Compton III

Meet The Next Toy Designer Of The South

Compton III brings New Orleans inspired characters to life with handcrafted “art toys”
By Cynthea Corfah | Photos by Lou Dorsey and Jamal Denzel Barnes

For most adults, collecting toys might seem like something reserved for children. But for people with an expansive imagination and artistic eye, some toys can spark inspiration and become the foundation for their next creative endeavor. This was the case for 32-year-old multimedia artist Compton III when he first started collecting Mario figures in 2015.

As a child, the Crescent City native loved playing video games, watching cartoons, coloring, drawing fictional characters, and playing with action figures.

His love for action figure-esque toys was resparked as an adult when he saw the 20-inch-tall Mario figures on the shelves at the former mecca of toy stores, Toys “R” Us. Infatuated by them, he, his mother, and grandmother bought a total of 18 Mario figures within a few months. He wasn’t sure what he wanted to do with them, but he knew they had the potential to be his golden ticket to something.

“It was like $30 for a giant Mario and I was like dang I got enough money to buy all these off the shelf, something I could never do as a kid. So I had a moment and I bought every last one of ‘em.”

After more than a year of holding onto his collection of Mario toys, Compton was inspired to spray paint one of them purple. He was drawing characters with copic markers before, so he figured he’d play around with a different medium. One day, Compton bought a can of “Galaxy” colored spray paint from the art supply store and spontaneously covered an entire Mario toy in a mystic, regal, deep violet color. He didn’t stop there. He went on to spray paint Mario figures in other monochromatic and multi-colored versions and sold them across the country.

This was the birth of the multimedia artist’s signature “art toys.” After he completed what he called “Project Marios,” he felt ready to experiment with creating his own toys based on characters from his imaginary world and company, Space Broccoli featuring the Tunes.

“It’s pretty much me wanting to be in my own lane, connecting with my grandfather and connecting with my culture at a different level. As a Black person, I feel like we get to consume other cultures—Samaris, Vikings, Egyptian pharaohs—we get to fantasize about all these different cultures and what they have, what they might be, and you know, as a Black American, [it feels like] I have none of that. But on the contrary, in New Orleans, I do have it all. I got Mardi Gras Indians, Zulu, Baby Dolls, Skull and Bones, all people that I receive as our royalty. I wish other people, especially Black people, got to experience that. That's one of my missions.”

After countless hours of online research and Youtube tutorials, the self-taught toy designer learned how to make his own toys using resin casting, spray paint, and acrylic paint. He was inspired by Korean artists who often use up to 50 parts to craft their toys, he says. While most American toy manufacturers typically use significantly fewer parts, he challenged himself to use 30 parts to build his first handmade art toy.

These are far from simple machine-made toys. They begin as a physical drawing before the sketch is turned into a digital 3-D model. The model is then printed for each toy part so he can make molds for each piece. He creates resin-cast copies from the molds and then spray paints or hand paints each piece with the character’s signature colors, and lets them dry. Once the paint is dry, he assembles the sculpture from the resin pieces.

SPY BOY is inspired by his late grandfather who was a Mardi Gras Indian. The two weren’t that close, but Compton III was always interested in his family’s Black Masking culture and has memories of his grandfather calling him “Bruh.” The toy’s hair is styled in two black braids framing his face, he is wearing an orange Mardi Gras Indian suit, a feather headdress, and gloves and shoes to match.

Z’Bo is a combination of all of the artist’s friends who were large in stature. He is “big but funny.” He wears an 80s-style tracksuit, gold sneakers, gold rings, and a gold beaded necklace inspired by a blend of Mardi Gras and mala beads. He has a cloud-shaped fro and holds a cigar in one hand and a Zulu coconut in the other. His mouth and one of his eyes are painted white, paying tribute to the Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club’s historic face painting tradition.

The character Lolli is an embodiment of his mother, grandmother, and Black women from New Orleans. She is “direct, no nonsense, and can hold her own.” She hasn’t been turned into a toy yet, but Compton says people can expect to see more of her in the future.

“My characters are just byproducts. Every piece of art that I make all stems from a story.”

One of his most unique creations was a custom art toy depicting local artist Ashley Longshore. Like her personality, the figure is bursting with energy, fierceness, color, and playfulness. The figure portrays Longshore wearing a Dapper Dan and Gucci suit, a candy necklace with Chanel logos, three Rolex watches, and a rope chain with pendants featuring photos of the two people who connected Compton III with Longshore: Ceaux Young and Big Chief Demond Melancon.

In 2022, Compton III was able to pay homage to his grandfather in a major way when he released “Bruh Did That?!,” a 3-foot-tall special edition of his first art toy, SPY BOY. After five years of trial and error, sewing lessons, conceptualization, and mastering his craft, Compton III showcased his sewing, painting, and designing skills in one spectacular art toy.

“Bruh Did That?!” is a Black Mardi Gras Indian wearing a regal feather headdress and a red and white suit with traditional style beaded patches and sparkles. The Mardi Gras Indian descendant learned how to sew from acclaimed artist and Black Masker Big Chief Demond Melancon of the Young Seminole Hunters. Inspired by a suit his grandfather was pictured wearing, Compton hand-sewed beads, sequins, Swarovski crystals, and Ostrich feathers onto the new edition of SPY BOY.

“If [my grandpa] had left me something that I could keep with me forever, something like sewing an Indian suit, that would be enough for me. Learning from Big Chief Demond made me feel like I connected back with my desire. I don't have a whole bunch of stories about my grandpa, but to some degree, he gets to live on for me through this.”

Most of his art toy collectors are from New Orleans or have some emotional tie to the city, Compton says. Some notable collectors include Edward Buckles, Curren$y, Jaren Mitchell, Trai Turner, and Ashley Longshore. The art toys are like little pieces of home they can take with them wherever they go.

Compton’s imagination expands way beyond art toys. With every new toy, he holds a special release party. At the events, supporters can view the art toy up close, place an order, listen to a live DJ, purchase apparel that features the art toy’s character, and get limited edition items made just for the release parties. In the past, he has made puzzles, custom vintage Game Boy games, and chips and soda bottles with characters’ faces on them.

“For the unveiling [of SPY BOY], I gave everybody Game Boy games with SPY BOY on them. It was like 50 different games I gave out and nobody knew what they had until they popped the tape in and tried to play it.”

Before he became a full-time artist, Compton was on his way to becoming a dental hygienist. Right before it was time to take his final, he was offered an opportunity to join Ceaux Young to Art Basel. He followed his heart, skipped the final, and decided to dive head-first into his craft. As he reflects on his dental assistant journey, he laughed and said all of his life experiences prepared him for this point. He remembers learning to make molds and impressions in the dental program, which are some of the same practices he uses today to create his art toys

Looking ahead, Compton III has just brought a small portion of his colorful world to fruition. He plans to release a new art toy in October and eventually do a solo and group show to display his work. In the future, he plans to take his art toys to other cities and sprinkle some of New Orleans’ rich culture around the world.

Compton III’s story is a reminder to trust your intuition, create what feels true to you, and remember that there is art in storytelling. Through his art toys, he is able to honor his inner child’s passions while also uplifting his family and hometown’s history. He proves that toys aren’t just something to be tossed away and forgotten after childhood. If they are close to your heart, they are worthy of holding onto as a reminder of where you came from.