A New Year, A New Outlook
- Jan 1, 2017
- 4 min read
Happy New Year everybody! We are always inspired by the change in the calendar year, no matter what stage in life, as it brings a symbol of aspiration forward, a sense of newness in the air is dispersed. What does that mean for us in particular? Well, expect to see us breathe some new life into the world of independent toys and the making thereof this year. We will be doing this by becoming a little leaner (ie: we said goodbye to our fairly useless Twitter page, but re-constituted our Instagram), maybe even a lil' meaner. Not in terms of spirit, but in terms of where the lines of bias land. In other words, we know as well as you, that finding the highest quality toys comes with critical analysis. Yes. And we have had it with the typical corporate toy company mentality that plagues us with quantity for transparent bottom line profit margins.
BLACK + WHITE + READ ALL OVER: We are proud to say that we have been read in 160 countries to date (here's to reaching the other 36 in 2017!). While many news sources out there just gloss over the nasty bits to simply cheerlead for any/everything that drops we are taking a more methodical look at the lumps and bumps, as well as the gloss of top craftsmanship. Hey, we've been a slight guilty of this at times, but that's because artful designer toys make us excitable - otherwise why would we be here in the first place? And I know fair well that sometimes the edgy 'bad art' aesthetic is perfect for a particular figure-based project. All things considered. As collectors and makers you likely notice a lot of blog-based repetition. We've learned from the best, and are interested in the schism 'tween. We are not here to create PSAs, we are here to dissect the best toys available internationally (and those that go bump in the night)! Considering ourselves more along the lines of a 'zine here at GOFN we often serve those who fall between the cracks, the underground and the conceptually brilliant (and awkward newbies), the passionate makers out there. Basically we love and acknowledge the spirit behind the making of these collectibles, good or bad. It is our mission to seek and hopefully discover some unseen, under-represented voices in toy culture.
BUT HOW DO YOU REALLY FEEL? Is everything worth (y)our time? Of course not. This approach reminds me of a more "innocent time" when I lived in Portland (OR). Ya see, anytime I'd go to see a stage production the audience rose to their feet after nearly every performance, good, bad or ugly. I referred to it as the "PDX Standing Oh". Well, criticism should always come with a moderate reality dollop of the bumps, nicks and fuzzy spots along the way. And we have noticed a lot of blinders in the upright and locked position. There are some incredible writers /bloggers out there, who we refer to and/or are inspired by. But when the 's' hit the 'f' we want to prove a sense of truth in advertising as our goal -- even for those who choose to advertise with us! We are missing the lyricism of simple expletives and sharp opinion that is often associated with the worlds of art and music journalism, a land I abandoned not too long ago, but which has a new resonance now.
(*image sourced via Art-Whore, original source unknown)
REALITY BITES (& XOs): So in 2017 we will be serving up a heaping portion of realness. To do that we are going to be more focused on toy reviews and less so on previews and the like. That includes anything received from either advertisers, outside sources or even gifts. This will keep us from the evil sin of bias and give our serious collector/readers what they want, to see more palpably what they might want to add to their own personal collection without remorse. Consider us to have the curatorial attitude of say a punk version of Consumer Reports or C-Net for the toy lovers amongst us. A bit kookier and far less technical. So, we say, bring it on this year, if you make toys that you are quite proud of, and want us to give it a go to a new audience, let us know and contact us here. We will offer our humble opinion and due diligence in this light.
TALKING PICTURES: And what's more? We welcome new voices in our community. Why not moonlight with us this year (even as a one-time guest spot) we welcome more people in the community to join us, to help extend our voice, to share your stories and opinions, and to grow the art of toys organically. Here's to a good dose of what makes art more tangible, to the individual beholder. Join us in the fight against plastic landfill in the new year. Expect my Top Ten of 2016 in a few weeks! Off to the Windy City in a few days for a few days. Again, happy new year to all, and to all a good night.
The moral majority is neither!
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