Ep. 296 Toys on Tap w/Neil Ewing: It's easy to make a toy. It's hard to make a good one!

Neil Ewing of Bombastic Plastic is back, and this one goes everywhere.Fresh off a trip to Japan, Neil joins Toys on Tap for a brutally open conversation about what it actually takes to survive as an independent toy maker.We talk about:• Selling toys in Japan vs. the U.S. • Why some conventions just aren’t worth it • Losing $2,800 at a show • Original IP vs. “art hacks” • Pricing toys realistically • Gatekeeping, education, and factory secrets • Why collectors can smell a cash grab • Ego, jealousy, failure, and artist drama • Why craftsmanship still matters • Supporting artists instead of punching down • His upcoming Big Pounder KickstarterNeil puts it perfectly:It’s easier than ever to make a toy.Making a GOOD toy is another story.On Instagram: @neil_ewingOn Instagram: @bombastic_plasticThanks to Our SupportersRate & Review the Show! Leave a rating and review wherever you listen it's the best way to help Toys on Tap grow!Subscribe and Follow AlongInstagram:@toysontapLinkedin: Abraham MustoFacebook:@toysontapYoutube:@ToysontapSubStack: @toysontapPalmstreet: Toys on Tap: Live on Sundays 6pm

Space Rabbit Studio joins Toys on Tap to talk about turning a creative escape into their full-time life.They started Space Rabbit with no business plan, just two creatives who wanted somewhere to make their own work. Then a logo became a character. The character became a resin toy. And eventually they quit their jobs and went all in.We talk about:• Growing up with Care Bears and giant robots in Taiwan • How Space Rabbit started as a website logo • Teaching themselves resin casting • The VERY rough first Space Rabbit • Building Mellow Meow and God! Gelato • Creating a strong character universe • Quitting their corporate careers • Taking Space Rabbit around the world • ToyCon UK and their first international show • Why making toys isn’t for everyone • AR, animation, projection mapping, and what comes nextSpace Rabbit started as an escape.Now it’s the thing they built their lives around.On Instagram: @space_rabbit_studioThanks to Our SupportersRate & Review the Show! Leave a rating and review wherever you listen it's the best way to help Toys on Tap grow!Subscribe and Follow AlongInstagram:@toysontapLinkedin: Abraham MustoFacebook:@toysontapYoutube:@ToysontapSubStack: @toysontapPalmstreet: Toys on Tap: Live on Sundays 6pm

Tattoo artist and toy maker Chris Reed of Creeder Toys joins Toys on Tap to talk about what happens when decades of tattoos, horror movies, Japanese art, vintage toys, and monster obsession all collide.Chris started apprenticing as a teenager and has spent nearly 30 years tattooing—but eventually collecting turned into sculpting, mask making, resin casting, monster banks, and finally sofubi.We talk about:• Tattooing at 17 • Punk, skateboarding, and horror movies • Falling into vintage toy collecting • Japanese tattoo history and yokai • Making latex masks from scratch • Sculpting and casting his own toys • Why his first sofubi HAD to be made in Japan • Collaborating with Chaz • Selling out his first toy shows • Resin vs. vinyl collector obsession • Kong banks, Frankenstein, and what comes nextChris may not have a master plan.He just wants to keep making cool shit.On Instagram: @creedertoysThanks to Our SupportersRate & Review the Show! Leave a rating and review wherever you listen it's the best way to help Toys on Tap grow!Subscribe and Follow AlongInstagram:@toysontapLinkedin: Abraham MustoFacebook:@toysontapYoutube:@ToysontapSubStack: @toysontapPalmstreet: Toys on Tap: Live on Sundays 6pm

Bob Johnson of Bay Area Film Events joins Toys on Tap to talk about the wild evolution of Godzilla Fest, from a seven-day movie marathon to a full-blown convention.Bob has spent decades turning the movies he loves into experiences people remember.We talk about:• Discovering Godzilla and Ultraman as a kid • The first Godzilla Fest in 2004 • Hosting legendary actors, directors, and suit performers • Turning a film festival into a convention • Growing from one hotel floor to two • Vendors, Artist Alley, cosplay, card tournaments, and retro games • Working with Toho, Tsuburaya, and Toei • Why the goal is a “Godzilla Wonderland” • What’s new for SF Godzilla Fest • Bob’s dream of taking over even more of San FranciscoThis episode is equal parts fandom, event-building, and proof that sometimes the thing you loved as a kid can become the thing you build for everyone else.On Instagram: @sfgodzillafestThanks to Our SupportersRate & Review the Show! Leave a rating and review wherever you listen it's the best way to help Toys on Tap grow!Subscribe and Follow AlongInstagram:@toysontapLinkedin: Abraham MustoFacebook:@toysontapYoutube:@ToysontapSubStack: @toysontapPalmstreet: Toys on Tap: Live on Sundays 6pm

Bullmart founders Jerry and Shiti join Toys on Tap to talk about building a collectible that doesn’t really fit into any existing category.It’s leather. It’s weighted. It uses magnets. It comes with premium packaging and a handwritten letter, and it was created by a team new to toys.We talk about:• Why Jerry wanted to make a bull • Designing for adult male collectors • Turning ambition into a physical character • Choosing leather over traditional toy materials • Going from TWO handmade bulls a day to a real business • Shipping costs nearly destroying the margins • Why collecting is really about emotion • Collaborating with Inter Milan • Building sports and lifestyle partnerships • Creating Bullmart’s own identity • The upcoming Bank of Bull collectionBullMart is here trying to create something worth collecting right now.On Instagram: @bullmartglobalThanks to Our SupportersRate & Review the Show! Leave a rating and review wherever you listen it's the best way to help Toys on Tap grow!Subscribe and Follow AlongInstagram:@toysontapLinkedin: Abraham MustoFacebook:@toysontapYoutube:@ToysontapSubStack: @toysontapPalmstreet: Toys on Tap: Live on Sundays 6pm

Kaiju Go co-founder Chaz joins Toys on Tap to break down how two friends turned a love of kaiju films and toys into one of the most talked-about small toy events around.And the philosophy is simple: throw a great party and take care of the artists.We talk about:• Growing up obsessed with dinosaurs and monsters • Starting Kaiju Go in 2023 • Combining designer toys with classic kaiju films • Why artists table for FREE • Keeping the event intentionally small • Curating sofubi, resin, and kaiju artists • Fans lining up hours before doors open • Volunteers keeping everyone hydrated in the Texas heat • Designing Kaiju Go’s killer merch • What could change next yearKaiju Go isn’t chasing massive growth. It’s chasing longevity, community, and one ridiculously good day every year.On Instagram: @Kaiju_goThanks to Our SupportersRate & Review the Show! Leave a rating and review wherever you listen it's the best way to help Toys on Tap grow!Subscribe and Follow AlongInstagram:@toysontapLinkedin: Abraham MustoFacebook:@toysontapYoutube:@ToysontapSubStack: @toysontapPalmstreet: Toys on Tap: Live on Sundays 6pm

WhiskeyJack Toys founder joins Toys on Tap to talk about the brutal, expensive, and incredibly rewarding reality of making 3.75-inch action figures.Darren wanted to make toys since discovering G.I. Joe as a kid, but getting there included lost molds, failed production runs, a $100,000 factory disaster, and one very expensive education.We talk about:• Falling in love with G.I. Joe • Buying his first toy company • Losing $100K in overseas production • Starting over with Whiskey Jack Toys • Building Hidden Force • Why action figure tooling gets so expensive • Relaunching a failed Kickstarter • Reusing parts without making figures feel repetitive • Factory delays, QC, and production nightmares • Designing toys kids can actually play with • Impact, Chaos, and what comes nextThis one is packed with toy-business lessons, painful mistakes, and proof that sometimes getting absolutely crushed is just part of figuring out how to do it right.On Instagram: @whiskeyjacktoysThanks to Our SupportersRate & Review the Show! Leave a rating and review wherever you listen it's the best way to help Toys on Tap grow!Subscribe and Follow AlongInstagram:@toysontapLinkedin: Abraham MustoFacebook:@toysontapYoutube:@Toysontap

Photographer, collector, and first-time toy maker Robert of Manic joins Toys on Tap for a deep dive into the obsession behind the collection.From Godzilla, horror movies, skateboarding, and photography to spending $320 on designer vinyl on day one, Robert’s path into toys went from zero to full rabbit hole FAST.We talk about:• Discovering Kidrobot and blind boxes • Falling hard for sofubi • Owning 57 Cinema Monsters and 83 Obake Dogs • Turning toy photography into Manic Images • Working alongside Amy at Lulubell • Learning toy production in Japan • Carrying Amy’s influence forward • Creating his first figure, Spooky • Halloween buckets, punk rock, cats, and hoodiesThis one is funny, emotional, and extremely toy-nerdy, in the best way. At its core, it’s about why the objects matter less than the people, memories, and excitement we attach to them.On Instagram: @manic_svxccThanks to Our SupportersRate & Review the Show! Leave a rating and review wherever you listen it's the best way to help Toys on Tap grow!Subscribe and Follow AlongInstagram:@toysontapLinkedin: Abraham MustoFacebook:@toysontapYoutube:@Toysontap

Egyptian artist Marwan Shahin joins Toys on Tap to tell the wild story of how one piece of street art completely changed his life.During the Egyptian Revolution, Marwan created the Anonymous Pharaoh, a stencil that became a symbol of the uprising, landed in museums, and eventually helped launch an international art career.We talk about:• Growing up and collecting toys in Egypt• Creating the Anonymous Pharaoh• Art during the Egyptian Revolution• Moving to the United States• Meeting artists he once looked up to• Turning his artwork into designer toys• Building Shahin Studios with his brother• Printing artwork on real Egyptian papyrus• Creating Nine Lives• Bringing more Egyptian culture into toysFrom revolution to resin, this episode is about making art that actually means somethingOn Instagram: @shahinstudios @marwanshahinThanks to Our SupportersRate & Review the Show! Leave a rating and review wherever you listen it's the best way to help Toys on Tap grow!Empire Blisters: If you are looking for blisters for vintage toys or new bootleg figures head over to https://www.empireblisters.com and use code TOYSONTAP10 for 10% offSubscribe and Follow AlongInstagram:@toysontapLinkedin: Abraham MustoFacebook:@toysontapYoutube:@Toysontap

Fixed Temple Toys joins Toys on Tap to talk nostalgia, street art, resin casting, and the strange little creatures taking over his world: the Glorbles.What started as stickers and woodcuts grew into resin toys, sofubi, costumes, videos, secret codes, and a full sci-fi universe packed with agents, cults, robots, and soul-sucking blobs.We talk about:• Dragon Ball Z, Spawn, and Jurassic Park• Skateboarding, Nirvana, and street art• Learning mold making and resin casting• Discovering the designer toy community• Building the Glorble universe• Wearing a giant Glorble head at conventions• Turning booth displays into storytelling• Sofubi, scented toys, and future releases• Working inside a vintage toy storeThis episode is weird, funny, creative, and full of the kind of energy that makes you want to stop overthinking and start making.On Instagram: @fixedtempletoysThanks to Our SupportersRate & Review the Show! Leave a rating and review wherever you listen it's the best way to help Toys on Tap grow!Empire Blisters: If you are looking for blisters for vintage toys or new bootleg figures head over to https://www.empireblisters.com and use code TOYSONTAP10 for 10% offSubscribe and Follow AlongInstagram:@toysontapLinkedin: Abraham MustoFacebook:@toysontapYoutube:@Toysontap