Godzilla Frozen Culture

DesignerCon is an annual art and design convention that smashes together collectible toys, customs, plush, designer apparel and so much more with urban, underground and pop art! We are a celebration of all aspects from the world of design. A graphic designer and illustrator from the horse crazed, bourbon fueled land of Kentucky. Growing up in the western part of the state, he developed a love for art at an early age, mainly copying the pictures out of comic books. It's not until high school where his interest in music inadvertently led him to the discovery of graphic design - by way of concert posters. From there, he moved to Lexington to study at the University of Kentucky, where in 2012, he received his Bachelors of Arts. After a lengthy stint at a corporate greeting card company, he decided to hang up his figurative tie and tackle the world of freelancing where he's been ever since. Andrew still resides in Lexington with his wife, Shelley and their cleverly named cat, Kitty. Self-produced art toys are designer collectibles created and manufactured independently by the artist or small teams without the backing of a large toy company or mass-market brand. These toys are often highly personal, artistic expressions and are usually made in limited runs. Key Characteristics include independent creation where the artist is in control of the entire process from concept, sculpting, and painting to production and packaging. These are usually made in small batches, often 10–100 pieces, which adds to their rarity, made using materials like resin, sofubi (Japanese soft vinyl), or 3D-printed components. Toho art toys are high-end designer collectibles inspired by Toho’s legendary kaiju franchise, including Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah, and Mechagodzilla. These toys often feature unique artistic interpretations, blending classic monster designs with modern and experimental aesthetics. Soft vinyl (sofubi) figures are a staple of kaiju collectibles, often hand-painted and produced in limited runs by brands like Marusan, Medicom Toy, and M1GO. These figures frequently showcase vibrant colorways, translucent elements, or glow-in-the-dark effects. Toho has worked with brands like Super7, Kidrobot, and BE@RBRICK, producing stylized versions of Godzilla and other kaiju, often in minimalist, graffiti, or streetwear-inspired styles. Companies like X-Plus, Spiral Studio, and Prime 1 Studio create ultra-detailed, limited-edition resin statues that reinterpret Godzilla and other kaiju in artistic, sometimes surreal ways. Some art toy brands produce exaggerated, cute, or surreal versions of Toho monsters, playing with proportions, expressions, and vibrant colors to give a fresh take on classic kaiju.