Swell Limited Edition Print

LIMITED DROP Saturday, OCT 11-25, 2025

Gary Baseman's limited edition print of Swell celebrates Toby's 20th and Mattel's 80th anniversaries! This brilliant swirl of characters reminds us of the power of wonder, imagination, and play.

In Swell, Baseman reinterprets Mattel characters as they float among his original characters like Ahwroo, Bosko, Disko, and Hotchachacha.

The spirit of Swell dates back to Baseman's childhood in the 1960s and 70s, a time of turbulent change. Movements swept across the globe and creativity swelled to enormous heights in art, music, TV/film. As a latchkey kid growing up in Hollywood, Baseman fell under the spell of popular culture and its endless cast of characters. Swell represents that feeling of overwhelm with grooviness and hope.

Baseman remembers Mattel's original mascot Matty and his sister Belle. The artist grew up with a Casper doll that took on the same form as the talking Matty Mattel. "Play with me," the friendly ghost said to young Gary. Toys literally spoke to the young artist and became an important force in his life and art.

May the influence of toys as art and art as toys continue!

The limited edition SIGNED print of Swell is available in 2 sizes (h x w): 16 x 24 inches or 24 x 36 inches. Signed, unframed. Delivery 6-8 weeks.