Editor’s note: A previous version of this story stated that all proceeds from the sale of the sculptures would go toward scholarship funds, rather than a portion of proceeds. It has since been updated.

With the recent branding spree of  Ol’ Sarge merch has come a nine-inch collectible sculpture, designed and sold by Chandler Studios, in hopes of raising money for A&M visualization students to pursue their professional dreams without financial worries.

Chandler Studios was founded by four Aggie graduates who met in the visualization program at A&M: Jeff Nichols ‘14, Jose Velasquez ‘12, Bill Derrington ‘14 and Garrett Broussard ‘11. The four graduates are currently based in Los Angeles, and Nichols has worked remotely as an A&M visualization professor for the past eight years.

Nichols and his partners know how limited the job market for visualization students is. Through the scholarship and employment opportunities, they hope to give back to recent Aggie graduates. Their manufacturing and distribution partners, Additive at Scale and Eagle Distribution Services, are based in Bryan-College Station and typically hire recent Aggie graduates.

“The ultimate goal is to create this small business ecosystem where not only are we contributing creatively to the university, we’re also helping support local businesses in College Station,” Nichols said.

The idea of making a sculpture began when Chandler Studios founders noticed that Ol’ Sarge was reappearing on merchandise items like hats and shirts. Ol’ Sarge was originally created in 1938 by students who worked for The Battalion, and they thought it would be great to see him reappear through former A&M students like themselves.

“We kind of immediately just jumped on that idea … because it’s something A&M has never had,” Nichols said. “A&M is such a historic school that it is a place that deserves really well-designed and thoughtful things to represent their icons and their mascots and their history.”

Selling this sculpture for years to come is something Nichols and the rest of the team would enjoy, as it helps them support other students creatively. This project is not set in stone, however, as continued manufacturing rests on the shoulders of the consumers. 

They said if the sculpture gains popularity and they are able to continue helping other A&M visualization students, they would love to continue doing just that. Chandler Studios has already raised over $15,000 in scholarships, and its goal is to raise $50,000.

“For us, it’s not so much about the sculpture as much as what the sculpture represents, which is that kind of ecosystem of giving back,” Nichols said. “ … We’re using this project as almost a call to action to help us build this ecosystem of support and growth for students.”

Nichols hopes that Chandler Studios can serve as a stepping stone for recent graduates to learn about visualization careers without finances posing a threat. Through their mentorship, the Chandler Studios founders hope to inspire young artists and students to pursue their dreams. 

These four founders have worked for major studio companies like Disney and Dreamworks throughout the course of their careers, and they hope to teach others what they have learned during their time in the animation industry.

“There’s a lot of ways to make your career, a lot of ways to express yourself creatively and still be financially successful,” Nichols said. “For us, it’s a combination of a creative outlet for ourselves and also a way for us to give back to the community that gave a lot to us, because most of us made our careers because we had mentors, because we had access, and so it’s all about trying to get access to those who don’t necessarily have that privilege.”

Chandler Studios has a YouTube channel where they have posted videos on 3D printing, pursuing your dream and a studio setup, among others.

“We have our own YouTube channel where we put out artist interviews so you can get insight into the feature film industry from the actual artists who are in there living and working in it,” Nichols said. “We are working on putting out tutorials for CG Animation just to help people learn professionally how we do what we do.”

The Ol’ Sarge sculpture can be pre-ordered at the Chandler Studios website. The first 1,000 orders will be shipped before Christmas.