Munny DIY by Paul Budnitz + Tristan Eaton & Kidrobot
Nick Curtis
Before we tackle what a custom is, let’s discuss one specific platform — or basic toy design — that ties in directly to this: the Munny. Created by Tristan Eaton and Paul Budnitz, the latter of which founded Kidrobot the company that releases these vinyl figures, talking about Munnys can become difficult as one might actually be talking about any of five designs that are part of “Munnyworld”: the “Munny” proper is made to resemble a man, the “Bub” is a stylized hippo, “Trikky” is a cat, the “Raffy” is a giraffe, and “Rooz” is meant to be a baby kangaroo. But they are all part of Munnyworld, a series of solid color vinyl figures that are called Do-ItYourself (or DIY) Designer Toys, meant to be a blank canvas upon which any artist can express themselves using almost an unlimited number of mediums. 66 | Clutter 28
Now let’s put terms like ‘Custom’ and ‘Munny’ over to the side and instead talk in general art terms: anyone can go into an art store and buy a blank canvas, and while its form and texture might be interesting, it’s still simply a blank canvas. But when someone paints on that blank canvas, it magically becomes art, yes? Obviously, the skill of the artist determines certain things, but even a child’s finger painting is still technically art. In these terms, the Munny is the blank canvas and the term ‘Custom’ denotes the painted form. And just like there are countless ways for an artist to express themselves on a conventional canvas, the same holds true to those “customizing” a Munny… Above we have what the blank Munny looks like, but opposite are other pieces by artists using their skills and crafts to modify — or customize — that base form into something entirely new. They’re creating a threedimensional painting, if you will. By using everything from intricate line drawing to detailed painting, sculpting or sewing additional elements, the artist reforms the vinyl figure into whatever they want. A customizer can even make a series of the same custom — or “multiples” — hand-crafting the same base design several times to sell a limited edition quantity of their work. So a custom is a unique piece of art that is handmade, hand-painted, hand-sculpted, hand-whatevered; even when “multiples” are made, each one is an individual ‘painting.’