Stab me with money
The ability to be creative and the ability to be productive doesn’t always go hand in hand. So when two extremely talented workhorses get together to collaborate, you can expect great things. Bryan Doell and Shaun Hadley together are H.O.P.TOYS, and they are churning out work so good and so consistently it will make you bust out the Futurama “Take my money!” meme.
These guys are “high on plastic.” They both sculpt, though Shaun will point a lot of the credit to Bryan, who prefers to hand sculpt from clay, and has the piece scanned to be cast in a silicon mould for production. Shaun is “learning” digital sculpting, but when you take a look at what they’ve both done, you’ll see software does not make the artist.
They met when Shaun approached Bryan through his cosplay Instagram and asked for a Godzilla costume. That’s the kind of ambition that fuels these two. Once it’s an idea, it’s practically already on the board. There’s no such thing as a dream. It’s all work, and it’s all play. They soon put their heads together to create a Japanese-style Mothman vinyl figure and plush toy. They’ve done a few Kickstarters since to make a vinyl of the “spaceman” from Earth vs the Flying Saucers (1956); an officially licensed Ro-Man (vinyl and plush) from the drive-in cult classic Robot Monster (1953); a series of miniature-sized vinyls called Mis-Fits, including Chibi styles of Ro-Man; Earth vs the Flying Saucers‘ “spaceman,”; the monster from Thing From Another World (1951); and the wacky, giant, prehistoric, Muppet-esque bird from The Giant Claw (1957). Have I mentioned they’ve never actually met IRL? Shaun is in Colorado while Bryan is in Florida. Thank the maker for the inter webs!
They have a couple of projects on the table that should get even more attention. Further down the line, which is not far off for them, they are working on a full vinyl monster from The Thing From Another World, something that belongs on every vinyl collector’s shelf. But this is exciting…when they saw a sketch on James Groman’s Instagram they approached him about the possibility of doing a vinyl figure of the toy favorite in his style.
Remember My Pet Monster? An American Greetings company called AmToy (now defunct) put this guy out in 1986. He was a plush monster with plastic accessories. It spawned a few cartoons, a movie, and even an eventual reboot of the toy. Bryan and Shaun of H.O.P.Toys are working with James Groman to bring their own spin to the ’80s throwback. It’s going to be a vinyl called My Mad Monster, a grown up version of the plush toy. Shaun imagined, “If that [monster toy] grew up and was deserted by his kid,” they would have an angry creature that only resembles his previous iteration based on his recognizable color palette and distinctive facial features.
Bryan said to Shaun, “We have to make that toy!” and the rest is, well…it’s not history yet. It’s the project that will make this team-up historic. That’s the way this partnership works. They don’t have time to say no to their muse. They don’t play by the rules of the toy industry, and we are benefiting from it.
There are a few notables you’ll find in their Instagram pages (@shaunhadley1984, @hop_toys, and @bdcharacterlab), but I’ll let you take a look. Give them a follow if you recognize Jet Jaguar, Anguiris, Abomination, The Monster From Hell, Gigan, and the like. Behold Bryan’s astoundingly accurate Swamp Thing costume, and gawk at his other ambitious cosplay designs.
I asked if there was anything they really wanted to get their hands on, since they are keen on doing things officially with intellectual properties they admire. Hands down, and in unison they said “Hammer.” If you’re reading this, Hammer Films, you better check your email. H.O.P.TOYS wants to make vinyls of the best monsters from across the pond, and they are the ones who will do Hammer Horror collectible vinyl right!
I asked Bryan and Shaun variations on the questions. Shaun is working full time on top of his H.O.P.TOYS endeavor and a man of few words, so here are Bryan’s answers.
Creator Q&A:
• Creative influences: “My biggest influence comes from my favorite toys as a kid and James Groman had a lot to do with those.”
• Favorite toy you’ve produced: “My favorite toy we’ve produced so far is probably the Giant Claw Mis-Fit. She’s fantastic.”
• Favorite toy EVER: “Easily My Pet Monster. I didn’t go anywhere without him as a little kid and I still have him today.”
• Favorite horror or monster movie: “John Carpenter’s The Thing, awesome practical effects inspired by Mike Ploog’s artwork, lots of gore, killer story. Doesn’t get much better than that.”
• Favorite geek movie: “My favorite movie of all time, RoboCop. I’m a RoboCop fanatic.”
• Favorite monster of all time: “Godzilla, I know, lame answer, but the truth. Godzilla was a huge part of my life growing up and still is now.”
No, Bryan. Godzilla isn’t a lame answer. Godzilla is the King of Monsters! Maybe a vinyl of the OG on a throne with a crown?
You can also find H.O.P.TOYS on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
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Stab me with money
