Q&A with Chris Alexander of CREO Designs for Project QiQi

)Top-Left: UME Toys / Top-Right: Plaseebo
Bottom-Left: Fuller Design / Bottom-Right: Loz Haus of Boz)
There are currently nearly 150 images uploaded here on Creo Design's Facebook of custom-QiQi-pieces for PROJECT QIQI (based on ZiQi Wu's "QiQi" figure) - inclusive of prices for the pieces (in US Dollars / excluding shipping costs). Folks interested to score them are to email csacreo@gmail.com. As well I have been posting customs for a while now [CLICK To View All] but today, I'd gone and bugged Chris Alexander aka Creo Design for a quick round of Q&As!


(Top-Left: Cosmic Nuggets / Top-Right: Dave Webb
Bottom-Left: Blue Frog World / Bottom-Right: Lunabee)
TOYSREVIL: Please do share with us your impressions for the customs you currently are receiving for the ToyCon UK showcase!

CHRIS ALEXANDER: I have been very lucky to have such a diverse range of customisers with regards to age and style. The quality of all the pieces I have received has been amazing. The first customs went out around July/August last year and initially I received a couple back very quickly. However, since people knew the event was almost 1 year away I did not start get the bulk of the customs until mid January 2013.


(All by ZAM Art)
TOYSREVIL: Could you share with us the process of how the show went about? Or rather if there were any particular guidelines the customizers were to stick to? And if there were any specific promotional plan?

CHRIS ALEXANDER: I allowed the customisers free range on what they wanted to do and also to post WIP images at will. Once people started to work on their QiQi's and post WIP images did the competition start between everyone - well that is my view. I started to notice people asking what others were doing, the average size, colour even weight - I think people wanted to gauge the competition to see if the could out customise each other. It was 100% healthy competition which was great!

I think because i had so many amazing artists working on a QiQi people were honored to be in the same line-up and wanted to make something special. Like I mentioned the customs I received just got better and bigger!


(Top-Left: Brutherford Industries
Bottom-Left: TADO / Right: VISEone)
TOYSREVIL: I don't want to put you into a spot, Chris (but of course I am going to ;p) - but is any specific / particular custom you loved the most, of what you have received thus far?

CHRIS ALEXANDER: The one that blew my mind was JEAA's! It was so different and the combination of the 1/6th figure was superb! But it wasn't just the custom he hand made and detailed a beautiful wooden box, hand cut the foam support, made an acrylic stand to support the small floating QiQi figure, hand painted an A4 canvas and produced 2 signed prints all based on the figure and all included in the box! The holistic approach was amazing!!!


Above: QiQi by JEAA / Below-left: Sitches-n-Glue / Below-right: Das Mo

CHRIS ALEXANDER: BUT please bare in mind i do not at all mean to undermine ANY of the other customs. Like i say they are ALL amazing!!! There are still some to arrive, like Das Mo which again looks amazing and has a hand made wooden box - but also i will be collecting a few at the even including Stitches and Glue custom which is another amazing large piece!

TOYSREVIL: Any parting words (thus far anyways)?

CHRIS ALEXANDER: I am very grateful to all that took part and for producing what will be probably the only large custom showcase at ToyCon UK and for sure the most diverse and amazing UK custom show of the year so far.



(Project QiQi debuts at ToyCon UK on April 6th, 2013)