If you've ever wandered through a comic convention and thought, “This would be better with fewer corporate booths, better food, and more weirdos making cool things,†Jesse DeStasio has spent the last seven years building an alternative.
On June 13, DeStasio's Toy Pizza Expo returns to The Yard in Beacon for a one-day gathering of independent toy makers, comic creators, collectors, game designers, and assorted devotees of underground pop culture. The free event, now in its seventh year, is part toy show, part community hang, and part artistic experiment.
“It started as kind of an anti-capitalist Comic Con,†says DeStasio, founder of the Toy Pizza brand and creator of the long-running Knights of the Slice action figure line. “I've been in the toy industry for 20 years, and pretty consistently that experience is exceedingly expensive to set up. Most small makers are not able to do so. The food is terrible. You're under fluorescent lights the entire time. You're on a hard concrete floor at a convention center. The vibes are just horrendous at a normal comic convention.â€
Instead, visitors to Toy Pizza Expo will find vendors under tents in The Yard's outdoor space, game designers testing new creations, food and drink from the venue's kitchen, and views of Mount Beacon looming overhead.
“I want it to be a stark contrast to what it feels like to walk into Javits and just feel the money draining out of your pockets,†DeStasio says.
The event grew out of Toy Pizza, a creator-driven project that began as a YouTube channel more than a decade ago before evolving into Knights of the Slice, DeStasio's line of action figures and characters. After spending years working for toy companies and entertainment brands—including a stint in merchandising for New Line Cinema—he launched his own universe of figures, stories, and collectibles. Eleven years later, the line has generated hundreds of figures and nearly 1,000 individual releases.
The expo serves as a real-world gathering point for a community that largely exists online. Through Patreon and Discord, DeStasio has assembled a network of artists, makers, sculptors, designers, writers, and hobbyists who collaborate on projects ranging from action figures and comics to zines and experimental games.
“You may have one guy who has a bank of 3D printers. You have another guy who's really good at graphic design and can design packaging for a project. You have one guy who's really good at engineering, another guy who's good at sculpting, and they all work together,†he says. “They all seek each other out and collaborate on these tiny little toy or comic book or zine projects.â€
That maker culture has accelerated in recent years as advances in 3D printing and small-scale manufacturing have lowered the barriers to entry. What once required overseas factories and substantial investment can increasingly be accomplished from a home studio. “The barrier to entry has really changed dramatically in the past five years,†DeStasio says.
Even for visitors with no connection to the Toy Pizza universe, the event offers plenty to browse. Vendors will be selling vintage toys, comic books, VHS tapes, artwork, and collectibles. DeStasio expects more than 100 attendees throughout the day.
The expo's decidedly non-commercial spirit extends beyond the vendor tables. Proceeds generated through The Yard's community programming help support future events and contribute to Beacon's Backyard community kitchen. The day will also feature an open-ended improvised music jam and a performance by DeStasio's own outsider-art band, ZStar7.
“I always think of this as more community than commerce,†he says.
Toy Pizza Expo takes place June 13 at The Yard in Beacon. Admission is free.
