# Jonathan Cathey

> Jonathan Cathey is the Los Angeles founder and CEO of The Loyal Subjects, an independent toy and collectibles company he started in 2009 with $500 and a West Hollywood living room. A former touring drummer, theater student, designer, and working painter, Cathey has carried a do-it-yourself creative sensibility into licensed toys, fashion dolls, plush, and action figures while remaining involved across design, manufacturing, licensing, sales, and distribution.

- **Role:** Founder, owner, and CEO at The Loyal Subjects
- **Organizations:** The Loyal Subjects, Corey Helford Gallery
- **From:** Laguna Beach, United States
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Theater studies; degree name not publicly specified, California State University, Northridge
- **Known for:** Bootstrapped The Loyal Subjects from a $500 personal check into a company with products carried by national and specialty retailers., Created the articulated Action Vinyls format and expanded the company into action figures, dolls, plush, blind-box collectibles, and owned brands., Built licensing programs around properties including Transformers, G.I. Joe, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Rainbow Brite, M.A.S.K., My Pet Monster, Angry Birds, and Palworld.

## Career timeline

- **1996-1998** — Studied at California State University, Northridge; he has described his background as theater.
- **Before 2009** — Recorded and toured as a drummer, created the Mullet Heads characters, sold the concept into animation development at MTV, and began making toys after visiting a factory in China.
- **2009** — Launched The Loyal Subjects with a $500 personal check from the living room of a West Hollywood bungalow.
- **2012** — The Loyal Subjects partnered with its first licensors and moved further into licensed character products.
- **2019** — The Loyal Subjects announced a strategic distribution partnership with Bandai America after selling millions of Action Vinyls units.
- **2020** — Expanded beyond Action Vinyls with BST AXN action figures and other formats, including For Keeps dolls and Superama scene collectibles.
- **2025** — Spoke publicly against toy tariffs and announced master-toy work for Angry Birds plus a Palworld product line for 2026.
- **2026** — Expanded M.A.S.K. releases, developed products tied to Hunger Games, Angry Birds and Palworld, and presented a 16-work solo exhibition at Corey Helford Gallery in Los Angeles.

## Achievements

- Bootstrapped The Loyal Subjects from a $500 personal check into a company with products carried by national and specialty retailers.
- Created the articulated Action Vinyls format and expanded the company into action figures, dolls, plush, blind-box collectibles, and owned brands.
- Built licensing programs around properties including Transformers, G.I. Joe, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Rainbow Brite, M.A.S.K., My Pet Monster, Angry Birds, and Palworld.
- Secured a strategic distribution partnership with Bandai America in 2019.
- Presented a 16-work solo exhibition of oils, gouaches, and graphite studies at Corey Helford Gallery in Los Angeles in 2026.
- Published a 2025 open letter advocating for U.S. toy businesses affected by tariffs.

## Latest updates

- **2026-08** — Appeared on Adventures in Collecting after San Diego Comic-Con to discuss The Loyal Subjects' evolution, M.A.S.K., and new owned work.
- **2026-07** — The Loyal Subjects opened global preorders for the second wave of its 40th-anniversary M.A.S.K. vehicle line.
- **2026-06** — Opened a 16-work solo presentation of oils, gouaches, and graphite studies at Corey Helford Gallery in Los Angeles.
- **2026-03** — Outlined 2026 plans spanning Hunger Games, Angry Birds, Palworld, M.A.S.K., My Pet Monster, Popples, and new owned brands.
- **2025-09** — The Loyal Subjects announced a Palworld line of toys, collectibles, and plush for 2026.
- **2025-03** — The Loyal Subjects announced a master-toy partnership with Rovio Entertainment for Angry Birds products scheduled for 2026.

## Links

- Website: https://theloyalsubjects.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathancathey
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/LoyalSubjects
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theLoyalSubjects/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheLoyalSubjectsCo
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tls.toy

---

Profile page: https://yespress.io/jonathan-cathey
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-27