Nanaimo dad's custom toy set earns him Netflix job
Todd is preparing to play like he’s never played before.
“I like to live a lot of my life in this childlike state of enjoyment and fun,” he says, setting up small buildings and lining up tiny characters.
Todd transformed a Sesame Street toy set from the 1970s into a tribute to the Canadian comedy Schitt’s Creek so he and his three-year-old son Jack can play together.
“He loves playing with toys and I love Schitt’s Creek,” Todd says. “[Jack] can grow up knowing these characters.”
Rather than Bert and Ernie, Jack thinks David and Patrick are “simply the best.” And “a little bit Alexis.”
Last year, Todd taught himself how to do stop-motion animation and created a music video for the "A Little Bit Alexis” song from Schitts Creek using his childhood toys.
It went viral and caught the attention of Schitt’s star and co-creator Dan Levy, who called it a masterpiece.
It inspired Todd, who works as a wedding DJ and karaoke host, to reconsider how he thought about his hobby.
“I wasn’t making any money at it, but I was making people laugh and smile,” he recalls thinking. “So I’m an artist now.” An artist who’s gallery is the Little Schitts Instagram page.
His latest exhibit of Schitt’s Creek toy photography is earning kudos from thousands of followers and fans, including Netflix. The streaming giant reached out to Todd last week to offered him a paid job.
“They want me to do my toy art to help promote their stuff,” Todd smiles, “which is unbelievably cool.”
Todd says the first thing he’s been asked to do its make sets and characters for Netflix’s Stranger Things, which he’ll produce in Nanaimo.
“There’s a little bit of pressure because before it was completely for fun,” Todd says. “Even if no one else enjoyed it, me and Jack would have the greatest time!”
But Todd need not worry. If there’s anything he’s learned during his growth as an artist, and what he hopes to teach Jack, it’s always trust the power of play.
“Growing up and being an adult doesn’t mean you stop playing,” Todd says before crouching down to bring the toy characters to life with an equally enthusiastic Jack. “For me, being silly is where all the goodness pours out.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Breast cancer screening should start at age 40, Canadian Cancer Society says
The Canadian Cancer Society says all provinces and territories should lower the starting age for breast cancer screening to 40.
DEVELOPING Live updates as Stormy Daniels testifies at Trump hush money trial
Adult film star Stormy Daniels is on the stand a second time Thursday as former U.S. president Donald Trump’s hush money case continues in Manhattan. Follow live updates here.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Canadian-Israeli man shot dead in Egypt; claim links killing to Gaza
A Canadian man 'of Jewish Israeli descent' has been shot dead in the Egyptian city of Alexandria in a suspected criminal case, a security source said, while a previously unknown militant group said it carried out the attack in reaction to the war in Gaza.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
Ontario man frustrated after $3,500 paving job leaves driveway in shambles
An Ontario man considering having his driveway paved received a quote from a company for $7,000, but then, another paver in the neighbourhood knocked on his door and offered half that rate.
Why these immigrants to Canada say they're thinking about leaving, or have already moved on
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
BREAKING Sheldon Keefe out as head coach of Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs have fired head coach Sheldon Keefe. The team made the announcement Thursday after the Original Six franchise lost to the Boston Bruins in seven games in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Boeing 737 catches fire and skids off the runway at a Senegal airport, injuring 10 people
A Boeing 737-300 plane carrying 85 people skidded off a runway at the airport in Dakar, Senegal's capital, injuring 10 people, according to the transport minister, an airline safety group and footage from a passenger that showed the aircraft on fire.