Let’s Ride!
MIGHTY EXPRESS
When I was hired at Spin Master, the first property I worked on was a train-themed concept called Mighty Express. The idea had already gone through several rounds of design development prior to 2018, and I was quickly immersed in the project. My immediate task was to find a final design solution for the main train headquarters, while also designing assets for both the toy line and television series. I was also responsible for overseeing the prototyping and development of 21 toy trains, which played a key role in pitching the concept to Netflix.
LAYING THE TRACKS
One of the most challenging aspects of designing Mighty Express was creating over 20 unique train stations that make up the world. This required careful planning of layout, flow, and features, keeping both the toy and animation perspectives in mind. My approach was to start with the largest canvas possible—the whiteboard—where I could immerse myself for hours, working through every detail. Below is a gallery of some of my large-format, free-flowing station maps, which I would photograph and then digitally color. And yes, each of these sketches took up an entire wall.
MIGHTY HQ |Marker On Whiteboard 9’x 9‘
FORM x FUN x FUNCTION
My goal with each asset is to incorporate as many fun, toyetic ideas as possible, ensuring both the story writers and toy production teams have the material they need if the design moves forward to production. School Station, featured below, is an example of a station that, while not making it to toy development, was still fully designed for the show.
SCHOOL STATION|Animatic Concept
A MIGHTY HEADQUARTERS
Mission Station is the heart of Mighty Express, where trains and characters interact before each mission. After dozens of discarded variations and facing conflicting feedback with a looming production deadline, I decided to start completely over. I asked my boss to "trust me" and spent a few days off-grid, returning with drawings and a detailed animatic showing how everything would function. The gallery below showcases the final design I presented which was well-received by both the toy and animation teams, quickly green-lighting it for animation and toy.
MISSION STATION | Final Concept Animatic
MISSION STATION | Mighty Express Netflix
MISSION STATION | Toy Playset
TRAIN DESIGN FOR TV & TOY
When I joined the team at Spin Master, I inherited the Mighty Express property, which had years of inconsistent train designs and an unclear creative direction. While the core Hero engines were mostly in place, many characters and their additional cars needed major refinement. With tight deadlines and little time for polished drawings, I focused on producing clear, functional sketches each day to support the 3D modeling and prototyping teams. This fast, focused effort helped bring visual cohesion to the brand and got Mighty Express ready for both toy development as well as the Netflix series pitch.
FREIGHT NATE |Train Feature Animatic
MECHANIC MILO |Train Feature Animatic
![IMG_0138[1].jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/679eaca37a6c7506f1a11fc0/435413a5-8370-4423-bcf1-ed2e300bd77f/IMG_0138%5B1%5D.jpg)
![IMG_0134[5].jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/679eaca37a6c7506f1a11fc0/015a0184-cd51-4442-a213-c8026a3cd2cd/IMG_0134%5B5%5D.jpg)
TOY PROTOTYPING
Alongside concept art and story development for Mighty, I also led early toy prototypes. These can range from simple proof-of-concept foam core mockups, to more polished prototypes for mechanism development and our TV pitch presentation to Netflix. To meet deadlines, I work closely with a team of 3D artists, model fabricators, and miniature painters to ensure everything comes together for the final presentation.
MECHANIC MILO |Mechanism Prototype
FOAM MOCK-UPS
When it comes to big, complex train station playsets, nothing beats good old-fashioned full-scale foam core mockups. They’re fast, cheap, and perfect for the early stages of development—way more efficient than modeling or 3D printing when you need to work fast and loose. While I’ve built plenty myself, the amazing work shown here was crafted by toy design veterans Chuck Grafton and Mike Nuttall. I had the pleasure of working with Mike and Chuck on multiple projects at Spin Master, and there’s nothing like handing off a sketch and seeing them return one week later with a fully realized model. Their mockups were pivotal in helping shape the stations for both the toy line and the television series.
POST OFFICE STATION | Mock Up Walkthrough
EARLY HQ MOCK UP |Animatic Walkthrough
