STEPHEN GEDDES, ACCLAIMED KENNER, TOY INDUSTRY SCULPTOR APPEARING AT ICCC 2022

It is rare the collecting community gets to meet and engage with someone like Stephen Geddes, who is an incredibly influential and accomplished creator in the toymaking industry. But ICCC guests will get a chance to meet him in April, as he appears alongside several other legendary toymakers to meet fans and collectors. And boy, does he have some stories to tell.

Geddes joined Kenner as an in-house sculptor in 1977, which coincided with Kenner’s acquisition of the toy rights for “Star Wars.” As a result, his early work involved sculpting, mold making, and casting hard copies for the Star Wars line. His first project was the Dianoga Trash Monster. Over the next few years, he would sculpt Walrus Man, the Tauntaun, the Dewback, Hoth Luke, the Hoth Rebel Soldier, Han Solo, the Dagobah playset, Lando Calrissian, the Rancor, Luke Jedi, and Chief Chirpa Ewok among many others. He also worked on other Kenner lines including Raiders of the Lost Ark, Strawberry Shortcake, Care Bears, and Alien.

Geddes left Kenner in 1985 to freelance in the toy and product industry. In addition to Kenner’s Jurassic Park line he worked for LJN -ThunderCats, Amtoy - Mad Balls, and Hasbro - GI Joe and Indiana Jones.

In 1995 he joined the newly formed Warner Brothers Toy Company, which eventually became the freestanding company N2. He focused on collectible lines included Starting Lineup, Sports Warriors, Space Jam, Hardened Movie Heroes, Frazetta Figurines, and Looney Tunes.

A native of Wisconsin, Geddes earned a B.S. degree in Art Education from the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse. After two years teaching secondary art he accepted an assistantship in the Sculpture Department at Ohio University in Athens OH. Upon receiving an MFA in Sculpture he worked with the Kentucky Commission On The Arts in an “Artist in the Schools” program. At home in New Jersey, he is still sculpting figures for the next generation of toy entrepreneurs.

We are pleased to welcome Geddes to ICCC 2022. ICCC 2022 will be held April 29-May 1, at the Sheraton Music City resort in Nashville, TN. Tickets are on sale now.