Lunch With Mark Nagata

Huge thank you to Mark Nagata for picking me up at my hotel today. We went to his place where we chatted for a while and I drooled on his toys — all of the pics below were taken in his work space — and then we went to lunch. I had a tasty veggie burger at a place I could never find again; I even forgot the name.

It’s always fun meeting with independent toy designers, because I learn so much about the process and pain of bringing a toy from concept to market. Mark and I traded stories about working with Chinese factories — it’s amazing how similar toy and game manufacturing are — and discussed how happy he is running Max Toy Co. And I got some info on how the Max Toy Co Club works; I need to keep a closer eye on things so I can get in the next time the club is open to new members.

The number of Eyezon toys in his place — including the giant ceramic version — was amazingly impressive. It makes me want to snag a few more of the design for my own collection.

Again, thank you, Mark. I had a fun time and if you’re ever in Austin I’ll take you out for some tasty BBQ. And I promise to not make you join me for miles of walking.