The Mighty Paw Blackie the Cat

Born in Los Angeles in 1960, this first generation Polish-American artist has become one of the most recognized illustrative artists of our age. Gary received a degree in Communications from UCLA, and worked in NYC as a commercial illustrator for 10 years. His illustrations have been featured in such diverse publications as the New Yorker, Time, Esquire, Rolling Stone, the New York Times, Forbes, Blab, LA Magazine, Reader's Digest, Atlantic Monthly and Newsweek. He created the artwork for Cranium, voted "Game of the Year" two years in a row by the American Internation Toy Fair and worked as the illustrator for "I Don't Need to Have Children, I Date Them: 23 Child Psychology Techniques to Use on Boys of All Ages". He has also been featured in American Illustration, AIGA, Print, The Society of Illustrators, Humor and The 100 Show. Although Gary has achieved reknown in many fields, he is probably most well known for his work as the creator and executive producer of "Teacher's Pet", a story based on his real-life dog, Hubcaps, which ran from 2000-2002, and was made into a full-length feature film in 2004. Gary has received many awards throughout his career, including the Emmy for Best Daytime 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. A plush art toy is a collectible, artist-designed soft sculpture that blends elements of fine art, character design, and traditional plush toy craftsmanship. Unlike mass-produced plush toys, these are often handmade or produced in limited editions, featuring unique designs, high-quality materials, and intricate detailing. Artists and independent designers create plush art toys to express their distinct styles, often incorporating surreal, cute, creepy, or abstract aesthetics. They can be purely decorative or interactive, with elements like movable limbs, embroidered details, or mixed-media embellishments. Many plush art toys are sold through galleries, designer toy conventions, or directly by artists, making them sought-after collectibles in the designer toy community.