John Raya's artistic passion began at Disneyland, where sketched up to 400 people per day. John foun
Orlando, FL
Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Beasties of the Kingdom posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Throughout his life, John Raya's two passions have been sculpting and cartooning. As a child, John spent long hours mastering the great works ... from the "Sunday funnies, " his favorite comic books, or the all-time classic "Mad Magazine." John's talents soon found their way to Universal Studios in California where he worked summers as a cartoonist between stints at Cal State at Fullerton where he studied the "3D's"--dating, dancing, and design. With a knack for quick-sketch caricature, John's art drew him to Disneyland where he would sometimes sketch up to 400 people in a single day. John eventually found his way to Walt Disney World® in Florida, where as an art director, he was responsible for artists operations in the theme park.
In 1975, mustering his entrepreneurial spirit and with his accumulated professional experience (and a prayer), John embarked on his own business venture. Developing the "Beasties of the Kingdom" collection along the way, John fulfilled a lifelong dream and created a vehicle for his personal style and sense of humor. Starting with just six designs in his collection, John soon directed his talents to creating new and better "Beasties" to keep up with the ever-growing demand. Since then, John has increased his collection to include over sixty new "Beasties of the Kingdom" that has attracted a global family of collectors.
"Thank you for your encouragement by selecting one of my "Beasties." I am honored to have my art included within your collection, or to have it selected as a gift for a special someone in your life. "I am proud to say that the "Beasties of the Kingdom" are created with nature in the "good ol' U.S.A." using only the finest American made materials and skills available. Sometimes the imports can try to beat us down in the marketplace ... but they can't beat our good old-fashioned American originality! Thank you.
