Living Foodstuffs

Sophie the Pink Lemonade Ice Pop and Vampire Candy Corn from the World of Mr. Toast

Well, we've been looking at various toys over the past few weeks. So, let's check out a few plush dolls from the World of Mr. Toast!!!

You might be wondering why anybody would want to have dolls of drunken carrots or smiling ice pops. You might not find comics of sentient and mobile foodstuffs engaging in absurd behavior, minimal though it may be, to be of great interest. Well, there are some out there that enjoy playing with their food. ;-)

And, anyways, how can anyone dislike a fanged and winged candy corn?!!

Joe the Egg and Shaky Bacon

Fun stuff!!!

Dainty and Darling Dunny

Shadow Friend Dunny by Angry Woebots

Well, it's been another tough day for me, but this fierce little beastie lifts my spirit. Seriously, how can a snarling panda/bunny with a speared fish not bring a smile to your face?

We'll see what tonight brings. Maybe tomorrow. . .

But, for now, have a dunny. ;-)

Abominations of the Apocalypse

Rodeo, Sakura, and Kaili from Tokidoki's Unicorno Series

There's a toy shop in the southern part of Torrance called Pop Monster, which I get to on infrequent occasions. I'm not big on collecting, but I can appreciate the interesting toys and artworks on display. Well, as I was strolling out of my local library a few days ago, I noticed that they put up a nice showcase of the types of goodies that can be found at the store.

Yeah, it's a bit twisted, but I adore toys with a sense of humor. Therefore, here are a few photographs for Silly Saturday. ;-)

Smorkin Labbit from Kidrobot.

And then there were a few critters from the Apocalypse.

Kidrobot's Dunny Apocalypse Series, with Road Warrior by Huck Gee, Meltdown by Chris Ryniak, and Illuminati by Jermaine Rogers.

Fun stuff!!!

A Singing Chihuahua with Maracas

Cuddle Barn's "Chuey Bamba" sings and plays the maracas


Well, here's a Silly Saturday treat for you: a toy chihuahua that sings "La Bamba" while shaking the maracas.

I really don't like holiday shopping, but sometimes you can see the oddest of things. Among the singing toys on display, I thought Chuey Bamba had just the right mix of cuteness and absurdity. Then again, I didn't notice Chili Pepe. ;-)

Let's look at some vids:

Baking Up Bright Ideas

Detail of Nota Prop (2010) by Arthur Henderson

Well, I haven't much time to write up something clever tonight. So, instead, here's an image that I saw at the Oh Nancy "Blank Land" show, which was on exhibit at the Torrance Art Museum. It was only a two day event, closing last Tuesday.

Overall, the show was really engaging, full of interesting pieces. But I was charmed by this piece, which reminds me of a supersized Easy-Bake Oven. ;-)

So, let's have a restful Sunday evening and listen to some music.

(Dough)Nuts and Bolts

Detail of Rocket Surfer by Eric Joyner

The vintage tin toy robots of the 1950s have a sense of optimism, an exuberance, that promises a bright future of technological miracles. Unlike the mechanized monsters that became more common in subsequent dystopian views of the future, the "atomic age" robots are the manifestations of enlightening science, the mark of humanity's transcendent genius.

In Eric Joyner's exhibition, "It's a Jungle Out There", on view at the Corey Helford Gallery, these icons of progress are shown undertaking a series of adventures, from being attacked by pythons or robot-eating plants to surfing both upon the primordial waves and across the starry void, scenes that could have come from the imagination of a child playing out stories from the pulp adventures of science fiction magazines or comic books.

It's a playful display of pop surrealism mixed with uplifting nostalgia. And donuts. ;-)

Detail of All Wrapped Up by Eric Joyner

In terms of technique, the paintings are impressive, rich with detail and vibrant colors. There is a visceral sense of place, evocative of classic jungle adventures from pulp fiction, such as the Tarzan stories of Edgar Rice Burroughs.

Twelve Hundred Toy Cars

Metropolis II by Chris Burden


You can always count of Chris Burden to come up with an interesting concept and a distinct manner in which to express it. His newest work, Metropolis II, which goes on display at LACMA on January 14, is part kinetic sculpture and part performance piece.

Essentially, it is a huge toy car track set within a toy cityscape, wherein the buildings are made of Lego pieces, wooden blocks, and assorted other play pieces. Likewise, there are toy trains that run throughout the setting. Being quite familiar with the efforts involved in designing toy environments, I totally believe reports that it took over four years to construct. It is a massive and complex effort.

There are eighteen railroads in this design. There are twelve hundred custom-built toy cars. Over the course of an hour, one hundred thousand cars make their way over the course of Metropolis II's roadways.

Metropolis II by Chris Burden with cars in motion

It is an awesome sight to behold.

Candy Hearts and Paper Flowers

"Raggedy Ann and Books" from Raggedy Andy Stories (1920) by Johnny Gruelle


Coinciding with Christmas Eve, December 24th marks the birth date of Johnny Gruelle, born in 1880, known primarily as the creator of Raggedy Ann, first published in 1918.

I find something very charming about the simple, old-fashioned rag doll. Unlike ceramic dolls of the era, rag dolls were made for play, to get tossed around, to get dirty. They weren't put up on a shelf for display, touched only for dusting. And unlike later mass produced dolls, the humble handcrafted doll was unique, and not in a faddish "cabbage patch" way.

Now, fancy high tech gifts can be useful, and elite expensive treats are enviable, but sometimes the simple things are the most memorable and lasting presents of them all.

"Flying with the kite" from Raggedy Ann Stories (1918) by Johnny Gruelle

So, let's be thankful for the gifts which we have and will receive. Let's wish that others will find happiness in that which they shall receive. :-)

To Infinity . . . and Beyond!

Buzz Lightyear action figures


On November 22, 1995, Pixar's first feature film, Toy Story, was released.

It's hard to imagine that 16 years have passed. But when you pause to consider all the Pixar movies that have since come, things fall into perspective. Including Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, and WALL-E, these films have set the standard for cinematic CGI animation. Yet, this success was founded upon a simple story about the secret life of toys.

The Toy Story trilogy is among my favorite series of films. Each movie is a "stand alone" feature, but continues to build upon character interaction and delineate personality nuances. Although accessible for children, the stories are equally as engaging for adults. In terms of plot, each movie presents a distinct type of conflict, resolved with a compelling mix of thrills and humor, in defiance of memorable antagonists.

Toy Story poster (1995)

Fun Stuff!

Random Images from Downtown Disney

Lion King Statue in Downtown Disney's World of Disney Shop


Yeah, the holidays keep me busy. ;-)

Here are a some images from my trip to Downtown Disney.

Sheriff Woody Pride from the Toy Story series, built out of Legos


I'd like to go visit Downtown Disney on a bright and less hectic day to take some less rushed photographs. There are actually a lot of cool little details scattered around.

Such an Adorable Little Cat

Happy Birthday, Hello Kitty!


On this date in 1974, Hello Kitty was created!!!

It's hard for me to imagine a world without the famous feline, a beast that attained popularity just as I was entering elementary school. The girls at school were of the target age for this new fad out of Japan, resulting in Hello Kitty stickers, pencils, folders, clothes, toys, and just about anything upon which Sanrio could stick a mouthless visage. The Cat even put my sister under its spell, extending its influence into my house, into my very bedroom!!!

Yeah, I have issues with Hello Kitty. ;-)

Age has mellowed me out in regards to the Sanrio Scourge, but I still can't understand the appeal. Hello Kitty didn't peak and fade, but attained an enduring popularity, becoming a worldwide pop culture icon. How?!! It's not that there is something innately bad about the Kitty, but I can't see exactly what has enabled it to attain iconic status.

Hurry, Hello Kitty, your gifts are waiting!!!

Well, life is full of mysteries and cult of Hello Kitty is one of them.

Freight Fright

"G" scale model train track set up among the cacti.

Ever since I was a child, model train sets have ignited my imagination, inspiring me into daydreams of foreign lands or past eras, serving as sculpted tableaux upon which my fantasy may ride the rails across the boundaries of time and space.

So, it was with great enthusiasm that I had the opportunity to make a quick visit to the model train show at the South Coast Botanic Gardens. There were many fine sets on display in the primary exhibition hall, some with a Halloween theme, but I was especially thrilled to see that a few tracks had been set out in the Cactus Garden. Of course, I adore fabricated terrain and admire the design skills required to create a quality land set, but watching the trains course their way through real cacti, over authentic ground, and around sets arranged within a natural environment is a rare treat, specifically in that it can't be unpacked from a garage cabinet for a Sunday afternoon. ;-)

I've never had the happy conjunction of free time, disposable cash, and ample set space to pursue the model train hobby myself, but, if I ever get to a comfortable state of retirement, it's on my wish list. As a table top gamer, I love designing encounter settings, creating them on the cheap with paper and colored pencils. There is something exhilarating to this playful bit of world-building.

"G" scale train traverses a land with enormous flora.

I've been considering starting a new blog to focus on my game-related interests, which are a bit too niche to share here at Paideia. It might be cool to share various setting design posts with you all. We'll see if I have sufficient time to do a proper job of it. ;-)

From Deepest Darkest Peru

A Bear Called Paddington (published October 13, 1958) was illustrated by Peggy Fortnum

An Anglophile even as a child, my sister badgered my parents into buying her a Paddington Bear doll for her birthday sometime in the mid-seventies.

Although I have great affection for toys, I'm not a teddy bear person. But Paddington Bear has a special quality that set him apart from the run-of-the-mill bears. His big hat, the suitcase, his love for marmalade, these traits appealed to my youthful sense of the distinctive. Paddington was something more than a cute, fluffy doll. He had a story. Heck, he journeyed all the way from the deepest, darkest Peru!!!

Well, there obviously couldn't be two Paddington Bears in the family. So, I contented myself with drawing him and his adventures in Peru. And eating marmalade. ;-)

The BBC broadcast Paddington in 1975


After all these years, I still have nostalgia for the one teddy bear that I actually liked. And marmalade? It's the best!!!

Wrapped in Plastic

Blimp (2007) by Anne Veraldi


While I was visiting Bergamot Station last Saturday, I was able to catch an opening at dnj Gallery of Anne Veraldi's Plastic Rose series. In essence, it's a photographic series of toys wrapped in plastic bags. The plastic works as an obscurement device, a filter, through which the details of the subject are muted, resulting in a dream-like image that provokes uncertainty in the viewer as to the actual nature of the subject. Is it a real blimp or a toy? With the detail made vague, the answer is not immediately obvious.

Moreover, the use of toys as the subject of the photos evokes a sense of childhood fantasies. With the ambiguity of the subject's nature, the childlike ability to imagine a toy as the actuality that it represents is recreated in the viewer. It's a skill that most adults have left behind as they've matured beyond the desire to play "make believe" with toy vehicles, dolls, or soldiers. Therefore, the reactivation of this cognitive ability provokes both a sense of amusement and of nostalgia from the viewer.

It's a simple concept, but it elicits a deceptively complex emotional response.

Rider (2007) by Anne Veraldi


The plastic serves as a filter, but it also functions as the space in which the subjects exist. It suggests the terrain features, environmental effects, and spatial reality of the subject's imaginary world. Additionally, the color and texture of the plastic inspire certain moods or "atmospheres" of emotion.

We Have Top Men Working On It Right Now

Thirty years ago on this date, Raiders of the Lost Ark was released. As a youth, this was one of my favorite movies. It had two lasting influences upon me. First, it turned my interests towards cinematic soundtracks and classical music. Second, it set me up to become interested in history.

I had heard and appreciated soundtracks previously. I enjoyed the music to Star Wars and the Godfather. The theme music for Jaws and the Exorcist were recognizable to me and gave me chills. But Raiders was the first movie were the concept behind programmatic music mentally clicked for me. I realized that the music was another form of narrative expression.

In regards to my interest in history, I was still a bit too young to take action upon my fascination with the ancient Egyptian themes but they endured in my imagination. About a year later, when I was inspired by Shakespeare's play, Julius Caesar, to start pursuing my studies into Roman history, my interests soon returned to Egypt and the ancient Near East.

Well, let's get to the vids.