nvc crew x notorious big x 10" madl for madl citizens (oct 25)
Peep NVC Crew's The Notorious BIG*L: a custom 10-incher MAD*L completed for the upcoming MADL CITIZENS @ LiFT, Detroit October 25th [tagged] CLICK THRU for more pics and a Q&A with Dr Bao; one-half of NVC Crew.
TOYSREVIL: NVC Crew has been known to work on smaller scaled figures - so with the "upsizing" to the 10-inches of MAD*L, how did you guys approach this particular project?
DR BAO: As you probably know, we're not used to working on big figures since it was hard for us to find big toys here in Montreal when we started customizing toys ... That's how people know us but here we wanted to show that we can work on big figures too!!!! hahahaha!!!
So when we were invited to do the 10'' Madl show, we we're just very happy because it was our chance to put our hands on a big figure as these new Madl!!!
Also, it was a challenge for us because we knew that it would be hard to sculpt on such a big figure so if we want to come up with something that would respect our standard as a custom, well we had to find a way to make this custom possible...
TOYSREVIL: NVC Crew has always drawn it's inspiration from music, most notably urban hip-hip (which is pretty obvious for this MADL creation). So what determined the direction of this particular custom, in this instance?
DR BAO: Firstly we wanted to exploit the rectangle shape of the madl face and do something that would fit with it. So, Spive and I sat down and brainstorm on how we could do this custom and especially what to do that can be cool and that would push once again our abilities as sculptor and painter.
Finally, we decide to exploit to the maximum the whole shape of the Madl by converting the head into a TV screen and do a character that would use the stance of the toy by making him having his hands in the pocket. But then we had to think to what to do with the TV screen...??? So we decided to make a tribute to the infamous Notorious BIG!!!
Because people know that we like to do stuff that combines urban art and hip hop. We did projects such as the hip hop Cheschire cat, M Doom Moneygrip, Lord Quas, etc....so we thought that making a tribute to Biggie was just logical.... Also, everybody knows Notorious BIG!!!
DR BAO: Biggie was a good choice too, because we can play with the words and do The Notorious BIG*L since it's the 10'' Madl which is the big version of the standard one!!!! So I think the whole concept simply fits very well all together....
What's new in this custom is that we now incorporate some real ebenistery or wood working into this figure!!! Since Spive really like to work with wood and he practice for a while doing all kind of things, well we decide that it was time to incorporate this into our custom work....
TOYSREVIL: I was gonna make a joke about "Spive liking wood", but I digress :p
DR BAO: So, the TV you're seeing there was make from real wood panel that Spive trim, fit, shape and hand polish to make this TV simply look like a real wood TV!!!! We wanted the vintage look for the Tv that's why we wanted it to be in real wood intead of trying to simulate some wood effect by painting or handsculpting.... Now we have real wood!!!!
Once all is polished to make everything round and smooth, we put a stain and then protect is with a gloss clear coat of wood varnish...And to complete it all, we use some real vintage knobs that we have in our collection of knobs.... That's it, we have our TV!!!!
For the body, well here, I simply go with traditional handsculpting.....What's cool is the way I simulate that the character put his hands in his vest pocket really give that hip hop and attitude stance to the figure....and with the add of Timb boots well it even accentuate that effect....Oh....I take care to add a hoodie to the vest too!!!!! hahahahahah!!! :)
DR BAO: Finally, I simply decide to do a realistic paint job to into the TV so people don't miss it's The Notorious BIG that we wanted to do!!!! You will also see, that we decide to make a photoshop montage of our toy on the cover of Biggie album "Ready to Die"......Now it's all complete!!!!!
TOYSREVIL: Cheers for your time Bao, and keep on rawking it, NVC Crewsters! LOL
