One of my favorite toy designers, MAD, created "Cre8tive Peeples"
Cre8tive Peeples are a blank 8" "3D Canvas"
You purchase them and decorate them any way you want.
They come with a CD with templates
They're having a contest as well. They'll choose the designs they like the best and manufacture them in a limited number.

http://64.224.15.183/bygeorge/cre8tivepeeples/

You can purchase them cheaper at rotofugi.com ($12.00)


Here is a quickie that MAD made to show off one of many possible design possibilites

 

Everyone wants something for free these days. It bugs me the amount of talent that companies are getting for nothing, or next to nothing. I heard a commercial for a local radio station. They want you to shoot a 30 second TV commercial for them, and in return, you get tickets to all the rock concerts coming here this year. Sounds good, but the radio station gets the tickets for free, and in reality you'll be lucky to see 4 or 5 shows max. I've seen other online contests that give anywhere from $0-$500 for the winner, including this one. Everything from ads to websites. American Idol is having a contest to write a hit single. It bugs me to no end, because everything gets more and more expensive, yet companies are paying less and less. They're paying less for products because they're importing. They're paying less for customer service and web design because they're outsourcing. And now they're paying less for product design and advertisement because they're creating "contests" and such. I'm sorry, I did not mean to rain on your parade, here. But sometimes you've got to think about what you're doing. You get to "win" to opportunity to have your work created and sold to the masses at no monetary gain whatsoever.

 

You're right... but in this market, getting your name out is very important.
This market is driven by word of mouth, and this could be a great way to kick start a career.
This isn't one of those ginormous companies stealing ideas from the little man, and making a bundle out of it. These "companies" are very small most of the time, and your name will be all over this limited run product.

 

Hey Lalo, looks like an interesting contest, but I'm a bit confused.
(Blame it on my older brain cells.)

Is the idea to create a graphics design for the "existing" Peeples figure
or to design a new figure shape that they will produce?

 

graphics design on the existing peeples

 

You usually get what you pay for