Fun-boy’s Day at the Pond

Gouache is an opaque, water-based paint that combines the fluidity of watercolor with the boldness of acrylic or oil paint. It consists of pigment, water, and a binding agent (usually gum arabic), with added chalk or white pigment to enhance its opacity. Gouache is popular among illustrators, designers, and fine artists for its rich color payoff, ease of use, and adaptability across different styles and techniques. Rotofugi Designer Toy Store & Gallery, established in July 2004, is located on the border of Chicago's Lincoln Park and Lakeview neighborhoods in a beautiful vintage building. Since opening, Rotofugi has grown to become one of the world's premier sellers of designer toys from artists all over the world. Rotofugi features a diverse selection of vinyl figures, capsule toys, plush and more from both eastern and western designers. The adjoining Rotofugi Gallery features monthly art exhibits by a range of both local and nationally known artists. Beginning in late 2007 Rotofugi partnered with Chicago based product development specialist Squibbles Ink to begin producing artist-designed figures by the talented designers located in their home town. Click here for more information on Squibbles Ink + Rotofugi projects. Rotofugi is owned and operated by husband and wife duo Kirby and Whitney Kerr. You can find the couple in and around the store on most days. They love to talk about toys and art. Ralph Cosentino, an Argentinian who grew up in New York, is the son of flamenco dancers. As a young boy, he often coerced his younger sister into giving up her piggy-bank money so he could buy superhero comics. After studying at the Cleveland Institute of Art, Ralph worked for various advertising agencies in Cleveland as a designer and illustrator. He held a post as Art Director of Learning Horizons, a children’s educational products company. He has done development work for Warner Bros., Disney, and Cartoon Network. His characters including Honk-Honk-Ashoo have been licensed as toy lines in Target. His self-produced Kaiju Kidz toys sold out at retailers such as Kid Robot and Tower Records. He currently works as a Senior Designer at Hallmark Cards where he creates characters, animated e-cards and books. Ralph is the author and illustrator of various children’s books including “The Story of Honk-Honk-Ashoo and Swella-Bow-Wow,” “The Marvelous Misadventures of Fun-Boy”, “Batman The Story of The Dark Knight,” “Superman The Story of the Man of Steel,” and “Wonder Woman the story of the Amazon Princess.” He lives in Hudson, Ohio with his wife, their three children, two dogs, Argus and Charlie, and their cat Hayao. Ralph hopes to return