Yes.
Have you lived in Australia all your life?
I've lived in Australia for almost all of my life, growing up in a small city called Toowoomba. We had maybe one Toyworld (our local version of Toys R Us), which was small and not close to where I lived, so most of my exposure to toys was found in in supermarket chains.
In '89 I traveled to the USA on a holiday, and was blown away by the amount and variety of good toys available there. I walked into a massive Toys R Us, and was dumb-founded - here was essentially a grocery store, but all of the long aisles had toys in them instead of food! Oh, such volume and variety! At that time I had a limited budget, and had to choose between a Centurions 'Traumatizer' (which was a green robot larger than a He-Man figure, and it fired an orange missile from its torso) or a Robocop ED-260 (which was the toy version of the two-legged chicken robot ED-209 from the ultra violent Robocop movie)... In fact, until that trip I hadn't even know there were Robocop toys! It was a tough choice, let me tell you, and the Traumatizer won simply because it left me with just a little more money to play with for the next leg of the holiday.
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| Centurions Traumatizer |
I also lived in Vancouver (lovely city) in 2001, and that opened my eyes to so many other things too - mostly thanks to the internet that had, by that time, matured enough for me to search out long lost toys!
What was the earliest memory of a toy that just broke your brain open by how amazing it was?So many toys have broken my brain over the years!
I don't remember which I had first, but these are my two contenders for earliest brain breakage - 'Castle Zendo' from the Other World and a Space Commander robot - both from the early 80s, and for two very different reasons.
Castle Zendo was just such an amazing playset - it was a plastic castle wall, essentially the front of a castle, with a drawbridge, and platforms and stairs on the rear side of the wall. The drawbridge was a massive toad head with the door being a lower jaw that opened. The toad's mouth had glow-in-the-dark fangs, and above the toad's head was a cool GID skull. It also came with a mat that you could put on the ground, with an image of a moat, and maybe some trees and a path, to complete the set. It later became my makeshift castle Greyskull for my He-Man figures, and I enjoyed many hours of playing. GID technology was new to the toy industry then, and The Other World did a great job of introducing GID accessories to kids in the 80s.
The Space Commander Robot was a dark brown/black robot that stood about 10 inches or so. It had a flat base instead of legs, arms, a wide oval head, and two rocket-launcher "ears" that fired! It was battery-operated that could do a small set of actions like driving around in a certain pattern and light up and move its chest cannons with a real loud clacking sound. To the young version of me, it seemed alive! I used to think that if robots could do so much already, then 'real' robots like R2-D2 and C3P0 would be just around the corner. That toy made me feel like we were on the cutting edge of technology, and that advanced science-fiction tech was imminent!
Do you have a favorite toy from your childhood? If so what was it?
Unfortunately I don't have a single solitary favorite toy from my childhood - I have many favorites, all for various reasons. Often my favorites of a particular toy line were my favorites because they were the first I had.
For instance, my favorite Transformers are Sideswipe (the red Lamborghini) and Thundercracker (the blue jet), because I had them before any others. I would watch Transformers cartoons in the hope that Sideswipe or Thundercracker would make an appearance, and when they did I felt like I was somehow included in the show. The same for Gobots (which was called 'Machine Men' here in Australia) with Cop-Tur (an evil helicopter) and Turbo (another red car); He-Man and the Masters of the Universe with Mechaneck (a guy with an extendable, cybernetic neck) and Tri-Klops (a guy with green armour and a rotating visor that had three different eyes on it); Centurions with Ace McCloud (the sky/flying specialist) and Traumatizers (the green drone robots) - the list goes on! Maybe it's an insight to how I formed attachment as a wee one.
I also had several toys that I didn't know the names of back then, but loved. Two of the largest were Jumbo Mazinga Z (a great robot, almost as tall as me as a kid! It had a detachable spaceship "brain", or so I thought, as well as a rocket-firing hand, roller skates, and a fantastic color scheme) and Cargantua (a great red robot, almost as large as Mazinga. You could store Matchbox and Hot Wheels cars in it, and it could launch those cars via feet and hand pistons. It was like a Matchbox version of Devastator). We didn't have any Shogun Warrior cartoons airing when I grew up, so I had no idea what Mazinga Z was called back in the day, another toy I had to 'research' to discover. Also Sasuraiger (a green robot that could shoot its hands, that came with a couple of small spaceship accessories and a laser rifle) and Voltus (Sankan-Oh - which also could shoot its hands, but was black and silver, with a great red wing-pack and a massive horned helmet) - these two figures were just magical - I had nothing to go on for their stories, save for their box art, so I'd make up my own stories. Sadly, these last two robots were stolen by a school-mate, and it took me many years to track down their names on the internet.
Of course, I have many more favorites - usually a favorite or two for each toy line! But for the sake of brevity I will move on.
Do you have a favorite now that you are an "adult"?
As an adult, particularly in recent years, there have been a few toys that have stood out; such as the Glyos line and associated toys and the re-boot of Robo Force (which were originally called R.O.B.O.T.S. here); the great figures the Four Horsemen have a hand in (including their MOTU Classics, Gothitropolis; and Mythic Legions (of which I don't have any, sadly!); and the Galaxxor figures. There are also many, many great 3rd party Transformers about these days.
But the recent-ish toy line that has had the most impact has been Ashley Wood's and ThreeA's robot lines from 'World War Robot' and 'Popbot'. When I'd first stumbled across them several years ago, their unique and unapologetically bulky aesthetics coupled with their weathering detail and color schemes just oozed with personality. The robots are clearly robotic in origin, having mostly cylindrical or cube torsos, with chunky arms, short legs, a few dots for eyes or sensor arrays, as well as cloth knapsacks and military-inspired weapons. The painting on each one is special, made to look like old metal that has been painted over but left in the elements too long to corrode in spots. It's quite realistic!
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| Three A's World War Robot by Ashley Wood |
The first time I opened a couple of boxes of these robots I was immediately reminded of being a kid and opening a new Transformers box, and the thrill that used to run through me. I don't often get that feeling anymore, so it is very refreshing to discover it again.
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| Glitch Network figures |
Do you have a favorite obscure toy that you treasure?
It is difficult to think about an obscure toy I might treasure, not because I don't treasure toys - but more I have to think about what is considered to be 'obscure'. Let me ponder this by talking about two different things - a toy I treasure the most, and perhaps the most obscure toy I have.
Firstly, the toy I treasure the most is a tiny little blue Diaclone Driver, maybe an inch tall, articulated blue limbs with a steel torso and head, and cube magnets on its feet (well, originally, mine has lost its magnets) - and I treasure it the most because getting it was about the only time I've ever seen my father break the law (don't tell anyone).
I was quite young, and my parents were going to buy me a toy. I was taken with the various Diaclone Power Dashers (three transforming figures that could change into a race car, a spaceship, or a drill vehicle). They later became official Transformers that you could mail-away for. But they were Diaclone robots first, and as such came with pilots. I really wanted the Drill Dasher, but the store only had one, and some scumbag had pulled the packet apart to steal the driver. I was devastated! My father tried to stop me from carrying on like a pork chop, but I was inconsolable. As a last ditch effort, my father tore open another Diaclone pack, took out its driver, and slipped it into my Drill Dasher packet. Well, he stunned me into silence, and the young me couldn't believe that my father would do something 'illegal' just to make me happy. It was very touching, and I will always remember that. So, that Diaclone Driver - a blue driver, not the typical yellow one that should have come with the Drill Dasher - is my most treasured toy. And one of my smallest, incidentally.
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| Drill Dasher with Blue Diaclone Driver |
As for the most obscure toy that I have, I vaguely remembered a commercial from the 80s about these stencils that you could draw an outline of a robot with, and they also 'transformed' so you could draw a vehicle, like a sub or a jet, etc. I scoured the internet for years when I remembered the commercial, but the only thing I could find anywhere was a patent listing. I feared that the toy line had never even made it to production! But, through determination and general stubbornness, I stumbled across a small picture on the internet, and from there I found more details, and finally I came across the name 'DrawBots' from Crayola. Then it was a matter of waiting an eternity to purchase these rare little gems!
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| Drawbots |
All collectors have a "grail piece". Have you hunted yours down or do you own it already? If so what is it?
I am a very emotive toy collector - I collect toys that elicit feelings that take me back to the 80s, trying to capture the wonder and joy I felt when getting toys back then. So to that end, my grail pieces are those toys that I used to own, but for whatever reason I don't have anymore... and they probably aren't terribly sought after by others!
For many years I've been looking for an affordable 'Flashfist' from Starriors. Starriors are a fantastic line similar to Zoids, but were humanoid robots instead of animal ones. They're just a little smaller than a He-Man figure, and inside their head-cockpit sits a little silver man. They have wind-up weapons; Flasfist has a brown torso and yellow limbs, and one of his arms ends in a large radar-dish-like blaster.
Sasuraiger and Voltus (which were both stolen, as I mentioned previously) are close behind; and Spiral Zone figures, which were kind of like awesome sci-fi soldier versions of Barbie. You could put a jumpsuit on them, and then chest armor, boots, a helmet, backpack and a weapon or two. I had seen Spiral Zone during mu USA trip in '89 trip, but the toys were never available here, nor their cartoons. And I'm still after an original GI Joe Viper (which is just a wonderfully great-looking figure - a blue and red mesh of sci-fi and soldier with a faceless helmet). In fact, there's a 1:6th scale version of the Viper by Sideshow Collectibles that I've been hunting for a while too. I can't tell you how much more I would have loved the GI Joe movies if the characters wore the same costumes as their 80s figures!
As for grails that I managed to track down - my Jumbo Mazinga is definitely up there! Getting my hands on the big lug was like meeting a long lost friend again; and two Zoids I used to have - Bigasauru/Giant ZRK (a walking cybernetic diplodocus that had little pilots, lots of weapons, and three little gold pilots) and the Serpent Power Zoid (a green and maroon dragon-like Zoid who had legs for wheels and could really get going when you had a batter in him!) - both of which I still had some parts of, but certainly not enough to re-make the figures. I loved all of these toys dearly when I was a kid, and it is such a joy to have them again.
I have several other grail pieces that I have acquired or have yet to acquire, but these are the most desirable.
How long have you been in the toy designing industry?
I call myself a hobbyist toy designer - I'm not 'in the industry', but I tinker for fun. As for how long I've been doing what I do, it's been about 4-5 years now, since I first started playing around.
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| Custom Heads by Wednesdaytoys |
I'm in the middle of getting a small run of my 'Tomy Skull' figure made (which are a homage to the old Tomy wind -up robots of the late 70s/early 80s, which is currently with my molding/casting guy, Evan Morgan). When Evan's finished his part, I have an artist lined up to paint the figures, and then I'll start making them available. The Tomy Skull figures will be for adult collectors only, and perhaps it's more of a display piece than an actual toy - but I'm really looking forward to them seeing completed.
As for being 'in the industry', I don't think that will ever happen, certainly not to produce anything in a large batch. Actual production would likely happen overseas (likely China), but to get stock sent here to Australia, and then posted out internationally really makes toy efforts financially unviable. The largest markets are USA and the UK, so it would certainly be more advantageous if I were based there.
I find it more fun and productive to help others, although I only have a few select friends that I do help. Otherwise I just make a few custom bibs and bobs, most notably 3D heads for 1:6th scale figures.
Do you have a favorite toy designer? Who and why?
There are so many guys pumping out great stuff at the moment, like the Glyos figures by Matt Doherty; the Robo Force re-boot by John Kent - and you've got the Godbeast's great creations, Spy Monkey figures, October Toys, all the way up to the heavy hitters like Four Horsemen Studios, and Ashley Wood and his ThreeA robot creations. Oh, and some of those 3rd Party Transformers designers are just crazy clever! When you're talking about toy design, and especially the engineering that goes into toys, they are second to none.
My friend Swampfiend is doing some real fun stuff, although very, very small runs - his GI-Joe-esque Har Mar figure is hilarious! It helps that Swampfiend is such a nice guy, too. Ben Spencer from Galaxxor is awesome, his He-Man-inspired Galaxxor figures have such great character, so sleek and futuristic while being retro; and they really evoke that MOTU feeling of yesteryear
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| Galaxxor |
"Akira" and "Ninja Scroll" were probably the first anime I ever saw, and they really opened my eyes to what cartoons could be. Until then I had always assumed cartoons were solely the province of children, and had no idea that cartoons could be made for adults, let alone be enjoyable! In fact, watching them felt real illicit at the time, and gave me a thrill. My long-time favorite series is "Cowboy Bebop" - the sci-fi setting, the bounty hunters, the spaceship designs, the fight scenes, and the funky humor... man, just so much to love. I've spoken about trying to capture a sense of wonder with toys, and these cartoons impacted me in the same way; they were a marvel to watch and opened my mind to different and interesting notions of what the universe could be.
You are handy with a pen and pencil; how long have you been drawing? Do you have a certain artist that you tried to learn from when you first started?
Such kind things you say! I've only been drawing for a little under a year, at the time I'm typing this. I flirted with the idea of drawing for a month or two about 5 years ago, but it was a very short-lived attempt. Now I really want to learn the skill, so I'm more determined to stick with it. It's been an interesting year so far, and if I can keep practicing as much as I have been, then in about another 6 or 7 years I should be really good. I have no illusions that all great artists have spent the majority of their lifetime - many years or decades - working on their craft in order to whip up something beautiful with what we perceive as casual effortlessness. We don't often see the hours spent, each day, over the decades that artists spend honing their craft.
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| Art by Wednesdaytoys |
Do you have a favorite toy company?
I don't have a favorite toy company or any particularly strong allegiance to a brand. There are some dodgy toy companies that make great toys, and there are some well-respected toy companies that make bad toys. If the toys are great, then I'm very interested in checking them out, regardless of the company or its history.
You are an aspiring novelist, have you been published? what author do you read a lot of? Do fancy sci-fi or fantasy or both? Any sub genres that you love?
I consider myself an 'aspiring' novelist because I have yet to be published. When my work is good enough to be published, then I'll retire that 'aspiring' tag. I've recently been contracted to write two novels, and a few other odds and ends with the new publisher 'The Ed Greenwood Group' (which might be familiar to fans of D&D). That is all progressing nicely, but I can't really speak too much about it, I'm afraid. TEGG has released novels in two of its settings already - 'Hellmaw' and 'Stormtalons' - please check these series out if you want to see what Mr Greenwood and his minions are up to. All I can say is that there are a LOT more settings planned!
As for what I tend to read, it is very much sci-fi and fantasy, and sometimes both! I'm a gamer from the 80s and 90s, so much of what I've read was D&D, Shadowrun, White Wolf related - but my favorite author is Iain M Banks and his sci-fi novels (especially the Culture ones) - they're so wonderfully witty.
What was the first figure/toy that you ever created?
The first thing I made and made available for others was more of a statue than anything else, and even then it was just the head of a statue that I dubbed 'Proterus'. It was a kind of a piston-looking robot-headed helmet, with a 'face' inspired by Grimlock from Transformers - and it was a real learning curve. It bundled everything I had been playing around with at the time, from a rough concept, to a 3D model, to a 3D print, and finally molding and casting. As an added bonus, I wrote a little flash fiction for each head I sold. I did it all myself; fell into a few traps, overcame some obstacles, and it kind of succeeded, for what it was.
What made you want to be a toy designer?
About 5 years ago, give or take, I had a medical incident that left me in hospital for the better part of a week. It wasn't particularly bad, although it could have been, but it was one of those life-changing moments when you realize that your time on this little mud ball we call 'Earth' is very limited. I didn't want to waste my life sitting at a desk working for someone I didn't like doing a job that seemed pointless. So I had a long, hard look at the things I enjoy in life, and decided that I wanted to pursue my passion and add to the enjoyment of others.
So from then my life goals have become to make a toys and/or accessories that people enjoy; to write books worthy of being published (which to me means that people will enjoy reading them); and to make a piece of art I would be proud to hang on a wall.
The artwork will take a long time - I'm taking baby steps, but I'm confident I'm heading in the right direction. In another 10 years I might make a John-Berkey-esque sci-fi masterpiece, and I'll be ecstatic.
Writing and creating stories is well underway - watch this space over the next 12 months or so and I might be able to share a lot more on that front! And then I hope to keep writing, more and more.
And toy creation is coming a long way, especially with the recent fruits of my work with Ben Spencer/Galaxxor; and also with my Tomy Skull robot. The Astrokaizer by Galaxxor is available now for people to enjoy, and it's a good feeling seeing my toy design goals starting to be realized.
You can find Jarrod at these sites below:
On twitter @wednesday toys
On Instagram
https://society6.com/wednesdaytoys
https://www.facebook.com/WednesdayToys
1 comment:
The thing I love most about this interview is that it really shows how a love for toys can bring people together. Awesome stuff!!
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