I’ve previously featured Spooky Daddy (who actually prefers to go by the name Spooky) so I won’t be rehashing a lot of what I’ve said before. However, I’ve been wanting to give him a little bit more “airtime” if only to have the chance to show off more of his highly inventive and offbeat plushes.

It’s not every day that you meet a tattooed guy who’s also good with sewing machines, so I was happy to get a chance to ask him a few questions about his craft and his life. So, without further ado I’d like to present my interview with Spooky of the Spooky Daddy Toy Company!

Cuteable: First of all, can you tell us how Spooky Daddy got started?

Spooky: Spooky Daddy came from a tattoo I got when I was 18. I have been scrawling monsters ever since I was old enough to hold onto a crayon. Even my mom agrees that Spooky Daddy fits me perfectly. She says I have always been “spooky”. But when I found out I was having a baby boy I started making some of my simple doodles into stuffed animals for him. I ended up making a bunch of crazy custom pieces for some tattoo artist friends including a zombie pig with a gold tooth, a self loathing Siamese twin monkey, a dead frog complete with a belly full of smiling maggots.

Since then I have been striving to translate my drawing style into plush and push the boundaries of what most people think of as plush. I have practiced and practiced with my machine and now I use it to sew everything on from faces to eyes to little bitty teeth. I don’t just glue anything. I make everything durable enough to let my 1 year old son rampage with em. Hopefully more parents will start buying my plush for their kids instead of running up to Wal-Mart and buying Dora or Elmo.

Cuteable: Your work is amazingly creative; where do you get your ideas from?

Spooky: I have sketchbook upon sketchbook of bizarre creatures and friendly monsters from vegetarian yetis and mustached pigs and literally hundreds and hundreds of Tum Tums. Sometimes it feel like I have too many ideas and far too little time.

Cuteable: That’s definitely something many creative types can relate to! Are there any other toy designers or artists that you look up to?

Spooky: I of course love the work of Heidi Kenny (aka MyPaperCrane) who I am convinced is some kind of super craft robot who sleeps 1 hour a night (laughs). I also look up to the people in the plush community who have become friends like SappyMooseTree.com who inspires me to be positive and never give up and he may not be the kind of “artist” you are referring to but I always look up to Mr. David Blaine.

Whenever I feel discouraged I try to remember if David Blaine can freeze himself in a big block of ice for days among other crazy feats he has preformed then I can succeed making plush. I always try to remember you can be whatever you set your mind to. So if you feel discouraged, just remember DAVID BLAINE! Life is truly what you make of it!

Cuteable: Out of all the plushes and toys you’ve created, do you have a favorite?

I would have to say it is a tie between Uncle Loomis and Le Cebolla Verde–The Green Onion. I made Uncle Loomis out of a faux fur coat from Goodwill; he is the biggest plush I have ever made (3 feet tall with a 6 foot arm span) and is full of werewolfian charm.

La Cebolla Verde was made as a secret father’s day present for another awesome plush artist, the Nervous Onion; it was contracted by the sneaky Mrs. Onion. I love this one because I worked very hard to incorporate all the things he likes (luchadors, cyclopes, big horns, onions, and the color green) into one plush. plus this is one that I know for sure went to a truly appreciative home.

Cuteable: Here’s a not-so-serious question: What’s life like in the Spooky household, surrounded by so many cute and spooky monsters? Do Spooky Momma and Little Spooky approve?

Spooky: Spooky Momma has always been my biggest support and is really the only reason any of this stuff exists cause without her I would have given up a hundred times by now. Little Spooky LOVES all his plush buddies. He is the reason I make everything I do so durable. I machine sew everything on instead of just gluing things so everything I make can be played with and loved on by even the most destructive little monkeys. He is sitting on Uncle Loomis’s head playing with a plush cuuuursed monkey’s paw in the floor right now!

Cuteable: That’s so cute! Lastly, what’s in store for Spooky Daddy? Are there any big projects or upcoming events you’d like our readers to know about?

Spooky: I will be vending at this years Craftin’ Outlaws in Columbus September 15th and at Crafty Bastards in Washington, D.C on September 30. I’m also participating in this year’s Plush You! There is a complete site revamp to be released sometime this week; expect a huge expansion on the Mr. Tum part of the site.

Cuteable: You’ve got quite a bit on your plate, Spooky, but that’s great news. We wish you the best of luck and thank you for taking the time to talk with us! =)