Nia

Mark Alfrey worked as a freelance artist and sculptor since 1987 providing special effects, creatures, and statues for the entertainment industry. Straight out of high school he took off for Los Angeles with a few pictures of his work and landed his first professional job with the Chiodo Bros. on the feature film "Critters 2". Following this production he returned to his home state of New Jersey where he met special fx artist John Dods. There at Dods studio he further developed his skills working on various New York productions in film, TV and the Broadway stage. In 1995 he returned to Los Angeles to find more than a decade of steady freelance employment with top FX studios including Rick Baker, Rob Bottin, Steve Johnson, KNB EFX Group, Tom Burman, and Screaming Mad George. He has garnered awards from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for his work on X-Files and Nip/Tuck. His notable works for the music industry include album covers for Marilyn Manson and AC/DC. In the mid 2000's he produced a series of highly successful dvds demonstrating the arts of sculpture, mold making, life casting, and prosthetic make-up. His dvds are found in college libraries 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.