Feature STORY & PHOTOS BY ANGELA MATUA Ken Como did not originally set out to be a toymaker, but after losing his job as a furniture draftsman in 2009, he decided to turn his hobby into a career. As the owner of Noli Noli, a toy company based in Long Island City, Como makes his toys out of recycled and local wood. From pencil holders shaped like whales to race cars and owls, his toys are functional but also high-end. Design stores and furniture stores across the country and in countries like Japan, Denmark and Sweden purchase bulk orders of his products. Como, who has lived in Long Island City for 13 years, began his career as a painter. After going to graduate school in New Orleans, he moved to New York and began trying to sell his paintings at art shows. “I wasn’t really selling my paintings,” Como said. “I met my future wife and we got married and she was like, ‘I don’t know about painting, you need to get a job so we can buy a house.’” He used the woodworking skills he learned in his sculpture classes to get a job drafting plans for a fine furniture store. On the side, Como sketched out toy designs and used leftover scraps of wood to bring the designs to life. He eventually showed them to the craftsmen he worked with and LIC toymaker makes handmade, wooden creations
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