LATEST STUDIO NEWS

SEASTAR 5 INVADERS FROM THE ABYSS - THE SERIES ....

DATELINE - 31 JULY 2018....

WE HAVE GAINED 61,000 VIEWERS IN TWO YEARS , SEVEN MONTHS SINCE THE ADVENTURE HAS BEEN ON SHOW TO THE PUBLIC . FANTASTIC SUPPORT !!!!

A BIG THANK YOU TO YOU ALL OUT THERE IN THE WORLD WIDE WEB FOR TAKING A LOOK AT OUR EPISODES ON VIEW HERE.......

SEASTAR 5 INVADERS FROM THE ABYSS - THE SERIES is now available to view on this web site......please check it out ....go to the side menu of this Home page to view the eight episodes......

The series will return in late 2019 with more adventures of the crew of the super submarine in the underwater worlds of the 21st Century .

Updates on production will be appearing on this web site over the coming months .

   " The Making of SEASTAR 5 " ....

A fully illustrated magazine on the creation of the Saga is now in production to be released later this year . The magazine will be released in the UK , International Sales will be available .

A presentation of SEASTAR 5 on You Tube is also planned to release around the Summer 2019

.....more details soon .

SEASTAR 5 gains its first newspaper article ....dateline 3 APRIL 2018...in England.....Lancashire Blackpool Evening Gazette .

RICHARD DIXON AT TPD STUDIOS LANCASHIRE  -  2017 -  WITH THE STUDIO MODEL OF THE SUBMARINE SEASTAR 5 IN ITS HANGER AT STAR KEY BASE - OMELEK ISLAND .

More images from SEASTAR 5 INVADERS FROM THE ABYSS - THE SERIES follows.......

SEASTAR 5 now with eight episodes released to public viewing we have started the search to look for a Book Publisher to help us take the Brand forward to a wider audience .

With over 61,000 public views of the photo story episodes the series has shown a level of interest in the story that has made us think about where it could go next . 

We are also considering taking it to TV Land with an animated series and so our search for a Producer has also started .

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Richard Dixon's TPD STUDIOS is a Professional Photography Studio specialising in the creation of advertising images for the Chidren's Comics Publishing and Toy Advertising Industries in the UK .

We have been in the business of making creative images for over thirty five years .

With our associated skills in art , design , graphics , cosplay photography ,  miniature model design and build in digital photo realism .

We can cover the skills base for all most anything on large or small projects .

If you like what we do and would like us to work with you on your latest production please e-mail us with your contact details and we will get back in touch within the day .

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SEASTAR 5 IN THE PRESS AND ON OTHER WEB SITES.......

From November 2016 to July 2018 the work from the Studio ON SEASTAR 5 INVADERS FROM TH E ABYSS has been featured on the following web sites and magazine web sites here in the UK and the USA together with Press articles .

INFINITY MAGAZINE UK JUNE 2017 EDITORS CHOICE .

INFINITY MAGAZINE UK JULY 2017  LEADING NEWS ARTICLE

INFINITY MAGAZINE UK APRIL 2018 FETURE NEWS ARTICLE

 Newspaper Article / Feature on SEASTAR 5 / April 3 Tuesday 2018 - Blackpool Evening Gazette ...Article with pictures on the production.

SCI-FI NOW MAGAZINE  UK  -  NEO MAGAZINE UK - SFX MAGAZINE - STARBURST MAGAZINE - COMIC HEROES MAGAZINE - GEEKY MONKEY MAGAZINE - CHAMELEON COMICS USA - PIPEDREAM COMICS USA - HELLO COMICS NEW YORK USA - FANTASY AND SCI-FI ROCK MY WORLD WEB SITE .

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE - HOLLYWOOD USA

FACEBOOK PHOTOGRAPHY GALLERY .

Images from the production of SEASTAR 5 / Poster images / and written information on the production in its Forum section .

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In 1989 to 1990 Richard Dixon was principal photographer and set designer for Bluebird Toys of Swindon on its ZERO HOUR Toy Range .

This turned out to be my chance to show the Toy Industry that pack shots and straight forward advertising for toys could be done in an attractive creative way using photography and model animation .

Zero Hour successfully showed the way.....in Catalogue Photography Presentation , Exhibition Design at the Toy Fair in London / Harrogate and in Children's Comics......TPD Studios presented an alternative way to show and display products to their best advantage.....give the products a realistic presentation at minimum cost...the technique was very successful .

It launched Richard Dixon's style of model animation photography to the Toy Industry and Children's Publishing which has continued in his work to the present day...

Richard Dixon followed Zero Hour Toys in 1990 with a move on to Hasbro Toys UK .....taking on the ACTION FORCE  Brand with extensive photography on the Range . Images here show Stealth Jet X 19 and Rolling Thunder land attack vehicle in a Marvel Comics advertisement 1990 . He then moved on to the USA Range of GI JOE which was being sold on a limited basis in the UK and Europe . The images above are from GI JOE SKY PATROL....the submarine craft SKY SHARC with two of the characters in the SKY PATROL range .

The large green assault vehicle is the GI JOE Warthog . Launched in the USA and the UK into the range in 1990 and 1991.

All Art Direction , Photography , Set Design and Build by Richard Dixon . All Images copywrite Hasbro Toys UK ...The images should not be used without permission of HASBRO TOYS UK .

MY STORY.........

 HOW IT STARTED ,

WHERE ITS BEEN ,

AND WHERE WE ARE GOING ...........

Richard Dixon started photography for the Toy Industry and Children's Comics in 1989 following a College Photography Course in Blackpool and ten years photographing portraits , weddings and general product advertising photography in the North West of England .

The starting of photography with the Toy Industry followed a period of work practice in the Financial Services Sector with National Savings over a number of years . His skills in photography were soon realised by the Management of National Savings in their staff news magazine and photographing the Miss Premium Bond Contest for the Government Agency . This work quickly introduced him to Public Relations Managers for Companies in Lancashire who helped spread the quality of his work to a larger audience with articles in the regions newspapers and magazines  .

Advertising photography was his next target in the Entertainment and Leisure Industry in the North West who started to use Richard's photography in an increasing number of areas . Trust House Forte Leisure , Odeon Cinemas and First Leisure Corporation were the first to use his talents in promotions and photography of their Leisure Centres , Hotels and in their Theatre promotions .

His next move forward was unexpected , into the Toy Industry following a chance meeting with Animation Director Mark Hall from Cosgrove Hall Animation Studios in Manchester . With Mark's guidance and encouragement Richard began to learn the art of photographing miniatures at his Television Studio in Manchester .

Other professional meetings followed with Gerry Anderson and Ray Harryhausen the Monster Animation Film Modelmaker .

 Richard started to learn how to film models on miniature sets with Movie and TV style presentation techniques and then apply them to his own projects . He produced a set of demonstration toy photography images of his work which would form a presentation to take and show the Toy and Publishing Industries what he could achieve with his techniques.

With his presentation folio and an extensive mail shot publicity drive he began his journey forwards into the Toy Industry and Children's Comics.

Soon his miniature photography product work started to become noticed by Toy Company Marketing Directors and the first to give him a chance on a major product for Toy Advertising was Bluebird Toys in Swindon.

They allowed him to create his new realistic style with presentations for their new product line in 1990 - ZERO HOUR....with Catalogue photography ...posters...model display dioramas for the Toy Fair in London and Harrogate...Christmas Display in Hamleys London...and his first advertising pictures in childrens comics.

Richard also assisted the Bluebird Marketing Director and the TV Commercials Director in setting up the model production sets at the filming of the TV Commercials for the Zero Hour Brand / Manta Force and Polly Pocket at Jacob Street Studios in London during his time when he worked for the Company .

More presentations of his work followed to 3D Licensing / Kenner Toys / Griffin Bacal Advertising Agency London and Universal Pictures with Saachi and Saachi in London for the movie Robin Hood Prince of Thieves Licensed Toy Range for Europe as his work style gained interest from the top Companies dealing with the Toy Industry .

Richard's new style of presentation with Zero Hour quickly came to the attention of Hasbro's Marketing Department in London and he was asked to start producing work for their Action Force Range and continued with Hasbro's GI JOE Range.

Additional work assignments followed from Bluebird Toys to promote their MIGHTY MAX range.....

Then Hasbro's ACTION MAN was re-launched in the UK after many years. It was the end of 1996 .

Richard produced three concept presentations of images for the Action Man Product to show how his new realistic work style could be used to benefit the advertising of the product .The images were shown to Hasbro's Creative Director Edward Catchpole who immediately gave Richard the go ahead to take the work to their Licensing Associates to be used in the promotions for the product range.

Some of the first Licensing work was completed with Richard's TPD STUDIOS for GEMMA CARDS who released an Action Man Greeting Card Range which featured this new realistic style of photography presentation . Pedigree Books took further images for their Action Man Annual Cover and inside pages .

Marvel Comics in the UK under Panini Publishing had also just launched ACTION MAN COMIC . It was early 1997 and now required some additional photography for the new Comic.

With Hasbro's help Richard produced two sample covers , Action Man Raid Cover MAY 1997 and Action Man Sniper Cover JUNE 1997  for the Comic using his realistic photomation work style . Both covers were accepted for publication . The journey forward with Action Man had started for Richard Dixon and his model animation style of work which would take him on to a whole new level of professional work .

Richard was asked to come on board and join the Marvel Comics UK team working on the Action Man Comic and he started to produce a series of realistic images for the comic......and to continue with them over the  next eight years with the creation of over 60 fantastic realistic cover pictures and posters....lots of competition pages photography and Action Man support material ....his style of realistic photography images were now getting national recognition across the industry .

With the success of the ACTION MAN COMIC pictures , Marvel Comics UK owners PANINI UK gave Richard's Studio the opportunity to create a series of realistic Photo Story Special Editions of the Comic .

Using Model Animation on model sets and movie style photography techniques with real backgrounds ...fifteen photo story concepts were written and produced by him before handing over to his Editors to prepare the dialogue sections and finishing for publication , sets were designed and photographed at the Toy Photo Design Studio in Lancashire by Richard over a number of years......the ACTION MAN COMIC SUMMER and WINTER Specials selling over half a million copies in sales.....a superb window for the Action Man Product and proved a very successful Comic in the UK .

While at Marvel Comics Richard also created a number of posters and related image material for the TRANSFORMERS Comic together with some Lara Croft TOMB RAIDER Comic images which were done for Playmate Toys promotional purposes to promote sales of product on-line .

Following eight years with MARVEL COMICS / PANINI COMICS the next step forward came with the re - launch of MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE from Mattel Toys . Richard Dixon helped Mattel launch the toys through ToonTastic Comics based in Oldham England , when an action Comic was created to tell the continuing stories of He-Man . A number of display sets were created with the full assistance of Mattel UK and a series of images of the toys were created in a SuperPhotomation technique . This blends Photography , Artwork and Model animation together to give a realistic appearance to the presentation of the toys in magazines .

The next publishing project after Masters of the Universe came along very quickly...MGA Toys from the USA launched " The Bratz " .

Titan Magazines in London published the Girl's Magazine and Richard joined the team over a six month period to create a series of images for the toys in the magazine as it was released .

A number of unique posters were created to show the figures in realistic sets , again SuperPhotomation techniques were used to blend real life settings with the figures to create a standard of realism that matched the best of CGI images at the time without a monster budget being used.....a successful magazine which helped promote Richard Dixon's TPD STUDIO's to a wide audience across the UK and Europe .

Over recent years along side his Toy Industry Advertising work , Richard Dixon has started to write his own adventure stories and illustrate them in photo story concept presentations .

Using his successful model animation photography experience for Action Man Comic he has created three story adventures so far.....SEASTAR 5 INVADERS FROM THE ABYSS , DAKOTA MARS - GOLD RAIDER HEROES and CY-MECH ROBOT HUNTER 2400AD . All three productions can be seen on this web site and currently are awaiting a publishing release to the public .

ACTION MAN MILLENNIUM SPECIAL - PUBLISHED DECEMBER 1999 - ACTION MAN IN SPACE EDITION / PHOTOGRAPHY AND MODEL ANIMATION CREATED BY RICHARD DIXON - ACTION MAN COMIC - MARVEL COMICS UK - PANINI COMICS UK - PRODUCT SUPPORT 3D LICENSING AND HASBRO TOYS UK - IMAGE IS COPYWRITE PANINI UK AND HASBRO TOYS ALL RIGHTS RESERVED .

ACTION MAN - WORLD CUP COMIC EDITION - PHOTOGRAPHY - MODEL SET WITH LIVE ACTION STADIUM BACKGROUND LOCATION - CREATED BY RICHARD DIXON . IMAGE COPYWRITE PANINI UK - ACTION MAN FIGURE COPYWRITE HASBRO TOYS UK .

Over the last thirty-five years Richard Dixon has been able to work with a very large number of Toy Products and use his photography and display techniques for most of the leading Companies in the Toy and Leisure Industries and beyond .

Here is a selection of the Companies we have worked with over these exciting years from our beginings to the present........

 BLUEBIRD TOYS.....HASBRO TOYS.....MATTEL TOYS.....

 MGA TOYS USA..... 3D LICENSING.....MARVEL COMICS

 PANINI COMICS PUBLISHING UK.....TITAN COMICS UK

 TOONTASTIC COMICS.....CARTOON NETWORK.....

 GEMMA CARDS.....PEDIGREE BOOKS....

ODEON CINEMAS

 FIRST LEISURE CORPORATION LONDON

 JUNIPER JUNGLE TV PRODUCTIONS....

EMI ENTERTAINMENT

TRUST HOUSE FORTE HOTELS.....

 NATIONAL SAVINGS AND INVESTMENTS

 the list goes on.........

 Some of the Toy Products we have illustrated.........

 ZERO HOUR.....MANTA FORCE.....MEGA FORCE.....

 THE WOODSEYS.....ACTION FORCE.....GI JOE.....

 ACTION MAN.....TRANSFORMERS..... MASK.....

 LARA CROFT TOMB RAIDER.....LOONEY TOONS TOYS.....

 POWER RANGERS.....DIGIMON.....DRAGON BALL Z.....

 BATTLE OF THE PLANETS..... THE POWER PUFF GIRLS.....

 BETTY SPAGHETTI.....BUTT UGLY MARTIANS.....

THE BRATZ.....MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE.....

ROBIN HOOD.....MIGHTY MAX.....

We have also covered promotional images for our on-line sales Studio shop for the following  product lines...

PIRATES OF THE CARRIBEAN.....GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY.....

DANGER GIRLS.....MARS ATTACKS .....PLANET OF THE APES.....

SUCKER PUNCH - THE MOVIE .....GREEN HORNET MOVIE - DIECAST TOYS .

with movie style sets for display and many more.

Over the years we have visited the Indian Ocean Island of Mauritius and carried out location model animation photography for many of the products we have worked with over the years . The products which have used locations on the island for advertising pictures designed by Richard Dixon have included ACTION MAN , LARA CROFT TOMB RAIDER , DANGER GIRLS , SEASTAR 5 , DAKOTA MARS , MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE , THE BRATZ  and many more .

THE BRATZ IN MAURITIUS....THIS IMAGE FORMED OUR FIRST WORK WITH THE BRATZ FOR TITAN MAGAZINE PUBLISHING IN THE UK AND WITH FULL PRODUCT SUPPORT FROM MGA TOYS USA MARKETING DEPARTMENT WHEN THE TOYS WERE FIRST LAUNCHED IN THE UK .

A series of images for promotional presentation were created first on location in Mauritius .

We then carried out six months work with the Toy Range in the Studio and location in the North West of England . These photographic photo shoots formed the main work we carried our for the product as it was launched in the UK and the Bratz Magazine for Titan Publishing .

Over recent years we have continued to expand our photography and the TPD STUDIO'S Brand into more areas of the Toy Industry and Media Advertising with adding Cosplay / Theatrical Folio style production to the range of services we offer .

We are currently in production with our work on SEASTAR 5 PHOTO STORY ADVENTURES which are being made at our Studio in Lancashire .

So far eight episodes have been completed and are available to view on this web site .

Thank you for reading about us , we appreciate you taking the time to look in on the work of Richard Dixon and TPD STUDIOS LANCASHIRE UK .

 ACTION MAN PHOTOGRAPHY ......FOR  HASBRO TOYS UK / PANINI - MARVEL COMICS UK

TPD STUDIOS and Richard Dixon provided images for the support of the Action Man Toy Range from 1997 to 2005 . Our images were used by HASBRO TOYS UK / 3D LICENSING / MARVEL COMICS UK / PANINI COMICS UK / GEMMA CARDS INTERNATIONAL / PEDIGREE BOOKS . All the work was produced at the TPD STUDIOS base in Poulton-le-Fylde Lancashire . All photography and model sets design for the work was created by Richard Dixon .

ACTION MAN SPACE EXPLORER......an image from the Action Man Greetings Card range created by Gemma Cards International . The photography and model set design was produced by Richard Dixon TPD STUDIOS and full product support from HASBRO  TOYS UK and its Licensing Division at 3D Licensing London . Image copywrite Gemma Cards / Action Man - Copywrite HASBRO TOYS UK . All rights to this image reserved to the copywrite holders and should not be used without permission .

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THE BRATZ.......from MGA TOYS USA......Richard Dixon was asked to provide a realistic style of photography for the launch of the BRATZ MAGAZINE by Titan Publishing in the UK . With full product support from the American Company that created the Brand Richard Dixon designed and produced a series of images over a six month period to bring the product line to children's comics .

BLUEBIRD TOYS - SWINDON - 1993 - 1994 - RICHARD DIXON PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHIC DESIGN

Blubird Toys arranged for me to design some realistic pictures of their new range of toys in 1993 and 1994....I photographed the entire range for Mighty Max........

The images were used in the Argos Catalogue and numerous other Mail Order Catalogues and included promotional photography for the range . A selection of images are shown here from 1994 .

During our work period with TOONTASTIC Comics we were able to work with a wide range of leading products and Companies . Our work covered Masters of the Universe / Mattel....Power Rangers / Bandai...Butt Ugly Martians and Digimon Toy Ranges with a series of Pack Shots .

" SPRINGTIME IN THE GARDEN.....LOOK WHO CAME OUT TO PLAY "...............

Monster Figurine Creation by Jason Davenport / Blackpool England UK . Photography and Set Design by Richard Dixon TPD STUDIOS 2018 .

SPAWN ACTION FIGURES / TPD STUDIOS ON-LINE SHOP SALES / IMAGE DESIGNED AND CREATED BY RICHARD DIXON  /  MARS LANDSCAPE SET DESIGNED BY TOY PHOTO DESIGN RICHARD DIXON . PHOTOGRAPHY EQUIPMENT USED ON THIS IMAGE SUPPLIED BY PENTAX - PENTAX 67 ....IMAGE CREATED 2008 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED .

MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE COMIC / PHOTOGRAPHY AND MODEL ANIMATION DESIGN BY RICHARD DIXON TPD STUDIOS UK / IMAGE COPYWRITE TOONTASTIC COMICS AND MATTEL TOYS UK ALL RIGHTS RESERVED / IMAGE NOT TO BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT PERMISSION OF MATTEL TOYS UK .

MASK TOY RANGE - 1988 - 1989 . KENNER TOYS USA - KENNER TOYS UK - EUROPE .

This was the very first Toy Image I created back in 1988 on a small three foot square model set of the THUNDERHAWK flying car of Matt Tracker . The background was painted by Sheila Burnett an artist from Blackpool from one of my photographs of Lake Windermere in the English Lake District.

  The image was shown to the Marketing Director of Kenner Toys Europe in the UK who gave us there permission to be able to use the image for promotional purposes to start our journey in the Toy Industry of photographing Toy Products . This exceptionl help assistance from Kenner Toys Marketing Department helped us take our style of work forward and upward to where we are today . We thank you .

CY-MECH ROBOT HUNTER 2400AD / A RICHARD DIXON IMAGE / TPD STUDIOS PRODUCTION 2017 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED . Science Fiction Concept Story Written and Designed by Richard Dixon .

POSTER CONCEPT IMAGE / DAKOTA MARS / PHOTOGRAPHY ARTWORK CREATION DESIGNED BY RICHARD DIXON - TPD STUDIOS 2015 ALL RIGHTS RESERVD .

BRATZ MAGAZINE PHOTOGRAPHY....TITAN PUBLISHING LONDON / PHOTOGRAPHY AND MODEL SET DESIGN RICHARD DIXON ....LOCATION PHOTOGRAPHY BLACKPOOL ILLUMINATIONS BY RICHARD DIXON....IMAGE COPYWRITE TITAN PUBLISHING ALL RIGHTS RESERVED . BRATZ FIGURE - PROVIDED BY MGA TOYS USA MARKETING MANAGER - BRATZ FIGURES COPYWRITE DESIGN BY MGA TOYS USA .

NEW YORK MEGA ISLAND CITY.....Model set designed and built by Richard Dixon at his Lancashire Studio in 2017 for a concept story set in 2400 AD.....a future New York City.....This model would form the background to his Science Fiction Story ....CY - MECH ROBOT HUNTER 2400 AD which he created in 2017 .