“The Bear in There” is a little quarantine story about Teddy just trying to figure out why he’s in his cupboard so much and how he can help all the other teddies out there.
At the beginning of the pandemic, Austin was doom-scrolling and saw his friend's Instagram Story of her childhood teddy bear sitting in the cupboard looking so confused about what he was doing there and he couldn’t help but relate to that stressed little teddy.
Then he imagined how teddy got there - being tucked safely away between those blankets and towels by the people who love him - and thought that if Teddy just knew more about why he was staying in there and how it was helping, it could also be really comforting being a bear in there.
This story started out as DM between friends and became something that helped this group of creatives feel a bit better about staying home. We hope it brings some comfort to your quarantine, too.
Austin White
Austin is a writer living and quarantining in San Francisco. His stuffed animal is named Henry and Henry is helping out by staying home on a little shelf in the room where Austin's nephew sleeps. Henry doesn't write things like Austin does, but he does have a trick where if you tie his ears together it looks like he has a stunning 1960's updo and we love that for him.
Maisie Richards
Maisie is an illustrator, graphic recorder, and graphic designer with a background in geology. She loves her two quarantine chickens and the comfort of her stuffed skunk, Harriette, who was brought out of retirement when all of this felt too scary. She loves creating images that help people better understand something-- whether its a complicated scientific concept or the feelings in our bodies.
Madeleine Maguire
Maddie is an art director and designer freelancing from Oakland, California. Her stuffed animal friends Opal and Nicholas are loved by Maddie but might be loved a little too much by her dog, Diggy, so they’re quarantining with Maddie’s mom in Montana. When she’s not designing she loves traveling, working out, and supporting the causes that make this country a safer place for everyone.
Brandy Troxler
Brandy is an editor living in Oakland, California which is very far away from her team of teddies who are quarantining at her parents’ house in North Carolina. Although they’re not in the same house, Brandy makes sure to keep them in the loop with all the cool projects she works on at 1606 Studio.
Angie McDonald
Angie McDonald is a designer from San Francisco by way of Atlanta. While Angie doesn't have a southern accent, her stuffed animal Poley does and when they're not designing all kinds of things together, you can find them playing video games or making the best little turkey sandwiches in the Bay Area.