I recently had the chance to chat with designer and illustrator Amos Maldonado. Some of you may know him from the work he has done at Funko. He is responsible for many of the designs we know and love one of them being the Bart Simpson Pop, whom I still need to add to my collection… Heck I need the whole Simpsons set. Amos is a down to earth guy with a really cool job and some amazing skills.
So in your own words who is Amos Maldonado?
Wow… that’s a loaded question. In order not to bore you all, I am a 41 year old designer / illustrator, frustrated singer and father of 2 pretty awesome kids. I was born and raised in York, Pennsylvania, home of the peppermint patty. I have been living in Seattle for 15 years now.
Oh that’s cool you are a singer? So am I. What kind of music do you like to sing?
I used to sing acapella, R&B/Soul, old stuff. I'm really into old school stuff.
Sweet! I love old school music. It’s so much better than the music today. Don't get me wrong there is some good music out there from some talented artists, but it’s not the way it use to be. So how did you get started?
Although design was a major part of my life, it all went dormant after I graduated High School in 1991. I skipped college and became a working stiff doing a ton of sh!@#y jobs through my 20’s while always doing some graphic design and illustration on the side. When I moved to Seattle in 2000, I decided to go back to school.
During that time I met the original Funko CEO, Mike Becker and I ended up doing some side work for him. Funko was tiny back then but my mind was blown. I met the original artists, Sean Wilkinson and Rob Schwartz as well and I vowed to myself that I would have a job like that one day. After Mike sold Funko to Brian Mariotti and became the creative director for a local t-shirt company, he hired me as one of their T-Shirt Designers.
I worked for that company for about 3 years before they moved their operation to San Diego. While I was still working for them, I literally found a job posting on Craigslist for a small local toy company that was in need of a designer. That small local company? FUNKO!!! I made a call and the rest, as the say is history.
That is a pretty cool backstory… So what is it like to work for Funko?
Ha-ha… another loaded question. It’s amazing working with soooo, many Pop Culture iconic licenses. I will be the first to admit that I don’t know many of the newer references and there for I’m grateful for my kids who are constantly trying to keep me hip. We also have a lot of talented young designers and sculptors that we have access to and can always pick their brains about character popularity and costume references etc. Sunday nights aren’t dreadful. I never feel like “ugh, I have to go to work tomorrow”. It’s more like, I’m going do a ton of art which I would do anyhow even if I wasn’t getting paid for it. In a nutshell, it’s pretty f@#$ing awesome.
LOL! I bet it is awesome to work for Funko. There is nothing like doing what you love for a living. With you creating so much material is there a favorite piece(s) you have designed?
Some of my favorites aren’t even Pops. My first year at Funko, I designed a line called Urban Vinyl and they were Hip Hop Legend vinyl figures. They didn’t do well for us at all but man did I love the style and soul of the pieces. I guess the world just wasn’t ready. Some of my other favorites are the entire Michael Jackson Pops series and the entire NFL Pop series along with the Masters of the Universe series.
I love the He-Man Pops! As well as the Urban Vinyls line. Have you ever had a hard time designing a piece?
The Simpsons and Beavis and Butthead. How the hell do you convert such an iconic look into Pop form? Those were tough and the licensors knew what they wanted. So to make them look like the characters and like a Pop was a tricky balance.
Well I think you did a great job on both sets we need more Simpsons Pops! Are you collector? If so what do you collect?
I guess I collect Hulk toys now. LOL! It started with a couple Funko pieces on my desk and it grew into a thing. Lou Ferrigno was always my Hulk and I had a bunch of Hulk toys as a kid and now I have too many. I always say that I have purchased about 30% of what I own and the rest came from my amazing co-workers and the awesome Funko fans that keep showing me love. I am also a fan of Mid Century design so my apt is laced with a lot of furniture and art from the 1950’s and 60’s.
Do you own any Pop Vinyl figures or other Funko merchandise? If so, do you get to keep any of the figures etc. you have designed?
Umm…YES!! Too many! I have boxes and boxes in storage. I have several massive Rubbermaid bins full of just prototypes. Funko is such a high output company so; I need to get a bigger storage unit. I live in a one-bedroom apartment so I have NO ROOM!!! I get samples of everything I work on and I have a few extra pieces of stuff I just love (too many to name).
That is freaking epic man! Many people have a reason for doing what they do for a living what inspires you to continue to do what you do?
I guess the fact that I would do it anyhow. My hobby, my self-healing therapy, the thing I love to do most has become my employment. My kids keep me inspired. They are the reason I do anything anymore. I am not a big spender. I give a lot and I save a lot and I strive to change the family tree by just trying to be better and better.
I totally understand we should all want to strive to be better in our professional and personal lives. Funny things happen all the time at the work place have you had any funny experiences while creating a design?
Well, I’m a Dallas Cowboys fan and needless to say, I hate the New York Giants. So when I was designing the Eli Manning Pop, I gave him that Manning face by giving him dopey eyelids AND THE NFL F!@#ING APPROVED IT!!!!! Go take a look; he’s the only one out of 27 NFL Pops with dopey eyelids. Ahhh Joy!!! GO COWBOYS!!!!!
That is hilarious! Poor Eli... If Mr. Manning is reading now you know why your Funko figure looked different than everyone else’s LOL! Funko cranks out a ton of stuff through out the year and there are many artists as you said before, so how much of the stuff you design actually gets used?
Probably about 95% of it Brian isn’t much for wasting time. So when we acquire the license and get a list from there, we don’t waste any time.
That is amazing! Is there something you have designed that wasn’t used or put into production that you wish was?
YES!!!! Those MJ Thriller Pops will probably never happen but man they would have been so sweet. Snoop Dogg Pop and Urban Vinyl fell through as well. I wanted to do a Tony Romo Pop but the boss insisted that Philip Rivers was much more urgent. (LOL Brian is a Chargers Fan) Also, Beastman from the MOTU line. Lets get real; designing Spikor was a joke to me. I was like really??? But the licensor insisted. So my Beastman Pop got put on the back burner and never happened. Probably never will.
That really sucks I would have loved to see a Thriller Pop and a Beastman Pop. I was surprised we didn’t get more iconic characters like Man of Arms, Too Bad, Lockjaw and Cringer. Being an artist myself I hate when stuff I do doesn’t get used. What advice would you give to aspiring artist and designers?
Do it because you love to do it. Don’t do it for money and definitely don’t do it get notoriety. Do it because, god damn it, you have to do it. Do it because there is nothing else in the world you could do. Do it everyday. Do it in your sleep. Envision how you could do it and then take the steps. Make friends in the field. Having connections is real. You got to love networking and meeting people just as much as you love art. Also, don’t just aim for the top. Everyone is doing that. There is a lot in the middle and in the bottom that isn’t being aimed for that could bring you just as much fulfillment and joy.
That is some really good advice. Oh, in terms of Urban Vinyls, I grabbed Flav and Chuck a few months back still haven't seen Run, DMC, Or Jay in the wild. Do you do design work outside of Funko?
Oh yeah, I live alone and Seattle is expensive! I have 2 kiddos so I have to work extra. My 9-5 only gets me so far so I freelance for several different local companies from home and I also sell some of my art online to supplement. I’m still a working stiff but doing what I love to do. I am really blessed.
I don't want to take up much more of your time before we end this. Where can the fans of your work find you?
I am no longer on Facebook because I really prefer the Instagram interface, so I bailed on FB a while ago. You can find me on IG under amosmaldonado so come give me a follow. I give shit away on occasion and post some personal stuff along with behind the scenes Funko projects. I also sell prints and postcards at modesign.storenvy.com but I’m usually sold out. So when I have time between freelance jobs, I will create some art and post it up there. (check out Amos' Instagram)
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Special thanks to Amos for chatting with me I look forward to seeing more of his work. I think he is an amazing artist. I will make sure to keep my eyes open for any prints he may have up for sale in his envy store. I would love to own an Amos original I’m sure many of you reading would as well.
NEXT: Join me next time on Behind The Figure where I’ll be interviewing the super talented artist/designer Sket-One! Remember we are just a few likes away from hitting the 1,000 member mark - so get ready for the biggest contest in #GOFN history! Until next time Go Hard! Go Fast! Go! Figure!