ToyCyte: Toy Culture Collected

The ‘This B.U.D.’s For You‘ show opened up in Buffalo this past Friday, and though I can’t make the long, cold trip upstate, the show seems to offer an impressive collection of stuff. While Dalek didn’t come through for the show as announced, a whole mess of other great artists seem to be making a great showing.

It’s great to see another BUD show, so I can quietly fill the emptiness that was left in me when Rocket Pop failed to return the custom BUD that I sent to them for their ‘Bomb Project‘ show about two years ago. Unfortunately, Rocket Pop’s owner, a Mr. David Rodriguez, has consistently ignored his e-mails and changed addresses over the past few years – so if anyone knows where he lives, there are about a dozen (or possibly many more) artists who haven’t seen their BUDs returned to them. Please poke him in the eye for me. Only one eye though – he needs to be able to address the boxes that he needs to send back.

Below is Anne Benjamin’s delicately crafted, multi-material Yokohama Mama BUD, which transforms the generic BUD figure into something completely unique.

Next: Jason Goad’s inventive use of the BUD surface as a canvas for a giant skull is pretty awesome also.

Up at the top of the story, Rob Schwager’s semi-literal design is scary clean and attractive.

The rest of the lineup is filled with type designers, poster artists and an eclectic mix of creators, so if you’re in the vicinity of distant west-upstate NY, swing on by the Hero and Sound Gallery – and check out their gallery of works at their site too.