A brief history of Monstorium

We make monsters and encourage fun-loving humans to adopt them!

Monstorium is a collection of fun, friendly monsters created by two humans.

The monsters you find here are for ages 5 to 500 and are created to spread joy, have fun, and fulfill the needs of the young at heart. Over time, our collection will grow and expand (like my monster midsection), so please come back to visit our monsters from time to time!

The business including creative process, history, & production:

Monstorium, a growing collection of artfully designed monster products, is a project that started in 2017 and has brought us closer together as friends while uniting our creative energies. The creatures we work for make us smile and laugh and we realize that other people feel the same. We see genuine excitement and joy when people spot the little figures in local galleries, art markets, or discover monsters hidden around Phoenix. The monsters you find at the Monstorium are for ages 5 to 500, and are created to spread joy and fulfill the creepy critter needs of the young at heart.

• Designs start out as sketches in the Tome of Monstrous Ideas!

• Monsters are brought to life as hand painted or digitally illustrated products including wood, fabric, paper and other surfaces!

• Water based paints and sealers

• USA sourced wood peg dolls

• Reclaimed wood for our large monsters is sourced and family crafted​

• Fabric products printed in USA using eco-friendly printing methods & inks

• 100% Recycled polyester fiber filling made in USA, non-allergenic​

• Monstorium is a small business partnership

• Illustrations and designs created by Josie and Tedd

• Designed, painted, varnished, and sewn by us!

Businesses sales experience & market experience:

The products are available Online, but primarily sold at Cocoon Art Space during First and Third Fridays in downtown Phoenix. In addition to our monthly presence at the art space, the Monstorium team has participated in Hello Handmade in Phoenix and the Sixth Street Market in Downtown Tempe.

About the Bossy Beast

Since I was a wee salamander-sized baby monster, I have dreamed of creating a place for beasts to exist until they can find a safe home. The monsters at Monstorium are all seeking loving dwellings and fun families.

I run the show around here, but my “curators” seem to think they help more than they hinder my creative process. Sure they create my monster friends, and run the online shop, manage orders, feed and care for our monsters until they are adopted, encourage the adoption of my monster friends…okay, so they do a lot. At any rate, I am the head monster in charge! Sometimes they call me Bossy Beast, but I’m good with that. At least my human minions understand their place!

My human partners seem to have a reasonably good grasp on what it takes to run my Monstorium, so I let them do their thing.

About the Curators:

You don’t need to see their faces because they are humans, and all humans look the same to me. Monsters, on the other hand, do not look the same and are better than humans anyway.

These are my favorite (and only) Monstorium curators. I take care of them and keep them around because they are so good at following my silly, I mean, super-essential and profound, orders and directives. Some of my monster friends think my curators are “fun." In reality, those two are only fun when I am around.

Curator #1 - The Human Female

She was the first monster curator and helped me get my Monstorium started. She is an artist, a mother, and is kind enough, but possibly too sweet. I’ll keep my monster-vision focused on her. Plus, I like looking at her… she makes me a little swoony. Ahem. The other monsters adore her too and know they can always talk to her about anything.

Curator #2 - The Human Male

This guy. I'm not sure about this guy. He helps with marketing and is good at making our monsters just a little scary. He is an okay artist, but his humor may be too cheesy and punny for his good at times. Droll!

Little Humans that help - Two Human Children

The little humans that help are super nice and friendly. The monsters all enjoy their company, and they inject a level of fun into the Monstorium atmosphere that those full grown humans cannot muster!