Andy
First of all, thank you for having us interview you and taking time out to answer all our questions. You a have a great house full of awesome toy/art digging your coordinated display. Known for your monster of a collection we are glad you agreed to take us on a little tour. The Toy Chronicle presents Good Life Toys aka Denver Tilotti Collectors Spotlight.
GL- Thanks for asking me to participate. It truly is an honour. Funny you mention the cabinets because I do get a lot of questions about them. I had the big one in the living room custom-built for that wall. All the other cabinets were craigslist purchases and most were steals. I’d highly recommend checking out your local listings (if you have it where you are) before you order another detolf.
TTC – How did you get into designer art toys?
GL- I happened upon an Infected Mousemask Murphy on eBay one day and it was all downhill from there. I collected western vinyl (Ron English, David Flores, Coarsetoys, etc.) for a few years before I really started to appreciate sofubi (MVH, TkoM, Paul Kaiju, Splurrt, Rampage Toys, etc.). That’s mainly what I collect now with a few exceptions occasionally.
TTC – How long have you been collecting?
I have been collecting something most of my adult life but started with designer toys in 2013 I believe.
TTC – Does it matter to you if it’s resin or vinyl when you make a purchase?
GL – If the design speaks to me enough it doesn’t really matter what material it’s made of. Most of my collection is sofubi but some of my most favourite pieces I’ve gotten over the last year are resin.
TTC – You customize toys too and we love them! It’s been a while since your last custom. Have you got any coming up?
GL- It has been a while. Nothing in the pipeline but I may have to dust off the airbrush now that you mention it. It’s a fun hobby when I can find the time for it.
TTC – What got you into customising?
GL – Just felt like a natural progression. After being involved in the scene for a while curiosity finally got the best of me. I’m proud of the few pieces I’ve done but I prefer to leave it to the professionals.
TTC – You have an insane David Flores vinyl Deathshead collection. What sparked it all off?
GL – Thank you. Something about that design just struck a chord with me. I grew up with Mickey Mouse and have been to Disney countless times so maybe it was a subconscious thing but Deathshead felt like the more adult, darker side of The Rat. I think that’s ultimately why I was drawn to the character. Once I got the first piece I was hooked and knew I needed all of them. I was late to the game but thankfully I ended up finding them all one way or another. It was a sad day when I found out they weren’t going to be making the OG edition anymore.
TTC – If you had to pick one custom Deathshead out of your collection which one would it be?
GL- That’s a really tough one to answer since they all have aspects of them I love. Most were well planned out over time with the respective artists and in turn, all have a little piece of me in them.
TTC – What’s your go-to platform right now?
GL – My free space has become extremely limited so I have to be somewhat choosy nowadays but I can always find room for an uglier unicorn (Rampage Toys – @jmrampage) or two…
TTC – If you could have a collaboration with any artist dead or alive who would it be?
GL – I’m not sure I’d consider myself enough of an actual artist to answer this question properly but if we’re pretending I am then I’d have to pick Ron English. His painting style and technique is mind-boggling to me and I’d love to be involved in the process.
TTC – Do you have one artist/customiser that you feel is underrated or doesn’t have the spotlight they deserve?
GL – Although Kathleen (@SeriouslySillyK) has gotten a lot of credit for her skills, I feel like she is still super underrated. As I’m sure it goes with a lot of the industry sculptors, they don’t get as much of a spotlight as they probably deserve. The woman’s skills know no bounds. She’s a one-woman army as far as I can tell.
TTC – Out of your collection, which 3 has the most personal meaning to you?
GL – I’d say the infected Mousemask (Ron English) because it’s what got me into the scene, my Garamon Zug (MVH) because it’s the first piece attained from my many trips out to Deaths Vault in Connecticut, & lastly my custom “Dog Catcher” Deathshead (64colors) because it has portraits of both my dogs on it.
TTC – Does it matter if a piece is limited or not?
GL – To me, designer toys should always be limited. That’s part of the allure and what makes it fun. To know that no one else in the world has the same stuff sitting on their shelves. While I understand the premise of open editions they belong in big box stores ala Funko.
TTC – We love your toy photography! What do you use to shoot?
GL – I’ve been an iPhone photographer all along and just ordered the new one so I can’t wait to try out all the new features. I’d still love to get proper training on a DSLR someday and make the jump.
TTC – What top 5 releases are you looking forward to?
GL – Paul Kaiju’s “Dr. Hellmock”, MVH’s “Executioner”, TkoM’s “Gerorin”, Unbox Industries x MVH’s chibi line, & Tokyo Jesus’ x Clutter’s new Smoke & Mirrors Edition of his sculpt “Oni Tayū”
TTC – Where do you have the most collectables in your house?
GL – My living room. It’s where I spend most of my time and why I had the cabinet built in there. I wanted to hang out in my collection instead of having it locked up in another room. That being said, the family room is definitely a close second.
TTC – How often do you wipe down your collection?
GL – Probably not as often as I should. My big cabinet is sealed for the most part so that doesn’t get too dusty. All the other cabinets could use it every few months at a minimum.
TTC – Do you have a Holy Grail Toy/art?
GL – I’d love to own a Supernova from Nag someday. Don’t think I’ll ever get a crack at one but I can always dream!
TTC – Do you have a favourite artist or customiser?
GL – While I enjoy a lot of different artists work, I’d have to say MVH (Mutant Vinyl Hardcore) is probably my favourite artist overall. Wicked sculpts, insane paint jobs and just an overall good guy.
TTC – Could you give us a little tour around the house/collection
GL – Sure. The family room houses most of my western delicacies. ie: Ron English, David Flores, Kaws, Luke Chueh, Flabslab, etc. Kitchen has most of my Joker artwork & living room holds all the sofubi goodness. ie: MVH, PK, Splurrt, Nag, TkoM etc.
TTC – What do you look for in a designer toy?
GL – Usually something that hasn’t been done before. Harder than it sounds these days. So many bootlegs, mashups & outright rip-offs. I really appreciate originality and stuff that makes you think outside the box.
TTC – Do you prefer vinyl or resin?
GL – Vinyl (especially sofubi) because of its durability. Resin can be so fragile at times.
TTC – If you could have any superpowers what would they be and why?
GL – As lame as it sounds I’d like to able to fly. Would be amazing to be able to visit all my friends I’ve made worldwide from collecting. Being able to attend all the festivals & cons wouldn’t be so bad either.
TTC – Your top 5 favourite toys from 2018?
GL – Man, that’s tough. 2018 was a great year for toys but if we’re talking my top 5 grabs then I’d have to say these in no particular order. They all happen to be one-offs as well.
“Sparkman” from Paul Kaiju (@paulkaiju)
TTC – What’s your guilty pleasure?
GL – As much as I hate to admit it, I’d say Jersey Shore 🤭
TTC – If you had to pick one Toy for the rest of your life what would it be and why? (I don’t ever wish that would ever happen to you )
GL – Gamaotoko from TkoM because it’s the perfect monster to me and there’s nothing else out there like it. He’s chunky & angry, kind of like me. 😜
Thank you again, Denver for giving up your free time doing this interview and sharing your personal collection. We appreciate the time taken to answer all the questions and giving us a glimpse into your personal collection. Check out more of Denver’s collection via Facebook or Instagram.
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These kinds of toys scare me 😛 but can’t deny the artistry and talent!
Crazy impressive! Love the displays! Great write up.
Wow so many and so creepy!
Ooo. I remember conversations when that monster cabinet was getting built. So much time and way more pieces since then.
Very creepy and creative at the same time.