Sketchbot Prototype SDCC 09

What a difference a year makes.

Last year this time I had just completed two hand sculpted and painted prototypes of the first version of Sketchbot. I brought them along to SDCC, had one on display at Toyqube's booth, and the other I carried with me and showed to whomever would stop and listen to my spiel. I received lots of positive feedback and even some constructive criticism. The plan was always to revise the character to be more animation friendly, in addition to further refining the shape and features. It was also important to settle on a cohesive branding strategy for all the various elements that comprise Sketchbot Studios.

Today, I'm proud to announce that Sketchbot is now in full production as a designer vinyl toy!

The new prototype will be on display at the DKE TOYS booth at SDCC 09. I'll be in attendance Wednesday during "Preview Night" and wrapping up my visit end of day on Friday. I'll have a batch of the newly designed stickers and business cards with me, so hit me up for some free swag if you see me wandering the vinyl toy aisles.

It's been an exciting journey since I first began this venture over a year ago, and the future promises a plethora of surprises for Sketchbot. See you all in San Diego!

Sketchbot Update - Stickers and Quotes

Lots of exciting things going on behind the scenes at Sketchbot Studios. First, you'll notice a new masthead at the top of the blog that represents the updated logo. This redesign carries over to a new batch of stickers, which include artwork for each of the 6 planned colourways and the DIY blank version. I'll be including a sticker inside each box. Unfortunately, I have to conceal all the amazing versions until those variants become available (gotta keep the suspense alive!). The good news, everyone gets to follow along with Variant 1, and here's the final artwork:

And, yes, that's a sparkling new URL that will be the official home for the Sketchbot brand. It's currently under construction and I'm working on some killer content for the site. As always, you can continue following the adventures of toy production and other going-ons right here.

The following image represents but a third of the ginormous sticker run I recently had completed by the fine folks at Stickerobot. My design is currently featured as their Sticker of the Week! I highly recommend them for any of your sticker needs - tell 'em Sketchbot sent them your way.

Here's a quick comparison between V.1 and V.2 - the design sorely needed updating, and V.2 is now consistent with the revision to the actual 3d model.

Finally, I've been having lots of back-and-forth conversations with two factories in China, presenting my plans for production and getting those much needed quotes. Financing is going to be challenging, but I will not compromise on quality for my first release. I think all the fans of Sketchbot will appreciate the value that is going into bringing this character off the page and into reality. I'm still shooting for a release before the holidays, so keep sending those positive vibes in our direction!