So congrats on your win at the Space Pirates competition, you must be really cuffed! Tell us a little about your self?
I’m Peter “graznador†Aoun. I’m currently a grad student in California.
So obviously Lego and minifig customization is still quite an ‘underground’ thing how did you find out and what made you start customizing minifigs?
I’m an AFOL, but luckily I never went through a Dark Age. Bionicle brought me online, and I’ve been building and sharing ever since.
What inspired your design for your entry in the Lego space pirates competition?
I have a huge list of minifig pieces I want, so I was overjoyed when I saw the brain-printed heads at the pick-a-brick at the Downtown Disney Lego store around Halloween. I’ve was trying to find a use for the brain, and it seemed perfect for a space pirate.
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?
I’m always combining and recombining parts to see what I come up with, but a lot of my customs are inspired by DC comics and Nintendo characters. I’ve done a lot of online research to see how different characters are drawn or animated, keeping an eye out for character designs that lend themselves to the pieces I have.
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?
Use the useless. Everyone has what they consider “useless†parts, but I often find the unusual pieces lead to the most interesting creations. I think Bionicle/Technic have a lot of great pieces that are really untapped in terms of minifig customization.
Of course we’re excited to see more of your custom minifigs, are there any that you are particularly proud of?
With a variety of interchangeable parts, my Mr. Fantastic of the Fantastic Four is one of my most fun customs to play with.
www.flickr.com/photos/graznador/554658759/
I’m most proud of the space helmet pigtails from my Nora figure. It was part of the first MOC I posted, but the concept and technique always make me smile.
www.flickr.com/photos/graznador/129668963/
Are there any other customizers that inspire you?
In terms of builders in general, I’m a big fan of Jordan “SirNadroj†www.flickr.com/people/sirnadroj/ and Mike “CountBlockula†Crowley
www.flickr.com/people/countblockula/. Although they aren’t strictly minifig customizers, their MOCs have a great whimsical quality, mixing humor with innovative use of obscure pieces.
Xueren on Brickshelf has created custom figures that span the breadth and depth of the comic spectrum, turning mediocre characters like Baby Doll into great figs.
www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=157137
Thanks very much for your time and congrats again on your win!
