Building upon his original character "Shark Boy" to construct the rich and diverse Shark Boy Universe, Taiwanese designer "Mao Mao Er" doesn't just love and create toys; his fascination with and personal interpretation of biological forms give his work a unique charm. Not only does he continue to expand his character roster with series like the "Jian Jian Universe," but he has also recently developed an evolved "Shark Boy 2.0" with a brand-new style, injecting even more potent vitality into his classic character.
Today, we at the Toy People editorial department are here to chat with Mao Mao Er, not only to get a glimpse into his underwater world but also to introduce our collaboration: the "Beta - Toy People 10th Anniversary Championship Battle Ver."!
Toy People: What did you study in school? And what jobs did you have before becoming a toy designer?
Mao Mao Er: I was in a Japanese language program in high school, so I have a basic foundation in Japanese. In university, I majored in a field related to games and animation, and for my graduate studies, I focused on visual communication design. Before becoming a toy designer, my main job was in 3D animation, where I was responsible for modeling and animation. Besides that, I also worked at a stable taking care of horses, and later I was part of the art department for films and commercials.
Toy People: What was the turning point that led you to become a toy designer?
Mao Mao Er: I've loved toys since I was a child, but I never really considered it a career path. It wasn't until I saw the works of various international independent brands at a TTF (Taipei Toy Festival) exhibition that I realized this might actually be a possibility. I was also very lucky; when I released my first soft vinyl toy, it coincided with a toy boom in Taiwan, which allowed me to smoothly begin my journey as a toy designer.
Toy People: Please share with us the story behind your very first toy creation!
Mao Mao Er: My first toy was my original character, Shark Boy. Shark Boy was initially presented as a resin version, sold as an unpainted, single-piece body. Later, to produce it as a soft vinyl figure, I made many adjustments based on production needs and my research into the toy market's preferences before completing the prototype for the soft vinyl version of Shark Boy.
▼ You can see that the earlier resin version of Shark Boy incorporated more realistic elements, including the sharpness of the teeth and the bloodstains covering its body.
Mao Mao Er: However, as the protagonist of my creative world, Shark Boy has been around for 7 years now. Looking back, my creative style and techniques have changed significantly. That's why I decided to create Shark Boy 2.0, re-sculpting the character with my current skills and vision. This newly launched character has already successfully reached its third colorway, and I hope everyone likes it!
▼ Since we're talking about Mao Mao Er's early works, we can't miss his very first piece, "Shark Man," which can be considered the starting point of his creative journey!
▼ In addition to the various colorways of Shark Boy, there's also the super cute "Shark Boy the Hero," which debuted at the "Undersea Adventure" exhibition at Kao Bian Zou.
Toy People: Besides making your own toys, what types of toys and which designers do you like the most?
Mao Mao Er: The designers who have influenced my work the most are several masters from Japan: T9G, Shoko Nakazawa, Sunguts, and Restore. These were the artists I looked up to when I first started making toys, and they are seniors whom I deeply respect and admire.
Toy collectors who love Kotobukiya's models are certainly no strangers to Restore. He has served as the prototype sculptor for many characters, including those from MARVEL, Jujutsu Kaisen, Chainsaw Man, and more.
Mao Mao Er: Besides designer toys, I'm a huge fan of vintage toys from the 90s. Mini 4WD, Beyblade, and B-Daman are my absolute favorites. I also love the toys from some of the anime series of that era, like my obsession, Evangelion, and Zettai Muteki Raijin-Oh.
Toy People: Compared to your previous original characters, the "Jian Jian Universe," a collaboration with Marvix.F Model Studio, features much richer detail and a more biological feel. Did any interesting ideas or new inspirations emerge during this process?
Mao Mao Er: The creative core of the Jian Jian Universe is to apply more realistic and fantastical elements to the proportions of my original Shark Boy Universe. Since both Min-en from Marvix.F Model Studio and I are big fans of reptiles, the brainstorming process was a lot of fun. We've recently released several new characters, and we hope to develop this series into a more complete and rich universe!
Toy People: In June of this year, you and "Funk Toy" were invited by Kaiyodo to participate in WTC2023, a soft vinyl toy exhibition, as one of the few Taiwanese creators. Were there any notable differences between WTC2023 and exhibitions in Taiwan?
Mao Mao Er: WTC is a relatively unique event. It's not large in scale and is held inside one of Kaiyodo's exhibition and retail centers. The atmosphere at this show is fantastic. To be specific, it feels less like a sales event and more like a gathering and party for a group of like-minded enthusiasts. This was a very pleasant surprise, making me feel like I had traveled back to an event from five or six years ago.
▼ The person on the left is the president of Kaiyodo, Shuichi Miyawaki.
Toy People: How do you usually find inspiration for creating toys? Do you have any special rituals?
Mao Mao Er: I constantly consume information from various fields. Besides highly related areas like toys, video games, movies, and anime, I also look into a lot of information about animals.
Toy People: Among all the works you've created so far, which one is your favorite and why? Which one left the deepest impression on you during its creation?
Mao Mao Er: I think it would still be Papa Shark. He was the starting point for all my toy creations, the piece that took the most time and taught me the most.
The one that left the deepest impression was probably the Belial colorway of Papa Shark. Due to some production errors, I had to personally finish the entire run. The patterns on Belial are incredibly complex, and I went through a hellish painting process. At the time, I swore I would never do it again. But looking back now, that figure is seriously cool. If I had the chance, maybe I would do it again?
▼ All the patterns on the back were completed through a complex masking and spraying process, and the quantity was far more than just one or two. Seeing it in person again today, I instantly understood what Mao Mao Er meant by a "hellish painting process."
▼ Speaking of Papa Shark, the "Tinplate Giant Shark," which caused a sensation upon its release, is a masterpiece of craftsmanship. The shark body, painted by Marvix.F Model Studio, exhibits a heavy metallic texture, complemented by a handmade work apron from the leather goods brand "TJK" studio, making each Tinplate Giant Shark unique.
▼ It's worth mentioning that for the birth of the new character "Dunkleosteus - Beta," Mao Mao Er also released a new masked wrestler colorway for Papa Shark (far left in the picture below).
▼ The giant Beta sculpture that first appeared at the "First Undersea Martial Arts Tournament" exhibition at Kao Bian Zou.
▼ This time, the "Beta - Toy People 10th Anniversary Championship Battle Ver." soft vinyl toy, a collaboration between Mao Mao Er and Toy People, also comes with a magnificent champion's cape! Look at that impressive size!
Toy People: What kind of environment do you like to create in? Please share a glimpse of your studio with everyone~
Mao Mao Er: I like to work in a large, open space, but for some reason, things keep piling up around me, and the number of toys inexplicably keeps increasing. Now I have to turn sideways just to get into my studio.
▼ At the entrance of the studio, you can see a dumbbell placed on a Blue-Eyes White Dragon rug. It seems we have a duelist who pays close attention to their ATK (physical)!
Toy People: What are your interests outside of creating? Please let your fans get to know you better!
Mao Mao Er: I love all kinds of animals, so I keep various tortoises, lizards, geckos, spiders, beetles, isopods, and other strange creatures. Besides living animals, I also appreciate their post-mortem forms, so I collect various animal bone specimens, wet specimens, and diaphonized specimens. I've even learned some basic preparation techniques myself.
▼ Mao Mao Er regularly goes on "patrols" at the beach to find and prepare new animal bone specimens.
Mao Mao Er: I like the Pokémon TCG; everyone is welcome to come and play with me. I enjoy playing basketball and pool, but unfortunately, work has become too busy, so I rarely get the chance to play anymore.
▼ The "Iono" card that every man in the world wants has also made an appearance here!
Toy People: Please write (or draw) your answer by hand: To you, 'What are toys?'
Mao Mao Er: "Toys are my best buddies!! We've been together since I was a kid, taking me on adventures. They are my most reliable partners!!"
Mao Mao Er × Toy People "Beta - Toy People 10th Anniversary Championship Battle Ver." lottery sale information is now officially announced! Fans of Master Mao Mao Er, don't miss out!~
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