Jim Thompson

Email Jim at jim.thompson@ipulpmedia.com

In his senior years, my Dad was a modelmaker at Kenner Toys in Cincinnati. If I remember correctly, they were on the 13^th floor of the Kroger Building in downtown Cincinnati. Before 3-D printing, CAD, and long before AI, these model makers made all the prototype toys by hand (with the aid of machine tools when appropriate). Dad could work in any medium--plastic, steel, aluminum, clay, hard rock maple, you name it. He was always good with his hands. I currently have a bowling ball (child size) and a folding pocket knife he made out of deer antlers and old files (which he said were very good steel). A friend of mine has one of his landscape paintings hanging in his bedroom.

When my daughter was little, we would go to Cincinnati to visit my parents. Dad would take a day off from work and he and my daughter would take the bus downtown to Kenner's, have lunch in his favorite diner, and she would get to spend the day in the model shop. When we returned home and she saw a Kenner's ad on TV, she would say, "My Grandad made that!" This could be true, for many of the toys in the ads were specially finished prototypes made in the model shop.

If you want to get a flavor for this work, Netflix has a series, "The Toys that Made Us." The first episode is about Kenner's making the first batch of Star Wars toys in '77-'78. About halfway through that episode, there is an old still photo of the model shop employees. The short, stooped over white haired old man in the middle of that photo is my Dad. My Dad worked on many of the Star Wars toys.

Dad retired and moved out of town when he was in his early seventies. In a couple of years, Kenner's called him up, asked him to come back, and paid the moving bill to get my parents back to Cincinnati.

Fall and winter were always a "pressure cooker" time in the model shop. It was all about getting everything ready for the annual toy show in February in New York. Orders for the following Christmas were taken at the toy show and if you were not ready in time for the toy show, you had lost that year. I remember Dad working 60 to 70 days straight, from Thanksgiving right through Christmas and New Year's, in those times.

One particular year, after he had come back to Kenner's from retirement, things were particularly tense. Dad was working on a prototype, I don't even know what it was, but he later said the project manager was driving him crazy. The project manager, who apparently all the modelers thought was a jerk, kept trying to take it from Dad and Dad didn't think it was in a finished enough form to show anyone yet. This went on for days.

Finally, one afternoon, Dad picked up the model, which was probably worth $10,000 by this point, and threw it across the room, against the wall. He put on his jacket (the other modelers clapped and gave him a standing ovation), walked out, and went home.

When he got home, he told Mother what had happened. He further told her he would likely be fired, if not arrested, for destroying expensive company property. He didn't care.

In a little while, the phone rang. Dad picked it up, it was his boss.

"Jimmy, are you OK?"

"Yes."

"Well, Jimmy, we know you were upset, but the management team has talked and asked me to tell you this. We know you and the misses like to go to Florida to see your relatives. Why don't you take two or three weeks and go to Florida for a vacation? We'll pay you the whole time; it won't count as regular vacation. Then come back when you are ready."

My Dad was usually pretty meek and quiet. "Really?" Then he was getting brave. "But I don't want to work for [the project manager] ever again."

"That's just fine, you won't have to work for him again, but we want you back."

The question for you, reader, is this: Were my Dad's quality standards over the top?

Be safe and we will talk next week.

If you want a deeper dive, go here.

Study Guide: "Quality--what is it?"

This study guide is designed to assess and deepen understanding of the key events, characters, and themes presented in Jim Thompson's article, "Quality--what is it?". It provides a structured review of the narrative concerning the author's father, his career as a modelmaker at Kenner Toys, and the central conflict that raises questions about professional standards and quality.

Short-Answer Quiz

Instructions: Answer the following questions in two to three complete sentences, using only information provided in the source text.

1. What was the profession of the author's father and what were his specific skills?
2. Where was the Kenner Toys model shop located, and what made it a unique workplace before modern technology?
3. Describe the personal connection between the author's father, the author's daughter, and the toys produced at Kenner.
4. What is the significance of the Netflix series "The Toys that Made Us" in the context of this story?
5. Why were the fall and winter seasons described as a "pressure cooker" for the model shop employees?
6. What event demonstrated the father's value to Kenner Toys after he had already retired?
7. Detail the conflict that arose between the author's father and the project manager.
8. What was the dramatic climax of the conflict with the project manager, and how did the other modelers react?
9. Describe the phone call the father received from his boss after he walked out of the model shop.
10. What was the company's ultimate response to the father's actions and his specific demand?

Answer Key

1. The author's father was a modelmaker at Kenner Toys. He was a highly skilled craftsman who could work in any medium, including plastic, steel, aluminum, clay, and hard rock maple. Examples of his handiwork mentioned include a child-size bowling ball, a folding pocket knife made from deer antlers and old files, and landscape paintings.
2. The Kenner Toys model shop was located on the 13th floor of the Kroger Building in downtown Cincinnati. Before the advent of 3-D printing and CAD, the model makers in this shop made all the prototype toys by hand, sometimes with the assistance of machine tools.
3. The author's daughter would visit her grandfather at the model shop, taking the bus downtown with him for the day. Because the prototypes used in TV advertisements were specially finished in the model shop, she would see a Kenner's ad and exclaim, "My Grandad made that!", which could have been true.
4. The first episode of the Netflix series "The Toys that Made Us," which focuses on Kenner's production of the first Star Wars toys in 1977-78, features a still photo of the model shop employees. The author identifies the "short, stooped over white haired old man in the middle" of that photo as his father, who worked on many of the Star Wars toys.
5. The fall and winter seasons were a "pressure cooker" because it was the critical period for getting everything ready for the annual toy show in New York, which took place in February. Orders for the following Christmas were taken at this show, so if a product was not ready in time, the company would lose out on an entire year of sales. The author's father sometimes worked 60 to 70 days straight through the holidays during this period.
6. After the father retired and moved away in his early seventies, Kenner Toys called him and asked him to return to work. To demonstrate his value, the company paid the entire moving bill to bring him and his wife back to Cincinnati.
7. The conflict occurred during a particularly tense year when the father was working on a prototype. A project manager, whom the modelers considered a "jerk," kept trying to take the model from the father before he felt it was in a finished enough state to be shown to anyone.
8. After days of conflict, the father picked up the prototype, which was estimated to be worth $10,000, and threw it against the wall. He then put on his jacket and walked out as his fellow modelers gave him a standing ovation and clapped.
9. When the father's boss called him at home, he first asked if he was okay. He then told him that the management team had discussed the incident and wanted to offer him a two- or three-week paid vacation to Florida, which would not count against his regular vacation time.
10. The company agreed to the father's demand that he never work for that specific project manager again. They affirmed that this condition was "just fine" and reiterated that they wanted him to come back to work for Kenner.

Essay Questions

Instructions: The following questions are designed to encourage deeper analysis of the themes and narrative structure of the text. Formulate a comprehensive response to each, supporting your arguments with specific details from the source.

1. Analyze the management's response to the father's destruction of the $10,000 prototype. What does this decision reveal about the company's values and its perception of the father's contribution?
2. The author concludes by asking, "Were my Dad's quality standards over the top?" Construct an argument that answers this question, using evidence from the text to explore the tension between craftsmanship, personal integrity, and commercial deadlines.
3. Discuss the culture of the Kenner Toys model shop as depicted in the article. Consider the skills of the employees, the seasonal pressures, the relationships between colleagues, and the interactions with management.
4. Explore the role of the "prototype" in the narrative. How does it function as more than just a toy model, representing instead a focal point for conflict, value, and professional pride?
5. Compare and contrast the two key figures of authority in the story: the project manager and the father's direct boss. How do their different approaches to management drive the central conflict and its resolution?

Glossary of Key Terms

Term Definition from Context

Modelmaker A highly skilled craftsman who builds prototypes and models by hand. In the context of the story, this involves working with diverse materials like plastic, steel, clay, and wood to create the initial versions of toys before mass production.

Kenner Toys A toy company based in Cincinnati, located in the Kroger Building. It was famous for producing toys like the original Star Wars line in the 1970s and employed the author's father in its model shop.

Prototype The original, handmade model of a product (in this case, a toy) created for design evaluation, testing, and presentation. These were highly valuable, with one mentioned as being worth $10,000, and were used for showcase events like the annual toy show.

"The Toys that Made Us" A Netflix documentary series mentioned in the text. Its first episode, focusing on the creation of the 1977-78 Star Wars toys by Kenner, features a photograph that includes the author's father.

Toy Show An annual industry event held in February in New York where toy companies would showcase their new products. It was a critical event where orders for the following Christmas season were placed, making it the ultimate deadline for the model shop.

Pressure Cooker A term used to describe the high-stress, intense work environment in the model shop during the fall and winter. This pressure was driven by the need to complete all prototypes in time for the February toy show.

Project Manager A supervisor described as a "jerk" by the modelers. This individual was responsible for a specific project and came into direct conflict with the author's father by attempting to rush his work on a prototype.

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