The Road to FUNTOWN

The road to Jody Battaglia's "Funtown" is peppered with politely cheery polka dotted signs that say things like..."keep going, you're almost there"... "you can do it"... "lead your you own parade!"...

These are the roadsigns Jody and her work have always urged me to read. Her art cheers me; her creations are the toys that entertain, mystify and cajole the kid at heart in all of us. They are happy stuff; my most favorite things.

Jody Battaglia has created Funtown -- the imaginary community where all of her creations reside in harmony with a bit of silly drama for added fun. She runs the place, bespectacled in cherry red glasses and dressed in a jacket that would make the "Music Man" green with envy. She has inhabited her realm with a band of personalities she has concocted from wool felt, velveteen and mohair...along with a massive dose of imagination and wit. Their names speak volumes to their character attributes... "Dandy Ducky Long Legs" a personal favorite.

I met Jody in 1997 through one of her customers. I was visiting my gal pal Maggie in Atlanta and she asked me to take a ride with her to pick up some fun goodies from Jody. When the door opened there she was, part Willy Wonka, part The Flying Nun...

Her house is a magical place, a diorama adorned with layers of treasures and old bits of toys that weave a mood that even good Saint Nick would covet. It's Christmas Eve, Easter and Halloween all at once. Her beloved sailors salute, yummy anthropomorphic fruit and veggie people tempt the eyes, and collections of vintage holiday treasures are everywhere in the most captivating of displays....then there are the candy containers, the hula dolls, more sailors, old bears, gollies, folk art beauties....oohh so wonderful. Shelves of old books show her love for the golden age of children's literature and illustration.

....her dining room table was encrusted with her toys. I was instantly smitten. I had to pick each one up, cradle it and absorb it....I bought a sweet girl monkey peeking out from beneath the brim of an upturned hat...the next time we met, her first Santa and a wee little elf. A love affair had begun.

In 1979 Jody launched her business, "Beary Best Friends". First she made teddy bears, then a long line of friends, companions, dolls and toys followed all paving the way to Funtown. Over the years she has designed for Boyds Bears, and now has a line of reproduction designs with Edinburgh. Her original creations are all made in her home in Marietta, I am fortunate to have many of them that I have collected over the years ... they are some of my greatest treasures.

Jody offers her work on an very exclusive basis at select Folk Art and Teddy Bear shows and her website...and I am thrilled that she is able to do some limited edition originals for us each year. Jody has been our featured artist at two of our events and, with any luck, we'll be able to lure her back for on Annual Spring Soiree in 2008. We're also hoping that she makes progress with a publisher for her book....

Jody has a fabulous sense of personal style and charm. Jody is modest, always quick with a self-effacing comment, but don't be fooled...she is whip smart and has a better vocabulary than the most seasoned copy editor at the Chicago Sun Times. Did I mention that she is Cracker Jack cute, and if any knows that cuteness counts, it's Jody.

She is an intoxicating, fantastically festive companion, a cross between a majorette, a cruise director and a stand up comedienne. She is my cheerleader, my confidant and my friend. Without Jody I would not be in business, I would not be writing this blog, I would not be where I am, or who I am. Jody has been a constant source of encouragement since we met.

She has helped me, inspired me and taught me to pay it forward.

To underestimate what she has done, not only for me but for so many in the realm of folk art, would be criminal...and some tottering but spiffy little Constable from Funtown just might detain us for questioning!

Three cheers for Jody! Please join me in saying....Hip Hip Hooray.

xxoo Jen O'Connor

Earth Angels Toys