'It's a pretty amazing turn of events': Nanaimo toy artist debuts collaboration with Netflix
After his life took a series of unexpected turns, Todd is having one of those pinch-me moments.
“All that’s happening is a dream I never even knew to dream,” Todd says.
It began earlier this year, when Todd transformed an old Sesame Street toy set from the 1970s into a tribute to the Canadian comedy Schitt’s Creek, so he and his three year-old Jack could play together.
“He loves playing with toys,” Todd said at the time. “And I love Schitt’s Creek.”
When Todd posted pictures and videos of his custom toy tributes on social media, they went viral, earned kudos from Creek co-creator Dan Levy, and inspired the wedding DJ and karaoke host to reconsider how he thought about his hobby.
“I wasn’t making any money, but I did make people laugh and smile,” Todd says. “So I’m an artist now!”
But then the amateur artist’s online gallery also caught the attention of Netflix. The streaming giant offered Todd his first professional art job.
“I went from basically laying in my driveway taking shots of my Fisher-Price toys, having my neighbour drive by looking sideways at me, to working for Netflix,” Todd laughs. “It’s a pretty amazing turn of events.”
Todd was hired to make toy art to promote the show Stranger Things.
“They told me the character they wanted, the scenes they wanted to portray,” Todd explains. “And gave me control over how I showed that.”
Todd spent the next two and a half months — more than 100 hours — creating the cast, constructing four iconic scenes from the show, and taking 12 toy art photographs, which Netflix shared with its millions of social media followers.
“[It’s] a whole other level of excitement for me,” Todd smiles.
While Todd waits for his next assignment for another show, he hopes his latest creations will prove to be fun for his son to play with, and inspiring too.
“I love that Jack gets to grow up seeing his dad do something he loves,” Todd says.
He gets to see that working hard at playing can pay off.
“Life’s short,” Todd smiles. “Play. Have fun. Follow your heart.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.