.cross.wired.mind.

As a part of a design exercise today I had a real AHA! moment.

Web 2.0 has given us great content aggregators for different kinds of media. Flickr gathers images. YouTube gathers videos. Blogs gather ideas. There are search engines and all kinds of online communities but why hasn’t someone created a Web 2.0 hub that, based on communities of interest, gathered the photos from flickr, entries from Wikipedia, videos from YouTube, maps from Google earth, blog entries, etc., etc., in one place. Then allowed the people gathering all of that content (or links to that content) to connect in meaningful ways. I know that sites like MySpace kind of do this but not to the same level as a real content aggregator.

Think about it. If I love Battlestar Galactica (which I do) why can’t I go to a site that gives me access to blogs, flickr photo sets, YouTube vids, heck … any kind of content … then allow me to connect with others based on shared interests.

I hate advertising. I hate it, hate it, hate it … unless its about something in which I am actually interested in seeing, buying, reading, wearing, etc. Then the opposition fades and I dig it. With a place that aggregates content based on interests and communities of interest then advertisers can specifically target ads to people who actually want to see them. Got an add for a cool Halo toy? Let me see it. Want to pitch the new cartoon on Adult Swim? I want to hear about it. Get it? Communities of interest that gather together and want to hear what you have to say about what you sell.

Please steal this idea - you listening Google? Yahoo? Give me credit and deliver this killer site and I will sign up and spend money on the products that truly interest me.

Over the summer I launched into a project which has helped me to realize one of my dreams - I have started a toy company.

It began as a crazy idea that led me to investigate all of the aspects of toy production. I an amazing series of events all of the pieces fell in to place one by one. I found a reliable factory that has manufactured some amazing toys that I actually own. The capital came together quickly. I found some fantastic artists and designers. (more on them in a bit) I made some great contacts in distribution … one of whom is an old friend. It turns out that we have a member of the family with business partners who can go to the factory and make inspections as needed.

The most amazing part are the designers I am working with. I can only write about two of them - Carl Jones and John Kovalic.

John Kovalic

John is the creator of Dork Tower and illustrator of some very cool games - Chez Geek, Munchkin, Kobolds Ate My Baby, etc.

He is an amazing cartoonist and an icon in gamer culture.

He is designing toys inspired by the works of H.P.Lovercraft. We’re not talking scary vile toys. His designs are a mash up that results in a satirical twist on both Lovecraft’s tales of horror and popular kid’s toys and cartoons.

Carl Jones

Carl is one of the producers of the hit cartoon The Boondocks. He also illustrates the daily comic strip of the same name. His work is absolutely amazing. He has designed five original characters for a line we are calling Hoodiez (TM and all that). Together we are bringing his hip-hop inspired vision back to the Urban Vinyl movement.

As soon as I have picture of actual toys I will definitely post them here.

I can’t wait until I can see my toys out in the real world - in stores, online, and on the shelves and in the cubes of people that love them as much as i do.

bacon on a cat

Just a quick post. Over the last four weeks the following events have occured:

I left Vanguard. The prototypes of my first wave of toys are coming together (you can see them at Dreamland Toyworks). We had to put our dog Fargo to sleep (see the post below). Jennie and I went off to DragonCon and I came back with the Klingon Crud (a bad head cold). Finally I started my new job (well … I am still an IA) at Comcast.

As soon as the dust settles I promise more details on all of these events.