Tristan Eaton Dunny Bargeot

Find here the integral of the interview published in short version in Clark magazine number 16 Hello Tristan. First of all can you introduce yourself to the French public (Age, where you come from, career path, experience, present job ...) Hello France. My name is Tristan. I'm 27. I come from Los Angeles. Then I lived in Detroit, Great Britain and now live in Brooklyn for 6 years. I grew up, wanting to become illustrator, and I found myself to make painting, toys, and to make graffits in different cities. I have a company: Thunderdog, with which I draw cartoons, I do toys and I'm hanging out with a guy called Filth. I work long hours and I do not sleep much, but I like it. Can you give us the exhaustive list of Toys that you did or on which you worked? I have never been asked that ... I'm going to do my best: Fisher Price - Rescue Heroes: 'Smokey The Fire Dog' Hasbro - Miscellaneous Character Designs for Different Toys Toy2R - Brooklyn Edition 1 Qee: Hookeer Bear, Bomb Bear , Zulu Cat Brooklyn Edition 2 Qee: Mexi K9, Zulu Cat 8 Inch Qee Cat: Zulu Cat 2 Kidrobot - Kidrobot Mascot Figure: 8 Inch, Versions 1,2,2,5,5,6 and 7 Kidrobot Mascot Figure : 1.5 Inch Developed Cheech Wizard Developed Dalek 8 Inch Figure Dunny Figure Design Dunny Paint Designs: Series 1: Gold King Dunny, Silver King Dunny, Death Dunny and Black Dunny Series 2: Dunny Bear and Buff Dunny 8 Inch: Voodoo Dunny Swamp and Jungle Editions, El Dunny Loco Blue and Orange Editions, and The Tag Team Dunny Set. 20 inch: El Dunny Loco Tristan Dunny Set (arrives soon!) Toro Figure Design (arrives soon!) Skumbo! Arrive at Kid Robot this fall ... Thunderdog - Thundermutt! soon arrives on our own label! You have first illustrated as a graffiti artist, you preferred lettering or the characters? Always characters, I still did not have a "tag" after two years of graffiti ...! What is your favorite artist graffiti? Fashion 2. I discovered his job when I was 11 years old and he enormously inspired me for years and years. Well on I like a lot: Twist, Os Gemeos, Zephyr, Seen, Delta, etc. But for me, my brother (Azk One, Info TMD) made the most original and fluid letterings I've seen growing. You traveled in different countries during your youth. According to you what is the best place in the world for graffiti? It's impossible to answer. I grew up between London and Detroit, and every city has a beautiful and dense graff scene, so it's very difficult to answer. I loved painting in Tokyo, but I'm going to Brazil in May, so it could become my new favorite place ... What put you to Toy Design? A teacher at my school in Detroit introduced me to someone from Fischer Price a long time ago, but Paul of Kidrobot and I were working on an animated movie together when Kidrobot started to become important, so we decided to try to do some toys by ourselves. It was quite exciting since we had no experience in the production of Toys. What is your more distant memory of Toy as a child? The favorite Toy of my childhood ? I think it's the Transformers (The Metal Kind). And especially Starscream and Megatron! I think I was from the last generation playing with metal toys. Today's children's toys are plastic, cheap, and much less effective when you throw them up at the head of his brother. That's a shame. When did you get to interest you with designer toys? What is the first toy designer to have caught your attention? Toy Tokyo in New York is responsible for the craze of so many people to designer toys. That's where I met Michael Lau Gardner Gala series. I was very intrigued but it seemed to be a very distant universe. I never thought of having the opportunity to contribute to a medium so weird and interesting .... I still come back. How was the connection with Kidrobot and Paul Budnitz? As I said above, we started working on an animated film (he was "Director" and I was "Art-Director"), but Filth had first introduced us and the rest belongs to the story ! Was the Kidrobot Bomber the first toy you designated by yourself? By myself ? I have designed all my toys myself! I think people get lost a little because I share the credits with Paul, but it is in a wider sense ... when Paul works as a producer or artistic director on the project for example. Can you tell us how you came the idea of ​​putting pac-man's eyes on a Japanese urban monster? Ha ha. The PAC-Man eyes style is inspired by my favorite time of cartoons: 1930-1950. All the cartoons of this era are timeless and classes. This style is very natural for me. I think that mix my style and my iconography with an inspiration of this kind can really bring me visually and personally. The most beautiful feeling is the artistic creation that comes easily and naturally to you. Before designer of limited toys, did you work in the classic massmarket toys sector? Yes. I worked in Freelance Designer for Hasbro and Fisher Price since my 18th birthday, so I really started early. I mainly submitted internal ideas of characters for different lines of toys. This is a big part of the process because they ask you to be very creative and give the most flavor possible to design. It is not as specific as making control drawing. Are you interested in the manufacturing process, or do you leave the company for which you work to deal with this part? No, it interests me a lot. I get involved in every step of the process. I love that. Superwy told us a few months ago Thunderdog Studios, what are the current and future projects, and what are the objectives of the company? AAAAH, Superbye! We miss him ! Sebastien, come back quickly to New York, guy! And here is the Scoop on the studio: Thunderdog is a "Full Service Creative Agency". We had in the idea to set up an incredible team that would bring a comprehensive service to our customers in all aspects of design and production. Basically, a studio that would facilitate every aspect of illustration work and web design and motion design until Toy Design and Toy. We do everything! These last days have been very busy! We are producing a series of Expos for Hasbro and we have just finished a TV pub for the video game "NBA Street 3". We are also working tremendously on the development of the Toy Thunderdog label and we hope to release our first Toy in October 2005. Did you make a show of the name of Supercalligrafik last December in NYC with Jeff Soto, did you go back to the sources with painting or it was a show around the Toys? This show was on painting. I was honored that Jeff makes the show with me (Thanks Jeff!) And it was really nice to focus on painting for a month or two ... I think I will make a big show on painting once a year. We discovered your style on Qee's, you made 2 designs for the Brooklyn series (which is personally one of my favorites). In my opinion one of the things that makes your style so characteristic is the way you draw your eyes. Do you think each artist must find and exploit his "gimmick" to attract people's interest or do you think it's risky? I think it's a shame when the artists feel obligated to use a gimmick or they block themselves on a style or a character. I have always preferred versatility. I hope people can recognize a part of my style through the different manifestations of my art or my characters ... some are more realistic and painted, more cute and digital, but for me it seems natural, and that MA looks like. If you are honest and original in your art, your style will come from itself. And if it does not come, no matter, you are still honest. You are the creator of now worldwide Dunny, have you been surprised by the immediate success of the first series? Of course, I was traveling a lot when it came out and I arrived in the USA to see 3000 people at Dunny Show. It was a bit of a shock! But I am very grateful for this success, especially that it gave me the opportunity to work and collaborate with different artists from around the world. What do you think of the Second-Hand Market market? Do you think that's what has dropped the Hong Kong market? Do you think EBAY is a good or bad thing to designer toys? With eBay I have a little love / hate relationship. I hate the fact that people make profit on our toys but on the other hand it's fine for people who can find toys they do not have access. If you buy Dunnies and you have 10 doubles, where are you going to sell them elsewhere than on eBay? But someone should really send a check to Kaws for all the profit made on his back! Do you think that some toymakers overestimate the value of their toys / work to give ourselves more credibility? Yes. The work should be sufficient to itself and be independent of all the hype around the Toy Makers. After the QEE (Hong Kong) and the Be @ Rbrick (Japan), do not you think the Dunny is the last "basic form" available on the market without killing themselves? May be. I think if they still come many others, it will do too much, they will all be overwhelmed. But if a new design arrives and it turns out to be an interesting contribution, bringing something new, I would not be against. The development of the Dunny is rather close to the Qee which is itself rather close to that of the be @ rbrik (100%, 400%, 1000% ...). Is it a lack of ideas or Medicom just arrived first with the perfect idea? What makes Dunny Different and Specific? I really think that Medicom is a pioneer in this area, but the similarity can just come from a logic idea: give the public what he wants ... If it was me to decide, I would leave aside the 400% and 1000% to go directly to 10,000%. The party, with lots of balloons !! How do you explain the success of the Dunny? If I told you, I should kill you. You were one of the main organizers of Dunny Show that took place last year, and who was a huge show, congratulations. Is it important for you that toys are linked to artists and art? Well yes, I was one of the few Curators. I brought about 20 out of the total of the 50 artists present. And of course, the link is important. With each of the artists bringing a different perspective to customize toys, it gives endless possibilities. It is very impressive to witness this approach and perspective, especially when it comes from such a group of artists What was your favorite Dunny during this show? I never had one of the favorite, but the Angry Pharaoh Dunny was really fabulous. I am curious about people who buy parts so superb but so expensive, in your opinion what kind of customers can afford it? Lovers or toys? Both ? White spouts full at Aces who tell it? A little all these people, especially a lot of whites on the Aces who tell it. I read that you like handmade customizations, what do you like in customization? And what objects or parts would you like to "tristanize"? I have not been too much in customization in recent times. I preferred to paint toys on canvases. Customs were rather rare for me in the last 6 months, but I will come back will surely later. I'm sure. You said "Flexible vinyl is the canvas of the Toys Revolution," Can you explain what you mean by that? Is it just a material fact, do not you think that hard toys, the busts, the statues made by reputable artists are also part of this revolution? Of course, toys are part of the Toy Revolution ... but it's not called "Urban Vinyl" for nothing. You know what I mean ? The Toy Designers generally acquire their notoriety through all the vinyl work done before. The flexible vinyl being the cheapest material (especially the rotocasty vinyl), most artists have used this method to produce their toys, so vinyl is the most commonly used material and the most commonly affiliated to the market ... Do you think the designer toy scene is a trend or a revolution? Look at this angle: a revolution can be defined as "a radical change of ideas or practices" while a trend can be defined as "a current movement, direction or mode". So with the definitions, both are true? What could make this scene last? Collaborations between artists and that large companies do not mix too much of the artistic direction. Do you dream of seeing a toy designer? Jeff Koons. Which Toy has impressed you most in recent months? The hand painted toys of Mike Burnett. www.mikeburnett.com What is your favorite Toy? My new play station 2 !! Or my bb gun. With which Toy Designer would you like to work? ...... .murikami! What are your plans ? Vinyl Klash 2 !!! I am at a week of the inauguration and I cross the fingers. There will be more than 50 artists everywhere, so it should be interesting. We will come back on after the inauguration ... It is planned to rotate this series of expos and we hope to produce a special toy only for each expo. This is the dream ! I also work on many illustration projects, mainly from editorial and advertising (especially turned to the video game industry right now). And many collaborations with Kidrobot will arrive. What are your favorite "classic" artists? Gustav Klimt with a bit of J.C. Leyendecker and some grams of Hieronymus Bosch. Who are your favorite modern artists? Banksy, Takashi Murikami, Rabindra, Chuck Close, Jeff Koons, Chris Burden, Tom Otterness, Ed Sykes, Ralph Steadman. Who are your favorite designers? Junko Mizuno, Spanky, Futura, Kaws, Murikami (again!). Favorite comics / mangass designers? Range Maruta, Robert Bliss, Chris Ware, Glenn Barr, Mark Dancey, Danny Hellman, Ashley Wood, John K. Favorite movies? Repo Man, Empire of the Sun, Akira, Watership Down, City of God, Thrown of Blood, Monty Python and The Holy Grail, Yellow Beard (because my mother is in!), Pee Wee's Big Adventure ... Spirited Away ... y in A too much to list everything! Favorite animation film? I have given it to the previous answer, but in this other: Ninja Scroll, The Brothers Quay, All of Bosko, Animatrix, The Iron Giant, Wallace and Gromit, Innoence, Apple Seedn Bao, Fritz The Cat and All of Ralp Bashki ... What are your favorite mangas and comics? Acme Novelty Library, Oink, Popbot, Transformers by Dreamwave, Akira, 2000 ad, Legal Action and Motor Booty! Preferred brands (clothes, sneakers, food ...)? McDonalds, Nike, Pepsi, MTV ... I laugh. None really in particular. I take what I can, according to my needs and availability, I do not preferably do not fidelity! I like the Nike Cortez as my pays shoes. Equal Opportunity Branding ... Your favorite shop? There is a Super candy store in Manhattan, at the corner of Rinvington St. and Essex St. They have rare and bizarre candies from around the world. There are among the best packaging designs you have ever seen! Bizarre designs of characters too ... Your favorite discs / groups? There are some discs that I love entirely from start to end, and some groups. A sharing list will best meet your question: Big Daddy Kane, Rakim, Z-Trip, Dj Godfather, Barrington Levy, Super Cat, Masdafarai, Scratch Piklz, Gangstarr, Lady Smith Black Mambaza, Louis Prima, Booker T and The Mgs, Blondie , A little UK Garage, Beenie Man, Black Moon, Congo and Natty, Dragonash, Nubians, Cutty Ranks, Shaba Ranks, Roxanne Shante, Zapp and Rodger, Buju Banton, Stanley Clarke, Public Enemy. What can we expect from you soon (about toys)? Thundermutt, Skumbo, Toro, Your Momma and the Raining Kings! Last question: what do you think of Panda-Z? I want one !