Meet Doug Murphy | Owner of Plasticgod Toys and Art Works

We had the good fortune of connecting with Doug Murphy and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Doug, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Sometimes decisions are made for you and so you roll with it. Lemonade from lemons as they say. In my case starting a business was not as cut and dry as someone who decides one day to start one. My case is a story of evolution. After the dot com bomb of the 2000s, everyone had time off, I took that time to get back into painting. I did a few paintings, put them in some shows and they started to get noticed, continued that for about 15 years and then saw and opportunity to create vinyl figures from my designs, that’s when the “decision” was made to go full throttle, into toy design and manufacturing. Because I knew the entire plan of how to make the business grow, this gave me the confidence and drive to invest in that future.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
What sets any artist apart is their unique perspective and approach, how that is expressed is up to them. With me, pop culture calls my name and I respond. In the last interview I did for Voyage I mentioned that I was most proud of the opportunities the journey with my art has provided and that is still true today. There’s no other path to overcoming challenges than to keep going and learn the lesson, whatever it may be. So many lessons have been learned and that is possibly one of the most valuable things to come out of being an entrepreneur and going out on your own. Mistakes are not something to beat yourself up over but a tool to refine yourself with. The Plasticgod brand is always going to be different from the status quo, in style, approach and finesse. This is just one of the value points one gets from the collectible limited edition products along with great quality and customer service.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Being an introvert and an owner of company, time is limited but an outline might include a concert with a meet and greet, Some of my favorite concert venues in LA might be the Theatre at the Ace Hotel or the El Rey, the decor of both venues is something you can appreciate outside of the actual event. Then it’s off to an art show or two, hopefully I’m in the art show, but not a prerequisite. Corey Helford Gallery is a fun one to visit with the talent they showcase. The coolest Froyo place in LA is Frog Frozen Yogurt with its multitude of LED color changing light bulbs that cover the entire ceiling and the giant 16×7 foot pop culture mural. Of course I’m biased toward this place as the mural called the “The Fame Wall” was created by me. Fun fact, the Fame Wall was part of a scene on Netflix’s The Kominsky Method that stars Michael Douglas and Alan Arkin. That particular scene also featured the beautiful Jane Seymour. I can’t say I’m a foodie so I’m kind of a let down as far as places to eat, sure I could default to Nobu in Malibu which is probably what everyone says but honestly, theres these sandwiches at Bay Cities Italian Deli my director friend took me to and it’s delicious!
I also don’t drink so bars aren’t something I can recommend unless it has some other aspect to it like a video game arcade attached, like this place called “82” in Downtown LA. Due to Covid, lots of great places have sadly shut down and even new ones popping up so unfortunately I can’t be as comprehensive as I’d like. All in all I’d hope that just being with my friend is what they care about most.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Of course my family and friends have always been there for me with their love and support so I’d like to thank them and offer my gratitude.

Website: www.plasticgod.com

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