Not every love letter is orange, has two teeth and wears a black apron. But don’t tell David Horvath and Sun-Min Kim that. For these two
artists, Uglydolls have always been the best way to say “I love you.” What else could David have meant when he ended all his letters
to Sun-Min with a picture of Wage, their very first Uglydoll? And what else could Sun-Min have meant when she sent him back a huggable, plush 3D
version of his drawing?
Collaborating on fine art and toy projects has been a part of their romance since they met at Parsons School of Design in 1996. From their first
drawing class together until two years after they graduated, David and Sun-Min worked side-by-side, creating art, designing fun toys and making each
other smile.
But by the end of 2001, David and Sun-Min had to separate, and love letters became necessary. Sun-Min retuned to Seoul at the request of her family
due to the events that change our world. David wanted to follow, but as he explains “I wanted to marry this girl and buy a house someday.” So
he stayed behind working for an animation company. What could he do? How could he see his girl again?
David and Sun-Min filled the void by sending each other tons of “I-miss-you” letters. He ended all of his with a drawing of a little
orange, apron-wearing ugly guy named Wage. For Christmas that year, Sun-Min surprised David by sending him back a 3D version of his character — 13
inches tall, cuddly, orange and plush. Thrilled, David asked Sun-Min to make him another one; she made five. He took the extras to the newly-opened
Giant Robot, an Asian pop culture store in Los Angeles. Then, Sun-Min called him from Korea and said “I want to make an Uglydoll.” He
looked down at Wage and said, “I think you just did.”
And so the Uglydolls were born. David and Sun-Min’s Uglydoll family grew
quickly: Wage Babo, Cinko, Target and Tray (the others were still to come). They came up with the new characters together — David
drew them and Sun-Min sewed each one by hand. Between Giant Robot, Plastica, Zakka and Forbidden Planet, the Uglydolls had an incredible first
year. Every batch sold out within days. After 1500 dolls and 18 months, David and Sun-Min finally got to see each other again at their own Uglydoll
booth at the 2003 International Toy Fair in New York City. They were there representing their very own company, Pretty Ugly, based in Brooklyn
and New Jersey. For the moment, Sun-Min is back in Seoul, but the artists are planning to continue the Uglydoll love story by marrying in 2005.
Ugly Art Toys
When David and Sun-Min began working on the Uglydolls, their goal was to make art, not money. They made sure the Uglydolls were affordable to anyone
who wanted them. Each handmade Uglydoll sells for under $30 — unheard of in the art-toy world, where items often sell for $100 and more. They
wanted to create toys that were special, handmade and not part of the corporate mainstream. Their commitment to making the Uglydolls by hand ensures
that no two dolls are exactly alike and each one is as special as the original prototype.
The contemporary plastic art-toy movement caught on with the arrival of urban vinyl action figures from Hong Kong. Working at separate Hong Kong
studios in the late 1990s, artists Michael Lau and Eric So launched the now world-famous craze of plastic art toys that reject consumer culture.
It was the arrival of Lau’s Crazy Children action figures at Giant Robot in 2001, however, that really captured the world’s attention.
Only six weeks later, the Uglydolls appeared on the shelves of Giant Robot, and they did for plush art toys what Lau had done for plastics. Since
1996, other artists had been producing handmade plush toys and selling them at high prices in Manhattan art-related hangouts such as A
Life and Air
Market. But it was the originality and affordability of the Uglydolls at Giant Robot that created the wide acceptance and excitement for the plush
art toy. David and Sun-Min have inspired several lines now being produced and have brought continuing focus to art toys in general.
Print
But by the end of 2001, David and Sun-Min had to separate, and love letters became necessary. Sun-Min retuned to Seoul at the request of her family
due to the events that change our world. David wanted to follow, but as he explains “I wanted to marry this girl and buy a house someday.” So
he stayed behind working for an animation company. What could he do? How could he see his girl again? 
Each handmade Uglydoll sells for under $30 — unheard of in the art-toy world, where items often sell for $100 and more. They
wanted to create toys that were special, handmade and not part of the corporate mainstream. Their commitment to making the Uglydolls by hand ensures
that no two dolls are exactly alike and each one is as special as the original prototype.