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Mon, Nov 24, 2008
Armed with a youthful, overactive imagination, Jason Freeny creates smart, intricate illustrations that tickle the deviant intellect through a hard graphic, pop iconography and wit. Jason has worked with LEGO, MTV and Nickelodeon and has been featured in the pages of Hi-Fructose, Juxtapoz and Heavy Metal. His anatomy illustrations have circulated the Web from BoingBoing to Nerdcore. You can pick up one of his print pieces here, some wearable art here, and convenient exoskeletons for all your gadgets here. He has, on the horizon, several magazine pieces, a couple top secret product projects and a collaboration with the United Arab Emirates. Every once in a while, Jason returns to 3D form and busts out a choice custom piece. Which brings us to…
You are playing for a customized 3.5-inch Baby Egg Qee based on the platform by Toy2R. The Yolkel is part of a dozen hand-made Qee figures by Jason Freeny. There are no figures like these in production. If you want to score one, leave a comment telling us your best guess as to what Jason eats for breakfast every morning. Closest answer wins the Yolkel!
Q: Tell us about the process of creating this Yolkel (from concept to cutting to kid-testing)?
A: It is very rare that I design a custom. I need to have a smart and solid idea before I’m willing to totally lay waste to my office space for a few weeks. I dont like creating customs just for the sake of creating customs. I always like to create designs that both explore the insides as well as the outsides of the 3D form. I had come up with the eyes and mouth as a negative space some time ago for an illustration. It was meant to be shapes floating in the sky acting as a hole with an alternate universe on the other side. The tongue was a device to illustrate this concept by punching through. To this day I have yet to execute this illustration but the face idea was always floating around in my head. I first used this idea on a Dunny (both small and large) and was very happy with the results. A simple idea is at times the most successful, and the soft defined curves with a goofy hole and tongue exposing the dark space within just worked so well. I was getting request upon request from people to make more of the Dunnys for purchase. Unfortunately Kidrobot doesn’t offer DIY Dunnys, and the design didn’t look as well on their blank Munnys (whose shape is less dynamic). So I basically went on a mission to find the ideal form that I could use to produce a small run that wouldn’t end up costing people an arm and a leg. The Egg Qee [by Toy2R] was perfect.
My process was simple: create a stencil of the face and trace and cut with a very sharp x-acto knife. Then sand the openings till smooth. The tongues were sculpted from a mixture of magenta and white sculpy, baked and given a shiny clear coat via krylon. I always incorporate my 5-year old son in the process when I can; he loves to play with whatever I am working on. He was kept at bay during the cutting process but helped “organize” during the sanding. But mostly he just played with the Qees I wasn’t sanding at the time. Once all the pieces were ready, I glued in the tongues with a little drop of 5-minute epoxy.
Q: I’m imagining your work area as half design studio and half science lab? How off am I?
A: When we used to live in Manhattan, I had an actual “Design Studio” that was ultimately sacrificed as a baby nursery when my son was born. This event alone was the driving force in my decision to go digital. I was a 100% traditional artist before this time. Everything was drawn, hand painted, airbrushed and sculpted. While the transition from “raw art” to “digital art” was a painful one, I have no regrets and fully embrace what it is I do now. I do still, from time to time, pull out my sketch book and doodle. Now that we live in a house, my wife and I share an office space. It is pretty much strictly a computer room, but at times, like with the egg Qee, I treat myself to some good old handy work.
There is no science lab but I do love anatomy and toys and there is a small collection of both surrounding my desk. When I find an item that encorporates both toy and anatomy, I get very excited. I really want one of those Kaws half-anatomy [Dissected] figures but they have moved out of my price range… Maybe one day…
Q: What caused you to first explore the innards of a gummy bear?
A: My first anatomy Illustration was an illustration I did while a freelance illustrator for Penthouse called “Incubus”. It, of course, was adult-oriented and never used, but it did strike an interest in both anatomy and schematic diagrams. The Balloon dog “Pneumatic Anatomica” was the real beginning of what it is that I am doing now. The response to this piece was overwhelming. I started looking at anatomy in just about everything… The Gummi Bear was the next victim.
Q: Who/what are some of your artistic inspirations?
A: I find inspiration in just about everything and it is usually completely unexpected. I’ve always found inspiration in the works of masters like Dali and Escher as well as George Petty, Sorayama, Warhol and Robert Williams, to name a few.
Q: What programs/tools do you use in your digital designs?
A: I work on MacPro using Maya, Illustrator and Photoshop
Q: What materials do you use in your sculptures?
A: I sculpt using sculpy and anything else that suits the situation (metal rods, washers, wood etc…)
Q: Do you ever run into people who have your designs as skins on their iPods/laptops/cell phones?
A: Haven’t seen any of my skins/shirts in the wild yet, but I’ll probably be tickled when I actually do. I have had friends spot them though…
Q: Do you have any advice for readers who are looking to license their art?
A: Licensing is a great thing. You are getting paid for something you already did. So my advice is, “yes, license.” The hard part is pricing the license fees. I am still pretty new at this and am getting more knowlegable as it comes. I go to the Graphic Artists Guild Handbook of Pricing and Ethical Guidelines all the time to get a good idea of what a reasonable fee would be. If you do this kind of work, it’s a must have book…
Q: I know you like Toy2R’s Qees and IWG by Rocketworld. What other figures do you collect?
A: I am not a “completist” by any means. I only collect toys, characters and designs I like. When I started, this was like a candy store, but now they seem to be harder and harder to find. there is so much stuff out there that just doesn’t inspire any more. The relative affordability of putting out a limited edition toy is becoming a double edged sword. On one hand, all these small establishments can afford to get their ideas out, on the other side, all these small establishments can afford to get their ideas out.
I am usually a sucker for anything decorated by Tim Biskup.
Q: What’s next for Jason Freeny?
A: I have plenty of anatomy schematic ideas in my head ready to be liberated, this includes some illustrations that will keep in the same “humor” but not be a direct anatomy diagram, similar to my “Immaculate Confection” piece. All of these are on hold in the short term due to the influx of projects that are landing on my doorstep recently. I’ve been bombarded with magazine featurettes, ten-plus in the next month alone. I have some product projects in the works but cant really talk about them due to non-disclosure forms, but I am EXTREMELY excited about them to say the least. There is a Harper Collins publication coming out soon showcasing 100 international illustrators for which I was asked to participate. And I am in the process of producing a series of custom posters of my anatomy works to hang on display in the Jumeira Brainobrain youth school system in Dubai UAE.
Jeremy Brautman - who has written 1965 posts on ToyCyte: Toy Culture Collected.
Jeremy Brautman joined ToyCyte in 2008 and has been writing about toy culture ever since. You can currently find him contributing to a variety of blogs, artkiving doodles at Doodlesplatter.com and cataloging artistic ephemera at ARTkivers.com.
November 24th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
Lucky Charms cause that’s what I had for breakfast.
November 24th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
Cereal and coffee
November 24th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
An egg since the Yolkel looks like an egg. And some black coffee to stay awake
November 24th, 2008 at 1:19 pm
Poptart
November 24th, 2008 at 1:26 pm
Yolkel loves to start off his day with a nice, juicy hamster.
Doesn’t matter what kind; big, small, orange, black, russian dwarf, chinese striped. Yolkel is not picky. Bring it.
Yolkel says the little bastards are pretty quick though.
November 24th, 2008 at 1:28 pm
Ha ha, Dingobean, what does JASON eat for breakfast? Hopefully not hamsters…Although any guess is fair game.
November 24th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
Peanut butter and banana on toast… the best !!!
November 24th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
Rice with butter and sugar!
November 24th, 2008 at 1:38 pm
A raw egg yolk.
November 24th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
Scrambled eggs & bacon….hmm, now I’m hungry
November 24th, 2008 at 1:53 pm
Nice Interview! My guess is 2 Eggs Overeasy with a side of Sourdough Toast…mmm breakfesty goodness
November 24th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
Egg whites no yolk.. hence why he is white and called yolkel haha!
November 24th, 2008 at 2:12 pm
an everything bagel.
November 24th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
Oh crap, my bad rofl. In that case, I can only say that Yolkel bases his nutritive decisions by his master’s habits.
November 24th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
eggs benedict
November 24th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
Coffee and cigarettes?..
November 24th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
I’m gonna go with chicken and waffles.
November 24th, 2008 at 4:24 pm
I bet he skips breakfast but sometimes has “breakfast for dinner.”
Or Starbuck’s “Perfect Oatmeal.” MmmmmmMmMmm…
November 24th, 2008 at 5:38 pm
I’m gonna go with coffee and a bagel with cream cheese.
November 24th, 2008 at 6:52 pm
Candy. Lots and lots of candy.
November 24th, 2008 at 7:07 pm
sunny-side up eggs and a big cup of cofee
November 24th, 2008 at 7:11 pm
cold pizza
November 24th, 2008 at 8:12 pm
ice cream! thats what i eat.
November 24th, 2008 at 8:57 pm
It’s a trick question.
He eats…NOTHING FOR BREAKFAST
*bum bum bum*
November 24th, 2008 at 9:08 pm
He eats oatmeal and peanut butter toast, then washes it all down with some coffee.
Cool interview btw.
November 24th, 2008 at 9:40 pm
Eggs with Spam and a cup or orange juice =]
November 25th, 2008 at 12:15 am
Gummy Bears….. by the bag full…
November 25th, 2008 at 12:44 am
Jellybeans taken from a Froot Loops box! =D
November 25th, 2008 at 7:15 am
Stroopwafels & Earl Grey. That’s what I’m having.
November 25th, 2008 at 1:54 pm
Grilled Crumpets with Marmalade ^_^
November 25th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
3 hard boiled eggs and whole wheat toast!
November 25th, 2008 at 5:31 pm
Jason enjoys some scrambled eggs, toast, OJ, and cereal.
All these food comments are making me hungry!
November 26th, 2008 at 12:00 am
Nothing! He doesn’t like breakfast!
November 26th, 2008 at 12:27 am
Stuedels? DId I spell it right? You get it anyways
November 26th, 2008 at 1:19 am
Oh godddd I want one of these badly.
Umm..i think he eats toast w/jam sometimes, and a glass of milk ? and cereal? cornflakes and or coco pops.
yey
! x
November 26th, 2008 at 2:08 am
Hello,
The YOLKEL every morning eats a breakfast in it manner CH’ TI! how in France, that is some cheese on an edge of bread dipped into some coffee and smokes a cigarette!
November 26th, 2008 at 5:48 am
Black coffee and nothing but. Because that’s what most designers eat for breakfast.
November 26th, 2008 at 5:58 am
Definitely Donuts, two, one glazed and the other with white frosting and sprinkles.
November 26th, 2008 at 5:58 am
ham & egg’s
November 26th, 2008 at 6:53 am
Pop tarts and coffee
November 26th, 2008 at 7:06 am
2 wheetabix with cornflakes on top.
November 26th, 2008 at 9:46 am
I just consulted this list to find inspiration for what I should eat this morning. Keep the answers coming, and don’t be afraid to be specific. What KIND of peanut butter? (Or could it be almond butter?) What KIND of toast?
November 26th, 2008 at 12:02 pm
Pop-tarts Cherry with the frosting… Need the sugar to get you started in the morning. Helps the illustration process.
November 26th, 2008 at 8:02 pm
hard-boiled egg and grapefruit juice
November 27th, 2008 at 2:18 am
I think Jason ests every morning rests of the cold pizza, that he had for dinner yesterday, and he drinks two beers
Isn’t it a perfect breakfast?
November 27th, 2008 at 9:25 am
One of these responses is really close…
A more specific answer could trump it.
It’s funny, the coffee and cigarettes breakfast was my meal of choice about 6 years ago. My diet is much healthier now
November 27th, 2008 at 8:16 pm
Flavoured oatmeal? Apples & Cinnamon?
November 28th, 2008 at 10:50 am
Quaker Maple & Brown Sugar Oatmeal. With Bananas?
November 28th, 2008 at 11:19 am
cheerios cereal and smooth peanut butter on rye toast, with some grapefruit juice.
November 29th, 2008 at 4:43 pm
Whatever his 5-year-old son wanted for breakfast that he then decided he didn’t want to eat after all. At least that’s how it goes in my house. This morning it was chocolate chip pancakes…
November 29th, 2008 at 6:59 pm
Cinnamon Toast Crunch & Coffee
November 30th, 2008 at 7:52 am
Pineapple Gummi Bears (clear)
November 30th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
cookiedough poptarts, a slice of toast with grape jelly, also a glass of orange juice
December 1st, 2008 at 11:18 am
OK, the answer is:
Jason’s “Regular” breakfast consists of a toasted whole wheat bagel, low fat scallion cream cheese, tomato (occasionally he will add bacon) regular coffee with milk and sugar.
Which makes Grimsheep the closest and this week’s winner!
custoMONDAY will be off this week and return next Monday with something monstreous…
December 1st, 2008 at 11:23 am
Congrats Grimsheep!!!
Well done!
p.s. I NEVER would have gotten all that right…
December 1st, 2008 at 11:30 am
i never expected anyone to nail it perfectly but had the details just in case there was a tie.
Thanks everyone for trying. it was fun
congrats Grimsheep.
December 1st, 2008 at 2:37 pm
Wow, I am pretty sure I can’t remember having ever won a giveaway contest before. Though, considering how often I enter these things, I suppose I was due
Thanks to ToyCyte and of course Jason. I’m a fan, and the Yolkel is super cute.
December 10th, 2008 at 4:20 am
two slices of white toast one with jam and one with butter, cut into triangles. One small pot full of baked beans and a pomegranate juice….was my guess but I was too late… boo hoo
January 21st, 2009 at 1:07 am
poached/boiled eggs on toast
coffee/tea
musli and yoghurt