In which Tobin talks about mechanical art and what makes for a great toy, and shares ruminations from a Muppet colloquium.
Welcome to the second part of this interview with toy inventor/Director of Exhibit Development Adam Tobin. If you haven’t already, be sure to also check out Part One.
On the Web: The Exploratorium; Wordle preview
Cecil Vortex: I read that you also create mechanical art. What’s that work like?
Adam Tobin: After I sold the first toy company, I had a few larger-scale projects I’d always wanted to pursue. The first thing I wanted to make was a clock that told time with rolling marbles. I’d wanted to make it since I was a kid. And I started making it and ended up making a few other contraption-type pieces. It was just such a joy for me, after years of designing things to be mass produced to say, “I’m just going to make one, and I’m not as concerned about how you can make 10,000 of these.” In essence, they were very large one-of-a-kind toys.
CV: Do you still work on those projects?