As a kid in the 80’s and 90’s, I was a target audience. I was bombarded with multi-media, story driven properties. From Transformers to Ghostbusters, Masters of the Universe to Thundercats, every world was explored through cartoons to watch, comics to read and toys to bring your favorite fantasy worlds into your home.

It's easy to be cynical and say those production companies were just trying to maximize profits, monetize everything and focus on the bottom line.

Maybe. But I didn’t mind then and I honestly don’t mind now. I loved it. My ability to soak up every detail and adventure of my favorite characters filled me with a passion for storytelling. Like many kids, action figures allowed me to build my own adventures, my own unlikely team ups, my own crossovers.

Marvel didn’t invent the shared universe concept. It was invented by kids on the playground, under the dining room table, in a blanket fort in their room as they introduced Spider-man to Egon so that they could ask Optimus Prime for help taking down Darth Vader.

Then one day, my imagination started doing something new: it started coming up with original characters, original worlds and stories to connect them. I started to form backstories, functional societies, possible futures and impossible pasts…

Ukiyo Studio is my outlet for my undying love and passion for storytelling, character design and toys.

Welcome. I hope you have fun.

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UKIYO - "THE FLOATING WORLD"

Japan. 1603. After a lengthy period of inner conflict, the newly established Tokugawa government manages to pacify the country.

Thanks to dramatic social restructuring, the lower classes suddenly find themselves in possession of something new and powerful: leisure time. They develop new aesthetic ideals in visual arts, theater, and fashion to better reflect their urban lifestyle. This search for enjoyment through craftsmanship and popular entertainment gives rise to a booming creative economy.

One of the largest cultural renaissance in human history is born. This new mass culture comes to be known as Ukiyo, “The Floating World.” An impossible paradise of creative ideals to reach for through dedication to creativity and craft.