AMANDA VISELL ARTIST PROFILE

Amanda Visell lives in Los Angeles area by choice. She paints cartoony pictures and makes things. She did not go to school for this. Her artwork can be seen in galleries and museums nationwide including an exhibit and exclusive merchandise line at Disneyland USA. She continues to create original artwork along with toys, books, apparel, limited edition prints and sculptures, all while perfecting her design for the ultimate home robot.

SKET ONE ARTIST PROFILE

Painter, illustrator, and designer, Sket One, has come a long way since his early days as a New Haven-based graffiti artist. There are, however, a few constants: he still makes his home in New Haven Connecticut, and he still deftly incorporates all the elements that went into his becoming a top graffiti artist – a sharp visual wit, an urban sensibility, and a finger on the pulse of pop culture. Armed with such attributes, Sket One has built a successful career as a visual artist whose work is both acclaimed and in high demand. His custom artwork has been exhibited in various galleries and shows such as You Asked for It (London/Birmingham) and I Am 8-bit (LA) and his innovative aesthetic has lent itself to clients ranging from influential record labels to comic book publishing giants.

TADO ARTIST PROFILE

Mike and Katie are TADO, the UK based duo whose darkly adorable characters have taken the design and vinyl worlds by storm. Only a few years out of university, the pair has already parented a unique aesthetic—one that everybody loves, young designers emulate, and clients the world over hope to associate with. This sort of acceptance has made Mike and Katie a busy pair, so it's a good thing that drawing monster mushrooms and pirate marshmallows is something they're rather adept at. Of course, it's an even better thing that it's also something they just happen to love, because from the looks of it, slowing down isn't much of an option.

MORI CHACK ARTIST PROFILE

Japanese graphic designer Mori Chack is perhaps best known for Gloomy Bear, a giant, pink, violent bear that attacks humans and exemplifies Chack's belief that humans and animals are incompatible since animals are wild by nature. Beginning his career as a street artist, Chack sold original character postcards and stickers on the streets of his hometown of Osaka. His other creations include Podolly, the infamous sheep in a wolf's clothing, and Kumakikai, a robotic Gloomy Bear with rockets for feet. Chack's trademark deceptively cute characters serve to express his personal brand of satirical humor and commentary on the world's contradictions and social issues. He currently lives in Tokyo.

SHAWNIMALS ARTIST PROFILE

Watching cartoons, drawing pictures, and playing video games as a kid, Shawn Smith began developing Shawnimals before he realized what he was creating. Fast forward to a job at EGM magazine as a video game reviewer, Shawn decided to leave work and focus on his passion: Art. While Back to School like Rodney Dangerfield, he wondered what to do with the countless sketchbooks on his shelf, filled with hundreds of unused characters. Shawnimals were born shortly thereafter, utilizing Shawn's pop culturally-inspired aesthetic: simple and compelling character designs, strong narratives, and a healthy dose of humor. With partner Jen Brody and their staff, Chicago-based Shawnimals has grown quickly from its humble beginnings. The growing brand now includes a Nintendo DS game based on its Ninjatown line, a number of plush and vinyl toys, and much more!

DEVILROBOT ARTIST PROFILE

DEVILROBOTS is a five-man design team established in 1997 and based in Tokyo. They design graphics, characters, audio-visuals, websites, toys, CD jackets, apparel, and more! 
Their taste is a mix of a little evil and robotic fun, resulting in an original world of
"Cute and Dark." Their most famous character, TO-FU OYAKO, is well known worldwide. They have collaborated with global brands such as Bandai, Coca-Cola, Levis, Medicom Toy, MoMA Design Store, Nike, Nokia, Paul Smith, Kidrobot, and others. Their major characters are To-Fu Oyako, Evirob, Maffy, and Kiiro to name a few.