1- What does the word customizer mean to you?
I’d have to say it’s someone who alters or improves something from the original manufacturer’s design based on their preferences. I don’t consider creating a figure from scratch real customizing, that’s more like sculpture or designing to me, real art stuff. The talent of sculptors amazes me! Anatomy, scale, the stuff they do to create a base body for me to use is a lot of work. I think customizing is basically adding on or making changes that say ‘this is my mark’.

2- How did you begin customizing?
Wow that was a long time ago… in a galaxy far, far away. No wait, it was here in the USA, I was eight maybe? I started customizing when I first learned you could take the screw out of the 3 ¾” GI joes and swap the body parts around. Next I decided to drill more holes and give them extra arms or heads. Soon I was using my dad’s epoxy to glue bits of plastic car parts on them for armor, and it was all uphill from there! I got a job at a Sci Fi shop in Florida and learned how to build model kits for them and paint those tiny D&D miniatures. A few years of honing my talents and I took to making my own figures, ending up where I am today in customizing.

3- As a customizer what do you create?
I mainly create Marvel Legends scale figures based on Comic, Movie, and Video game characters. I use to do Star Wars, but I’ve fallen in love with the 6-inch scale. For me it’s the perfect level of detail, articulation, and design. Though I’d love to do more 12” figures, I just don’t know how to sew really well. The bigger scale you do, the more detail you’ll have to include in order to make it realistic.

4- What is your process when you are customizing, from start to finish?
Hmmm, my process eh? It’s odd, but I usually start a project when I see something on the store shelf like the Plasti-Tool-Dip and then go from there. I rarely see a base figure and think of something to make from it, it’s usually something that will make an accessory or costume part that gets me started. Then I’ll choose a really good base body for whatever character I’m doing. Often I’ll need to match up parts and swap body sections. Next I’ll decide what other parts I need. They use to call me the Custom MacGyver because I’d scour the hardware department and use everyday items like cell phone straps or hair barrettes for my customs. Nowadays I use Apoxie Sculpt to sculpt my own accessories/costume parts, tho I do like to chop things up now and again if they look like they’ll work just right! The figure is assembled from parts, details are sculpted, and articulation/extras are added. I always paint the figure last, fully assembled

5- How long does it usually take to make one of your customs?
How long? Too long, and sometimes too short. It all depends on how far I want to go with something, or what my initial vision was. I guess you could say I’ve actually never really finished a custom because I make multiple customs of the same character, each one a little different, practicing and changing things. I can’t help but look at everything I’ve made and want to alter it or redesign it. For the basic figure I’ll say 3 days to completely finish it. That means the paint has cured and everything. I usually let the sculpted parts and painted sections sit over night before I finish the details. Then some days I’ll be so energized about a figure I’ll have that sucker done in eight hours!

6- Have you ever sold any of your customs, if so where?
I sold my first customs through my friend’s comic shop, my early Star Wars customs. Originally I just wanted to display them because the customers loved seeing characters they’ve never seen before. I usually sold completed model kits or dioramas. Then someone came into the store and offered me a decent sum of money for my figures. What’s this? Someone wants to pay me for making toys?? It all took off from that day. EBay is where I sell my customs now and it’s worked the best for me.

7- What has been the highest price that you have received for a custom?
Let’s see, $600.00 was my best single-figure total so far. I’ve noticed a lot of people don’t want to say how much they’ve sold their figures for. It’s not bragging tho, customizing is a lucrative business if you can find that niche and I want people to know that. If I can do it, so can you! People pay artists thousands of dollars for dipping their fingers in paint and flinging it across a blank canvas. You sat down for a week and put your heart and soul into making a toy. It’s art to many, and people pay for art.

8- Do you get requests?
Boy do I get a lot of requests! Unfortunately I get way too many to fill these days, and I’ve had a really hard time with people not paying for the commissioned work. Now I take suggestions and put the customs up on EBay so I don’t have to handle the selling/payment part.

9- What has been the oddest request?
I guess my oddest request was to make a ‘Shirtless Girl’ from the Bob and Tom show… and they wanted it anatomically correct. (shudder) I’ve had other weird ones like someone wanting me to paint an entire X-men team in neon/glow in the dark paint for a blacklight room.

10- What has been the easiest item to customize?
Probably my custom Akuma. It’s just the SOTA Ryu’s body and the jazzwares Akuma head with a few accessories and a new paint job. I added a hemp rope belt, and made him a necklace. I love it when a couple simple things make a whole new figure, especially when I don’t have to shell out too much for all the parts and supplies.

11- What has been the hardest item to customize? 
The hardest would have to be me, er, my Jin Saotome figure. Good lord, I used so many different parts for him! I think eight different figures were sacrificed for and a bunch of odd parts. And even after I thought I had him finished, I went back and sculpted an entirely new chest, legs, and belt! It took over a two months. This is one of those times I probably could of made multiples, but I wanted just one perfect Jin this time.

12- When you are customizing what are the essential tools one needs?
Aves Apoxie Sculpt! You can take a base figure and add just about anything on it with this modeling compound! Next comes the Dremel Tool,hobby knives, sandpaper, files, sculpting compound, and paints. That’s just the essential stuff. Things that are nice to have would be clippers, a small hacksaw, pliers, dental picks, an assortment of adhesives, and dental picks. And let me say, you get what you pay for with paint and brushes. I spend $7.00+ on those tiny 000 tip brushes at my art store, and it shows. You can’t get away with using cheap brushes or paints.

13- Who in the customizing world or other has been an inspiration?
You know, I don’t think there was anybody who inspired me… I never had anyone to learn from or glean ideas off of. Everything having to do with customizing was self-taught, except for my painting, which I learned from an old Games Workshop painting manual. I guess my real ‘inspiration’ was the toy companies and designers out there that left me wanting more, like that one character that was never made, or the figure designs that I couldn’t stand and wanted to make better. And all the comic/cartoon/video game artists out there whose 2D visions keep us interested.

14- What project would you like to take on as a customizer?
I’d like to take on creating the next level in action figure technology. Right now we’re rehashing the same old joints, plastics, and dynamics. What’s the next step? Years ago our toys were made of wood, metal, and fabric. Now they’re plastic and composites. Where are my seamless polyflex bodies with endostructure friction joints that mimic human movement and never become loose?? Bah, I really just want to make action figure hands that can spread their individual fingers out, yet make a decent looking fist as well. There’s a project I wouldn’t mind taking on.

15- When you want to see other customs is there a place where you go?
I hang around the Fwooshnet to see what my friends are up to, they have a Modelers Gallery section there. Or type in ‘Custom Figure’ in the EBay search to see what’s being sold that week. I really don’t go looking for other people’s customs that often. What I do check constantly are the new figures that toy companies are putting out, or what new artwork is coming out in the comics.

16- What has been the best creation that you or someone else has made?
Gah… who knows! I could probably pick a favorite figure from each person’s customs, then line them all up and match them up against each other until I got old and croaked. So I’ll just say that there is no ‘best’ or ‘favorite’ custom for me. And the only thing that really matters is that you like the custom you’ve designed!

17- On a scale of 1-10 how would you rate yourself as a customizer?
I’m a 2, hah! I mean who has to make 15 Iceman figures in order to finally end up with one they actually like? If I were a 10, I’d be making the perfect figure each time. I’m never satisfied with what I do to this day, no matter how many times I make it. So I let everyone else rate my skills, that way I won’t be disappointed, heh heh.

18- What would you say makes your customs different from others?
I think my customs stand out because I take unique and many times unorthodox approach to making them. Bobby pins for wolverine claws? Plastic dip for carnage tendrils? I’m all over the place when it comes for designs or inspiration. I also only make the characters I’m truly interested in, or alter the designs that really bug me. Some people customize teams or one branch of comics like DC. Me, I’ll make em if I like em. Oh, and I paint 99% of my figures by hand with a brush. It amazes some people I don’t just use an airbrush.

19- Why do you think people started customizing? And where do you think customizing will lead to in the future?
I think a lot of people start customizing because they want characters that aren’t available yet, or want to design a particular character they way they want to. There’s so many different reasons people choose to customize. I customize because I’m never satisfied with what’s out there, and want to make things better. Where will it lead to in the future is a good question… Right now I’m leading the C.A.S.E. Files (Customizer’s Auction Sales on EBay), where I help customizers gain exposure to the EBay market and sell their creations. That’s my vision for the customizing future, a worldwide know entity like EBay devoted to customizers where they can buy and sell their customs.

20- Do hope to create your own toy line like McFarlane?
Yes… but I know the hassles of making your own toyline/toy company and making it ‘successful’. There’s licenses to buy, manufacturing issues, distribution issues, and that’s only if your stuff is popular enough to get ordered by those infinitely picky retailers. Small toy companies are really having a tough time, and it’s not looking good for 2006 with all the mom-n-pop and specialty stores closing. I don’t think right now is the best time to start a new toy line, but working for a giant company with a solid business foundation would be pretty cool…

21- Do you also collect toys or artwork perhaps for inspiration?
Yep, and my collection is an odd one! Marvel legends and anime/video game figures comprise the bulk of my collection. Then I have the Xevoz, some mini busts, scattered Transformers, one or two GI Joes, odd 12” figures, smaller statues, garage kits, gashpon, vinyl figures, soapstone statues, ufo plush, etc. Only the characters or designs I like make it into my collection for inspiration. I don’t have a single complete line or series of anything and my display case looks like a carnival freak show! Maybe I should start charging admission…

22- Any advice for anyone looking to get into customizing?
My advice is, “PRATICE, PRATICE, PRATICE!” Unless you’re an artistic genius, your first attempts at customizing aren’t going to be masterpieces. Don’t ever give up because you think you can’t do it, or don’t have the skill. If you get frustrated, get up and take a break, then go back. A lot of people quit customizing because they try to sell their very first works on EBay and get almost no bids. It takes a while to get good enough for that vicious capitalistic market, don’t let them get you down! Did Evil Knievel stop doing stunts when he didn’t break his hip on the first try? No! He kept on breaking bone after bone until he fractured the right one! Don’t be a quitter.