Running through April 26, 2010, the show is already a hard ticket. Lines are stretching around the block. Grouping Burton’s work chronologically, the installation covers all of the facets of Burton’s creative endeavors. We see painting and drawing, character and costume design, sculpture and film. When it is all assembled together in this way, it is a strong testament to a gentleman who can truly be described as a “Renaissance man.”
At Dark Horse, we feel privileged to have worked directly with Tim Burton for some years, crafting a whole range of “tragic toys,” giftware, and now computer and cell-phone “skins” (tragic technology, anyone?). We are grateful for Tim’s trust in us, and for our part we have simply tried to accurately deliver his creative vision.
We were all very proud when MoMA selected the original sculpture maquettes for the toys -- sculpted for us by our friends at Gentle Giant Studios, under Burton’s direct supervision -- as a part of the installation in the exhibit. While the Gentle Giant team handled sculpting chores for these characters, we hasten to note that Tim Burton himself did the finished painting and final details.
Vice president of sales and marketing Anita Nelson and I journeyed to New York for the pre-opening of the show. We were very proud, to say the least. It was also a thrill to see that the museum gift shop has taken a strong position on the Dark Horse merchandise, and early reports indicate that sales are exceeding everyone’s expectations.
We have therefore refreshed the Tim Burton line with several new items and redesigned the packaging on some of the older ones. We have decided to create larger versions of selected characters in rotocast vinyl. These larger pieces are more in keeping with the original sculpture size. We are starting with three of our (and Tim’s) favorites: Oyster Boy, Stain Boy, and Toxic Boy. They should be just appearing on store shelves as you read this. We worked hard to keep the price down and the quality up. Hopefully, they will find a home on your art-toy shelf.
We have also introduced several Burton original designs to our new line of skins for computers, cell phones, and iPods. Working with GelaSkins of Toronto, we have come up with some stunning treatments of this unique art. These have just gone on sale, so now you can festoon your modern communications devices with some graphics that will identify you as a classy individual of discriminating taste!
We also spiffed up the packaging on our perennial bestsellers, the boxed sets of PVC figures of Burton characters known collectively as Tragic Toys for Girls and Boys. If you have the ones in the purple-striped boxes, then you are now holding a collector’s item. The new red-striped boxes will be the look for the future.
We also call your attention to a new pull-tab journal with custom Burton artwork of Stain Boy and Toxic Boy that changes when you pull the tab concealed in the journal’s cover.
In this holiday season, we express thanks. All of us at Dark Horse couldn’t be more sincere when we say thank you to Tim Burton for his trust in us as a partner. We like to think that at Dark Horse we are lucky to be able to work with the best. I know that could not be more true in this case. Thanks, Tim.
For more about the MoMA retrospective, go to: http://www.moma.org/visit/calendar/exhibitions/313