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How’d you get into toy design?

I’ve always loved toys and never really stopped buying toys. I started sculpting back when I was 19. Anyway, sculpting led me to Otis, which led me to the toy industry. I graduated from the Otis Toy Design program in 2004.

Where have you worked?

I spent 2½ hellish years working a Playmates Toys in Costa Mesa. Granted, it wasn’t all bad, just the majority of it was. Thankfully, I escaped and moved on to bigger and better things.

Where’d you come from?

I was born in California, but raised mostly in southwestern Wyoming. I've been back in CA since 2001.

Where else have you worked?

The next 5 years were spent at SpinMaster in LA. I was the 1st Boys Designer that was hired for that office and work on pretty much all of the Action Figures that SM produced during that time. They sent me around the world and overall it was a great experience. And so, toy design was my day job for almost 8 years. It’s always been a hobby/obsession.

Why Squids?

While I was an intern at the largest toy company in the world, a mentor of mine would call certain employees “Squids”. He used it as a derogatory term, because these employees loved the cartoons, video games, comics, and movies that their toys were based on. Little did he know, that I was a complete “Squid” myself. When I needed a name for my new company, Squid Kids Ink seemed like a natural fit. 

 

 

Why Geeks?

The company name led to a simple slogan. “For Geeks by Geeks”, simple and was also a natural fit. Good old Wikipedia has a good definition for the word “geek”. This is the portion that really stood out to me. “a peculiar or otherwise odd person, especially one who is perceived to be overly obsessed with one or more things.”I am a “Toy Geek”, just like a Lakers fan is a “Sports Geek”. We’re both obsessed with the things we love.

 

 

 

 

 

What’s your job title?

Now my full time job is CEO, CFO, COO, VP of Design & Packaging, VP of Marketing, VP of IT, and Web Design of SKI. Those are all fancy titles, but I also am head of HR, Shipping & Receiving, and Customer Service among other time consuming jobs.

 

 

How do you do it all?

Of course I haven’t done it all on my own. Jay Garcia (Mana Studios) has a great supporter with their quality castings and amazing customs. Chito A-word (KWESTONE) has contributed some great artwork and customs. Jerome Lu (Hyperactive Monkey) has also been a great partner for conventions, as well as contributing artwork and customs. Then of  course Linda Hong (LindaPanda) has done anything and everything to help make my dreams a reality. I wouldn’t be where I am with out their help and support.

 

 

Friends

​These are some of the people that have helped me get to where I am today. Check out their stuff and see what they do.
LindaPanda


Slighly obsessed with pandas, but there's nothin wrong with that. Super cute is what she does, and she does it amazingly well. She has also put up with me for over well over a decade, and happens to be my wife. Woohoo! 

Details

@lindapanda

www.lindapanda.com

Kwestone


Street talk is all that comes out of this guys face. I'm amazed that he even talks to me. He is a beast with illustrator and  surprisely funny, mostly. You gotta check out his art and Seven Oh Five videos. Don't pay attention to the other 2 goof balls, Timmy Chow is the best.

Details

@kwestone

kwestone.blogspot.com
 

 

Mana Studios


I've been working with Jay and the Mana Studios gang for over 10 years now. They've done all of the molding and casting for my projects. They have an amazing crew that can do any sculpting, molding, casting, and paint that you might need. 

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