Happy Sweet Sixteen, TOYSREVIL!
I’ve wondered how the TOYSREVIL MASCOT would look like as a “16 year old teenager?" ... When I first created a character / blog-representative mascot, I hadn't really expect him to have to, nor need to "grow up" - I certainly didn't *cough* (:p) ... but something that my friend Jerry mentioned a few years back, that had stuck in my mind ever since, that it was as if I had a helped a kid grown up... and with the TOYSREVIL-Blog turning sixteen today, Friday Feb19, had quite honesty kept my brain-gears whirling and emotions flowing forth... :)
Authoring this blog would be the longest gig I've ever had in my life thus far, and honestly not something I had aspired nor planned to be doing still, when I first started the blog in 2005. This might well be the closest I'd ever come close to be as a "father" (metaphorically, and perhaps even literally speaking), and I wondered how would a "16 year old teenager" would be? If this mascot is a chip of the old block, then the answer might dwell within who I am/was/want to be, innit?
And in search of a semblance of reference, I'd turned to my former class/schoolmates from Secondary school ("Senior high"), and literally asked for their impressions of me, turning this into a "personal testimonial" hahaha (Full names have not been revealed to protect the innocent);
"I remembered you a shy (*on the surface) but brilliant teenager. And I remember you can draw very well." (~T.S.L.)
"Shy?? Wrong Andy la... Dirty minded, I don't rem a day when Andy actually didn't suggest something sexual ... Vain like hell! Ur arteries probably got clogged from hairspray!" (~D.L.)
"I still remember ur "man in loo with stucked di🍆ck" sketch on the last page of my HSB text book... knn sabo" (~H.A.)
"Always admire ur essay writing...creative....where everyone start by writing "on a good sunny afternoon..." BUT Andy will always start his essay by writing "BANG!!! the sound of a nearby car crashes into....."" (~Z.Z.)
"I remember u as the handsome boy😂😂" (~A.G.I.)
"A decent-looking creative and dirty minded geek-clown"? Ok, I can roll with that ... LOL
And while NO, this feature is not about "me", but I have also come to accept that this blog and what it contents IS a part of me, and aspects of myself, what I aspire to own (I am a "hoarder" plain and simple) and aspire to be too. Manifesting my desires and wants into the published page, where in the beginning of the blog was a platform long a suppository and showcase (but alas not substantial enough to constantly "flex") of my own eclectic collections. My gateway and (great) escape. My sanctuary when shit rained on me, a place where it allowed myself to dream and imagine ... My castle in the cyber-clouds.
And an access-portal for my self-isolation and hermitdom in the past decade, to somehow connect to the world outside my own sinking island, when the need arises :p
As much as this blog means to me, I am also intrigued to know what YOU think of the blog? How long have you read and followed TOYSREVIL?
II first came up with the design for the TOYSREVIL Mascot in a somewhat chibi aesthetic of an angry dude, circa 2006 (FYI: This blog was first started with a description: "An Angry-Blog by an Angry-Dude", no joke), for reasons I'd not go too deep into, but the "angry-eyes" has since been retained throughout the different incarnations for this blog.. And this was after roughs and deliberations when I started down the vinyl toy/urban vinyl-path, and recgnizing I personally enjpyed said-chibi-super-deformed aesthetics myself, and the idea for the long "ears" is more in line with "devil's horns" ("TOYS ARE EVIL", innit), but were not fully erect and 100% EVIL, yet... LOL
Of course I had wanted to make this mascot character into a TOY! But the most I have had him on my blog as blog-logos, thru the years. I've not created more than character action sketches, compared to doing a literal turnaround of him. As for WHAT he exactly is, I am instantly interested to see what folks interpret him as :)
Fast forward years later, "TRE" (I've never come up with a decent "name" for him until everybody else called "TOYSREVIL" as "TRE" lol - henceforth he shall be named "TRE" - pronounced "Trey" :p), he's turned SIXTEEN ? "Time" flies, beware the sonic-boom...! ... but in my heart, TRE will always be this kid... :)
Cheers for reading TOYSREVIL,
Andy
