The Only Option Was To Make My Own
Back when I was first experimenting with light-based art, I started building glowing fiber optic jellyfish to bring to music festivals. Even though I loved the effect, there was one big issue—the color-changing flashlights I was using were cheap. They were mass-produced RGB flashlights I’d sourced from China, and every single one of them broke after just a few weeks.
As you can read on the "Story Behind AOAM" page, everything started with Simrat the Jellyfish—a glowing, fiber optic umbrella I created to connect with people at music festivals. But without a reliable light source, it was hard to keep that experience alive.
At the time, there weren’t any solid, consumer-grade color-changing flashlights on the market—and to be honest, there still aren’t any today except for our RGB Critter flashlights. So I thought—why not make my own?
Featured Picture: Me, circa 2011—holding a copper pipe fitting I cut using my very first metal lathe. One of the earliest steps in building what would become AOAM.
Building the First Prototype
I headed to the hardware store and started playing around with parts. I ended up using threaded copper pipe fittings to build a basic flashlight body, and that’s when the idea hit me: what if I made a modular flashlight with twist-on accessories?
I sourced an RGB light, figured out how to bring all the pieces together, and built the very first working version of what would eventually become our first generation color changing flashlight.
Featured Picture: Some of my first color-changing flashlights, made from copper. I experimented with patinas using different chemicals, powder coating, and lathe work to create unique and beautiful finishes.
Tooling Up at the Toy Shop
In the early days of AOAM, I worked with whatever I could get my hands on—simple hand tools, a sandblaster, a powder coater, and a small metal lathe. It was all trial and error.
Today, our shop is equipped with more advanced tools, but a lot of the high-skill manufacturing—like CNC lathing and injection molding—is now handled by expert partners in China.
Featured Picture: Toymaker Chris demonstrating how to use our laser cutter to my older brother and his family.
Learning Through Experience
A few years ago, I flew to China to meet some of those manufacturing partners in person. Back then, I didn’t know much about production or how to avoid costly mistakes. That trip ended up being a huge learning experience and a turning point for AOAM.
Working with talented engineers and seeing the process up close gave me the foundation I needed to bring my ideas to life on a larger scale—without losing that hands-on creativity I started with.
Featured Picture: Me in China, meeting with contract manufacturers and learning about the production process firsthand.
Early Mistakes & Personal Growth
To be real, the beginning of this project had its fair share of rough patches. I made some bad hires early on, mostly because I didn’t fully understand the engineering roles I needed to fill. It’s tough to hire someone for something you can’t quite explain yourself.
On top of that, it wasn’t always easy to be taken seriously. I mean, I’m talking about building light-up toys, running a company called Ants on a Melon, and doing things in a pretty nontraditional way.
But over time, I’ve grown. I’ve learned how to manage complex projects, hire the right people, and communicate with professionals in a way that gets results. That growth feels exciting—because it means the work is more fun, more efficient, and still rooted in the same creative spirit that got this all started.
Featured Picture: Me (Joel) in the shipping area of our workshop in Springfield, Oregon.
