About Us

About Swap Arcade

Swap Arcade is the latest invention from Les Cookson, a California-based inventor, product developer, and creator of DrawLUCY.

Les has spent decades creating original products that combine clever design, hands-on function, and a little bit of old-school magic. He first began reinventing historical optical devices in 2005 through his interest in the painting techniques of the Old Masters, and his work has since grown into drawing tools, optical toys, hand-built replicas, digital art courses, and now the Swap Arcade.

Over the years, Les has pitched his inventions on Shark Tank twice and on ABC’s The Toy Box. He has also appeared multiple times on Good Day Sacramento, sold hundreds of thousands of his creations to artists, schools, universities, and museums around the world, and supplied products to major film and television companies including Disney, Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox, and Paramount Pictures.

Swap Arcade continues that same spirit of invention. It started with a simple problem: full-size arcades are fun, but they take up a lot of space and do not always fit naturally into a home. Les wanted to create something that kept the full look, color, and presence of a real arcade, but could still fold away into a clean furniture cabinet when not in use.

The result is Swap Arcade: a full-size arcade that transforms into a furniture-style cabinet in seconds. It is designed for people who want the fun and nostalgia of a real arcade without giving up an entire room to keep it there.