Today we’d like to introduce you to CJ Bargamian.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Sure – I’ve been a creative person of some sort for my entire life, since I first doodled around on a piano as a kid. I got my first guitar when I was around 12, started my first band when I was 14, and played my first shows at Atlanta dive bars when I was 16. So going to college and getting a “real” job never seemed like the right path for me – I definitely preferred to be in rehearsal spaces, recording studios, and on stage. So after high school, I put everything I could into my indie rock band (called Crybaby), while working at local pizza shops to pay my rent. By the time I was 25 or so, I started feeling like a legit music career wasn’t going to happen for me, so I enrolled at Georgia State University and graduated as quickly as possible. Next thing I know, I’m working at the Weather Channel and then at Turner Broadcasting.
I had another band (a weird Americana/gypsy rock thing called A Fight to the Death) until around 2012. After that I continued writing music, but I got married, had some kids, moved to Los Angeles for a few years and then back to ATL. Put out a few albums under the name Pele Monty. I had senior marketing jobs at STARZ, Turner Classic Movies, and Magnolia Network before being laid off at the end of 2023. With the TV business being as messed up as it currently is, finding a new full-time gig has proved difficult, and I’ve been pursuing other things.
Around 2019 I started getting into 3d modeling and design, which worked out nicely when COVID shut us all in our houses for a while. I worked really hard to get as good as possible at modeling and creating designs for 3d printing – specifically focused on catering to the toys and collectibles world. I started a little company called Funky Maclunkey that sells 3d printed action figures and replacement parts for vintage toys, and then expanded into non-toy design work with a second company, Giant Meteor Studios.
So these days I split my time between my 3d design businesses and providing marketing consulting services in the entertainment business.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Well nothing in the creative realm is ever easy, is it?! 🙂 Just like anyone else with creative impulses who also likes to eat and have running water, I’ve always had to balance the different aspects of my life in sometimes precarious ways. There have been times when my professional career provided a good paycheck but really consumed me to the point that being creative in my own projects was difficult or impossible. But like right now, for example, there have also been times where my professional career kinda stalls for a minute and I have to use my creative skills to cobble together enough income to feed the family. And in the current situation, I may have stumbled on a creative outlet that is actually more productive and financially sustainable than anything I tried before. We’ll see!
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
These days I mostly focus on designing and producing toys, collectibles, and kick-knacks that nobody else is making. I’ve always had an affinity for the toys of my youth (the Star Wars figures made by Kenner, the He-Man toys from Mattel, etc) and have developed some solid skills at recreating that retro aesthetic. I’ve met some really cool old-school toy business people along the way, and I’m really proud of the fact that they have been so complimentary of my work. I was recently catching up with a dude who worked at Fisher Price and Mattel for decades who kept telling me how well I capture the vibes of vintage-style toy design – I take that as a real compliment from a guy like that!
I design toys based on characters from mainstream and cult-classic films that never got action figures made of them back in the day, but I also design my own characters and do a lot of commission work for people with unique needs. I’ve designed custom toys for actors, business owners, and random individuals who have ideas they’d like to see rendered in real life. Were you in a film and would like to have an action figure of your character? I can do that! Do you own a fast food chain and need someone to design a keychain shaped like a fired chicken sandwich? Sure, I can do that too.
In general, I want to be known as someone who can embrace crazy ideas and bring them to life for whatever needs a client might have.
What makes you happy?
Oh what a loaded question – I love it!
Honestly, it might sound old-school but being able to be there for my kids and spend time with them is my favorite thing. I love being creative – working on songs, sculpting weird designs, writing, etc – but rarely am I as happy as I am when doing something that combines those things with hanging out with my kids. All of my children are musical in some way – play drums, guitar, cello – and teaching them to play and understand music has been amazing. I also recently did some guest lectures about the creative development process in TV media at SCAD, and it became clear to me in the first 5 seconds that I really like to teach.
So yeah, it changes all the time, but right now my happiest moments come from spending time with my kids, being creative with other people, and teaching!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.cjbargamian.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/funkymaclunkey
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cjbargamian/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@funkymaclunkey
- Other: https://www.funkymaclunkey.com
