Huck Gee

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Huck Gee
Mark Gee
Born (1973-05-19) 19 May 1973 (age 52)
Newcastle upon Tyne, England
OccupationsContemporary artist, illustrator, toy maker, designer
Website huckgee.com

Mark Gee (born 19 May 1973, in Newcastle upon Tyne, England), better known professionally as Huck Gee, is a contemporary artist, illustrator, toy maker, and designer best known by toy enthusiasts for his iconic "Skullhead" character. Since the early 1990s he works and lives in San Francisco, California.

Contents

Work

Designer Toys and Kidrobot Collaborations

Influenced by the Japanese Edo period and Hong Kong pop art, Huck creates illustrations and custom figures and has released production toys through Kidrobot [1] including figures for The Standard and DJ Qbert. In 2005, Huck Gee released the "Skullhead Project", a joint venture between Kidrobot and Barneys New York in conjunction with five top fashion designers: Marc Jacobs, Jil Sander, Dries van Noten, Rick Owens, and Duckie Brown. With this project, each designer would reproduce their 2005 Spring collections, and dress them on 12" figures of Huck's Skullhead character. [2]

In October 2007, Gee's second original character, "Akuma Bomb" was released. [3] In the winter of 2007, three Kidrobot toys were accepted into the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, including a "Hello My Name Is" 8" Dunny figure, designed by Gee in collaboration with Paul Budnitz and Tristan Eaton. [4] Huck has also consigned several pieces for one of the world's leading fine art auction houses at Christie's. In June 2015, Huck revealed that he had severed ties with Kidrobot and was producing his own toy platform called "The Blank." [5] By 2017, Huck Gee Inc. ceased operations and released its final self-produced figure. [6]

Three Apples Hello Kitty exhibition

In the Fall of 2009 Huck participated in the 35th Anniversary celebration for Hello Kitty called Three Apples hosted by Sanrio. Three Apples was a three-week long multifaceted convention and exhibition celebrating all things Hello Kitty. [7]

Ken Block Design Project

In 2010, Huck collaborated with rally racer and co-founder of DC shoes, Ken Block. A version of Huck's famous Skullhead was designed as a logo for Block's Monster World Rally Team WRC entitled "Blockhead". The logo shows Ken's number "43″ implanted on the forehead of a square stylized skull. [8] In the Spring of 2010, the creators at United Front Games asked Huck to feature in an "Artist Spotlight" for the game ModNation Racers. [9]

Published in books on designer toys

Huck’s toys have been photographed and published in numerous books dedicated to the collection and appreciation of vinyl designer toys. These include Dot Dot Dash: Designer Toys, Action Figures, and Character Art by Robert Klanten and Matthias Hübner (2006), I Am Plastic by Paul Budnitz (2006), Toy Giants by Daniel and Geo Fuchs (2007), Flux: Designer Toys by Shawn Wright (2010), and I Am Plastic Too by Paul Budnitz (2010). [10]

Participation in This Is Not a Toy

In 2014 Huck participated in the "This is Not a Toy" exhibit at the Design Exchange Museum Canada in Toronto, ON. It was the first major exhibit of designer urban toys in the world and guest curated by Pharrell Williams. Huck's work can be found in the editorial companion to the exhibit, titled by the same name, "This is Not a Toy." [11] [12]

Co-founding Superplastic

In 2018, Huck Gee co-founded Superplastic alongside Paul Budnitz, with the vision of blending physical designer toys with digital artwork and pop culture influences. Superplastic has produced designer toys and collectibles and has collaborated with major pop icons like The Weeknd and Post Malone. [13] [14]

Gee was instrumental in creating Superplastic's flagship characters, "Janky" and "Guggimon," which have become synonymous with the brand itself. His work with the company has incorporated elements of digital art and multimedia into the design and production process. Superplastic has released limited-edition collectibles, some of which have sold out following release. [15]

Collaboration with Gorillaz

In 2020, Gee worked with the Gorillaz universe through a partnership with Superplastic. The release included figures depicting band members, including a 12-inch figure of the character 2D. According to published information, the figures represented the first Gorillaz toy releases in several years. The project later expanded to include additional figures, such as the GEEP and Astronaut 2D releases.. [16] [17]

Kickstarter Project: The Worlds of Huck Gee

On August 27, 2024, Huck Gee launched a Kickstarter campaign titled The Worlds of Huck Gee: Skullhead, Gold Life & Beyond. The campaign reached its funding goal within its initial launch period. On October 31, 2025, the project was canceled. Gee cited increased manufacturing costs and tariffs as primary factors affecting production feasibility. He subsequently published a general breakdown of project expenses. The project did not proceed to fulfillment, and backers did not receive completed rewards. [18] [19]

F*cked Up, Funny, Humiliating, Beautiful, Chaotic

In December 2025, Gee published F*cked Up, Funny, Humiliating, Beautiful, Chaotic - Act I , the first volume in a planned multi-act memoir series, with additional acts announced for future release. [20]

References

  1. Wilonsky, Robert (31 July 2009). "Last Night, Mockingbird Station Was Overrun With Fanboys and Fortune Seekers". Unfair Park. Dallas Observer.
  2. "Toys Meet Fashion". Vinyl Pulse. June 2005.
  3. "Toy of the Week - Akuma Bomb by Huck Gee". Vinyl Pulse. September 2007.
  4. "Online Catalogue". Museum of Modern Art.
  5. O'Brien, Miranda (June 2015). "Oh, Gee!". Clutter. No. 27. Beacon, NY: Clutter Media Group. pp. 33–34. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
  6. "Thank You The Blank Resin Figure by Huck Gee". www.theblotsays.com. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
  7. "Three Apples Exhibition for Hello Kitty's 35th Anniversary | SENATUS Magazine". SENATUS. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
  8. Coursey, Scott (25 February 2010). "Huck Gee x DC Shoes Ken Block Collection Sneak Peek". RallyBuzz. Archived from the original on 7 September 2012. Retrieved 8 September 2010.
  9. "ModNation Artist Spotlight: Toy Designer Huck Gee brings his "Art" to Life – PlayStation Blog". PlayStation.Blog. 10 May 2010. Retrieved 8 September 2010.
  10. Frauenfelder, Mark (6 October 2010). "I Am Plastic, Too: The Next Generation of Designer Toys". Boing Boing. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
  11. "Slideshow: A preview of This Is Not A Toy, The Design Exchange's exhibition of conceptual toys". Toronto Life. 4 February 2014. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
  12. Tzenkova, Ani (10 February 2014). "This Is Not A Toy Exhibition Curated by Pharrell". TRENDLAND | Online Trend News. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
  13. Rottgers, Janko (30 July 2019). "Superplastic Raises $10 Million to Turn Janky and Guggimon Into Animated Instagram Stars (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
  14. Blot, The. "Paul Budnitz & Huck Gee's SUPERPLASTIC launches on Tuesday, May 15th, with a JANKY Vinyl Figure Kickstarter Campaign!" . Retrieved 8 January 2026.
  15. "Huck Gee Back at Superplastic". www.thetoychronicle.com. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  16. "Superplastic x Gorillaz". www.superplastic.co. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  17. "Gorillaz and Superplastic partner to release limited edition vinyl toy of 2D | Vermont Business Magazine". vermontbiz.com. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
  18. Andy; TTC (29 August 2024). "The Worlds of Huck Gee: Skullhead, Gold Life & Beyond". The Toy Chronicle. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
  19. Young, Nathan (28 August 2024). "Crowdsourcing Mornings: The Worlds Of Huck Gee: Skullhead, Gold Life & Beyond". Geek Alabama. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
  20. Gee, Huck (11 December 2025). F*cked Up, Funny, Humiliating, Beautiful, Chaotic - Act I. Huck Gee Press. ISBN   979-8-9938102-1-8.