They get degrees with 'sword-slashing action'

Imagine the ultimate science fair, with room after room of students displaying their work but without any baking soda volcanoes that won't explode or potatoes with electrodes sticking out at awkward angles. That was the vibe at the 2004 Otis College of Art and Design senior show, where the sculpting, digital rendering, sketching and sewing was at such a professional level that it was easy to forget the work had been done by students. Which, of course, is the point.

Although Friday's show was mainly for family and friends, an industry crowd had come through the night before, and resumes and business cards still cluttered the display tables. Capacity crowds spilled into the courtyard, and the elevator wait was so long it rivaled that of any women's restroom.

The first and second floors were by far the loudest, with motion graphics, visual effects and film projects filling the rooms. On another floor, the fashion students had created a runway-type atmosphere, while the environmental design and communication arts section felt more like gallery openings. And at the very top? Toys. Cuddly toys and creepy toys. Toys of action, toys at rest. Plush monsters, gelatinous sumo wrestlers and so much more.

Next to their creations, each of the 17 seniors in the toy design department stood, very patiently, for the duration of the evening, answering questions and being hugged and congratulated, usually with an "Everybody's talking about yours" kind of remark. Some of the women coordinated their outfits with their dolls.

This class is the fourth to graduate from Otis' toy design department, the only one in the country to offer a four-year bachelor's degree in the field. With its mixture of liberal arts classes, technical training and industry internships, the program approaches toy making from all sides. Students study child psychology and art history, for example, in addition to toy construction and marketing. This year, there are 55 students in the program.

"Most of the boys come in wanting to do action figures, but the program requires them to sew plush toys, make girls' toys, do digital rendering, everything," said Martin Caveza, the department's chairman. "They often come out wanting to do something very different than what they originally thought."

Take Nate Mitchell. His hulking War Gods, with their "sword-slashing action," stood just a table away from his Side Kix -- Explorer Emily, Outback Amy, Ice Princess Penny -- and their wide-eyed animal companions, easily some of the cutest characters at the show.