An interview with muffinman

Many times in the vinyl world we see skilled artist that pump out great customs. We know some are highly skilled with creating interesting visuals while others may be adept at their subject matter, and still others are masters of the brush. I've had a chance to know and chat with a customizer that I've only just started to find and already I feel like I'm the poorer for not knowing his stuff sooner. I speak of customizer and sculptor known as muffinman. I recently wrote about him with his 3A bramble Clamshell soup can custom and then later I actually had a chance to review his other works and I must say I'm still at a loss of words to describe the wonders. Words like clean, and original come to mind but they don't do it justice so instead I will just post some pictures from his flickr page to show you what this man is capable of. And by that way of introduction I feel it's time to ask the man some questions.


So let's start off muffinamn, please if you can tell us about yourself?
A: well, I'm not actually made of dough. Although it might look like that. I'm 37 years old, of the male persuasion and I'm living in the outskirt area of Hamburg, Germany. I look average with a tendency towards boring. I like my hair short and milk and sugar in my coffee, and yes, sometimes i like to hear myself talk.

So how did you get started and how long have you been making customs?
A: In the nineties when the toy collecting craze was going through its renaissance I was intrigued by some of the stuff that came out, but seldom actually bought anything. And when I did, I was often dissapointed with the paint application or colors. The toys didn't look as cool as the prototypes in the pictures. so i painted the toys I bought to try and make them look as good as the protos.

When it comes to custom vinyl, I'm kinda late to the party... It's been here for more than ten years now I think? I mean the global phenomenon...

The customizing bug bit me, personally, when I finally went and bought my first 3'' teddy trooper and, much to my surprise, found out that you can't remove the helmet like on the 10'' versions.

Well, since it was a blindbox and i didn't get the design i was after in the first place, i went and removed the helmet via heat and sharp knife, added a sculpted upper half of the head following the pictures of the 10''- and voilà! that was october last year. After a few weeks of no inspiration at all i finally had some ideas on how to modify and customize it a little more and i ended up doing three 3'' troopers as my very first vinyl customs. I sent pics to flying förtress who liked them and was kind enough to post them on his site. That was in January.

A month later i became aware of the fact, that the brilliant toys designed by Ashley Wood and ThreeA were going 1:12 scale which made them affordable even for me! I scored a diy bramble on the bay and once I held it my hand the idea for a soupcan design struck me. I joined the threea forum and posted pictures of the clamshell's bramble nearing completion and I was completely overwhelmed by the warm reception and great feedback it got. Next was the construction bramble. so, in short, I have been making vinyl customs for a little more than half a year now. 5 (and a half) pieces so far...

Describe for me if you can how you start the design process?
A: hmmm... staring at the toy is a big part of it. Posing it if possible, playing with it. When inspiration strikes and I can come up with a whole concept, like with the brambles, I like to take a picture of the blank toy and fool around with colours in photoshop. just the basic layout. Then ideas for decals start emerging and I configure them in photoshop, too. Add-ons and modifications I make from anything that serves the purpose. cardboard, sheet styrene, fun foam, wood, sculpey, aves, resin, aluminium, brass, steel wire, you name it, i'll use it... and superglue by the gallon! It all gets assembled, tested for playability, sanded, primed, painted following my layout and then sealed.

With the teddy troops i just went for it, though. which, in one case, resulted in washing off my paint job three times before I was finally happy. I still think i'm not very good in combining colors. Application is not a big problem, but matching and mixing them colours can be a pain in the rear end. at least for me.


What are your plans for the future? Any shows?
A: I'm doing a few comissioned customs right now and after that I'll have a go at the next bots that ThreeA put out, when I find the time. I also have a couple of comissions for cartoon related sculpts – german cartoons, that is – and I'm very much looking forward to that,too. can't quite believe that I've actually been asked to do them. It seems like all hell broke loose for me in the last month – and I mean that in the best way possible. I feel very lucky!

Shows? I'd love to be part of a vinyl custom show one day...! wouldn't find the time to do it just now, but we'll see...


Are there any design platforms you love to work with? and what challenges you?
A: Well, until now I have loved to work on a few 2,7''dunnys, 3'' troopers and wwrp brambles. I'd love to work on anything wwrp, whatever it is, it rocks! teddy troopers too, they're just too cool. Apart from those, there's such a vast variety of vinyl and resin diy toys out there right now, some of which are ridicoulously brilliant. so, each and every one of my projects - wether it's painting or modding a custom toy or sculpting a figure - is a challenge for me. Every time.


Have you given any thought to creating your own toy?
A: I have made my own 'toy' already – it's an angry dragonfly-like bug with about twenty points of articulation and giant double barelled pistols. i'm not joking. i am just taking pictures of my paint up and will put them on my flickr stream any day now. i sold a few copies of it as a resin garage kit over ''theclubhouse1.org'' I love those guys, They're a cornucopia of sculpting tips and tricks and great artists and people. I owe them.

Of course I have dreamed about creating my own vinyl/resin toy – if only i could think of a catchy design... well we'll see. all in good time.


Well thanks muffinman, for the interview and from the looks of your customs and sculptures your well on your way. I look forward to seeing more of your work from now on. For more info or to see all of muffinmans work he has displayed you can take a look at his flickr page