Today we’d like to introduce you to Doug Murphy.
Doug, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Picture it, the Y2K dot com bomb just dropped and this young whipper snapper got laid off with 400 other Warner Bros. employees in one day, after one year of working in the graphics and advertising dept. While getting severance pay, I had time to see if I still had any painting skills. I dreamed of two lego mini-figures doing it in a bathtub, which inspired the very first painting of my career. The subject made me laugh, so why not, I was 27! Among those paintings, were these mini portraits of celebrities as faces of Lego people. Note this is 2001, long before emojis and six years before the iPhone was even invented. Arguably, but more probable than not, I may have invented the first emoji before anyone knew what they were, including me, which is being looked into as we speak. Everyone seemed to like my interpretations of celebs and it really took off. A lot of press, magazine covers, product collaborations with major companies, celebrity clients, all of which mostly still happen today. This includes a collaboration with Hello Kitty in 2009 and with Sanrio in 2010, the 35th and 50th anniversary art shows using the same process with my mini-figure portraits of celebrities, but now combining Hello Kitty and the celebrity. That did amazing too, much better than I thought and garnered the top-selling artist of the event recognition. For the entire event week, people lined up around the block to see the show.
Because of its popularity, a lot of people started to jump on the bandwagon around 2010, doing their own versions of celebrity faces and Hello Kitty versions of celebrities, similar to my designs. Now, you can find them all over the internet, vastly undercutting my prices and slashing my business income. A hard pill to swallow when it happens to you despite the name you’ve built for yourself over the years. I mean we’re talking junior high schoolers charging $5 per drawing. With a business model like that, no one can compete, but at the same time, you have to understand, at that price, it won’t last long either. Still, it put a dent in my income.
At around this time, I was in talks with a toy production company about doing a set of figures called the Axis of Evil. The set did really well, with lots of international and domestic press, interest from Ellen Degeneres to be on her show and celebrities like Robin Williams getting a set for his daughter. A friend knew I was also collecting signatures of the celebrity subjects of my mini portraits. Incidentally, now there are up to about 600 autographed pieces in my personal collection; everyone from Warren Buffet, Lady Gaga to Imelda Marcos. My friend invited me over to meet Nick Cave who was working on an album in Los Angeles. I made the trip to see him and brought with me the mini portrait I made of him to get his autograph for my personal collection. I also brought the Axis of Evil toy set to see if he might be interested in having me make him into a collectible figure. Since another toy company contacted me sometime earlier about doing figures of my work, I thought I’d take the opportunity to show Nick the Axis of Evil set to get an idea of what they might look like and possibly do a deal.
I chatted with the toy company who agreed to produce the figure and along with Nick agreeing to the contract, we were off to the races! We put them up for sale online and quickly sold out. I’ve since put my focus on the figures. Of course, this is just a very quick outline of a 20-year career, the multiple name changes and juicy celebrity details will be for another time.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Not entirely, no. Lots of shady people wanting to capitalize on your fame or fortune in the beginning with their shiny deals and “offers”. Then there’s the competition moving in on your game that can nearly leave you penniless. I’m sure this is nothing new to any successful company, and as I’ve learned over the years, these are just the pains of climbing to the top.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
The company I run is called Plasticgod. It’s pop culture’s go-to for unique, limited edition, collectible, designer vinyl, toy figures and prints for just about 20 years.
When I started in 2001, nobody had ever seen celebrities done in this mini figure/emoji style and it was really fun to make and be known as the creator behind the art. I’m personally most proud of the longevity of this journey and accomplished some things I never thought I’d be able to do, meet people I never in a million years thought I’d get to meet, let alone become friends with some of them.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was mostly sitting in a corner drawing Star Wars characters. Trying to perfect the Stormtrooper or Darth Vader helmet. I loved playing with my friends in the school yard in elementary and dominating the last square in foursquare. When I hit junior high, it was all about skateboarding, remote control cars and 80’s music. High School was about more and more music of all kinds, really dived deep into the electronic bands and girls. Mostly introverted till I get to know you, then I can be quite entertaining…, nothing has changed. In college, I was a raver kid and art school student, the music interest got even deeper and led me to become an aspiring trance dj. Overall, lots of nights at home perfecting my craft, because I loved what I was doing and not because of a goal I wanted to achieve, that was a byproduct.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.plasticgod.com
- Instagram: @plasticgodofficial
- Facebook: @plasticgodofficial
- Twitter: @plasticgod
Image Credit:
Vader Helmet – Wired Magazine
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