Deep within the chaos of the 20th New York Comic Con’s Exhibit Hall sits one of the convention’s largest and most unique booths: the Tenacious Collective.
The Tenacious Collective is a recurring booth at the convention, led by Benny Kline, founder of Tenacious Toys. Each year, Kline brings together a group of friends and fellow creators to showcase and sell their work.
Kline has a long and storied background in art, but since founding Tenacious Toys, he has found his own niche in the art world through selling others’ work and representing independent artists.
“The best thing I can do for this entire community is shine a light on emerging artists…I feel like that is my role here, is elevating every single one of those artists,” Kline said.
His collective is all about helping independent artists and fostering a strong sense of community within his work. Kline talked extensively about how the Tenacious Collective has become a family, with everyone coming together sharing their love of creation.
Alvin OngPhoto by Dylan Christie
“Everyone offers different things, it is such a fun place to be,” Kline said. “There’s so many conversations to be had here. High fives and hugs and everyone just enjoying the creativity.”
Looking into that community, amNewYork first spoke with Alvin Ong, one half of the husband-and-wife duo behind Furry Feline Creatives, a character-driven lifestyle brand that blends together art and storytelling. Ong’s wife, Cheri, creates all the illustrations for the brand while Ong creates the stories and universe. Their work is heavily influenced by their Filipino-Chinese background, which mixes into American cartoons for their own style. “We want to be able to relate different stories and different backgrounds from all generations. From kids to adults, to have everyone involved all at the same time,” Ong said while talking about the importance of building a universe that visitors can relate to.
Joining Ong were Otis “No iD” Arterberry and his son, Otis “Blacq Lion” Arterberry, the father-and-son team who founded Oamalgam Studios. At their New York Comic Con booth, the duo brought their original characters to life, painting their incredible 3D-printed statues live for attendees while selling their work. Both focused heavily on the uniqueness, physical, and handmade aspects of their work.
“Having something physical,” No iD said, “It just warms your heart.”
Otis “No iD” Arterberry and Otis “Blacq Lion” ArterberryPhoto by Dylan Christie
Blacq Lion spoke about the natural quality of his art, explaining that he doesn’t go back to fix his mistakes because doing so helps preserve the human element of his work. “I got paint on my hands. I add extra stuff to it so it can be as organic as it can…I don’t fix a lot of my mistakes,” he said.
On the opposite side of the Collective stood Michael Polus at his Atomic Toy Box booth. The company holds ownership stakes in various properties such as Captain Action and Killer Tomatoes, with the properties they create interesting entertainment content and related merchandise. They are one of the only booths to blend onscreen work into their physical creations. Polus continued to tie everything back to his family and his community, “One of my favorite things is community especially in the toy and collectable space, everyone is so supportive…All the guys around are incredibly helpful.”
Jae Martin showcased some incredible work in his Lovestronaut Universe booth. Written all over his table, toys, comics, and apparel is one simple message, “Spread love …til… love wins.” 80s-90s Hip Hop and older graffiti artists influence his work.
“Color is my love language, I always make sure that everything I do is bright,” Martin shared. He expressed his gratitude to Kline for allowing him to be a part of the Tenacious Collective and allow him to be surrounded by his fellow artists. “Being part of this whole Collective with Benny [Kline] is amazing. You get to be next to your fellow artist. Talk ideas, you collab, it’s what the art world needs.”
Otis “No iD” Arterberry and Otis “Blacq Lion” ArterberryPhoto by Dylan Christie
Alex Rivera, also known as Playful Gorilla, rounded out the Collective nicely at New York Comic Con. Playful Gorilla brings a lot of energy to his booth, sharing his collaborations with Omei Toys, as well as work centered around his hometown of Philadelphia. He tied everything back to what the Collective means to everyone involved.
“The beautiful part about this is that we don’t gatekeep. We encourage those new artists to come through, we encourage the collaboration,” he said. “I help get you to the place you want to be at, I help give service to other artists.”
Kline has built a collective rooted in selflessness and individuality, one that has become an integral part of New York Comic Con over the past several years. “[Benny Kline] has helped not only myself, but so many artists,” Playful Gorilla said, his arms breaking out in goosebumps as he spoke.
Amid the spectacle of New York Comic Con, the Tenacious Collective offers something grounded in human connection. Separated from the convention’s large corporations, it provides a space where independent artists can showcase their work, support one another, and celebrate the creativity that brings them together.