toaster for the treehouse

AfriGadget

2012-02-27T15:45:00.003-05:00

AfriGadget is nicely populated with some pretty amazing things. This video, from this post, exemplifies the innovative toy designs that kids put together.

Blobjects

2012-02-25T15:52:00.000-05:00

I think there's a lot of research behind this sort of thing...and I'd like to know about it.

From the post:

The instruments provoked an unexpected outcome of universality during testing: subjects kindredly selected the same objects to express similar emotions (e.g., a spiky object to express anger or fear).

dolphins and whales at play

2012-02-23T15:20:00.000-05:00

Lego Minecraft

2012-02-22T15:55:00.004-05:00

Yep.

I don't claim to be any sort of clairvoyant genie, anyone could see this coming, but I have been predicting this since the first moment I learned about Minecraft, recognizing that Lego missed the obvious ball on creating a digital building space.

A bit more info here.

Toy Talk

2012-02-20T13:28:00.000-05:00

Imagine a children's toy designed by the people behind the Toy Story and Finding Nemo movies but connected to the web and chock full of artificial intelligence. Then add in visual tracking, speech recognition and massive network scalability. It appears that's what San Francisco startup ToyTalk is building, based on conversations and information available online.

That's the intro paragraph from this article.

Cubelets

2012-02-16T11:01:00.004-05:00

These look great. Another example of a path not (yet) chosen by Lego. My question about this video: where are the blank, empty cubes? I'm assuming they also offer lots of cubes that serve no purpose other than building, and then the smart cubes can be built into designs? They don't show that in this video.

Takanori Aiba

2012-02-14T20:27:00.001-05:00

omm......wow.

via io9, more pics and link to artist's site there.

Totem Tree and MakeDo

2012-02-13T11:18:00.000-05:00

I like this totem tree from Dutch designers KidsOnRoof.

(They offer much more awesomeness, but they need a treehouse!)

I'm also reminded, by the use of cardboard, of the really pragmatic MakeDo. They are truly tools for play in a pure sense, and allow for re-use of so many different types of every day materials.

Wild and Crazy Action Figure!

2012-02-01T16:13:00.001-05:00

This doesn't actually exist.

But it should.

Playscapes

2012-01-30T14:34:00.001-05:00

Great blog about playground design:

Playscapes

Representing data through toys & play

2012-01-26T14:57:00.004-05:00

Will Jennings is currently a second year grad student at ITP and I really love this project he did. Rather than a 2D chart or an interactive screen or even a 3D sculpture, Will sought to utilize a toy design combined with play to represent data. The top is an obviously nice choice as it incorporates the play into the data visualization. It appears he experimented and found that various combinations of data resulted in tops that, while appearing to be broken, were still successful spinners. There's something deeply mathematical in this exercise regarding the balance of data on sets of axes and then adding the variable axes of play to the visualization. I shall grok this further.

Uncharted Play and sOccket

2012-01-25T10:49:00.000-05:00

Jessica O. Matthews and Julia Silverman are the founders of Uncharted Play and the inventors of the sOccket, a soccer ball with a built-in generator that charges a battery.

I just thought this was something you should know exists.

Native American Figurines at the Portland Art Museum

2012-01-16T18:30:00.014-05:00

I was recently in Portland, Oregon and ran upon these figurines by Native Americans 60 to 80 years ago made to represent traditional toys made for children from the native culture. Read the writing in the pic above for the description of their added narrative as toys.

Aside from their deep value as cultural symbols remaining as representations of a massacred people, I mean, these designs are oddly similar to other hip art toy figures I've seen around lately. Uncanny. Now, if ours only symbolized being one with the Earth, in balance with everything, then we'd have something.

Skylanders

2012-01-11T16:42:00.003-05:00

Skylanders launched awhile back but seems to be picking up steam in popularity. I'm keeping an eye on reviews.

Leveling up your action figures through gameplay is...........wicked smart.

From another review:

"One cool twist is that the RFID allows you to “level up” your action figure and will save that character's level, coins earned , and virtual accessories in passive memory in the toy. This means that your Chop Chop that you have invested hours of play into can become more powerful and valuable than your friends’ brand new version of the same toy. If you take your toy to a friend's house, it remembers your status."

3D printed zoetrope

2012-01-10T10:20:00.000-05:00

More 3D printing, more zoetropes = more awesomeness. And, more info, here.

Lego Architecture sets expanding

2012-01-09T12:39:00.005-05:00

To follow the ongoing rant about the slow-moving animal that is Lego, at least they are expanding on their architecture series. The Robie House is another Frank Lloyd Wright design.

Lego, people will be printing their own models of any and all structures within the next few years. Here's an idea: crowd source the "Lego build plan" for any building on Earth, and then allow people to order the plans and the pieces for it from your site. Create a user friendly platform to do this. Have it done by last decade.

Print your Minecraft Designs

2012-01-09T12:21:00.005-05:00

Oh, hey, it was bound to happen sooner than later: print your own Minecraft models.

In other words, create your own Legos, but not through Lego.

Seems increasingly obvious that Lego is going to have to buy Minecraft.

Moment of Play

2012-01-08T23:46:00.001-05:00

Oh! The Places You'll Go at Burning Man!

2012-01-07T21:27:00.000-05:00

Amazing:

Make Magazine

2012-01-06T16:30:00.003-05:00

I've been a Make Magazine subscriber for a few years now. Always solid. The current issue, Toys and Games, stays consistent with past solidness.

Weepuls

2012-01-03T23:24:00.004-05:00

I was recently reminded of the Weepuls. I was fascinated with these things back around the 3rd grade, so that would be 1982-ish.

Weepuls were a bit of a passing fad. Their feet had a sticker, so for me, back in the day, they were basically the only 3D sticker unless you count puffy stickers. (Scratch-n-sniff stickers were also big back then.)

Hugo

2012-01-02T16:36:00.000-05:00

Saw Hugo today. It's good.

2 Stairways in Oregon

2011-12-27T23:43:00.003-05:00

Pictured is a double exposure (via ye olde Photoshoppe of course) of two Oregon stairways. One of them is at the perfect arcade in town called Ground Kontrol, the other from the grounds of Multnomah Falls in the Columbia River Gorge.

Enjoying a nice trip to the hometown, Portland, Oregon. Lots of pics and things to blog about, forthcoming.

Riley on marketing

2011-12-25T11:32:00.001-05:00

Toys, weapons, drones

2011-12-15T10:57:00.005-05:00

Even though it was a different line of thinking, I guess it's no coincidence that I posted Snoopy vs. the Red Baron yesterday. I've been thinking a lot about drones lately.

I did an interview with Ted Carancho, the main dude with AeroQuad, and the chat went up on Kill Screen today.

As I mention in the intro to the interview, a few people I spoke with refused to acknowledge that drones are even slightly toy-like. "Really?" I asked, and then again, "Seriously, really?" Flash forward to the recent quote and link from Iran:

"Obama begs Iran to give him back his toy plane," proclaimed a headline from Iran's Fars News Agency Tuesday.

So, with the interview I was really trying to pull off this idea that even though a playful tech-toy community wants nothing to do with the military, all their stuff is open source, and, they're making it easier and easier all the time to do the following: Type in an address, send the drone there. They think of this as play. I'm not suggesting or even implying that drones should be somehow regulated. And, I agree that it's play. (That's the problem!) So, what I am suggesting is that I think they will have capabilities, as unmanned crafts, to deliver...things...anywhere. Like, for example, beer, as in the link at the end of the interview. Or, candy. Or, drugs. Or, bombs. Or, money. Or, Chinese food. So, yeah. And, beyond that, the side with the best toys wins wars? Maybe this has been happening since the industrial revolution? Or, even way further back. But...the difference now is that kids could actually, literally, potentially be the best warriors. And, this is deeply problematic on so many levels.

Snoopy vs. Red Baron // Pretend Play

2011-12-14T11:12:00.001-05:00

Chuck Schulz could have drawn Snoopy to be in the plane he was imagining. After all, Chuck drew the real bullets and the flying. But, the audience remains one step removed, watching Snoopy's doghouse stand-in for the plane. We see an example of how to pretend, Snoopy teaching us one way to play. What are some other fictional situations where the character is engaged in pretend play?

Woodstock Flea Market Fighting Force, Episode 13

2011-12-13T10:56:00.002-05:00

Episode Title: A Motley Force
Follow on Twitter: @WFMFF

Portals

2011-12-12T15:18:00.002-05:00

Oh, wow, really nice. By Jayne Vidheecharoen:

Other cool stuff on her blog as well.

John Lennon, 1940-1980

2011-12-08T11:16:00.004-05:00

“Reality leaves a lot to the imagination.”

― John Lennon, 9 Oct 1940 – 8 Dec 1980

collection of quotes here.

Kyle Bean

2011-12-07T10:40:00.001-05:00

kyle bean

Minecraft & Lego

2011-12-06T10:03:00.007-05:00

A few months ago I tweeted an obvious thought: Lego should start working with Minecraft. Obviously, Lego would like to do their OWN version of Minecraft, but for some reason they've clearly failed to do so. The Lego Universe (online game) is simply not anything even remotely close to the Lego experience, so to speak, nor are any of the video games. (For that matter, many of the licensed sets that dominate the Lego line also detract from "the experience" as far as I'm concerned.)

Recently, Lego launched Lego CUUSOO. Here's the demo:

Of course the Minecraft community flooded that process the other day, and even broke the site (according to the Minecraft Facebook page).

At this point, I'd be really surprised if Lego flat out copied Minecraft's virtual model. But, that's really about all they could do to win the battle. It's comical that it took so long for someone to realize this idea that Minecraft put forth, and absurdly obvious that it's something people wanted to play with. (Google Sketchup was inadvertently close to creating Minecraft, before Minecraft, but.....they didn't.) Come on folks, Minecraft is virtual Lego, but with awesomeness and magic built in. It's ALL ABOUT emergent designs and crowd-sourced brilliance, something that Lego never seems to embrace even after decades of Lego conventions around the world where people continue to exhibit their own designs that far and away impress beyond Lego's mass produced sets. As far as I can tell, it's really only a matter of time before Minecraft starts selling it's own physical blocks and...takes over. The entire point of Minecraft is to build, design, create.

I'll say it again, Lego would be foolish to not do one of the following as soon as possible: 1) completely copy Minecraft and create game play that's genuinely about building and creating, or, 2) license Minecraft for a billion dollars, let them run with the virtual but grab the major piece of what they do in the physical world, or, 3) buy Minecraft.

I realize this is all an over-simplification of this issue...but it's my reaction as seen from a mid-range perspective.

think-ets

2011-12-05T15:52:00.003-05:00

As I've positioned my ear closer and closer to the informational pipelines that criss-cross the world of play, toys, and games, I've continued to count on various people to drop emails on me, tips. My pal in LA, Mylissa, not only has a couple kids, but she also kite surfs the cutting edge of all things playfully awesome with a keen eye on good design.

Here's the latest from Mylissa, think-ets. And, as always, this tip is solid intel. Along with the tiny iconic preciousness of the toys, one may also play a story-telling game. Take one brief glance at the objects and recognize the fertile ground for whimsical narratives just waiting to be spun.

More here.

the Lewis chess set

2011-12-02T12:29:00.001-05:00

I've done a few posts about game pieces as toys, and here's a nice video about an ancient chess set.

Discovered in Scotland more than 800 years ago, the Lewis chess set, featured in "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," is now on display at the Cloisters.

$2.00 Paper Airplane on Etsy

2011-12-01T10:32:00.002-05:00

Browsing through Etsy, I noticed this funny post. $2.00 gets you a classic paper airplane.

The seller, Jonathan T., also offers up a rubber band ball for $15.00.

Address is Approximate

2011-11-29T09:25:00.002-05:00

AJ's Toy Boarders

2011-11-23T09:37:00.003-05:00

I recently did an interview with Kid Robot about their breakdancer figures partly inspired by green army men, and a commenter on that post pointed me to AJ's Toy Boarders.

I especially like the way these figures stand in as perfect toys for stop-motion animation, as seen in their video below.

Shoopsoldier Stuff

2011-11-22T10:38:00.003-05:00

A friend's little brother, Kester Grieve, creates this blog, Shoopsoldier Stuff.

His drawings are great.

Mr. Grieve also has a Facebook page so you can "like" that, and follow him there easily.

This might not totally apply to Shoopsoldier Stuff, but I like the idea of a blog as a place to document play. Not everything needs to be, nor should be, documented. But the broadcasting of play in this way could be a platform for streamlining collaboration on a global scale. The documentation of play simply seems like another way to tell a story, express or represent something, etc.

Nanoblocks

2011-11-21T09:03:00.005-05:00

More knockoff Legos, but I do like their designs:

Nanoblocks.

It's funny that their GIANT Banyan Tree is actually a lot more like a direct representation of a Banyan Bonsai tree.

The look of these reminds me of the digital art of eboy.

made to play, by Joel Henriques

2011-11-17T16:19:00.003-05:00

Over a year ago I blogged about Joel Henriques, and since then he's come out with a book, and continues to cultivate an inventory of ideas, objects and toys, all here: MadeByJoel.

Robot Nation

2011-11-11T19:17:00.002-05:00

Reasonably priced CUSTOM action figures have..........arrived.

io9 does a great writeup here.

Woodstock Flea Market Fighting Force, Episode 12

2011-11-05T22:13:00.002-04:00

The Woodstock Flea Market Fight Force is a found group of swashbucklers, literally found at the Woodstock Flea Market.This is Episode 12, entitled Life. To see the episodes from the beginning, click the WFMFF tag below and go back to the beginning.

Also follow on Twitter: @WFMFF

AC Gilbert.........and me

2011-11-01T21:29:00.006-04:00

I can hardly compare myself to AC Gilbert and the outlandish successes he had in, oh, the Olympics as a gold medalist, owner of one of the largest toy companies in the world at one point, holder of 150 patents or so, etc etc etc...however...I did recently learn about this amazing figure in "toy history" and was sent spinning in a state of shock to discover that he was born in Salem, Oregon (1884) and went on to start a science museum in NYC after changing his mind about becoming a doctor, opting instead...for magic. I too was born in Salem, was pre-med-minded for a chunk of my life, and now...I work at the NY Hall of Science and have a great interest in toys.

AC Gilbert was a fascinating dude to say the least. I'm no expert, but the cursory reading I've done over the past few weeks has culminated in a few highlights I'll share here, before passing you along to some links for further reading (and great images) if you wish. Gilbert is known for starting the Erector Set company and doing rather well with it back in the day. That was after he dropped out of college in Oregon, made his way to Yale, and funded his medical eduction by doing magic shows. Somewhere in there he invented the pole vaulting box, and won the gold medal at the Olympics in London in 1908. (A few years earlier he also set the world record for consecutive chin-ups with 39.) He went on to create the Erector Set company and also produced magic sets, science kits of all sorts, and he also acquired the rights to American Flyer. Oh, and he also is credited for inventing the vibrator and he also saved Christmas. And, he did sell a nuclear power play set one year too, which maybe wasn't the best idea. Don't think I'm letting it slip by that the inventor of the electric vibrator also invented Erector Sets. I'll be here all week.

But seriously folks, one particular sentence that resonates is from an article in the Washington Post back in 2002, "Gilbert offered America knowledge acquired through work. Disney offered it through effortless escape. Guess who won?"

I'd amend that sentence to say Gilbert offered America knowledge through play.

There are several great resources that offer dozens of pdf's of insanely beautiful catalogs and product guides. The link to the bit-of-vibrator-trivia above is one such link if you just scroll a bit, and then there is this one: AC Gilbert Heritage Society. I'm also proud of my hometown of Salem, Oregon to have created a children's museum in Gilbert's honor: AC Gilbert's Discovery Village. I'll be making a visit next time I'm in town, right after I pay a visit to my 92 year old grandfather, himself a 3rd generation Oregonian and quite a tinkerer with inventions and electronics in his own right, which makes me 5th generation.

Needless to say AC Gilbert is a newly discovered hometown hero.

(Don't even get me started on Roger Tofte and the Enchanted Forest!)

Tron Lebowski

2011-10-29T22:45:00.002-04:00

Two of my favorites largely thanks to Jeff Bridges's performances in both have resulted in several posts on this blog about toys from both movies, which means I must share this:

Blue Skies for Black Hearts

2011-10-28T15:31:00.005-04:00

My pals from Portland, Blue Skies for Black Hearts are in town and they've even crashed at our apartment for 3 nights. Floor to ceiling music gear. Good times. It occurs to me to that they are a perfect example of a band who has embraced the idea that a music group can be about so much more than music, and these guys do a great job of embracing play. Music videos have been around for ages, obviously, and with the rise of the web music groups are able to broadcast their videos easily and cheaply. Below is a great Blue Skies video that they filmed up on Mt. Hood a few years ago. They also recently completed a film, trailer below. They gave me a copy and I'll be getting down to the business of watching it in the next few days. It looks very Beatle-esque which of course recalls the early days of music videos before they became song-length, before MTV, when visual expression of song on film was embedded in feature length films, rich context or not. Many of the Beatles films are amongst the best films of all time. The Elvis films on the other hand, not so sure, maybe?

Blue Skies for Black Hearts is not an art rock band, but this post recalls a Brooklyn band, now defunct, which I was reminded of today by this post on Gothamist about Apes & Androids. So, just throwing all this together off the top of my head here on a Friday. Cheers.

Mark Ruffalo on Sesame Street teaching the concept of empathy

2011-10-27T15:25:00.000-04:00

p.s. a joke I wrote a couple years ago: I used to have no understanding about the difference between the concepts of sympathy and empathy and if you're confused about what I'm talking about right now I know exactly how you're feeling.

Giant Slide at The New Museum

2011-10-26T13:28:00.005-04:00

If you're in NYC between now and mid-January, and you like playgrounds and art, then it looks like this exhibition at The New Museum is for you.

Here's a link to the info on the museum's site, and another link to the story on The Gothamist which has a bunch of great images as well.

The art world continues its evolutionary journey toward the same things Disney started creating 55 years ago, and the inventors at Coney Island 50 years prior to that.

Andy Kaufman action figure

2011-10-21T21:00:00.010-04:00

Andy Kaufman was one of the great standup comedians of all time. He experimented and played with freedom in his acts. And, he explored various avenues to their depths; wrestling definitely standing as the most profound example. I came across this action figure today and didn't know it existed. Reflecting on this, I wonder how many comedians go far enough with a routine so as to take tens, perhaps hundreds of thousands of people beyond suspension of disbelief to a place where they simply believe a schtick to be true. (Although Joaquin Phoenix did give it a pretty good shot, something most people criticized him for, but I think will go down as another unique moment in film history. In fact, this article points out their similarities, but says it was a terrible career move and calls JP out for not being a comedian.) Lots of action figures exist for comedians from movie roles they've played, and of course wrestling in general is a big show...but I can't help but recognize this particular toy as a symbol of Andy's absolutely unique place in our global culture. The crossover he made into wrestling is emblematic of countless other bits wherein he sought to transcend the norms of what comedy and entertainment can be into a heady space that points at free will. He was a conceptual comedian. Over the years I have studied comedians, and of course watched several Kaufman videos time and time again. And, tonight as I returned to the archives, I once again thoroughly appreciated his determination to challenge himself to try new things. I find this particular action figure to stand apart, obviously from all wrestling figures, and also from any figurines that might exist of standup comedians, to me the object is a brilliant art piece.

(Note: a quick Google search of standup comedian figurines results in nothing.)

Sifteo Interview on Kill Screen

2011-10-19T13:28:00.003-04:00

My interview with Sifteo co-founder and Prez David Merrill went up on Kill Screen today and also Pitchfork.

Toys and the iPad

2011-10-18T19:16:00.002-04:00

The Lytro

2011-10-17T18:24:00.002-04:00

The Lytro, a camera that allows you to pull your photographs into focus after the fact.

The Holodeck just keeps getting closer and closer.

Classic VW Camper Van by Lego

2011-10-16T13:45:00.003-04:00

(I wrote this post over a month ago and thought I posted it...today I came across a video of this set being built, video below, and discovered that I never made this post! So, check it out, but also see this van built in a great video below.)

I have been pretty critical of Lego the past few months simply because of their choices for sets and doing so much with licensing.

But today this arrived on my screen and....it's awesome.

Here's the breakdown on this gem, from the Lego site:

Blast back to 1962 and cruise into psychedelic style!

This authentic camper van is a replica of the classic Volkswagen Camper Van from 1962. Every iconic feature is here! On the outside, the terrific detailing includes 'V' shape three-way color split at the front, rounded roof and window frames, opening 'splittie' safari windshield, opening doors, iconic pop-up roof with textile curtain surround, roof rack, rear side air intake vents and lots more! The detailing is equally impressive on the inside, from the authentic VW air-cooled flat four cylinder boxer engine, front cabin bench seat, gear stick, angled dashboard and iconic spherical speedometer, to custom LEGO® features like folding rear bench seat, folding dinette table, closet with mirror and even a painting!

Throwable panorama camera

2011-10-13T22:03:00.003-04:00

Wow.

Moments of Play in India

2011-10-10T19:24:00.004-04:00

Ian and Deb continue to walk through India. Ian sent some pics that I requested of people at play. Here's the first round:

Toys of the Avant-Garde

2011-10-05T00:25:00.002-04:00

Simply linking to a great blog post from January this year that I just came across: MondoBlogo, toys of the avant-garde.

Woodstock Flea Market Fighting Force, Episode 11

2011-09-30T20:17:00.003-04:00

Follow on Twitter: @WFMFF

Toy cars interact with the iPad

2011-09-28T11:57:00.003-04:00

This is pretty slick.

War Styles, an interview w/ Kid Robot

2011-09-22T22:37:00.004-04:00

I mentioned these new Kid Robot break dancers recently and ended up tracking them down for an interview.

It posted on Kill Screen today.

The Easy Bake Oven for the Next Generation

2011-09-21T21:03:00.004-04:00

At a glance, this looks amazing. But, Origo is not to market yet. I ran it by a rep. at MakerBot and he said, "Print or it didn't happen."

That said, whether it's Origo, or something else, this is the future.

Once again, if you aren't up to speed on 3D printing...now is the time to check it out.

Physical GIF @ the Luminary in St. Louis

2011-09-20T15:03:00.004-04:00

Physical GIF's are currently spinning at the Luminary Center for the Arts in St. Louis, Missouri. The show is called FORMAT, check out more info here.

Playmobil and its odd relations with religion

2011-09-19T19:23:00.022-04:00

I'm not going to go off too much about this, actually I am. It has come to my attention that Playmobil is basically a Christian only toy company. And, that's just weird. FAO Schwartz, for example, on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, has a substantial section dedicated to Playmobil, and a portion of that dedicated to Playmobil's Christmas toys with a noticeable absence of any other religion represented. Why? Why not make toys for every religion, Play Mobil? That would be...awesome of you! Instead, it's Christianity only? This really does boggle my mind. So, I went to the site, and upon immediate arrival, the countries page that I normally click through and basically ignore, I took a second look. And, sure enough, all the countries on their splash page are essentially Christian countries. Weird. No Israel, no Arab or Muslim countries, and...no Asian countries??!? I mean, it's possible that there is a Playmobil presence on the Japanese internet so to speak...but still, wouldn't that flag also show up on this list? So, I popped on into the site, and sure enough, the only religious holiday in their list is Christmas.

Naturally, I then headed to the internet for some more info.

Here's the first link I came across, a post from 2009 from a Jewish blog. It basically calls Playmobil out as producing sets of toys that are rooted in the persecution of Jews. So, clearly I'm not the only one who has noticed this.

In this article from a blog with "A Jewish Twist on Parenting," Joanna Brichetto discusses how a whale became a Jewish toy when it swallowed Jonah, a Playmobil figure. She points out that Playmobil, "produces no Jewish toys per se."

In this story that got a lot of attention, Playmobil apparently got super pissed when a pastor in Germany augmented Playmobil figures to recreate the Passion of the Christ in a series of scenes. Another site shows the pastor's Play Mobil Jesus on the cross, and it boggles my mind as to why this would anger Playmobil so much?

Yet another article is about Hans Beck, the creator of Playmobil. Here's a brief passage that also caused me to raise an eyebrow or three: Mr. Beck's motto for Playmobil was "no horror, no superficial violence, no short-lived trends." But the company didn't always follow his imagination, as his prototypes for medieval punishments and Chinese railroad workers were killed by company higher-ups. "We had second thoughts," he explained to the Christian Science Monitor.

Dare I go on? Why not.

Then I found this from 2006, and its 21 comments, the last of which is by the personal assistant to the commercial director of Playmobil. Here's a sample comment from this list of eye openers:Tom Tyler said...

What a very odd illustration for a children's toy. Like yourself, Your Grace, I am perplexed and cannot help but wonder whether this is yet another subtle example of the attempt by certain political elements to "normalise" Islam, this time aimed at the eyes of those too young to question it. Has this matter been brought to the attention of the manufacturers concerned? I would have thought that the obvious historical inaccuracy of the illustration would warrant correction, if not out of altruism then out of a desire not to cause any offence to either Christians or Muslims. (though I rather think that the illustration would be more quickly corrected, should it be even hinted that it might offend the latter group, rather than if it were proved beyond all doubt that it offends the former group).

So, then I came to the Playmobil security checkpoint, and this article about it from a blog about Pakistan. A link from that article leads to active links on Amazon showing these additional pictures of the airport security set.

At this point I did a search on Lego and religious sets and they have pretty much steered clear of religion. I went to their site to see what countries were represented on their home page, and pictured is their list. I also noticed that Lego sells an Advent Calendar from their CITY collection, but it actually appears to be a guy dressed as Santa, and then a sort of cops and robbers scene? Odd, but not that religious.

So, Lego, a company 100 times the size of Playmobil, can seemingly avoid controversy all together when it comes to religion, but Playmobil seems to be a magnet for such drama. Lego doesn't sell religion, and Playmobil sells Christianity. Again, why? Either, 1) they want to only support a Christian world, pushing forth an elitist ideology in which there is but one correct religion, or, 2) they aren't very good business people.

So, lastly, I looked into how well the company handles their money, and saw this: More than 2.2 billion figurines have now been sold in more than 70 countries, with the Brandstaetter Group reporting 452 million euros ($581.3 million) in sales last fiscal year. Two-thirds of the company’s Playmobil profits are generated overseas. The company’s release of a riding stable set, which it says is among Europe’s top three best-selling toys, boosted sales in 2007.

After that, in the same article, linked here, According to Beck, Playmobil’s success came about because the toy “does not impose specific play patterns on children, but rather stimulates their imagination."

Really?

The Amateur American Hobo

2011-09-19T13:27:00.009-04:00

I've been keeping an eye on this blog about catching trains and hitch hiking all over North America. It's always been easy for me to romanticize the life of the vagabond, and this guy sheds a little more light on the total experience, each post a tale of playful misadventure. One recent post he recalls hopping a train to a small town because he was due in court for trespassing on the grounds of a train yard. Another post is comprised of pics from the train, all of them offering the hobo's perspective in motion across the great landscapes of the continent, a sample of those is pictured. Also, I'd like to add, that Max is my cousin.

The two times I've hitch hiked, I also created little reports complete with pictures, and the experiences for me were very much akin to childlike adventure. My trips were both 18 hours or less so not even close to the cross-country experiences that Max is having. My trips were across the state of Oregon and the other around the Big Island of Hawaii, both times I really felt like I was acting, role playing the hitch hiker character. I was pretending to be a hitch hiker while I was doing it. In many ways this is obviously what's known as a poser. In other ways, a tinkerer. I like to think of myself as the latter. I add this bit of my own experience because I think this story speaks to the idea that play, like art, love, and a lot of abstract concepts, is highly subjective. Play for one person might be torture for another. Max isn't JUST getting from point A to point B the way we all might when we board a plane, train or auto. He's going for an adventure in between, wide eyed, not only thinking but living outside the box. In that line of thinking, I'm fascinated by the concept of play as it exists across the entire spectrum for all people, in all situations, my interests (mostly) remaining within the parameters of human decency, and this link to my cousin's blog is another piece of the human puzzle, all of us putting it together one piece at a time. [Holy nostalgia am I seriously going to link to a Pearl Jam song right now? Yes, yes I am.]

I hope it's clear how all this fits in with my thinking of play, toy design, and experimenting with those things. And, if it *perfectly* clicks with you, then this is something you probably either love or hate.

Lego Greenhouse at London Design Festival

2011-09-19T12:44:00.003-04:00

This might seem like a waste of Legos - why not just use glass? or other materials? - but think about the fact that pretty much anyone over the age of 9 could literally build this on their own and jump into all the joys that a functional greenhouse offers.

From the 2011 London Design Festival, once again we see that traditional Lego blocks plus a little innovative thinking can result in accessible, functional, playful design.

Unique Lego Pieces

2011-09-18T23:03:00.007-04:00

Lego fanatics are always aware of the slightest design variations from traditional blocks in the form of unique new pieces that many sets introduce. Once a Lego piece, always a Lego piece, and change means an expansion of the library, a re-defining of the language.

As I strolled through FAO Schwartz today, not many toys stood out, and I'd even seen the Pirates of the Caribbean Lego sets before. But I hadn't looked closely enough to catch this precious little globe. It's not an object I personally want, but it did catch my eye as a standout design choice for Lego.

One of the newer Lego pieces that I did find in my possession is the ostrich from the Prince of Persia sets. (I tried to watch the movie and couldn't get through it.) Notice how the new custom piece, so to speak, differs from a more traditional approach to building with Lego.

Crystal of Destiny, blogging @ Maker Faire

2011-09-18T03:25:00.001-04:00

Full day at Maker Faire. Wow. Overwhelmingly awesome. Created quite a few video clips for the New York Hall of Science's Tumblr, not the least of which I'll share....right.....here:

Alan Watts, Self as Play

2011-09-18T03:23:00.003-04:00

Alan Watts points at ancient wisdom. Dig it.

Woodstock Flea Market Fighting Force, Episode 10

2011-09-18T03:18:00.004-04:00

Follow the Woodstock Flea Market Fighting Force on Twitter: @WFMFF

Maker Bot // Maker Faire

2011-09-16T11:03:00.004-04:00

Leading up to Maker Faire this weekend, I assume, the NY Times ran a substantial info-graphic on MakerBot's Thing-O-Matic yesterday. I was at the Open Hardware Summit yesterday and heard Bre Pettis talk for a bit. He was, as usual, hilarious, witty and simply seems like a good person. For example, from yesterday:
"We're living in the future. Community rules, it kicks ass. It's a do-ocracy, if you do something awesome you get to be awesome." -@Bre

If you're not familiar with 3D printing, now is the time to take a look. MakerBot sells this kit which is essentially DIY 3D printing, but it's only a matter of (less and less) time before this sort of thing is as common as a regular printer.

I love the way the Thing-O-Matic feels like a toy that can print toys. In that way, from the perspective of toy consciousness, it's a God Toy. The Creator.

I'll be at Maker Faire all day tomorrow, blogging for NYSCI and will of course also share some thoughts and pics here.

p.s. Another highlight from the OH Summit, in the same vein as DIY 3D printing, is the LaseSaur, a DIY laser cutter.

Gandhi Memorial in Kanyakumari

2011-09-14T13:36:00.017-04:00

Some good friends, Ian and Deborah Reeves, have taken off for India where they plan to walk a good portion of the country. They started a blog with some amazing photography and equally thoughtful writing.

Amidst their recent posts, as they begin their journey, I noticed their photo of a Ghandi Memorial located on the southern tip of India, in Kanyakumari. Of course, architecture that is foreign to someone can often appear to be toy-like, but there's no denying the playful design of this pink building looks like something out of Candy Land.

This all reminds me that I need to put in a special request to Ian and Deborah to snap some pics of toys and play as they go. I'll keep you posted.

Oppenheim Toy Portfolio

2011-09-11T14:39:00.004-04:00

Always on the lookout for toy blogs, and recently came across the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio. Along with their posts, Stephanie Oppenheim blogs regularly in her own space. A recent post about a breast feeding doll takes a side, which is always nice to see.

Woodstock Flea Market Fighting Force, Episode 9

2011-09-11T14:30:00.002-04:00

Episode Title: Soul Search
Follow the Woodstock Flea Market Fighting Force on Twitter: @WFMFF

Blogging for the NY Hall of Science

2011-09-08T16:27:00.005-04:00

I'm happy to report that I've been pulled aboard the sailing ship of the NY Hall of Science to, essentially, blog for them! The museum is doing a lot of interesting things and I'll be helping to present some of their projects and research to the public.

Naturally, on my first day there, I spent a good bit of time wandering the museum, and can highly recommend the permanent exhibitions, especially the 30,000 foot science playground which is...amazing. Also looking forward to a round (or 7) on the rocket park mini golf course.

I'll point at various NYSCI stuff as I move forward, not the least of which is right around the corner: Maker Faire.

Adam Sorensen glows in the dark

2011-09-03T14:59:00.007-04:00

Continuing with a survey of NW artists whose work intersects with the world of play, if only in my mind, this piece is by Adam Sorensen.

My development toward play and toy design has drawn me nearer to these paintings of digital black light landscapes. If you like this image, you will like all of Adam's work as seen on PDX Gallery's site, with a special exhibition at the Portland Art Museum as well, opening today!

Woodstock Flea Market Fighting Force, Episode 8

2011-09-03T12:40:00.001-04:00

Title: What happened to the USA's Space Program? (In this episode, we also watch Isaac as his surface identity is revealed to him.)

Playful shoe design, Kobi Levi

2011-09-02T13:37:00.002-04:00

Wheel'd heals, LED flashes, and generally colorful shoes are always fun and eye-catching for kids.

But Kobi Levi is thinking outside the shoebox with his designs. My favorite is the playground slide pictured, but there are lots more on his site.

Green Army Men evolve: Breakdancers

2011-09-01T11:52:00.006-04:00

Am I really seeing green Army men toys that depict violence and war evolve into neon breakdancers, depicting art and craft? Yes, yes I am.

Kid Robot drops these on your world in a couple weeks.

Woodstock Flea Market Fighting Force, Episode 7

2011-08-31T14:22:00.002-04:00

The Woodstock Flea Market Fight Force is now on Twitter: @WFMFF

Lego // Alien Conquest? Really?

2011-08-30T13:54:00.010-04:00

Lego continues to be at the heart of my nostalgia, and I do believe in the quality of the bricks. In fact, the overall design of this space set definitely tugs at the heart strings of my own pre-teen building years, as it were.

That said, a few things to notice and discuss.

First, and most nagging, instead of "Alien Conquest," why not create a toy called "Alien Communing"?!? I would so much rather build and play with a set complete with all sorts of new machines that the aliens taught us to build, rather than engage in the absolute fantasy that we're somehow going to fight with aliens? Seriously? The space set is actually called Earth Defense Headquarters. What?

Secondly, a closer look at the flying craft shows that Lego has added its own version of space camouflage. Yep, that way the aliens won't see us in space when they come to steal all our resources. (Keep in mind all you Lego designers, aliens have access to every other planet, which I assume means a buhzillion times Earth's resources. Yes, a buhzillion.)

Third, the figures included with this set are 2 human space fighters, 2 angry aliens, and......a businessman? At least Lego is educating the kids on who the real generals are.

Lastly, one of the supplemental sets to this collection is the "UFO Abduction" set. The picture I've included here shows how the aliens will put us in transparent pods and drag us from the backs of their ships. Where do we sign up? Worthy of note: this set also includes what appears to be an angry rural citizen with a pitch fork, which of course is great defense against incomprehensibly powerful inter-galactic life forms.

I recently watched Star Wars III again, Revenge of the Sith, and was reminded of the totally awesome concept of the Jedi aliens in total harmony with the Jedi humans. How sweet would Lego be if they created a set of peaceful Lego aliens with special powers and awesome structures who came down to teach humans how to live best? No? Out of the question? Not enough fighting? Where's the levitating glowing Lego aliens, the ones who avoid adolescent conflicts and instead directly engage with all the beauty of existence? Is that too much to ask for, Lego?

We need new toys to represent dreamer mythologies of love passively conquering all with simple universal truths and transcendent understanding.

See Something, Play Something

2011-08-26T11:22:00.004-04:00

Bobby Genalo is a current ITP'er who was in the Toy Design class this past spring. I really enjoyed his piece called See Something, Play Something that he exhibited in the 2011 ITP spring show. It's a nice marriage of the concepts of toys and decor. (Clearly, I'm a fan and proponent of art you can play with.)

Check out Mr. Genalo's blog for documentation of many other fun and playful designs and activities, I especially liked his mention of the Ghostbusters toy, which I may need to purchase for myself, today.

Buddha Machine, an interview

2011-08-25T12:45:00.006-04:00

Awhile back I was researching sound toys, and eventually decided on the Buddha Machine and its designer as a subject for an interview. Christiaan Virant and I carried on a conversation about his design while he traveled all over Europe, then ended up back in Beijing. I was able to piece together what I hope is a somewhat compelling conversation, finally resulting in my second interview for Kill Screen. (Also posted by Pitch Fork.)

Tilt Shift Photography

2011-08-23T19:46:00.005-04:00

I've been using this iPhone app to edit pics in the phone. One effect is miniaturize, and I hadn't been able to capture a composition that looked quite right with it. But today, right when the earthquake hit, I was on the 7th floor of a building in Tribeca, and snapped these two pics. I knew that longer range shots work better for the miniaturize effect, and these two turned out pretty good.

Availabot from Berg

2011-08-23T17:04:00.004-04:00

This nifty little toy from Berg is powered by the USB port, and let's you know (in a fun way) when your friends are available to chat.

In their words: Availabot is a physical representation of presence in Instant Messenger applications. Availabot plugs into your computer by USB, stands to attention when your chat buddy comes online, and falls down when they go away. Video is nice below, but this blog report on their site is also quite nice.

Whiting Tennis

2011-08-22T17:15:00.004-04:00

Being in NYC for all the art is great, but the long lost artists of the Pacific Northwest still float and roam around in the landscapes of my mind.

Sifting back into view the past week has been the super playful sculpture by Whiting Tennis.

Each of his pieces carries a heavy weight of deep introspection built with an almost spiritually geometric design vocabulary.

I also feel like I need to add that as much as I have enjoyed re-visiting the work, I can't say that I'm a fan of the titles that are pinned to the objects. To me, they're gimmicky afterthoughts added to otherwise mysteriously elegant forms, and only serve to detract from the iconic nature of each piece. Luckily, ignoring titles isn't much of an obstacle to thoroughly enjoying what Mr. Tennis has been presenting for several years now.

Woodstock Flea Market Fighting Force, Episode 6

2011-08-22T12:10:00.003-04:00

The end of this episode includes an invitation to you, to join with the Woodstock Flea Market Fighting Force in a cacophony of play and experimentation. Email thoughts, videos, pictures, whatever and it will all be incorporated into this sandbox of who-knows-what. symplvision@gmail.com

The Toy Scene at Coney Island

2011-08-21T15:56:00.016-04:00

Rolled out to Coney Island the other day and kept one eye open on the toy scene, as it were.

First off, it seems ye olde inflatable toy is the most popular item at the carnival. There are several stands that sell this stuff. And, I remind you that this exact line of toys inspired Jeff Koons to create entire bodies of similar work.

Next I turn your attention to the little item that isn't exactly Coney Island centric, the Grow Your Own Girlfriend toy. Just shy of a blowup doll, this little item, "won't run up your credit card," and, "let's you have sole custody of the remote." So, yeah. I guess it's just another item in a long line of Spencer's Gift-ish stuff. Why do I even bring attention to this sort of thing I don't know. I thought its existence somehow fit into the context of various other posts I've done with respect to gender and toys, but on second thought this lives outside of the far more (negatively) impacting mainstream toys like Barbie, Easy Bake Oven, GI Joe, etc. (Have you looked at the Easy Bake Oven ad on their site lately? Wow.)

Lastly, the freak show figurines are pretty intriguing. The infamous Coney Island Circus Sideshow is alive and well. I was struck by the hand written price tag, with the words, "Bring the show home," and fully assumed these figures were made specifically for Coney Island. But, on closer inspection, these are Li'l Sideshow toys, sold worldwide.

My final verdict on the current toy scene at Coney Island? Aside from the rides which are great fun and range between the old fashioned Cyclone to newer, shinier roller coasters, the toys available for sale continue to be emblematic of cheap carnival game prizes, perhaps best summed up by the character of Navin Johnson in this scene from, "The Jerk:"

Collaborative Playground Toy on Wheels

2011-08-21T15:53:00.004-04:00

This is a nice little playground toy that requires a bit of a collaborative effort to achieve the best effect. Nice. I could imagine this on a much larger scale, for people of all ages, possibly even as a means to converting the kinetic work into electricity.

The Antics Roadshow, by Banksy

2011-08-16T23:11:00.005-04:00

The following is a 48 minute documentary, apparently by Banksy, made for London Television. It's a whimsical ride through all sorts of public pranks most of which are cleverly playful, but your occasional war protesters are thrown in as well. At the 27:30 mark, the People Watching Plus video that Rune Madsen and I made is featured, which is fun, but the whole show is worth a viewing if you're into this sort of thing.

Woodstock Flea Market Fighting Force, Episode 5

2011-08-16T23:05:00.002-04:00

The Makeys

2011-08-16T12:37:00.005-04:00

Leading up to Maker-Faire NY, Make Magazine has created its own Award Show, of sorts, The Makeys. These awards are going to companies that have supported the culture of making over the years...but it feels just a bit like advertising, no?

Lego is a nominee, which is what caught my eye. And, you know, awesome. All the companies nominated have indeed contributed to DIY making for decades. But......it's not like they're NOT making profits.

Lots of projects featured on Make are made with Legos, and every time something like that happens, it's extremely valuable marketing for Lego.

All I'm saying is, if you're a DIY magazine and you're going to give away awards, why not create at least a couple awards for the DIY'ers too? (Maybe they do and I'm just not aware.)

Free Fall High Score

2011-08-15T14:48:00.003-04:00

There are a zillion playful apps for phones, but only a handful actually use the phone as an integral part of the app beyond using the touch screen as a controller. I'm always intrigued by apps that incorporate phones into the play transforming them into toys. Free Fall High Score does just that, and if you fail you lose your phone!

I'll say no more, check it out in the video below, and/or link to the site here.

Woodstock Flea Market Fighting Force, Episode 4

2011-08-14T22:15:00.002-04:00

Episode 4 in a document about play, using play as the medium.

Solar System Map on Playground

2011-08-13T14:21:00.004-04:00

After posting about the hot metal surfaces of the church's playground yesterday, I had to snap this one today, and share it as well.

Kids love planets.

Below the Root

2011-08-12T16:54:00.007-04:00

Everyone seems to have their own old school game that they're attached too. Being from Oregon, it's always nice to see that gem of a simple game, Oregon Trail, get thrown around. (And, you might have seen there's an APP for that, which looks great and I am going to go buy it now.) For others, various Atari 2600 games, regular arcade, games, board games, or for the youngsters it was original Nintendo, Sega, or newer systems. For me, the very first game that really entranced my 12 year old mind for days on end was Below the Root. My sister and I plugged into this thing on our Tandy Computer and each new level we made it to provided that kick of excitement that video games can provide. That said, since then, even though I feel connected to the aesthetic, I have very rarely gotten into games much more than on a surface level. Exceptions to that would be Super Mario Brothers and Mike Tyson's Punchout, both of which, I dominated thoroughly. The point in sharing that is simply to express that when I see Below the Root now, I feel a unique sort of nostalgia for it, it's that one of a kind experience in my past that was never replicated, and certainly not surpassed. Mario and Punchout weren't the same, first because they came a couple years later, but also because there's something about those old text games that really sparks the imagination. If you haven't seen Get Lamp, and have an interest in the history of text-based video games, you might like to check out that flick. Note the tagline for Get Lamp: Before there was first person shooter, there was second person thinker.

Discovering this substantial play-through of Below the Root, I immediately emailed my sister, and am looking forward to the moment when I have an hour to kill to take it all in again.

Ah, the sweet snare of nostalgia. For Proust it was the taste of a madeleine dipped in a cup of lime flower tea, for me, among other things, Below the Root.

Launch of Badger

2011-08-12T16:00:00.006-04:00

Fellow ITP alum recently launched Badger on the App Store. Badger allows you to post geo-tagged pics under a category (badge) that you can create, or any category that has already been created.

In an attempt to get the ball rolling, I created a badge, Playful Objects. I see such things in public all the time so I'll hope to post a few pics in the days ahead. I also started following "street art" and "bike napping," two other things I I'm constantly aware of. I'm really curious to see what badges stick and become popular, especially the unexpected categories that will surely emerge.

One nice thing about Badger is that it could potentially take no time at all. Stop and snap a pic and upload it as you go. Or, go for a walk and add this layer of activity, snapping pics of things you notice.

St. George's Romanesque Playground

2011-08-12T13:22:00.006-04:00

Wandered past St. George's Episcopal Church yesterday and couldn't help but notice their playground designed to match the Romanesque Revival architecture. Not only does the play structure stand out because of the design, but the material choice makes it nearly impossible to play on in any kind of sunny weather. As a result, it seems like a playground meant only to be looked at.

Top 30 Weird Toys

2011-08-10T14:42:00.004-04:00

Proud to say that along with the shockingly odd roulette toy, Love Boat Action figures made this list of the top 30 weird toys.

Woodstock Flea Market Fighting Force, Episode 3

2011-08-10T12:34:00.003-04:00

Woodstock Flea Market Fighting Force, Episode 2

2011-08-10T12:33:00.003-04:00

Chris Burden's Hot Wheel Awesomeness

2011-08-09T15:28:00.004-04:00

I've been a fan of Chris Burden's work for a long time, so, to see him merge his experimentally playful art career with iconic toys is...a thrill. Check it:

Keita Takahashi & playground design

2011-08-09T12:33:00.004-04:00

I'm of course loving the directions and tangents that Kill Screen magazine is taking lately. This is a great example of how a video game magazine is branching out into the wider scope of PLAY. Check out the nice interview with Keita Takahashi.

Woodstock Flea Market Fighting Force, Episode 1

2011-08-07T11:48:00.004-04:00