Breathing life into Dead Friends

Dead Friends are simple clay dinos created by artist and filmmaker Riley Gantt.

They're colorful, cheerful little weirdos who brighten the lives of everyone they meet.

I came up with the name, Dead Friends, and designed a custom logo to match their personality. My wife, Leeanna, wrote the story that brought the characters to life.

The fun part was seeing how much personality we could create with just a few simple ingredients: a strange name, a colorful identity, and a good story.

“Dead Friends” is simple and direct.

It's also completely unexpected.

The story gives the name meaning. The characters give it a face. And suddenly, a little clay dinosaur becomes something you might want to take home and give to someone you like.

Simple doesn't have to be boring.