Kozik, Ferg, Van Beater, and Eos.
How are you approaching the Drone Blank platform with your piece in the show?
As soon as I held the Drone in my hand, I knew I was going to recreate Baby Fatts breaking out of his egg, inside his nest.
I made sure to preserve the drone. I drew up the cracked pattern and painstakingly dremeled the design, all the way to the centre of the piece. I then dremeled the top piece to thin it out, so it would fit the Baby Fatts head perfectly.
This piece is the first custom with the reworked Baby Fatts 2.0, originally digitally sculpted by the amazing GDM & reworked by the incredible JFO. I hand sculpted the nest from scratch.
My piece comes in 2 pieces, so you can see the full drone form, when not inside of the nest.
Links
- Big C – Instagram
- Big C – LinkTree
- Big C – 2019 Interview via The Aither
All images supplied by Nerviswr3k and the artist’s involved, or sourced online.
