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Kidrobot Founder Talks Butts, Bunnies, and His Empire of Vinyl Art

by Leila Brillson on November 20, 2009 at 12:38 PM


Paul Budnitz has amazingly sent young adults scrambling after collectible vinyl figures as if they were children after toys. And toys, in essence, those figures are, but not in the child-friendly sense of the word. (In fact, Budnitz points out that his company's products often come armed with cigarettes and machine guns.) Kidrobot, which Budnitz conceived while collecting figurines during a stay in China, is famous for its small and affordable art pieces designed by underground and mainstream artists, graffiti writers, and musicians.

What started as a pastime has become an international phenomenon; collectors camp out to get limited-edition Kidrobot figures, and people like Karl Lagerfeld and Matt Groening have gotten in on the design action. Kidrobot crosses cultures, claiming a strong following among comic book readers, alternative rock fans, hip-hop stars, and even us gadget nerds (who have the colorful creations brightening up our cubicles). And that's precisely what Budnitz set out to do: to give young (but not too young) individuals a way of "collecting art" without breaking the bank, and to brighten their lives with beautiful, hilarious, or just outright interesting art objects.

Budnitz took Switched on a tour of his office before the launch of MunnyWorld, his newest venture. We had a great time, and took plenty of the little guys back to Switched HQ, where we've started a collection. With all the pop-cultural references, bright colors, and fun accessories, we may have gotten most of our Christmas shopping done already, and might have found a new addiction, as well.

Tags: features, kidrobot, switchedvideo, top, video

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