Steff Bomb Makes Funny and Strange Monster Toys
I was fortunate enough to be introduced recently to a very talented plush toy monster designer and creator. She goes by the name of Steff Bomb and her site/company is called I Make Monsters. She makes a variety of whimsical creatures, her most recent being two crazy characters,
Interview with Steff Bomb, Talented Plush Designer
s4ndm4n: So who is Steff Bomb? How would you describe yourself where you are today and what you are doing with your life?
SteffBomb: eee gad. thats one hell of a first question. well, professionally speaking, i am the creator of the plush toy line I Make Monsters. beyond that i am just some random girl that loves to make *** and has had very good luck.
i am at a surreal point in my life. its the kind of thing where i wake up everyday and think, "holy ***...i make toys". sometimes it doesnt make sense how i could of gotten to even this point. within the last year, so much has happened and so much has changed. so its hard to gauge where i will even be a few months from now. either way, my biggest fear is that i am going to somehow screw it all up. i have this oppurtunity to do something awesome, so rather than dick around or take it for granted, i just opt to work myself to death and pray that it will all pay off in the end. ha.
s4:
After viewing your plush toys on http://www.steffbomb.com,
its become very apparent that you have MAD skills in sewing
plush toys. How did you start sewing plush, or anything for that
matter?
SB: i started sewing about four years ago. i read an article in pencil fight #2, about an all plush art show. i never thought of using fabric as a medium before, but when i after reading that article, it just seemed to make sense. the following week, i purchased a sewing machine and made my first toy. it was suppossed to be a robot. it wasnt very good (and in fact looked nothing like a robot), but thats probably because i didnt know what the hell i was doing.
s4:
Have you always been an artist? If not, when did you figure out that you had the creative gift that not all of us have?
SB: i have been drawing since i was a wee lady. mostly pen and ink stuff. the schools i went to when i was growing up, never had much of an art program, but luckily i was never really big on doing actual school work. so i would spend my class time drawing (or sleeping...mostly sleeping) instead. i also was grounded for most of my childhood, so i would sit in my room and redraw pages and pages of comic books. thats pretty much how that started.
s4:
Your Asparagus bomber cracks me up. Why the heck did you choose an asparagus dude for that character?
SB: aww, thanks. i chose the asaparagus because i knew he would make you smile.
umm...actually, i wish i could take credit for the idea, but all props go to my friend tracy. we were shootin the *** outside of a show one day, when she turned to me and said, "dude, you should make an asparagus. they make your pee smell funny". she's pretty brilliant.
s4:
What's the story behind the Asparagus? Did he get tired of living in
the produce drawer and decide to pick up bombing the city? LOL.
SB: i assume sitting in the crisper for a handful of days can get fairly boring. especially when you taste horrible and no one wants to eat you. besides, everyone needs a hobby, even gross vegetables.
s4:
Your Yeti and Sasquatch toys must have stories behind them too.. what is it? have you thought about making baby versions?
SB: BABY VERSIONS?!? you are a **** genius! i never thought of it before, but that would be awesome. maybe instead of cans of beer, i could give them 40's with rubber nipple tops. ha. i like the way you think, my friend.
the story behind the yeti and sasquatch is kind of boring but i figure i will tell it anyway. a long long time ago, i was wondering through the woods, as i so often do, and i seemed to have gotten myself a little lost. nightfall came, so i found myself a cave to sleep in until it was light out again. as i entered the cave, i heard a terrifying growl. i knew i should of turned around, but i decided to find out what could be making such a noise. as i stepped closer, i could see two giant shadowy figures. adrenaline took over. i wasnt afraid of what stood before me. i stepped even closer, only two realize that the shadowy figures were in fact the mythical yeti and sasquatch. i asked them what was wrong. they kindly explained that they wanted to get mad crunked, but didnt have the funds for the beer. oh what a cruel fate!!! i had a plan. if they could guide me back to safety, i would gladly pitch in a few bucks. we walked to the closest beer store where we purchased a case of pabst for $3 and a handful of twigs and berries. we got *** faced. it was awesome. true story.
s4:
So my next question is, are you planning on just making the sasquatch and yeti guys for awhile or what do you have in store?
SB: Yeah, i dont see why not. i enjoy making them, plus i silk screened tons of beer labels, so i will at least be sewing them until i run out. printing the labels was a *** too, i didnt leave myself much room for error.
i make a wide variety of stuff though, i just sewed up my first fart ever!!! it will go with the turds i already make, and the vomit and *** i have yet to make (its a toilet/bodily function collective kind of thing). but there is even more stuff that i just havent been able to get to yet. sometimes its hard being just one lady, hand making all of the monsters all by myself. the one thing i have wanted to do for a while, that i drew out plans for, is a all plush guillotine...and then a working all plush guillotine. it will go with that decapitated head monster that i made (but that also needs to be fixed up...i do a lot of trial and error). but thats just one of endless projects that i have in my brain. i basically just want to be able to sew anything and everything. is that weird? thats a goal i set for myself. a little unattainable, i know...but i dont mind trying.
s4: I have to say there is no small amount of value placed
on hand-made plush toys by the community. Do you feel that your toys
will be perceived as less special if you were to produce them in say, a
factory?
SB: of course its not going to be the same. i am crazy...seriously, i am. every stitch in anything i do has to be absolutely perfect in my eyes, or its no good. so its not going to have the same tender love and care as a handmade monster but that goes without saying. its the same idea as owning a painting verses owning the poster of that painting.
s4: Have you considered going production with the toys? Obviously you get
enjoyment out of making them, but still... doesn't everyone in their
hearts want their own toy line someday?
SB: oddly enough, that is precisely the point i am at in my life. for a while, i was struggling with being able to keep up with my orders (and to be honest i still do), so production was definitely something i looked into. i dont know *** about business though. i can sew a blood splattered battle axe, but any kind of business related stuff is totally lost on me. i got really lucky when Erick Scarecrow contacted me about production because he is the goddamn best and without him i wouldnt know what i am doing. even still, it took me months and months to decide whether or not i wanted to go down this road. i was more worried about that idea of failing than anything else. making toys and making art as my career has always been my dream, so if that were to not work out (which it still might not), i would be super crushed. i figured, *** it. i wont know unless i try.
s4: What else do you like to do besides buying and drinking beer with wild and legendary beasts? Do you have other hobbies that you have that you share with them?
SB: well, sewing was my hobby...but i guess it doesnt count anymore. i am a big fan of crafting. i have a *** ton of unfinished projects like a scarf that i have been knitting for a year. or this really sweet ms. pac man cross stitch that is also incomplete. hmm...i guess i am not exactly the party animal i thought i was. oh well. i guess i dont really have time for too much anymore. between working my real job, sewing, and then barely squeezing in somewhat of a social life, i dont have too much time for anything these days. its ok though, i am totally content with the way things are. maybe by the winter of 2015, i will finally have a finished scarf.
s4: Ok now I always ask what inspires people to do what they do and who
their favorite artist are. Its always interesting to hear the answers,
but I like to put a twist on things. So, I know that taboo bodily
functions and strange creatures tend to inspire your art toys but can
you tell me why you think these are so prevalent in your designs?
SB: i have never been one for "expressing my deep inner feelings" in my art work...so instead i just go ahead and sew what makes me smile. i fart and poop and puke, but doesnt everyone? its just part of life and i dont think its anything to be embarrassed about. if you ask, i would gladly tell you about the time i *** my pants. its a good story, but the kind you have to tell in person with hand gestures.
besides, its just fun to make ridiculous ***. its prevalent in my drawings too. for a while i was stuck on the idea of drawing and painting people picking their boogers. that was pretty sweet...maybe i should try and sew that.
s4: And of course, that other question, What art style or artist influenced you the most growing up and are they still influential to you today?
SB: i am a big fan of detail with lines, if that makes sense. as a youngin, i was heavily influenced by comics (and still am), so a lot of random comic book artists definitely paved that way. many years ago, when i first started college, i had a big art crush on derek hess. his line work was tight. i remember the first time i saw his ***, i bought the converge/agoraphobic nosebleed split, and he did the artwork for that record. i couldnt stop staring at it. i was floored at the idea that someone could be that good. there are others too...david choe, charles burns, chuck close, christine curry, tim biskup, mike allred...all amazing artists. but now a days, its not so much an influence as it is a motivation...its like, i look at their work and it just makes me want to work harder so maybe one day i can be that good.
Comments
*sigh* I need to start making plushes again ;_;
excellent interview.