Dudebox

Perhaps not the most usual response to being asked to describe your latest artwork. But then, Dudebox is a pleasingly surprising proposition. Once you’ve got past the rather dubious name, it’s a pleasing project in many ways in fact – both in aesthetics and intention.

Dudebox is a new range of vinyl toys designed by street artists, graphic designers and illustrators, part of a project that aims to create a platform for artists for which creators are paid for their designs, as well as the royalties.

Among the artists who have already created designs are Pete Fowler, 3D visuals specialist Mark Gmehling, graffiti artist and illustrator Conzo, graphic illustrator Jonny Wan and aforementioned oddball Attaboy.

‘Most [designer toy companies] don’t have a solid plan or proper expectations or, more importantly, a unique take or respect for artists’, says Attaboy. ‘I saw that Dudebox’s intentions were good and that perhaps it was they who could bring some much needed back life back to a decaying corpse.’

Attaboy says that there was little in the way of a creative brief presented to him by Dudebox, and that ‘they seemed to want what I do the way that I do it.’

He says, ‘I enjoy the challenge of going against type and surprising myself. My style constantly evolves so that helps…or it can be disastrous. My most successful designs provoke the viewer to turn the piece a full 360.’

Alongside the launch of these weird and wonderful toys, Dudebox is also launching an online platform in Dudebox Plus, a platform on which to promote the work of the artists involved.

While we’ll have to wait and see what the contributions of the other artists will look like, we’re fairly sure they won’t have been inspired by the surreal cues Attaboy cites. These, he lists as ‘My wife Annie Owens…Chipotle crunchy Tacos, Pepsid, and chai tea lattes followed by regularly scheduled endoscopies.’

Big Bang, the first Dudebox collection, launches on 10 May. For more information visit http://www.dudebox.com/