‘Three Questions With…’ A DesignerCon Mini-Interview Series by Veronica Klash

Previous to DesignerCon, we chatted with blogger Veronica Klash who wanted to interview artists during the DCon and share the results with The Toy Chronicle readers. We very much thank Veronica for taking the time out of her busy DesignerCon schedule to roam the massively HUGE halls to find participating artists. Twenty-five artists in total were kind enough to take a few minutes away from the craziness of their booth to answer three questions. The first two questions explored what people enjoy about DesignerCon. The third (silly) question revealed interesting and sometimes unexpected facets of each artist’s personality. Here are the three questions:

1. What do you love about DCon?
2. Which booth/s are you excited about?
3. Who is your favorite Disney/Pixar character?

Artists are listed in alphabetical order and were edited for brevity or clarity by Veronica. Please enjoy!

Amanda Louise Spayd

1. As a vendor I love that I can see all my friends from all over the world. I’m from Cleveland, nobody comes to Cleveland. It’s not like LA. We have to come to these big events to see everyone.
2. I haven’t gotten to walk around at all. I like seeing what my friends have been making: Miss Monster, Christina Drake, Dok A. It’s really hard to narrow down.
3. I like the design of The Incredibles, it’s an ambiguous era and they look like they’re made out of clay. It’s a very stylish design and different from other movies.

Andrew Bell

1. The variety of vendors and seeing my friends from the community. [It’s] so specific to what I enjoy. A concentrated collection of artists.
2. I like seeing the Asian artists whose work I get to see in person, instead of pictures, from China and Japan.
3. I really like the little aliens from Toy Story.

Candie Bolton

1. Meeting up with people. It feels like a reunion with friends, to catch up and see what they’ve been up to. And I live in California, so it’s close.
2. It’s the first time they’re doing a show here. They’re also showing work from a lot of my friends.
3. Does Star Wars count? Darth Vader.

Chris Ryniak

1. I love how accessible it is to creators and fans. You have people that are making things in their basement, us included, all the way up to companies like Medicom.
2. Mutant Vinyl Hardcore, but I can’t buy anything since I can’t get away from the booth.
3. Hei Hei or Tamatoa

Colus

1. It’s designy. Everyone is here for a reason and it’s more for art than for money.
2. I don’t ever leave the booth. DCon is a bubble, it’s the only show I do. But I don’t experience it as other people do.
3. The Emperor’s New Groove llama dude.

Doktor A

1. The atmosphere. It’s the friendliest con.
2. Tokyo Jesus and Doug Stanat.
3. I really enjoy the look of The Rocketeer movie.

Godmachine

1. The people. Except that one. He says while pointing at booth mate J*RYU
2. J*RYU. The two artists exchange smiles.
3. The dog from Up.

Horrible Adorables

1. Seeing everybody, it’s like a big reunion.
2. Camille Rose Garcia, Bitter Squeaks, and Gary Baseman’s booth. There’s more but I’m limiting myself to three.
3. Simba (due to a well timed cat obsession in the second grade).

Jeff Granito

1. The people I’ve met.
2. In terms of look, the Funko booth was cool and I bought the Stay Puft tiki mug from Mondo.

Jeremiah Ketner

1. I love how all the artists are present, you can meet them in person.
2. It’s hard to choose only one. I’m really excited to collaborate with friends on a booth this year.
3. Little Mermaid

Jesse Hernandez

1. The fact that there are so many killer artists here that are never around. All at the same place at the same time. It’s like home to me. One of the last conventions where people are here for the art.
2. Mondo and Godmachine and Alex Pardee and Skinner, and Joe Ledbetter, and Han Cholo.
3. Emperor’s New Groove. It’s a buddy movie, I can’t choose just one character. It doesn’t get the love it deserves.

Joe Ledbetter

1. I love to see all the industry people I never get to see. It’s great to see a lot of the same collectors year after year and meet new people in the industry.
2. The Coarse Toys booth always blows my mind.
3. I’m classic, Goofy. Goofy all day.

JPK

1. Catching up with friends.
2. Colus, Chris [Ryniak] and Amanda [Spayd]. Also all my booth mates.
3. Wreck it Ralph.

J*RYU

1. The people.
2. Tokyo Jesus and Godmachine and JPK, they keep me on my toes.
3. The lamp and Chernabog.

Luke Chueh

1. [I] love seeing the fans, the friends, and the camaraderie of the community.
2. [I’m] excited for the Medicom booth, which I haven’t gotten to see yet because I’ve been busy at my own booth. He says fifteen minutes before the show’s closing.
3. Probably the old man from Up.

Matt Doughty from Onell Design

1. Seeing friends and customers.
2. All the booths, big and small. The people just starting out, and those in the twilight of their career.
3. The lamp from the old Pixar shorts, seconded by Zurg.

Mumbot

1. Meeting all the awesome people. Meeting artists who I look up to and fans.
2. So many: Guumon, Tara McPherson, Mab Graves, Circus Posterus, Tripper Dungan, Giant Robot, all the Japanese artists.
3. Alice, even though they didn’t invent her. And the Evil Queen from Snow white and Snow White. From Pixar, Wall-e.

Mitsume Takahashi (through a translator)

1. We don’t have this type of convention in Japan, not this big. I like the amount of people who gather who like art and graphic art.
2. I haven’t been able to see much, but I’m interested in sofubi. All the different products look interesting.
3. Toy Story, and Edna from The Incredibles. I made an Incredibles collage once.

Nooligan

1. [I] love the uniqueness of Dcon. It’s a niche show.
2. Not really. [I] bought art books.
3. Wart from Sword in the Stone.

Paul Kaiju

1. Meeting the people who collect from all over the world. Seeing all my friends and how well they’re doing.
2. My neighbor, Candie Bolton.
3. That Frankenstein baby head thing from Toy Story. I also like the mom from The Incredibles. She’s hot.

RealxHead (through a translator)

1. The helpful staff.
2. [I’ve] no time to go shopping. I’m trapped in the booth the whole time.
3. I like Toy Story.

Super Sucklord

1. The endless parade of praise, ego stroking, and money that I receive.
2. I’m interested in the DKE booth. I have a personal interest in seeing what’s trending and in keeping it healthy and vital. But never more healthy and vital than my own.
3. And the demon from Fantasia.

Tara McPherson

1. I’ve been having fun. It’s comfortable to get everything, coffee, bathroom. It’s a breeze compared to other shows. It’s fun to walk around.
2. I went shopping at Penelope Gazin’s booth
3. Snow White.

Tokyo Jesus

1. The boss, Ben [Goretsky]. I love his character.
2. My wife Eimi Takano’s booth.
3. I don’t know the name, the one from Toy Story with the six legs.

Uamou

1. [There are] more people every year, meeting friendly customers and it’s easy to get here from Japan.
2. My friends Bwana Spoons, Onell Design, and Lulubell.
3. Wall-E.

Many, many thanks to Veronica for putting this together questions & answers! Very much appreciated. We hope you guys enjoyed these as much as we did. Please go give Veronica some love & appreciation on Instagram HERE and Twitter HERE! Shout out to the twenty five artists that helped out by providing these great answers.

Which is your favourite answer?

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