Get to Know: Super7 Toy Designer & Sculptor David “Mecha Zone” White

Today David takes some time to discuss his career as a toy designer, share some of his work and advice on getting started as a designer.

Over to you, David!

What inspired you to become a designer?

Hello hobby db and everyone dropping in for this interview.

The long answer: Like many Gen-Xers I grew up on a steady diet of cartoons and toys. I love them, so why not make them? I was a creative and destructive kid. I don’t know how my poor mom survived the shock of watching me dismantle expensive Christmas presents only to then recombine them with glue and LEGOs into some new monstrosity. Drawing soon became my favorite outlet and I focused on that for decades. I’m still trying to “get good,” LOL. That knack for imagination, drawing, and engineering eventually led me to toy design and sculpting.

The short answer: I needed a job and I’m not good at math so it had to be toy design. Ha!

How did you get started?

Toy design and sculpting is sort of my third career. The creative industry is generally volatile, fickle, and looked down upon by the general public. It can be hard to make a dollar so you need to be flexible and able to adapt.

I got a good job at a video game studio right out of art college and worked there for nine years until the studio closed. It turns out that being a freelance illustrator was my next path. One of my friends was able to get me a gig with LEGO and that was my launchpad for a 15-year stint of drawing comics, children’s books, and MANY robots (I love robots). Work eventually started drying up and I could see that it was time to adapt once more.

3D printing was more accessible and I had been using 3D modeling to craft action figures of my own characters. They were pretty popular and I would travel from my home in Massachusetts to Designer Con in California to sell my original toys. It was
there that I made many new friends and connections that would lead to me landing a full-time job in the toy industry. Networking is the most important thing you can do!

What are some inspirations that go into your “style?”

It’s easy to say “toys from the 80’s” but I think Takara had the most impact on my design aesthetic. Also, artists Syd Mead and Ron Cobb. I love how they drew. That’s for my personal drawing and character design style. Most everything I do at work is a licensed property so I try to make the final product look as much like the source material as possible.

What are some mediums, programs, etc. that you work with?

I’m all digital for sculpting, but pens and markers are still my preferred sketching medium. I’ll use Photoshop if things need to get done quickly. I sculpt organic objects with Zbrush like everyone else. That program was such a pain to learn but it really can yield amazing results. Blender is my tool of choice for mechanical things like vehicles and robots.
It seems that I am the odd duck because I still prefer using a classic style drawing tablet instead of a Cintiq. I’ve been using the old style of tablet since about 96 so it just feels right to me.

What are some of your first/favorite pieces that you designed?

My first professional piece was the transforming UNUS Beastbox from 52 Toys. I was provided a buck action figure that could transform into a cube and designed a figure on top of that. All of their toys turn into cubes… it’s a lot cooler than it might sound at first.

We also made 4-inch regular action figures called Hexanoids. That was a dream project for my first real toy gig.

One of my favorites is the Vortex Strike Suit that I did for Mezco. They came to me with an initial design and I refined it with direction from Mez. Then I modeled the 14-inch tall robotic behemoth in Blender. Have you seen the final product? It is AMAZING with lights and sounds. An incredible amount of paint and detailing.

Another favorite is the newly released 1989 Batmobile Super Cyborg from Super7. I only did the modeling and basic engineering, not the design. It is a very interesting toy where you can remove panels and see the mechanics inside. I love it!

Were you a collector growing up? How about now?

I’ve always bought toys when I had enough spare money to do so. However, I don’t consider myself a serious collector. I buy what I like and nothing more. I don’t have huge display cases that are meticulously curated. Most of my action figures are stored in those vintage vinyl cases with the flimsy plastic trays. I have one absolutely jam- packed with clear Micronauts. My favorites! My collecting centers more on retro video games with Sega Genesis as my cartridge of choice.

What do you love about your craft?

One of the greatest aspects of my job is interacting with other creative and like-minded people. We’re into the same stuff and there is a strong sense of comradery. That’s hard to find and I cherish it. Getting to sculpt so many of the characters I love from cartoons and comics is also pretty rad. But the absolute best thing is the satisfaction of seeing
our ideas come to life in plastic. That feels incredible.

Any advice for anyone looking to get into toy design?

Start making toys now and NETWORK. Seriously, learn to draw and 3D model. Put your work out there and build up connections with other toy makers. It is a very small industry so who you know really matters.

I sometimes wonder if studying industrial design in school would have been a better path than illustration and animation, but all the work I was able to create thanks to that knowledge has been rewarding. You should be good as long as you are creative,
hardworking, and can keep your ego in check. Toys are made as a team effort with many, many people involved.

With that in mind, it’s helpful to know something about the production process. Materials, factory processes, engineering requirements. Those sorts of things. All of that will help you make a stronger foundation for your design so the people who work with you can proceed with confidence. YouTube is your best friend.

Good luck and have fun making toys!