Clutter Magazine Issue 32 - Buff Monster

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CLUTTERMAGAZINE.COM

ISSUE 32

NOV 2015

FREE

BUFF

MONSTER

PLUS: MUTANT VINYL HARDCORE / KATHIE OLIVAS & BRANDT PETERS

RETROBAND / HUGH ROSE / SLAVEXONE & UNAFFILIATED SJ TWELVEDOT / YOSIELL LORENZO & MUCH MORE

LIKE TOYS, LOVE CLUTTER

CLUTTERMAGAZINE.COM

ISSUE 32

32

NOV 2015

FREE

BUFF

MONSTER

PLUS: MUTANT VINYL HARDCORE / KATHIE OLIVAS & BRANDT PETERS

RETROBAND / HUGH ROSE / SLAVEXONE & UNAFFILIATED SJ TWELVEDOT / YOSIELL LORENZO & MUCH MORE

BUFF MONSTER 44

On The Cover

Fifty Shades of Pink Article by Nick Curtis

“Buffbob Pinkpants”

by Buff Monster

CIRCUSPOSTERUS FILMS

10

Summoning the Muse Article by Nick Curtis

TWELVEDOT

26

Article by Nick Curtis

60

The Bison Van Article by Nick Curtis

THE MONTHLY DIY Finish Strong Article by Marc DeAngelis

16

Enter the GeekWok Article by Nick Curtis

Adorable Amphibians & Apocalyptic Allusions

JEREMY FISH

RICH PAGE / UME TOYS

RETROBAND

38

GORY HOLE

YOSIELL LORENZO

56

To Be A Sickling Article by Nick Curtis

64

Slavish Devotion Article by Nick Curtis

78

20

Shock & Awe Article by Nick Curtis

Fresh MEATS Article by Nick Curtis

SLAVExONE & UNSJ

MUTANT VINYL HARDCORE

HUGH ROSE

70

Alluringly Subtle Asymmetry Article by Nick Curtis

82

Soft Vinyl Sickness Article by Nick Curtis Clutter 32 | 7

TEAM Miranda O’Brien Editor-in-Chief

Nick Curtis Associate Editor

Marc DeAngelis Contributing Writer

miranda@cluttermagazine.com

nickcurtis@cluttermagazine.com

marc.deangelis@gmail.com

Josh Kimberg Managing Editor

Nick Carroll Art Director

Jason Ryule Technical Coordinator

josh@cluttermagazine.com

nick@cluttermagazine.com

jason@tradeincool.com

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8 | Clutter 32

SUMMONING THE MUSE

by Nick Curtis

From their paintings and illustrations to their resin and vinyl art toys, Kathie Olivas and Brandt Peters have never seemed to be at a loss for creativity. But now that their decade old artistic worlds have begun to collide, they have summoned forth a muse to conjoin them properly: Calliope.

So what exactly is Calliope? What’s the plot?

Calliope is a brand new 8 to 10 minute stop motion short film project that we have brought to Kickstarter, that introduces a brand new alteruniverse based on our collective worlds of characters colliding in a post-apocalyptic, dark-humor fantasy adventure. The story focuses on Calliope, an other-worldly girl who is unaware she is actually Pestilence, [as in] one of the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse. Steeped in mysticism and the paranormal, Calliope sets up an oracle stand at the end of the world to act as fortune teller to a few surviving children. The short film acts as a prologue to a much larger story already in development and our goal is for this short to be the first chapter in this epic story. We are excited our fans, old and new, will go on this journey with us as our first film, our most ambitious project yet, and make it of the highest quality we can and push the project into a level that rivals major studios production values.

Seeing our characters and toy worlds come alive through motion on the screen with our sense of humor and storytelling… from the very beginning it has been our goal to work in stop motion and see our worlds come alive.

12 | Clutter 32

A Skelve color study

And how exactly are you and Kathie involved in the project? How did it all come about?

Kathie and I will help steer the concept, creative, writing, and film directing on Calliope, as the entire story is based on worlds [that] our collectors have followed since the beginning of our fine art and toy careers. It’s been very hands on, from ideas through production art to even set painting and lighting… We will be involved and providing art direction at every level.

The project took many forms over time and has actually been in

development in some form or another for over the past six years. Coming from a decade of toy design, we feel like film was naturally the next step in our evolutionary process as storytellers. Martin Meunier was met through a mutual friend and we really connected as creators. Martin flew out from Los Angeles for a weekend and we wrote what the current rendition of Calliope is now based on.

From that initial moment, the three of us worked on Calliope’s development when we could from weekends to late nights over the past two years.

Kickstarter was always the plan from the beginning so the public could interact with us on this filmmaking

and storytelling journey. Our first goal was to put together the [Kickstarter] campaign along with its trailer, puppets, sets, and models. Before we knew it, the launch date in October was here.

Does this project share its name with the Greek muse for a specific reason?

Oddly enough, there was actually no specific intention on making that connection. Maybe an entirely a subconscious choice? Since you asked this question, we started noticing a parallel between the Greek muse and Calliope’s character, personality, and design. It is uncanny.

Often ideas are with us for years, like seeds that suddenly grow one day and then things just suddenly connect.

I’ve heard this project involves the makers from Coraline and Tim

Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. In what roles are these creatives participating?

Our co-director on Calliope, Martin Meunier, has been behind such films as James and The Giant Peach, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, Starship Troopers, Paranorman, and more. He actually won a Special Achievement Annie award on Coraline for developing a rapid prototype process for stop motion animation. It changed the industry. Martin will play a big role not only as our co-director but leading visual effects and as a contributing writer on Calliope. We have additional artisans, animators, and fabricators that have worked on many well-known stop motion features, including The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Another fantastic creator on the team

is Jon Schnepp, director behind Metalocalypse and The Venture Brothers on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim, as well as contributing director on the horror/comedy anthology film The ABCs of Death, and most recent project and documentary The Death of Superman: What Happened? He joins the team as executive producer and also contributing writer… We really have a nice development team of filmmakers, artists, modelers, costumers, and designers with extensive film and animation backgrounds, all helping to construct Calliope’s universe.

Will Calliope feature all new character designs or will some old favorites from your oeuvre make appearances?

Yes, There will be quite a few new characters that will be revealed over the progress of the project including the story’s kids. Regarding old favorites who have been toys in one form or another… Calliope Jackalope is the protagonist and main character.

The Skelves, my version of trickster skeleton-elves, drop in. Slap-Happy!, my adventure bound enchanted skeleton-masked bear suit, makes an appearance. Stingy Jack, my lost-intime crooner pumpkin-headed joker, makes an entrance. Lastly, Oliver, Kathie’s superhero inspired masked avenger, rounds out the cameos.

Regarding Stingy Jack, we are going to produce a comic book revealing Stingy Jack’s back story and his connection to The Brides that will be offered as an incentive on Kickstarter. One of the Brides makes an appearance during Stingy Jack’s scene, so we decided it was time to blow open the doors to his world and share it with our fans. Jon Schnepp will be writing and developing The Brides with the team.

I’ve seen some stills of a fantastic merry-go-round set constructed for the film. I assume they are based on your designs, but who actually sculpted and/or assembled the sets and puppets?

Calliope Jackalope’s treehouse development sketch.

Digital color study

Leo Garza, model maker and contributing visual effects wizard behind movies such as Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Terminator Salvation, and more, worked from development sketches and drawings, and fabricated the core animatable scale model and sent it Clutter 32 | 13

to Kathie and I to paint and provide the finished look you are referring to.

Martin sculpted the carousel rides from concept sketches I provided and Kathie hand-painted and embellished them. We flew out to Los Angeles and spent the day tying everything together before filming began.

will be collaborating on microedition Calliope resin sculptures with fabric costuming. And I will also be providing import toys I am having made in Japan through our partnership toy company Circus Posterus x Tomenosuke that will be hand airbrushed and by me.

Martin sculpted — by hand — The Bride #5 stop motion puppet, Stingy Jack’s current pin-up bride creation, from my original drawings. Louren Vogt, model maker and puppet fabricator with over thirty years of experience working on films such as The Nightmare Before Christmas, Coraline, A.I. - Artificial Intelligence, and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, was brought in as costume specialist for the Bride #5’s rockabilly flavored costume from our designs. This production is unlike a typical film production where one person knows how to do one thing — we all switch off and help each other — such a great collaborative team!

You recently created a stop motion short to promote The 13 Dunny Series from Kidrobot. Was this executed by the same team that will be doing Calliope? Was this your trial run for doing stop motion?

From the pictures I’ve seen of the test shots, the puppets used are accurate 3D representations of Brandt’s art style and aesthetic. Any chance these could be used as models for art toy releases in support of the film?

There are no concrete plans at this time to translate the Bride #5 to vinyl toy format, but you never know. We would love to hear from the public if this is something they would want to see happen through email or social media. We will be offering her as a super low-run resin edition, based on the film’s puppet, followed up with the actual “on-screen” animatable puppet with working stop motion armature. This will all be revealed as the project kicks off.

We have quite an amazing assortment of toy incentives to help us raise the money to make Calliope the short happen… Cardboard Spaceship Toys is helping us with an exclusive 4 figure mini toy set available to backers, based on our next second installment from our Wandering Misfits mini-series that will drop next year. A brand new vinyl toy figure, also from Cardboard Spaceship, based on the Night King, a bat with a secret past from the universe of Stingy Jack, will be offered in an exclusive color design for this campaign. Kathie Olivas and soft sculpture/fine artist Lana Crooks 14 | Clutter 32

Yes, Martin and the same team who worked on Kidrobot’s The 13 Dunny series mock-film trailer will be handling Calliope’s production. I absolutely believe it served as a trial run for us and we were very lucky on the timing of it. The 13 trailer actually went through three or four iterations before the team felt good about moving forward; it was very challenging but opened up our minds to how to tell the story of Calliope as technical artists, co-directors, and aspiring stop motion filmmakers.

Matte painting for the trailer

Do you foresee more stop motion explorations in your future?

Yes, there will absolutely be more stop motion projects for us moving forward. Calliope, as mentioned previously, is just the introduction for the larger, more epic story we intend to pitch for feature presentation.

Internally we have about a dozen intellectual properties, many with stop-frame format in mind. This is a very exciting time for all of us as a team of filmmakers.

Stingy Jack development sketch

This next stage for us as storytellers, as filmmakers, needs your direct help. This is everything we have been building towards as artists and has been the dream since the beginning.

We need help to build awareness and we do that by sharing and pushing Calliope through all of our social media feeds from Twitter to Instagram to Facebook. Let’s make this happen!

For more information, please visit: www.circusposterus.com Or search CALLIOPE STOP MOTION on Kickstarter.com

Calliope character design concept Watercolor on paper.

by Nick Curtis

Now is the perfect time to find — and fall in love with — the GeekWok, the nerdiest hairball in all the many known worlds. And this adorable beastie sports his thick rimmed, Buddy Holly-esque glasses with pride.

Creator Rich Page has partnered with DKE Toys to present a Custom GeekWok Show at this year’s DesignerCon, but before we learn about this exhibition or the piece it is focused upon, let’s learn about GeekWok’s creator…

18 | Clutter 32

So, who is Richard Page?

Formally trained artist? Selftaught toy maker?

I’ve always been into arty stuff ever since I was old enough to hold a crayon to scribble with. I started out copying [Roger Hargreaves’] Mr. Men books and moved onto drawing all my favorite superheroes. When I was a teenager, graffiti landed in the UK from the States and I jumped into doing character-based pieces. Leaving school, I got an apprenticeship in origination design and print which has led me to be a graphic designer for most of my working life and have had the privilege to be involved with some awesome projects. About five years ago I had to give up long distance running due to health problems, and I wanted something to replace the hour a day or so ‘me’ time and picked up my sketchpad again.

I decided on drawing a ‘skull a day’ project and stuck to it for a year.

This project was great fun and led to some amazing friendships. At about this time, I began collecting a few toys and became fascinated with how they were made. After looking around the Internet, I purchased some Sculpey and taught myself how to make stuff. Sculpting is ace; it’s really satisfying to be able to create something tangible that you can hold in your hand and with the added bonus of not being on a computer to do so. Jasper the Unfriendly Ghost was the first toy I sculpted that I thought others might like to own with this in mind I chatted to Okkle [Olly Klinkenberg] and Argonauts Resin [Eric Nocella Diaz] about the mold making process and took it from there, again learning as I went. I am still doing the same today… Every day is a school day.

Why choose the name UME toys? And how long have you been using that moniker?

The name UME toys came into being when my then fun-sized daughter [Ellice] and I began working together.

We came up with the name UME — You and Me — to umbrella our projects under and blog about our creations. Even though it’s mainly been me working on the resins of late keep your eyes peeled for a return from her [@elmos_empire on Instagram] soon.

You’ve created a lot of unique, adorably cute characters, but it was your GeekWok design that won you a Designer Toy Award last year. What about that figure do you think resonated with people?

I really enjoy making a mix of work from evil to cute. Some of it seems to hit home, and none more so than the GeekWok. I think it’s his cute little face and ideal size that lets him fit into everyone’s collection. The key thing for me is producing everything myself in-house, so when someone collects my work they really are getting a hand made piece straight from the artist.

us about this? How many artists are involved?

Yes, I really can’t wait to see all the great customs in person. Dov Kelemer from DKE Toys has been kind enough to host the show, and I’m proud of the mix of established and new talent that have agreed to be part of the show from all over the globe.

Twenty-one artists in total have a little GeekWok in their studios at the moment and I’m tempted to do one myself. Alongside the show we will also be launching Baby Gee for the first time, so if you’d like to add one to your collection or have a drawing of me in your sketch pad be sure to come over to say “Hi” at DCon. Who chose the artists involved?

Was it you? or Dov? or the two of you together?

It’s always a hard one to choose artists to get involved in a show as there are so many talented people out there that I would have love to have included. Maybe next time around.

I really wanted to have a global mix of established and up-and-coming artists and, fortunate for me, nearly everyone I reached out to were able to fit the show into their work schedules.

What do you think of the pieces you’ve seen so far (c. Sept.

2015)?

Since winning the award, you’ve grown the GeekWok family to include GeeGee (the Lady GeekWok), KidWok (the adolescent one), and Baby Gee (the relatively newborn one). What about this design made you want to revisit it and expand it?

The original GeekWok has had a few limited releases over the past couple of years, which have always been well received. I thought I couldn’t leave the little chap on his own, he needs a little family to keep him company, of course. He needed a lady first, then trouble followed.

At this year’s Designer Con, you will be doing a GeekWok custom show. What can you tell

I’ve seen a few work-in-progress pictures and they are all amazing.

If you’d like to check them out, search #customgeekwok or #customgeekwokshow over on Instagram.

Do you expect the GeekWok’s family to continue growing or is four members enough?

Funny you should ask. I’m really enjoying the evolution of this character and adding new family members has been fun, so who knows where it will end? I’m hoping to expand the line with fun stuff, such as play sets and vehicles. Also look out for some rebranding on him, and bigger and better things in the coming months and year.

For more information on UME toys, please visit: umetoys.net Clutter 32 | 19

DC13: Thermo Borg (Red October), 2015

SHOCK &

AWE

by Nick Curtis

22 | Clutter 32

Double face Zug the Troll alternate head sculpt, 2015

Mutant Vinyl Hardcore.

The name entices you in, the pieces themselves make you stay. Hitting like an epileptic seizure, it’s easy to be floored by the highly detailed sculpts and equally intricate paints. The brainchild of Rich Montanari, MVH — as it is lovingly known by its legions of fans — prepares to release its newest wave of wonders upon the indie toy world.

So I understand you have two new figures making their debut at Designer Con: DC13 and the Troll. Now I’m sure the first thing people will want to know is, how many of each are you planning to have at DCon? All one-offs? Lottery only?

DC13 is your first mech figure.

What inspired you to do a mech? And did you go crazy doing the sculpt, the tiny godhead logo, and all those rivets… He’s 10-inches tall, right? Lots of details even for that size!

Toxigon. I had the idea and wanted to get it off the ground fast, so I farmed some of the work out to a fantastic sculptor I knew had experience in mech sculpture and could capture what I drew up. Once Toxigon was done, I got DC13 back in-hand and had to do a lot of re-sculpting work.

Yes. It’s looking like the DC13 astronauts and the first of the three Mountain Trolls will be there, at the very least, with a few blanks or painted ones. Not sure yet on one-offs.

In general, I’m a fan of the sci-fi and horror genres, which have always gone hand-in-hand. I’ve always wanted to do a mech design, just didn’t have a full vision outside of a few principles. Then it all started to come together after watching way too much Ancient Aliens. Time traveling Astronauts, felt right.

The way I wanted to pull it from the mold, there was no way it was gonna happen the way M5 sculpted it. His work is great, but there was a miscommunication along the way. It was a good thing because it allowed me to add my own hand to this — the heads, neck, hands, feet, I tuned up and modified [them all] so it would be pulled the way I liked.

And yes, lottery. I’m also going to try something new this year and have an advance lottery list for the long time supporters of MVH. I never thought it was fair for random passer-by people to have the same chances as those who have supported me for years.

The majority of the sculpt was done

by Monster5, to be honest. At the time when I had the mech all figured out, I was also deep in sculpting

At the 10” tall size, yes, there is a LOT of detail, so much so that many of the parts are on their own Clutter 32 | 23

trays being center spun. That’s very uncommon for a toy this size. That means it costs more to produce, more so than even my large toys. But the upside is that all the parts will be flawless and allow me to create additional parts for future characters.

The rivets… Yeah, I got a little carried away. I really wanted an industrial look. I was studying old deep sea diving suits when I designed this and the rivets carried through.

There are two different heads for the DC13, one very mechanical looking (Thermo Borg) and one more monstrous (Hyper Viper). Is there a unique inspiration behind each one?

There is. Thermo Borg is inspired by thermonuclear warfare and cyborgs, Astro Boy, fighter jet helmets, cyberpunk, all combined in one for him or her depending on who pilots it. Same for Hyper Viper. The Hyper Viper is influenced by industrial monsters, Fritz Lang’s Metropolis, Darth Vader, high power tension lines, etc. It’s a suit, the pilot controls its destiny.

As mentioned, these are time travelers. Sometimes they are going back in time to change the world for good, sometimes for bad.

Each painted release will be a reinterpretation of history, sometimes changing it to help the human race, sometimes to destroy it.

On your test paint, there are tons of tubing and wiring coming out of one of the arms… is this something you plan to add on all the versions of this figure?

Probably not, but time will tell. I think it looks great either way and was designed for both. I don’t want to get into expectations of each release being one way. I want to have the ability to do both.

DC13 is named after your son, right? Is there a specific reason for this or just a loving tribute?

DC13: Hyper Viper (Red October), 2015

24 | Clutter 32

Definitely loving tribute. I was looking for a great mechanical name, and one day it hit me: D for Devin, C for Cash, and 13 [is the alphanumeric equivalent] for M, our last name [Montanari]. DC13 it was a nice

homage and great sounding mech name. I designed this while my wife was pregnant with him, so it was a time I wanted to mark in my life.

Will you be doing even more heads and arms for DC13 in the future?

Yes, indeed. The next two won’t be for awhile, but to get a feel they’re based on the gray aliens, the artwork of H.R. Giger, the Mayan civilization, masonic imagery, and more. A lot of things I have been wanting to explore.

And now let’s talk about the Troll… This 10-inch tall beast seems to have a lot of texture to it. Any particular reason?

I just like a lot of texture to paint on rather than smooth surfaces, so most of my toys have that. I came up with this texture by using crumpled tin foil and loved it, so I rolled with it. I had wanted to do a Troll for a long time and sculpted him and Toxigon at the same time. That’s why they match up texture-wise. They are the same family. One is by sea, one is by land.

The Troll is anatomically correct, right? What made you want to give this figure a phallus? I noticed for some teaser shots you had a leather loin cloth on this beast, covering up his nethers. Will this accessory come with all versions of the figure?

Yeah, it is, but I didn’t do it to be all “hey, look at my dork.” I did it because, well, it’s just part of its anatomy. It is a toy by its medium, but is that a reason why I can’t make it anatomically correct? By the way, the Troll is a hermaphrodite and anatomically correct at that — it has both sex organs and an anus sculpted as well!

Now, I was on the fence about sculpting his/her parts, but after some talking with fellow artists, I went for it. I had to stay true to my vision and sculpt what I had envisioned and not dilute it to cater to a larger crowd.

The loin cloth is there so anyone can display it, though. I know it’s not accepted to show “private” parts, but everyone has them and it’s no big deal if you think about it. But it is what it is and I want to give everyone the option to display this without

Zug the Troll, 2015

having to explain it all. The loincloths will be a fun addition, some being leather with an embossed logo, some cloth with ink.

The toy comes with both a club and poop omake. And future Trolls will come with different club heads.

Speaking of extras, I couldn’t help but notice that Troll has six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot. Any particular reason for this choice?

Is it ancient or is it advanced? Is it what we were before or what we’re going to evolve into?

The Troll isn’t human. I wanted it to look human, though, but with subtle changes like the extra fingers

and toes. At a glance, you think it’s human… but after a bit, you see maybe it’s not.

You’ve also been working on a double face head for the Troll, right? Any idea when that will come out? Will there be even more heads beyond that one?

The double face is a horrible monster of a Troll! The Berserker’s haunted axe has each Troll face on either side of the blade. In fact, the haunted axe is the only weapon that can kill the Troll. It’s a story I’m keeping secret for now, but another head is a wild boar. More on that soon though!

For more information on Mutant Vinyl Hardcore, please visit: mutantvinylhardcore.com Clutter 32 | 25

Clutter 32 | 27

ADORABLE AMPHIBIANS & APOCALYPTIC ALLUSIONS

by Nick Curtis

APO Frog (Pepto Black) & APO Frog (Lime Black), 2014

28 | Clutter 32

The first five mass-produced APO Frogs, (left to right): Pumpkin Pie, Lime Black, Pepto Black, and Strawberry Banana Split (with & without cloak), all 2014

While some believe that frogs raining down from the sky are a sign of the apocalypse, the artist known solely as twelveDot has a different vision for the end of days: one where the frogs outlast mankind. Evolving into a bipedal form, these anthropomorphic amphibians wander a wasteland world in a desperate search for water to keep them alive. And while this is a fictional realm of the artist’s creation, it is grounded in some very real concerns…

We had the chance to interview twelveDot through his wife, spokesperson, and occasional seamstress, Faye Kim, allowing us to find out more about the inspiration behind his APO Frogs and the amphibian extinction he wants to prevent.

What exactly is twelveDot Studios? Who are the members and what are their roles?

twelveDot Studios is actually a oneman art toy studio in which twelveDot does everything, with an occasional helping hand from me, his totally non-artistic wife. We took the plural form, studios, as he does different types of art work, including visual communication design, illustration, and art toys. His lazy website manager — also me — has not been updating his 12dotstudio.com website, but it does provide an overall glimpse of his earlier work. Being a hermit-type of artist of little words, twelveDot is usually holed up in his studio alone, drawing, sculpting, and perfecting his creations. I try to help him get his message across by focusing on the business and

marketing aspects of the job and dragging him to art toy fairs.

We have had many complaints that it is virtually impossible to find enough info on twelveDot and his work and upcoming releases through online channels. The main problem is that twelveDot is wholly unsuited for this era of constant online status updates, as he never likes to show his work unless it looks perfect in his eyes and because he tends to shy away from attention and the online crowd. It may seem that nothing is happening for months on end looking at his Facebook page or Instagram, but he is actually pulling strings of allnighters and working on several new projects at present. He has been so busy with new projects since the APO Frogs started to gain attention, even our dogs tend to forget who he is!

So who exactly is twelveDot? Or does he prefer to stay shrouded in a bit of mystery? twelveDot is more shy than mysterious, although you wouldn’t really get that impression if you saw him in person. As most know twelveDot through his colorful cute APO Frog series, we have had quite a few people at art toy fairs mistake the small plump wife in front of the booth as the artist instead of the large burly lumbersexual-like mustached guy hiding out in the back!

Anyways, let me run through the basics. twelveDot majored in visual communication at the Korea National University of Arts in Seoul. After graduation, he opened a design firm and acted as the lead consultant on corporate design projects, focusing Clutter 32 | 29

on the development of corporate logos, brand images, and marketing materials. However, he remained an avid doodler and toy collector.

Together with his hobby-sharing wife, twelveDot would travel abroad at every spare moment to find unique art toys and figures.

As he continued to work on corporate design and personal projects, he realized that art toys could be used as an ideal medium to present a visual image of what he wanted to say or emphasize. Plus, he couldn’t find art toys that covered all of his interests, so one day he started to make his own figures. We were quite surprised when people started to ask around for the figures that twelveDot had made for his private collection.

His Apocalypse Frogs first helped twelveDot secure a place in the niche market for hardcore collectors and the subsequent APO Frogs series received attention from a wider market, and as a result the art toy business quickly became a bigger part of twelveDot’s work than corporate design.

These days twelveDot still takes on a few corporate design projects on the side, but most of his time is spent on making art toys or drawing. I think twelveDot is still amazed at the attention he is getting, and is finding it hard to get used to people coming up to him asking for an autograph or a drawing. I doubt that twelveDot will ever become one of the cool hip toy makers we see these days with a street flair and a wide following, but we are quite happy that more people are starting to notice our frogs and coming up to us tell us that they now like frogs and have realized that the species are in danger of extinction.

His first release was the 12-inch tall Apocalypse Frog. Why did he opt to use a frog for this sculpture? And what caused him to make him bipedal?

The idea for the Apocalypse Frog came out of a personal project he worked on, named Project aftr., to raise awareness for frogs facing extinction, which we had learned about while researching frogs to provide care for our pet frogs.

Frogs need both clean water and clean land to survive, and are thus becoming extinct because of us humans. Yet total extinction of frogs would accelerate the annihilation of 30 | Clutter 32

“Apocalypse Frog - Sakura,” 2013

humans, as amphibians remain a vital link in the ecosystem.

Amphibians and reptiles were just starting to make their way into Korean households as exotic pets at that time, and we were the weird couple that had several frogs and newts at home, including those we had raised from eggs. We decided not to expand our frog family when we found out that the exotic pet trade was one of the major causes of the alarming decline in worldwide amphibian population and species diversity.

The narrative of the Apocalypse Frog is a story of irony, in which a lone frog

survives the apocalypse of the human world, brought on by pollution, by evolving into a bipedal human form and using human artifacts — such as wetsuits and air tanks modified to provide constant moisture to his skin — to adapt to the harsh environment.

Aside from the story he aimed at getting across with the Apocalypse Frog, twelveDot wanted people to get an indirect experience of having frogs as a pet, develop an attraction to these fascinating creatures, to see the beauty hidden in the graceful curves and lines of frogs, and eventually realize the dangers they are in. Most — including a lot of our close friends

APO Frog (Sakura Pink Series), 2013

and family members — just tend to think of as slimy, gross, and noisy pests.

Shortly after the Apocalypse Frog was released, he made a 5-inch tall version titled APO Frog. Why make the shift to a smaller rendition?

The Apocalypse Frog was an instant hit among the older, male crowd but twelveDot felt he needed something more to capture the attention of the younger, female crowd in order to really get his message across to a wider audience. APO Frogs, with their smaller size, simpler form, brighter colors, and cuddly vibe, really helped to grab the attention of a larger crowd and create a like-able image for frogs in general. twelveDot summed up the information we had learned while researching frog extinction and conveyed it in his signature clean-cut-yet-subtle style on the packaging of the APO Frog, hoping that it would help create awareness on frog extinction among people completely unaware to the dangers. We love it when people come up to us or write us telling that they didn’t really like frogs before they got to know APO Frogs, and that the infographics designed into the packaging helped them realize that

frogs were in danger of extinction.

Likewise, twelveDot’s frogs have helped us get to know a lot of people who share our interests and concerns for amphibians, and we are excited at the new opportunities we are pursuing in collaboration with other artists and professionals from other fields for the common cause of raising awareness and expressing our geeky love for frogs. We were especially psyched when the Ghosts of Fallen Frogs set, dedicated to the frogs already extinct, helped us get in touch with the renowned conservationist and

award-winning National Geographic Channel photographer, Dr. Robin Moore. Working with him, we plan on creating a new line of frogs and providing further information on preventing the extinction of frogs.

Some of his APO Frogs come with clothing accessories, like rain coats, cloaks, and slickers.

Is this choice of outwear purely aesthetic or does its use convey a message?

What started out as a personal gift to twelveDot — armed with just enough

APO Frog (Yellow Raincoat), 2013

APO Frog (Purple Raincoat), 2013

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“Boundary Issues,” 2013-2014

skills to sew on a loose button, I had made a crude raincoat for his first hand-cast APO Frog — led to the whole thing of APO Frogs wearing clothes. The raincoat takes off from the irony of the original Apocalypse Frog, in that the raincoat protects the frog by keeping in the moisture instead of the other way around.

People loved the idea so the clothing line took off.

These days I really regret studying business admin in school; had I known, I would have majored in fashion design instead! It still takes me forever to make one coat, but for our mass produced lines we get help from plants in China. One of these days I plan to splurge for a sewing machine and learn how to make tiny clothes with it so I can try creating the many designs just floating around in my head. For a recent gallery exhibition, I did a few pieces titled Camouflage with patterned cloaks helping the brightly colored APO Frogs blend into our bleak, grayscale human world.

What’s happening with the second season of APO Frogs?

We had so many issues and setbacks while producing the first season, and the second season proved to be equally challenging and timeconsuming. However, we finally have new versions ready for release from the last quarter of this year through early next year. We have been getting so much pressure from collectors and friends to leak at least the colors of the new frogs, but twelveDot loves to keep everything under wraps until the big reveal so the only thing that I can tell you for certain is that we have no green frogs. (Smiles) twelveDot’s belief is that nature’s colors are best left in nature, so he refrains from using natural colors for APO Frogs and opts for colors less likely to be seen in actual frogs.

In both the Apocalypse Frog and APO Frogs, I’ve noticed that twelveDot opts for a minimal color palate. Is there a specific reason for this?

His brightly colored illustrations and APO Frogs grab the attention of many, but twelveDot’s work is usually all about simple, yet edgy lines and curves, which are accentuated by a minimalistic color scheme.

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More recent creations, such as Performance — a homage to the King of Pop — and the bunny created for Playboy’s 60th anniversary art toy collection, may seem out of place for frog-lover twelveDot, but you could see that his constant focus on lines and curves really shines through when you put those alongside his Boundary Issues pieces created for gallery exhibitions. One downside is that the minimalist color palette makes it really hard to convey the entire image in photographs; that’s why he likes to show those pieces offline through gallery exhibits, as they need to be seen in real life to be fully appreciated. We have yet to show most of his gallery pieces outside of Korea, but are in talks with galleries around the world on the prospect of holding exhibitions overseas in the near future, including hopefully a chance to show his pieces in the U.S. some day.

You mentioned the sculpture Performance, a tribute to Michael Jackson. What attracted twelveDot to pay this homage?

MUZIK is a local company focused on infusing the music motif in eyewear, and their art director, BK, had approached twelveDot with the idea of a collaboration project. As their eyewear are made entirely by hand by master craftsmen, the director thought art toys would be a cool way to bring in another form of art made by hand to an homage project that was in the works. Both twelveDot and BK were fans of the King of Pop, so the project naturally developed on designing sunglasses and an art toy figure as a tribute to Michael Jackson.

After going over Michael Jackson’s tracks for several months, they decided to work with “Billie Jean” as their inspiration. Although static in form, twelveDot wanted his figure to present a dynamic image of the artist in action so he focused on the iconic pose featured at the beginning of the song. Upon completion of the sculpture, BK and twelveDot came up with a design for sunglasses that best represented the image of the artist portrayed in the figure.

The sunglasses were handmade by a master craftsman in France, and the same material used to make the frames of the sunglasses was used to manufacture the base platform for the art toy figure. To the

“Performance,” 2014

disappointment of art toy collectors, the limited edition art toy/sunglasses sets completely sold out at the first eyewear convention they were revealed and never had a chance to reach the art toy circuit.

what part of the magazines he found inspirational, aside from saying that he liked the illustration work in the magazines. However, he did say that he got the inspiration for the design of the feet for the Playboy figure from my love of killer heels!

In contrast, what made twelveDot want to lend his artistic vision to the Playboy art toy collection? What about the magazine does he find inspirational?

Though the Playboy figures aren’t being released with names, did twelveDot imagine a name for his piece? If so, what was it?

When approached with the proposal for Playboy’s 60th anniversary project, he immediately wanted to reconstruct the iconic image of the Playboy logo with his own interpretation of the curves and lines of the female body. The piece takes off from the long limbs and voluptuous lines of the full-scale Apocalypse Frog and shows his image of beauty. Probably because the wife is asking all these questions to him, twelveDot isn’t really commenting on

twelveDot doesn’t really name his toys or projects; the wife is usually the one who always wants to put a name on his work, as with the frog series. That’s why the APO Frogs come with names that don’t really match twelveDot’s personal style.

He likes clean simple stuff while I am more over-the-top, so he usually complains that the names I initially come up with are too long, girly, and excessive. As the Playboy figure was a collaboration piece, we do not have a Clutter 32 | 33

ROADKILL REALIZED Art Sculpture Series which began in 2014 with [Benzilla’s] 3Balls. We plan to release it in Spring 2016 to coincide with the migrating season of frogs. Roadkill is a major problem during Spring as frogs look to return to lay eggs even if it involves crossing busy roads. Hopefully doing the release at this time will help to bring higher awareness to the problem. We will announce the price and edition size closer to the release date when we have a better idea.

Assuming this works out for both of you, do you have plans for any other works together? tD: Definitely.

A discussion of the new figure with twelveDot and his wife, Faye Kim, alongside Jake Lee, owner of Pobber.

What is the project you are doing together? What can you tell us about it?

you familiar to the other’s work prior to this project starting?

Jake Lee: We got to talking after Taipei Toy Festival back in October last year and I brought up the idea of collaborating on a piece together. The project is titled Roadkill and continues twelveDot’s obsession with frogs.

He felt the need to bring to attention the plight of smaller and less likeable animals which are often overlooked when we talk about roadkill.

The focus has largely been about larger animals like dogs, cats, and deer. Roadkill is a serious problem and millions of animals are killed every year but equally mind boggling is that an estimated 95% of roadkill appears to be amphibians.

JL: Yes, I was familiar with twelveDot’s work prior to starting the project. I first came across his work at Art Toy Culture Seoul in 2014. I was struck by the use of simple and clean lines to convey elegance and gracefulness of his subject.

While his APO Frog series have been very popular, it has always been his exhibition and custom pieces which attracted me most.

twelveDot & Faye Kim: Jake was right on point about the issue twelveDot wanted to address with Roadkill. Amphibians such as frogs are run over by cars without the drivers even noticing them, yet with each we are taking the same life as the cuddly mammal we might hit and feel torn up about. twelveDot wanted people to realize that point by paradoxically creating a menacing frog with the look and feel of a car threatening lives on the road.

What attracted you to work with each other? Were

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tD: We got to know Pobber in 2014 and loved the wide range yet well-curated style seen in their toy releases. twelveDot had been seeking to realize his Roadkill idea when Jake approached us with the collab idea. Instantly, we felt that Roadkill would be a great fit to work with Pobber given their style and the fabulous quality of their pieces. We are excited with how the project has come along and can’t wait to see the final result of our collaboration with Pobber.

So how did the collab work?

Did twelveDot design and sculpt the piece with Jake handling production? tD: Yes. JL: While we typically sculpt our releases, Roadkill was unusual in that the entire design and

JL: Yes, definitely. I thoroughly enjoyed working on this project. sculpting process was handled by twelveDot himself. tD: We first showed Jake the sketch for the image and the sculpture in progress, and later on sent him the final designs. Jake has been working on…

JL: …production and marketing.

tD: The Roadkill project really made twelveDot realize that he did not have to go at this alone, and showed him how much better he could do on the work he loves best when he has great friends to help him with stuff he is less-suited to handle. We are looking forward to doing many more projects with Pobber in the future.

tD: And distribution!

What can you tell me about the release itself? When will it come out, how limited will it be, anticipated price, etc. tD: We will let Pobber handle these questions, as that part is the brainchild of Jake. (Smiles) JL: Roadkill continues Pobber’s

JL: We had met up to discuss the project in person earlier this year and back then we talked broadly about possible future projects, including having twelveDot work on a piece for an upcoming project, involving artists like Luke Chueh and Ron English. More on that soon.

(Winks)

Untitled, 2015

specific name for it yet. If we decide to put a name on it, you will be the first to know. (Laughs) What future projects is twelveDot working on?

We have been working with Pobber on an entirely new piece and are now nearing production. This twelveDot x Pobber piece is gorgeous — in my completely biased view — but as with twelveDot’s other pieces you really need to see it in person. We flew to Singapore just to show Jake the work-in-progress piece as I felt the pics we took didn’t do it full justice, and Jake seemed to agree that it is hard to fully portray how the piece looks through pictures. (Smiles) Anyways, twelveDot’s work on the piece is finished and it is now in Jake’s hands as we wait for him to spin his magic in producing it and finding some way to present it with better images than we could. We are excited to be working with Pobber as twelveDot has been finding it too difficult and time consuming to do the whole process from design to

production, sales and shipping by himself with just a part-time assisting wife. I am hoping this project leads to a continuing relationship so twelveDot can focus solely on the designing step and leave the others to the experts so we can deliver more new pieces faster than our current snail pace.

One more art toy project twelveDot has been working on for release this fall/winter season is a piece twelveDot developed for Everland, the largest amusement park & zoo in Korea run

by Cheil Industries of the Samsung Group. The company contacted twelveDot to ask him for his artistic interpretation of Everland’s newly developed characters and, of the company’s five characters, twelveDot chose to work on the Fennec Fox. As with most of twelveDot’s work, pictures do not seem to fully portray how it looks in real life, especially with the demure smile of the fox and subtle curves here and there hard to pick up with a digital camera. The company at first seemed to have some reservations after receiving initial pictures of the piece but soon warmed to twelveDot’s rendering of

the Fennec Fox in his unique style when they got to see the piece up close in person.

I know the sudden appearance of a bunny and fox in his portfolio seems to stray from twelveDot’s initial focus on amphibians, but I believe his signature style seeps through even in his mammal pieces, which people say have a weird resemblance to twelveDot’s frogs. We have our frogs and the Playboy bunny and the Everland fox all standing around together at twelveDot’s studio and they give off a crazy jumbled-yetcohesive vibe that looks so natural, once you get past the realization that we are very unlikely to see those three living together in real life. Plus we do have a couple more frog-related projects in the works aside from Roadkill with Pobber, so frog lovers need not to worry.

For more information on twelveDot, please visit: 12dotstudio.com Clutter 32 | 35

BY NICK CURTIS

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Welcome to MEATS’ Smokehouse BBQ, purveyors of delicious dishes. The chef’s savory delicacies are an intriguing blend of poultry flavor and pork texture, but from what animal could such uniqueness stem? It is probably best to not inquire where MEATS obtains his ingredients from, even if one finds a wedding band inside their hamburger.

MEATS is the newest creation of Retroband’s Aaron Moreno, and its the first figure to bring the artist away from his famed resin action figure pieces into a whole new world for him: vinyl production work.

How did MEATS come into being? What was the inspiration for him and who handled what in regards to the creation?

MEATS was inspired and driven from my surroundings here in Texas. We’re known for a few sayings, like ”Don’t mess with Texas” and “Everything is bigger in Texas,” and I wanted MEATS to somewhat represent that [attitude] in a physical form. Also, and most importantly, I wanted him to play as his own monster straight from a cult film.

This figure is being produced by the amazing team over at Unbox Industries. I designed and sculpted the entire piece, Unbox set no restrictions and completely gave me full control to do whatever I wanted. They have made the entire experience so much fun. I’m completely honored to be able to work with them.

Knowing your love of horror films, I’m sure a lot of the elements and aesthetics of MEATS were inspired by cult classics. Can

you give us a guided tour of the MEATS design and inspirations?

I wanted to tackle a different direction with vinyl monsters, so I just decided to take my surroundings and film influence and combine them in one story. MEATS portrays someone who slaves over a pit, burned and blistered, and also wears a good amount of battle wounds. The aesthetics came from the style in which was used in monsters in films from the ’70s and ’80s. I always admired masks and special effects makeup, so I used that and my love for action figures and out came MEATS.

Assuming you have one, what’s the fictional back story of this character?

The majority of fans don’t see the behind the scenes of toy making. You spend too much time in your studio and things can get dark, stressful, and often times very lonely. My mind is always racing with ideas and sometimes the perfectionist in me

takes its toll. I’ll spend hours upon hours with a project obsessing over it, sometimes not eating or drinking for whatever reasons. That’s what started helping develop this character but taking it to a more dark and sinister direction.

MEATS, a cannibalistic monstrosity that serves his victims to his customers. He prides himself in his craft and is always trying to perfect it. He beats himself up at times and that’s why he eventually chopped off his hand. Because his customers have already had the taste of flesh they are now hungry for more, so he keeps killing.

That’s MEATS’ origin, but this figure won’t be simply that. I have so much more planned for him in the future.

How will MEATS be released? Will they all be one-off and/or micro runs painted by you, or will there be a factory painted version coming out?

The main reason I’m working with Clutter 32 | 41

I’m proud to say that my good friend and amazing artist The Last Zectron is now on board with this project. I’m a huge fan of all his work that I had to make him a part. We both love the concept, so he ran with it, designed and sculpted the entire figure, a hybrid between a wild boar and a pig. Together we came up with all the small details and textures. A true collaboration.

I understand there will be a printed catalog that accompanies MEATS. What’s the story and reason behind that?

Yes! I wanted to accessorize him but also play on his story. With MEATS, you can now place your order to go! Locally smoked and award-winning rack of ribs, wings/arms, and thighs/legs. So good it’s to DIE for. (Smiles) Unbox is so I can focus on the releases rather than having to put all the time and effort into the production. With my 3¾” work, I sculpted, molded, cast, painted, assembled, and packaged them all by myself. I can now use that time with paint themes, accessories, custom clothing, packaging… Really take time with each vinyl piece.

There will be times I might do a micro run that may contain special handcrafted accessories or additions and sometimes one-offs for shows or events. No factory [paint] plans have been made.

I understand the packaging and accompaniments to MEATS will be something special. Can you elaborate?

I’m definitely going to have fun with these releases! At the beginning of Retroband, I was able to paint on packages and give out handmade stickers. When things got a bit busier, I wasn’t able to put that time into those things since it was too much for one person. Now, with vinyl, I don’t have to spend time producing anything so fans can expect all that good stuff all over again plus more!

When I started with resin 3¾”, I accessorized most releases. That, of course, came from the stuff I grew up on: Kenner, Hasbro, Playmates, etc.

Well, I’m continuing to the same with vinyl but taking it a step further. I came up with the idea of a companion.

If MEATS had a companion, what could it be? “Always be wary of a man with a pig farm” is what came to mind, a famous quote from the film Snatch, and Gristle was born!

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Why make the shift from your resin figures to MEATS? My current work is completely handmade, so the majority of my collectors keep it MOC [mint on card] for that reason. With vinyl, it welcomes taking it out of its packaging and “playing” with it. Also, the sheer size is something you can’t deny. Some of these vinyl pieces are huge and you quickly get overwhelmed when you see them in person. Also, the technical aspect drew me in, the paint and packaging application are much easier, paint dries faster and I don’t have to worry about blisters and gluing. I just wanted fans to finally be able to touch, feel and interact with my work too.

So will your focus going forward be on vinyl figures instead of resin ones?

I plan to do both actually. I still have a huge passion for carded 3¾”, that’s not going anywhere. Fans can still expect me to release those. But now I’m working on a new series of figures that I’ve been working on for over a year. I finally had time to complete the designs for the figures and find the right material. (Winks)

Do you have plans for other figures within the same universe as MEATS? Absolutely. This is only the beginning.

The blood is always thicker...

For more information on Retroband, please visit: retrobandtoys.com

MEATS GRISTLE During his interview, Aaron Moreno briefly mentions Gristle, a companion pig figure for MEATS. Designed by The Last Zectron, we were able to get insight into the inspiration behind Gristle and what makes him different from a normal pig…

“Pigs and boars don’t have a lot of facial expression, so the first thing I did was combine a pigs facial structure with that of a wolf so we could give the beast a snarl and a scowl. For the animal as a whole, Aaron wanted to make sure he had lots of different textures to play with as far as paint goes, so I went with fur on only some areas then a mix of scars and burned flesh.

“We both wanted the overall body shape to look like a pig so we kept it that way. The legs themselves are a cross between a pig and a bull which gave me the chance to add defined musculature in a way you wouldn’t normally see on a pig.

For the “feet” we decided to move away from a standard splittoe pig and go with a hoof which was mostly a design choice to keep the beast looking mean and like a hybrid of animals rather than just a pig.

“The end goal was for people to see a pig/boar on first glance then when they really look carefully they would notice all the non-pig things that make it a creature all its own. The reason the entire process was so much fun was because, working with Aaron, this was the first time I’ve sculpted something with a focus on how it would look painted.

Never had to consider that before with my own stuff, so I learned quite a bit from Aaron as we worked our way through the design process.”

— The Last Zectron

FIFTY SHADES OF PINK When I was a child, I never considered who designed the multitude of toys I coveted. Now, as an adult, I’ve gravitated to an industry that emphasizes giving the artist not only credit but top billing. The name James Groman might be one you are familiar with from the recent Rotten Rexx undead dinosaur piece, but he was also the creator and contributing artist to such toy lines as Madballs, Barnyard Commandos, Blurp Balls, and Stretch Armstrong. Without knowing his name, Groman is one of the artists who formed my aesthetic taste — through his toys — in my formative years.

BY NICK CURTIS

Having newfound recognition for his art, Groman gives no impression of slowing down. In fact, he seems bent on taking the designer toy world by storm.

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Mr. Melty (various versions)

“Who is this guy?” That was my reaction upon first encountering the saccharine colored, ultra vibrant art of Buff Monster. And, over a decade later, I’m still taken aback when viewing his perfectly painted oozing ice cream depictions.

Whether it’s Buff’s street art, fine art, or toy art, the precision and care he puts into his pieces is evident. But, more importantly, it’s the creativity he imbues his works with that allow him to dip into similar themes again and again while keeping them looking fresh.

What’s your art background?

I made lots of art as a kid. When I started painting graffiti, I loved the thrill of it and that really restarted my interest in making art.

What first attracted you to creating street art?

When I first got involved in doing stuff illegally in the public, I loved the adventure. Usually, art and adventure don’t go hand in hand. As time went on, I stopped painting and switched to putting up posters. That was a lot of fun, and the audience for the work grew.

Now that I live in New York City, I’m

back to painting walls again — legally now. I look at the street stuff as a contribution to the city. We can all take responsibility for our visual environment, and if we all do our part, we’ll all enjoy a great looking city.

Art and business are certainly entwined subjects in the modern world. Do you find that having studied business in college has helped you in your artist career?

Why choose the name Buff Monster? Does it stem from the term for removing graffiti?

An understanding of business will help you no matter what career you pursue. Everything around us is a business, though usually not as straightforward as the art or toy business. Surely the biggest artists are also the best businessmen. As [Andy] Warhol said: “Being good in business is the most fascinating kind of art.

Making money is art, and working is art, and good business is the best art.”

I never know how to answer that. I came up with that name in 2001 and the reasons for it are irrelevant today.

Were you ever formally trained as an artist?

Yes, I went to college for art and business.

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If there was one, what was your ‘break-through’ moment?

Moving from Hawaii to LA in 1997 was an important move. Quitting my magazine job in 2006 to do art full-time was good too. And moving to NYC in 2012 was also a significant moment.

What magazine job did you have? For which magazine?

I worked for a bunch of magazines, as Art Director and later as Creative Director. My last magazine job was for Helio, which some people might remember. Before that, I worked at BPM for a couple years. I liked working at magazines. Those were good times.

There’s a Japanese influence in your art, most obviously seen in your occasional use of kanji. While everyone can appreciate it stylistically, only a percentage of your fans are able to read it. Why do you choose to incorporate this element into your art?

It’s not important whether you can read it or not, and I think it’s probably better if you can’t. I certainly can’t read Japanese, but I grew up in Hawaii and there is a huge Japanese influence on the local culture there.

I grew up with lots of Japanese food, customs, and people!

I know some people have conjectured that there’s a sexual implication behind your use of melting ice cream. Is that your intent? If not, what does the ice cream in your art mean to you?

Ice Cream Inflatable, 2015

And when did you feel the urge to make your own art toys?

Did it start with the desire for a figure of your own design, or was it more an interest in customizing them that grew into something more?

I guess some of the imagery can be really sexual, but it’s not really my intent. As far as things to feast your gaze upon, photos of ice cream are definitely towards the top of the list.

But as far as a conceptual reason to use the imagery, I think it’s a nice metaphor for life.

How were you first introduced to art toys?

I always considered toys a very natural and inevitable complement to the paintings. In 2005, I wanted to make my own line of toys. I met with pretty much all the companies making toys at the time. I ended up making a deal with MINDstyle and we made lots of toys together. Now is a different time, of course. Recently I’ve just been producing them myself.

I think it was around 2002 or 2003 that I was first approached to make art toys. That company just kind of disappeared, so those never happened. My first toy was a Dunny in Kidrobot’s LA series in 2005.

The shapes that became the eponymous Buff Monster series from MINDstyle were something you’d been painting for a while before that. Why did you name them after yourself?

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Opposite: “Buffbob Pinkpants” (detail), 2014 Below: Buff Monster’s Toy Machine

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Melty Misfits, let’s talk about the trading cards… What spurred you to create an homage to the Garbage Pail Kids (GPK) trading card — er, sticker — series?

Topps continues to make GPKs today, with new series coming out all the time. But I didn’t grow up with the new ones, of course, and I don’t like them. I was very young when they came out in the mid-‘80s, and they had a huge impact on me.

They’ve always interested me, and my collection has grown and grown; it’s very big now.

I’m only interested in creating an homage to the original ones. And in order to make that a reality, I needed a mad scientist. Sucklord introduced me to Tom [Lichtman of Sidekick Labs] many years ago, and Tom and I started talking about doing a card set.

It took a few years before we nailed down a deadline and, over several stressful months, we talked for hours and hours about the most miniscule details of papers, inks, and everything else.

“A Happy Cherry-Picker,” 2012

The characters came first, and then the name came. Actually right before the MINDstyle toys came out, I assumed the name. And today, even my girlfriend calls me Buff.

Jumping ahead to the more modern stuff, you self-produced Mr. Melty in Japanese vinyl. Is there a reason you chose sofubi for this piece?

I’ve always loved Japanese culture, so it’s nice to get my creations produced there.

The Melty Misfits card #31a

You’ve been doing a lot of resin figures lately — like the Melty Misfits Cheap Toys. Do you prefer offering resin pieces to vinyl ones?

I’m always interested in the most efficient way to do anything. And I’m also very self-sufficient. So if it’s more efficient to hire someone to make something for me, I will. But if that takes too long or is too fraught with problems, I’ll just do it myself.

Resin offers me the ability to make something without the help of any other person. Especially if you’re under a very tight deadline, that’s a good thing!

The Melty Misfits card #43a

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Logically progressing from the

I painted the card designs on 5x7” paper, which is the same size as the original GPK paintings. I also learned how to airbrush, because the originals were airbrushed. We had the sticker paper custom made because they don’t make the same paper that Topps used back in 1985. We use waxed paper for the wrappers, and each pack is folded and sealed by hand, one at a time, in the USA. It’s a very, very labor intensive project; a true labor of love. It’s the most ambitious GPK parody set ever. Series 2 came out last year, which was even more ambitious!

What made series 2 of The Melty Misfits more ambitious than the first set?

First, I wanted to have at least 40 characters, which means 40+ new original paintings. That’s a lot of work! Also, we created new specials inserts. The foil cards turned out great, but that was a big issue. The printer had never used that kind of paper before, so they had to order special ink and make sure everything was set up right. The foils have reproductions of the sketches for each design on the back. I’m really happy with those. Also, we did a couple lenticular cards, the 3D cards

The L.I.S.A. Project NYC mural, 2014

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“Color Flash,” 2015

from our youth. They are insanely time-consuming to prep for the printer. My assistant spent a LOT of time on those. We funded Series 2 on Kickstarter, so there were a million logistical things to handle related to that.

Do you think you’ll use Kickstarter to finance future projects?

I really like the system they’ve built.

It’s a great way to get people involved in a whole new way. But it does take an insane amount of time to manage.

So I’d like to use Kickstarter again, but I’m not sure that I will.

As you mentioned, The Melty Misfits series included lots of special inserts, like misprinted variants and some with signed 52 | Clutter 32

backs. Where do touches like these come from?

Well, it’s the thrill of finding something extra special in a pack that makes ‘em so much fun to open! I love GPK error cards — misprinted or miscut ones — so I definitely wanted to do some of those. Signed cards and original sketch cards are great inserts because it is an art project, after all.

You also released a Metal Misfits mini set for your Number of the Beast exhibition with L’amour Supreme at Cotton Candy Machine. What was it like collaborating on that project?

Were there any unexpected results of working with another artist on your trading card concept?

At the time, L’amour and I were working on a lot of projects together.

I thought it would be fun to do a little card set along with the show. There are so many GPK designs that would be great for two artists with different styles to recreate. So it turned out to be a nice little set of 8 cards plus 1 bonus card.

Earlier this year, you released a brand new inflatable art piece, similar to the one you released with The Loyal Subjects years ago. Why opt to revisit this medium now?

I really liked that piece, but it just seemed to sell out and disappear so quickly. I know there’s plenty of stores and collectors that would love to have one but had no way of getting one. I think it’s a great piece and I

Buff Monster’s studio

Mr. Melty Zombie

Mr. Melty — regular unpainted, regular painted, zombie unpainted, and zombie painted

just wanted to see it have a longer life, so I made some news ones with an updated design so it feels more contemporary.

Your new monograph art book, Stay Melty, is just about to come out. Is this going to be a proper retrospective of your career or more focused on specific aspects? What rare treats will the pages hold for us fans?

Gingko Press is putting it out. I’m also going to offer some special versions of it… Stay tuned!

Are you trying to concentrate your artistic efforts in a certain direction for the future? Are you leaning more towards the fine art, street art, or toy art side of things? Or will you continue to be a Renaissance artist of meltiness?

my own sake, and for the sake of my dedicated collectors, a smoother and more sophisticated system is for everyone’s benefit. I’ve already implemented some nice changes to my web store — like the newlyestablished rewards program — and I’ll keep tweaking it. I always want to give back to those that support me.

What else does the future hold for you and your art?

The book covers the whole range of my creative output, mostly from the last few years. From toys to murals to paintings and everything else, there’s a lot to cover. It’s 224 pages, has over 600 photos, including lots of cool behind the scenes shots, and I designed it all myself. It’s my first book in six years, so it’s definitely a must have! I’m very pleased that

Everything serves a purpose in the grand scheme of things. I like the immediacy of the murals I paint, but, of course, you can’t take a piece of the mural home with you. So toys are great little items to collect, but the production problems drive me crazy so I’m always trying to put systems in place that will make everything run much smoother. Trust me, for

Always working on bigger and better things. There are so many things I want to do and I hope you’ll come along for the ride.

For more information on Buff Monster, please visit: BuffMonster.com Clutter 32 | 53

“Skull Moss Growth Sickling,” 2015

By Nick Curtis

Wrapping your cloak tightly around your chilled frame, it is exhausting to force your feet to plod onward. Why didn’t anyone warn you about how cold the nearly sunless Black Twig Forest could be? Surrounded by foliage in fall hues of yellow and orange, you stumble and almost collapse upon the tiniest wooden hut.

No more than a foot tall, who could reside within?

Thus is the landscape of artist Yosiell Lorenzo’s fictional world, which he steadily explores with each work he completes. All are welcome to visit here, just beware of what you might step upon…

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Who are you and what is your art background? Formally trained? selftaught?

My name is Yosiell Lorenzo and I am an illustrator/sculptor based out of Oakland, California, [though] originally from the New England area. I graduated from Paier College of Art based out of Hamden, Connecticut, where I received my degree in graphic design. Other than my design work, everything I learned was through trial and error… that goes for my illustrations and sculpting as well.

What was your first exposure to art toys? Did you immediately know you wanted to work in this medium? And what appealed to you about using this medium for your art?

My first exposure to art toys was back in the early 2000s. I was touring with my band out west and, on an off day in San Francisco, I stumbled upon a tiny store named Kidrobot.

Immediately after returning from the tour, I did a search on Kidrobot and the rest is history.

As for working with the medium, it wasn’t until I figured out that people would buy these toys, strip them, and customize them, that I wanted to give it a try. The medium to me felt really accessible, you can pick up a figure and that same day start right on it.

“Apprentice Sicklings (Light),” 2015

It was new, with no rules… so much room for experimenting.

While I suspect you did some custom work prior to having the Poison Sweet figure released by Happy Panda Toys, that came out very early in your art toy career, yes? Having a full vinyl production work that early must not have been easy to do… Is there a story for how this came about? And how did you choose the form to have produced?

Yeah, it was maybe late 2008, early 2009 that I was approached by Happy Panda Toys and asked if I was interested in releasing a vinyl figure.

I gave them three sketches with three stories that went with the figures and they chose Poison Sweet. I was a bit skeptical at first, I figured they would email me, start the project, and things would fizzle out, but it actually all came through. So for about a year and a half it was a lot of going back and fourth, receiving photos from the sculptor and making revisions.

The final step was laying out the design for the box art… It debuted November of 2010 at Designer Con. There was a full-color edition and a monotone edition that was limited to 200, I believe. I think the full-color versions still pops up from time to time.

So how did you move from your earlier work, like Poison Sweet, into doing Sicklings?

Poison Sweet was being created when I was still living in Connecticut and it was released just as I moved to California. It wasn’t an easy move, I was unemployed and knew no one so I think that kind of triggered my work to what you might call a “darker place.” I left the pastels for a warmer, or more somber, palette.

“The Bone Collector,” 2015

So that’s why the Sicklings have a very earthy, muted color palate…

Does this choice hold a special Clutter 32 | 59

meaning to you, beyond what you mentioned?

It does. With what I was going through early in my career, you start to think about what felt safe to you and some of that was my childhood, growing up in old colonial houses with ornate wood interiors and my mom being really into antiques… All that just started coming out. Earth tones have a safe and inviting vibe to me. I guess you can say I started feeling like I was finding my voice.

Not to be blunt, but what exactly is a Sickling?

The origin of a Sickling is still a mystery, but they are small creatures that live underneath the roots of trees in a place called Somber Hollow.

They are tea makers that use dew as a base for their tea making. And they communicate through telepathy.

They first debuted in a 2D form [in] February of 2011, and then 3D form in November of that same year. I’ve been building their world for the past four years.

Do you sculpt, cast, and paint all the Sicklings yourself?

“The Order of the Mystics,” 2014

I do, I create my masters out of Magic Sculpt and most recently Monster Sculpt. I cast the majority of my own stuff. For a bit, I had someone helping with the casting but now have gone back to doing it myself. I paint all my figures with acrylics.

Have you ever thought of massproducing a Sickling?

I have considered mass production,

but I felt if I did I could cheapen my creations a bit if not done right.

Perhaps some smaller figures, but they would have to tie in with everything that I’m doing and with the story that I am building. When a collector buys a Sickling, they are buying into a much bigger world, they are taking a bit of Black Twig Forest into their homes.

I know you’ve done a large variety of Sickling designs, but is there one specific version that you’d call your favorite? If so, which one and why?

Ah, it would have to be the Apprentice Sickling. They come with a cloak and a book of magic, their Grimoire. Once fully trained, they can control both the natural and spiritual world… What’s not to like? (Smiles) What can we expect from you in the future?

Expanding the world of the Sicklings.

There are areas in Black Twig Forest that I have yet to explore, and I want to create new sculpts that represent those undiscovered Sicklings. The Orphans are another side project that I have which revolves around my illustrations and prints, so you’ll be seeing more of that from time to time. Now that I am doing my art full-time, I can develop more of these areas.

For more information on Yosiell Lorenzo, please visit: yosielllorenzo.com “Sickling and his Moving Home,” 2014

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The Bison Van After almost a decade of being absent from the art collectible scene, Jeremy Fish triumphantly returns with the conclusion of his vehicle-themed trilogy: The Bison Van. Following in the aesthetic footsteps of his StrangeCo released Bunnyvan (2004) and Turtle Camper (2006), Fish’s Bison Van will debut at this year’s Designer Con. But what caused this O.G. designer toy artist to return to the medium?

Let’s start with the obvious question: You’ve found great success with your paintings, illustrations, and designs, so what made you want to return to designer toys? The Bison Van is your first vinyl figure since 2008’s Barry the Beaver.

The Bison Van got made because a rad opportunity presented itself. I have made a couple toy designs over the last few years for dudes that never produced them. From my perspective, it looked like the collectible mantoy industry kind of crumbled. I was mainly interested in making toys people could really play with.

Most of the Barry The Beavers were purchased by the world famous, Bay Area-based Good Vibrations stores.

People made a real connection with 62 | Clutter 32

Barry. Back then I received lots of videos and photos of their enjoyment.

Barry lives a life most “toys” only dream of.

How did The Bison Van release come about? Did you approach Ben Goretsky at 3DRetro or did he approach you?

Nope, I was introduced to a gentleman named Adam KennedyDamiano through mutual Friends, and a mutual love for hip hop shows.

He proposed the idea and offered me creative freedom to make a new toy. He is now a good friend, a very righteous dude, and was a pleasure to work with.

Adam Kennedy-Damiano? The co-

founder of The Loyal Subjects? How did 3DRetro end up making it?

I have no idea, dude. We bonded over the Wu-Tang, and our mutual friend Oliver Beavers. He asked me to make a toy, then… BOOM, The Bison Van was born.

What was the process like in creating The Bison Van? Were you very “hands on” at every step?

I’m not sure what “hands on” would really entail as far as making toys go.

This was basically the same as my other toy projects over the years more or less. I did not go to Asia, or sculpt the original if that’s what you meant?

I meant “hands on” in regards to The

Bison Van regarding the approval process, mostly. Basically, is the beautiful piece that’s being released exactly what you imagined it would be?

Yes, absolutely. I drew it from a bunch of [different] directions and gave feedback to make changes as the toy came to life. There were a few rounds of changes, and small adjustments. I am super happy and proud of this final Bison, bro.

What can you tell us about the release itself? How big is it? How limited will it be? Are there plans to further color variations, like you did with the Bunnyvan and Turtlecamper?

Little Mike, as I have nicknamed him, is about 6” tall, 4” wide, and 10” long. I don’t know the numbers on how many of each yet, but there are going to be four different color versions of this little dude. He does roll, and if you buy two and strap them to your feet, they may work as roller skates as well.

Sharing a similar appeal as your classic Bunnyvan and Turtlecamper, what was the inspiration behind The Bison Van? It’s based on the van you currently own, Big Mike, yes?

Yes, it was inspired by my radical 1976 Dodge van, named Big Mike after the man I bought it from.

All three of these toys come from my deep love and fascination with old vehicles, and the open road.

The Bison Van, 2015

Road trips, camping, and good old fashioned American-made vehicles with a twist. I have recently had my drivers license taken away, so the timing of this release is crazy for me personally.

You had your driver’s license taken away? What happened, if you don’t mind me asking?

Not at all, man. Thanks for asking. I was recently diagnosed with epilepsy.

After two brain surgeries on a big ass aneurysm over the last year, the doctors figured out my symptoms which lead them to find the aneurysm were actually caused by epilepsy.

California automatically takes away your right to drive with this diagnosis.

What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger and so on…

Is this heralding a proper return to the designer toy world for you? Can we expect lots more amazing vinyl works from your masterful mind?

Jeremy Fish with The Bison Van

Honestly, probably not, Nick. I really love and respect dudes like Bigfoot and Kozik for producing and selling their own art toys independently. I’m just not sure I will commit the time

and energy to pursue those types of projects on my own. However, I will always be happy to collaborate with rad dudes to make rad shit when the planets align just right, and the wind is blowing in a rad direction. Lastly, a shout out with love and respect to Jim and Greg from StrangeCo for giving me the opportunity to make the Bunnyvan over ten years ago.

So would you consider making “real” toys again? The functional sort that you could play with, one way or another?

Yeah, totally! If you own a toy company and want to make some real wacky functional shit, holler at me. I would really like to make a sculpted vinyl herb vaporizer. Or perhaps a rad 3D vinyl character iPhone case?

Practical shit that makes life more fun. I grew up skateboarding with a dude who, I heard, works for Mattel.

I’m still hoping he will hit me up for some major league toy action someday.

For more information on Jeremy Fish, please visit: sillypinkbunnies.com Clutter 32 | 63

SLAVExONE’s Gero with UnaffiliatedSJ’s Yodakai head, 2015

SLAVISH DEVOTION

by Nick Curtis

SLAVExONE’s Gero design has quickly found a dedicated audience, and not just with the fans… A treasure trove of micro edition runs and one-off versions have been hand-painted by beaK, Blurble, CopASquat, D-LuX, Drilone, DSKIone, GUUMON, Hellopike, jellykoe, Joe Whiteford, Krotpong, Monster Worship, Mutant Vinyl Hardcore, Splurrt, and Topheroy. But the most frequent collaborator there has been for the Japanese vinyl piece is not on that list; it’s UNaffiliatedSJ, who has become an integral part of the creation process, even sculpting new head fixtures for the figure. How did these two otherwise unconnected art studios become so intertwined? And what will the future hold for them as they continue to evolve together?

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Please introduce yourselves… Who are you? what do you do? what’s your background?

Drew To: My name is Drew To, also known as UNaffiliatedSJ. Born and raised in San Jose, California, I studied graphic design in college and have been teaching art for grades kindergarten through 8th the past six years.

Adam Taylor: Adam Taylor, toy maker and designer, co-founder of SLAVExONE. Born in the Dirty South in 1978, I grew up a little punk skateboarder, metalhead, and toy collector kid in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Then I moved to Los Angeles in 1999.

What exactly is SLAVExONE? To: I will let Adam take this because I too am wondering the same…

UNaffiliatedSJ’s Kohai, 2015

Taylor: SLAVExONE is a company started by myself and best friend, Danny Morris. We came up with the idea for SLAVExONE in late 2007, but the first official products came out early 2010. We started by selling shirts, buttons, and stickers, then expanded to toys and other products.

So how did you each discover the designer toy world?

Taylor: I was heavy into the art scene, doing graffiti with SLAVExONE co-founder Danny. Around 2005, we were on the streets painting Los

Angeles every night and going to art shows. One day, at Meltdown Comics, Danny picked up a Super7 Magazine and that changed my life!

To: I got into designer toys by being obsessed with all things kaiju, but mostly Godzilla himself. I would always search for the different makers and sculpts so I could learn about their history. About a year and a half ago, I came across the word sofubi and it opened my eyes to all these crazy talented independent

toy makers. And, at that moment, I knew what I wanted to do with my free time.

Whoa, you’re going into my next question there. (Laughs) How did you make the leap into being toy makers?

To: I taught myself how to make molds and cast resin, started brainstorming, and picked up some clay to mess around with. It’s been quite the rollercoaster ride since my very first contribution to the designer toy community!

Taylor: Through some friends at Meltdown Comics, we [Danny and I] were able to meet artist & toy maker Nathan Cabrera and Julie B of Pretty in Plastic, who took me into her studio and showed me how to get started, eventually leading to SLAVExONE making resin figures and now finally producing Japanese vinyl toys.

Speaking of your vinyl toys, SLAVExONE’s probably best known for the Gero. Can you let us know that character’s background and backstory a bit?

Various painted Gero releases

Taylor: My influences for Gero are from the old IKB sofubi monsters in Japan, and kaiju such as Hedorah, Zagoran, Garamon, and Matango.

Gero is born out of toxic waste Clutter 32 | 67

and leftover garbage. He scours planet Earth devouring pollution and breathing out clean air, helping sustain its atmosphere. He also defends the Earth from evil space monster attacks. Without his help, our planet may have been destroyed already. He roams around this planet alone… for now.

So how did SLAVExONE and UNaffiliatedSJ start working together?

To: We were randomly placed as booth neighbors at DesignerCon in 2014…

Taylor: …and we hit it off right away.

To: We even spoke, during the convention, about doing a collaboration.

What attracted you to the other’s work and wanting to work together?

Taylor: I really like Drew’s sculpting style, [and] it seems to blend well with SLAVExONE toys and — at the same time — is something completely different than I would have done.

To: Like Adam said, our styles compliment each other. And we’re just two chill dudes wanting to make toys! As I learned more about Gero’s background, I envisioned some fun ideas for different heads, accessories, omakes, etc., so I threw some ideas at Adam and that’s how Gero’s evil alter ego, Yadokai, was created.

So was Yadokai the first collaboration between you two?

Taylor: Yea, our first collaboration together was this new character head that fits the Gero body. After the convention [we met at] was over, I talked with Drew about sculpting this new head… Maybe Drew can elaborate on the meaning of the name, Yadokai.

To: The idea behind Yadokai was based off of the good nature of Gero, playing off the theme of good turning to evil. So you have this kaiju that wanders and soaks up all the bad to protect the people but eventually is overtaken by all the dark energy that it is constantly battling. Hence the name Yadokai, referring to monks that eventually turn to mischief. The sculpt was super fun to do.

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Taylor: It is in wax at the moment and should be in vinyl, hopefully, by DesignerCon. You recently released a Joker-inspired rendition of the Gero, which was accompanied by an original resin omake by Drew. What inspired this collaboration and do you plan to do similar pieces in the future together?

Taylor: I had always wanted to paint a Joker colorway since Gero was sculpted in 2013. And purple was actually the first vinyl color ordered, but it didn’t arrive until 2015 so I had to put it on hold until just recently. During this time, I asked Drew if he would be down to sculpt a new mini to include in the release as a bonus. He went beyond my expectations and sculpted the two piece mini-figure Tesaki.

Gero painted by Topheroy with hair rooting by Denisa Medrano, 2015

To: For Tesaki, I did a quick freestyle sculpt for an omake that would also work as a standalone mini-figure.

The idea behind the mini-figure is a sidekick-minion that is always loyal to those it becomes attached to. The Tesaki is a lonely wandering spirit that latches onto its ideal host.

Taylor: And what better companion for a Joker than a Harley Quinn inspired colorway. I think Drew will be releasing a few Tesaki resin releases on his own later this year—

UNaffiliatedSJ’s Time Traveller, 2015

To: I definitely have ideas for resin releases, but I’m looking forward to seeing this little minion in Japanese vinyl!

Taylor: That’s right, we have plans for a vinyl version in 2016!

To: And I am beyond excited to see it in vinyl!

That’s fantastic! What else is on the horizon for you two?

Taylor: We have been working together on a few up-and-coming projects.

Drew and I have lots of collaboration ideas already lined up!

To: There’s a lot of fun and exciting stuff between Adam and myself moving forward.

Taylor: We will be sharing a booth this year at DesignerCon, where we plan to unveil a completely new figure sculpt along with some other surprises.

Tigero, 2014

For more information on SLAVExONE, please visit: slaveone.com

For more information on UNaffiliatedSJ, please visit: unaffiliatedsj.com

ALLURINGLY SUBTLE

ASYMMETRY

By Nick Curtis

Holy Diver, 2015

Eschewing the futurist patterns of his graffiti work, Rose has been exploring the natural world and the distant past through his art toy endeavors for five years now.

His work can be mistaken for symmetrical from a distance, but close examination exposes the variances — uneven wood grain patterning, stray cloud formations, realistic typographical formations‌ A more sophisticated visual palate might find the adventurousness and originality of this subtle asymmetry preferable, finding pleasure in the lack of both the rigorously uniform and raucously unbalanced. And that audience will find the artwork of Hugh Rose a revelation.

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Tell us about yourself and how you got started in the art scene?

drive comes from before all of that when I was a child.

I grew up in Guernsey, which is a small, 25 square mile island between England and France. Apart from making toys, I am an illustrator, model maker, and have art exhibitions fairly regularly. I also do a lot of work in local schools and hospitals, teaching art and using creativity to improve [the] quality of life.

Professionally speaking, I got started as an artist when I lost my job and I realized that art was what I was best at, so that was how I should be paying the bills. In 2011, I was the runner-up in a Kidrobot custom contest and I started to get a lot of commissions for custom toys from that; my toy career really started with my “Wooden Sky Monkey” piece from that contest.

My earliest influence was the TV show Thunderbirds. I loved the models, puppets, and sets, and a lot of my early drawings are big maps and plans of imaginary facilities and vehicles.

I can clearly remember wanting the Thunderbirds toys very badly and even made my own from some bits and pieces from my dad’s workshop.

In fact, there is still a plywood shelf there that has the words “Danger!

Emerging Thunderbirds!” written on it. I must have used it as a landing strip or hangar for my toys. I did study art at university later on, and that taught me how to develop and refine my ideas, but all of my creative

You previously were professionally known as DRED, though you abandoned that pseudonym a bit back. What did that name signify for you and why did you opt to stop using it?

my main focus, as I felt that it didn’t quite mesh with the kind of work I was making, which became a lot more focused on nature and history.

I see my street artwork from that period as being very urban, but my more recent work as being more rural and rooted in Guernsey. So, yeah, to me it represents that period of my life, where I was working very hard, learning my craft, but hadn’t quite found myself. The starving artist years!

Your painted vinyl figure work tends to use elaborate patterns that emphasize symmetry overall but have areas of asymmetrical diversion.

What attracts you to this style? Do you feel this aesthetic itself conveys a message?

DRED was my graffiti name. Before I discovered toys, I was working and exhibiting as a street artist around the UK, and that is where I learned to draw and paint. It is a reference to the English comic character Judge Dredd, who was my favorite as a kid.

I stopped using it when toys became

Symmetry and geometry provide a great structure within which you can play with ideas. As long as you have that structure, you know the piece will make some kind of sense at the end, so I typically decide on an overall structure early on, then improvise and add detail with free Clutter 32 | 73

“Wooden Monkey I,” 2014

“The Russell III,” 2014

reign. It took me a long time to learn that balancing act between complexity and simplicity. Also, I never sketch or measure anything out, and if you were to measure one of my pieces, the geometry would be way off. I think this gives it a human touch and helps the character to come alive. Nothing in nature is perfectly straight, circular, or symmetrical. It’s about getting close enough.

There’s a nautical theme that runs through a lot of work. What inspires you to take your art in this direction?

When I create a character, I find that it really helps to think about where that character comes from and what that place is like, so I do think a lot about the world that they inhabit.

Over the years, the sea has gradually 74 | Clutter 32

“Roadkill M.C. President,” 2013

become a bigger and bigger part of my imaginative universe, probably because I live on an island, and the sea is an important part of its landscape and identity. By its nature, the sea is always changing, and a place where you need to keep moving, so the idea is that my characters are on a voyage or journey of some sort (or they are guides to others who are on a journey). I like to imagine they are involved in the task of navigating their way towards a destination, or they are lost and trying to return home using the stars, their knowledge of the environment, and maybe even more mystical methods as well.

You’ve been reinterpreting iconic cinema horror characters as original art toys recently. What caused this experimentation away from your established style?

“Roadkill M.C. Sergeant-at-Arms,” 2013

“Captain Spaulding,” 2014

All of the horror characters are for the same client. She wanted me to reinterpret some iconic horror characters in my own style. I made Captain Spaulding [from House of 1,000 Corpses] and Billy the Puppet [from Saw] for her, and she liked them so much that she booked a few more commissions. Next I made Pinhead [a.k.a. Lead Cenobite from Hellraiser], and at the moment I am working on Leatherface [from Texas Chainsaw Massacre] and the Xenomorph [from Alien]. Although I never saw my work going in this direction, I am actually a huge horror fan, and the commissions became very interesting projects. It has been really interesting to explore my darker side! I particularly enjoyed making Pinhead, and I’m really proud of that piece.

What’s the narrative behind your Roadkill M.C. series? Will you be continuing it or has it been abandoned?

The Roadkill M.C is an outlaw motorcycle club made up of zombie animals. An animal can join the Roadkill M.C if it is run over at a crossroads under a full moon.

If it meets these conditions it is reanimated as a zombie biker. The idea was actually based off my very first custom, so the idea is very close to my heart and I certainly won’t be abandoning it. I have made a few RKMC members over the years and as soon as I get a commission or a show piece that is suitable, I’ll add another member!

For the last year, you’ve been exploring creating your own sculptural

canvases to paint. Can you tell us about the inception of the Wooden Monkey and Russell designs?

Customizing toys and doing commissions for collectors was going really well, but I realized that I was altering the shape of the toys so extensively that it would make sense to try building a toy from scratch.

I spent a lot of time playing with different materials and finding shapes and forms that would work with my style of painting. The Wooden Monkey and Russell designs were the results of this experimentation, and I hand painted a few and took then to ToyCon UK 2014. They were based on custom toys I had previously made, so they were a pretty natural progression from customizing.

How about the fairly new Holy Diver Clutter 32 | 75

design; what influenced the creation and direction of this sculpture?

After making a few of my own resin toys and painting them, I wondered if there was a way to speed up the process and bring the price of the pieces down to a more affordable level. The main technical challenge here was retaining the same amount of detail in the designs without having to hand paint each piece.

After seeing some scrimshaw carvings, I came up with the idea of carving and scratching a design into the resin master, as then the design would be picked up by the silicone mold and replicated in each pull.

The diver/astronaut character is something that has been in my work for a while, and it relates to the idea I mentioned earlier of making a voyage into the unknown. The Holy Diver is actually the first in a series of toys based on the alchemical metals — gold, silver, copper, tin, lead, mercury, and iron. In alchemy, each metal corresponds to an astrological planet, for example, gold corresponds to the Sun. Next on the list is a silver diver for the Moon. This is all part of my interest in mythology and ancient religions, I find that stuff fascinating.

And finally you have the affordable Eagle Ammo, which simultaneously embodies and veers away from your

stylistic norms. While the design itself encompasses many elements common in your work, the subject matter is mainly avian with a tribal aesthetic. What was your reasoning behind this shift, as well as choosing to produce a cost-effective piece of art?

The idea for the Ammo piece actually came to me when I was customizing an Android, which is roughly bullet shaped. At the time, I was reading a lot about the First Nation and the indigenous people of North America and was struck by the tragedy of their demise as a culture. I’m very interested in ‘lost’ civilizations and ancient religions, and this is a very recent example of how a whole culture can practically disappear in a very short time. With this piece, I was trying to tell a story of a Native American warrior, embroiled in a war that he could never win, adopting the weapons of the invading culture but, at the same time, representing and championing his own culture even as it disappears. Quite a sad story, but I hoped to represent some of the pride of those people in the design.

The beauty of resin casting is that it enables you to reduce the cost of your work and bring it to a wider market, and this is something I really want to do, but not at the expense of telling an interesting story with the

character. I felt like this piece was quite successful at balancing these things.

What directions are you planning to take your art in the future?

I’m juggling a lot of different things at the moment! I am currently doing a lot of work in my local health service, finding ways to use art to help people suffering from mental illness, cancer, dementia, and so on. I have mentioned that I am very interested in ancient cultures and religion, and one of the things that has struck me is that in ancient civilizations, art was inseparable from the practice of medicine, religion, history, technology, and so on, so for me it is very important to get involved in my community and see what art can contribute.

In terms of toys, I am really into the swing of resin production now, so I have a lot more resin releases planned, many of them will be launching at DesignerCon 2015, which I will be attending as an exhibitor.

For more information on Hugh Rose, please visit: www.hughrose.co.uk

Eagle Ammo, 2015

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THE MONTHLY DIY:

FINISHING STRONG

BY MARC DEANGELIS

Last month, we showed you how to turn your concept into a reality by painting a custom toy. Hopefully, you’ve laid down all your coats because this month we’re talking about how to finish your custom and then display it for your own enjoyment or send it to a friend. These might sound like minor steps, but the last thing you want is to ruin your custom piece and have all that work go to waste.

Sekure D, Jon-Paul Kaiser, Rotobox, and WuzOne join us in our fifth step towards completing a custom toy.

Once you’re sure you’re done painting your custom and have given it plenty of time to dry, it’s time to add a layer of protection.

Varnish will help your toy be less vulnerable to dings, scratches, and smudged paint. You might be tempted to spray on varnish with wild abandon, but more is less here.

Applying too much clear coat will destroy your work in more ways than one. First, you’ll wind up with a tacky finish. Since you won’t be handling the toy much, that might not seem like a big deal, but dust is everywhere and will turn your Munny into a dust bunny in no time.

Second, the moisture of the varnish can make your paint application 80 | Clutter 32

run, ruining your painstaking line work. And remember to let the varnish dry. A big thumbprint on your piece won’t look too hot.

Nothing short of sanding everything down and starting again — which in itself is a pain — can fix an overvarnished or smudged toy.

Keep in mind that varnish can run double duty. Available in matte, semi-gloss, and gloss, your clear coat can add another dimension of style to your custom. If you’ve got a candy-colored paint palette going on, consider going with gloss. If your custom resembles a furry animal or is supposed to look coarse, a matte finish might be

better. Again, moderation is key.

If you’ve sprayed too much semigloss varnish onto a toy, you might as well have used a gloss finish.

Not all varnish is created equal.

Both Jon-Paul Kaiser and WuzOne are partial to Citadel Purity Seal.

“It’s the only thing I’ve found that doesn’t leave a satin or gloss finish,” attests JPK, whose custom Dunnys look like they rolled off the factory production line with their even matte finishes. The only downside with Citadel is the price.

“It’s expensive, but it’s the best; I’ve never had a problem with it,” says WuzOne. Cans run nearly $20, whereas a similar product from

Montana Cans rings in at under $10.

Sekure D also sticks with matte finishes but says that this is simply a personal preference. Rotobox, on the other hand, often use semi-gloss or gloss varnishes to compliment their mecha-inspired characters and create a finish that resembles metal.

Once the varnish has dried, stick your custom on your shelf in all its glory.

That chunk of plastic represents hours of creativity and hard work. Remember that your toy is vulnerable to more than earthquakes and curious pets. JPK advises to “keep [the toy] out of direct sunlight, don’t play with it, don’t allow it to get too hot, don’t get it wet, and never feed it after midnight.” Even lamps can damage the soft plastic.

“It’s not good if the toy receives heat from lights, especially if it’s too close to the lights,” WuzOne points out. Sekure D provides some general pointers: “Just be smart. Don’t [leave it] in front of a heater or in a sauna.

Common sense wins the day.”

If your piece was a present for a friend, or maybe even ordered by a client, it’s time to prep it for a cardboard coffin. This can be tricky because you don’t want any packing materials to adhere to the toy.

Rotobox has a trick up their sleeves.

“We usually use bubble wrap with a little oil so it helps to avoid sticking to the figure and then use Styrofoam for protection.” They admit how difficult the packing process is. “This is the most frustrating part for us because no matter how careful you pack the figure, damage still occurs along the way.” That’s, of course, an especially tough problem when you’re dealing with one-off pieces of work that can’t quickly or easily be replaced. Sekure D confirms that your toy will be manhandled.

“Shipping companies are monsters and thieves. Don’t tell them I said that.” If you’re selling your piece, don’t forget to insure it and take the time you’ve spent on it into account when declaring its value. Otherwise, cross your fingers and pound that “Fragile” stamp all over the box.

That’s all for this month. Check back next issue where we’ll talk about how to promote your work and get some eyes on your custom.

In the meantime, keep sanding.

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SOFT VINYL SICKNESS

by Nick Curtis

Warui Zonbi: SS Werewolf sculpt, 2015

Fans of ‘80s frightmare films can rejoice as art commentator and creator Niall Anderson, known by many under the guise of Tru:tek, opens forth his Gory Hole toy line. Debuting with the Warui Zonbi figures, horror aficionados will be treated to releases that scream originality while harkening to their favorite films. Beware: the Warui Zonbis are coming!

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Let’s start with the most simple element: you’re releasing a new series called Warui Zonbi, a modern interpretation of the Ma-Ba Zombie figures. For those that don’t remember them, what were the MaBa Zombies?

The general toy buying public can be easily excused for not knowing about the Ma-Ba Zombies! As well as being a relative obscurity upon debuting back in 1986, they also never made it out of their native Japan. Originally an offshoot of Mattel’s western series Mad Scientist, a line consisting of various ooze-filled “science lab” style toys, the Ma-Ba Zombies

were actually one of a number of collaborations with eastern toy manufacturer Bandai (hence Ma-Ba) throughout the ’80s.

Initially featuring a total of six soft vinyl figures loosely based on classic horror monsters, the brand would go on to spawn another three series and a play set in its relatively short lifespan. Instantly recognized by their unique, chunky sculpt style and familiar split-torso design, the 3” finger puppet-style toys managed to retain the original slime mechanic of previous Mad Scientist releases with the inclusion of keshi-style accessories that would spew out of

Warui Zonbi: Zombie Baby Selwyn sculpt (front and reverse), 2015

various crevices — often the eyes! — when the figures were uncapped and filled with ooze.

One of the most collectable — albeit nigh-impossible to obtain — horror toy series out there, the Ma-Ba Zombies have been a huge influence on my work, and a line I’ve been dying to expand upon for quite some time… Now, has anyone got a play set they’re willing to let go?!?

Seriously, I need one…

Now that we’ve got that, what are the Warui Zonbis? What makes them similar and different from the Ma-Ba Zombies?

Essentially an unofficial extension to the original Ma-Ba line, the Warui Zonbis will differ slightly in terms of source material. With classic monsters — Dracula, Frankenstein’s monster, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, Alien, and even the Gremlins — all making an appearance in MaBa’s extensive line-up, I’ll be digging a little deeper with figures inspired by some of the more obscure horror characters I grew up with throughout the ’80s and ’90s.

Whilst there are no plans to include the same ooze mechanic as the original figures, my primary focus has been to make each figure as authentic as possible, being sure that the look, feel, and scale are all inkeeping with the classic Ma-Ba line.

And there’s the packaging! Just wait until you see these boxes…

And Zombie Baby? What’s he based on?

Who was involved in making this project happen? Design, sculpting, production… who were the movers and shakers behind everything?

The Zombie Baby, a.k.a. Selwyn, holds a big place in my heart as it’s from one of the first horror films I watched that made me truly grimace in its depravity: the epic Dead Alive from the then very young Peter Jackson! Taken from the truly disturbing “birthing” scene, the figure features baby Selwyn busting out of the head of a poor zombie nurse, coming complete with that all-important Sumatran rat-monkey nestled around the back. If none of that makes sense to you, then I urge you to go check out this film now. It will not disappoint!

I have a lot of people to thank in getting the first Gory Hole toys off the ground, unfortunately a few of them must remain secret for reasons I can’t mention here! What I can tell you is that these guys were conceived and designed by myself with help from fellow Ma-Ba aficionado John Santagada [of Radioactive Uppercut] and sculpted by a personal idol of mine, [Yoshihiko] Makino-san of TTToy. That’s about all I can say on that front, production is top secret!

Series 1 consists of two pieces: SS Werewolf and Zombie Baby. What’s the point of inspiration that SS Werewolf comes from?

Whilst American Werewolf in London is not a film most horror fans would call obscure, it’s surprising how few remember the incredibly strange Nazi dream sequence. Lead protagonist David’s third and final nightmare in the film sees him and his family ambushed in their home by a trio of murderous Nazi werewolves, and it’s the leader of these three that the gnarled SS Werewolf has been closely based on.

Since you specifically list this as Series 1, are there plans for a Series 2 already?

Yeah, Series 1 is just the beginning!

I already have another four figures ready for Series 2 as well as a play set that will house its own exclusive figure too. These are all ready to go, so as long as these first two are well received, you can definitely expect more throughout 2016!

For more information on Gory Hole, please visit: man-e-toys.com Clutter 32 | 85

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