J-R00 Answers "How Was 2013?"

WHAT: I asked a select few folks how their 2013 was, and what should folks expect from them in 2014, and this is what they shared with TOYSREVIL…

TOYSREVIL-SAYS: Justin Rudy aka J-R00 (of DynomightNYC) shares with us his 2013-experience, along with his observation of the art toy culture, which needs a read, methinks!


JUSTIN RUDY: 2013 was a bit sparse on my end. I only had one series released. I loved it! For about 8 months, I had released one figure a month in the Z0MZ series. Those little robots are awesome! They were well received and I'm very thankful for the fans out there who put up their hard-earned cash to support my creative work. I would love to make more of these little bastards in the future. I hope to do so, and I will keep that as an open-ended idea for future use. They are a fantastic platform series that has so much more potential to it! :)




JUSTIN RUDY: This brings us to the second question...What do I look forward to in 2014? That's the million dollar question on everyone's mind right now isn't it? Well, to be honest, I don't have an answer about my next project. The concepts are currently in the back of my head gnawing away at my brain. The execution hasn't exactly materialized just yet. The whole not knowing part isn't necessarily a bad thing. I mean, who doesn't love a little mystery in their life? So I guess I'm looking forward to not knowing what to expect, and having the idea present itself, to me, when it's good and ready.

The short answer: I'm still in the game.

However, how the game is going to be played is something that I can't predict at this very moment. Be it an illustration or toy-based release remains to be seen. Toy releases have become so sparse among the toy companies these days. So I'm not sure that would be fiscally appropriate. There has been next to nothing released this last year. This biz isn't the same as it was seven years ago. That was probably the golden era of designer vinyl.

The landscape has changed drastically. It seems way more hobby based now than retail store based, IMO. Kidrobot is now mostly relying on existing licensed material, like Marvel, The Simpsons and Futurama for their new releases. There aren't too many artist releases these days. Most other releases are in the resin sector. But the majority of those have ended up being some kind of mashed up material of existing licensed characters. The market is flooded with so much of this work. Some of the pieces are fantastic! But most of the tribute genre material is personally not my cup of tea. It doesn't push any real boundaries.

So with that said, what I would LOVE to see in the 20-14, from EVERYONE, is more artists and designers out there making MORE original character designs and LESS tribute art. That train has left the station. Sure, it's a quick and easy buck, but what real progress does it make in the ways of art and design? It's time to get passed all that silly tribute nonsense and refocus on thought-provoking work. Make my brain hurt! (In a good way.) ;)

-J-R00