Designer > Shawnimals

Previously an art student/video game reviewer, Shawn Smith began Shawnimals in 2001 in his dinky apartment in Normal, Illinois. Having just left his job as a game reviewer he wanted to do something with the countless doodles of creatures that filled his sketchbooks. This whimsical yet twisted cast of finished and unfinished characters would be unused otherwise. He became inspired to try his hand at plush creatures when he encountered the plush version of a popular Japanese comic character. He got a needle and thread, found the character he wanted to make from his collection of sketchbooks, and went to it. He gave his first Shawnimal the name Floppy Cat Monkey. In addition to his work with Shawnimals, Shawn is a web designer, illustrator and occasionally covers gizmos, gadgets and other videogame goodies for a variety of printed pubs and web sites.