When I ordered my Mr Toast dolls at the end of last year I did not realize how fast they would go. I only got 200 large dolls and I have sold almost 150 of them! I got 3000 small dolls and I have sold about 900 of those little guys. So if you are thinking about getting a large doll, I would suggest you do it soon because when they are gone, they are gone!
Also if you want to buy the dolls in person try Gallery Nucleus in Alhambra, I am just packing up a box of stuff for them, and the Grand Central Art Center in Santa Ana. I can't promise they will have Mr Toast in stock because he seems to be selling real quick....
I just started a Mr Toast Photo Group on Flickr. Flickr is a great free photo hosting site by Yahoo. One of the functions of the site is the ability of members to start groups where everyone can contribute photos along a certain theme. So currently the Mr Toast group has 38 members and 119 photos. So stop by and check it out.
Before the Jay Ward Studios got the job to do Cap'n Crunch, Quaker cereal must have shopped around to see what other studios might come up with. This group of drawings were all concepts that the Ray Patin Studios came up with for their pitch. I am not so sure the Cap'n would have gone on to be the beloved cereal character that he is, without the incredible designs of Jay Ward. And "Hog-Nose" Hogan is certainly no Jean LaFoote!
Took some time this holiday weekend and redesigned the World of Mr Toast page. I think it looks a lot nicer but there is still some more work to be done....someday I may even have a real online store.....
You never know what is going to show up at a flea market. Today was one of the good ones. We found a 1974 original piece of art from the Nancy comic strip by Ernie Bushmiller. His art is so pure and the gag is so great it really blows me away.
This group of stock letterheads came out of a book of 120 samples from 1963. They were meant to be used by people in advertising to catch clients eyes and I am sure they did just that. This was the beginning of the use of fluorescent inks and they make the graphics really jump.
This Saturday September 2, Rat Powered Films is
presenting a 2-month film & video exhibition in the
The incredible animations of Mr Toast by myself and Charles Barnard are showing this week at the Grand Central Art Center in Santa Ana, CA. This is part of the project TAKE OFF YOUR COAT. STAY AWHILE which was put together by Amy Caterina & Bob Pece of Rat Powered Films.
Tonight (Saturday, September 2nd) is the opening for the show from 7-10PM and I will be down there. The Mr Toast animations just run until Sept. 8th but the show is up until October 22 with tons of great artists films. Also there will be some Mr Toast dolls and books in the Art Center store.
And if you can't make it down you can always check the animations out on my website. Always fun always free.
Well it has been fun but this is the final beaver character. This is a cool Road Closed sign for EGCA - Engineering and Grading Contractors Association. Thanks to Randy at Tikiranch for pulling out all his beaver characters. Maybe next year we will do monkeys!
Friday brings us another Eager Beaver but this one for Cities Service gas stations. This first item is an incredible giveaway comic book about the history of the wheel. Great art and cool character with his two little nephews.
