This was the third place winner at the Lego space pirates custom minifig competition, its made by angelchix, who is one of the talented few who reached the final stages, whats great about this custom minifig isn’t just the good use of parts, the creative use of fabric and highly detailed decals, what also make this custom minifig impressive is the fantastic story that goes with it.
So without further delay here is an interview with the creator of this fantastic custom minifig:
Q. So congrats on your win at the Space Pirates competition, you must be really cuffed! Tell us a little about your self?
A. Thanks Ken! Well, I’m an average Asian-American teen who just pretty much hangs out with friends and such. What isn’t so ‘average’ about me is the fact that I’m an FFOL (Female Fan of LEGO). I also like playing a little bit of Airsoft with a few friends and my brother. Other than that, not much else about me.
Q. So obviously Lego and minifig customization is still quite an an underground thing how did you find out and what made you start customizing minifigs?
A. It kind of started a few months ago in October of 2008 I guess. My brother, Cody, started work on several custom minifigs for a small community of FOLs called ‘Alpha Company.’ I was interested and soon became addicted to LEGO Bricks and Minifigures.
Q. What inspired your design for your entry in the Lego space pirates competition?
A. I got my inspiration from a game called ‘Mass Effect’ while Cody was playing it. The Sci-Fi aspect of the game caught my attention and forced me to learn more. Other things that inspired me included several different Sci-Fi genres (Such as Star Wars) and it pretty much grew from there.
Q. It must be tough finding the right parts or even coming up with a good idea, how do you come up with your custom minifigs, is it just a case of working to a preset theme? Or is it something more sporadic?
A. It depends. Sometimes I just get an idea from a random source and create it. Other times I get it from a theme or specific source. And sometimes I just get it in such a random way I can’t even begin to explain it.
Finding the right part ofr a minifig is tough at times. But what I do is innovate using other parts suitable for the job. I’ll even resort to Decals, Custom Accessories, and other methods of achieving my goal.
Q. As a relative new comer, I’m always trying to get more tips, so any tips or tricks or advice you’d give to others just starting out making Lego custom minifigs?
A. Pretty much the only advice I can give a newcomer or a novice is just come up with an idea, and stick to it. If you come to a ‘wall’ in your path, go around it. Experiment and innovate with different methods or ideas. Even if you can’t think of anything, start reading or watch some videos. Maybe that’ll give you a thought.
As for tricks on making minifigs, I sometimes suggest even modifying the LEGO Element to suit your needs. Decals and Custom Accessories is what I recommend. Cutting and Gluing seems like taboo to some LEGO MOCers, but it isn’t so bad once you get the hang of it, and it can produce a lot of terrific results for your creations.
Q. Of course we’re excited to see more of your custom minifigs, are there any that you are particularly proud of?
A. All my custom minifigs have their own status in my book. Each has its own particular high and low points. It’s really hard to decide which is the best. But one stuck out of the crowd, or more like two, or several. My ‘Yuki Ikazuki’ and ‘Fuyu Keimei’ minifigs are two of the best minifigs I’ve made so far. Others include the same minifig that I entered for the Space Pirate Contest, and a few ‘Alpha Company’ Soldiers.
Q. Are there any other customizers that inspire you?
A. A lot of people inspire me. All the way from Justin ‘Saber-Scorpion’ Stebbins to Obxcrew. From Jasbrick to Scott Blank, and even your creations amaze me. I can’t even give a number as to how many MOCers give me inspiration!
Thanks again for the interview!
