💾 Archived View for ofmanytrades.com › blog › 2021-11-5-Making-Toys.gmi captured on 2021-11-30 at 20:18:30. Gemini links have been rewritten to link to archived content
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Ever since I was a little kid, I've wanted to make toys. I used to take apart Lanard's Space Corps. action figures (which were mercifully built with set screws) and paint and reassemble them in to other toys. I started sculpting new figures in clay, and eventually found my way over to making rubber molds and resin casts.
For a few months at the end of 2019, at least, I was making a new toy every few days. I was pretty proud of a couple of them, especially our Buzz Corey of the Space Patrol.
Buzz Corey of the Space Patrol.
Of course, 2020 saw a huge upset in the balance of my life (and everyones.) My wife and I moved 600 miles in to a 500 sqft home, and started a business. As a result, I had to significantly curtail my toymaking efforts, basically stopping all production and research until a few weeks ago.
But I'm back at it now! With new found help from the Ellijay Makerspace, and my friend Igor toy production is moving ahead at warp speed! With Igor's help, and the resources of the Makerspace, we're making up for lost time and producing up to 50 figures a week!
Check out some of the toys we've made so far:
Commando Cody squares off against The Evil Robot on the Secret Moon Cave Playset
Commando Cody in his packaging
Cody and The Robot in packaging
and some of the toys we're still working on:
a new little Robot guy designed by petesactionfigures on thingiverse
Same robot, different color schemes
And we're experimenting with different colored plastics.
My dad and I sell these toys through our online store, Mountain Town Toys, in several retail locations throuhgout GA, and at various festivals, shows, and conventions.
Most of our toys are based on Public Domain characters, and the ones that aren't are almost always based on CC-BY or CC-BY-SA properties. We'll be releasing the 3D models and card art and any other digital files for each character, as well as detailed instructions on construction and assembly under a CC-BY-SA license as well, so that anyone (with the right tools) can start making their own toys!
It's the same DIY Media conversation I'm always having. We have to reclaim our cultural commons and make use of the tools at hand to produce. Every dollar spent on a weird hand made action figure based on a public domain character is a dollar that doesn't go to Disney, and that's good!
That DIY Media conversation I'm always having.
Anyway, this has been a fun little sidebar, and a neat way to reconnect with, and remix these properties. I don't expect we'll ever make a bundle on these things, but I plan to keep making them for as long as I can get away with it.
