New Statueforum feature...Q&A with the Pros! New interview! Khurram Alavi! Post #138

[Rocket]

Welcome to a new ongoing feature where you'll get some insight into some of your favorite creators! This thread will feature Q&A's from sculptors, artists, writers, you name it!!

I approached sculptor extraordinaire and SF's own, "ladies man", Tim Miller to be the first ever interview and here's his responses!

I will use the second post on the thread as an index to easily find each creators questions and answers, for better access as the thread grows :)

[Rocket]

Interview Index

Interview #1 Tim Miller: Post #3
Interview #2 Troy McDevitt: Post #23
Interview #3 Keith Kopinski: Post #39
Interview #4 Erick Sosa: Post #48
Interview #5 Jason Smith: Post #64
Interview #6 Tim Bruckner: Post #77
Interview #7 The Shiflett Brothers: Post #87
Interview #8 Avinash Hegde: Post #95
Interview #9 Walter O'Neal: Post #122
Interview #10 Joseph Menna: Post #134

[Rocket]

Interview #1

TIM MILLER


Shameless plug?

http://www.tkmiller.com/

http://i480.photobucket.com/albums/rr161/Rocket43_2008/me_and_the_girls_by_sculptortim-d2xmblo.jpg

Location?
Just outside of Colorado Springs. Go Tesla!

Age
Chronologically, 40-ish. Mentally, 12.

Martial\Family status?
Happily married, and no she didn’t tell me to type that.

Pets?
Turkish, our dysfunctional English Bulldog. He’s a little angel when he’s not trying to rip out our throats.

Nickname?
Uh..... You mean what people call me when I’m not around?


Could you give a brief outline of how you got to where you are in your career?
Aliens and psychics.

Nah, that’s another story. Upon earning my Bachelors of Science in Biology, I decided to relax for a year or two before applying to medical school. Through smooth talking and a bit of skulduggery I landed a gig sweeping the floors of a very small company that designed animatronics for children’s television. Five years later, I left my position of sculpting supervisor with said company and became a freelance sculptor, soon after landing McFarlane Design Group as a key client. Skip forward a few years, some six or seven hundred celebrity and athlete portraits, laughing with Adam Hughes at a Star Wars convention, and suddenly having one of his designs land on my desk. Ta-da! Now I’m sculpting Hot Flossy Babes (HFBs) for a living.


http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z76/Rebel_Rogue/6826_press01-001.jpg

Primary field?
The one just west of my house where the antelope graze.

Who have you done work for in the industry?
McFarlane Design Group
Sideshow Collectibles
Bowen Designs
Lennox
And a number of others...

Favorite property?
I don’t think I can really decide between Marvel, Star Wars, and Lord of the Rings, they’re all great.


Do you read comics?
Not really, except for the ones Adam Hughes or Jonboy Meyers tell me I HAVE TO READ.

Favorite comic?
Either League of Extraordinary Gentlemen or the first series of Marvel Zombies.

Character?
Edward Hyde from LXG.

Favorite comic related movie?
Probably Watchmen or 30 Days of Night.

Favorite sculptor who isnt you?
Mark Newman, the Shiflett Brothers, Clay Moore. All of these guys had a profound impact on me when I was just learning the craft.

What got you into sculpting?
I had time to kill.

http://i480.photobucket.com/albums/rr161/Rocket43_2008/779897032_PbfDR-XL.jpg

What was your big break?
Either when I shattered my upper jaw or the boxer’s fracture from punching a locker.

As far as career? I guess landing a gig as portrait sculptor for McFarlane Design four months after I went freelance.

Favorite sculpt of your own?
I’d have to say the Gimli I did last year for Sideshow... You’ll all just have to wait!

Favorite sculpt by someone else?
Mark Newman’s ‘Eel Walker’.

Any sculpting horror stories?
Yes, and I’d LOOOOOVE to share some of them with you... but I can’t.

http://i480.photobucket.com/albums/rr161/Rocket43_2008/BowenFullSizeStatue-BlackWidow0001.jpg

What tools did you use to make you a better sculptor? (books\tutorials\anatomy classes\etc?)
Early on I got to work closely with some very talented people, and simply watching how their sculpture would develop really taught me a lot. Of course, good anatomy books are a tremendous help, bodybuilder magazines, swimsuit issues, having a friend come in for a sitting in his or her underwear, all of these are helpful.


Who do you most admire in the industry?
Greg Dykstra. He’s one of the sculptors at Pixar, and he’s super talented and humble in the extreme. Just a really good guy.

Is there anyone out there you wish you could sculpt like?
Yeah, but I don’t think I have room here for the LIST.

http://i480.photobucket.com/albums/rr161/Rocket43_2008/10_BlackQueen.jpg

Do you have\had a mentor?
No, but I should probably have one, right?
Kamela Portugues was one of the owners of the company I grew out of, and she was a great friend, teacher and mentor.

Do you listen to music\watch tv while working? If so could you elaborate :)
Yes to both. My tastes in both movies and music are eclectic to say the least. I may be watching ‘The Pianist’ or ‘House of 1000 Corpses’ and I could be listening to Guns n Roses, Five Finger Deathpunch, or Ween. Tom Jones is a favourite. I’m starting to listen to some country as well.

Whats your favorite scale to work in?
Anything from 1/6th to ¼. Smaller is a bit of a stretch, and I’ve not been asked to do larger in years.

Dream job?
You mean I don’t already have it?

Dream character to sculpt?
Charlie Sheen.
Sorry, I had to throw that in here somewhere.

I’d actually LOVE to do Ash from the poster art of Army of Darkness and Clint Eastwood as The Man with No Name. I met Bruce Campbell at an industry party a few years back and had a fanboy moment. I told him I was probably the only guy in the industry that HADN’T sculpted him and he told me ‘Well, get busy!’

What are you working on now?
Duh. This questionnaire.

I’m labouring over Scarlet Witch’s cape. It’s a bit on the crazy side.

Other hobbies?
I just started announcing for Roller Derby bouts. It’s a kick.

Favorite movie?
That’s like asking which is a favourite child!
Somewhere between Once Upon a Time in the West, The Dirty Dozen, or The Magnificent Seven.

Favorite album\artist?
Either Best of Guns N Roses or Best of Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Favorite book?
I just read ‘Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter’, that was pretty good.

Where do you see yourself in ten years?
Hopefully doing bronzes.

Have you ever travelled?
Yep. Four years in the US Navy. And you know, I get around besides just that.

Favorite place to holiday?
Vegas.

What country would you love to visit?
I’d love to see the Amazon Basin.

http://i480.photobucket.com/albums/rr161/Rocket43_2008/Croft3.jpg

[Wrothy]

Great idea Rodney! :buttrock:

[abarron]

Fantastic Interview


Do you read comics?
Not really, except for the ones Adam Hughes or Jonboy Meyers tell me I HAVE TO READ.


Gotta say Jonboy is a top guy too

[Collection King 13]

Very Cool!

[VaultMan]

This is very cool!!! I really enjoyed that!

[Bullseye]

Fantastic interview Rod and thanks to Tim for sharing his time with us. Much appreciated.

[thx217]

Thanks Rod and Tim for the awesome interview!! :thumbs2: :thumbs2:

[High Lord Apocalypse]

cool!!!

[nbr3bagshotrow]

This is way cool and it was a pleasure visiting you at your home.

[Marvelito]

Great interview! Can't wait for more of these. :)

[Rocket]

Thanks guys, glad you enjoyed it! HUGE thanks to Tim for stepping up and getting the ball rolling on this, and having some great fun with it! Little teaser, next up will be Keith "KDawg" Kopinski! :buttrock:

Also keep an eye out for another interview thread hitting SF soon ;)

[LoD]

Cool thread, and thanks to Tim for doing this.

[VS1976]

Any new previews yet for SSC? This thread is rockin too :buttrock:

[nbr3bagshotrow]

Tim's Gimli will be available for order next week!

[Bullseye]

So Tim sculpted the Gimli? That looks to be the best from the line so far. I hope he gets to work on the PF line of the LoTR.

[nbr3bagshotrow]

So Tim sculpted the Gimli? That looks to be the best from the line so far. I hope he gets to work on the PF line of the LoTR.

Yes he did. Tim gave me the low down on it when I visited his home to get my Black Cat signed.

[Bullseye]

Do you think you will get into that line K? Seems like a good fit for you.

[Jesse321]

Very VERY cool ... congrats Rodders ... and many thanks to Tim for time to answer questions.

[Rocket]

Very VERY cool ... congrats Rodders ... and many thanks to Tim for time to answer questions.

:thumbs2:

[Spazzy]

great idea!

[Rocket]

Interview #2

TROY MCDEVITT


Shameless plug?

http://themcdevittstudio.com/

http://i480.photobucket.com/albums/rr161/Rocket43_2008/godzillaarmwrestle.jpg

Location?
North Carolina

Age
I'll be forty this year

Martial\Family status?
Happily married with two awesome kids.

Pets?
Two great dogs, a cat and one leopard gecko


Nickname?
"Troyboy" or "Idiot" if you're talking to my wife or friend

Could you give a brief outline of how you got to where you are in your career?
Let's see,....I spent all my early career (about 15 years) as a graphic designer. Jumped into sculpting on a whim and ended up making custom wedding cake toppers for about 3 or 4 years. Gradually worked my way into sculpting superheroes, monsters and other cool, fantasy-related stuff and that's where I'm staying until I'm old and withered and I eventually keel over at my workbench. I LOVE my job and I wouldn't want to be doing anything else.


http://i480.photobucket.com/albums/rr161/Rocket43_2008/ulik.jpg

What websites do you love to visit?
Mostly sculpting forums like The Clubhouse, Statue Forum, Marvel Customs, Garagekits.us, Statue Marvels, The Shiflett Bros., and model-citizens.org, to keep up with my peers. I also like to visit other art related sites like drawing board.org and conceptart.org, and movie sites like darkhorizons.com and aintitcool.com . Oh, and I can't forget some of the unbelievable blogs out there by some of my sculpting buddies like http://www.apsculpturestudio.com/blog/ and http://thedawgpound59.blogspot.com/

Who have you done work for in the industry?
Bowen Designs, Reel Art Studios, ARH studios, several small GK producers and some upcoming work from Sideshow and Super7

Favorite property?
Wow, now that's a tough one. If I had to pick just one though, i'd have to say Conan.


Do you read comics?
Absolutely, ever since I was just a wee lad. Love 'em over any other form of media.

Favorite comic?
Yikes, another hard one. Hmmmm, well, I still love to go back and re-read all my old Buscema Conans and The Dark Knight. As far as relatively modern stuff, a few of my all-time favorites would be Preacher, Bone, Powers, B.P.R.D, Astro City and The Walking Dead.

Character?
Conan, with Tarzan and Batman as a close second and third.

Favorite comic related movie?
Oh, DEFINITELY Batman & Robin by Joel Schumacher. Just kidding!!! It's probably a three way tie between the original Superman, Spider-Man 2 and The Incredibles.

Favorite sculptor who isnt you?
Professional; Tony Cipriano Amateur; My daughter

What got you into sculpting?
Curiosity and getting burnt out on graphic design (well, at least corporate graphic design that is).

http://i480.photobucket.com/albums/rr161/Rocket43_2008/buscemahulk.jpg

What was your big break?
The Man-Ape and Ringmaster busts I did for Bowen Designs


Favorite sculpt of your own?
The one coming out from Sideshow hopefully later this year

Favorite sculpt by someone else?
Oy, another impossible question. There are just too many to pick a favorite. A few that immediately pop into my head though are Frazetta's "Snow Giants" by Tony Cipriano, "Batman vs. Killer Croc" by Ray Villafane and the DC Dynamics Joker statue by Tim Bruckner. All three of those just blow me away. There are also a few digital sculptors out there who are doing absolutely amazing stuff.

Any sculpting horror stories?
It was about 4am and i was working on a custom cake topper that had to ship out that day via Next Day Air (meaning i had no extra time). Anyway, after pulling a 30-hour, no sleep marathon, the nearly completed sculpt flipped out of my hands, flew across the room and shattered in several places, including the head which completely snapped off. It's the closest I've ever come to just breaking down and crying. Luckily, I was able to pull myself together, repair everything and just barely get it out later that day.

http://i480.photobucket.com/albums/rr161/Rocket43_2008/hawkeye.jpg

What tools did you use to make you a better sculptor? (books\tutorials\anatomy classes\etc?)
Probably more than anything else is close observation. I intensely study master sculptor's work (living and dead) and trying to match their quality as best I'm able. I'm rarely, if ever, completely satisfied with my own work, but I always try and push myself as hard as I can. To me, the key factors to improving your skill level, and actually being able to turn sculpting into a career are harsh, honest self-criticism, the drive to keep pushing yourself even when you don't feel like working, extreme professionalism with your clients and a lack of ego.

http://i480.photobucket.com/albums/rr161/Rocket43_2008/achilleshead.jpg

Who do you most admire in the industry?
Wow. Again, there are so many guys that I am in absolute awe of. I guess one of the top guys for me would probably be Tim Bruckner. The solutions he comes up with for misc. effects, articulation, add-ons, etc., never fails to drop my jaw. It makes me feel like a caveman who lives next door to Mr. Spock. Mark Newman is another one. He continues to do stuff in Super Sculpey that most guys can't do in wax or digitally. He's just amazing.

Is there anyone out there you wish you could sculpt like?
Nah. No doubt there are TONS of guys (and gals) who are way, way better than me, but I wouldn't want to be a carbon copy of any of them. I'm far from perfect, but I'm fairly satisfied with my own style. I do wish I was better, but in my own style. I'm confident I'll get there eventually, but it's still a long way off.

http://i480.photobucket.com/albums/rr161/Rocket43_2008/etrigan02.jpg

Do you have\had a mentor?
The closest thing would probably be Tony Cipriano and Ralph Cordero, who have both given me tons of invaluable advice and help early on and to this day. They're just two of those rare individuals who feel some sort of obligation to pass along the knowledge they've picked up over the years, and I've been lucky enough to become friends with both of these amazing talents.

Do you listen to music\watch tv while working? If so could you elaborate :)
I live and breathe podcasts. That's pretty much all I listen to as i work. My favorites are "The Skeptics Guide to the Universe", The Adam Carolla Show", "Bill Burr - Monday Morning Podcast", "SuperEgo", "Jordan, Jesse GO!", "WTF with Marc Maron", "The Nerdist", "Comedy Death Ray Radio", "The Bugle", "Doug Loves Movies" and "Never Not Funny", to name a few.

Whats your favorite scale to work in?
Anything from 1:8 to 1:4 scale. Anything smaller or bigger is kind of a pain..

http://i480.photobucket.com/albums/rr161/Rocket43_2008/genghiskhan.jpg
Dream job?
What I'm doing now, but with better pay. My favorite projects are those where my client gives me a brief outline of what they're looking for, but essentially leaves the look and concept up to me. That shows just how much trust and faith they have in me, and I'm fortunate enough to have several ongoing clients like this. I wouldn't be here without guys like them and I try and show my gratitude by working as hard and diligently as i possibly can for them.

Dream character to sculpt?
Conan.


What are you working on now?
A few 1:7 scale superhero busts, a couple full-figures and some cool, retro monsters. I usually work on four or five things at the same time.

Other hobbies?
Not really. I'm lucky enough to make a living off of my favorite hobby. I do like fishing and camping, but i don't get to do it that often.

Favorite movie?
Aliens

Favorite album\artist?
Offspring
Favorite book?
The Secret. Hah! Again, just kidding. Unless it's in a comic format, I don't read that many books. If you ever meet me, you'll find out that I'm far dumber than I look.

Where do you see yourself in ten years?
Doing the exact same thing I'm doing now, but with fewer calls from bill collectors. Hopefully by that point, my kids will still be interested in all this stuff so I can put them to work and I can take a break for once.

http://i480.photobucket.com/albums/rr161/Rocket43_2008/draculawolfman.jpg

Have you ever travelled?
A little. My wife and I went on a small ship cruise down the coast of Italy for our honeymoon, the last three days of which we spent in Venice. It was amazing and we really want to go back and take the kids..

Favorite place to holiday?
The Beach. Small communities though, not the big, built-up commercial spots. God, I hate tourist traps and any beach that regularly hosts Spring Break gatherings.

What country would you love to visit?
In addition to Italy again, we'd also love to go to France, Australia, the U.K., and Japan.

Any hints on what you're working on currently?
Well, the Sideshow thing is huge (size-wise) and a little hairy, the retro monsters will remind you of your childhood, there's a Lantern who is very handy, a timid young werewolf, a chrome swordsman, and there's a couple X-treme babies in there for good measure.

[Rocket]

Thanks guys, glad you enjoyed it! HUGE thanks to Tim for stepping up and getting the ball rolling on this, and having some great fun with it! Little teaser, next up will be Keith "KDawg" Kopinski! :buttrock:

Also keep an eye out for another interview thread hitting SF soon ;)

Just to clarify, Keith is organizing some pics so Troyboy stepped up and took spot #2, but Keith is just about ready to go also :buttrock:

Want to send out a huge thanks to the guys for getting involved with this, it's a big ask in their busy schedules, so please thank them for the effort :o

[Bullseye]

Very nice from Troy. I'm very interested in his latest work from SS. Sounds intriguing. Good job R.

[Rocket]

Thanks mate :) Yeah sounds great, right! I also wonder if the "chrome swordsman" may be a samurai of the silver variety? :dork:

[Tony Coca]

Why does Troy look like a long lost Frey Brother.lol.

Great interview Rocket.

[The SHOGUN]

Troyboy sound like a cool dude, and the sculptures on this page are really impressive.

[67wm]

Why does Troy look like a long lost Frey Brother.lol.

Great interview Rocket.

:hilarious:

as long as i can retain my status as the CFB, but this may put that in jeopardy! :p

another great interview BTW

[Marvelito]

I also wonder if the "chrome swordsman" may be a samurai of the silver variety? :dork:

Was thinking the same thing!! Great interview Troy and Rod, really enjoyed reading it. :)

[protector2814]

So cool to put a face and life-info. with my purchases.
Troy, you're Dracula vs. Wolfman is my new fave. I have it smack on my desk and can not keep myself from staring at it.
Tim, I have many of your wonderful pieces and am just blown-away still, everytime I walk into my hobby-room.

[Tony Coca]

:hilarious:

as long as i can retain my status as the CFB, but this may put that in jeopardy! :p

another great interview BTW

you see the resemblance as well.LOL

you'll always be the CFB.Well unless Troy sculpts me something then you'll be the second CFB.:laugh:

[troyboy]

Thanks so much everybody, I'm really glad you guys enjoyed it. I just want to thank
Rodney for the opportunity. It was sincerely an honor to be asked to participate and
I can't wait for you guys to see what I've got coming out throughout the rest of
this year! :D

[67wm]

you see the resemblance as well.LOL

you'll always be the CFB.Well unless Troy sculpts me something then you'll be the second CFB.:laugh:

once you said that i looked again and did see it lol poor guy!

[Rocket]

Thanks so much everybody, I'm really glad you guys enjoyed it. I just want to thank
Rodney for the opportunity. It was sincerely an honor to be asked to participate and
I can't wait for you guys to see what I've got coming out throughout the rest of
this year! :D

No thanks necessary mate! And how appropriate, today your Cannonball Mb for Bowen Designs went up for order!! :buttrock:

[VaultMan]

Thanks mate :) Yeah sounds great, right! I also wonder if the "chrome swordsman" may be a samurai of the silver variety? :dork:

:buttrock:

[VaultMan]

Thanks so much everybody, I'm really glad you guys enjoyed it. I just want to thank
Rodney for the opportunity. It was sincerely an honor to be asked to participate and
I can't wait for you guys to see what I've got coming out throughout the rest of
this year! :D

Thanks Troy, enjoyed it a lot

[Rocket]

:buttrock:

Damn I hope so!

[Rocket]

Interview #3: Keith Kopinski!!

Shameless Plug?

http://thedawgpound59.blogspot.com/

http://i480.photobucket.com/albums/rr161/Rocket43_2008/179056_10150125925858669_783178668_7720161_6506346_n.jpg

1. First name? Biff… Biff Malibu… okay for real my name is just Keith

2. Location? Ann Arbor, Michigan (Go Blue)

3. Age? 36 but I believe, like a fine wine, I’ll get better in time.

4. Martial\Family status?

Happily married with a 17 month old Thunder God running around the house with a hammer raised yelling “Forrrrr”

5. Pets?

An 11 yr old Corgi/Aussie mix named Mulligan and an 11 yr old 20lb poof ball of a cat name Cleo. (She has a bit of a weight problem)

6. Nickname? KDawg


http://i480.photobucket.com/albums/rr161/Rocket43_2008/wreckingcrew2.jpg

7. Could you give a brief outline of how you got to where you are in your career?

I started out as a fan like most guys and of course I still am. In a former life I was an illustrator and I graduated with a fine art degree from Adrian College. Basically at some point I wanted to see if I had anything to offer this industry, so I started talking to different guys in the business. I would tap them for any knowledge I could on technique and methodology. At some point I just started sculpting. I sculpted every day and I learned from all of the horrific mistakes I made. There have been times where I got it right but even then I could learn from that and improve. I’ll always be that way. The day I think I’m above improving and settle for less is the day I get out.

Eventually the pieces started to suck less and people started to notice. At some point the right people even started to notice and the work started to come in. One day I was surfing Statue Forum and there was a message from a guy by the name of Randy Bowen. He said he’d been watching my work and that he’d like to offer me a gig sculpting the full size Super Skrull piece for Bowen Designs. That was my first of 7 pieces for him I am thankful for every single one of them. I owe a lot of people in this business and those people range from the fans, to peers and friends, and art directors.

There it is in a nutshell, Statue Forum and Randy Bowen is where it all began.


8. Primary medium? Super Sculpey and TMS wax

http://i480.photobucket.com/albums/rr161/Rocket43_2008/thor-main.jpg

9. Who have you done work for in the industry?

So far just Bowen, but I’m hoping that roster can expand to other companies as well.

10. Favorite property?

Marvel if I had to pick… but I like DC a hell of a lot too

11. Do you read comics?

Who wants to know? Yeah OK… I still read comics but my dad can kick your dad’s ass…

http://i480.photobucket.com/albums/rr161/Rocket43_2008/surtur.jpg

12. Favorite comic?

Spider-Man or X-Men in the 80’s

13. Character?

Spidey

14. Favorite comic related movie?

Probably Spider-Man… seeing him swing on the big screen sure was badass.

15. Favorite sculptor who isn’t you?

I can’t narrow it down to one because there are a lot of guys out there whom I am in awe of skill-wise. I’ve become friends with a lot of them and they’ve become favorites because of stories I have about them or conversations we’ve had. The list is massively long and I hate to cop out, so I will name a couple of them in no particular order to save face…

Tony Cipriano, Troy McDevitt, Clay Moore, Brandon and Jarrod Shiflett, Ray Villafane, Walter O’Neal, Tim Miller, Jim Maddox, Randy Bowen, Martin Canale.

16. What got you into sculpting?

Wanting to see if I could actually do it.


http://i480.photobucket.com/albums/rr161/Rocket43_2008/hawk064.jpg

17. What was your big break?

Bowen Designs came calling… I said hello.

18. Favorite sculpt of your own?

The next one, though for now I am fond of the current one.

19. Favorite sculpt by someone else?

Sideshow Thor PF by Martin Canale. It’s truly mind blowing

20. Any sculpting horror stories?

Several, but one in particular I’ll share is… I was finishing up Piledriver of the Wrecking Crew. He was all baked and ready to be mounted on his base. I had to drill out a hole in the bottom to insert the brass rod he mounted to and connect to the base with. I was drilling the hole and hit armature wire and when the drill bit hit the metal, the piece was ripped from my hand and flew a good 6 feet across my shop and crashed on to the solid concrete floor. The damage to his head was negligible, but he needed some reconstructive surgery elsewhere.

21. What tools did you use to make you a better sculptor? (Books\tutorials\anatomy classes\etc?)

Learning wax was a huge bonus in that I can have a lot more control over things when I need to. Beyond that studying anatomy every chance I could and continuing to do so makes a very large difference. Books and DVD’s are great, but nothing can make you better like doing the work. That’s where you learn to hone your craft best.

http://i480.photobucket.com/albums/rr161/Rocket43_2008/emailwog003.jpg

22. Who do you most admire in the industry?

Anyone working.

23. Is there anyone out there you wish you could sculpt like?

If I could get a perfect marriage of styles between the Shifletts, Cipriano and Villafane, that’s what I want my stuff to look like… No pressure right?

http://i480.photobucket.com/albums/rr161/Rocket43_2008/arkillo009.jpg

24. Do you have\had a mentor?

My mentor with 100% certainty is Tony Cipriano. The guy is amazing and is always there to help, talk shop, offer council, or a good story. He offers everything he has just because, and he’s got the talent to back it up.

25. Do you listen to music\watch TV while working? If so could you elaborate?

I usually put some music on... background noise is key. A little Five Finger Death Punch, Tool, Disturbed helps me put a little personality into every piece.

26. What’s your favorite scale to work in?

Hands down 1/5 scale… Big enough to be loaded with awesome, small enough to fit in the oven.

27. Dream job?

I would seriously LOVE to be afforded the chance to work with Sideshow. They do it right. There 1/5 Comiquette line is badass and I would love to be on board if I ever get lucky enough.

28. Dream character to sculpt?

1/4 scale Rhino… what a beast.

http://i480.photobucket.com/albums/rr161/Rocket43_2008/189468_10150154509893669_783178668_8074922_7207523_n.jpg


29. What are you working on now?

7 pieces are currently littering my desk and all of them are being worked on depending on the day of the week. I’ve been working on my 1/5 Thor sculpt now for over a year in between paying work. I am working on Atrocitus and Soranik Natu from the Green Lantern roster of characters. I am also working on 3 Spidey Villain busts as time permits. Lastly I have a piece that is in its infancy that is something I am doing to see if I can blow the doors off as a portfolio “get me noticed” piece.

30. Other hobbies?

Motorcycles, hunting, lifting weights, and running, to name a few.

31. Favorite movie?

The Departed

32. Favorite album\artist?

Tool /AEnema

33. Favorite book?

I never learned how to read.

34. Where do you see yourself in ten years?

Hopefully I see myself as being a sculptor known for doing cool work, and having a body of work I can be proud of, even though I still won’t be satisfied with it completely.

http://i480.photobucket.com/albums/rr161/Rocket43_2008/imagephp.jpg

35. Have you ever traveled?

I have, though mostly in the USA. Adventure rocks.

36. Favorite place to holiday?

I truly love New England, and Colorado in the summer months.

37. What country would you love to visit?

Scotland, Italy, Greece.

http://i480.photobucket.com/albums/rr161/Rocket43_2008/Avalanche2d.jpg

38. Any hints on what you're working on currently?
Well most of the stuff is known, but the secret piece I’m working on? Marvel villain, I’ve worked on a version of him before and when done and people finally see it, they will go back and read the story I am drawing from because the sculpt will be so bad ass… I am excited.

[Jesse321]

AWESOME interview! :)

[VaultMan]

KDawg is the man. Great interview!

I love this new feature a lot :bawling: :)

[Marvelito]

Great interview Keith! :thumbs2: My son also used refer to Thor as Forrr. :laugh:

[majestic1]

Really enjoying this thread.

Man that Surtur bust is looking incredible.

[Tony Coca]

great interview.

[Rocket]

Really enjoying this thread.

Man that Sutur bust is looking incredible.

Glad you're enjoying these are fun to do!
Yeah it's gonna be pricey, but damn impressive!!!

[SculptorTim]

Excellent interview, K!

[El Pulento]

Thanks for the Troy Interview!!!!...

[Rocket]

With a special thanks to Bullseye......

Interview #4: Erick Sosa!!

Shameless Plug: http://www.sosastudio.com/
http://toyzkulptor.blogspot.com/


http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/-1.jpg

1. Name? Erick Sosa

2. Location? Reseda California

3. Age? 34

4. Martial\Family status? Happily married

5. Pets? None...well I do have this interactive R-D D2 that responds to voice commands....

6. Nickname? The Taco Inspector.. just kidding... none...

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/Deadpool_1.jpg

7. Could you give a brief outline of how you got to where you are in your career? My High School ceramics teacher had many connections and she got me an internship at Mattel Toys, that is how it all started. I worked a few years as an employee and then I became a freelancer, the rest is history.

8. Primary field? Sculpting and designing, people may not know this but I love to draw, and come up with crazy ideas other than just sculpting.

9. Who have you done work for in the industry? I have worked for Mattel, Disney, SOTA, Hot Buttered Elves ( real name believe it!), Wheaty wheat Studios, Bowen, DC Direct, Warner Brothers, Master Replicas, Art Asylum, His Majesty the King of Jordan, McFarlane, Blizzard, Wizkids, Upperdeck, Hasbro, and Currently for Kotobukiya, Yamato, Funko, and a New mysterious company called PROTOTYPEZ.....

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/31b80d10-01b8-49d9-a79c-5c5ada701ca4.jpg

10. Favorite property? I used to not have a favorite, I used to just enjoy sculpting, now I have a different taste, I am into monsters, creatures, fantasy stuff, and as always sculpting portraits.

11. Do you read comics? Yes, whenever I get a little time, I am not half as learned as our friends here at Statue forum, but I can keep up, it is my job to know what is going on in the world of Comics.

12. Favorite comic? Superman! But I don't only buy comics for the story alone, but the artworks as well, I guess in that aspect my favorite comic is that one with art that strikes my fancy...

13. Character? Superman, Lobo, Spiderman and Wolverine... but superman above all.

14. Favorite comic related movie? Superman 1

15. Favorite sculptor who isnt you? Hahaha! there's a bunch... too many to mention, all the good dead guys like Rodin and Lanteri... Richard McDonald ( amazing sculptor, check him out) , P.Brad Parker (http://brad-parker.blogspot.com/2007...ulpture-p.html)
I would say Takeya is the number one for creatures, Taishiro Kiya (he actually visited with me a few days back he sculpted the Horizon venom, he is the best at anatomy at that scale , no one can touch him) Trevor grove , Arnie Kim, and Yk park for portraits! Our very own Kdawg is constant inspiration, and many many more!

16. What got you into sculpting? My father... he taught me how to draw in his own limited way, he taught me how to draw the Titanic, soon after that I was drawing non stop, and one of my kindergarden teachers noticed I was really into drawing, and took me to a ceramics class where I sculpted my first figure, a T-Rex! The thing exploded because she forgot to add a little vent hole to the sculpt, and the extreme heat from the oven and the hot air within it made it explode into smithereens ! My second attempt was a great white Shark... which I still keep on my desk to this day.

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/colossusfinalsmaller.jpg

17. What was your big break? My big break is divided into two parts, the day I got into Mattel thanks to my teacher, and I did all this work for many years unnoticed, then my big break came when Nexus from this very forum, contacted me a couple of weeks before the Statue Forum was formed (due to Randy Bowen closing his own forum) , I was persuaded by Nexus to Join the Bowen forum and to show my work ( Psylocke bust I had sculpted for Dynamic Forces, but that never became a product), I guess Randy noticed, and he gave me a call... the rest is history, that opened the doors to working with mostly all other big and small players in the industry.

18. Favorite sculpt of your own? None... I tend to enjoy the sculpture I am currently working on, once it is done... I am sorry but I don't care much for it.. but if I had to choose one... it would be my current Christopher Reeve statue... it means a lot to me, it reminds me of my father, and the day he took me to see the movie in Down town Los Angeles! I remember staring at the poster! it was awesome! I think I was probably 3-4 years old or so.. I can barely remember...

19. Favorite sculpt by someone else? Too many too mention, I would say the Horizon Venom by Taishiro Kiya

20. Any sculpting horror stories? I could write a book of memoirs.... You remember the Red Hulk i did for Kotobukiya just last year? funny story, I had already sculpted the head , and I had already cast it in wax, and I had attached it to the sculpey body, so when I was done I decided to bake the body in the oven, so I did, all of the sudden my smoke detectors go off.... yes, I had left the wax head attached to the torso... all of that work... was gone.... turned into a puddle of molten wax.... but it worked for the best, the new version was something both Ed McGuiness and I liked a bit more.


21. What tools did you use to make you a better sculptor? I cannot remember a day or a week that I have not researched or studied someone else's work. I am always buying new art books, drawing books, anatomy, sculpting, design, FX magazines ,etc... I am and will always be a student of art... that is it... I have now learned the basics of digital modeling, and what a wonderful tool it is, it has helped me do projects for different companies at a much faster rate, in our industry time is money, and time is always against us. Your best tools are your eyes and your hands... and your eagerness to learn ....period... there's no magic tool aside from those...

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/TYKT02737_01.jpg

22. Who do you most admire in the industry? Randy Bowen, we've had our differences, but now that I have been given the chance to help some companies do what he does with his (run BD), I have learned that he knows what he is doing, he doesn't complicate things, and that has made him successful, wish more companies understood this principle. There are many more people I admire, like Walter O'Neal, Villafane, I remember before he was driving an army of hummers, Ray used to tell me about his humble beginnings and his work area, I admire that guy, he is living the dream! Roostercat, he is another guy that does what he likes and gets paid to do it, unlike a lot of us that don't have the guts to leave the industry behind and do our own thing.... who knows maybe I've learned my lesson and I am following on his footsteps.. just wait a bit longer...

23. Is there anyone out there you wish you could sculpt like? No not really, I admire many, but being a replica of someone somehow doesn't appeal to me... I just go with the flow and things come out looking the way they do, be it for better or for worse...

24. Do you have\had a mentor? No, I must say I wish I would have had one, my best mentor was my father, but he was no artist. He did however teach me this lesson " if you do what you love you will never work a day in your life" he stole that quote from someone I am sure I consider some good art directors mentors... all those revisions do help finesse your style.

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/IronMan_AR_FineArtStatue.jpg

25. Do you listen to music\watch tv while working? If so could you elaborate I do, my garage/studio looks like an extension of my home, it has to be comfy, have a few videogames, dvd's music etc. I usually listen to old movies, so I don't have to keep looking over my shoulder. I mostly listen to soundtracks, have you listened to that awesome Tron soundtrack? to this day is till listen to it.. yes , I know I am sick... lol, I love soundtracks...

26. Whats your favorite scale to work in? 1/6th

27. Dream job? Well I kinda would be an ungrateful guy if I said this is not my dream job... but to be honest my dream job (And I am working hard on achieving behind the curtains) , is to do my own thing, this industry is cool, but I want to do my own thing, I already started, you'll see soon.

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/warpathfrontsidedetail.jpg

28. Dream character to sculpt? The one I have in my head... this awesome girl with a huge bio-mechanical arm... oh wait...

29. What are you working on now? remember that girl we talked about? and some stuff for Prototypez I cannot talk about even when I am say.... the brain of the operation... Licensed stuff, you'll see, let's give it a couple of months or so.

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/psylockelightup.jpg

30. Other hobbies? Does lurking here count as a hobby? Going to the movies... that is my favorite hobby, followed by swimming, and eating tacos de pastor... marinated pork tacos yum!

31. Favorite movie? Back to the Future and Superman... sorry had to have both... oh wait the Matrix 1.... oh man... I cannot decide... how about we change the question to all time favorite films? lol!

32. Favorite album\artist?"Come Come ye saints", by the Mormon tabernacle Choir ... no Joke..

33. Favorite book? The book of Mormon, and all the Harry Potter books.... you said favorite books... so I had to be honest

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/ssMARVxmenDior2_pp_copy.jpg

34. Where do you see yourself in ten years? At the rate the country is going, who knows man, but I wish it would be in a nice home in the mountains, away from L.A. where my kids can grow up without much to worry about.... maybe I will be hiring up and coming sculptors to develop my ideas, for my own company.....

35. Have you ever travelled? You mean as in a spiritual Joruney? lol, I am kidding yes I have, enough to know this world and most people are awesome, no matter where you go!

36. Favorite place to holiday? My own home, with my family and friends.

37. What country would you love to visit? Japan, and Italy... who knows maybe soon ....

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/IMG_4367.jpg

38. Any hints on what you're working on currently? Well aside from the Yamato, Koto, Funko stuff, and my own stuff, well.... let's say I may start working on some warriors of the world... oh wait or is it world...never mind...
I just want to say thank you Bulls, and everyone for letting me rant for a bit! I am honored to have been asked to do this little interview...

[abarron]

Another fantastic interview

[riteguytu]

:buttrock:

[VaultMan]

Bravo! Sosa rocks!!! Great interview! :buttrock:

[Kdawg59]

Erick Sosa... Geez what an inspiration to us all. Great interview!

[Marvelito]

Felicidades Erick!! Great interview! Now how about letting me in on where your favorite tacos al pastor are??? :D

[Jesse321]

Another great interview. :buttrock:


This is quickly turning out to be one of my favorite features on the forum ... great work guys! :thumbs2:

[Spazzy]

great interviews!!

[ZKULPTOR]

Thanks everyone, thanks Keith!
And Marvelito... there are tons of great places off the 110 East L.A. side.... say the word man and we are there lol!

[JohnMatrix]

Very cool interview there, Erick, Thanks man! You rock!

[Marvelito]

And Marvelito... there are tons of great places off the 110 East L.A. side.... say the word man and we are there lol!

Never joke about tacos al pastor with me my friend, I'm buying, so let's go!! :D

[ZKULPTOR]

Thanks John!, and OK Marvelito you twisted my arm...:laugh:

[JohnMatrix]

Erick Sosa... Geez what an inspiration to us all. Great interview!

Yes, Erick gives radiant energy to people around! He is a great inspiration in the business in my opinion! Did you guys see his Warpath statue? Crazy sculpting skills at 1:6 scale! :buttrock:

[Marvelito]

OK Marvelito you twisted my arm...:laugh:

You know it! :battherapy:

:laugh:

[troyboy]

Those were awesome Keith & Erick! Always fun to get a sneak peek inside
the noggin of one of the masters (E) and one of the soon-to-be legends (K)!
You guys are both so aggravatingly talented, it really is giving me a complex.
With the right opportunities, Keith is going to be one of the best the industry
has seen, and I can't even begin to describe how stoked I am about Erick's
upcoming company/projects. You're quite the tease E! Two solid and educational
interviews you guys. :D

Congrats on two homeruns Rodney!

[Rocket]

Aw shucks, thanks Troy! :) Wish I could take some credit, but two absolute no brainers right there :D

[Rocket]

Interview #5:

Jason Smith!!

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/19062_272838260681_716515681_3351844_394985_n.jpg

1. First name? Jason
2. Location? Austin, Texas
3. Age Old enough to have some grey hairs
4. Martial\Family status? living in sin for a looong time, no rug rats
5. Pets? 3 dogs that are fully awesome
6. Nickname? buddy in college called me "Mace" all the time, so everyone else started doing it too, not sure why.

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/27752_394119805681_716515681_3979737_3585090_n.jpg

7. Could you give a brief outline of how you got to where you are in your career? Well I've always drawn and painted, then in the 90's I really started to try to break into video game development, someone at a game studio saw my artwork online and they gave me my first industry job. It was at that studio in 1999-2000 that I first started 3d modeling and it clicked with me, been pushing polygons ever since. Then when the sculpting packages like Mudbox and Zbrush came out those were a huge game changer for me because they were genuine art tools. Then in early 2009 when I finished the zbrush central action hero contest I started looking around at 3d printing and began to understand what was possible. I'd been a huge Bowen fan for years and had a large collection of his statues already, so I contacted him, showed him my work and we started talking about doing some pieces digitally and Ant Man was the first of those.

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/18462_264665370681_716515681_3320377_6248530_n.jpg

8. Primary field? Video game character artist
9. Who have you done work for in the industry? Bowen Designs, DC Direct

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/38731_421732330681_716515681_4649347_3578173_n.jpg

10. Favorite property? Marvel of course, but DC has really grown on me.
11. Do you read comics? Often, not as often as I'd like but whenever I find time, I'm big into digital comics right now.

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/18462_264657295681_716515681_3320349_1393573_n.jpg

12. Favorite comic? The Ultimates, first run with Millar and Hitch...friggin' bad ass!
13. Character? Tough one, but I'd probably have to go with Captain America if I'm pressed to pick one.
14. Favorite comic related movie? Batman Begins and Dark Knight it's a tie
15. Favorite sculptor who isnt you? Randy Bowen
16. What got you into sculpting? I was really inspired by Randy's FS Daredevil statue that I saw in the local comic shop in 2000, I hadn't thought that superhero statues were a possibility, they weren't toys they were works of fine art treated with respect. I knew right then that I wanted to sculpt superheroes someday.
17. What was your big break? Randy rolling the dice on me 2 years ago.
18. Favorite sculpt of your own? I see things I'd like to change on all of them, but I'd have to go with Gladiator for sheer size and presence.

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/19062_279547770681_716515681_3376097_8227819_n.jpg

19. Favorite sculpt by someone else? Randy's recent Captain America FS
20. Any sculpting horror stories? Not really, other than zbrush crashing and corrupting my files on occasion (I've learned to save many backups)
21. What tools did you use to make you a better sculptor? I really cut my teeth on the Burne Hogarth series of anatomy books, and I had some great classes in college, particularly anatomy for artists where the instructor sculpted a human figure from skeletal structure and then built up all of the muscle groups and we had live models every day...great class that I learned a ton in. As far as Zbrush training, I really like the Eat3d series of training videos.

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/19062_274727210681_716515681_3359542_7534781_n.jpg

22. Who do you most admire in the industry? I hate to keep saying it but Randy Bowen, he basically created a genre of pop culture and he really gets the visual style of the comics better than anyone in the industry I think.
23. Is there anyone out there you wish you could sculpt like? Lots, Randy, Tim Miller, Erick Sosa, The Shifletts, Keith Kopinski, Mark Newman, Adam Ross, the list goes on and on.
24. Do you have\had a mentor? My art director at Raven Software, Dan Hay, really believed in me and pushed me to try things I wasn't sure I could do...I made a big leap in quality working under him. Also working with Jim Lee on DC Universe Online for three and a half years was a great learning experience.

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/193789_10150156662985682_716515681_6690617_5745470_o.jpg

25. Do you listen to music\watch tv while working? Rarely music, I usually have a Netflix documentary streaming on my second monitor that I half pay attention to.
26. Whats your favorite scale to work in? To the digital artist scale is irrelevant, but I like seeing my work at 1/6 scale it holds the detail well enough without being a space hog.
27. Dream job? I'm pretty much doing it
28. Dream character to sculpt? For Marvel any version of Cap, outside of Marvel I'd love to re-create some Frazetta Conan paintings in 3d.

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/beta-ray-bill-bowen-statue-figure-200_390268689138.jpg

29. What are you working on now? Just wrapped up modern Wasp, starting on the classic version
30. Other hobbies? [/B]you mean there's other things I could be doing?
31. Favorite movie? Lord of the Rings trilogy is still my number 1
32. Favorite album\artist? I love the Conan the Barbarian soundtrack, Anvil of Crom is pretty much the most bad ass tune of all time.
33. Favorite book? Blackhawk Down

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/FS_48723001.jpg

34. Where do you see yourself in ten years? man...old. Hopefully still making cool stuff somewhere.
35. Have you ever travelled? Not extensively outside the US, this is the coolest country on the planet, why leave? ;-)
36. Favorite place to holiday? I don't vacation often but I like to get home to Oregon now and then to see the family.
37. What country would you love to visit? New Zealand looks amazing
38. Any hints on what you're working on currently? yeah I'm starting on classic Wasp

[Ryu]

This thread is pure gold! Awesome interviews!

[Bullseye]

Some great stuff from Jason.

[Rocket]

This thread is pure gold! Awesome interviews!

So glad you're enjoying it all mate, it was a combination of a personal interest in these great sculptors we are surrounded by, and the hope of adding a little something extra to the forum that were the motivation to do it and I'm glad the response has been so great :)

[abarron]

Another fantastic interview

[VaultMan]

That was cool!

That batman statue was sick!

[jimaras2099]

That was cool!

That batman statue was sick!

+1....

[Kdawg59]

Jason kicks ass man... what a great talent and a damn cool dude.

Dude knows Zbrush better than most!

[Bullseye]

We have a special one coming up very soon. One of the pioneers of the industry. He will be of interest to sculptors and collectors alike. So keep checking this thread.

[Marvelito]

Another good one! :thumbs2:

[Reme Lebeau]

Very cool. It's great to learn a little more about the guy who created some of my favorite Bowens!

[VaultMan]

I need that Jason Smith Batman...

[Predator]

I am lovin this thread! The guys who have participated so far are nothing but class acts for taking the time to contribute. I hope they all have long and fulfilling careers in this industry.

[Rocket]

Full credit again goes to Bullseye for this one guys, we have been blessed with top shelf talent with these interviews so far, but he's managed to get an interview from the master, Tim Bruckner!!

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j12/statueforum/b5efe265.jpg

Shameless plug?

http://timbruckner.com/

1. First name?
Tim
2. Location?
Rural Wisconsin
3. Age
60
4. Martial\Family status?
Married to my amazing Mary, thirty years this November. We have two kids, Errol and Anne, both amazing in their own right.
5. Pets?
Three dogs. Henry, the thinker. Sophie, the licker. And Basil, our English Mastiff. Mary is the manager of our county’s human society. When he came to the shelter it was clear that he’d been abused. He weighed one and nineteen pounds. We were only going to foster him until he was in good enough shape to be adopted. And then he fell in love with Mary. And she fell in love with him. He’s been part of our family now for almost three years. He’s healthy, happy and devoted. He tips the scale at one hundred and seventy-five.
6. Nickname?
None that I’m aware of.


http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j12/statueforum/cb9230c5.jpg

7. Could you give a brief outline of how you got to where you are in your career?
Is that what I have? The short version: I started sculpting professionally at eighteen working as a wax carver and apprentice jeweler. From there, I started doing giftware. Did some special effects work. More giftware. A lot more giftware. Did some premium work. Worked as an illustrator. Did a few album covers. Worked in the music business, wrote, produced and performed three children’s albums for McDonalds. Got a Grammy nod. Watched my life going nowhere in a hurry. Met my wife, returned to sculpting and the rest, as they say, is History.
8. Primary field?
Sculpting
9. Who have you done work for in the industry?
At one time or another I’ve worked for: Max Factor, The Stansbury Group, The Hamilton Group, The Franklin Mint, the Danbury Mint, Ashton-Drake, Kenner, Hasbro, Mattel, Enesco, Hallmark, Bowen Designs, American Greeting, Geometric, Toy Biz, Diamond Select, Dark Horse, Electric Tiki, ReelArts, Department 56, Gentle Giant, Sideshow, Dankin, Applause, DC Direct. And various and sundry other companies while pursuing my own work.


http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j12/statueforum/063591dc.jpg

10. Favorite property?
I honestly don’t have one. I like working on some more than others. Its more about the people I work with than what I’m working on.
11. Do you read comics?
I used to when I was a kid. Then I discovered Famous Monsters, Eerie and Creepy and, for me, comics couldn’t compete.
12. Favorite comic?
I like the ones that a really well drawn.
13. Character?
The Joker. I don’t know how many times I’ve sculpted him. Maybe a dozen? Both statues and action figures, and with each one, I discovered something about revealing his character I hadn’t been aware of before. The DC Dynamics Joker statue, the last of the series, is the closest I’ve come to what might be my definitive Joker. Its unlikely I’ll ever sculpt his again, so I’m okay if that’s where it stops.


http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j12/statueforum/67095f70.jpg

14. Favorite comic related movie?
I don’t have one. I’m not a big fan of Comic based films. Once you take it off the page, it loses something for me. Not everything should be something else, just because it can. One thing that bothers me consistently, is the seeming need of directors/producers/designs to redesign a character’s costume. Some of these characters have worn the same costume for decades, but apparently, because their headed of film, they need to be “updated” and made film worthy. That’s just silly.
15. Favorite sculptor who isn’t you?
I am my least favorite sculptor. I have a real fondness for dead sculptors. Really dead sculptors. Among the living, the list is very long. Go to any of the forums or sites devoted to sculpture and you’ll see their names often. I’ve heard the clang of the death knell of pop sculpture for decades, and it’s just getting louder with digital imaging. But you at some of the work of my colleagues and contemporaries, and you can see, the work is better, stronger and of an increasingly very high quality. Traditional sculpture is at a crossroads, to be sure. But it will survive quite well, due to the dedication of sculptors working today.


http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j12/statueforum/4eba70e0.jpg

16. What got you into sculpting?
I don’t mean to be flip, but I didn’t get into sculpting, it got into me. I started sculpting when I was seven. I don’t think I had much of a choice.
17. What was your big break?
I’m still waiting for my big break. My career has been a series of little breaks. But my relationship with DCD for a dozen years has really allowed me create work I might not have been able to anywhere else.
18. Favorite sculpt of your own?
I like bits and pieces of a lot of my personal work. And for a lot of different reasons. Belle at la Bête still holds up for me. Major Marjorie, Prometheus and some of the Christmas Carol figures still work. I’ve been doing a number of portrait head over the last few years, and those I enjoy doing a lot. Ode to Joy (Beethoven smiling) is a piece I’ve wanted to do for years, and after having done it, it makes me want to explore that area much more.


http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/ww.jpg

19. Favorite sculpt by someone else?
Honestly, too many to list. I’m a huge fan of sculptors and sculpture. My tastes are very eclectic. I like good, thoughtful work. I don’t like grandstanding. I don’t like to see a sculptor show off. It should never be about us. It should always be about the piece. If you can’t add anything or remove anything from a piece and not diminish its quality, that’s a good piece of work. Excessive detail is just plain annoying.
20. Any sculpting horror stories?
We all have them. Mine almost always involve a deadline that won’t budge or an Art Director whose head is so far up their ass they can’t see your work to help you. I’ve been very lucky to have worked with some really amazingly talented AD’s. And that’s been the case more than it hasn’t. But, every now and then, you come across an AD who makes the piece about them and how they can put their mark on it, for better or worse. That approach doesn’t do any good for anyone. Least of all, the piece.


http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j12/statueforum/c513ed63.jpg

21. What tools did you use to make you a better sculptor?
Careful and cultivated observation. The rest of it will take care of itself. But appreciating the human condition and being able to tell a story by plugging into it makes for better art, whether its a guy in tights or bolts through his neck.
22. Who do you most admire in the industry?
That kind of sounds like a suicide question. I admire originality above almost everything else. And a personal ability to make their vision real. It’s a very tough business. Anyone who can make a success by following their dream gets my admiration in spades.
23. Is there anyone out there you wish you could sculpt like?
Being hands-for-hire, you end up sculpting like a lot of people, and they you. I don’t think I have a particularly evident style, which I think lets me mimic, to varying degrees of success, a lot of sculptors. But the Brothers Shiflett are in a league all by themselves. Nobody does what they do, and I don’t think anyone can. I’m a big fan of their stuff. And they happen to be really nice guys.
24. Do you have\had a mentor?
Not really. I wish I had. Art books were my biggest influence. Its why I try, if I can, to be available to artists asking my advice. It was one of the guiding principles in writing the book.
25. Do you listen to music\watch tv while working? If so could you elaborate
I listen to MPR classical radio all day long, or audio books. Classical radio is like a station devoted to cover versions. Its like listening to dozens of different versions of “I am the Walrus” or “Bohemian Rhapsody” And sussing out which bit of a song you know well, you like better. And, I like the energy. It doesn’t compete, in enhances. And audio books… its nice to have someone read you a story.
26. Whats your favorite scale to work in?
Action figure to a figure maybe eight to ten inches tall. For portrait heads, about half life size. I just kind of suck and larger scale work. And I think, because of the way I finish work, its becomes way too labor intensive.

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/176740_194537423920512_100000927666015_494050_7154224_o.jpg

27. Dream job?
Having my own small company. Sculpting what I want, the way I want and hoping people will want to buy it. And commission work, I’ve done very, very little of it over the years. But I think that would be fun. Someone comes to you with a concept and the challenge would be to give them what they want while giving yourself over to it. If that makes sense.

28. Dream character to sculpt?
There’s no one particular character I’d have jones to do. What I would like to try is to create a multiple figure work that tells a story from various perspectives.
29. What are you working on now?
Finishing this interview.
30. Other hobbies?
I’d like to do a lot more drawing and painting. I’d like to get back to playing and writing music. Maybe do some recording again. For now, I putz around the farm. And write. I write short stories, radio play and have a couple of books in the works but I really don’t have the time to devote to it that I’ like. And I’d like to try my hand at competitive napping.
31. Favorite movie?
Bride of Frankenstein, Metropolis (restored), fantasia (no.1), anything with Laurel and Hardy, and film or TV with the occasional naked woman.
32. Favorite album\artist?
Beatles, XTC, Jeff Beck, Chopin, Gershwin, Electronica, some Bowie.


http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j12/statueforum/a172c6a2.jpg

33. Favorite book?
Christmas Carol, Carter Beats the Devil, Secret History, The Help. Anything by Raymond Chandler or Dashiell Hammett. The occasional Dean Koontz.
34. Where do you see yourself in ten years?
I’ll be 70. I’ll be happy to see myself just about anywhere.
35. Have you ever travelled?
Italy.
36. Favorite place to holiday?
Sun, water…lounge chair… a nice tequila and a damn good book.
37. What country would you love to visit?
Japan.
38. Any hints on what you're working on currently?
Sorry…

[abarron]

Another fantastic interview Rod

Keep them coming

[Shoo]

This is such a great thread. Thank you Rod and everyone else.

[Rocket]

Another fantastic interview Rod

Keep them coming

This is such a great thread. Thank you Rod and everyone else.

Thanks Ash, thanks Shoo. Really glad you guys are enjoying them! :)

[abarron]

Thanks Ash, thanks Shoo. Really glad you guys are enjoying them! :)

:buttrock:

[Marvelito]

Very nice!! I'm really enjoying these quite a bit, my only suggestion would be spacing them out a bit, it seems like we're barreling through these. I'm not sure how deep our talent pool runs, but putting them out too close together might put an end to this feature too soon. Just a thought, but please keep them coming! :)

[AYsculpture]

Tim bruckner Rocks!! i love his personal sculpts! I really want to have his Prometheus Statue
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s315/artfarmer/Prom02A.jpg

[Bullseye]

I agree. As far as I'm concerned Tim is the ultimate on anatomy. Just perfection.

[Predator]

Tim is a genius. He is the Yoda of pop sculpture. Great interview.

[Rocket]

Very nice!! I'm really enjoying these quite a bit, my only suggestion would be spacing them out a bit, it seems like we're barreling through these. I'm not sure how deep our talent pool runs, but putting them out too close together might put an end to this feature too soon. Just a thought, but please keep them coming! :)

I was thinking the same thing Tony, it's tough because the guys have been so accomodating and I dont want to horde on to these and not share, but you do make an excellent point. That said, SF is blessed with a lot of talent, both in the sculpting AND art department......;)

[Rocket]

Credit to Bulls again guys as we get to hear from the brilliant Shiflett Brothers!!!



Shameless Plug?
www.shiflettbrothers.com

1. First name?
J: Jarrod
B: Brandon

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j12/statueforum/62ebc472.jpg


2. Location?
J: We're both in Texas.


3. Age
J: 38.
B: I'm the smarter, older brother. 42.


5. Pets?
J: Five dogs.
B: Two dogs and a cat.

6. Nickname?
J: The Tiger.
B: The Tiger? Wow, that's ridiculous.


7. Could you give a brief outline of how you got to where you are in your career?
J: We were big comic book nerds, could kind of draw but not really, started sculpting Wolverines and showing them at conventions, and we're still basically doing that.
B: Yes, we got "discovered" at the San Diego Comic-Con. In the art show. We owe everything to Comic-con.


http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j12/statueforum/1f2b61cd.jpg

8. Primary field?
J: Sculpting.
B: My field is sculpting...his fields are mostly Bazinga!Bazinga!Bazinga!Bazinga!Bazinga!ing and whining.

9. Who have you done work for in the industry?
J: Bowen Designs, Moore Creations, Toy Biz, Franklin Mint, Verotik Comics, Dynamic Forces. These days, though, mostly Shiflett Brothers Originals.

10. Favorite property?
J: I've been feeling nostalgic lately , anything H.R. Puff n Stuff.
B: It's no secret we're Marvel fanboys. I love me some Batman, too, even though we've never done anything for D.C...yet.

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j12/statueforum/eb2b31ce.jpg


11. Do you read comics?
J: Comics are what it's all about, all the cool stuff starts as a comic. I like Mignola, Guy Davis. Brandon reads an absurd amount of stuff and shows me what he thinks I will like. I can always read X-men or anything with Thor or the Hulk.
B: Yeah, a lot of sculptors in this industry come at it from a love of movies...we love movies too, but that wasn't our inspiration tostart sculpting. Our inspiration...the reason we sculpt... is comic books. That's where we come from. We're Comic Book Fans first.

12. Favorite comic?
J: Nexus probably. I still yell out when I see Steve Rude at Comic-Con, ' The Dude!' He thinks I'm crazy, or maybe knows I'm crazy.
B: Yeah, I love Nexus, too. Obviously Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns is a landmark for us. I love BPRD, Kick-Ass, Planetary, Daredevil, Gotham Central, Hellboy, Grendel, Ex Machina, The Ultimates, and Powers.

13. Character?
J: If I said anything besides Wolverine I'd be fooling myself. I've sculpted a crapload of Wolverines just for fun so I guess he's my favorite.
B: Either Batman or Nexus. Jarrod has sculpted over 100 Wolverines. Seriously. This is a real number. 95 of them for himself. About 5 professionally.


http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j12/statueforum/711a4465.jpg


14. Favorite comic related movie?
J: Superman 2 maybe. I am really enjoying The Walking Dead series and can't wait for the second season of that.
B: The Dark Knight. The Hellboy movies are great too. And Sin City.

15. Favorite sculptor who isnt you?
J: Takayuki Takeya, Jordu Schell, Paul Komoda, SPIDERZERO.
B: Yep, what he said.

16. What got you into sculpting?
J: Way back when at the Dallas BullDog Prouctions Shows in the late 80's there was a dinosaur sculptor named John Fischner. He worked in papier mache and a little bit of super sculpey, anyway every year he was there we would question him more and more. That was a major turning point for us to start experimenting with whatever materials this guy would tell us.

B: When Jarrod and I started, there was no real comic book statue industry. It was just barely getting started (yes, this means we are old). We wanted to see versions of our favorite comic characters in 3D. If no one was making them, we'd have to do it. Simple as that.

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j12/statueforum/e0d5d3a7.jpg

17. What was your big break?
J: Glenn Danzig owns Verotik Comics and he let us do 3 Simon Bisley Verotik characters as resin kits, those were the first 3 resin kits we ever did and if we've had a big break I guess maybe that was it.
B: Around the same time, Lorne Lanning asked us to work on his video game project, Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee. We sculpted the maquettes for the game. That was big. Then Jess Falcon from ToyBiz and Clay Moore helped get us going as well.

18. Favorite sculpt of your own?
J: I guess the Draco from the movie Dragonheart, people seem to love it.
B: Our unproduced creature from the Black Lagoon Sculpture done originally for Moore Creations.

19. Favorite sculpt by someone else?
J: Paul Komoda's Elephant Man comes to mind. I 'm thinking Jordu's Deer Alien thingy.
B: I like Oniki's Nina Darkness and Takeya's Alien Pile. Takeya's Skull Soldier and Operation in Progress are standouts, too.

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j12/statueforum/cb10ffe3.jpg


20. Any sculpting horror stories?
J: Sculpting is one long fix. We are lucky to be doing something in the industry because this kind of stuff is really what we are into. So the worst night fixing cracks or realizing it looks nothing like Kevin Sorbo , it's all part of it.
B: Our sculpting horror stories are legion. But, yes, likenesses are particularly hit and miss with us. We've had epic fails on Kevin Sorbo, Mark Hamill, and others.

21. What tools did you use to make you a better sculptor? (books\tutorials\anatomy classes\etc?)
J: We are self taught, so I always say you can do it yourself , especially with all the info online now. We had some good Buno Lucchessi video's, How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way by Stan Lee and John Busema, even though it's 2-d it has some great rules and tips that we used. We have a new DVD that shows our process, we were lucky enough to do a DVD with The Gnomon Workshop which was sweet and we really put all the sculpting info we could into it.
B: We always say that our sculpting education was X-Men Comics in the mid to late 80's and early 90s. We also studied what the Japanese guys were doing...Nirasawa's Creature Core Book was our bible.

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j12/statueforum/796292f1.jpg


22. Who do you most admire in the industry?
J: Yasushi Nirasawa. The effect of the Creature Core book and Fewture is pretty cool and it's had a huge influence on us.
B: Clayburn Moore was a big help to us early in our careers. Randy Bowen has been a good friend and kinda made us famous overnight. Those two guys are responsible for so much fo the success we've had. We look up to both of them.

23. Is there anyone out there you wish you could sculpt like?
J: Simon Lee
B: Simon Lee


http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j12/statueforum/0a9e5cee.jpg

24. Do you have\had a mentor?
J: Clayburn Moore did a lot of shows in Texas with us when we were coming up and gave us a lot of guidance which he did not have to do, and our first coldcast porcelain piece Draco from Dragonheart was with his company Moore Creations.

25. Do you listen to music\watch tv while working? If so could you elaborate
J: I love showtunes , rap and old country. The Smiths. Kate Bush.
B: I have my TV on, but listen to my Ipod with headphones. The Smiths, Kate Bush, Radiohead, Rasputina, Morrissey, Joy Division, Sigur Ros, Bjork, The Beatles, The Cocteau Twins, CocoRosie, The Dresden Dolls, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Velvet Underground.



http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j12/statueforum/83d0a68c.jpg

26. Whats your favorite scale to work in?
J:1/7
B: We've gotten smaller as we've gone along. Even the Bowen Stuff is just a touch bigger than we are totally comfortable with.

27. Dream job?
J: Something with Fewture.
B: Yeah. Something with Nirasawa or the French Comics Icon Moebius. We worship him as a God.

28. Dream character to sculpt?
J: Rancor, so much of what I do is just a Rancor rip-off at the end of the day.
B: Because we don't do many movie or TV characters, I would say Roy Batty from Bladerunner or The Major from Ghost in the Shell. Or Moebius' Major Grubert.

29. What are you working on now?
J: Right now I'm waiting for stuff to get back from Monsterpalooza and so I'm doing a Satyr of some kind.
B: Most of what we do now are our own original characters and designs. We've just released the Komodo King Bronze Edition. It is our third bronze piece, after Ol' Scratch and Deal with the Devil. Everything looks better in Bronze!

30. Other hobbies?
J: I like to work in wood, just 2x 4's and wood screws and plywood and just make some shelves or something for the dogs, it is a happy place for me from my youth to construct something and then to have it and work on it over a couple of days.
B: Science fiction books and movies. They consume my life.
31. Favorite movie?
J: The Color Purple, The Thing.
B: Bladerunner (easiest question so far!).

32. Favorite album\artist?
J: Sinead O Conner The Lion and The Cobra
B: The Smiths, The Queen is Dead

33. Favorite book?
J: Watership Down
B: Anything by William Gibson, Ian McDonald, Neal Stephenson, or Iain M. Banks.

4. Where do you see yourself in ten years?
J: Bald as Bazinga!Bazinga!Bazinga!Bazinga!.
B: Brother of Bald as Bazinga!Bazinga!Bazinga!Bazinga!.

35. Have you ever travelled?
J: I've been to Mexico.
B: We only need to get to San Diego for Comic-Con every year. That's enough for us!

36. Favorite place to holiday?
B: Comic-Con is both business and fanboy pleasure for us.

37. What country would you love to visit?
J: Amsterdam
B: England and Japan.

38. Any hints on what you're working on currently?
J: We have things in the works with the great Concept Artist Wayne Barlowe. Also collaborations with painter Chet Zar and sculptor Paul Komoda could be coming up. The Barlowe Thype piece is cast and the ad is being created while our part of the Komoda collab has been sculpted and sent to Paul, tentatively called "Satan's Way" and will be a resin kit.
B: We have some exciting projects coming up that we are not yet allowed to talk about. For the last few years, we've been working on so much personal stuff for Shiflett Brothers Originals...the only hint I can give about the upcoming year might be... Excelsior!

J & B: Thanks To Bullseye, DROD, Galactus and all our Statueforum people. We really appreciatte the support!!

[Bullseye]

Thanks again to Brandon and Jarrod who have been very generous with their contributions to the forum over the years. Some of their work are my favourite pieces in my collection. I'd love to see them work at 1/4 scale.

[Rocket]

Thanks again to Brandon and Jarrod who have been very generous with their contributions to the forum over the years. Some of their work are my favourite pieces in my collection. I'd love to see them work at 1/4 scale.

:buttrock:

[ZKULPTOR]

Those were awesome Keith & Erick! Always fun to get a sneak peek inside
the noggin of one of the masters (E) and one of the soon-to-be legends (K)!
You guys are both so aggravatingly talented, it really is giving me a complex.
With the right opportunities, Keith is going to be one of the best the industry
has seen, and I can't even begin to describe how stoked I am about Erick's
upcoming company/projects. You're quite the tease E! Two solid and educational
interviews you guys. :D

Congrats on two homeruns Rodney!

Very cool interview there, Erick, Thanks man! You rock!

Yes, Erick gives radiant energy to people around! He is a great inspiration in the business in my opinion! Did you guys see his Warpath statue? Crazy sculpting skills at 1:6 scale! :buttrock:
Thank you guys, you are too kind !

[Rocket]

Trying to pace these out but our SF sculptors have been so helpful, the interviews keep coming in! :buttrock:

[abarron]

Another fantastic interview

[shiflettbrothers]

Thanks Bullseye! We love the StatueForum.

[Spazzy]

Awesome interviews! Wow Shiftlett Brothers and Tim Bruckner, love his book popsculpture read it a few times already, learn new things each time

[Rocket]

New Interview time!!

Stepping up to the plate is Avinash Hegde!!!


http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/avi.jpg

Shameless Plug?


http://www.avinash3ds.blogspot.com/

1. First name? Avinash Hegde
2. Location? http://aysculpture.deviantart.com/
3. Age 33
4. Martial\Family status? Very Happily Married
5. Pets? No pets , I like animals free in the wild
6. Nickname? “Rocky “given to me by friends in college

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/bd.jpg

7. Could you give a brief outline of how you got to where you are in your career? Well I always was dreaming to be doing some work related to comics and superheros ,I was drawing them all the time in my school books :P ,Eventually I fell in love with computers and started working in outsourcing studios doing game cinematics and game art , this I did for 12 years , then one fine day I saw a amazing article about rapid prototyping (3d printing ) of digital models and I was blown away by the tech ,so I started doing research about it and did a few tests of my personal 3d models with some 3d printing companies ,after a few bad prints (don want to name the company ,but some know) I finally found the result I wanted ,and then I found Statueforum, posted few of my works here which was noticed by some kind people which eventually led to few private commissions and a Break from Bowen Designs and now here I am
8. Primary field?
Digital Sculpting
9. Who have you done work for in the industry?
Bowen Designs, Hasbro,HCG,Kotobukiya,Sentient Toys ,Amercican college of cardiology,Nike,Triforce ,Designworks

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/grls.jpg

10. Favorite property?
Marvel and DC , I am also developing a liking for mythological and few designs i am working on concepted by independent creators( will be revealed soon)
11. Do you read comics?
Yes! Currently I am reading Tintin
12. Favorite comic?
Darkknight returns by frank miller, Superman -peace on earth ,Batman Hush
13. Character?
Batman
14. Favorite comic related movie?
Batman (89)Batman Returns and Superman (chris Reeves)

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/supers.jpg

15. Favorite sculptor who isnt you?
Lol I dont consider myself favourite at all! But I am in total awe with the works of Tim Bruckner(Amazing dynamic anatomy), Randy Bowen(Captures true essence of Marvel characters) , Mark Newman(Genius), Andy Bergholtz(never seen such clean work!) ,Pablo Viggiano(immensely talented),Ray Villafane(my god his sand sculpts blow my mind!),Erick Sosa(His personal creature sculpts are a inspiration!) Jordu Schell (no words to describe his work…) I am also really admiring the work of Bobby C these days.
16. What got you into sculpting?
A workstation Laptop gifted to me by my Lovely Wife who is the biggest motivating factor in my life, I had to do some thing with it and Zbrush…I love that software ! also the exposure to 3d printing really inspired me and ofcourse all those amazing comic collectibles

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/mrvel.jpg

17. What was your big break?
Well after working for 4 months nonstop on my personal portfolio of superhero sculpts , I showed it to Mr Dan “Danno” Cope to get his feedback and also my very helpful Talented friend Claudio ,they both suggested me to send it To Sir Randy Bowen , a few days later I got a mail from Bowen Designs and my first ever professional digital sculpting project was given to me by The legend Randy Bowen ,It was the IronMan extremis statue , this was a big day in my life, Dream come true.. I can never thank the above people enough for the opportunity and the support , I also would like to thank some key people in my life
Jorge(Sentient Toys) ,DesModa, Nexus ,Samhain(liam) ,SNIKT,Richard,Mark(HCG),Erick Sosa ,Kurt(Alkusyl) and all the amazing members and Mods of Statue forum who have always supported my work and given me a platform to showcase it .
18. Favorite sculpt of your own?
Not sculpted yet …but I am happy with all my private commission stuff they are fun!
19. Favorite sculpt by someone else?
Green Lantern Vs Sinestro by Tim Bruckner , Silver surfer(museum chrome) by Randy Bowen, Premium format Hulk By Andy Bergholtz , Doctor Doom premium format by Pablo Viggiano

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/dep.jpg

20. Any sculpting horror stories?
Fortunately none related to sculpting , all my Clients and Projects are Awesome!!! They give me a lot of support and make it easy for me
But I have had a long list of other horror stories in my adventure filled life , we will get to that some time else
21. What tools did you use to make you a better sculptor?
Well I browse comic art a lot! Collect sketch books by comic artists ,collect statues done by amazing sculptors whom I admire …they teach me all the time and help me to get better.
I also have a very cool anatomy reference model (I strongly recommend it ) made by Anatomy tools ..here is the web link to the product http://anatomytools.com/products/anatomy/fig-male2
Strength training by frederic delavier- get this book ! its amazing

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/blackbeauty.jpg

22. Who do you most admire in the industry?
I Admire all those who professionally work for this industry and make a living out of it ,with time I have realised its not at all easy to work professionally ,I salute all those who work ethically and deliver what the client /art director /company wants even if its against their creative opinions . Also I admire the amazing fans and supporters who invest their hard earned money and time into this Hobby , I also have tremendous Respect for the creators of Statueforum who have given a platform for so many people to show their work.
23. Is there anyone out there you wish you could sculpt like?
Whenever I see a totally awesome statue I feel I wish I could sculpt like that! This has happens to me when I see works of Tim Bruckner ,Randy Bowen ,Andy Bergholtz and many others! There is so much Talent around!


24. Do you have\had a mentor?
I have lots of them! Some of them even don’t know I am a student of theirs! Well I consider myself very lucky to get guidance from Dan Cope ,one of the kindest and most helpful and talented people I have known , Randy Bowen I mean he took me to school and I learnt so much about the industry and anatomy of a comic collectible, a phone call with him is like boost of motivation! Frequent visits to Tim bruckner’s web site I consider schooling too.

25. Do you listen to music\watch tv while working?
I like some sound around me , growing up in a city full of noise , I need it . we like to have a playlist of movies running while I work .
26. Whats your favorite scale to work in?
In Digital scale does not matter much when I am sculpting , but I like 1/6 and 1/5
27. Dream job?
I think I am already having a job I dreamt of
28. Dream character to sculpt?
I have a few personal projects which I want to do in my lifetime , one of them is nearing completion ,will reveal soon , of course all of them are based on superheros

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/bats.jpg

29. What are you working on now?
I am juggling several projects at once … A marvel Villan , A Dc Hero , a children’s toy and few amazing private commissions ….very very busy
30. Other hobbies?
Fitness! This was my first love before Sculpting … I love martial arts! I am also very interested in electronics
31. Favorite movie?
Rocky, Enter the dragon, Shawshank Redemption, The Green mile , FirstBlood, Pumping Iron, T2 lots more
32. Favorite album\artist?
Not much of a music guy … I like sound tracks from some movies
33. Favorite book?
Tao of jeet kun do by bruce lee (yes I am a huge fan of of bruce lee’s philosophy)
34. Where do you see yourself in ten years?
In a safe and secured place with lots of beautiful environment around with my family , with lots work to keep me busy and provide all what my family needs
35. Have you ever travelled?
My life is filled with travels … i have been traveling jumping from place to place since 17 years now , India,Singapore,Bangkok ,Hong kong ,Malaysia,Germany ,Spain … I am wanted in several of these countries :P ..just kidding
36. Favorite place to holiday?
Any where safe with my wife .., we both love to travel
37. What country would you love to visit?
China , Eygpt and japan
38. Any hints on what you're working on currently?
Marvel VS Capcom! And few cool private commissions

[Marvelito]

Great interview Avi!! Hope to work with you someday soon. :D

[AYsculpture]

Thanks a lot to all the Mods of Statue forum and the awesome members for the support you have shown me!!! STATUEFORUM ROCKS!!!!

[Rocket]

Thanks a lot to all the Mods of Statue forum and the awesome members for the support you have shown me!!! STATUEFORUM ROCKS!!!!

Thanks for getting involved Avi! :buttrock:

[Bullseye]

Very cool stuff. I'm really impressed how far this form of sculpting has come over a short period of time. Some beautiful stuff there.

[derekrodneysim]

This thread is the COOLEST! :buttrock:

[Mr. Kennedy]

great interview

[RichBamf]

Having spoke to Avi on several occasions now, I'm very glad and privileged to be able to call him a true friend. He's not only an amazing talent, IMHO one of the best on this forum, but he's also a great person and an all round nice guy.

[RichBamf]

I've also gotta say, Avi's work really speaks for itself...I was anti-digital sculpting until I saw some of his work.

To turn me from being so anti-digital to actually waiting for Avi's next pieces to be sneaked, just shows how much I value his talents. Anyone with half a brain can appreciate the sheer amount of effort and detail he puts into his work.

There are a few sculptors here who I think are really at the top of their game, and Avi is a digital sculptor without equal IMO.

[Bullseye]

That Human Torch looks amazing. Is it getting produced?

[Bullseye]

I've also gotta say, Avi's work really speaks for itself...I was anti-digital sculpting until I saw some of his work.

To turn me from being so anti-digital to actually waiting for Avi's next pieces to be sneaked, just shows how much I value his talents. Anyone with half a brain can appreciate the sheer amount of effort and detail he puts into his work.

There are a few sculptors here who I think are really at the top of their game, and Avi is a digital sculptor without equal IMO.

Avi is indeed brilliant. Also check out the sculptor from Spain I think working for ARH. His Thor is phenomenal.

[RichBamf]

Avi is indeed brilliant. Also check out the sculptor from Spain I think working for ARH. His Thor is phenomenal.

I saw that piece too, and didn't know who the sculptor was, I thought it might be Arahom himself.

What's the sculptor's name Rob? I'd like to see more of their work.

[RichBamf]

That Human Torch looks amazing. Is it getting produced?

Currently with Bowen for approval I believe. As part of the new FF statues.

[Bullseye]

Alex Pereira. Not sure if he has his own site.

I saw that piece too, and didn't know who the sculptor was, I thought it might be Arahom himself.

What's the sculptor's name Rob? I'd like to see more of their work.

[Bullseye]

Actually here is his site.
http://alexpereira3d.blogspot.com/

[RichBamf]

Actually here is his site.
http://alexpereira3d.blogspot.com/

Thanks mate, that's good service! :D

[Mr. Kennedy]

Currently with Bowen for approval I believe. As part of the new FF statues.

It's been pull from Bowen. It will be produced pm me if interrest for details

[Rocket]

Thanks for the support guys :buttrock:

[RichBamf]

Thanks for the support guys :buttrock:

Would've been here sooner mate, haven't seen this thread pop up much...

The hazards of using the new posts button...do'h!

[Savage]

Oh my god, this thread is the best ever! :jawd:
Every single guy here is listed so far is over the top man! Hope the rest is still coming..... like Andy Bergholtz, Clayburn Moore...... and of course Randy "the big bang" Bowen.

[bigsilva77]

Great Interview: Now I know where you get your inspiration and Great direction in all your work you do!! With a Great Supportive Wife, and strong Family is all you need to accomplish any task and fulfill your Dreams. Treat her well this Sunday, she deserves it. (p.s Get my statues done) Lol :)
Your Friend: Chris

[Rocket]

Would've been here sooner mate, haven't seen this thread pop up much...

The hazards of using the new posts button...do'h!

:thumbs2:

[Rocket]

Oh my god, this thread is the best ever! :jawd:
Every single guy here is listed so far is over the top man! Hope the rest is still coming..... like Andy Bergholtz, Clayburn Moore...... and of course Randy "the big bang" Bowen.

We already have a few interviews ready to go, and the aim is to get to everyone who is willing to be involved :D

[ALKUSYLx]

Congratulations Avi!! It`s about time you`re recognized for your hard work and super-talent :D
It`s been an honour working with you, and I can`t wait to see what we`re going to come up with next!

Most of all, thank you for your friendship....and as Bruce Lee would say, `Empty your mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water my friend.`.

You`re proving that will all your awesome sculpts...keep up the great work! :thumbs2:

[Darth Aidan]

wow great thread!!

[High Lord Apocalypse]

great interview Avi!

[Rocket]

Just to let all you guys know, each interview will now have it's own thread as well as being posted here, in the Enforcer's section :)

http://www.statueforum.com/forumdisplay.php?f=15

And to mark the occassion I'll put another interview up tonight! :D

[Rocket]

Bullseye has delivered again guys, with SF's own, "Professor Oreo", Walter O'Neal!!!

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/n1336263050_30272407_6415.jpg


Shameless Plug?

http://no-sign-of-sanity.deviantart.com/gallery/

1. First name?

Walter. Yes, I’m fully aware that it’s an old man’s name. Hopefully I’ll live long enough to look like my name should be Walter.


2. Location?

Vancouver, WA. My wife and I moved here in 2006, although I was born and raised in California. *Fun fact: I live about 20 minutes from Randy Bowen. * Fun fact 2: His house is way nicer than mine.



3. Age

I just turned 36 last month.

4. Martial\Family status?

I’m married to the coolest chick ever. No kids and no plans for any.

5. Pets?
2 cats. One is really sweet, the other is a total dick.

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j12/statueforum/AnatomyofTheHulk.jpg

6. Nickname?

Strangely enough, my online handle has become what people actually call me when they meet me in person. So I hear “Oreo” or “Professor” a lot when I’m at conventions. It’s kinda surreal but I totally dig it. It makes me smile.

7. Could you give a brief outline of how you got to where you are in your career?
I quit my job as a production accountant in 2005 to follow my art dreams. I worked on a new 2D painting portfolio, shopped it around and got nowhere. In the process I met some really cool professional sculptorsonline and caught the sculpting bug. I slowly built a sculpting portfolio and Randy Bowen took a chance on me. That lead to some concept art work from DC Direct, which then lead to sculpting work from DC Direct. That eventually lead to sculpting and concept work from Sideshow. So basically 5 years of failing upwards by means of cleverly hiding my incompetence.

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j12/statueforum/BowenBatroc.jpg

8. Primary field?
At my core I’m a 2D guy. I actually enjoy sculpting more than painting, but overall I think I’m a better painter than I am a sculptor. Though I think I’ve found a good spot for myself being a concept artist working in the collectible industry. I get to use all of the info I’ve learned from sculpting to help design pieces that will hopefully work well in 3 dimensions without too many production hassles.



9. Who have you done work for in the industry?
Wizards of the Coast, Bowen Designs, DC Direct, DC Licensing, Sideshow Collectibles. I think that’s everyone…



10. Favorite property?

Comics by far. I like Marvel’s heroes better than DC’s, but I like DC’s villains better than Marvel’s. I was a die-hard X-Men addict as a teenager, but as I got older I started to branch out and fell in love with several DC characters. I adore anything that Bruce Timm has touched in animated form.


11. Do you read comics?

Not as much as I’d like to. I’m generally a trade-waiter so I’m usually several months behind on all fronts. I visit a few comic forums daily though so I keep up with the general action as it happens then pick up the specifics when the trades hit Amazon.


12. Favorite comic?
My own – if I ever finish it…

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j12/statueforum/JonahHexPaintmaster.jpg

13. Character?

I don’t really have a single character that I key into as I tend to spread that affection across configurations of teams. My favorites for the longest time were the late 80’s X-men (Wolverine, Collossus, Cyclops,Nightcrawler, Storm etc.). I also loved Alpha Flight and the New Mutants.


14. Favorite comic related movie?
Blade. It shows that any character can be insanely cool if handled properly. Spider-man 2 is great as well.



15. Favorite sculptor who isn't you?

I’m not sure I can pick just one. There are quite a few sculptors I look up to that I mentally keep over my shoulder while working in the hopes that the end result of whatever it is I’m making will impress them on some level. So bouncing around in my head in no particular order I ‘ve got: The Shiflett Bros, Randy Bowen, Mark Newman, Ray Villafane, Andy Bergholtz, Trevor Grove, Tony Cipriano, Martin Canale, Erick Sosa, Keith Kopinski, Troy McDevitt, Rick Force, Paul Komoda, Tim Miller, Simon Lee, Thiago Provin, JimShoop, Jean St. Jean, John Matthews, Jack Matthews, Mat Aylward, and a few others that I’m too tipsy to remember at the moment.


16. What got you into sculpting?
My ineptitude at getting work as a painter. I really enjoy it though because it’s further along the path to bringing a concept to life. It’s just so much more satisfying to see your ideas in 3 dimensions than it is in 2.



17. What was your big break?
Befriending the Shiflett Bros. If I had not met Brandon and Jarrod online and been so inspired and encouraged by them to enter this field I’m not sure where I’d be right now. I owe any and every bit of success that I’ve had to them.

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j12/statueforum/MeamBIZARRO.jpg

18. Favorite sculpt of your own?

Sadly my favorite pieces of my own are ones that the general public hasn’t seen and some that won’t ever been seen. I’m really proud of a couple of 1:6 scale heads for DC Direct’s Collector Action Figure line that were never released. I’m also still quite happy with a certain series of busts I designed for a pitch to a company that won’t ever be produced either. It’s just part of the business – not everything you make gets released. Though I’m also pretty happy with a recent statue I sculpted for Sideshow (my first full statue as a professional in the industry) which hopefully will be shown pretty soon.


19. Favorite sculpt by someone else?
I adore Ray Villafane’s Batman vs. Killer Croc for DC’s Classic Confrontations line. What he did with the base breaking apart with the pieces of rubble suspended in mid-air is beyond cool. It looks like it’s truly a moment frozen in time as if Batman and Croc are stuck in the Matrix. I might be a touch biased since I provided some concept art for that project but I think my contribution is irrelevant. Everything cool about that piece happened in the sculpting phase and 100% of that credit belongs to Ray.


http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j12/statueforum/PoisonIvypainted.jpg

20. Any sculpting horror stories?

Unfortunately yes. I shared a concept that I was hoping to pitch to a particular company with another, more established artist in the hopes that said artist would give me some pointers on how best to approach that company since he had worked for them quite a bit. The artist gave me some great advice then immediately turned around and pitched a very similar concept to the same company. While I took my time to finely polish my pitch materials, he essentially beat me to the punch with my own idea. His project took off and mine ultimately went nowhere. I was heartbroken, just completely devastated, and I’ve never fully recovered from it.



21. What tools did you use to make you a better sculptor? (books\tutorials\anatomy

classes\etc?)
Images of the work of much better artists followed swiftly by envy, anger, frustration, perseverance, energy drinks… oh, and a couple of body building magazines to help with anatomy.



22. Who do you most admire in the industry?

Probably the Shifletts as they have carved out a niche for themselves wherein they get to support themselves by producing their own characters. Anybody can sculpt a statue of Superman and sell it, but it takes a special kind of talent to make people excited to own a statue of your original character that doesn’t have an already established franchise behind it. They figured out that riddle and hopefully one day I can figure it out as well.

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j12/statueforum/SonofSatanPainted.jpg

23. Is there anyone out there you wish you could sculpt like?
Well if I could trade sculpting ability with someone else it would probably be Andy Bergholtz. The dude can sculpt anything and I absolutely adore his aesthetic. Sadly though, if we actually traded skills and Andy was stuck with my sculpting ability he’d probably kill himself.



24. Do you have\had a mentor?
Randy Bowen has been been ultra helpful in giving me pointers not only about sculpting but also about the industry in general. Ray Villafane as well has been incredibly generous with sharing his time and expertise on multiple occasions and has just been a source of tons of great advice. Of course Brandon and Jarrod Shiflett have been crucial to my growth as a professional artist as well. Honestly I was really hoping that Tim Bruckner would fill that mentor role for me but that didn’t quite pan out.

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j12/statueforum/TheJokersCallingCard.jpg

25. Do you listen to music\watch TV while working?
I’ve got a Sony PSP sitting in a speaker dock that I fill with music, podcasts, movies, and stand-up comedy albums sitting on the edge of my desk. It’s great to have all of that stuff together in the same spot where I can rapidly swap through it as my mood changes. Also I work in a few different spots in my house so it’s great that it’s such a small setup that I can easily schlep around with me from room to room.



26. Whats your favorite scale to work in?
Definitely 1:6 scale. Anything larger becomes too much of a hassle for me to manipulate the materials. Anything smaller and I start to go cross-eyed.



27. Dream job?
Working on my own graphic novel and producing various collectibles inspired by its fiction. Until that happens doing what I’m doing now is pretty damn sweet.

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j12/statueforum/JusticeBatman.jpg

28. Dream character to sculpt?
I’d like to take a crack at Wolverine, Nightcrawler or Colossus, but I probably won’t get around to doing any of them unless it’s an actual project from an official license holder.



29. What are you working on now?
Concept art for Sideshow spanning several different licenses.



30. Other hobbies?
Hookers and blow. Just kidding, those are rich people’s hobbies. I’m stuck with video games and booze.



31. Favorite movie?
“The Fountain”. It’s a beautiful movie that asks more questions than it answers, and ultimately leaves the final interpretation of what has transpired to the viewer. I’ve watched it dozens of times and still pick up on new subtle symbolic elements here and there. Strangely enough I really didn’t care for it the first time I saw it. I decided to give it another chance and fell in love with it. “The Prestige” is a close second on my list as well.

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j12/statueforum/GoldenAgeGreenLantern.jpg

32. Favorite album\artist?

Ours – Distorted Lullabies. I could listen to that album on infinite loop forever.



33. Favorite book?
“One Hundred Years of Solitude” or I also have a collection of Mother Goose Rhymes that I really enjoy.



34. Where do you see yourself in ten years?
Hopefully happy, healthy, and Oprah-rich. I’ll settle for happy and healthy though.



35. Have you ever traveled?
I’ve traveled around the U.S. some and I’ve been to Canada once, but that’s about it. Much to my wife’s dismay, I ‘m a homebody and don’t enjoy traveling at all. Plus I have a weak constitution and get sick at the drop of a hat. So planning a trip somewhere essentially means I’m just scheduling a specific date to catch the flu.



36. Favorite place to holiday?
My living room.



37. What country would you love to visit?
France maybe, but seeing pictures of France is probably just as good to me.



38. Any hints on what you're working on currently?

Think of what licenses Sideshow has… I’m probably working on some of that

[AYsculpture]

Walter O'Neal is a terrific sculptor and an amazing concept artist a very deadly combination!! its great to hear you are are getting more work! i have always loved your works!! i don knw how you do those awesome detailed heads with super sculpey! great!

[Marvelito]

Wow, great interview!! I love the artwork, and the un-produced heads just proves once again that DC Direct has their head up their butt!! Hope to see much more work from you Walter. :)

[Igo]

Walter O'Neal is definitely above average.

[ZKULPTOR]

Walter is one of the best, and I should know I have seen his stuff in person and I must admit, I was shaking in my boots when I saw how cool his anatomy, form and textures were....Walter I am sorry someone took your idea man, you live and learn!

[ALKUSYLx]

Congrats on your successes Walter...I`m sure there will be many more to come! I`m sorry too about someone stealing your concept. I`m learning quickly that ideas can be worth a lot! I love your work...keep it up :)

[Savage]

I remember when Walter sculpt the Firelord Mini-Bust for Randy. It was the only sculpt in history of Bowen Designs which was so good and realistic that Randy himself sadly have to sculpt it over again for more plain comic style. People not stopping for complaining "it looks to real". I mean how cool is that?

[abarron]

Another fantastic interview.
All of them have been really insightful

[Kdawg59]

It does not get any better than Walter... There are tons of guys in the industry that make your jaw drop when you see their work. But every time I see pics of Walter's work I analyze the sh*t out of it and wonder "HOW??? HOW in the hell does he do that?"

He's one of the most humble guys I've ever talked to and the minute he realizes that he is worthy of the praise he deserves... well... we're all f*cked. He's that good.

[nexus]

Great to hear Walter is working on stuff for Sideshow, because these sculpts blow the doors off. The Alan Scott is just :jawd: I hope the Sideshow pieces are 1:4.:thumbs2:

[Professor Oreo]

You guys are way too nice. I ain't nobody. But I'm stoked that you guys liked the interview and thanks to everyone here at the statue forum for asking me to be involved in this. It's very much appreciated!

[troyboy]

Everything everyone has said about Walter is right on the money. You're not going to
meet a nicer guy, and I get depressed every time he sends me an e-mail with pics,
or I see a thread with his name attached, because I know I'm going to walk away
feeling like a complete amateur. Happens every f#@&in' time.

The guy gets results with Super Sculpey that I STILL can't get with wax! When I need
help w/ anatomy, he's the first guy I want feedback from, and he always knows what's
off and exactly how to fix it. As far as I'm concerned, Walter is in the absolute top-tier
of sculptors in the industry, and I hope over the next couple years he gets the recognition
he deserves.

Oh, and he's a complete tool (I had to throw that in Walter to counteract all the nice crap). :D

[Rocket]

As promised, another new interview, this time from the man responsible for the first ever BD digital sculpt, Joe Menna!!

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/IanandMe.jpg


Shameless Plug? http://www.josephmenna.com/
1. First name? Joe
2. Location? Philadelphia area.
3. Age. 41
4. Martial\Family status? Married to my amazing and beautiful wife and we have three incredible kids. My family is my life. Everything else is a bonus.
5. Pets? In our house there are two dogs and two cats.
6. Nickname? Nope

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/35.jpg

7. Could you give a brief outline of how you got to where you are in your career? Randy Bowen gave me my first real shot in this business. I had been a professional "fine art" sculptor for years but he was the only person to really let me at it without a finished toy portfolio under my belt. After that it was Georg Brewer and Jim Fletcher at DC Direct who were really gracious to me. Along the way I've continued to do jobs for Randy and have been lucky enough to work for Electic Tiki, Hasbro, and a few others, too. Now I'm continuing to work for most of these same companies and gaining new clients like McFarlane and Dark Horse.
8. Primary field? Sculpture.
9. Who have you done work for in the industry? Oops...think I jumped the gun on this one in question number 7!

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/13.jpg

10. Favorite property? I'm a straight up comics and sci fi geek so basically anything under those umbrellas.
11. Do you read comics? I don't really buy new ones anymore, just the odd trade collection. I love scouring the dollar bins at flea markets, etc for eclectic bronze age stuff like Omega the Unknown, Killraven, Howard the Duck and other 70's goodness. I do follow the current artists and general storylines, though. There are so many great artists working today, it's insane.
12. Favorite comic? I grew up a fan of all things DC and Marvel but also loved all of the British stuff like 2000 A.D., Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, Johnny Nemo, etc.

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/39.jpg

13. Character? A few: Superman, Batman, boths Captain Marvels (DC and Marvel), and the Silver Surfer.
14. Favorite comic related movie? Superman 2
15. Favorite sculptor who isnt you? A tie between Phideas and Emillle Antoine Bourdelle....some of the original super hero sculptors
16. What got you into sculpting? The painting department at my art school was the pits.
17. What was your big break? Mephisto for Randy Bowen.

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/52.jpg

18. Favorite sculpt of your own? I honestly don't have a favorite of my own.
19. Favorite sculpt by someone else? Anything Greek, Egyptian, or Rennaissance. I love the collectible stuff but its classical sculpture that I steal from the most!
20. Any sculpting horror stories? Honestly not really and wouldn't air them if I did. It's a small world and it's safer to keep your trap shut than have something come back and bite you!
21. What tools did you use to make you a better sculptor? (books\tutorials\anatomy classes\etc?) My time studying in Russia taught me everything I know about sculpture and drawing. Paticularly the study of world sculpture tradtions including everything from ancient Egypt, to African wood carvings, to Henry Moore. For Anatomy I recommend a German book called Die Gestalt Des Menschen, by Gottfried Bammes.

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/50.jpg

22. Who do you most admire in the industry? I admire artists like Randy Bowen and the Shiflett Brothers who have transitioned from working for others to getting their own things rolling. Clayburn Moore, too. That's the path I most want to follow. I also really admire Tim Bruckner for the consistently ground breaking work he does. Just when you think you've seen him do the most amazing piece he comes out with something like his DC Dynamics and raises the bar again. There's a ton of other people who's work I admire and it's honestly too many names to list here!
23. Is there anyone out there you wish you could sculpt like? I don't know...it's kind of like asking if I wish I had a different personality. I sculpt the way I sculpt because I am who I am and good or bad, them's the breaks!
24. Do you have\had a mentor? I had a mentor back in college who was like my Obi Wan. His name was Leonid Lerman and it was because of him that I went to Russia. Art school in Russia was like the Jedi Academy for sculpture, seriously. Eventhough I work digitally now I regularly consult books like Pop Sculpture by Tim Bruckner, Zack Oat, and Ruben Procopio and Babes, Beasts, and Brawn by Steve Kiwus. I also still look to the copy of How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way my grandmom gave me 30 plus years ago.

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/30.jpg

25. Do you listen to music\watch tv while working? I listen to a bunch of different kinds of tune and also old time radio serials and sci fi shows on BBC 4 like Doctor Who and Red Dwarf. I also listen to the old Power Records super hero stuff when I'm working on classic DC or Marvel once in a while. Like I said, I am a geek.
26. Whats your favorite scale to work in? Life-sized and larger.
27. Dream job? Being able to make my own thing, my own way.
28. Dream character to sculpt? Not so much a character as a moment in comics' history. Since Superman VS. Muhammad Ali is already taken so a sculptural recreation of the cover from the original Superman VS. Spiderman...but I've been told that will never happen! But it'd be a blast to do and definitely a dream job.
29. What are you working on now? A project for Dark Horse and a few for McFarlane.
30. Other hobbies? I read a lot. Sci Fi, Philosophy, Cosmology, Theology...I like the “big picture” kind of stuff that give you that sense of wonder. I'm also a terrible surfer but could give up everything except my family and do nothing but catch waves for the rest of my life and be very, very happy.

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/19.jpg

31. Favorite movie? Andre Rublev, Solaris, and Stalker by Tarkovsky. Blade Runner, too.
32. Favorite album\artist? Scary Monsters-David Bowie
33. Favorite book? Magister Ludi by Herman Hesse
34. Where do you see yourself in ten years? Hopefully having my own properties rolling. Ferrari by fifty, baby

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/1.jpg

35. Have you ever travelled? Yep.
36. Favorite place to holiday? The beach.
37. What country would you love to visit? Too many to list.
38. Any hints on what you're working on currently? Besides the company work, I'm developing my own line.

[Bullseye]

Wow one of the best interviews yet. Some of those DC pieces looks incredible. Where they ever produced.

[Marvelito]

I hate to sound cliche, but this was yet another great interview! Keep them coming! :D

[rilynil]

Great interview and great pictures, Joe!

[Rocket]

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/31671_431014316264_564641264_5809915_1858009_n.jpg

1. First name? Khurram
2. Location? Karachi, Pakistan.
3. Age 29
4. Martial\Family status? Married to my college sweetheart with 2 kids
5. Pets? Wish I could keep one. My wife has “Animal-phobia”. I used to have one before I was married though. A Siamese cat that I named Psycho.
6. Nickname? K

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/228755_1259828771_large.jpg

7. Could you give a brief outline of how you got to where you are in your career?
Back in school, I loved comics and always to used spend my time trying to draw Spiderman. I still remember trying incredibly hard to get his eyes and webbing right, haha...
I pretty much wanted to become a comic book penciller at that point, so I went to an Art University instead of picking the typical Doctor/ Engineer path. The whole world kind of opened up from there. I majored in Graphic Design/ Advertising with a specialization in Illustration/ Animation in 2005. I initially did art/ animation direction for local commercial animated projects at a place called Sharp Image here in KHI. Eventually, I got bored of the work and wanted more out of my life.
So I quit my job and started freelancing as a character artist for films, learning Zbrush on the side. Three years down the line, people began to enjoy my work, and here I am. I am extremely thankful and glad for the internet and the technology that has enabled me to pursue my childhood dream.

8. Primary field? Art Direction/ Character/ Creature Design for Animation/ Games and Collectibles

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/228755_1253296744_large.jpg

9. Who have you done work for in the industry? Bowen Designs, Pop Culture Shock Collectibles, Idol Workshop(SSC), IP Factory, First4Figures. I’ve done alot of animation related commercial work in the past serving as an art director and animation director as well.

10. Favorite property? DC, Marvel & Top Cow. All three have had an equally prominent role in my life.

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/228755_1282851127_large.jpg

11. Do you read comics? I do, but you have to understand.. There are no comic book stores in Pakistan. So there is very limited access to comic books. I usually found them in a place called Sunday Bazaar here in Karachi. That’s where all second hand magazines and books seem to find their way to. I had a Wizard subscription though and got all my info through that awesome magazine some 10(or so) years ago.

12. Favorite comic? X- Men
13. Character? Green Lantern – Hal Jordan
14. Favorite comic related movie? Watchmen

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/228755_1293549666_large.jpg

15. Favorite sculptor who isn’t you? Randy Bowen, Alex Oliver and Cesar Dacol Jr. And Trevor Grove, that guy’s a genius when it comes to sculpting likenesses.

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/228755_1300068804_large.jpg

16. What got you into sculpting? Back in 2006, I kind of got sick of explaining the problems that I saw in 3D models to the artists when I was Art Director. So I decided to learn character modelling. My background in illustration helped a lot. It was at that point when I had my first experience with Pixologic Zbrush 2, and my life took a dramatic turn after that. This app just enabled me to unleash a part of myself that I never knew existed. Pretty soon I was learning sculpture in order to improve my understanding of form, anatomy and structure. BOOM... It just turned into an obsession after that.

17. What was your big break? I got three big breaks actually..
I got in touch with Adam Ross (Idol Workshop), he saw my “Dhalsim” interpretation and saw some potential. I worked on a few LSB’s for him. Unfortunately I still cannot name them, but that was how I broke into this business. My major breakthrough however, was through Bowen Designs. Randy Bowen was kind enough to trust me with some important characters at the time, I worked on The Punisher as my first project with him. I am grateful that he gave me the opportunity to prove myself. I think being chosen to sculpt the Thundercats at such a huge scale for Pop Culture Shock Collectibles was a true blessing in itself as well.

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/228755_1254467444_large.jpg


http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/228755_1293550246_large.jpg

18. Favorite sculpt of your own? I think every artist sort of hates his/her work as the problems are so visible with every passing year. I see too many problems with my work in order to like it. So my favourite sculpt still eludes me.
19. Favorite sculpt by someone else? The Eel Walker, by Mark Newman. It’s a beautiful piece. There are a few others, but this one always catches my eye.

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/228755_1303541209_large.jpg


http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/228755_1303541440_large.jpg

20. Any sculpting horror stories? There have been many.. Working on projects where the art direction or project brief keeps changing is a true horror in my opinion.

[Rocket]

21. What tools did you use to make you a better sculptor? The Internet! Best tool out there. The Zbrush community is exceptionally helpful and there are TONS of learning resources available online. But honestly, the only way to become a better sculptor is to observe, practice, practice and PRACTICE, and then observe again. Repeat. Hardware is also a key factor for us “Digies”.

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/901069_press06-001.jpg

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/9010691_press05-001.jpg

22. Who do you most admire in the industry? It’s still a little early for me to pick my favourites. I’m new to this industry, so I’m slowly becoming aware of the masters that surround me. It is indeed an honour to work amongst such talented and hard working people. So yeh, I admire all the work that I’ve seen here on SF and on other sites.
23. Is there anyone out there you wish you could sculpt like? I wish that I am able to carve out a niche for myself with my own style someday, like the many masters out there.

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/9010691press06001.jpg

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/9010691press07001.jpg

24. Do you have\had a mentor? I’ve had great teachers (and good friends)... Cesar Dacol Jr., Adam Ross and Randy Bowen.
25. Do you listen to music\watch tv while working? Yes! I love all kinds of music. I’m listening to alot of Daft Punk, Crystal Method, Coldplay, WhiteNoiseSound, 30 Seconds from Mars, Coke Studio etc.
I loved HBO shows like Deadwood, Rome. I am following their new series, Game of Thrones

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/cyc_granov.jpg

26. Whats your favorite scale to work in? ¼ really allows a digital sculptor to add some serious details to the model. I love working at that scale.
27. Dream job? A safe answer would be to work with giants like ILM or Blizzard Entertainment (I love Warcraft!). From the heart though, it would be what I’m doing right now, only multiplied by 20. It would indeed be a dream come true to work on characters from DC, Top Cow and Video Games based identities.

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/KABUKI_MASK_01.jpg

28. Dream character to sculpt? Superman. I’d love to do every version of him.

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/KHA_ZARTAN.jpg

29. What are you working on now? Some commissioned Street fighter stuff. Also working on a bunch of classic Hulk designs. I plan to start some threads documenting practice sessions in my newly created section. Thank you Statue Forum!

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/khalavi-dhalsim-turntable1.jpg

30. Other hobbies? I’m a fulltime dad, so it’s music, magazines, movies and my kids.

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/khalavi-laurie-composite1.jpg

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/khalavi-marvel-comics-professor-charles-xavier.jpg

[Rocket]

31. Favorite movie? Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. That movie inspires me... every single time. I loved The Fountain as well. And Kingdom of Heaven.. so there are three

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/khalavi-winter-soldier1.jpg

32. Favorite album\artist? Audioslave, Tron – Reconfigured
33. Favorite book? Warrior of Light, by Paulo Coelho.

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/PUNISHER_FULL_BODY_COLOR_low.jpg

34. Where do you see yourself in ten years? I stopped thinking about the future years ago. Focusing on the present and not thinking about where I’ll end up has actually helped me achieve things I could not have imagined. I would definitely love to grow in the collectibles/toys industry.
35. Have you ever travelled? Yes, I’ve been to the Middle East (Saudi Arabia, Dubai) and the Far East (Malaysia, Thailand). I’ve travelled a lot inside of Pakistan as well.
36. Favorite place to holiday? A place where it’s cold, and there’s a lot of rain.

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/WX_04.jpg

37. What country would you love to visit? Scotland, England and the USA. I’d like to attend the San Diego Comic Con once in my life, at the least.

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/turntable.jpg

38. Any hints on what you're working on currently? I wish I could divulge the names. I’m working on the Thundercats for PCS so you’ll have to wait and see who comes next after Mumm-Ra. Here’s a hint though - Which cat would you never play poker with??
There are some old school SEGA characters that I’ve taken on just for fun. And for my own practice, I plan to sculpt something “Silver.” And it’s not the surfer.

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/face_teaser.jpg


http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa380/stephrod1/901068press02001.jpg

39. What's something we may not know about you? I’m known for grilling some mean steaks.


I thank all of you for taking out the time and visiting this thread. My thanks to Rocket and the Statue Forum Admin for the interview, and the opportunity to show my work here. Thanks guys! Khurram

[Marvelito]

Great interview K!! As an admirer of your work, it's great to get to know you better. Can't wait to see more of you work! :)

[boobhound]

Lovin this!!!!!!!!!

[ChromeColossus]

Great Stuff, Very Very Cool

[KhurramAlavi]

Thanks Marvelito! You'll be seeing more stuff in the coming few months :D.
boobhound & ChromeColossus: Thanks guys!

[Tony Coca]

still think Bowen dropped the Ball on the Psylocke and Magneto.

[RichBamf]

still think Bowen dropped the Ball on the Psylocke and Magneto.

Ditto buddy, both are amazing! :buttrock:

When I see the curvy female sculpts passed over for a drastically shrunk down Emma Frost (which wasn't even Mark's intention by the looks of his initial work), it makes me mad. :soapb:

[Gannon]

I love this thread! Any new interviews?