Dana Nakata

Dana’s passion for art blossomed during her youth, nurtured

by her love for films and costume design. This fascination led her

to develop her drawing skills, enabling her to grasp the details

of costume elements. Her interest in costume design extended to

the realm of toys and collectibles, inspiring her to become a

collector herself. Her knowledge and appreciation for the artistry

within films, toys, and collectibles led her to adventure into

the world of art.

 

As a young artist in high school, her artistic journey took a significant

turn when she fell in love with portraiture and the storytelling of Hawaiian

History. She knew she wanted nothing more than to be an artist who could share stories through each piece she creates. While pursuing her artistic endeavors, she also contributed to a business professionalism book titled “Work Hard and Serve Others” by John Haman, where she illustrated the entire book.

 

After graduating from Ringling College of Art & Design, her next adventure began at Funko as a Packaging Design Intern. She immersed herself into the world of packaging and all of its different elements (design, dimensions and legal requirements) for a variety of licenses. Her dedication and eye for detail led her to join full time as an Associate Utilities Artist on the Concept Team. In this role, her keen attention to detail and unwavering passion for creating excellent products have been impactful in the development of a wide range of products, including those licensed from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Warner Bros., Peanuts, Rudolph, AD Icons (Hershey’s, Kellogg’s, Mattel), Golden Girls, and various other licenses.

 

On the side, she works on personal artwork. She focuses on a variety of themes from diversity/culture to the 1950s. She loves researching and exploring different concepts through various traditional and digital mediums. Through her work, her mission is to inspire and bring happiness to viewers through her characters and storytelling. Her hope is to give everyone the inspiration they need to follow their dreams no matter how big or far away they may appear. Her dream is to continue working in toy and collectible design, as well as themed entertainment. 

 

When she is not immersed in her art, she can be found reading, re-arranging her various collections of collectibles or visiting theme parks (a love of hers that began at a young age of 5 months old)!