Netdiver (ISSN 1911-866X)

Summary / introduction

In the summer months toy designers are busy showcasing their designs for the upcoming season. The toy community is inundated by previews and prototypes revealing this year’s slate of new releases. As we experience this influx in toy prototypes it becomes hard to sift through all the releases to find high-quality fresh designs.

As we celebrate Netdiver’s 10 year anniversary, consider these 10 designers. With such an array of different styles and diverse talent, surely there is something for everyone.

Julie West

Review: Julie West is an amazing illustrator/artist from the UK. Her work frequently appears in art exhibitions worldwide. She brilliantly adapts her style to any platform, customizing and designing production toys including MADLs, Kanizas, Munnys, Teddy Troops and many more.

Her style is colorful, cute, clean and sharp. Enjoy in awe!

Veggiesomething

Review: Veggiesomething is the creator of the toy line: House Of Liu – Protect & Destroy. These modern ninjas, shaolin monks and emperors will melt your heart into submission. They have round, simple and bold features and an aggressive stance ready to fight. These characters have a complex, historically based, back story taking place during the Qing Dynasty.

Tim Tsui

Review: Tim Tsui is a Hong Kong toy designer, illustrator and creator of Da Team Bronx. Da Team Bronx is a series of vinyl, ape-like figures with a graffiti element. His designs have sharp facial features, and tend to include interchangeable accessories, giving you the ability to modify them to your preferred personal taste.

Colorblok

Review: Juliana Pedemonte, also known as Colorblok is an Argentinean designer dedicated to creating motion graphics, illustrations, designer toys and cool products. Her vinyl toy, Mono, has been customized by renowned artists worldwide including Tim Tsui, Buff Moster, and French artist Skwak.

Her style is bright, whimsical and uses simple shapes to create incredible details.

Patricio Oliver

Review: Argentinean artist, Patricio Oliver is the designer behind kidrobot’s recent 8 inch Zombie Dunny. He has also developed Ci-Boys for toy maker Red Magic and has his own line of toys in the works. As a toy designer, Patricio has a range of different styles.

For his latest figure, Priotcia Levori, he combines an antique look with a modern concept. Priotcia wears a Victorian suit with a bowler hat and has several versions including the Clockwork-Orange edition.

Tokidoki

Review: The exploding brand known as Tokidoki was created by Italian designer Simone Legno. His LeSportsac bag designs always include toy charms such as qees or his original character Adios. His extremely cute collage style has been embraced and can be seen not only in toys, but products such as MAC make up, soccer balls, flash drives, jewelry and so much more.

His original line of toys was the Cactus Friends. These were adorable characters dressed in Cactus suits with colorful pricks including the famous Bastardino and newer designs Carina, Bruttino & Polpettina. To peek into the Tokidoki empire visit his online store.

Kathie Olivas

Review: Kathie Olivas is an artist from Tampa, Florida. She portrays innocent youth in horrific situations with zippers as mouths and tentacles as legs which she calls Misery Children. Kathie became known for vintage customs of her characters. Her style is a well executed blend of antique-meets-mutated, retro and creepy.

Her first mini series, The Scavengers, was hailed as one of the best mini series of 2008 due to its perfect lines, sharp paint job, intricate packaging and original sculpts. To see more of her works go to the Misery Children website.

Peskimo

Review: Peskimo is illustrators David & Jodie from the UK. Peskimo have made a career of bringing their happy, colorful Monsters to life. They illustrate, animate and make toys of their adorable monster catalog.

Earlier this year, they released their mini figure series BambooZoos and have an original vinyl figure in the works called Monster Burp.

Luke Chueh

Review: Luke Chueh designed the most sought after toy of 2007: Possessed. Possessed is a white bear with bloody hands, controlled by a hovering devil, who controls the bear via a joystick plugged to the bear’s head. His toys translate from his paintings retaining the same feeling of bittersweet characters in situations of misfortune.

He uses few, dark colors for backgrounds and bright endearing personas at the forefront.

Mars-1

Review: Mario Martinez, a.k.a Mars-1 is a San Francisco based artist and sculptor. His work resembles sci-fi aliens and landscapes lingering in a dreamy surreal aesthetic. His toys tend to be extraterrestrial with numerous minute details as seen in his Invisible Plan mini series or his latest life sized bronze sculptures.

Netdiver asked all fab scouts to answer same 3 questions..

#1 – Biggest hurdle overcomed?

Balancing all the craziness that comes with having a full time job and owning a store.

#2 – Greatest moment?

Pinkghost’s 1 year anniversary festival was so gratifying! We saw all our local supporters come out and celebrate our achievement with live bands, an art show opening and good old fun.

#3 – What next?

Keep a look out for pinkghost brand products coming out soon.

artwork / PinkGhost logo

Biography

Paola Mendez is the owner of designer toy store/gallery PinkGhost in Ft.Lauderdale, Florida which carries designer toys, books, art and apparel.

She curates art shows at pinkghost once a month, promotes local artists, does computer programming on the side and spends her spare time making polymer sculptures.