Illustrator Roman Kreal鈥檚 鈥淧han-Dumbz鈥� toy line uses familiar merchandising tactics to critique the ways true crime media commodifies the suffering of victims and their families. Inspired by seedy monetized podcasts like 鈥淢y Favorite Murder鈥� and the collectible toys of the artist鈥檚 childhood, this thesis project includes handmade resin figures, blind bag packaging, printed promotional materials, and even a fully recorded fictional podcast to increase your immersion into its cynical world. Roman鈥檚 illustrative work has been displayed at the Delaware College of Art and Design鈥檚 student exhibition and his short films have been featured in 鈥淣ight Mind鈥檚 Candy Bowl鈥� online film festivals. Roman plans to continue his artistic pursuits while teaching English abroad in South Korea.
