Category Archives: toys

Catch Parsons Illustration at Mocca this weekend

cartoons, comics, Current Students, Events, Illustration Dept. Events, Illustration Faculty, Illustration Industry, News, toys, , , , ,

MAF09-med.jpg

Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art Festival 2009
June 6th & 7th

Parsons Illustration will have a strong presence at the Comic and Cartoon Art Festival this weekend–Stop by and talk to Steven Guarnaccia, the chair of the program, or visit with some students and look at their work!  Interested in Illustration?  We’ll have info about the program and Parsons in general.

Ask questions, see what’s going on, and look a little deeper into the world of Parsons Illustration!  Never been to MoCCA?  Now’s the perfect time.  And here’s the full description of the Festival itself:The Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art is proud to announce MoCCA Festival 2009 will be held June 6th & 7th at the 69th Regiment Armory at Lexington Avenue and 25th Street in New York City.

The Village Voice calls the MoCCA Festival “”the best small-press nexus (anywhere!)” Now BIGGER than ever! An incredible weekend of comic and cartoon art exhibitors, panels, lectures, sketches, autographs, and more! Thousands come every summer to meet and purchase works from some of the world’s best cartoonists, animators, and graphic novelists.

Where?
69th Regiment Armory
68 Lexington Avenue, between 25th and 26th Streets

When?
June 6th and 7th, 11am-6pm

Cost?
$10 per day
$15 per weekend

MoCCA Members: $10 per weekend

More information available here.

Hope to see you there!

Follow-up: More pictures from Pictopia and Pictoplasma!

Current Students, Events, Exhibitions, Follow Up, Illustration Alumni, Illustration Dept. Events, Illustration Faculty, Illustration Industry, toys, , , , ,

Editor’s Note: Please enjoy this selection of photos taken by friend of the department, Lasse Krug.  They were taken at the “Ugly is Beautiful” exhibition at the Pictopia Festival in Berlin this past March.  Thanks, Lasse!

Quick Hit: Upcoming Tara McPherson book and toy signings

Events, Illustration Faculty, News, Publications, toys, , , , ,

lostconstellations

Parsons Illustration Adjunct Faculty Tara McPherson is on a USA Book and Toy Signing Tour for her new Lost Constellations book by Dark Horse and Gamma Mutant Space Friends Mini-Figure Set by Kidrobot!  Here are the upcoming dates:

April 28
Diesel Fuel Prints, 6-10pm, Signing.
Portland, OR

April 29
Kidrobot, 6-8pm, Signing
San Francisco, CA

April 30
Kidrobot, 6-8pm, Signing.
Los Angeles, CA

May 2
Kidrobot, 6-8pm, Signing
Miami, FL

mcpherson toys

Guest Entry: Roxie Vizcarra at the Pictopia Festival!

Current Students, Events, Exhibitions, Follow Up, Illustration Faculty, Illustration Industry, Randomly Intriguing, Reviews, toys, , , , , , ,

Editor’s Note: This guest entry comes from Illustration Senior Roxie Vizcarra, who participated in the Pictopia/Pictoplasma Festival in Berlin, Germany this past March.

01

When the Illustration Department invited me to help represent them at this year’s Pictopia Festival (part of the acclaimed character design organization Pictoplasma), I was excited to be able to visit a city I’ve never been to, especially one with some much history as Berlin. What I didn’t know at the time was that there couldn’t have been a more perfect location for Pictopia to take place. It’s impossible to go very far without encountering some form of art that incorporates strong character design.

02

I spent a couple of days watching over Parsons’ exhibition, Ugly is Beautiful, at the Collegium Hungaricum, which also featured work by other Pictopia Character Walk artists. The set-up for the show was long and tedious, but in the end it was worth the effort as everything looked fantastic, and I can attest to the fact that most people who came by to have a look were rather impressed by the variety of unique characters Parsons students have to offer.

Continue reading →

The Vinyl Frontier Spotlight vol. 12: Tara McPherson

film, Illustration Faculty, Illustration Industry, Interviews, News, toys, , , , ,

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Check out this great video of Parsons Illustration faculty Tara McPherson talking about her artwork, specifically her work with vinyl toys.  This featurette will be part of a larger documentary called The Vinyl Frontier, by Daniel Zana.  In addition to Tara, the documentary will feature work and interviews with a ton of other amazing artists like Attaboy, Tim Biskup, Dalek, Tristan Eaton, Ron English, Frank Kozik, and Gary Baseman. Here’s an excerpt from an interview with the film’s creator, Daniel Zana, which was featured on ToyCyte last year:

TC: For those who haven’t seen the trailer, describe your movie in a nutshell.

DZ: When I tell people I’m making a movie on vinyl toys, some ask, “Are you making a movie on vinyl records or sex toys?” You’d be surprised at how many people don’t know these toys exist. I think it would be neat to show the history of why you have this piece of plastic in your hands. The history of the toy isn’t necessary but you have more appreciate once you understand its history.

I want to talk about where they came from – to intellectualize the discussion about vinyl toys. Are these toys or pieces of art? Why should people take a look at it one way or the other? I want to re-shape the discussion about toys.

There’s so much history behind the pieces. The movie is for members who visit toy forums and are really into particular artists. I’m also making the movie for people who like counter-culture, who are into art. I want vinyl toys to be legitimized as an art form, and I want toy artists to be known for their work. How often do you see on-camera interviews with these artists? Every artist deserves a time to shine.

You can read the whole interview here.

Keep your eye out for the film, which should be released sometime this year!

Uglycon 3 at Giant Robot New York tomorrow!

Events, Illustration Alumni, Illustration Industry, News, toys, , , , , , ,

uglycon!

Giant Robot is proud to host the third annual Uglydoll convention at GRNY.

In 2001, Sun-Min Kim (Parsons Illustration Alum) turned a drawing on the bottom of letters from David Horvath (Parsons Illustration Alum) into a hand-sewn doll. It was Wage, the first Uglydoll ever. After David brought the piece to the newly opened Giant Robot store, it evolved into a toy with a rabid following – selling out at shops around the world, appearing in movies, creating spin-offs, spawning bootlegs, and inspiring a new wave of stuffed plushes.

This year’s art show offerings will include original paintings by Sun-Min, black-and-white drawings by David, and print-and-drawing sets from Uglycon Tokyo. Also available for purchase will be rare toys such as test samples from past lines, signed prototypes, and “test shots” of kaiju figures.

In the tradition of the first two Uglycons, there will be costume contest in which fans are asked to dress up as their favorite Uglydoll. Winners chosen by David and Sun-Min will receive a bounty of prizes.

And there will be even more, including a sneak peek at a never-before-seen Uglydoll for 2009.

The first two Uglycons caused an online buzz and attracted fans from around the country and overseas. We expect the New York occasion to be even bigger. To facilitate demand and eliminate uncomfortable lineups, raffle tickets for making purchases will be handed out beginning at 12:00 noon. Starting at 3:00, these tickets will be drawn to determine the order of sales.

The opening reception will begin tomorrow at 12:00 noon on Saturday, December 6.

December 6 – January 7, 2008
Reception: Saturday, December 6, 12:00 noon
Giant Robot Gallery
437 East 9th Street Between 1st Ave. & Ave. A
in the East Village
New York, New York 10009
(212) 674-GRNY (4769) | grny.net