At the 20th Taipei Toy Festival in October 2023, we at Toy People met "That Man" on the 2nd floor of Hall B! He was a shirtless figure wearing only a pair of striped underwear. Not only did he sport a comical izakaya-shaped headpiece, but there also seemed to be a little surprise hidden in his underwear! In the following months, "That Man" quickly appeared in various corners of Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Japan, truly living up to his name as the World's Man!
Today, we at Toy People are here to chat with The Man's designer, Hong Kong illustrator Jeffery Lam (Tai Fai), about his story and the secrets behind The Man's creation～
Toy People: What did you study in school? And what kind of work did you do before becoming a toy designer?
Tai Fai: After graduating from secondary school, I enrolled in a vocational school for a diploma in mechanical engineering. After that, I pursued a university degree in marketing.
Toy People: What led you to become a toy designer?
Tai Fai: I've been in the toy development industry since 2013. While working, I happened to come across the works of T9G and Shoko in Macau. Combined with my lifelong passion for drawing and creating, I started my own creative journey with a half-playful, half-serious mindset.
▼ Japanese designer "T9G"
▼ Japanese designer "Shoko Nakazawa"
Toy People: Please share with us your very first toy creation!
Tai Fai: My first soft vinyl creation was Harry from Aliens Park. I'm better at creating comical characters, and at the time, I was quite fond of little monsters (yokai). Through the creative process, I added a pair of horns and a little bit of hair to a pink monster I liked, and he became the Harry we know today. That's why you can also find traces of my earlier creations in World's Man.
Toy People: Besides making your own toys, what kind of toys do you collect? Are there any new toys you're particularly fond of recently?
Tai Fai: I'm sorry, but I don't collect toys. However, I do occasionally build and paint models.
Toy People: What is the origin of the character World’s Man?
Tai Fai: It was mainly because during the pandemic, international travel was basically impossible, aside from local tourism in Hong Kong. As someone who frequently traveled to Japan for both leisure and work, I developed a sense of nostalgia for traveling. Based on this feeling, I had a sudden idea to create a character who could travel anywhere freely and without restrictions, and thus, The Man was born. Now, seeing customers take The Man on their travels brings me a sense of happiness.
▼ The initial design sketch for World's Man.
Toy People: How do you usually find inspiration for your toy creations? Do you have any special rituals?
Tai Fai: I mainly find inspiration by observing daily life. And yes, I do have a little ritual for finding inspiration before I create. I've had the habit of collecting design books since secondary school. When I need inspiration, I'll randomly pull a design magazine from my bookshelf and open it to a random page. This usually brings me some pleasant surprises.
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 process?
Tai Fai: Harry and The Man are both my favorite works. I really love The Man's base body; just by adding different headpieces, you can give him a completely different look and a sense of novelty, which I find quite magical. The Cup Noodle Harry I made in 2019 is a particular favorite, and it's also the piece I invested the most time in creating.
▼ The Cup Noodle Harry, a creation from 2019 that required a great deal of effort.
Toy People: What kind of environment do you like to create in? Please share a glimpse of your studio with everyone～
Tai Fai:
Toy People: Please share with us the process of creating one of your works!
Tai Fai: Taking the Mt. Fuji The Man as an example, I first find a scenic spot that I like. Then, I search for information about that location online. After gaining a preliminary understanding, I try to delve deeper into its historical background and see if any interesting news has occurred there. I then integrate these real-life elements into my toy creation.
For instance, there was a minor incident involving a certain convenience store near Mt. Fuji, and I incorporated that little story into my work, which became today's Mt. Fuji The Man.
Next comes sketching and then the sculpting process. After that, handing the sculpt over to the factory for production usually takes two to three months.
Toy People: What are your interests outside of creating? Please give your fans a chance to get to know you better!
Tai Fai: My fans probably know that I absolutely love reading manga. I read everything from shojo to shonen manga. Besides manga, I also love playing video games. Recently, I've been quite addicted to Souls-like games.
Toy People: Please write down (or draw) your answer to the question, "What are toys to you?"
Tai Fai:
That concludes our interview with Tai Fai. We wonder if all you toy lovers out there have gotten to know Tai Fai and his popular character, The Man, a little better, and if you've been captivated by this free-spirited man of the world, just as we have. And now, the limited-edition toy we at Toy People have created in collaboration with Tai Fai—a piece that essentially transforms every toy lover into The Man—the "World's Man Toy People Exclusive Edition" is now open for lottery! Fellow toy people, don't miss your chance to get one～
Portal → https://www.toy-people.com/?p=92475
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