Superplastic, Inc.
| Superplastic logo | |
| Private | |
| ISIN | 🆔 |
| Industry | Collectables, designer toys |
| Founded 📆 | 2018 |
| Founder 👔 | |
| Headquarters 🏙️ | , , United States |
Area served 🗺️ | |
Key people | Paul Budnitz (Founder and CEO) |
| Members | |
Number of employees | |
| 🌐 Website | superplastic |
| 📇 Address | |
| 📞 telephone | |
Superplastic, Inc. is an American entertainment brand and designer toy production company based in Burlington, Vermont that was founded by Kidrobot founder Paul Budnitz in collaboration with Kidrobot designer Huck Gee in 2018. Represented by computer-animated cartoon characters, Superplastic specializes in the production of art toys, apparel, games, and animated content based on the virtual influencers created for the brand’s extensive fictional universe, with their designer toys routinely selling out in minutes.[1] They are also known for their work with musicians such as Gorillaz, Rico Nasty, Steve Aoki, and various others.
Overview[edit]
Superplastic is primarily an entertainment brand manufacturer of designer toys based on the characters (dubbed “synthetic celebrities”) from the extensive fictional universe that represents the brand, but they have also produced other apparel and accessories based on their characters as well. Their characters are largely anthropomorphic and no human characters currently exist in the Superplastic universe. Their lineup of main characters currently consists of Janky, Guggimon, Dayzee, and Staxx. Janky and Guggimon, the company’s most popular characters, are the basis of a line of toys produced by Superplastic of the same names. As designer toys, Superplastic’s art toys are all made in collaboration with various artists around the world, with blank templates of figures of their characters being used as a canvas for their artists to create their own designs on.
Budnitz designed the Superplastic brand to exist primarily in an online space rather than in film or television, as a way of producing animated content faster and making it easier to be more directly communicative with fans in response to repeated failure from Hollywood studios to finalize deals for movies based on the Kidrobot universe that were offered to the company.[2] Although they are currently mostly a toy company, Superplastic plans to expand its brand to explore other mediums.[3] They also plan on further expanding their fictional universe by adding more characters to it.
History[edit]
Superplastic was originally founded in 2018 by entrepreneur and CEO Paul Budnitz after selling his other toy company KidRobot to Frank Kozik and WildBrain Entertainment in 2012. Budnitz originally sold Kidrobot to focus on his bicycle company Budnitz Bikes and his newly founded social networking website Ello, but he would eventually make a comeback in the toy marketing business and develop Superplastic with KidRobot designer Huck Gee. Budnitz founded Superplastic after various offers from Hollywood studios to adapt Kidrobot characters into a series of feature films were never finalized. Disappointed by this, Budnitz hired a team of ten 3D animators from Hollywood and developed a fictional universe centered on animated characters, using social media to explore their stories.[4] In an interview with Variety, Budnitz says of Superplastic “Our characters live on social media. It’s like making a movie that never ends.”.[5] "We decided we would do our animation direct and put it directly on social media.”' Bunditz said in an interview with WCAX.[6] In an interview with Artsy, Budnitz says of making Superplastic’s designer toys “[I] wanted to make stuff that was tangible and real and limited-feeling again. People are so starved for things they can’t get easily and that are special.”.[7]
Superplastic itself was first teased through its Instagram account, which originally posted only a mysterious question mark after launch, leading to speculation that Kidrobot designer Huck Gee was returning to the designer toy industry after several years of absence from Kidrobot, a theory that was later confirmed after he'd be revealed to be lead designer and producer for the brand.[8] A kickstarter campaign for Superplastic was launched on May 14th, 2018 and has since managed to raise 2190% of their $25,000 goal and received over $500,000 in donations from 3,899 backers. [9]
Superplastic has raised $10,000,000 in Series A venture capital funding from investors including Founders Fund, Shrug Capital, Village Capital, Betaworks, Justin Timberlake, Scooter Braun, Chainsmokers, and various others since its initial creation, and an additional $6,000,000 in Series B funding. They have also received offers from major TV networks and film production companies to produce material based on their characters.[10][11][12]
Fictional Universe[edit]
Self-described as “the world’s first talent agency for virtual synthetic celebrities”, Superplastic is visually represented by computer-animated anthropomorphic cartoon characters who are credited as the artists behind their products. Their most famous characters are Janky and Guggimon, who live with Dayzee and Staxx and their sidekick Pandakat in Superplastic’s fictional headquarters at the House of Plastic outside of Brooklyn, New York. The brand’s fictional universe is explored online through artwork and animated content produced for their social media pages. The characters are very active on social media, posting content and communicating with fans regularly. Dayzee and Staxx are recent additions to the Superplastic universe and made their official debut on October 22, 2020.[13] Superplastic’s characters are depicted as existing in both the 'real' world and fictional world. Although they are cartoon characters with fictional backstories, the brands depicted in their universe are all real, as are the celebrities they're shown interacting with. Superplastic founder Paul Budnitz describes their universe as “a mix between reality and hyper-reality”.[14]The fantasy-based approach to the Superplastic brand was inspired by Gorillaz, a British virtual band formed in 1998 in which the members consist of animated cartoon characters.[15]
Janky and Guggimon[edit]
Janky is a fictional anthropomorphic fox-like character who is described by Superplastic as being a self-proclaimed streetwear icon who achieved such status by acquiring discarded clothing that he found in dumpsters of movie sets during his career as a movie stuntman. He is said to have been discovered by Superplastic after being featured in a viral video in which he was repeatedly run over. He was originally homeless and lived near a trailer house outside Warner Bros Studios in Hollywood, California before moving to Brooklyn, New York to live in the House of Plastic after Superplastic’s success. He is best friends with Guggimon and lives with him, Dayzee and Staxx at the House of Plastic. He is the basis of the Janky line of toys from the brand.[16]Superplastic designer Huck Gee describes Guggimon as being "a screw-up that wants to be famous"[17]
Guggimon is a fictional anthropomorphic rabbit-like character who is friends with Janky and lives with him in their headquarters at the House of Plastic in Brooklyn, New York. Originally based in Montreal, Canada, Guggimon often conceals his identity with an alter-ego due to his own social anxiety and he frequently wears masks, eventually gaining hundreds of thousands of followers on social media. He has been described by Superplastic as a horrorcore artist and DJ who owns his own record label and became famous after releasing a fictional mixtape called Axe Diary. He is said by Superplastic to have formerly struggled with heavy psychedelic drug usage in goth clubs in Oxford, but has since become sober. His hobbies include collecting axes and customizing vintage handbags. He is the basis of the Guggimon line of toys from the brand, which are usually horror inspired.[18]
Dayzee and Staxx[edit]
Dayzee and Staxx are the latest team of characters to be added to the Superplastic fictional universe. Revealed on October 22, 2020, Dayzee and Staxx are waitresses who work at a fictional restaurant called Miss Fortunes in New York City and fight zombies with their sidekick Pandakat, known professionally as Weapons of Mass Seduction. They live with Janky and Guggimon in Superplastic’s fictional headquarters at the House of Plastic, located above Miss Fortune’s.[19]
Dayzee is described by Superplastic as appearing to have a flirty and charming personality that is actually a hypnotic facade hiding her destructive and violent tendencies. Her influences are said to be Rihanna, The Rock, Rei Kawakubo and her favorite artists are Jhene Aiko, Miguel, and Princess Nokia.[20]
Staxx is an anthropomorphic cat-like character who is the Weapons of Mass Seduction’s combat and weapons specialist. She is described by Superplastic as being abhorrent, adorable and wicked, with a personality that can be either loathsome or charismatic and loyal depending on who she sees as her friend or her enemy. Her inspirations are said to be Kurt Cobain and Noseferatu, with her favorite artists being FKA Twigs and Bauhaus.[21]
Collaborations[edit]
Superplastic have collaborated with a number of celebrities including Gorillaz, Steve Aoki, Rico Nasty, DJ Whoo Kid, and various others. They have also collaborated with brands such as Oscar Mayer, Volkswagen, Complex Networks, County of Milan, and more.[22] Artists such as Mcbess, Camilla D'Errico, Pete Fowler, Dalek and others collaborated with Superplastic for their launch and designed the first set of Janky toys for their launch Kickstarter campaign in 2018.[23]They have also manufactured Janky toys designed by artists such as Junko Mizuno, Bubi Au Yeung, and Sket One.[24]
In November 2019, Superplastic revealed their collaboration with British virtual band Gorillaz to create the band’s first vinyl art toy since their collaboration with Kidrobot in 2006. The art toy was a 12” replica of Gorillaz’ virtual frontman 2-D as he appears in the music video for the Gorillaz song Tranz.[25][26]
On December 4, 2019, Superplastic and DJ Whoo Kid collaborated to make a limited edition Janky toy called “Whoo Army”.[27] Steve Aoki collaborated with Superplastic in March 2020 to create two limited-edition Janky toys called “Neon Future” and “Playhouse”. [28][29]
On 29 October 2020, Superplastic revealed their collaboration with rapper Rico Nasty for a limited edition 'SuperJanky' toy called Nightmare Vacation.[30]On February 2020, Superplastic revealed a collaboration with graffiti artist Sket One to create a model of SuperJanky toys called 'SuperKranky'.[31]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ↑ Travers, Christopher (22 October 2020). "First Look: Virtual Influencer Maker Superplastic Raises $6M Led By GV, Launches Dayzee & Staxx". Virtual Humans. Retrieved 28 October 2020. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Superplastic $10MILLION Funding Announcement!". The Toy Chronicle. 30 July 2019. Retrieved 30 October 2020. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Superplastic: An interview with the Janky Kickstarter duo". Timed Edition. 18 May 2018. Retrieved 30 October 2020. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Baker, Annie (5 August 2019). "Designer Toy Company Superplastic Secures $10 Million". Pulse 2.0. Retrieved 30 October 2020. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Rottgers, Janko (30 July 2019). "Superplastic Raises $10 Million to Turn Janky and Guggimon Into Animated Instagram Stars (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 28 October 2020. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Cyrus, Connor (6 August 2019). "Burlington company launches synthetic social media influencers". Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Palumbo, Jacqui (23 January 2019). "How Collectible Designer Toys Became an Art Form". Artsy. Retrieved 28 October 2020. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Curtis, Nick (15 May 2018). "Superplastic's JANKY Series No.1". CoArt Magazine. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "JANKY: Limited Edition Art Toys by Superplastic". Retrieved 28 October 2020. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Ong, Thuy (29 October 2020). "Virtual Influencers Make Real Money While Covid Locks Down Human Stars". Bloomberg. Retrieved 30 October 2020. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Primack, Dan (31 July 2019). "Toy startup "Superplastic" raises $10 million in Series A funding". Axios. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Rottgers, Janko (30 July 2019). "Superplastic Raises $10 Million to Turn Janky and Guggimon Into Animated Instagram Stars (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 28 October 2020. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Primack, Dan (31 July 2019). "Toy startup "Superplastic" raises $10 million in Series A funding". Axios. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Ong, Thuy (29 October 2020). "Virtual Influencers Make Real Money While Covid Locks Down Human Stars". Bloomberg. Retrieved 30 October 2020. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Gorillaz and Superplastic partner to release limited edition vinyl toy of 2D | Vermont Business Magazine". Vermont Business Magazine. 16 November 2019. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Our Clients — Superplastic". Superplastic. Archived from the original on 2019-11-29. Retrieved 28 October 2020. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Zahed, Ramin (2 August 2019). "Superplastic to Animate Instagram Stars Janky and Guggimon". Animation Magazine. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Our Clients — Superplastic". Superplastic. Archived from the original on 2019-11-29. Retrieved 28 October 2020. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Northman, Tora (October 22, 2020). "Superplastic Introduces Dayzee and Staxx". Hypebae. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Talent — Superplastic". Superplastic. Retrieved 28 October 2020. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Talent — Superplastic". Superplastic. Retrieved 28 October 2020. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Superplastic: The Animated Celebrity Universe That's Taking Over the Real World". Globe Newswire. 22 October 2020. Retrieved 28 October 2020. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Superplastic Launches With "JANKY," a Limited Edition Artist-Designed Toy Collection". Cool Hunting. 15 May 2018. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Sheth, Sarang (5 June 2018). "Superplastic's New Toy is a 3D Canvas for Pop-culture! | Yanko Design". Yanko Design. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Estiler, Keith (22 June 2020). "Superplastic Unveils First Gorillaz Vinyl Art Toy in Over 10 Years". Hybebeast. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Roberts, Tyler (22 November 2019). "The Gorillaz Get a New Vinyl Figure Since 10 Years with Superplastic". Bleeding Cool. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Muramatsu, Jack (4 December 2019). "Whoo Army Janky by DJ Whoo Kid". Vinyl Pulse. Retrieved 28 October 2020. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Baker, Brian (5 March 2020). "Steve Aoki and Superplastic to Release Two Designer Toys Together". EDM. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Steve Aoki Unveils 'Halfway Dead' ft. Travis Barker & Global Dan". Broadway World. 6 March 2020. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Rossignol, Derrick (29 October 2020). "Rico Nasty Has Released An Adorably Fierce New 'Nightmare Vacation' Toy". Uproxx. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Pickett, Daniel (4 February 2020). "@TenaciousToys Exclusive Sket One Aqua Turquoise SuperKranky by Superplastic Drops this Friday". Action Figure Insider. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help)
This article "Superplastic (company)" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Superplastic (company). Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
