Drawn

I believe this marks the official end of the collector vinyl toy craze. R.I.P.

I believe this marks the official end of the collector vinyl toy craze. R.I.P.

It was a blast checking out all the grumpy bears! How fun! Wish I had know of it earlier.

It was a blast checking out all the grumpy bears! How fun! Wish I had know of it earlier.

actually kevin… it’s not really a corporate sponsored event so i beg to differ on it being the end. it really just illustrates the fact that there’s a lot of talented artists here all under one roof who have a love for collecting vinyl just like any other.

actually kevin… it’s not really a corporate sponsored event so i beg to differ on it being the end. it really just illustrates the fact that there’s a lot of talented artists here all under one roof who have a love for collecting vinyl just like any other.

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You don’t have to tell me how many talented folk are at American Greetings (check my pedigree). But if you try to tell me that this doesn’t bear the fingerprints of a certain evil, self-serving, bald, not-as-hip-as-he-thinks-demon-man-in-a-Banana-Republic-shirt, we’ll both know that you’re lying. I always enjoyed working on the auction fundraisers when I was there as well, but this is clearly the end product of the afore-mentioned demon trying to co-opt an established property in an effort to run in the vinyl crowd… a crowd which I know for a fact has rejected him time and time again (largely because of his blatant ripoff of Baseman’s FireWater Bunnies – combined with his atrocious people skills).

That being said, there is some excellent work mixed in there (especially Chris’s) and Harvest for Hunger is lucky to be the beneficiary of such an effort. I’m hoping that sometime soon someone will post images of the entire show. I’d love to see it.

… and tell the demon I said, “Hi, friendy!”

You don’t have to tell me how many talented folk are at American Greetings (check my pedigree). But if you try to tell me that this doesn’t bear the fingerprints of a certain evil, self-serving, bald, not-as-hip-as-he-thinks-demon-man-in-a-Banana-Republic-shirt, we’ll both know that you’re lying. I always enjoyed working on the auction fundraisers when I was there as well, but this is clearly the end product of the afore-mentioned demon trying to co-opt an established property in an effort to run in the vinyl crowd… a crowd which I know for a fact has rejected him time and time again (largely because of his blatant ripoff of Baseman’s FireWater Bunnies – combined with his atrocious people skills).

That being said, there is some excellent work mixed in there (especially Chris’s) and Harvest for Hunger is lucky to be the beneficiary of such an effort. I’m hoping that sometime soon someone will post images of the entire show. I’d love to see it.

… and tell the demon I said, “Hi, friendy!”

I do want to be completely clear about one thing. I bear no ill will to any of the artists involved (some of whom are friends). However, I think it’s fair to say that (to my original point) when a corporation as staid as American Greetings puts its seal of approval on any movement attached to the “counterculture” it surely acts as an accurate and chilling death knell for said movement.

Further, since this is an illustration site and not an I-hate-my-old-boss site, I’d like to add that I have great disdain for the idea of reinventing an established character (or characters) simply in an effort to milk it for all it’s worth. The original Care Bears, however you may feel about them, had a history and they meant something to an entire generation of little girls (and more than a few boys, I imagine). American Greetings has shown little or no respect for that tradition. I happened to be employed in the license design department when this overt disregard was at its worst. I watched as vintage, original paintings of Care Bears and Strawberry Shortcake were cut to pieces (inexplicably, in the age of scanners and digital duplication) and tossed unceremoniously in the trash. Mini contemporary masterworks, sliced to ribbons for the sake of assembling marketing presentations. No respect for process, nor art, nor artist… but plenty for the almighty dollar.

… I eagerly await my “designer” Holly Hobbie kicks and my Madball blotter acid.

I do want to be completely clear about one thing. I bear no ill will to any of the artists involved (some of whom are friends). However, I think it’s fair to say that (to my original point) when a corporation as staid as American Greetings puts its seal of approval on any movement attached to the “counterculture” it surely acts as an accurate and chilling death knell for said movement.

Further, since this is an illustration site and not an I-hate-my-old-boss site, I’d like to add that I have great disdain for the idea of reinventing an established character (or characters) simply in an effort to milk it for all it’s worth. The original Care Bears, however you may feel about them, had a history and they meant something to an entire generation of little girls (and more than a few boys, I imagine). American Greetings has shown little or no respect for that tradition. I happened to be employed in the license design department when this overt disregard was at its worst. I watched as vintage, original paintings of Care Bears and Strawberry Shortcake were cut to pieces (inexplicably, in the age of scanners and digital duplication) and tossed unceremoniously in the trash. Mini contemporary masterworks, sliced to ribbons for the sake of assembling marketing presentations. No respect for process, nor art, nor artist… but plenty for the almighty dollar.

… I eagerly await my “designer” Holly Hobbie kicks and my Madball blotter acid.

the grumpy bear is a pretty cool figure.
I think these custom shows more about the artists involved and creative expression than about the corporate parent
We have been fortunate to have our toy become an extremley popular Custom platform and it is never about the places where artists work but about the artists themselves.
We had designers from Hasbro, Mattel,Nike, Puma, adidas, AG, Mtv and many many others put their spin on our trains
over 4000 pcs of art!!! Let me note that noone gets a job at NIKE or Hasbro or AG with lame lazy,stale work.
these guys are some of teh best at what they do.

I am sure the intentions of A big corporation is to cash in on a trend. We do design for toy comanies all day long and all we hear is “we want that URBAN VINYL look” this is a trend/fashion buisness they all try and fail
BUT there is no reason not to be supportive of the artists who spend hours and days pouring their hearts and energy into these pieces these are their works It is like getting mad at paper
because a tree was cut…..

sorry to vent…
I really love the pieces in this show and only hope that more positive things like this come out of the whole designer toy movement…..
it is much better than all the Variant color monkies with a Fez and a cigar, and all the extra loud color sneakers…

the grumpy bear is a pretty cool figure.
I think these custom shows more about the artists involved and creative expression than about the corporate parent
We have been fortunate to have our toy become an extremley popular Custom platform and it is never about the places where artists work but about the artists themselves.
We had designers from Hasbro, Mattel,Nike, Puma, adidas, AG, Mtv and many many others put their spin on our trains
over 4000 pcs of art!!! Let me note that noone gets a job at NIKE or Hasbro or AG with lame lazy,stale work.
these guys are some of teh best at what they do.

I am sure the intentions of A big corporation is to cash in on a trend. We do design for toy comanies all day long and all we hear is “we want that URBAN VINYL look” this is a trend/fashion buisness they all try and fail
BUT there is no reason not to be supportive of the artists who spend hours and days pouring their hearts and energy into these pieces these are their works It is like getting mad at paper
because a tree was cut…..

sorry to vent…
I really love the pieces in this show and only hope that more positive things like this come out of the whole designer toy movement…..
it is much better than all the Variant color monkies with a Fez and a cigar, and all the extra loud color sneakers…

I probably should be careful at this point about chiming in about anything from Hallmark, but what I have to say is completely apolitical, I promise.

The best of these stray so far from the original “grumpy bear” template, that their corporate origins are rendered meaningless. They just look cool. With some of them it’s a serious stretch to make the Grumpy Bear connection.

The least interesting (to me anyway) are the star wars/grumpy bear corporate icon hybrids. Though impressively executed, these fall more into the spin-off novelty category, like Disney’s Darth Vader Goofy. As a personal project for your own entertainment, why not? As a commercial item, It’s like a palimpsest of popular culture detritus, but then, nobody’s attempted to market the things yet, so what’s the harm?

As for vinyl toys: I don’t ascribe any particular hipster cache to vinyl toys, even if I did ascribe any cache to hipsterism in general, which I don’t. Vinyl is a medium, not a movement. If there’s some true appropriation going on, that’s one thing, but otherwise, the homogenization of original ideas is what corporate America does best. Still, some things will never be successfully mimiced. I challenge them to try to rip off any toy designed by Jim Woodring.

I probably should be careful at this point about chiming in about anything from Hallmark, but what I have to say is completely apolitical, I promise.

The best of these stray so far from the original “grumpy bear” template, that their corporate origins are rendered meaningless. They just look cool. With some of them it’s a serious stretch to make the Grumpy Bear connection.

The least interesting (to me anyway) are the star wars/grumpy bear corporate icon hybrids. Though impressively executed, these fall more into the spin-off novelty category, like Disney’s Darth Vader Goofy. As a personal project for your own entertainment, why not? As a commercial item, It’s like a palimpsest of popular culture detritus, but then, nobody’s attempted to market the things yet, so what’s the harm?

As for vinyl toys: I don’t ascribe any particular hipster cache to vinyl toys, even if I did ascribe any cache to hipsterism in general, which I don’t. Vinyl is a medium, not a movement. If there’s some true appropriation going on, that’s one thing, but otherwise, the homogenization of original ideas is what corporate America does best. Still, some things will never be successfully mimiced. I challenge them to try to rip off any toy designed by Jim Woodring.

Klim…

It seems as though you sort of read what I wrote, but not really. So rather than repeat myself, I’ll just say go back and read what I wrote. It seems like you disagree with me, but you end up saying things that are quite similar to what I wrote. I frankly can’t tell if you’ve taken an opposing position or if you’ve replied with a hearty and sincere “Ditto!”

Jed…

I’m pretty sure that I was clear about my respect for the individual artists… I even posted twice to increase the clarity. However it seems that my efforts failed, so here I go again: I have great respect for the individual artists. There. And I think it’s foolish to say “Vinyl is a medium, not a movement.” when it clearly IS a movement. It is a medium as well, but in this case I think it’s fair to say that A.G. is co-opting the movement, not breaking new ground in the medium, no? Finally… man, you have a hard-on for Jim Woodring. I’ve only seen you pop up a couple of times in these forums, but you always mention him. Are you getting a cut of his sales? Do you admire anyone else?

Klim…

It seems as though you sort of read what I wrote, but not really. So rather than repeat myself, I’ll just say go back and read what I wrote. It seems like you disagree with me, but you end up saying things that are quite similar to what I wrote. I frankly can’t tell if you’ve taken an opposing position or if you’ve replied with a hearty and sincere “Ditto!”

Jed…

I’m pretty sure that I was clear about my respect for the individual artists… I even posted twice to increase the clarity. However it seems that my efforts failed, so here I go again: I have great respect for the individual artists. There. And I think it’s foolish to say “Vinyl is a medium, not a movement.” when it clearly IS a movement. It is a medium as well, but in this case I think it’s fair to say that A.G. is co-opting the movement, not breaking new ground in the medium, no? Finally… man, you have a hard-on for Jim Woodring. I’ve only seen you pop up a couple of times in these forums, but you always mention him. Are you getting a cut of his sales? Do you admire anyone else?

Whoah. I wasn’t attacking your argument or point of view, just expressing mine—I thought some of the bears looked cool—some of the bears looked about as different from the original grumpy bear as you could possibly imagine. I at no point intended to question your respect for the individual artists.

I think your right, “vinyl isn’t a movement, it’s a medium” was a little too glib. There is a definite movement of boutique vinyl toys for hipsters, no question. I just think that this practice, of making specialty toys like this, has endurance beyond just a craze, or fashion. Maybe that’s more of what I’d meant to say.

And your right, I’m enthusiastic about Jim Woodring’s work. However, from what I know of his appearance, he’s a bearish, hairy fellow, and, with respect for the personal taste of others, I do not find that the thought of the man puts me in anything resembling a state of arrousal. So no, for Jim Woodring personally, a hard-on, I have not.

And if you think that I mention Woodring more than other artists in the context of this forum, you’ve not paid attention to the posts I make on here with near compulsive frequency. Not that there would be anything wrong if I did, and, uh, not like there’s anything wrong with, you know, having a hard-on for Jim Woodring. Not that there’s anything wrong with that at all.

As for my mention of the man’s work on this particular thread, it just so happens that he designs some of the most beautiful vinyl toys known to man, and in the boutique vinyl toy world his work most notably stands out from the pack.

And boy do those toys engorge me!

Whoah. I wasn’t attacking your argument or point of view, just expressing mine—I thought some of the bears looked cool—some of the bears looked about as different from the original grumpy bear as you could possibly imagine. I at no point intended to question your respect for the individual artists.

I think your right, “vinyl isn’t a movement, it’s a medium” was a little too glib. There is a definite movement of boutique vinyl toys for hipsters, no question. I just think that this practice, of making specialty toys like this, has endurance beyond just a craze, or fashion. Maybe that’s more of what I’d meant to say.

And your right, I’m enthusiastic about Jim Woodring’s work. However, from what I know of his appearance, he’s a bearish, hairy fellow, and, with respect for the personal taste of others, I do not find that the thought of the man puts me in anything resembling a state of arrousal. So no, for Jim Woodring personally, a hard-on, I have not.

And if you think that I mention Woodring more than other artists in the context of this forum, you’ve not paid attention to the posts I make on here with near compulsive frequency. Not that there would be anything wrong if I did, and, uh, not like there’s anything wrong with, you know, having a hard-on for Jim Woodring. Not that there’s anything wrong with that at all.

As for my mention of the man’s work on this particular thread, it just so happens that he designs some of the most beautiful vinyl toys known to man, and in the boutique vinyl toy world his work most notably stands out from the pack.

And boy do those toys engorge me!

Kevin,

“Mini contemporary masterworks” Are you high? AG has always been and will continue to be a corporation and as such only operates with the sole purpose of generating money and in AG’s case keeping the shareholders happy. It seems ridiculous to criticize a company for recycling art that was always intended to be disposable in the first place. Further more proclaiming the Vinyl Grumpy, as “marking the official end of the collector vinyl toy craze.” seems pre-mature and knee jerk.

It’s also ultimately insulting to the vinyl toy movement by implying that something as benign and low profile as a custom vinyl art show for charity would cause its end.

Kevin,

“Mini contemporary masterworks” Are you high? AG has always been and will continue to be a corporation and as such only operates with the sole purpose of generating money and in AG’s case keeping the shareholders happy. It seems ridiculous to criticize a company for recycling art that was always intended to be disposable in the first place. Further more proclaiming the Vinyl Grumpy, as “marking the official end of the collector vinyl toy craze.” seems pre-mature and knee jerk.

It’s also ultimately insulting to the vinyl toy movement by implying that something as benign and low profile as a custom vinyl art show for charity would cause its end.

Oh Jorge…

Clearly (from you list of links) you are either an employee or freelancer for A.G. As such, I imagine you’ve had the opportunity to see some of the original paintings of the aforementioned characters. If you fail to recognize the skill and talent of the artists involved, simply because it was work for hire, well… more’s the pity for you. Were Haddon Sundblom’s Santa paintings any less wonderful because they were done for Coca-Cola (a much larger, more successful and slightly more evil corporation than A.G.)? You’ll have to excuse me for recognizing the ability to draw and paint (with real paint) as a wondrous thing. You seem like a talented fella. There’s no reason that you should scoff at the legitimate mastery on display in some of that early work. If you plan to be inspired by nothing but last month’s issue of JUXTAPOZ, you can expect your work to be pretty stagnant.

I also work in licensing. I understand it pretty well. I know what its purpose is. That doesn’t keep me from recognizing good, solid work when it comes along. Do you think “Sushi Pack” will be remembered in twenty years? Or for that matter, “Maryoku Yummy”? I was the team leader on the development of that particular property and even I know that it doesn’t have the legs of Strawberry Shortcake, which will endure in the hearts of millions despite your company’s recent efforts to take her “to the EXTREME”! This Care Bear vinyl is a vanity project by a man who is trying very hard to sit at the cool table in the cafeteria. I know him well enough to know that his ambitions for this item extend beyond its current use as a tool for good.

Finally… it’s hardly insulting to the designer vinyl movement to suggest that this move by A.G. marks the beginning of the end for it. It is not a reflection of its lack of legitimacy or staying power, but a simple recognition of the fact that true innovators, when faced with biters, simply move in another direction. You may expect that if enough “mainstream” corporations like yours (and mine) begin to “borrow” this format, the “hipsters” will lose interest in it and move on. That has been the way of things since the dawn of time. True artists always seek the path of greatest resistance.

Oh Jorge…

Clearly (from you list of links) you are either an employee or freelancer for A.G. As such, I imagine you’ve had the opportunity to see some of the original paintings of the aforementioned characters. If you fail to recognize the skill and talent of the artists involved, simply because it was work for hire, well… more’s the pity for you. Were Haddon Sundblom’s Santa paintings any less wonderful because they were done for Coca-Cola (a much larger, more successful and slightly more evil corporation than A.G.)? You’ll have to excuse me for recognizing the ability to draw and paint (with real paint) as a wondrous thing. You seem like a talented fella. There’s no reason that you should scoff at the legitimate mastery on display in some of that early work. If you plan to be inspired by nothing but last month’s issue of JUXTAPOZ, you can expect your work to be pretty stagnant.

I also work in licensing. I understand it pretty well. I know what its purpose is. That doesn’t keep me from recognizing good, solid work when it comes along. Do you think “Sushi Pack” will be remembered in twenty years? Or for that matter, “Maryoku Yummy”? I was the team leader on the development of that particular property and even I know that it doesn’t have the legs of Strawberry Shortcake, which will endure in the hearts of millions despite your company’s recent efforts to take her “to the EXTREME”! This Care Bear vinyl is a vanity project by a man who is trying very hard to sit at the cool table in the cafeteria. I know him well enough to know that his ambitions for this item extend beyond its current use as a tool for good.

Finally… it’s hardly insulting to the designer vinyl movement to suggest that this move by A.G. marks the beginning of the end for it. It is not a reflection of its lack of legitimacy or staying power, but a simple recognition of the fact that true innovators, when faced with biters, simply move in another direction. You may expect that if enough “mainstream” corporations like yours (and mine) begin to “borrow” this format, the “hipsters” will lose interest in it and move on. That has been the way of things since the dawn of time. True artists always seek the path of greatest resistance.

Hi Kevin:
I am part of the Grumpy Bear Show and I can tell you that I decided to participate in the project with the sole intention of helping out with the cause. Not because I do business with AG or because vinyl toys are important to me. I do love them but can care less if “the movement” dies tomorrow.
What bothers me here is that you say that you respect the artists that participate in the show, but by throwing all this dirty water at AG you are splashing all of us. I have not clue what your reasons are for doing this but don’t use the Grumpy Show as an excuse to let out your frustration with the company or blame the project for whatever is the next step for vinyl toys. Clearly you know that in America everything goes mainstream, right? Rap did, Skateboarding did. All corporations do their part. look at Adidas, Sony, or any videogame company.
You might also know that I’m the creator of Sushi Pack. Was I worried that it might not be around in twenty years? Hell no. I can keep creating for the rest of my life and certainly that property is a step in the process of learning. Learning is nice.

Peace out, man.

Hi Kevin:
I am part of the Grumpy Bear Show and I can tell you that I decided to participate in the project with the sole intention of helping out with the cause. Not because I do business with AG or because vinyl toys are important to me. I do love them but can care less if “the movement” dies tomorrow.
What bothers me here is that you say that you respect the artists that participate in the show, but by throwing all this dirty water at AG you are splashing all of us. I have not clue what your reasons are for doing this but don’t use the Grumpy Show as an excuse to let out your frustration with the company or blame the project for whatever is the next step for vinyl toys. Clearly you know that in America everything goes mainstream, right? Rap did, Skateboarding did. All corporations do their part. look at Adidas, Sony, or any videogame company.
You might also know that I’m the creator of Sushi Pack. Was I worried that it might not be around in twenty years? Hell no. I can keep creating for the rest of my life and certainly that property is a step in the process of learning. Learning is nice.

Peace out, man.

Leo,

It was not my intention to attack the artists. I have great respect for them. And in calling out Sushi Pack, I knew that I was likely to offend any talented individuals who may have been involved in its creation, which is why I followed so quickly with mention of Maryoku Yummy. In doing so, do you believe I was trying to imply that I have no respect for my own work? Or the work of Johnny Yanok (another extremely talented individual on the original development team who will go uncredited as the project moves forward.) Hell, no! Anyone who knows me (like our mutual friend, Mister Burnett) will tell you that I have an ego the size of a small planet. Everyone seems to be focusing on comments that I never made. The fact is that I have said many, many times that I respect the artists. I don’t know how to make it any clearer. But, let me ask you this… have you never complained about A.G? Have you never been frustrated by the choices they make? All of us who earn our living in the corporate world, will (at least occasionally) find fault with the system. If I were to say that the President is an idiot and I disagree with many of his policies, would you immediately think that I hate all Americans?

I regret having offended you, though I still question how I did it. If anyone actually wanted to go back and read all of my posts, you would find that it began with a flip comment that was (quite honestly) intended to be a lighthearted stab at Mr. Evil-Baldy-Bignose. Since then I have had to say that I respect the individuals involved multiple times, and yet no one is hearing me. If you look closely, you’ll see that I have a greater respect for the artists at A.G than Jorge, an A.G. employee who discounts some of their work outright, simply because of the subject matter. I am the only one on this post who has shown any reverence for the history and quality of the original Care Bears. A.G. is (and always has been) staffed by some very talented artists. There. I don’t know how to be any clearer.

Can I please get some backup from someone who gets what I’m talking about here?

Leo,

It was not my intention to attack the artists. I have great respect for them. And in calling out Sushi Pack, I knew that I was likely to offend any talented individuals who may have been involved in its creation, which is why I followed so quickly with mention of Maryoku Yummy. In doing so, do you believe I was trying to imply that I have no respect for my own work? Or the work of Johnny Yanok (another extremely talented individual on the original development team who will go uncredited as the project moves forward.) Hell, no! Anyone who knows me (like our mutual friend, Mister Burnett) will tell you that I have an ego the size of a small planet. Everyone seems to be focusing on comments that I never made. The fact is that I have said many, many times that I respect the artists. I don’t know how to make it any clearer. But, let me ask you this… have you never complained about A.G? Have you never been frustrated by the choices they make? All of us who earn our living in the corporate world, will (at least occasionally) find fault with the system. If I were to say that the President is an idiot and I disagree with many of his policies, would you immediately think that I hate all Americans?

I regret having offended you, though I still question how I did it. If anyone actually wanted to go back and read all of my posts, you would find that it began with a flip comment that was (quite honestly) intended to be a lighthearted stab at Mr. Evil-Baldy-Bignose. Since then I have had to say that I respect the individuals involved multiple times, and yet no one is hearing me. If you look closely, you’ll see that I have a greater respect for the artists at A.G than Jorge, an A.G. employee who discounts some of their work outright, simply because of the subject matter. I am the only one on this post who has shown any reverence for the history and quality of the original Care Bears. A.G. is (and always has been) staffed by some very talented artists. There. I don’t know how to be any clearer.

Can I please get some backup from someone who gets what I’m talking about here?

Well for starters yo can make nice with me for the completely eroneous implication that I ALWAYS and never fail to mention Jim Woodring at every opportunity and with obsessive persistance and that somehow this has something unsavory to do with my erectile tissue. That was just rude.

I can think of three occasions on wich I’ve brought up the subject of Jim Woodring on this forum that would by no means indicate a trend: this one, a previous Hallmark related thread, and a thread on the subject of—Jim Woodring. Perhaps you noticed this, and have failed to notice any of my other abundant posts because it’s you that has a hard-on for Hallmark?

Well for starters yo can make nice with me for the completely eroneous implication that I ALWAYS and never fail to mention Jim Woodring at every opportunity and with obsessive persistance and that somehow this has something unsavory to do with my erectile tissue. That was just rude.

I can think of three occasions on wich I’ve brought up the subject of Jim Woodring on this forum that would by no means indicate a trend: this one, a previous Hallmark related thread, and a thread on the subject of—Jim Woodring. Perhaps you noticed this, and have failed to notice any of my other abundant posts because it’s you that has a hard-on for Hallmark?

I accept the apology Kevin, but if you are wondering how you offend people here’s an example in your own words:
“in calling out Sushi Pack, I knew that I was likely to offend any talented individuals who may have been involved in its creation”
Also with your very first post you are putting down the work of all of us:
“this (the show) marks the end of the collector vinyl toy craze”
Think about it.
Look, you are allowed to feel whatever you feel for AG, who am I to tell you otherwise, but it seems that in this case you ended up (indirectly) punching more people than you intended to.
Life is to short to stay Grumpy. let’s do more toys.

Hope to meet you at Mike Burnett’s show so we can talk more about all this. Controversy is a healthy thing to exercise.

I accept the apology Kevin, but if you are wondering how you offend people here’s an example in your own words:
“in calling out Sushi Pack, I knew that I was likely to offend any talented individuals who may have been involved in its creation”
Also with your very first post you are putting down the work of all of us:
“this (the show) marks the end of the collector vinyl toy craze”
Think about it.
Look, you are allowed to feel whatever you feel for AG, who am I to tell you otherwise, but it seems that in this case you ended up (indirectly) punching more people than you intended to.
Life is to short to stay Grumpy. let’s do more toys.

Hope to meet you at Mike Burnett’s show so we can talk more about all this. Controversy is a healthy thing to exercise.

HOLY FRIGGIN CRAP! Regarding Mr. Kevin’s comments, evidently some of you gentlemen can’t read, are blinded by your own egos, are corporate ass kissers, are all part of the self admiration society or all of the above!

If you chowder heads were paying attention you would have clearly read Mr. Kevins simple acknowlegment of yet another corporate diety, albiet the Baseman ripoff Mr Evil-Baldy-Bignose character’s participation included, attempting to attach it’s inauspicious image in the facade of a fundraiser, to a movement that is the antithesis of what IT represents.

And you Mr. Leo catch on later in the thread and acknowledge the same damn point, you, the ” by throwing all this dirty water you are splashing us.” BOO friggin Hoo you poltroon! How many times does Mr Kevin have reiterate his respect for the artists! Respect and criticism have two different definitions so take it like a man…”Sushi who?”

What you knuckleheads should be doing is tar and feathering that not so benign, dimwitted dolt “Jorge” who blantly belittles and insults artists work as “disposable” just because they are employed by big corporations. Yeah, let me toss out that J.C. Leyendecker Arrow Shirt illustration you imbecile! Or how about when you run out of tp you use one of your paltry sketches? The only thing that was pre-mature was Mr. Jorge when he put his manhood between his custom Grumpy girlfriend! Is that fresh liver in him?

Oh, and let me not forget Mr. high and mighty… Jed, lookin for nice nice with his ” novelty” comments about the friggin cool Darth Vader figures, hey Mr. Jed, someone can have a boner for Darth just as much as you do for Woodring you hypocrite! And if you would get your head out of the “Frank” comics you’d see that vinyl is a movement numbskull!

So take a deep breath sissies, read reeeeal slow so you can assimilate all the words, and grow some damn testicles would you! Cause after the big corporations decimate this movement the next one will be penus art and you’ll need bigger canvases!

HOLY FRIGGIN CRAP! Regarding Mr. Kevin’s comments, evidently some of you gentlemen can’t read, are blinded by your own egos, are corporate ass kissers, are all part of the self admiration society or all of the above!

If you chowder heads were paying attention you would have clearly read Mr. Kevins simple acknowlegment of yet another corporate diety, albiet the Baseman ripoff Mr Evil-Baldy-Bignose character’s participation included, attempting to attach it’s inauspicious image in the facade of a fundraiser, to a movement that is the antithesis of what IT represents.

And you Mr. Leo catch on later in the thread and acknowledge the same damn point, you, the ” by throwing all this dirty water you are splashing us.” BOO friggin Hoo you poltroon! How many times does Mr Kevin have reiterate his respect for the artists! Respect and criticism have two different definitions so take it like a man…”Sushi who?”

What you knuckleheads should be doing is tar and feathering that not so benign, dimwitted dolt “Jorge” who blantly belittles and insults artists work as “disposable” just because they are employed by big corporations. Yeah, let me toss out that J.C. Leyendecker Arrow Shirt illustration you imbecile! Or how about when you run out of tp you use one of your paltry sketches? The only thing that was pre-mature was Mr. Jorge when he put his manhood between his custom Grumpy girlfriend! Is that fresh liver in him?

Oh, and let me not forget Mr. high and mighty… Jed, lookin for nice nice with his ” novelty” comments about the friggin cool Darth Vader figures, hey Mr. Jed, someone can have a boner for Darth just as much as you do for Woodring you hypocrite! And if you would get your head out of the “Frank” comics you’d see that vinyl is a movement numbskull!

So take a deep breath sissies, read reeeeal slow so you can assimilate all the words, and grow some damn testicles would you! Cause after the big corporations decimate this movement the next one will be penus art and you’ll need bigger canvases!

We could all learn from our friend Kevin here.

When there is no one around to support you, when there is no one near who will buy your bullshit, when there is no one to “back you up” or to “get what you’re talking about”….just create a fake entity (like Mr. Dirk here) to do the job for you.

Could he be anymore obvious? Not only does Mr. Dirk support the exact same issues as Mr. Kevin, he hates on the same people (every single one of them in fact), reiterates the same cry for everyone to re-read his posts so that we can all “get” what he’s saying, and offers nothing new to the discussion other than a couple weak disses.

Guess I’ll follow suit.

Mr. Dirk? Mr. Kevin? Kindly step away from the computer and walk out into the real world where hopefully you’ll learn some people skills of your own.

We could all learn from our friend Kevin here.

When there is no one around to support you, when there is no one near who will buy your bullshit, when there is no one to “back you up” or to “get what you’re talking about”….just create a fake entity (like Mr. Dirk here) to do the job for you.

Could he be anymore obvious? Not only does Mr. Dirk support the exact same issues as Mr. Kevin, he hates on the same people (every single one of them in fact), reiterates the same cry for everyone to re-read his posts so that we can all “get” what he’s saying, and offers nothing new to the discussion other than a couple weak disses.

Guess I’ll follow suit.

Mr. Dirk? Mr. Kevin? Kindly step away from the computer and walk out into the real world where hopefully you’ll learn some people skills of your own.

I fight my own battles. Is it that shocking that someone agrees with me? And frankly, the specific party to whom Mr. Diggler and I are referring is a largely hated person. I have literally heard DOZENS of people wish him death and worse. It is not surprising (to me at least) that another party would like to call him out. I have posted honestly, using my own name, and a good number of you (specifically those at A.G. or acquaintances of Mr. Burnett) should have ample resources to determine the true nature of my character.

That being said, I will say that this blog (like so many, it seems) is disinclined to entertain lively debate. The group mind always wins out. I have tried to make peace and I believe that even Jed seems to understand that my Woodring comment was meant in jest, since on one of the few other occasions wherein I posted here, he mentioned him prominently. I thought it was funny to have spotted a pattern in so few posts, so I mentioned it.

I happily admit that my first post could easily have been misinterpreted. I (at the time) thought this was a consumer product already and that’s what I was referring to… not the show, nor the artists. A simple case of a fully formed thought (in my head) failing to make it to the page.

As I am about to be in a group show with many of you, I do heartily hope that you’ll take me at my word and understand that I always try to say exactly what I mean, though (like all of us) I often fail in the endeavor. I will repeat myself just this once, then as (the completely incorrect and self-righteous) Captain Obvious suggests, I will indeed step away from the computer and let all of this lay where it is. I like art. I like artists. I specifically like many of the artists involved in this show (both personally and professionally). I do, however, retain the right to hold great disdain for the corporate EXTREMIFICATION of well loved characters.

Now, as Leo suggests… let’s do more toys.

I fight my own battles. Is it that shocking that someone agrees with me? And frankly, the specific party to whom Mr. Diggler and I are referring is a largely hated person. I have literally heard DOZENS of people wish him death and worse. It is not surprising (to me at least) that another party would like to call him out. I have posted honestly, using my own name, and a good number of you (specifically those at A.G. or acquaintances of Mr. Burnett) should have ample resources to determine the true nature of my character.

That being said, I will say that this blog (like so many, it seems) is disinclined to entertain lively debate. The group mind always wins out. I have tried to make peace and I believe that even Jed seems to understand that my Woodring comment was meant in jest, since on one of the few other occasions wherein I posted here, he mentioned him prominently. I thought it was funny to have spotted a pattern in so few posts, so I mentioned it.

I happily admit that my first post could easily have been misinterpreted. I (at the time) thought this was a consumer product already and that’s what I was referring to… not the show, nor the artists. A simple case of a fully formed thought (in my head) failing to make it to the page.

As I am about to be in a group show with many of you, I do heartily hope that you’ll take me at my word and understand that I always try to say exactly what I mean, though (like all of us) I often fail in the endeavor. I will repeat myself just this once, then as (the completely incorrect and self-righteous) Captain Obvious suggests, I will indeed step away from the computer and let all of this lay where it is. I like art. I like artists. I specifically like many of the artists involved in this show (both personally and professionally). I do, however, retain the right to hold great disdain for the corporate EXTREMIFICATION of well loved characters.

Now, as Leo suggests… let’s do more toys.

Why does everyone call vinyl a “movement?”

it is just a cheap way for artists to reproduce multiples of their design…. in small runs

like rally small….
like art prints….

The whole DIY scene is exciting and fun lets keep it that way…..

chill out have fun

Klim

is 3D modeling a movement? rapid prototyping?

Why does everyone call vinyl a “movement?”

it is just a cheap way for artists to reproduce multiples of their design…. in small runs

like rally small….
like art prints….

The whole DIY scene is exciting and fun lets keep it that way…..

chill out have fun

Klim

is 3D modeling a movement? rapid prototyping?

Why does everyone call vinyl a “movement?”

it is just a cheap way for artists to reproduce multiples of their design…. in small runs

like rally small….
like art prints….

The whole DIY scene is exciting and fun lets keep it that way…..

chill out have fun

Klim

is 3D modeling a movement? rapid prototyping?

Why does everyone call vinyl a “movement?”

it is just a cheap way for artists to reproduce multiples of their design…. in small runs

like rally small….
like art prints….

The whole DIY scene is exciting and fun lets keep it that way…..

chill out have fun

Klim

is 3D modeling a movement? rapid prototyping?

Captain Obvious,
Oh my, my, your wit makes me giggle like a school girl!
I have no friggin idea who any of you clowns are, so quit making your asinine assumptions that I’m Mr Kevin you dope! I’m a fan of Saxton Moore and his blog led me to this mess. Weak disses? Is that the best you’ve got Captain Fartknocker? Captain Obvious, you seem to have conveniently “missed” the obvious in the points I mentioned. Were the big bad corporate epiphanies too much for you to bear, or are you too busy under your bosses desk? Was not Mr. Jed being a hipocrite? Did’nt Mr. Jorge make one of the stupidist comments in this thread that everyone else ignored? I chimed in cause you assholes were “obviously” all in bed with each other and didnt want to address Mr Kevins points! Maybe you didnt understand or care how corporations are exploiting characters and not retaining the integrity that their initial creators strived for! Oh crap, you probably wear Care Bear G-string underwear…my bad! Was’nt there just all this unnesassary whining going on by a bunch of you clowns? Oh…I’m sorry, it was’nt obvious to me at first that you must belong to the same self admiration society as the rest em!
Do yourself a favor, keep your mouth stuffed with your bosses cock and shut up you moron!

Captain Obvious,
Oh my, my, your wit makes me giggle like a school girl!
I have no friggin idea who any of you clowns are, so quit making your asinine assumptions that I’m Mr Kevin you dope! I’m a fan of Saxton Moore and his blog led me to this mess. Weak disses? Is that the best you’ve got Captain Fartknocker? Captain Obvious, you seem to have conveniently “missed” the obvious in the points I mentioned. Were the big bad corporate epiphanies too much for you to bear, or are you too busy under your bosses desk? Was not Mr. Jed being a hipocrite? Did’nt Mr. Jorge make one of the stupidist comments in this thread that everyone else ignored? I chimed in cause you assholes were “obviously” all in bed with each other and didnt want to address Mr Kevins points! Maybe you didnt understand or care how corporations are exploiting characters and not retaining the integrity that their initial creators strived for! Oh crap, you probably wear Care Bear G-string underwear…my bad! Was’nt there just all this unnesassary whining going on by a bunch of you clowns? Oh…I’m sorry, it was’nt obvious to me at first that you must belong to the same self admiration society as the rest em!
Do yourself a favor, keep your mouth stuffed with your bosses cock and shut up you moron!

High and Mighty Jed here.

I think it’s not so much the toys, but the way their marketted and to whom they’re marketted to, that’s a trend, not the medium itself and its recent increased availability to artists.

Is a trend the same as a movement? Maybe if there was some consistant aesthetic beyond the fact that the toys are made out of vinyl. Yes there are trends within the industry of boutique vinyl toys that tend to reflect a particular style, but these trends don’t represent the medium as a whole, so I don’t really think you can properly characterize it as a movement. So I think I appologized too readily for saying, accurately, that “vinyl is a medium not a movement”.

As brave as it is to post a bunch of nasty invective, Mr Diggler, under an assumed name, I don’t think you got my point about the Darth Vader. Yes, you can have an honest to goodness love for Darth Vader, and be so inspired to demonstrate that love in the form of a Grumpy Bear, but my point was, that this was just a little less intriguing to me personally than the stuff that wasn’t fan inspired, but wholey unique.

High and Mighty Jed here.

I think it’s not so much the toys, but the way their marketted and to whom they’re marketted to, that’s a trend, not the medium itself and its recent increased availability to artists.

Is a trend the same as a movement? Maybe if there was some consistant aesthetic beyond the fact that the toys are made out of vinyl. Yes there are trends within the industry of boutique vinyl toys that tend to reflect a particular style, but these trends don’t represent the medium as a whole, so I don’t really think you can properly characterize it as a movement. So I think I appologized too readily for saying, accurately, that “vinyl is a medium not a movement”.

As brave as it is to post a bunch of nasty invective, Mr Diggler, under an assumed name, I don’t think you got my point about the Darth Vader. Yes, you can have an honest to goodness love for Darth Vader, and be so inspired to demonstrate that love in the form of a Grumpy Bear, but my point was, that this was just a little less intriguing to me personally than the stuff that wasn’t fan inspired, but wholey unique.

I would like to officially call upon everyone here on Drawn to actively discourage, or even ignore posts made by people who use an assumed name as an excuse to behave badly. Why is this just something that’s accepted on this board? Lets stop encouraging this, and freeze them out.

I would like to officially call upon everyone here on Drawn to actively discourage, or even ignore posts made by people who use an assumed name as an excuse to behave badly. Why is this just something that’s accepted on this board? Lets stop encouraging this, and freeze them out.

hey Klim,
I hear ya brother! I’ve worked for big toy companies myself…even though it is done in low runs and under the auspices of a movement, the truth of the matter is, the vinyl/urban toys use the same cheap, asian, slave labor, with the exceptions of a few guys, to make thier toys and call them art, as do the big boys like Hasbro and Mattel. So yeah, rotomolding is a cheaper way to make multiples so lets keep exploiting the misfortunate of the world!

hey Klim,
I hear ya brother! I’ve worked for big toy companies myself…even though it is done in low runs and under the auspices of a movement, the truth of the matter is, the vinyl/urban toys use the same cheap, asian, slave labor, with the exceptions of a few guys, to make thier toys and call them art, as do the big boys like Hasbro and Mattel. So yeah, rotomolding is a cheaper way to make multiples so lets keep exploiting the misfortunate of the world!

What are you talking about?

What are you talking about?

What are you talking about?

What are you talking about?

So it seems that Mr. Diggler’s name leads directly to a porn site. That kind of screws up the whole “work-friendly” atmosphere here. “Mmm, lets see what’s happening on Drawn–oh, blow jobs. I think I’ll get fired now.”

His posts have gone way beyond the threshold of aggressive and offensive.

Kevin, however you may feel about Hallmark or this guys comments, you can hardly call this “active, lively debate”. At least not constructive debate. I’m all for debate that doesn’t involve unflattering accusations of felatio, my hard-on for a particular artist, or the word “fartknocker”. Can we grow-up here?

So it seems that Mr. Diggler’s name leads directly to a porn site. That kind of screws up the whole “work-friendly” atmosphere here. “Mmm, lets see what’s happening on Drawn–oh, blow jobs. I think I’ll get fired now.”

His posts have gone way beyond the threshold of aggressive and offensive.

Kevin, however you may feel about Hallmark or this guys comments, you can hardly call this “active, lively debate”. At least not constructive debate. I’m all for debate that doesn’t involve unflattering accusations of felatio, my hard-on for a particular artist, or the word “fartknocker”. Can we grow-up here?

I would say “can’t we all just get along?” But the world is full of debate, no matter what the subject matter. Seriously people, let’s just sit down at our desk, do our own art, be happy about it, and not smash other people’s ideas. How’s that for a concept?

I would say “can’t we all just get along?” But the world is full of debate, no matter what the subject matter. Seriously people, let’s just sit down at our desk, do our own art, be happy about it, and not smash other people’s ideas. How’s that for a concept?

I can “ditto ” on that

I can “ditto ” on that

This is not looking good, guys.

This is not looking good, guys.

No kidding. Sheesh. I’d say this is a rare moment when a huge corporation — knowingly or not — backed up some good work and a fun project, for whatever reason they chose to do so. It’s still good work, period. Enjoy it if you like it, or pass on it if you don’t.

No kidding. Sheesh. I’d say this is a rare moment when a huge corporation — knowingly or not — backed up some good work and a fun project, for whatever reason they chose to do so. It’s still good work, period. Enjoy it if you like it, or pass on it if you don’t.

Well, everyone is entitled to have an opinion… ESPECIALLY one as grumpy as those shown here. ;)

So without getting into a debate, I’ll just point you to the photos of all the bears at the show for you to enjoy some solid work.

Grumpy Freak Show Photos

-GB

Well, everyone is entitled to have an opinion… ESPECIALLY one as grumpy as those shown here. ;)

So without getting into a debate, I’ll just point you to the photos of all the bears at the show for you to enjoy some solid work.

Grumpy Freak Show Photos

-GB

http://www.flickr.com/photos/grumpyfreakshow/sets/72157594284626777/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/grumpyfreakshow/sets/72157594284626777/

Grumpy Freak Show: Deliciously Sick Custom Care Bears

Many sick things have come out of people’s minds due to the Care Bears. My favorite still has to be this.
However, fifty artists, working with American Greetings for once, created customized Grumpy Bears that were then put up for auction, all to …

[...] Found via Drawn! [...]