Russ Turk
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About
A limitless imagination and passion for toy design. I bring over 2 decades of hands on experience bringing toys to market through creative ideation, design and product development.
I’ve designed kids toys, pet toys, plush toys, kids personal care products, giftware, holiday decorations and ornaments and back to school supplies.
I’ve worked on over 75 different licensed brands including Disney, Star Wars, Spiderman, Toy Story, Peanuts, Spongebob, Harry Potter, Sesame Street, The Simpsons, My Little Pony, and Animal Planet to name just a few.
• Advanced Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator skills
• Freehand concept sketches and illustration
• Sculpting, mold-making and prototype construction with materials such as latex and resin.
• Control artwork and turnarounds for vendor to open tooling
• Packaging concepts -
Education
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Associate Visual CommunicationsThe Art Institute of Philadelphia1986 - 1988
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Experience
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Design ConsultantFreelance2018 - Present (6 years)• Recent clients have included Horizon Group, Buzzbee Toys, Amloid Toys, Zrike Brands, Little Gifts, Inc. and more with a focus on water blaster toys, novelty giftware, kids craft items, plush pet toys, Disney and Star Wars consumer products.
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Design DirectorDandee International Ltd.Kearny, NJFeb 2020 - Jun 2021 (1 year 4 months)• Responsible for the design of all seasonal plush toys, ceramics, gifts and home décor.
• Private label as well as licensed brands - Peanuts, Paw Patrol, Disney, Peeps, Garfield, Grinch, Harry Potter, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Build-A-Bear -
Design ManagerWayne, NJApr 2011 - May 2018 (7 years 1 month)• Designed Reebok trampolines and fitness products, Fisher-Price swim gear, inflatable pools and games, and the Toys R Us Sizzlin’ Cool line of outdoor activity toys.
• Responsible for the design of the Toys R Us Bruin category of Infant and Preschool toys and the Animal Alley category of plush toys.
• Also designed toys for FAO Schwarz, Journey Girls, Animal Planet, Edu-Science, Strawberry Shortcake, My Little Pony and many more brands.
• Ideating creative product concepts from the sketch stage, to fully illustrated designs and technical layouts, to building three-dimensional models of those designs.
• Art directing sculptors at factories overseas to ensure the end product meets high-level design aesthetics. -
Design ConsultantFreelanceNew York, NY2003 - 2011 (8 years)• Clients included M.Z. Berger & Company, Bentex Kiddie Corporation, Out Of The Blue Consulting, A.D. Sutton & Sons, Inc., Accessory Network Group, Inc, and more.
• Focus was on kids apparel, stationery, toys, plush, back-to-school accessories, and backpacks.
• Licenses worked on: Disney Princess, Wall-E, Pixar Cars, Spider-Man, Nascar, Clifford The Big Red Dog, Crayola, Dora The Explorer -
DesignerKurt S. Adler, Inc.1995 - 2003 (8 years)• Designed holiday ornaments and giftware for iconic licensed brands such as Peanuts, Harry Potter, Spider-man, Superman, The Incredible Hulk, Spongebob Squarepants, Disney Princess, Pixar Cars, Fisher-Price, FAO Schwarz, Paddington Bear, Madeline, The Simpsons, Crayola, Dora The Explorer, My Little Pony, Strawberry Shortcake and more.
• Worked with United Media and Charles Schulz Creative Associates for 8 years designing Peanuts holiday giftware and table pieces. Gained an enormous wealth of experience and education in the business of licensing and approvals.
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Skills
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Elsewhere on the Web
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On Coroflot@RussTurk, member since 2004
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Following 5
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Followers 9
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