Saturday, December 20, 2008

Photo time!






No new art to show at the moment, but here are some photos taken from the Vinyl Toy Network Convention and some AWESOME photos Mayu, from Japan, took of her Carrot Shake Jake collection.

I shared the VTN booth with Scott Tolleson. To see more of his art and toys, visit his website

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

It's a bird...it's a plane....NOOOOO






It's Superham!!! It's been awhile since I showed anything on here, so here is a peek at Superham, my latest basswood figure. Here is his turnaround sheet I worked from and how he ended up. You can expect to see a few variants of Sups in the near future. Up, Up, and Awaayy!!!

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Pirate Shake Jake


I drew this for a friend who's birthday happens to be on National Talk like a Pirate day. No wonder she loves skulls and crossbones. Happy Birthday Angie!
If you like the print, I have it up for sale in my shop

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Shiny new Big Cartel store


I'm excited to present to you the new Superham store! Stop in and take a look, you might find something you like!

Carrot Shake Jake and Tinky are now available through the store!

Monday, August 4, 2008

The Ham Sandwich Show

This Saturday, AUG 9th, is a group art show at Red Hot Robot in Phoenix featuring the art of my friend Scott Tolleson, my brother Greg, and myself. We will have lots of exclusive items on hand, prints, toys, and free food and drink. I am having some Carrot Shake Jakes flown in for the show so anyone who goes will be the very first to have them! ALSO! I have been in the garage alot lately creating "Tinky". He's made out of bass wood and hand painted by me. I will have 4 of each version available for purchase at the show. It should be a great night...hope to see you there!!!





Monday, July 28, 2008

Comic-con is over :(




The San Diego Comic Con has come and gone. It's always a blast, but of course there are always regrets of things I didn't purchase or do. This year I regret having not been more social. So many familiar and new faces and I wish I had gotten over my shy nature and gotten out and talked more. Seemed this year was lots of walk by hello's and long distance waves and smiles. You know who you are! lol...KEI!

I have a twin brother and often worry that when he's walking the floor he might unknowingly snub someone that thinks he's me. I heard many stories of people approaching him thinking he was me that turned out good, but I also wonder if there are people that thought I totally blew them off, something I would never do. I'm shy, but not rude. I always appreciate the people who stop by and especially the ones who make the far travels to be there and say hello. Marty and friends always make the far trek from Japan and this year Matt Pott came all the way from TASMANIA!

I boothed again with Dean Yeagle and Scott Tolleson and couldn't ever ask for better booth mates. These are two sketches I did for Dean's new book that was released during comic con. The book features many great artists doing their takes on his iconic "Mandy". To purchase this great book, go here

I can't wait till next year!!!

Friday, July 11, 2008

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Cancelled


I am sorry to report the Morsel girl production has been cancelled due to design complications resulting in change to aesthetic appearance and delivery set back. For those that have pre-ordered through Diamond I am sorry for the inconvenience. It is possible the Morsels may go into production at a later time. I will post any information on this blog. Any further questions, please feel free to e-mail me.

Thanks,
Gary

Sunday, June 8, 2008

No Robot Parking



This was a piece I did for the Roboloco last night at Red Hot Robot. I was very impressed with the turnout for the show. If you're in the Phoenis area and missed it last night, it will be going on all the Month of June. You should stop by and check out all the great art.

Sunday, June 1, 2008

ROBOLOCO Show


If you're in the Phoenix area, come on out this Saturday, June 7th, for Red Hot Robot's first anniversary party! Lots of great art, music, and surprises! Aww. just read the flyer...it says everything better than I can. Stop by and say hello and maybe win something!!!!!

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Carrot Shake Jake Box Design




It's getting closer! I just finished Jake's box design and had fun with it. I hope you like it too.

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

John K Caricature


I thought I was a handsome man until I sat down and let John K draw a caricature of me at last weeks VTN convention. It's scary how much this looks like me in the worst and most offensive of ways. Truly a brilliant caricature and I may never have to get another again. Thanks John!

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Previews!




The May issue of Previews came out today and both Carrot Shake Jake and the first Morsel girl are in it. YAY! They are scheduled for a July(Rabbit)and August(Morsel girl) release. Have your local comic or vinyl shop order you one! Leave a comment or e-mail me at gary@superham.com. I'd love to hear what you think.

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Toy Invasion!


Last week I was interviewed by Newtimes for a story on the designer toy scene in Phoenix. It's a very good write up and it's about time Phoenix has an art scene I can appreciate. here is the link
or stay and read it here.

Invasion of the Toys!
Thu Apr 03, 2008 at 01:18:30 AM


By: V'Ming Chew

Stepping into Red Hot Robot at Camelback and Central is like entering the colorful and often wicked imaginations of illustrators, designers and practitioners of self-described “lowbrow” art.

“At the most basic level, these toys make you laugh,” said the store’s owner Jason Kiningham, gesturing to his quirky menagerie of rabbits, bears, squids, robots, monsters and other oddities. Artists usually design and produce these vinyl or plush toys in limited runs, ranging from 50 to 2,000.

The designer toy scene is a relatively new in Phoenix, but in the short time it has been around, it has grown from a scene limited to collectors and the “hip crowd,” to families and children. If you ask Kiningham, he’ll tell you that the opening of Red Hot Robot in June of 2007 has had a lot to do with that.

“I’m seeing about 30 people at my release events, and recently we have fourth to sixth-graders coming in with their parents,” Kiningham said. It’s definitely gaining momentum.”

Designer toys can be traced back to the mid-90s, when artists in Japan and Hong Kong reinvented mainstream toys like G.I.Joe and Barbie by melting, remolding and augmenting them.

“Artists were taking toys that I remembered from my childhood and imposing an adult aesthetic on them,” writes Paul Budnitz in his book “I am Plastic: The Designer Toy Explosion.” "They were cute, scary, hip, violent, scarce, expensive, and beautiful."

Aside from writing books, Budnitz started Kidrobot in 2002 and it has turned out to be one of the biggest retailers of designer toys in the US. Since then, artists like Tristan Eaton, Frank Kozik and local boys Roy Wasson Valle and Gary Ham have been pushing the envelope of creativity in this unique sculptural medium and redefining what toys are. The net effect is a distinctly eastern pop style of clean lines and bright colors, fused with western sensibilities.

“My toys have been described as Mexican Hello Kitty,” said artist Roy Wasson Valle in reference to his fledgling line of egg-shaped figures originally showcased in his “Yummy Things and Stupid Little Animals” show. Like other design toy artists, Wasson Valle is an “incidental” toy designer; creating them initially so that people at his shows “had something to bring home.” The figures he makes are three-dimensional representations of his strange but endearing cast of two-dimensional characters that include Raul, “the skeletal bear in a bear costume.”

Gary Ham, designer for an educational company by day and toy creator by night, is anxiously waiting for “Carrot Shake Jake” a curious, carrot-orange caricature of a rabbit to return from China with “offspring.” “I’m dealing with this manufacturer in China directly to produce them for me,” Ham said.

While the production cost of small runs is not prohibitive, there is still a degree of financial risk for independent artists.

“I’m paying for it on my own,” said Ham. “My advice is: don’t do it for money, do it for the fun and satisfaction of seeing your work in the hands of appreciative people.”

It is interesting to note that while “urban vinyl,” a style of designer toy popularized by Hong Kong artist Michael Lau in the late-90s, is heavily influenced by hip-hop and American street culture, the dominant trend today seems to take its cues from Japanese “kaiju” meaning “strange beast.” The best known kaiju is Godzilla, but the word has evolved to encompass all manner of creatures and even anthropomorphized fruits.

“Their appeal is that they are straight out of artists’ imaginations,” explained Kiningham. Given the limited runs of designer toys, there is always something fresh and original on the shelves. Some toys are sold in the “blindbox” format for prices as low as $4 – you don’t know which design you’re getting until you open the box – leading to a flourishing secondary market where rare items can fetch hundreds, or even thousands of dollars. Collectors also meet at social events to trade their duplicates often in a bid to assemble a set.

This phenomenon is not unlike the Star Wars action figure craze in the 80s.

“Many artists and collectors today have grown up with those action figures,” noted Kiningham. With designer toys the allure is more sophisticated and personal considering the sheer variety of designs and how few of each design is produced. The prospect of owning a “one-of-a-kind” piece is enticing. Having a popular designer name behind your toy doesn’t hurt either.

Designer toys commonly come in the form of figures cast out of soft vinyl ranging from tiny key chains to massive, furniture-sized showpieces. A popular example is KidRobot’s Dunny series where a 3” or 8” figure resembling a rabbit is sold in a infinite variety of styles, designed and accessorized by artists. The figure serves as a “platform” and depending on the artist, can be made to look like anything from the grim reaper to a space alien.

The popularity of Dunnies has prompted Kidrobot to make the smooth vinyl platform available to everyone in the form of the blank “Munny” echoing the spirit of do-it-yourself toys of old like Mr. Potato Head. Local studio Synthetic Compound at Roosevelt and 1st street began showcasing artists flaunting their creativity on 4” Mini Munnies. The exhibition called “Mini Munnys” began in March and will continue through May 31.

Designer toys also include stuffed dolls known as “designer plush”. One particularly successful example is Uglydolls, a line of handmade cute-ugly dolls started in 2002 by David Horvath and Sun-Min Kim. It has now made its way onto the shelves of mainstream toy stores like FAO-Schwarz, and even the hearts of boys – unlikely candidates for toys openly marketed as “dolls”. In a recent New York Times story, “Guys and Dolls: An Ugly Remake” by Donald McNiel Jr., Marcelo Jaimes-Lukes, who got his first Ugly as a third-grader, was quoted: “No, you didn’t get teased for having one. In my class, you’d be teased not to have one.”

Like curios and other precious collectibles, designer toys are usually displayed as showpieces in cases or cabinets, although some collectors have admitted to “playing” with them. “Parents may buy some of these toys for their kids, but most people just display the more fragile or expensive pieces,” said Jason.

It’s hardly a surprise as many of these toys are limited in pose-ability and articulation. They may not “do” much of anything at all to qualify as playthings, but their whimsical designs and otherworldly appeal do for big kids what traditional toys have done for children for centuries – they make you smile.

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Toy Brief



Wow! I did my daily check on www.toybreak.com and much to my surprise the Haminals were in their latest Toy Brief. Check it out!

Friday, February 22, 2008

Sneak Peak!



Fresh from the painter, here is a sneak peak of Carrot Shake Jake. He's on a plane now , on his way to China. Have a safe trip Jake, may you have many offspring upon your return!

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Tuesday, January 1, 2008

ART JUMBLE SHOW




I did a small show with my coworkers. Here are a few of the pieces I had on hand.