Ever wondered what goes into creating a range of vinyl toys? Wonder no more, because ace toy designer Joe Ledbetter has decided to share a video documenting the entire process of creating his new set of 12 mini-figures, the Chaos Minis.
The video covers every step of the design process: conception, design, sculpture, packaging, photography and really everything in-between. The story starts in May 2013 and crams nine months of work into a brisk nine minutes.
What impresses us is the sheer volume of work involved for Joe; loads and loads of sketches pile up, and we love the abortive design process for a Tiki Bunny that's ultimately rejected. The attention to detail in the process is amazing; just look at all Joe's notes for the manufacturers, ensuring that every tiny element in the final design is absolutely right.
Joe doesn't restrict himself to simply making the toys; he has a hand in the packaging and promotional material, and it's fun to see him photographing prototypes to import the images into Illustrator and then create character illustrations from them.
If you've suddenly decided that your life isn't complete without a set of Joe's Chaos Minis, they're shipping in February and you can order them now from The Loyal Subjects.
Words: Jim McCauley
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