I was raped by the dreaded Price Point!

[the ANGRY filipino]

Hello Everyone!

Although the stuff I design isn't as cool as designer toys and such..
my job allows me to actually make a living doing art related stuff and
it pays the bills. ( since I suck at illustration right now..)
Plus..I make your GrandParents happy during Christmas and Halloween!

I am posting some older stuff, most in the mock up sample stage so most of these
have been altered before they hit the market..

As for the thread title? You see, most people outside the toy industry have
no idea how hard it is to translate a design ( no matter how generic or simple
it may be) into a final product. You have to fight battles people! All factories
are in this to make cash. They don't care if the Plush Santa's they churn out
look weird, they don't care about the small details, they just want to make
money! Its always about meeting the price point!
So the next time you see a really good looking Santa plush out there,
pray for the designer..because it means he or she fought a hard battle for that one!

Please feel free to get bored...

[kilon]

I love the Mexican Santa. He looks very cute, a prefect gift for my girlfriend. Also I like the horror stuff.

I agree with you. Very few things in this life are easy. And the problem is not that sometimes something is difficult , but that you do not receive the appropriate reward for your effort.

[phoenicorn]

I love the tree. Want!

[Redfrog]

Hah! Great designs, man! That mexican Santa is awesome! Fantastic stuff!

[Redfrog]

By the way..I hear you when you mention the dramas with the factories...it can be a very frustrating exercise!

[the ANGRY filipino]

By the way..I hear you when you mention the dramas with the factories...it can be a very frustrating exercise!

Oh it is, plus the frustration of the following:
1. no royalties
2. you aren't allowed to even sign your name on your design ( I do it anyway)
3. you don't get to keep any actual sample of your design ( unless you ask real nice and cross your fingers)
4. plus you have to watch out for the locals who think you are overpaid because
they just see you sit around and draw all day and they think that's not work." Drawing? what kind of work is that?"
5. In the seasonal field, you have to contend with some buyers who act like they're gods.

6. Factory owners who got filthy filthy rich doing this stuff, but don't even know what an elf is, or why Santa's beard should be white etc...

7. Plus the work week is from Monday to Saturday. And some guys have it worse than me..they work seven days a week..
NO OVERTIME PAY.

But when I think of the consumers who will buy these animated plush/seasonal
novelty stuff I design, and if it makes one child laugh...it somehow makes it all worth it.

[shamandalie]

Oh my goodness what you do is really sweet! *hugs

[Peetaer]

Man, sounds like you're really getting screwed by "the man". That really sucks dude. It pisses me off to hear that. Damn capitalists!

Oh BTW, the toys look good. Good thing you took photos of them, that way you have at least something to put in your portfolio.

[shiNIN]

it's painful to hear :( though there are some vague similarities with my experiences, no one should think that making websites and banners is always a nice and lovely job... people are everywhere and you can't expect all of them being apt for their work, having the ability telling what the hell they want...etc. reason? grammar? reading ability? oh, I wish for too much...

I wonder how much is your freedom? okay, you mustn't be abstract and you must follow some general rules, it's familiar to me, but you get some stricter ones too? and has you some influence for the materials? I know nothing about such things, but I'm the curious type.
those bear toys always made me wonder about the designers... well, they must be popular, I see similar things everywhere (especially little bear with iloveyou heart), but they're strange for me. my own bears were naked as a bear should be, wearing their hearts inside :) so I always wondered they're so because many people like them or the designer likes them too...

the mexican santa is nice and it's a new sight to me :)

[Nibras]

its all so clean.... so innocent..... unlike your drawings mahwahaha!
I mean looking at this stuff your mind seems so innocent who would have guessed you make teddy bears ....... haha!
Joking
These are really awesome
i mean i always wondered who made all the teddies now am one step closer to solving the mystery!
I mean these are awesome!
can i get a specially made one? lol
keep it up i mean keep posting more

[the ANGRY filipino]

kilon Thank you for dropping by!
phoenicornThanks! Wish i could send you one, that tree is like 6 feet tall! And I dont even have one myself....sniff...
RedFrogGlad to see you dropped by! Your toy thread rocks!
shamandalie hug you right back! Thanks!
Peetaer Yeah, the "man" assrapes me pretty badly, but I find ways to screw him back! Thanks for dropping by!
shiNIN I choose the fabrics myself mostly, but I have to always keep in mind that dreaded price point. I also choose the songs, work with our music guy, get the song license, oversee the integrated chip programming
( all these toys dance, sing, move in some way, lights up etc) and i have to make sure the mouths synch to the song, the body sways just right..etc...
I do have some guidelines to follow but I have to find a way to keep things different but almost the same.., there are certain types of faces to use within
each of the seasons ( christmas, halloween etc..) certain types of faces to use when you are targetting a particular customer..( you cannot use the same look you would propose for..say Spencer Gifts and show that same "feel" to walmart, or target or Crackerbarrel...) each corporation has their own preffered feel...and you have to adjust your ideas to them, just so they'll even look at your items. Cause if your items don't sell, then you are out of a job. Contracts are rarely honored here....
unless of course you are a big name "superstar" toy designer...
and you can't have too many of those around..seriously.
lilnebo Thank you! I wish I could send you one of these right now!
You see, drawing/designing these things everyday for the last 5 years, i gotta draw something else when I get home...hence the 'naughty" sketchbook! Otherwise, i'll go insane!


Some stuff from 2006: All in the mock up stage:
I'll try to show some movie clips of these in the future..

[shiNIN]

whoa, I never thought a toy designer need to do all those task... well, I like when I do the whole thing (a little website, in my case) or the most of it, because communicating with others, waiting for them, dealing with their things can be really tiresome sometimes...

I like the new ones, I smiled looking at the little robots and my fav, the shark :)

[the ANGRY filipino]

whoa, I never thought a toy designer need to do all those task... well, I like when I do the whole thing (a little website, in my case) or the most of it, because communicating with others, waiting for them, dealing with their things can be really tiresome sometimes...

I like the new ones, I smiled looking at the little robots and my fav, the shark :)

Well, not all toy designers do those things...some just do a black and white sketch and they're done! Some even have to do the marketing the toys themselves
I guess it depends on the company you work for and your experience in your particular field ( there are sooo many subdivisions under toy design anyway..)

[crazy3dman]

Hey man. Some fun stuff here.

Suddenly your sketchbook makes a lot of sense.:P

[xinranliu]

So you're an exploited mad Filipino toy designer in need of obscene gorgeous naked ladies? Two things I'd like to know: do you really work in China right now and do you like your job xD

[Jazz]

Wooow, I LOVE your toys!!! I want some!! Love the robots and the...I don't what animal it is, but it's the first one in the same post! You do excellent work! I would so buy some of those! ^_^

It's sad what toy designers have to go through, though. :( I never realized just how hard it is, with one goal being to make someone happy; someone else has a more greedy idea in mind.

[the ANGRY filipino]

So you're an exploited mad Filipino toy designer in need of obscene gorgeous naked ladies? Two things I'd like to know: do you really work in China right now and do you like your job xD


Yup! I work and live on the mainland. I do love my job, by that, i mean the very act of creating toys from scratch and the thrill of spotting seasonal toy trends, and influencing those trends sometimes.
I just dont like the other bullshit that gets between the "creating " part until the item sells.

btw...why do you ask if I really work in china now?

[the ANGRY filipino]

been a while...will try to post some movie clips of my animated plush soon..
but for now..some old stuff...still waiting for the recent stuff to clear before i can post'em...

[shannanigan]

I'm so jealous... I want to design Plushies and Holiday Toys!! :D

But you are right at least its a creative job. I design women's shoes for my "real job"... a far cry from my dream as a Toy Designer / Cartoonist. But at least I get to draw something all day! LOL!

[arttorney]

Yup! I work and live on the mainland. I do love my job, by that, i mean the very act of creating toys from scratch and the thrill of spotting seasonal toy trends, and influencing those trends sometimes.
I just dont like the other bullshit that gets between the "creating " part until the item sells.

btw...why do you ask if I really work in china now?

Ha ha. This is cool. You are what Philip K. Dick called a "Pre-Fash Consultant" in "The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch" Just stay away from the CAN-D. I liked the Sigmund Freud plush.

[HunterKiller_]

I can see you fought some battles for those toys! ;)
Your teddy bears are definitely some of the better looking ones out there.

Informative posts, thanks.

Keep fighting the good fight.

[Kaedis]

Very nice work!

I design Playsets and Playset Accessories (Swings, Slides, Binoculars, etc.), so trust me, I know what you are talking about. With me it is also about pushing for safety while the powers that be just want to use cheaper materials. It is a never ending struggle.

Nice stuff, your work really speaks for itself.
Keep up the good fight!

[kelly x]

Hi Angry fluffy kitten, How can you possibly be angry doing this fun job??? I like Frankenstein the best!! Mr. Angry is your front?? Hi and do an elephant for me!!!

[Aaron Death]

Love those skeletons, want to own one of these!︿＿︿

[Naomi Ningishzidda]

those robots are super cute, good job

you know what? I actually recognize your style in some of these, especially the poodle, lol!

cute

[Coralinia]

Sooooooooo cute <3

[tatiana]

Nice! They remind me of some of the animated plush projects I worked on for Gemmy a few years ago.

Edit: Especially the poodle, heh.

:)

[the ANGRY filipino]

tatiana yes, Good Old Gemmy, the king of animated plush. But I need to assure you that I didn't rip any of these off from anyone. You know how it is in this biz, after a while things start to look alike...
But honestly, I didn't rip any of these from anybody. Although what happens is one particual items gets big and then the boss finds out where the module of that item is made, gets the same module, passes it off to the Angry Filipino and asks him to dress it up in a new skin/character..hence poses and movements tend to be the same with a lot of items.

[tatiana]

Believe me, I hear you on that. :)

[BlightedArt]

You have fantastic work, the Mexican Santa and iPenguin are so cool!! And the determination behind your work is fantastic. :)

[carriejo]

Cool Stuff! I wish I could have a frankenstein doll :) hahah! :D

[spark_zero]

Wasn't really excpecting to see that lol, anyways that stuff is looking really great! I admire the work/struggle you are going through, to get this stuff finisehd up. The zombie ones are looking good, also the three robots I like, and that monkey, the penguin with the mp3 player and the shark are also cool. (I think I would name a lot more, and end up saying all of the stuff) Some other things would fit more into the category of "cute", but i'm a guy, so it would sound to gay for me to say it :D

[SavageGoldfish]

The goofy shark is awesome! They all look great (and I'm liking the robots....especially the 3rd one in the lineup....priceless, haha!)