Mark Gee (born May 19, 1973, in

Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne ( RP: , ), or simply Newcastle, is a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. The city is located on the River Tyne's northern bank and forms the largest part of the Tyneside built-up area. Newcastle is ...

, England), better known as Huck Gee, is a

contemporary artist Contemporary art is the art of today, produced in the second half of the 20th century or in the 21st century. Contemporary artists work in a globally influenced, culturally diverse, and technologically advancing world. Their art is a dynamic com ...

illustrator An illustrator is an artist who specializes in enhancing writing or elucidating concepts by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text or idea. The illustration may be intended to clarify complicat ...

toy A toy or plaything is an object that is used primarily to provide entertainment. Simple examples include toy blocks, board games, and dolls. Toys are often designed for use by children, although many are designed specifically for adults and pet ...

maker, and

designer A designer is a person who plans the form or structure of something before it is made, by preparing drawings or plans. In practice, anyone who creates tangible or intangible objects, products, processes, laws, games, graphics, services, or exp ...

best known by toy enthusiasts for his iconic "Skullhead" character. He works and lives in San Francisco, California.

Work

Influenced by Japanese and Hong Kong pop art, Huck produces illustrations and custom figures and has released production toys through

Kidrobot Kidrobot is a producer and retailer of designer toys, vinyl art toys and collectibles founded in 2002 by entrepreneur Paul Budnitz. The company was one of the earliest creators of designer art toys in America. The company was acquired in November ...

including figures for The Standard and

DJ Qbert Richard Quitevis (born October 7, 1969) known by his stage name DJ Qbert or Qbert, is an American turntablist and composer. He was awarded America's Best DJ in 2010, was DMC USA Champion 1991 (solo) and achieved titles as DMC World Champion in ...

. In 2005, Huck Gee released the "Skullhead Project", a joint project between

and

Barneys New York Barneys New York Inc. is an American luxury brand founded in New York City in 1923. It has introduced major designers including Armani, Azzedine Alaïa, Comme des Garçons, Christian Louboutin, and Ermenegildo Zegna to the US market. Barneys N ...

in conjunction with five top

fashion designers Fashion design is the art of applying design, aesthetics, clothing construction and natural beauty to clothing and its accessories. It is influenced by culture and different trends, and has varied over time and place. "A fashion designer creates c ...

Marc Jacobs Marc Jacobs (born April 9, 1963) is an American fashion designer. He is the head designer for his own fashion label, Marc Jacobs, and formerly Marc by Marc Jacobs, a diffusion line, which was produced for approximately 15 years, before it was d ...

Jil Sander Heidemarie Jiline "Jil" Sander (; b. 27 November 1943) is a German minimalist fashion designer and the founder of the Jil Sander fashion house. Early life and education Heidemarie Jiline Sander was born in Wesselburen, Nazi Germany on 27 Novemb ...

Dries van Noten Baron Dries Van Noten (born 12 May 1958 in Antwerp) is a Belgian fashion designer and an eponymous fashion brand, which he co-founded with CEO and business partner Christine Mathys. Early life and education Van Noten was born into a family ...

Rick Owens Richard Saturnino Owens (born November 18, 1962) is an American fashion designer from Porterville, California. In addition to his main line, Owens has a furniture line and a number of diffusion lines. Early life and education Richard Saturnino ...

, and Duckie Brown. With this project, 12" figures of Huck's Skullhead character came immaculately dressed in the 2005 spring collections of each of the five fashion designers. In October 2007, Gee's second original figure, "Akuma Bomb" was released. In the winter of 2007, three Kidrobot toys were accepted into the permanent collection of the

Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of ...

in New York City, including a "Hello My Name Is" 8" Dunny, designed by Gee with

Paul Budnitz Paul Budnitz (born September 14, 1967) is an American entrepreneur. He is the founder of retailer Kidrobot, and the social network Ello (social network), Ello. He also owns Budnitz Bicycles in Burlington, Vermont. Biography Early life and educati ...

and

Tristan Eaton Tristan Eaton (1978) is an American artist. Primarily known for his toy designs and street art murals, Eaton is also a graphic designer and illustrator. Early life Eaton was born in Hollywood, California, in 1978. He moved to New York City at 20 ...

. Huck has also consigned several pieces for one of the world's leading fine art auction houses: Christie's Auction House. In the Fall of 2009 Huck participated in the, Sanrio hosted, 35th Anniversary celebration for Hello Kitty called Three Apples. Three Apples was a multi-dimensional exhibition and celebration of all things Hello Kitty. 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 "squared" skull. In the Spring of 2010, the creators at United Front Games asked Huck to feature in an "Artist Spotlight" for the game ModNation. In 2006 Huck's toys appeared in the book, Dot Dot Dash: Designer Toys, Action Figures, and Character Art and in the book, I Am Plastic .
In 2007 his toys appeared in the book, ToyGiants .
In 2010 his toys appeared in the book, Flux: Designer Toys , and in the book, I Am Plastic Too . 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 worldwide 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". In 2015, Huck revealed that he has severed ties with Kidrobot and has his own toy platform in production called The Blank. In 2017, Huck Gee Inc. ended and released its final self-produced release.

References

External links

Huck Gee – Vinyl CreepHuck Gee – Trampt
{{DEFAULTSORT:Huck Gee Living people 1973 births British contemporary artists British designers Artists from Newcastle upon Tyne Artists from California