Mikie Graham Creates a Zombie Apocalypse With Playmobil Toys
Remember Playmobil toys? Those tiny, plastic people that were a part of so many childhood games of make-believe have made a grown up comeback at Toy Art Gallery. This time, though, they appear as zombies. 
Liz Ohanesian Mikie Graham at Toy Art Gallery for the opening of his show "The Zombie Art Project"
San Francisco-based artist Mikie Graham has brought Zombie Art Project, his series of gory, customized Playmobil figures, to the Melrose Avenue designer toy shop, starting with an opening on Saturday night. It's the second incarnation of his successful series and his first solo show in Los Angeles. Graham has turned the Playmobil figures into famed director George Romero, the heroic trio from Shaun of the Dead and dozens of other characters.
Graham has been collecting toys since the 1990s, when he was a high school student. As an artist, he often works in connection with Blamo Toys and his pieces have appeared in a number of shows. He has a host of intriguing customization projects to his credit, including turning Emilio Garcia's Jumping Brain figure into a parody of anti-drug ads.
Those who saw "My Little Pony Project" at TAG earlier this year might already be familiar with Graham's work. He's the artist who took pony customization to epic extremes with a Trojan Horse that came complete with hidden Playmobil warriors.
It's those Playmobil figures that inspired Graham's visions of the zombie apocalypse. The old toys aren't incredibly difficult to find and they're pretty inexpensive. Graham considers them a "cheap way to buy a base figure" for his projects. "Really what I like to do is buy a huge lot on eBay and be creative with whatever I find," he explains.
Liz Ohanesian Mikie Graham pays tribute to George Romero.
Last year, Graham started the Zombie Art Project to find a use for some extra figures he had on hand. He put together 31 sets, giving a total of 65 Playmobil people the zombie curse. He released the sets daily through his website and, ultimately, sold out of the pieces. For the second installment of ZAP, he spent about a month putting together the collection.
Up next: Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Simpsons and other inspirations
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Toy Art Gallery
7571 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA
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