Toy Lines that never were brain storming

[Musekicker]

So I like to have a big, over all project going on even if I take a break to work on other art works not related to it. Just something to have on the back burner to work on when I have not thoughts.

The last project like that was a mixed media kind of search book idea where I made scenes for the pages. I believe that's winding down soon. So needed a new big project.

So new project. And I've settled on making a variety of art as if was part of a art show gallery all based on like toys. Sculpture, mixed media collage, just... whatever comes to mind and see where it goes.

Currently really in brain storming for this project, putting down whatever ideas come to mind and writing down a last of small, next/starting steps I can take for ideas. Using the site "Same Energy" has been helpful in sparking ideas too.

Been working on this mostly in a vacuum though currently. And would completely love folks thoughts as I go along and maybe talk about favorite toys in this thread? Might speak more ideas.

Also completely open to questions that might spark more thoughts on my end.

[villain]

this sounds like an interesting project! i'm an avid toy collector, and one of the most intriguing parts of the interest is how toylines fit into the current scene at the time. big names like mattel, hasbro and mga are constantly ripping one another off and committing actual corporate espionage to try and one-up their competitors. there's toylines that are adapted from existing moulds from ips overseas (like transformers and MUSCLE), childrens' toys licensed from adult movies (alien, robocop) and toylines with crazy gimmicks (COPS toys having tiny built in cap guns). i think considering this kind of 'meta' background would add a rich context to your collection!

[Musekicker]

All those suggestions are very rich to mine ideas! I had hit the tip of the iceberg with a Transformers copy toy line called "Rock Lords" ( their transformed mode... literal plastic rocks. I'm not saying making robot characters based off of rocks was a bad idea. But maybe not turned to hunk of plastic shaped like rocks would had helped them.) and it has inspired a thought for a geode based transformers toy custom.

Have I customized toys before? Nope. But got to start somewhere. And plenty of videos about the subject available.

One of the things I'm trying to brainstorm is how to elevate shrinky dinks/shrink plastic. Charms are cute naturally but I'm trying to get out of the box a bit. Maybe a wreath made of shrinky dinked shapes or maybe some sort of chunky bracelet?