2008-WRAP-UP WITH TRE: BRIAN CASTLEFORTE (NiceBunny)
TOYSREVIL: Please introduce yourself to the TRE-readers? (who you are and what you do)
BRIAN CASTLEFORTE: Hey this is Brian Castleforte, known by a few of you as NiceBunny. I am a Los Angeles based freelance designer/illustrator & motion graphics animator, most notably known on the web for my NiceBunny papertoys and more recently, the launch of NicePapertoys.com, The Papertoy Community Network.
[CLICK THRU to read more]
TOYSREVIL: Last time we had a full-on online interview was July 2007! Hope 2008 has been good to you thus far, buddy?
BRIAN CASTLEFORTE: '08 was really good for me, personally, as an artist, with the release of a new illustration series, The Tribalnots, featuring Wack & Blite, and limited resin toys to match, produced by Julie B of Pretty In Plastic. I did a few group shows as well as a couple of well received exhibitions, one here in LA at Mobius, and one in Indianapolis at Gnosis Gallery. The daily growth of the papertoy community on NicePapertoys.com has been incredible. And my freelance work continues to keep me very busy. Oh, and I got a new puppy, named Soul. He's awesome!
[That's Soul on the right, if you're wonderin' :p]
TOYSREVIL: What was the Best toy you bought in 2008?
BRIAN CASTLEFORTE: Oh that's easy. Ashley Wood's Dirty Deeds Bertie the Pipe bomb. Coolest toy, ever.
TOYSREVIL: Ya gots taste, my friend! LOL ~ Are "rumours" of that darn "Recession" true? Is it affecting you in any way, or going to?
BRIAN CASTLEFORTE: Well I've heard that entertainment and advertising are two of the last things to go in a bad economy, and I do entertainment advertising (tv and film graphics) so I haven't really felt the effects of a recession so far. However, in terms of getting my Tribalnots toys produced, it has definitely kept me from doing that this year.
I feel that it is just too risky at the moment to shell out thousands of dollars to have them produced, knowing that most people may be a little less likely to spend their extra cash on toys right now. But I am hopeful that the climate will change soon, and if all goes well, my babies will finally find themselves immortalized in vinyl.
TOYSREVIL: Am sure tons of folks are looking forward to that, duder! As the year rapidly runs it's course - what would you consider to be a milestone you've achieved in 2008 thus far?
BRIAN CASTLEFORTE: Having my first solo show was a pretty big deal from me.
[Blogged: HERE / HERE / HERE]
TOYSREVIL: If you were given a choice to remember just one single memory for 2008 (with everything else wiped clean and forgotten thereafters) - What would that memory be?
BRIAN CASTLEFORTE: The production of my first, limited edition Wack & Blite toys was very exciting for me. Thanks Julie B.
[Wack&Blite, Brian C. and Julie B @ Winter VTN 2008 / BLOGGED]
TOYSREVIL: What are you looking forward to in 2009?
BRIAN CASTLEFORTE: My own vinyl toy line. The new Camaro. Obama instead of Bush.
TOYSREVIL: What can folks look forward to from Brian Casteleforte/Nicebunny in 2009?
BRIAN CASTLEFORTE: Not sure yet. But I will have less of a web presence from now on, and will be spending more time being creative. I had spread myself pretty thin this year, with blogging and weekly papertoy releases, launching the new NiceBunny.com and NicePapertoys.com sites, and other shameless self promotion. I think I'll just concentrate on creating cool new shit, and try to keep giving guys like you more good reasons to talk about me, so I don't have to do so much of it myself. ;)
TOYSREVIL: Bro, I'm down if you're down! I'm personally fascinated with timelines and who folks do across the globe, so do bare with my nosey-parkerism, but where will you be (and be doing) at the stroke of midnight 2009?
BRIAN CASTLEFORTE: Entertaining friends at my place, starting the new year right. Happy new year kids! Thanks Andy.
BRIAN CASTLEFORTE: Hey this is Brian Castleforte, known by a few of you as NiceBunny. I am a Los Angeles based freelance designer/illustrator & motion graphics animator, most notably known on the web for my NiceBunny papertoys and more recently, the launch of NicePapertoys.com, The Papertoy Community Network.
[CLICK THRU to read more]
TOYSREVIL: Last time we had a full-on online interview was July 2007! Hope 2008 has been good to you thus far, buddy?
BRIAN CASTLEFORTE: '08 was really good for me, personally, as an artist, with the release of a new illustration series, The Tribalnots, featuring Wack & Blite, and limited resin toys to match, produced by Julie B of Pretty In Plastic. I did a few group shows as well as a couple of well received exhibitions, one here in LA at Mobius, and one in Indianapolis at Gnosis Gallery. The daily growth of the papertoy community on NicePapertoys.com has been incredible. And my freelance work continues to keep me very busy. Oh, and I got a new puppy, named Soul. He's awesome!
[That's Soul on the right, if you're wonderin' :p]
TOYSREVIL: What was the Best toy you bought in 2008?
BRIAN CASTLEFORTE: Oh that's easy. Ashley Wood's Dirty Deeds Bertie the Pipe bomb. Coolest toy, ever.
TOYSREVIL: Ya gots taste, my friend! LOL ~ Are "rumours" of that darn "Recession" true? Is it affecting you in any way, or going to?
BRIAN CASTLEFORTE: Well I've heard that entertainment and advertising are two of the last things to go in a bad economy, and I do entertainment advertising (tv and film graphics) so I haven't really felt the effects of a recession so far. However, in terms of getting my Tribalnots toys produced, it has definitely kept me from doing that this year.
I feel that it is just too risky at the moment to shell out thousands of dollars to have them produced, knowing that most people may be a little less likely to spend their extra cash on toys right now. But I am hopeful that the climate will change soon, and if all goes well, my babies will finally find themselves immortalized in vinyl.
TOYSREVIL: Am sure tons of folks are looking forward to that, duder! As the year rapidly runs it's course - what would you consider to be a milestone you've achieved in 2008 thus far?
BRIAN CASTLEFORTE: Having my first solo show was a pretty big deal from me.
[Blogged: HERE / HERE / HERE]
TOYSREVIL: If you were given a choice to remember just one single memory for 2008 (with everything else wiped clean and forgotten thereafters) - What would that memory be?
BRIAN CASTLEFORTE: The production of my first, limited edition Wack & Blite toys was very exciting for me. Thanks Julie B.
[Wack&Blite, Brian C. and Julie B @ Winter VTN 2008 / BLOGGED]
TOYSREVIL: What are you looking forward to in 2009?
BRIAN CASTLEFORTE: My own vinyl toy line. The new Camaro. Obama instead of Bush.
TOYSREVIL: What can folks look forward to from Brian Casteleforte/Nicebunny in 2009?
BRIAN CASTLEFORTE: Not sure yet. But I will have less of a web presence from now on, and will be spending more time being creative. I had spread myself pretty thin this year, with blogging and weekly papertoy releases, launching the new NiceBunny.com and NicePapertoys.com sites, and other shameless self promotion. I think I'll just concentrate on creating cool new shit, and try to keep giving guys like you more good reasons to talk about me, so I don't have to do so much of it myself. ;)
TOYSREVIL: Bro, I'm down if you're down! I'm personally fascinated with timelines and who folks do across the globe, so do bare with my nosey-parkerism, but where will you be (and be doing) at the stroke of midnight 2009?
BRIAN CASTLEFORTE: Entertaining friends at my place, starting the new year right. Happy new year kids! Thanks Andy.
