One of the coolest things about being part of a fandom is connecting with people who share the same passion. Thanks to Scream, I’ve had incredible encounters that led to amazing experiences. But if someone had told me a year ago that a HelloSidney.com sticker would grace exclusive boxes of Ghost Face vinyl figures, I’d have thought they were pitching a subplot for Everything Everywhere All at Once.
And yet, here we are. This dream collaboration became a reality thanks to Handmade by Robots (HMBR) and its visionary creator, Mary Olson. Mary oversees everything at HMBR, from creative development to delivery, and has taken Ghost Face collectibles to new heights.
In just four hours, the exclusive Bloody Ghost Face figures sold out, and the exclusive mini-figure packs are quickly becoming sought-after treasures for collectors. To learn more about this journey, I spoke with Mary Olson about her process, inspirations, and the future of HMBR.
What’s the story and concept of Handmade by Robots?
I owned a consumer products company for 10 years, we did a lot of really great licensed pop-culture merchandise but didn’t have a form factor that a fan would want to collect each and every one. Then we did a series of Ghost figures from the video game “Destiny,” and it was very successful and the fans were avid collectors of the whole series. It really gave us the idea that we needed to come up with a concept that we could apply across multiple licenses that had a unique form factor that would drive collectability. We then started brainstorming tons of ideas. We finally came up with Handmade by Robots. I had been talking to BDA about them acquiring us in some form, but because of the pandemic I ended up closing my previous company, selling the trademark for Handmade by Robots to BDA, and they hired me on to develop the brand and we went out and got additional licenses.
How did the idea of knitted figures made of vinyl come into mind? Was it hard to put the project into motion?
Out of the brainstorming came a lot of ideas we didn’t move forward with. We knew it had to be really special. I am an avid knitter and have made quite a few knitted figures, so we took a current licensor at the time, Sony/”Ghostbusters,” and made concepts up of Stay-Puft, Slimer, and Venkman in a knitted, floppy, seated format kind of like a teddy bear would sit. We immediately knew we had something really special. (see original drawings attached). Stay-Puft and Slimer were our very first Handmade by Robots figures!
Tell me more about the design of the figurines. How do you extract the essence of the character and apply it to the creation?
We really want to fool the eye – we work really hard to make them look floppy, knit, and add extra details to communicate that – button eyes, embroidery details, etc. I also have an extensive background in plush figure development. We have also taught our design team all about knitting, the different types of stitches, how things are constructed, etc. I sometimes have to knit parts of the figures so the factory can see how they would actually be knit in real life. Our 3D artists also have been great about adding the floppy details, the folds, and the rolls, just like you would see in a seated plush or knit figure. The final touch is the rubberized tag on the back of the full-size figures – that is to represent how the robots interpreted a sewn-in label that you see in all plush figures.
You work with different licenses – what was the first one and what was the one you really wanted to have? Is there any that is in your dreams?
Our first license at BDA for Handmade by Robots was Ghost Face and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. We then picked up multiple licenses from MGM, then Warner Bros, and Disney. Have some exciting new agreements pending.
Tell me how did the idea of the Ghost Face figurine become a reality?
I had known David at Radar Licensing previously, so he was my first call when I got to BDA, as I knew he had Ghost Face and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and wanted to get those going right away.
How is your relationship with Fun World and the Godfather of Ghost Face, R.J. Torbert?
We mainly work with David, the owner of Radar Licensing, but R.J. has been great to work with, and has had us do a few top-secret special products for some of the biggest Ghost Face fans! Just ask Scottish Linzie!
You happen to have a lot of Ghost Face variations, that are inspired and dedicated to a very specific niche of collectors. When and how did you guys have the “click” that you could create all those variations?
Our licensing agent and R.J. have given us a lot of feedback on which colors to do, and what color masks have been done. So we have done many of the standard colors that you are familiar with, along with some really interesting colors and manufacturing techniques that are coming out soon! The ‘click’ came when we saw the consistently great demand from retailers and great sell-thru. Ghost Face OG (white face) has been our #1 figure by far of all the figures we make. We love Ghost Face!
Recently, David Arquette revealed he is working with you on a new project. Could you tell us more about it? Did it have some connection with Ghost Face?
Actually, Rodrigo, you inspired us to connect with him! You told us about him acquiring the rights to Bozo the Clown and told us of some of the charity tie-ins and we thought 1) Bozo would be a great HMBR figure, 2) it would be great to support Healthy Humor thru sales of the Bozo figures 3) would be great to work with David!
Do you consider making any other character of the SCREAM franchise?
We only have the license for Ghost Face, not the license for the movie characters/people themselves. We are very happy just doing Ghost Face.
What’s the future of HMBR and also for Ghost Face under the brand?
HMBR is growing very fast, with new licenses, as well as new territories. We recently expanded into the EU, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Middle East, and Latin America. We are excited to see international retailers jumping on board! For Ghost Face specifically, we do have the micro figures available now on our site, as well as the Micro Charm Sets that will be available in September – a set of 5 with an elastic string attachment that allows you to use your Micro figure as a bag charm, keychain charm, zipper pull, etc. Super excited for these! We also have a line of shopping totes coming out in Q1 2023.
