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Toybox Time Machine
Marty Baumann is an illustrator and graphics designer. He has worked for Walt Disney and Pixar on films such as toy story 3, Zootopia, big Hero 6, and more. He’s worked for Hasbro and national Geographic, is involved with the new mystery science theater 3000, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Now, IDW is releasing a collection of his fictional toy ads in Toybox Time Machine: A Catalog of the Coolest toys never Made. Westfield’s Roger Ash contacted Marty to learn more about this fun, new book.
Westfield: Where did the idea for Toybox Time machine come from?
Marty Baumann: I think the short answer is in the preface I’ve written; Toybox Time machine is a “catalog of the greatest toys never made — but wouldn’t your world have been a better place if they had been?” And, to invoke an all too familiar story, my mom chucked my beloved toys (my comics, too!) once my interest looked to girls and I was looking the other way. I think we all have a piece of our youth we’d like to reclaim, that we’re nostalgic for. They don’t make those toys anymore, and the monetary values placed on those that still exist are astronomic, so I created my own. I’ve always been fascinated by the limitless imaginings of the people who created those toys. They didn’t just capitalize on trends, they started them. They engaged in fearless experimentation. It seems no notion was too outlandish. many of their ideas succeeded, some did not. So I’ve attempted to put myself in their place, to recapture that same adventurous creative spirit. It’s been an invigorating artistic experience.
Perfect for any super spy
Westfield: Your work, and the ads they’re inspired by, has a distinctive style. What about this style appeals to you?
Baumann: Brace yourself for the curmudgeon’s take: I grew up in the 1960s — and this may be a nostalgic illusion — but people seemed to be more optimistic then. and this was reflected in the popular culture. and our desires are reflected in large measure in the advertising that caters to them. The advertising produced in that era was simpler yet somehow more dynamic. It truly was “art,” not just some photos and text. They actually hired illustrators in those days. some of them were refined (example: James Bama), some were just plain crazy (example: Ed “Big Daddy” Roth). typically the compositions were crude and cluttered, the printing out of register, the wording always hyperbolic, but the sheer vitality was unmistakable.
Westfield: how much research do you do to capture the look of the classic ads?
Baumann: This might sound immodest, but not much. and I only assert this because the virtues of this mid-century aesthetic were already a part of me. I was there. I lived it. It surrounded me. My senses were bombarded by these garish, gleeful, ceaselessly inventive ads; on TV, in drug stores, the local market, the comic book rack, the Sears catalog. I absorbed all of it.
The space-age way to color!
Westfield: how important is the choice of product to the ad you create?
Baumann: Very. The types of toys that fueled my imagination as a kid naturally stir my creative juices today. The products on display in Toybox Time machine are variations of the toys I remember most vividly. and as I’ve said, the influences were inescapable; monsters movies haunted the late-night airwaves and I never missed one if I could stay awake; we saw every James Bond flick as it appeared, beginning with “Dr. No” (and, yes, Connery is the only Bond. The others pale in comparison). For my money, comics reached their zenith in the ’60s. Jack Kirby’s art practically jumped off the rack and smacked you right in the face. And, significantly, my father fought in WWII. In fact, he was significantly wounded. and it followed that I was fascinated by the heroism of the armed forces. combat was my favorite TV show, Vic Morrow was my hero and one of my favorite toys was a replica Thompson submachine gun! and I can’t neglect Westerns as a strong influence. In 1959 there were 26 Westerns airing in prime time — and a multitude of ancillary products were developed for all of them. guns and holsters, badges, buttons, games, lunch boxes, coloring books (I loved coloring books) and so much more. and the only good thing about starting school in September was the new line-up of cartoons that made up the Saturday morning fall schedule — (Spaaaaace Ghost!)
For monster hunters in training
Westfield: Can you take us through the creative process in making one of your ads?
Baumann: I don’t think there is any one process. ideas come to me in myriad ways. Example: My partner and I will typically seek out estate sales — somebody is clearing house and everything is up for grabs. While the hardcore “collectors” are examining a Queen Anne sideboard, I’ll be tearing through stacks of old magazines thatno one else is interested in. many are brimming with incredible illustrations, exemplary logo designs and, of course, advertising. I’ve also scooped up stacks of little golden Books, hobby magazines and comics in various states of disintegration — cheap! and there’s the miracle of the internet. While looking up one thing you discover another (“Oh yeah, I remember that!”) which leads to another and another…
Westfield: Does your work in animation inform your work in Toybox Time machine in any way?
Baumann: Absolutely. The first time I saw Pixar’s toy story I was blown away. It was very apparent that there was a retro aesthetic inspiring these creators. (Sure enough, I’m the same age as John Lasseter.) With each subsequent film it was in evidence. and when The Incredibles came along, a film coalescing all of my retro, comic book and movie influences, I knew I just had to work there. and working there can be rather intimidating. I was surrounded by guys half my age with 10 times the talent! It kicked my ass but it raised my game. and I relished the fact that I sort of became their go-to “vintage” guy. maybe because I AM vintage! and I think that retro sensibility informs all of my Disney projects, whether it be a feature film or a Disneyland attraction.
Every kid needs it!
Westfield: any closing comments?
Baumann: This book is my virtual time machine and I hope everyone else sees it as theirs. You don’t have to be of a certain age to appreciate the sensibilities of the past. I’ll compare the book to a website I created way back when the Internet was just being born. It’s called The Astounding B Monster, a collection of articles, reviews and, most importantly, interviews with cult, monster and science-fiction movie makers of the past. It functioned as my personal time machine. By tracking down and interviewing the people who made those monster movies I watched as a kid, I was able to reach out and touch my past, in a manner speaking. A similar motive prompted me to tackle this project. Let’s hope readers have as much fun “time traveling” as I do!
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Toybox Time Machine