TheRaconteur is a regular customiser of Gears of War minifigures which is a hugely popular theme on Flickr, so we caught up with Josh and he agreed to let us interview him and highlight his work!

How did you first get into custom minifigs?

I first got into customising last April. I used sharpie then and didn’t produce much that was good. Then, in one of my Lego searches I came across one of Mclovin’s photos on Flickr. I instantly thought, “Oh my god He’s amazing. I have to do this.” From then on I just worked my way up experimenting on parts.

Where do you get your ideas and inspiration from?

Well, to be honest I don’t really do anything inspired by others. I like to do what I want rather than following someone else. BUT, if I had to say someone I would say Mclovin. Not only is he an amazing customiser, but he is a really nice guy too. Plus, he is the one who inspired me to get Flickr in the first place. 🙂

If there was one character that you wished Lego could produce who would it be?

I don’t know really. They’ve done all they can do within reason. I just want them to produce new stuff, as it gives me more of a range to experiment on.

What do you think of the Lego Collectors minifigures series?

I don’t really bother about them. It kinda just seems like LEGO are running out of ideas for sets so they are bringing out minifigures instead. The only good thing about them is the new parts because, as I said earlier, I like a wider range of customising.

Are you currently on any new projects?

I am actually. I am mainly working on my Jungle Militia Faction. I have managed to produce 6 figs so far, and will hopefully have them uploaded by the weekend. I am also working a little on my first (hopefully) decent MOC. Although, as it is not my strong point, it is not as important as the minifigs.

Do you have any tips to pass onto other customisers?

Hmm… Now that’s a hard question. I suppose one of them could be to put some time into your work. Too many people are producing bad looking figures and they seem to respond with, “It takes too much time.” or “I can’t be bothered.”Put some effort into your work people!

Also, never be afraid to experiment. A lot of people are scared to ruin tiny little bits of plastic. Experiment! You could make something great, and if not, the remains could no doubt be used for something else!