Interview With The Tarantulas
The Tarantulas - a nick of a gent based out of United Kingdom, who has been plying his design in the toy-world for a while now, skirting the brim of art toys with one, while the other knee-deep into kaiju-sensibilities at the same time. Known for his Nibblers to the toy-crowd, while his Project TW85 aka "1/6 TeenWolf" has garnered plenty of interest from folks outside of the traditional toy-groupings (posted above) - now THAT is saying quite a bit here! Ironically, I remember The Tarantulas from his earlier 1/6-figures from yolks back (remember "Onion Face" from 2007? Shown bottom-right) and this perhaps is the first time I've interviewed the man at length about where he's from and where he's going. So without further adieu - read on and enjoy!
TOYSREVIL: So okay, let's get this out of the way first = Why The Name "The Tarantulas"? What is the story behind it? What's the significance? And will your really name ever be revealed in public?
I ask because folks tend to miss out on "history" of a creator, of what he or she had done in the past, as opposed to what's keeping their work in the news-desk these days.
THE TARANTULAS: I started drawing a character called Fuzzball (my twitter avatar) about 5 yrs ago - he was based on a wild eyed beach dude we ran across in Spain… Anyway I wanted a made up band name to put on his vest & chose The Tarantulas cos I thought it sounded cool - didn't realise there actually was a band with that name at the time. I needed a name for stuff I was doing outside of work so I stuck with it - I still really like it..
TOYSREVIL: What does The Tarantulas do? (Besides the toys, dayjob, consultancy etc ;p).
THE TARANTULAS: I used to draw comics when I was a kid & in the last year or so I've totally re-discovered that with the Nibbler series.. I've got stories for other characters (like Sea Bastard!) that I want to do as a web comic - hopefully I'll get to that some day !
[Future Nibbler Toy-Reviewed HERE]
TOYSREVIL: I love it that you are engaging in a toy-style unlike most in the hobby, skirting the edges of art-toy, with a knee-deep aesthetic mired in Japanese toy, and a sense of playability delved from the retro-era of Microman et al. Playability seems to play an important aspect in your design sense.
THE TARANTULAS: I'm glad you see playability in the stuff I do! I worked in the mainstream toy business for years so I guess I can't help it - the playability in the Onell collabs is down to those parts really - their amazing tactile interchangeable plastic crack-ness!
I think we're comfortable enough as grown up toy collectors that we can collect toys that have play value! A lot of toys look great on display but the ones you can't help picking up & handling are even better… I'd love to do something with electronics - why not put a sound chip in a vinyl toy?!!
[Real x Nibbler Toy-Reviewed HERE]
TOYSREVIL: Heck, I'm personally very interested to hear what a Nibbler would say! Or Sound like! Can you elaborate on your own style? What it is you are trying to create and achieve. And have you achieved them?
THE TARANTULAS: Wow - tough to answer that - I get really inspired but I'm quite lazy so I like to get the idea down quick - I don't tend to work stuff to death - maybe I should more.. When I have an idea I just have to make it happen as fast as possible - I'd never have the patience to sculpt something over & over for example. What am I trying to achieve ? I'm getting there I think - making toys that I want to make - with friends - & hopefully selling them !
TOYSREVIL: Ah but for the eternal conundrum between commerce and friendship LOL ~ What do yo hope to have your toys do and be, in pop-culture, and in the melting pot of the entire Globe?
THE TARANTULAS: I guess doing something that sticks in the memory for a few years is cool - when I was at college one of the lecturers brought in drawings for a USS Enterprise toy he designed - that I had when I was a kid. Looking back that was an inspiration. Recently I spoke to some students who had toys I designed for Hasbro when they were kids - which was awesome although it made me feel pretty old !!
TOYSREVIL: Nice! School is all about the 2D-realms and very rarely do kids ever get to "see" a final 3D-result, IMHO. Speaking of 2D - Future Nibbler is being chronicled in your Tumbler @ the-tarantulas.tumblr.com. Has that always been the plan? Will we ever see a comicbook version of him? I am not too sure if folks know that you create the imagery yourself, but they are retroliciously awesome!
THE TARANTULAS: Matt suggested I do the first Nibbler comic story - he was intending to do a printed Onell comic for SDCC but it never took shape - I ended up running it as a web comic. Tumblr works really well for it - there's a lot of potential because you can upload GIFs - the new one to promote the Fig-X Real x Nibbler release is going to have text that flips between English & Japanese..
TOYSREVIL: Nice! (Gawds but my vocabulary is limited lol). Origin stories. I heart me "origin stories". What are the origin stories of your toy-creations, specifically The Nibbler?
THE TARANTULAS: The Nibbler story started in the middle so I'm leading up to the origin… Although actually I think the whole idea of a character's origin story is overrated. As much as possible its more powerful to just hint at it - like the monster in a horror film. We know the backstory to Darth Vader now & it's completely ruined it - it was better when he was brooding & scarred up but we had only our own ideas why.. Bad example I guess cos the prequels were obviously terrible!
TOYSREVIL: Sadly, I would not disagree with the status of the prequels tho … If I had you choose, which particular singular toy you have done, is your favorite? And would it be the same figure tat best represents the style you are trying to convince folks of?
THE TARANTULAS: I designed a lot of toys at Hasbro that I love but of the stuff I've done as The Tarantulas the Real x Nibbler (with Real x Head & Onell) is my favourite toy… As best representation of my style I'll pick the Winter Nibbler cos I sculpted him so its more of a personal expression - I cut myself really badly hacking bits off the sculpt with a scalpel so I bled for that one!! I'd love to do a production version.
[The Nibbler Cometh]
TOYSREVIL: … wait for it … "Nice"! Why has there never been a solos show featuring The Tarantulas? Will there ever be one? Do you ever want to do one?
THE TARANTULAS: Good question!! Hopefully it will happen - most of what I do is pretty small tho so I always think I'd have trouble filling a gallery. I'd have trouble filling a Detolf !!
TOYSREVIL: Two-words - "DIY NIbblers" and of course invited artists - to fill up that other detolf! (J/K!). Hoping to see a solo show of yours one day, Chris!
Very commonly you credit Matt from Onell and Morpheus UK with your collaborative works. How is that working relationship? Explain that to us please :)
I am asking as I am very interested to see the dynamic and multiple aims achieved, with most times collabos happening in the UK, mores than at all in the U.S. The culture of collaborations are also pretty often in say, Indonesia, which I reckon is excellent for the culture, IMHO.
THE TARANTULAS: I met Matt at Comic Con in 2008 - I gave him a card & he said he'd heard of me from something I'd done in Clutter - which is typical of Matt - he doesn't miss anything!! I did an illustration for this vast tome that he's been putting together - it still hasn't come out - its spoken of in hushed tones!! Anyway since then we've struck up a great weird toy friendship - I feel really lucky to know Matt & to be involved in the whole thing. This crazy global gang at the Crossover last year at SDCC - it felt like the most exciting thing happening at the whole convention. Matt is a genius - nobody I've ever met has technical / functional design so perfectly sync'ed with storytelling & character - he's got it all worked out..
THE TARANTULAS: Ali & Jon at Morpheus I've known for I guess 10 years or so - they were in a very small group of suppliers that we would use at Hasbro for the important stuff - the stuff that had to be perfect. Ali is an incredible sculptor & some of the stuff they do blows my mind in terms of cutting edge modelmaking - you walk in and they've got a 1:1 bullet train in there & I'll say - yeah I'm just dropping off this Nibbler head I made out of FIMO !!
[From the toy-collection of The Tarantulas]
TOYSREVIL: Who have you not collaborated with before, which you would want to in the near future? (No disrespect to the previously mentioned gents, of course). And what would you imagine you would want to be doing?"
THE TARANTULAS: Got some amazing collabs coming up - doing something with Ralph Niese AKA Bruno Orbit - he's as talented as anyone around right now - the Tanklopula project with Triclops & Jesse DeStasio - & a couple more that are in the works.. I had a chat with Lunartik JOnes recently about 80's skate stuff & we talked about doing a collab based on that which would be awesome.. Above all I want to keep working with Matt & hopefully more with Mori & Don..
[Intense exclusive Previews For You All]
TOYSREVIL: Sweet! (See? I DO know other expressve-words! lol) You produce and create toys. But what is it you actually collect? Collection pics please? Also, what are your influences? What makes The Tarantulas "tick"?
THE TARANTULAS: I collect toys - but I don't have complete sets of anything - I'm a sampler type of collector. Old Star Wars & Citadel Miniatures from the 80s - Medicom stuff from the 00's - I've got more & more into Japanese vinyl - I only started in about 2008 & recently working with Matt & now Mori & Datadub its accelerating !! Looking at what I'm doing I think the influences are there for all to see - Star Wars, Marvel especially Jack Kirby stuff - British comics I loved as a kid Beano & Dandy - 80's skateboarding - I have phases - last year I got right back into Dr.Who which I loved as a kid - I'm on a 90's thing now - stuff I missed at the time..
TOYSREVIL: And you never need to fear from me fighting over 90s toys with you! I will always remember your 1/6 Teen Wolf project - oops, I meant "Project TW85" - as it also garnered loads of interest and links from folks outside of the toy-culture (and as well intro'd me to Holly of A Little Stranger!). What's the status with that figure?
THE TARANTULAS: Its in the display cabinet at Morpheus. Its amazing - one of the best 1/6 figures ever. I can say that cos credit all goes to Ali & Lee at Morpheus and Holly !!
[Find out ALL about Project TW85 by Clicking HERE]
TOYSREVIL: Any more 1/6 projects coming our way anytime soon? (I heart me my 1/6) Or has the status of Teen Wolf affected your collective decisions to move beyond?
THE TARANTULAS: I'd love to do more 1/6. TW85 was meant to be the first in a series called 1/6 Human - hmm got distracted..
TOYSREVIL: One of your main appeal (to me anyways), you produce more toy figurines for sale, rather than do the "custom-toys" route ala a myriad of toy-shows. Why is that?
THE TARANTULAS: I've just done Matt JOnes Mini-Tea & I just finished a custom vintage Slave 1 for a friend - but in general I'm not really a customiser - I'm not great at painting stuff (mainly because I lack patience) which is why I like to do stuff in unpainted resin with natural colour breaks and / or stickers. That said I do customise my own toys occasionally but I only do them when I get an idea I can't resist.. I guess what it boils down to is I want to be a toy company rather than a custom toy artist.
TOYSREVIL: I like your focus! How long do you see yourself doing what The Tarantulas do? And what do you hope to be doing, beyond what you are engaged in now? Or have yet to do?
THE TARANTULAS: I'll be making stuff as long as the ideas keep coming !! I've been lucky & met a lot of amazing people that help me with these projects - hope that continues..
[Click HERE for The Tarantulas "old site"
The image above is NOT from the old site … but what IS IT? hhmmm]
TOYSREVIL: The Tarantulas in Ten Years' Time. What is happening then?
THE TARANTULAS: Er I'll be nearly 50 - damn - maybe I'll be announcing a prequel trilogy based on my phenomenal late 10's movie franchise!!
www.the-tarantulas.com
@TarantulasTwit
http://the-tarantulas.blogspot.com
