Mastering the Miniature: Inside Michael Gulen’s 25-Year Journey in Toy Design
For Michael Gulen, the journey from concept to collectible has never been a straight line. It was a winding path of traditional wax sculpting and plastic modeling, silicon molds, 3D renderings, and good old-fashioned imagination.
With more than 25 years of experience in the toy industry, Gulen has quietly become one of the most prolific hands behind the scenes of some of the most beloved action figures and collectibles such as G.I.Joe, ThunderCats, Spawn, and many more. From early sculpting days at The Franklin Mint to pioneering digital workflows at McFarlane Toys and now overseeing development at Super7, his career traces the evolution of toy design itself—an evolution Gulen helped shape.
“Toy design is part art, part engineering, and a whole lot of communication.And at its core, it has to evoke joy and excitement.” Gulen tells me from his New Jersey workshop, where sculpting tools, plastic test-shots and rapid-prototype prints sit comfortably next to high-powered 3D rendering stations.
Gulen began his professional career in 1998 at The Franklin Mint, creating scratch models and tooling patterns in resin. By 1999, he had joined McFarlane Toys, where he would remain for nearly 20 years, quickly rising to Prototype Development Director and managing all 3D department teams of 35+ artists.
“It was a wild west era of big ideas and bigger characters,” he recalls. “Working with Todd McFarlane meant always pushing the limits, with detail, accuracy, and storytelling through design.”
At McFarlane, Gulen was instrumental in transitioning the studio from traditional sculpting to digital workflows. He integrated 3D Zbrush modeling with traditional wax sculpting, built out 3D scanning pipelines, and even worked on-set for television and film productions to capture actor digital scans for licensed characters. The shift, he says, was both revolutionary and necessary.
“We went from clay and wax to digital practically overnight. That allowed us to reduce development timelines by 40%, without compromising the detail McFarlane was known for. It even allowed us to add in more details and textures that the artists were not able to create by hand, only elevating the final result” he explains.
This intersection of artistry and efficiency is a recurring theme in Gulen’s work. Whether he’s concepting and sculpting characters or managing timelines across international factories, the goal remains the same: honor the integrity of the character while delivering something fans can hold in their hands and admire.
His resume reads like a checklist of modern pop culture: Disney, Sony, FOX, Warner Bros., Hasbro, Toho, and Peanuts, to name a few. Most recently, he served as Senior Design Manager and Product Designer for Super7, the San Francisco-based company known for retro-chic collectibles like ReAction figures and the ULTIMATES! line. There, he managed a team of artists, created original concepts, and oversaw every stage of development from ideation to factory production.
“Super7 was about marrying nostalgia with modern collectability,” Gulen says. “We’re not just recreating figures—we’re reinterpreting them for fans who now have the means, and the eye, for authenticity.”
But even as the tools change, some parts of the process remain stubbornly tactile. Gulen still discusses the “feel” of a prototype—how certain resins hold detail better, or how plastic tolerances differ from material to material. It’s these nuances, he says, that separate a good figure from a great one.
That attention to detail also extends to mentoring. Gulen takes pride in having trained dozens of modelers and designers over the years, many of whom now lead their own teams in studios around the world. “My strength comes from the team at my side. I bring versatility to the table as a jack of all trades, but I know the real strength lies in surrounding myself with the true masters in the industry. I’m never afraid to lean on their expertise – That’s how we all win.”
With AI and automation creeping into even the most artistic fields, I ask if Gulen sees a future where toy design becomes entirely digital.
“Maybe in part,” he says, pausing thoughtfully. “But play is human. That’s the core of what we do. The storytelling, the emotion, the connection to a moment in time—you can’t automate that. Not really.”
As for what’s next, Gulen is open to new challenges. “There’s always a new character, a new material, a new technique to try,” he says. “And I love collaborating with licensors and creatives who want to push boundaries. If it’s weird, fun, and hard to pull off, that’s usually a good sign.”
With a quarter-century of innovation under his belt, Michael Gulen represents more than just longevity in a competitive field. He represents adaptability—balancing tradition and technology in a way that has helped define modern toy design. And in a world filled with fleeting trends, that’s a legacy built to last.
Sidebar
Michael Gulen’s Design Toolbox
- 3D Modeling: Pixologic ZBrush, Alias Maya, Materialise Magics RP
- Rapid Prototyping: Familiar with SLA, SLS, and CNC prototyping
- 2D Graphics: Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign
- Factory Collaboration: Expert in communicating with overseas production teams for quality control and cost efficiency
Portfolio:www.coroflot.com/mgulen
