Find UncleDad and JustMike at DesignerCon Las Vegas Nov 15th - 17th
Oct. 28, 2024

Episode 148: Talk w/ Ben Goretsky (Founder of Designer Con and Owner of 3DRetro)

Episode 148: Talk w/ Ben Goretsky (Founder of Designer Con and Owner of 3DRetro)
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UncleDad Talks

Hey there, friends! Get ready for an epic episode of "UncleDad Talks" as we dive into the vibrant world of DesignerCon with the mastermind himself, Ben Goretzky. Ben, the founder and CEO of DesignerCon, takes us on a journey through the creation and evolution of one of the coolest conventions around, now making its exciting debut in Las Vegas!

Join us as we chat with Ben about his passion for designer toys and art, and how his background in fintech surprisingly paved the way for the birth of 3D Retro and DesignerCon. Discover the fascinating connection between art and collectibles, and hear Ben's personal anecdotes about his journey from a tech enthusiast to a key figure in the collectible toy community.

We also get a sneak peek into the highlights of this year's DesignerCon in Vegas. From international artists like Fafi and Rockin' Jellybean to exclusive collaborations and exciting new releases, there's something for every art and toy lover to look forward to. Plus, Ben spills the beans on some of the special surprises and events lined up for this year's convention. Trust us, you won't want to miss it!

Whether you're a die-hard collector or just curious about the world of designer toys, this episode is packed with insights, laughter, and a few unexpected twists. So grab your favorite vinyl figure, kick back, and tune in for a fun-filled conversation with Ben Goretzky. We promise you'll leave with a newfound appreciation for the art of collecting!

Don't forget to grab your tickets for DesignerCon at designercon.com and join us in Vegas for a weekend of creativity, community, and collectibles. See you there!

Chapters

00:03 - Introduction to DesignerCon

01:27 - The Journey to DesignerCon

07:44 - Origins of DesignerCon

09:24 - A Podcast and a Misunderstanding

11:45 - Toys and Music: A Surprising Connection

13:29 - The Art Behind the Toys

19:05 - Highlights of DesignerCon

22:41 - Ticket Information and Accessibility

24:09 - Meeting Ben and Final Thoughts

Transcript
WEBVTT

00:00:00.017 --> 00:00:03.677
Yo, hello everyone. Welcome to Uncle Dad Talks. As always, I am Uncle Daddy.

00:00:03.797 --> 00:00:07.177
With me is the ever so handsome, the Tyco loving man himself,

00:00:07.357 --> 00:00:08.917
the one and only Just Mike. Mike, what's up?

00:00:09.817 --> 00:00:15.037
Ooh, hey, yeah. Nice little Tyco shout out there. Hey, you're welcome.

00:00:15.177 --> 00:00:16.677
I just did it because of your hat. That's the only reason why.

00:00:18.857 --> 00:00:23.417
That's right. I'm wearing that hat. Yes. And I was maybe listening to them today. I don't know.

00:00:24.117 --> 00:00:27.337
Okay. Well, use that energy you got right now, that Tyco energy,

00:00:27.397 --> 00:00:28.637
because we got a good one today.

00:00:28.637 --> 00:00:32.537
We are speaking you know what i probably should have asked to say his last name

00:00:32.537 --> 00:00:37.217
properly off before we aired we are with the man behind one of the best cons

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around period seriously i mean that it's one of my favorite ones to go through

00:00:40.637 --> 00:00:43.737
in this business uh let's give it up to boar uh ben,

00:00:44.557 --> 00:00:50.337
gore gorsky goretsky goretsky if you can't if you don't know how to pronounce

00:00:50.337 --> 00:00:56.137
it it's it's very much like the hockey player no relation it's so you know it's

00:00:56.137 --> 00:00:59.877
wayne gretzky but with me it's ben Goretzky.

00:01:00.397 --> 00:01:04.157
So very close. But if you say it fast enough, it's basically the same thing.

00:01:04.757 --> 00:01:08.777
Ah, so what we're saying is you are the goat of cons.

00:01:12.457 --> 00:01:15.557
I've never thought of it that way, but I'll take it. Sure. Why not?

00:01:16.157 --> 00:01:19.357
I love it. I love it. Yeah. So, you know, just to kind of start it off,

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just for people who don't know who you are, can you tell them who you are and what you founded?

00:01:24.357 --> 00:01:27.237
Yes. Hi, everyone. Thanks. First of all, thanks for having me, guys.

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Really appreciate, you know me being able to be on the show yeah

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my name is ben gretzky i am the founder and

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i guess ceo designer con

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which is an annual show that happens and

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it basically is a show that brings together the

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whole collectible toy community art

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you know artists manufacturers all

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the people that are involved in that kind of like designer

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toy and designer collectible scene that's what

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that's what we run we run designer con and on the flip side

00:02:02.857 --> 00:02:10.577
i also own a toy store and manufacturer of designer vinyl called 3d retro which

00:02:10.577 --> 00:02:17.177
is now we have a retail store in las vegas word uh mike go ahead well that's

00:02:17.177 --> 00:02:22.837
exciting because uh i know we are coming to decon so we will uh definitely have fun at the show.

00:02:23.057 --> 00:02:26.337
And I don't know, is 3D retro?

00:02:26.937 --> 00:02:29.457
What's it like for people to check that out?

00:02:30.304 --> 00:02:34.224
So it's funny because a lot of people that are coming to the show,

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they're like, oh, man, we're going to get to finally see your store while we're out there.

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And because our staff is going to be so busy with DesignerCon,

00:02:42.184 --> 00:02:43.824
the store is going to be closed.

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But if you are staying a few extra days while you come out to Vegas,

00:02:50.664 --> 00:02:56.064
I think we'll be opening back up the following Tuesday after DesignerCon and

00:02:56.064 --> 00:02:57.224
you can come visit the store.

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Or if you're here a little bit before the show

00:03:00.384 --> 00:03:04.404
uh the show starts on friday the 15th

00:03:04.404 --> 00:03:07.244
if you come like a day or two earlier you'll be

00:03:07.244 --> 00:03:10.284
able to come visit the store that way oh we

00:03:10.284 --> 00:03:13.944
might be able to do that mike there we go yeah and you

00:03:13.944 --> 00:03:17.044
don't want the the convention to have any competition with any stores

00:03:17.044 --> 00:03:19.764
in town anyway right so it only makes sense

00:03:19.764 --> 00:03:25.124
you close the store in addition to having exactly and by

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the way if you can't make it to the store or if we

00:03:27.804 --> 00:03:31.224
are closed then you're going to get your fill of all

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the stuff that we sell in the store multiplied by like a thousand at designer

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con anyway but that's what i do guys that's that's pretty much where where i

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come from and he's also incredibly charming and handsome so let's not forget

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that oh okay cameras are off right okay that's good.

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Uh you know so the thing about

00:03:53.784 --> 00:03:58.484
this con i've been able to do a lot of cons in our in our work of doing this

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and we every time we do this con mike is never able to go he's always having

00:04:02.684 --> 00:04:05.224
something come up and this is the first year that mike is going to be able to

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join us so i know mike is very excited about it so mike i kind of want you to

00:04:08.824 --> 00:04:11.464
kick it off with your your first hard-hitting question, if you will.

00:04:12.204 --> 00:04:15.744
Very hard hitting. I mean, nothing but the hardest. Well, you know,

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I'm a graphic designer by trade.

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And so I usually sell at events and there's always an event that I'm doing that

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always coincides this time. It didn't happen.

00:04:26.304 --> 00:04:30.444
And correct me if I'm wrong, but this is the first time it's in Vegas, correct?

00:04:31.344 --> 00:04:38.944
Yes. The show has been growing organically size-wise. We started off in Pasadena back in 2005.

00:04:39.604 --> 00:04:48.544
We moved to Anaheim in 2018, and this is going to be our first year in Las Vegas. That is correct.

00:04:49.424 --> 00:04:51.984
Yeah. See that? I mean, that was a pretty hard question there.

00:04:53.224 --> 00:04:58.244
So, okay. So I looked a little bit at your bio that's online that everyone can

00:04:58.244 --> 00:05:02.324
see, and I saw you did some work in the music industry before you founded 3D

00:05:02.324 --> 00:05:06.664
Retro, So one of the big hip hop head here when I saw you work with black IPs

00:05:06.664 --> 00:05:08.044
among a couple other big names.

00:05:08.344 --> 00:05:15.564
So how'd you find your way into design and the field you're in now from the music industry?

00:05:17.116 --> 00:05:22.356
I don't think I was doing anything in the music industry. Are you looking up the right guy? Yeah.

00:05:23.856 --> 00:05:27.296
Haven't really done anything in the music industry. Sorry to burst your bubble.

00:05:27.636 --> 00:05:33.476
I was actually, my background, surprisingly, is in fintech.

00:05:33.596 --> 00:05:35.776
I'm a tech guy. You're a tech guy.

00:05:36.556 --> 00:05:40.996
Yeah, my background is kind of like, and I mean, maybe we did stuff with the

00:05:40.996 --> 00:05:42.256
music guys and things like that.

00:05:42.976 --> 00:05:47.836
But yeah, it's weird. Like my major in college was computer science.

00:05:48.176 --> 00:05:53.996
I was heavy into programming and I was just literally like a big computer guy.

00:05:54.216 --> 00:05:56.116
I still am. I still am a big computer guy.

00:05:57.136 --> 00:06:05.236
And my background being in fintech kind of helped launch 3D retro because when

00:06:05.236 --> 00:06:09.516
we were building out a lot of the technology for the e-commerce platforms out

00:06:09.516 --> 00:06:13.016
there in the fintech industry, I was like, damn,

00:06:13.436 --> 00:06:18.316
we need we need to like open up like a store to try this out.

00:06:18.656 --> 00:06:24.056
I was getting into collectible figures and I was like, you know what?

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I'm going to open up an online store using this technology that we're building

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for back end credit card processing, financial technology, e-commerce platforms, things like that.

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And I opened up 3D Retro as an online store using all this new tech.

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Not knowing that people were actually going to go to the website and buy things.

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So as that started to grow, I started to get more relationships with suppliers and manufacturers.

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And I was already into the whole thing. I was already a collector.

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So now I was becoming a retailer. And I was like, oh, man, you know,

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it's like this is really a nice way for me to be able to get exclusives.

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To make relationships with these guys.

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And then what ended up

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happening was as i became a larger retailer i

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was like there really isn't anything for this community

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this like collectible art collectible

00:07:22.121 --> 00:07:25.201
toy community i mean there's art shows out there

00:07:25.201 --> 00:07:29.021
there's like the comic cons

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out there that are kind of like they have maybe an artist

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section or like these art figure sections like

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this little group that huddles together but there was

00:07:38.981 --> 00:07:41.861
really nothing set up for this this kind

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of like show that we are and that's when.

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I started you know the very first decon

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in in 2005 which was actually called vinyl

00:07:51.381 --> 00:07:54.141
toy network we didn't switch the name to

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designer con until 2009 and literally

00:07:58.081 --> 00:08:01.021
the reasoning was the the concept was always

00:08:01.021 --> 00:08:04.121
to bring in everything in the aspect of

00:08:04.121 --> 00:08:07.361
the vinyl toy world you know like like resin

00:08:07.361 --> 00:08:10.601
figures and plush toys and prints and posters

00:08:10.601 --> 00:08:13.481
and all that stuff but whenever we would mention the name

00:08:13.481 --> 00:08:16.221
vinyl toy network people are like hey bro we

00:08:16.221 --> 00:08:18.921
don't do vinyl toys so and we're

00:08:18.921 --> 00:08:23.921
like but you don't understand it's a network it expands beyond vinyl toys and

00:08:23.921 --> 00:08:31.581
they're like yeah no so in 2009 i changed the name to designer con and the first

00:08:31.581 --> 00:08:37.301
show in 2009 was Vinyl Toy Network Presents DesignerCon.

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And then like, you know, 2000, 2010, 2011, we started taking away the presents

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and it became a standalone name because people started to like the name.

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I guess D-Con and DesignerCon was

00:08:52.389 --> 00:08:57.269
a little bit more catchy and people were starting to remember that more.

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So, you know, here we are today where D-Con is DesignerCon and that's it.

00:09:02.049 --> 00:09:05.509
But yeah, that's pretty much how it started. And, you know, going back to the

00:09:05.509 --> 00:09:11.529
whole thing, it's it's kind of because of my background in fintech that I was

00:09:11.529 --> 00:09:15.869
able to like, hey, I got to open up the store. The store started to grow.

00:09:16.549 --> 00:09:21.049
I started this, you know, getting more into the community. And because of that,

00:09:21.249 --> 00:09:23.849
we now have decom today. So there you go.

00:09:24.249 --> 00:09:28.009
I love that. So on the show, I'd like to keep it real as possible.

00:09:28.189 --> 00:09:29.389
And I know where Mike got that from.

00:09:29.609 --> 00:09:34.929
So you did a podcast, sir, called Clean Break. Do you remember that one?

00:09:35.869 --> 00:09:41.949
Yeah. Clean Break was, I believe, wasn't that Matt Gondex? It is.

00:09:43.369 --> 00:09:48.049
So his bio that he has for you, he states on there that you worked with including

00:09:48.049 --> 00:09:50.609
Black Ice Peas, Justin Timberlake, and Britney Spears.

00:09:53.249 --> 00:09:55.009
And that's where I got that from.

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If that's an inside joke but uh i promise that is under your name and it's on

00:10:04.389 --> 00:10:09.349
the internet so i believe it to be true if it's on the internet then it must

00:10:09.349 --> 00:10:12.049
be true we all know it's out there,

00:10:12.989 --> 00:10:15.969
well you know what i i've got

00:10:15.969 --> 00:10:19.489
to hit up matt about that that is you know

00:10:19.489 --> 00:10:22.509
matt aside from being an amazing artist he

00:10:22.509 --> 00:10:25.269
has an amazing sense of humor i would

00:10:25.269 --> 00:10:28.229
not be surprised if he put that in there to kind of like

00:10:28.229 --> 00:10:31.029
just kind of throw it in

00:10:31.029 --> 00:10:33.829
there like let's see if ben actually reads the shit that

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i write but i mean

00:10:36.749 --> 00:10:39.869
i i like i wonder how

00:10:39.869 --> 00:10:42.589
it's got to be like an insight like it's got to be like

00:10:42.589 --> 00:10:45.609
a joke on his end but i apologize to you

00:10:45.609 --> 00:10:48.829
mike that you know you read it and

00:10:48.829 --> 00:10:53.349
you're like wow this guy like has been in the in the music scene for a while

00:10:53.349 --> 00:10:57.209
he knows all these guys i mean i've been to a justin timberlake concert if that

00:10:57.209 --> 00:11:03.189
counts okay we're cleared yeah i mean it's kind of my job on this show to look

00:11:03.189 --> 00:11:07.169
like a bumbling idiot and it happened naturally so there we go.

00:11:08.376 --> 00:11:13.636
It is not your fault. Like I said, clearly, I mean, if you read it on the Internet,

00:11:13.816 --> 00:11:18.516
then I can only assume that there's about maybe like 20 other people that read it, too.

00:11:19.236 --> 00:11:23.336
So you and like 19 others out there are just like, man, this guy,

00:11:23.496 --> 00:11:25.996
Ben, he's been involved with all these like musicians.

00:11:27.156 --> 00:11:31.436
So I don't know if I should thank Matt for that one or what.

00:11:31.596 --> 00:11:33.776
But I apologize. I misinterpreted.

00:11:34.896 --> 00:11:38.156
You know, it's funny. And our longest time doing that, we've never had that happen before.

00:11:38.156 --> 00:11:43.736
So that's why i was like i need to correct this right now it's a first amazing i'm here.

00:11:45.116 --> 00:11:48.156
I knew i knew no one's gonna bring the party i knew it,

00:11:49.476 --> 00:11:52.276
i was gonna say there must be a

00:11:52.276 --> 00:11:55.036
black ip's toy line exclusive for the

00:11:55.036 --> 00:11:58.956
con right now okay all right uh we know

00:11:58.956 --> 00:12:02.136
it's funny the the only the only

00:12:02.136 --> 00:12:05.456
musician that we've actually worked with in producing a toy on

00:12:05.456 --> 00:12:08.616
the 3d retro side is we've actually produced

00:12:08.616 --> 00:12:11.756
a figure with nick cave back in

00:12:11.756 --> 00:12:14.556
the day we did we did it it was a vinyl figure that we

00:12:14.556 --> 00:12:18.296
did with the artist oh my gosh oh

00:12:18.296 --> 00:12:21.376
my gosh why am i skipping out on his name plastic god

00:12:21.376 --> 00:12:24.276
thank you so plastic god made a rendition of

00:12:24.276 --> 00:12:26.956
nick cave and then nick cave liked it and

00:12:26.956 --> 00:12:30.436
his team liked it so much that we actually produced the vinyl figures and then

00:12:30.436 --> 00:12:33.396
actually two years ago

00:12:33.396 --> 00:12:36.076
we or no it was last year was it

00:12:36.076 --> 00:12:38.796
last year geez we worked with a very

00:12:38.796 --> 00:12:45.676
popular asian pop singer artist by the name of jj lynn and jj lynn produced

00:12:45.676 --> 00:12:51.496
his 20th anniversary tour bare brick with us where we worked with medicom we

00:12:51.496 --> 00:12:54.856
we didn't actually like manufacture it but we worked with the company medicom

00:12:54.856 --> 00:12:58.436
to make that happen so i guess we're kind of tied into the whole,

00:12:59.496 --> 00:13:00.896
entertainment music scene.

00:13:00.976 --> 00:13:04.996
You can't really help it with designer vinyl toys and collectibles, but,

00:13:05.738 --> 00:13:10.678
But yeah, I don't know about that bio. I love the turn that this interview took.

00:13:11.798 --> 00:13:15.298
Yeah, now we're talking about that.

00:13:15.638 --> 00:13:21.238
So it must feel really great to create something from the ground,

00:13:21.418 --> 00:13:23.018
right? And then watch it grow.

00:13:23.178 --> 00:13:26.798
Now you're moving it into a bigger facility. You're in Vegas now.

00:13:27.078 --> 00:13:29.738
I mean, who doesn't want to go to Vegas for a convention, right?

00:13:29.738 --> 00:13:38.438
Like, so were you, were you intrigued a lot by, by design or like designer artists,

00:13:38.618 --> 00:13:44.238
graphic designers or more like the toy or was it just a combination of both?

00:13:44.318 --> 00:13:49.318
Cause I know when I get a toy, there's toys I, I will buy to collect that I will never open.

00:13:49.438 --> 00:13:52.578
Right. Just because the package is part of the collect, the collectible,

00:13:52.778 --> 00:13:55.838
you know, and then there's other stuff that you open and you,

00:13:55.998 --> 00:13:59.338
you know, you put somewhere and probably falls behind the counter.

00:13:59.338 --> 00:14:04.038
And you never see it again, but so, so what, what are you a most a fan of,

00:14:04.178 --> 00:14:05.758
or is it just the whole package as well?

00:14:06.898 --> 00:14:13.018
So for me, it's a little bit of everything, honestly, for me,

00:14:13.278 --> 00:14:16.418
the toys were a stepping stone into the art.

00:14:17.318 --> 00:14:23.078
And when I started getting into designer toys and designer vinyl figures,

00:14:23.198 --> 00:14:25.678
especially like that's, that's really my love.

00:14:26.921 --> 00:14:31.121
I was introduced to artists. I mean, some of the first artists I was introduced

00:14:31.121 --> 00:14:36.521
to, and this is from companies like Toy2R and CritterBox back in the day.

00:14:36.901 --> 00:14:43.461
I was introduced to artists like Gary Baseman and Tim Biscop and Joe Ledbetter and Nathan Javicious.

00:14:44.101 --> 00:14:51.701
These are all, even artists like Fafi, which is a big thing for me because she's finally doing decon.

00:14:51.701 --> 00:14:54.981
Like these are all figures that were

00:14:54.981 --> 00:14:58.881
the very first in the vinyl toy scene like

00:14:58.881 --> 00:15:03.961
i said made by companies like toy 2r made by companies like critter box you

00:15:03.961 --> 00:15:08.821
know sympathy for the record industry type of guys like that like you know long

00:15:08.821 --> 00:15:13.401
gone john the the initial guys that were doing this and even the initial figures

00:15:13.401 --> 00:15:17.441
from like kid robot when they first started back in the day back in like 2003.

00:15:18.361 --> 00:15:21.321
So for me, I love the figures.

00:15:21.841 --> 00:15:25.721
And then I love the figures so much where I'm like, who is this person?

00:15:25.901 --> 00:15:28.561
Who, who are these artists behind these figures?

00:15:28.761 --> 00:15:35.881
I started looking into their art and I'm like, man, that art really looks like my figure that I like.

00:15:36.041 --> 00:15:40.501
And wouldn't it be awesome to have the art that matches the matches the figure.

00:15:40.621 --> 00:15:43.501
It's kind of like what you're talking about

00:15:43.501 --> 00:15:46.841
in terms of figures with you know the packaging

00:15:46.841 --> 00:15:50.181
that is so you know matching to

00:15:50.181 --> 00:15:53.621
the figure itself like you don't want to take it out of that so for

00:15:53.621 --> 00:15:58.941
me it was it was that way with art figures where i love the figure so much the

00:15:58.941 --> 00:16:04.561
art that the artist did that matches the figure that i was buying i got intrigued

00:16:04.561 --> 00:16:11.461
into i i fell into this whole art world so you can't you can't help but mix that.

00:16:11.641 --> 00:16:15.161
Like even though you might start separated out where you're,

00:16:15.321 --> 00:16:17.701
oh, I'm only buying these like kind of collectible figures.

00:16:18.721 --> 00:16:22.941
If you are really into a specific artist, you actually end up buying either

00:16:22.941 --> 00:16:27.281
their books or their art or their prints or whatever it may be,

00:16:27.481 --> 00:16:30.961
just like you would when you buy a figure and you're like, man,

00:16:31.081 --> 00:16:35.141
I love the blister pack and I love the box art and I'm, you know,

00:16:35.221 --> 00:16:37.101
I love all this stuff that falls into it.

00:16:38.318 --> 00:16:42.258
And there's even artists behind that. So for me, it was like kind of like,

00:16:42.458 --> 00:16:46.358
you know, one thing led to another. And now I love it all.

00:16:47.558 --> 00:16:50.938
Beautiful. There's the package design, the product design.

00:16:51.318 --> 00:16:56.038
And I see, correct me if I'm wrong in the background, one of my favorite artists,

00:16:56.718 --> 00:16:59.938
I was a fan of his like, you know, 2D visual art.

00:17:00.078 --> 00:17:04.858
And then now he does lots of toys or mounted things on the wall,

00:17:04.998 --> 00:17:06.698
which you have three masks back there.

00:17:06.778 --> 00:17:10.098
Are those shag? josh eagle pieces that

00:17:10.098 --> 00:17:13.578
you have on the wall yes so yes you

00:17:13.578 --> 00:17:17.678
notice so right behind me those are the the hitchhiking

00:17:17.678 --> 00:17:21.338
ghosts done in tiki format

00:17:21.338 --> 00:17:24.798
by shag jack josh

00:17:24.798 --> 00:17:27.778
and i love his artwork i've always

00:17:27.778 --> 00:17:31.498
loved his artwork we've worked with him on exclusive

00:17:31.498 --> 00:17:35.038
prints a 3d retro we actually made an exclusive back

00:17:35.038 --> 00:17:38.838
to the future 35th anniversary print with him in 2020

00:17:38.838 --> 00:17:41.758
and he has been an amazing

00:17:41.758 --> 00:17:45.138
supporter of designer con for years he

00:17:45.138 --> 00:17:47.998
always comes and brings amazing prints and any kind of

00:17:47.998 --> 00:17:51.598
like figures or household items

00:17:51.598 --> 00:17:54.278
3d retro also produced one of his

00:17:54.278 --> 00:17:57.778
vinyl figures the elephant the pink elephants where

00:17:57.778 --> 00:18:01.278
if you like his art style he did he does these

00:18:01.278 --> 00:18:04.198
drawings of these pink elephants and we actually made

00:18:04.198 --> 00:18:08.018
them into vinyl figures but he loves

00:18:08.018 --> 00:18:11.378
making figures or he loves making things that actually have

00:18:11.378 --> 00:18:14.478
use so the way

00:18:14.478 --> 00:18:17.538
that we did it was that if you lift the hat off these

00:18:17.538 --> 00:18:20.898
pink elephant vinyl figures it's actually a coin bank and

00:18:20.898 --> 00:18:25.538
you can put put the money into into these elephants and there is a little thing

00:18:25.538 --> 00:18:29.598
on the bottom that you can open up but these are some he is an amazing artist.

00:18:29.598 --> 00:18:34.298
And yeah i i love his style and yes that's that's awesome that you noticed those

00:18:34.298 --> 00:18:39.178
those uh tiki masks which are the three ghosts from the haunted mansion,

00:18:40.958 --> 00:18:45.138
yeah i love that mike mike is hands with the eye you can see everything i swear

00:18:45.138 --> 00:18:47.918
you just see you just might get the wrong information sometimes.

00:18:51.118 --> 00:18:55.258
So before we end the show can we talk about any specific highlights that are

00:18:55.258 --> 00:19:00.058
coming for the Las Vegas version of DesignerCon that you want to have the audience know about.

00:19:00.198 --> 00:19:03.538
Because to be honest, it's so exciting that it's in Vegas. It's going to add

00:19:03.538 --> 00:19:04.878
a different level of excitement to it.

00:19:05.038 --> 00:19:08.278
I think designers are going to come out in ways that we've never seen before.

00:19:08.838 --> 00:19:12.338
And we'll be there, of course. And I just want to know what we have in store for us.

00:19:13.364 --> 00:19:17.324
We, we were really excited. I mean, Vegas is going to be incredible.

00:19:18.004 --> 00:19:21.504
We actually were initially worried, like, are people going to make it out?

00:19:21.624 --> 00:19:27.484
And like, no, I think it's actually easier to get to Las Vegas than it was to get to Anaheim.

00:19:27.924 --> 00:19:33.604
So, but some of the highlights this year, our rock stars are always the artists.

00:19:33.924 --> 00:19:37.504
So this year, there's no difference in that.

00:19:37.684 --> 00:19:41.744
We have some amazing artists coming. I've already mentioned that coming from

00:19:41.744 --> 00:19:48.344
France, we have Fafi, we have from Japan, we have a ton of artists coming from

00:19:48.344 --> 00:19:51.104
Japan, along with the usuals like Punk Drunkers.

00:19:51.204 --> 00:19:57.244
But this year, we have renowned artist Rockin' Jellybean, which is known for

00:19:57.244 --> 00:20:02.124
his a little bit more risque art, but we figured, hey, it's Vegas, baby, so why not, right?

00:20:02.544 --> 00:20:06.604
Rockin' Jellybean hasn't really done a lot of appearances out here in the US,

00:20:06.604 --> 00:20:09.404
but he is coming out for designer con and he has

00:20:09.404 --> 00:20:12.584
made an amazing print that is

00:20:12.584 --> 00:20:15.664
exclusive for decon along with him we've got

00:20:15.664 --> 00:20:19.764
this guy is blown up he is incredible casting

00:20:19.764 --> 00:20:23.084
long the creator of little monsters and

00:20:23.084 --> 00:20:25.824
he's worked with companies like pop mart which are also going

00:20:25.824 --> 00:20:29.164
to be pop mart's going to be at the show how to work which

00:20:29.164 --> 00:20:32.364
is another company that he works with is going to be at the show but most

00:20:32.364 --> 00:20:35.464
importantly casting himself will be

00:20:35.464 --> 00:20:39.344
at the show this is huge he has never done a

00:20:39.344 --> 00:20:42.124
show in the united states he's also part

00:20:42.124 --> 00:20:47.104
of kai kai kiki gallery which is associated to murakami for those who know so

00:20:47.104 --> 00:20:51.864
maybe we'll get some special appearances there not going to name anybody but

00:20:51.864 --> 00:20:58.384
uh we have i mean the list goes on and on like we have from amsterdam london

00:20:58.384 --> 00:20:59.784
police coming back out again.

00:21:00.024 --> 00:21:03.344
Once again, from Japan, we have Toma and his crew coming out.

00:21:03.504 --> 00:21:07.724
We have Rhymes Like Dimes doing exclusives with us this year.

00:21:07.924 --> 00:21:15.844
We have some really cool products, as usual, coming out from companies like Medicom.

00:21:16.724 --> 00:21:17.844
Collaborations with.

00:21:18.739 --> 00:21:24.599
Keith Herring and Coca-Cola. We have special bare brick releases with other

00:21:24.599 --> 00:21:28.519
artists such as like Tara McPherson and OG Slick.

00:21:28.819 --> 00:21:33.519
His very first bare brick is going to be debuting at DesignerCon along with

00:21:33.519 --> 00:21:37.939
some special maybe OG Slick is very well known for his LA hands,

00:21:38.139 --> 00:21:42.279
the LA, but if you turn it this way, it kind of looks like LV.

00:21:42.959 --> 00:21:46.899
So there might be a special drop on that happening.

00:21:48.299 --> 00:21:51.419
So what i would say is i know

00:21:51.419 --> 00:21:54.539
i'm forgetting about a million things here and there's

00:21:54.539 --> 00:21:57.279
going to be a lot of great figures a lot of great

00:21:57.279 --> 00:22:00.699
companies coming you know from mondo to tokidoki

00:22:00.699 --> 00:22:03.819
to robbie to medicom to you

00:22:03.819 --> 00:22:06.859
know lucky emma to all these guys from

00:22:06.859 --> 00:22:10.159
around the world and that's actually one thing that we

00:22:10.159 --> 00:22:13.599
were we were actually surprised is we were

00:22:13.599 --> 00:22:17.239
worried that is it going to be harder to get these international guys

00:22:17.239 --> 00:22:21.179
from hong kong singapore philippines japan

00:22:21.179 --> 00:22:26.519
china is it going to be harder to get them to come out to las vegas and what

00:22:26.519 --> 00:22:30.999
we actually found was that they are more excited about coming to vegas and it's

00:22:30.999 --> 00:22:36.419
not easier for them to come out here than it was for anaheim so we have all

00:22:36.419 --> 00:22:39.999
these big guys all these big manufacturers all these exclusive drops.

00:22:41.039 --> 00:22:43.959
And it's all happening all under one roof at designer

00:22:43.959 --> 00:22:46.999
con so that's the amazing stuff that's

00:22:46.999 --> 00:22:49.699
happening that's that's incredible and we do got

00:22:49.699 --> 00:22:53.799
to wrap up soon so where can audience members still buy tickets right now you

00:22:53.799 --> 00:22:59.079
can buy them now by going to designer con.com there's a link right there for

00:22:59.079 --> 00:23:05.499
for tickets and i believe we still have a few vip tickets available so vip tickets

00:23:05.499 --> 00:23:07.539
are capped at a certain number.

00:23:08.179 --> 00:23:12.799
Friday night is strictly for VIP. That's 5 PM to 9 PM.

00:23:13.019 --> 00:23:16.699
That's VIP night and press and media. So you guys, I better see you there.

00:23:17.719 --> 00:23:20.759
And, and then of course there's like general, and we,

00:23:20.879 --> 00:23:26.639
we've always said that we prefer that people spend their money inside the hall

00:23:26.639 --> 00:23:31.119
than outside, which is why we keep tickets at such an affordable rate where

00:23:31.119 --> 00:23:34.999
the weekend, if you're just buying a regular weekend pass, it's still only $40.

00:23:36.320 --> 00:23:40.000
That's really great. Yeah, because a lot of places, they jack up the prices,

00:23:40.000 --> 00:23:41.700
and you got nothing left when you go inside.

00:23:41.940 --> 00:23:45.980
So thanks for doing that for the people and for the artists inside, too.

00:23:46.220 --> 00:23:50.140
Yeah, no problem. I mean, the way we see it is because kids 12 and under are

00:23:50.140 --> 00:23:55.540
free, usually a family of four can get into the show for the weekend for like

00:23:55.540 --> 00:24:00.320
$80 for everybody, which is not that bad, in my opinion.

00:24:01.140 --> 00:24:06.080
Especially in Vegas. Yeah, especially in Vegas. You walk out the door, you spend $80 in Vegas.

00:24:09.700 --> 00:24:14.380
One last question though ben so will fans get to get a chance to meet you if

00:24:14.380 --> 00:24:16.780
they want to meet you there and will

00:24:16.780 --> 00:24:22.080
fergie be there that is the final hard-hitting question i have for you,

00:24:23.720 --> 00:24:26.800
let's see will they be able to i i will be walking

00:24:26.800 --> 00:24:29.620
the floor i usually do walk the floor a little bit there's usually

00:24:29.620 --> 00:24:32.520
a panel on the stage or at least

00:24:32.520 --> 00:24:35.460
a talking session with me i think i have one planned

00:24:35.460 --> 00:24:38.560
with mark brickie he runs a podcast called

00:24:38.560 --> 00:24:41.600
adventures in design and he usually runs the stage

00:24:41.600 --> 00:24:44.260
so i'll probably going to be on there but yes you can see

00:24:44.260 --> 00:24:47.920
me walking around the hall if you can catch me and

00:24:47.920 --> 00:24:50.640
we have sent out the invitation to fergie but we have

00:24:50.640 --> 00:24:53.600
not heard a response back yet so i'll keep you updated on

00:24:53.600 --> 00:24:56.460
that one mike okay thank you thanks ben i'm

00:24:56.460 --> 00:25:00.360
glad we uh work together on that yeah oh man

00:25:00.360 --> 00:25:03.220
uh what a fun one hey ben it was an absolute pleasure

00:25:03.220 --> 00:25:06.420
if you um do you think we'll have an opportunity at least to say hi to you during

00:25:06.420 --> 00:25:11.140
the media night absolutely looking forward to to seeing you guys as well and

00:25:11.140 --> 00:25:16.400
shaking your hands in person yeah we'll bring a gift for you a special black

00:25:16.400 --> 00:25:21.140
eyed peas album for you all right no more black eyed peas jokes,

00:25:23.140 --> 00:25:24.740
speaking of capped we're capped.

00:25:26.840 --> 00:25:30.500
Hi everybody uh yeah so please go check them out i seriously i can't wait thank

00:25:30.500 --> 00:25:32.400
you again ben it It was an absolute pleasure talking to you.

00:25:32.900 --> 00:25:36.980
I mean, really, DesignerCon is seriously the funnest event I go to every year.

00:25:37.140 --> 00:25:40.840
I'm excited to have my man Mike with us. It's going to be such a great time.

00:25:41.020 --> 00:25:44.780
So thank you again for your time, Ben. And I guess that's really it.

00:25:44.880 --> 00:25:48.420
And without further ado, we're not uncles, we're not dads. We'll see you all next week.