When a film, TV show or other IP is really toyetic, the ideas flow like water. This brand was such a property, and Bandai's first brand with Disney! Bandai's mix of Japanese and Western thought-leaders was a perfect fit for this Japanese/Western hybrid property. Shout out to Makoto Araki for Toy Stories Chapter 19: Big Hero 6!

Deluxe Flying Baymax

This was such a toyetic movie that I remember cranking out the entire preliminary product line direction in about 10 minutes. Make the toys do what he does in the movie: in this case of Flying Baymax, pop-out wings, flying sounds, firing fist and an attachable figure that activates more sayings and sounds. A LOT borrowed from Toy Story’s Flying Buzz! I wanted blue flames popping out of his feet, but the filmmakers wanted more articulation. We knew kids don’t care as much about articulation as we toy geeks do (a lesson from Max Steel), and I think they made the wrong call. Still, a winning toy on all accounts. And what a delightful movie! One the rare movie lines that was able to deliver multiple years of toys sales with no new content!

Gear-Up Baymax

Gearing up Baymax was an important scene in footage we saw when creating the line. The trick on this one was how to get the chest heavy armor on a belly heavy character. The answer was to simply rotate the belly and chest to each other’s position. And yeah, that was my idea, because I wished that I could do that with my own belly!