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Anna Chambers is a California artist who possesses the unique ability to make almost anything cute. If you’ve been to a show lately (Stuff This, Osaka Popstar, Monster Art Rally, etc.), you’ve seen her plushes. Between working at the Cartoon Network and crafting characters at home, Anna stirs the pot with her limited edition Burgerlog poop plushes (a new batch drops today).
In addition to her hand-made creations, Anna designed the Doolie Boxes, a stackable series of charming production plushes who “love to sing and dance.” The Doolie Boxes were given a 9.5/10 in this Plastic and Plush review. We have Too Baa and Tee Hee, the first two 7×9 plushes (limited editions of 500 each), to give away to one ToyCyte reader. Just leave us a comment below. The winner will be picked at random at the end of the week.
ToyCyte: Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got to where you are now.
Anna Chambers: I was born in Santa Barbara. I went off to college at Cal Arts where I got my BA in character animation. I worked on a lot of television shows doing everything from character design, props, story boards, and painting backgrounds. Now I work on a show called Chowder at Cartoon Network.
[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_arMMgsIPKA]
Besides TV and your plush dolls, what other “products” do you make?
Metal for Monsters is a collaboration between Blend Creations and UNICEF, and I was
really fortunate to be asked to be a part of it. I love doing gift cards for Target, I think it’s been about 3 years or so doing various designs. I am pretty fortunate that I have been able to do a lot of different things in my career so far, and for me that really helps to keep it fun, and constantly creative. I will have some new stuff in 2009, perhaps a
belt buckle, made by Switcheroo, a new plush, cards, and a secret thing I don’t think I can say yet. And always more hand made turds. The third and final doolie box will also come out next year hopefully.
What makes plush so appealing a material to work with?
I really like making things, there is a certain satisfaction of making something from start to finish. I like to choose really nice soft fabrics and patterns. I have always been pretty crafty since I was a child. I made plush hamburgers, and all kinds of plush things as a kid. Guess I am just making them a bit more sophisticated nowadays.
What is your inspiration for the poo plushes?
My inspiration for poop plush came because I found it to be so hideous, but I wanted to try and turn it into something so cute and irresistible instead.
ToyCyte covers a spectrum of shit, like Manny Galan’s Dookie-Poo, Frank Kozik’s Sho Plop and Shawnimals Pocket Dollop. Do you have a favorite in the genre?
Hey it’s all crap to me! I like them all. I think the Kozik smoking shit is pretty good because smoking is a pretty crappy thing to do, so it’s fitting.
We’ve seen your pieces in a bunch of recent shows. When do you sleep?!
I get a lot of sleep!!! Maybe too much in fact, it’s one of my favorite things! I cannot sacrifice my sleep for plush though. I just do one thing at a time, the shows usually book far in advance, so I have a while to make the pieces. It seems around the holidays every year is when all the plush shows happen, but I’m really starting the plush during late summer to give me enough time. That reminds me I have a bigger show at Cardboard Spaceship next year, so I better get cracking!
You moved up to the Bay Area from Los Angeles. What differences do you see in the art scene?
Humm….. Well I’m not sure yet, but I know there are a lot of artists living here, many more than I expected. And the art scene seems as large as Los Angeles, if not bigger here, just in a smaller more concentrated area.
Do you collect toys, and if so, what kinds?
I actually do not collect toys. (I’m addicted to collecting fabric.) I can appreciate the designer toys very much though. The one collectible thing I did buy were the ‘Friends With You’ Wish Come True figures–3 of them. I love those. And that is probably my limit of toys: 3 little rainbow guys sitting on my desk.
What’s next for Anna Chambers?
I say this every year and it never happens, but I want to try and do more paintings. I’ll have to sacrifice some plush, but we’ll see if I can make the time.
Here’s Anna’s teaser for “the last turds of 2008.” Get ‘em at noon today here.
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.
December 15th, 2008 at 11:47 am
I love Anna’s plush poops! Who doesn’t want to curl up with a log.
December 15th, 2008 at 12:01 pm
Whats up with all the scat characters lately?…
I dont get it…
December 15th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
Power to the Plush! This art needs to get the attention and respect it deserves!
December 15th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
Nice read. We’ve been big fans since accidently finding a Lucy Owl plush on a bad day – Lucy almost singlehandedly turned the day around! Good luck in ‘09. We’re looking forward to seeing what you come up with!
December 15th, 2008 at 4:11 pm
Anna Chambers is full of shit and is one of the best artists I know. Keep it crappin.
December 15th, 2008 at 4:21 pm
these are pretty cool! i like the one with the open eyes the best!
December 15th, 2008 at 4:59 pm
I never thought that poop could be sooooo cute!!!
December 15th, 2008 at 5:15 pm
These might be the most appealing dumps in the long history of human crapping. Thanks for doing the interview. Love her work.
December 15th, 2008 at 5:20 pm
so cute! and they look so aZn
hite
December 15th, 2008 at 10:37 pm
Lucy owl was the first plush my baby daughter ever received (from dada). I love anna’s plush and her poops!
December 16th, 2008 at 2:31 am
The poop is a great idea. Makes me wish i could do do something cute with something gross….
December 16th, 2008 at 8:01 am
My kids love hunting down Anna’s Target gift cards at all the various spots around the store. I sure wish these artists would get credit for their work somewhere on the card.
I’ve still got my hopes up for a Yuletide Log poop for next Christmas…maybe a special Fruitcake edition? hint hint Keep crankin’ em out! My Dad rolls his eyes everytime he sees Lady Brown. It’s great torture.
December 16th, 2008 at 9:15 am
Gotta love the poo! So cute and the perfect stocking stuffer!
December 16th, 2008 at 9:38 am
Anna Chambers does some cute work. I love her backgrounds on Chowder because they’re fun and colorful.
December 16th, 2008 at 10:26 am
I love Anna’s plushes!!!
December 16th, 2008 at 2:34 pm
I just purchased the last remaining turd of 2008. (I’ve been wanting one for years, but they always seem to be sold out!) I love Anna’s plush poops, and am excited to see all the other work she’s doing. She has made me more aware of the world of hand-made “designer” plushes. I’m surprised to learn that she doesn’t collect toys….
December 16th, 2008 at 4:10 pm
Those Doolie Boxes are just about the cutest plushies I;ve ever seen!!
Wonderful imagination!!
December 16th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
For everybody who owns poop toys–whether Anna’s designs or someone else’s–I’m curious how/where you display them? With other toys in your collection, a site-specific installation, etc…?
December 16th, 2008 at 8:41 pm
i love anna chambers and her cute overload poops!
December 16th, 2008 at 9:31 pm
Anna rocks!
December 17th, 2008 at 7:08 am
I’m a poop owner: I wish I could say I have a shrine to Anna’s poop. Actually, my poop resides in a wicker basket we call the “Poop Basket” in my living room. Lady Brown looked so cold and alone in my glass cabinet.
December 17th, 2008 at 9:35 am
I have a bed full of Anna’s turds, and have found giving people s#$*!% appropriate for nearly every occasion. Love her talent.
December 17th, 2008 at 3:40 pm
I’d just like to say that Chowder is one of my absolute favorite current cartoons – along with Flapjack (and a little bit of Mighty B), I really think that it signifies a huge renaissance in childrens’ cartoons, picking up after the vapid wasteland of Saturday morning, poorly translated and heavily-edited anime has destroyed just about everything.
Awesome, awesome stuff – and the design and art is really, inventive and beautiful, while remaining hilarious in its subtleties.
In a word, w00t.
December 17th, 2008 at 4:44 pm
I am such a huge fan of Anna’s poo plushies. They are so adorable. Props to her for taking something that is normally completely disgusting and turning it into something that you’d want to hug. Those Doolie Boxes are so cute!
December 18th, 2008 at 8:25 am
Great work! Just started getting into designer toys/plush and can’t wait to add more to my collection
December 18th, 2008 at 11:58 am
OK kids…the winner is…Judi Brock! Judi let me get your mailing info and with any USPS love, you’ll have these by the holidays.
December 18th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
Hi.
I am sooooo thrilled!!!! Really, they are so adorable.