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Jim
Biesinger Jules Bouillet John Bundy Rick Cain Joyce Cracas Dale Duby Dan Edwards Fae Harper Stephen Herrero Kimberly Hunt Jim Jackson Ted Miller Todd Orr Mary Pearson Greg Peltzer John Raya Randall Reading Ken Richardson Tommy Singer Joe Slockbower Ed Totten Ruben Trajada Dale Traut |
 John Raya Throughout his life, John Raya's two passioins have been sculpting and cartooning. As a child, John spent long hours mastering the great works ... from the "Sunday funnies, " his'favorite comic books, or the all-time classic "Mad Magazine." Any piece of paper as a potential sketch pad for John to practice drawing his childhood heroes and heroines... "I mastered anatomy and life drawing skills by the age of ten through long hours laboring over the finer points of proportioning and structure ... by sketching the likes of "Wonder Woman (J. R.) Volumes of illustrations of Superman, The Flash, "Big Daddy" Ed Roth's Rat Fink and others filled his dressers and closets to overflowing. "Finding your way through his room was like plowing your way through a mine field ... you didn't know what was lurking in there from day to day ... it was quite an amusing experience." (John's mother) John's talents soon found their way to Universal Studios California where he worked summers as a cartoonist between stints at Cal State at Fullerton where he studied the "3D's" dating, dancing, and ddesign. With a knack for quick-sketch caricature, John's art drew him to Disneyland where he would sometimes sketch up to 400 people in a single day. John eventually found his way to Walt Disney World in Florida, where as an art director. He was responsible for artists operations in the theme park. In 1975, mustering his entrepreneurial spirit and with his accumulated professional experience (and a prayer), John embarked on his own business venture. Developing the "Beasties of the Kingdom" collection along the way, John fulfilled a lifelong dream and created a vehicle for his personal style and sense of humor. Starting with just six designs in his collection, John soon directed his talents to creating new and better "Beasties" to keep up with the ever growing demand. Since then, John has increased his collection to include over ninety new "Beasties of the Kingdom" that has attracted a global family of collectors. John lives in Florida with his wife Jan, their daughters, Vanessa, Elena, and Sarah, and the family labrador retriever "Elke." Horses are their hobby occupying their family time. |
