A member of the industry for nearly 20 years, Armando “Mondo” Roque has designed toys for a diverse range of audiences, from fast food premiums to high-end collectibles.
Throughout his career, Roque has proven to be a mastermind at play, designing everything from 3.75-inch action figures to a massive, interactive BB-8 Droid that was released with the debut of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. In fact, his specialty in robo toys and his company name — Dreams of Robots — make him a standout in the industry.
“Mondo is a design force of nature, equal parts technical mastery and creative vision, ranging from cute to gross and everywhere in between, but especially robots,” says Josh Herbolsheimer, Vice President of Design at Super7.
Mondo Roque has worked with popular toy brands including Super7 and Spin Master on toys of all scales. | Source: Crystal Velazquez @crysvotografie
Mondo Roque has worked with popular toy brands including Super7 and Spin Master on toys of all scales. | Source: Crystal Velazquez @crysvotografie
To Roque, one of the most vital parts of the design process is the experience that a kid or collector gets out of a toy. A toy can look good standing on its own, but it needs more than just its appearance to be truly great.
“I approach everything with the mindset of being someone who wants to create an experience around a physical thing,” Roque says. “I’m more about what kind of memories I want to create around a thing or how I want people to interact and experience it. Part of that is the play aspect of what I’m creating. Whether it’s a big playset, or it’s something that’s meant for kids to experience and enjoy in a unique way, or if it’s something that an adult collector is really passionate about, like accuracy, colors, and having nods to things that they remember from their childhood, I try to bring all those elements in to make sure that it’s not just about me.”
Roque has leveraged this desire to create an experience for kids and toy collectors to launch Dreams of Robots. The company’s first big project, a new IP called Siege Fortress Iron Berserker, launched with a collector vinyl art toy that received full funding on Kickstarter.
Roque also continues to work with established companies, particularly Super7 and Spin Master. Roque worked on the Super Cyborg Batmobile, inspired by Tim Burton’s Batman (1989), for Super7 and last year’s DC Retro Collection action figures for Spin Master. Despite being from different companies, Roque designed the car and the action figures to be compatible within the same scale.
“[Super7’s] commitment to retro properties and their willingness to explore unique formats like Super Cyborg create the perfect playground for my imagination,” Roque says. “Projects like these let me blend nostalgia with my own style of intricate detail and storytelling, which is the perfect blend for an amazing collectible.”
With experience on both the design and managerial sides of the industry, Roque sees the reasoning behind industry trends from all angles. Coming out of a year of instability, he believes the industry is clinging to what it knows will do well.
I am highly creative, but I do understand the big picture. In the industry right now, there’s a heavy emphasis on licensed toys. Those in the toy industry have witnessed numerous cycles of the same licensed toys entering and exiting the market. Sure, new kids are experiencing those, which is really great, but they tend to be repetitive or even identical to what kind of came before.”
Roque also acknowledges the influence of artificial intelligence (AI) within the industry as companies aim to cut costs.
“AI is definitely a hot-button topic right now, and it is a real concern for creative people,” Roque says. “I have known people from the industry who, unfortunately, have lost their jobs as toy designers to AI. It is a real threat, and that goes back to all those numbers that business people, less creative people, tend to focus on.”
While AI poses a real threat to designers at all levels, Roque also acknowledges that it provides some benefits through the tools it offers. For one, it has Roque focusing on the elements of toy design that AI can’t provide: the physical experience.
“It’s an amazing tool, there’s no doubt about that,” Roque says. “I try to own what AI can’t do. I focus on other things like utilizing 3D print technologies and making more models, more physical things — like mechanisms — that benefit clients from that perspective in the physical realm. I try to look for solutions that are outside of that AI-generated world.”
Looking to the future, Roque says that families and fans have made it clear what they want from traditional toy companies and those in the collectibles space, but it is up to the industry to rise to the challenge.
“I think the toy industry is at a crossroads,” Roque reflects. “There is incredible potential right now for bold, original ideas that aren’t tied to existing IP, but it requires companies to take real creative risks again. The fans are hungry for unique worlds, new characters, and products that feel personal and thoughtfully crafted. If we combine the emerging tools available to us with a renewed commitment to imagination and experimentation, the next era of toys could be one of the most exciting we’ve seen in decades.”
Stay on the Pulse of Play!
A version of this feature first appeared in the 2026 edition of The BIG Toy Book. Read the full issue here!
Want The Toy Book delivered straight to your desk? Subscribe today and get seven big issues a year — packed with the stories, trends, and insights that keep you on the #pulseofplay.
Trending Products
