Robot Toy

For this piece, I wanted to create a fictional toy box that looked like it could have been sitting on a store shelf sometime in the late 1950s or early 1960s.

The result was the Atomic Patrol Robot.

I tried to combine several things I enjoy: retro-futurism, vintage typography, old science-fiction artwork, and the slightly worn appearance of packaging that has survived for decades. The robot itself needed to feel a little awkward and mechanical rather than sleek and modern. That clunky look is part of what makes the old tin toys so interesting.

I also had fun with the small details on the box—the dramatic ray gun, distant planet, rocket, atomic symbol, and wonderfully over-the-top promises that the robot “Walks! Shoots! Blinks!”

One of my favorite parts of creating retro artwork is trying to make something completely new feel as though it has a history.

This toy never existed.

But I kind of wish it had.

Atomic Patrol Robot — For a Brighter Tomorrow.