13 x 2013: Javier Jiménez
WHAT: 13 Creators to Look Out for in 2013. The challenge was simple: Identify 13 x Artists / Creators / Designers who will be taking the year two thousand and thirteen by storm, and quiz them! About half of them were also nominated by their fellow practitioner in this endeavor, so it'll be a swell mix indeed! Read what they have to say, and check out the URL-links to their sites to check out more of their works! I know I will :)"
Introducing: Francisco Javier Jiménez Altea!
BIO: *Javier Jimenez, AKA Exoesqueleto de Vinilo is a 23 years old self-taught illustrator and character designer based in Granada, Spain, whose style is influenced by retro cartoons, urban culture and hip hop. He's into vector art, vinyl toys and he's always willing to give a try to new media. He has worked designing t-shirt graphics for brands like 540o or Genesis Clothing, and his last work was as graphic and character designer for a videogame that will be soon released for iOS: EggOrama. His personal project L.A Kaiju FAM (Los Angeles Kaiju Family) presents us a gang of cute but deadly kaiju monsters who enjoy extorting cities and trafficking with weapons and sugar at the rhythm of hip hop.*
TOYSREVIL: Describe how 2012 has been for you, in thirteen words!
JAVIER JIMENEZ: Hard, stressful, encouraging, revealing, exciting, productive, rewarding, wild, fun, happy, friendship, kaiju, music.
TOYSREVIL: What is the one thing folks might not about you?
JAVIER JIMENEZ: People know me for my illustrations and recent incursion into the toy scene, but what they don't know is that I'm also a game artist. I've been working on a videogame that will hit the AppStore next year called EggOrama. You can see some trailers here! I'm the only game artist in the project so you can imagine the amount of work I have to deal with!
"The Marvel VS Capcom 3 fan art is old as hell, but is very special to me as it made me win an art competition Capcom Europe and Marvel held for the release of the game. This was one of my first illustrations in which I tried to do something different and the competition was really tough, with many people drawing in perfect anime or realistic style...I thought I didn't stand a chance but wanted to try and it turned out I was one of the winners."TOYSREVIL: Share with us your most triumphant moment in 2012.
JAVIER JIMENEZ: My most triumphant moment in 2012 was definitely getting the opportunity to work with Mark Nagata, aka the Kaiju Godfather, haha. I was in touch with him because Max Toy Co is sponsor of SAVE&DESTROY Art Show, and one day I uploaded to Facebook an illustration I did as a tribute to artist TOUMA, and Mark saw it and loved it, so he asked me to design the poster for his Kaiju Eyezon anniversary. He's very nice and supportive and I feel blessed to be able to learn from a legend of the kaiju scene. You will definitely see me working with him on new projects in the near future!
TOYSREVIL: What is your most favorite toy or piece of art you've seen in 2012?
JAVIER JIMENEZ: I think I'll choose Stingy Jack by Brandt Peters. I was a huge fan of Brandt Peters even before I started doing my thing, and this Stingy Jack is just rad in any of its colorways.
TOYSREVIL: Which is your single most favorite non-toy-related website in 2012.
JAVIER JIMENEZ: I'd say it is Highsnobiety. I also check FATKIDS daily I discovered that website because they featured some of my illustrations and since then I check everyday.
/////////////////////////LOOKING FORWARD/////////////////////////
TOYSREVIL: What is that one single word you would use to describe what you expect in 2013?
JAVIER JIMENEZ: Work!
TOYSREVIL: What are you most looking forward to in 2013?
JAVIER JIMENEZ: I can't wait to see what Monster Boogie is up to. Knowing that it was born to hold the stuff that is not Max Toy related, I wanna see their new characters and collaborations.
TOYSREVIL: Are You A Jedi Master or A Sith Lord?
JAVIER JIMENEZ: Definitely a Jedi Master. Even though I'm always in love with the villains (because villains are usually badass) and really like mafia and gang stories, I have a deep sense of justice.
TOYSREVIL: Better to Tweet It? or Instagram It? or Facebook It?
JAVIER JIMENEZ: All of them! Being an artist your mission is to get the broadest audience you can get, so being everywhere helps a lot. Also, each one serves certain purposes...I use Twitter, Instagram, DeviantART, and Facebook. I tried to use Tumblr and Pinterest but couldn't get used to them.
TOYSREVIL: Describe your own work/art in thirteen words.
JAVIER JIMENEZ: Hip Hop, gangsta, dark, cute, fresh, thuggish, vector, (sort of) kawaii, evil, cartoony, classic, badass, kaiju
TOYSREVIL: What should folks look out from you in 2013? And why?
JAVIER JIMENEZ: I plan to get more into the toy scene, but not putting aside illustration. I'm working on adapting some well-known kaiju into my style, both in illustration and toy format. I can say that the first one will be Rangeas, which is one of my favorite kaiju!
I also have a collaboration with GUUMON that I still can't reveal, as well as more super secret stuff that I will start working on in 2013.
I'm currently working with a clothing brand called 'The Phantom Life'. I designed their logo and will be designing some of their shirts too. The brand is not exactly new but will be re-launching in 2013 with a renewed art style.
"…you can see that some of my illustration feature very cool girls...I don't draw them! I only color them and give them my own twist. These are drawn by my lovely girlfriend. We're like some sort of TADO, but we only work together on certain illustrations as she is usually busy taking care of her own stuff."
JAVIER JIMENEZ: And right now I'm in the middle of producing my own resin toy of one of my original characters, Don Antler. With this resin toy I plan to expand and give more exposure to the world of my gang of original characters, L.A Kaiju FAM. It's a gang of kaiju who enjoy beating up super heroes, entire cities and kaiju from other gangs. This is my personal project and the one I love the most...I'd love to make vinyl toys of more of these characters, and also other kinds of merchandising like clothing and more.
JAVIER JIMENEZ: And of course you can expect me doing more collaborations with other toy artists and brands...can't say much yet so just stay tuned!
One of my goals for 2013 is to attend SDCC13 to present some of my projects there and meet in person some awesome artists I'm glad I can now call friends. I requested the professional artist's badge, I hope they give me one!
TOYSREVIL: What is that ONE word you hope to achieve for yourself by the end of 2013?
JAVIER JIMENEZ: Progress.
TOYSREVIL: Draw A Self Portrait With You As A "Snake" - interpret what you may!
Stay tuned to all-things Javier Jiménez via www.exoesqueletodevinilo.com / deviantART / Twitter @ExoesqueletoDV / Instagram @ExoesqueletoDV / L.A Kaiju FAM / and CLICK HERE for continued coverage #onTOYSREVIL!
