Dril tree in San Diego

This was at the LOVE/HATE show in SD. It was ready for the picking and it’s in a good home…. thanks DC

dril throw in tree

Ghost House

Ghost house

So I went to Super7 this weekend and loved the Ghost House tins. I bought one and love the transparency of the blue and starting to realize why people love Japanese vinyl.

messing around on corrigated plastic

Made this as a thank you for Henry Brazil from the KidRobot boards

messing around on corrigated plastic

From TOYTOONS>COM

From TOYTOONS.COM

10 Questions For Toy Customizers – DRILONE

“I am always down to customize anything… I enjoy challenges.” The last few years have seen the art form of customizing toys grow in scope and popularity. Both established and emerging artists have embraced this new medium and collectors couldn’t be happier. But what do the artists themselves think of working in this medium? Over the course of the next few months we will explore this topic through a series of interviews with toy customizers from around the globe. Be sure to check back often to see if your favorite customizers are featured.

Please welcome today’s guest: DRILONE.

ToyToons: What is your name and do you work under any aliases?

Dril, drils, drilone.

What initially attracted you to customizing toys?Kidrobot message boards got me into it. Motorbot was showing his year in review (I think December 2005) and I was like ‘I wanna do that.’ So I was going to customize a s2 Dunny when I notice my dog chewing on something. I go up to my dog and she chewed the hell out of the Dunny ears. So I had to cut them off and was having problems filling the holes. So as I was sanding and filling and I noticed it looked like a worn out skull. So I decided to cut out eyes and teeth and thats how I really broke into the customizing world.

What are your favorite toys to use as platforms?

Munny, Dunny, MadL’s.

When choosing a piece to customize, what is most important (size, shape, texture, etc)?

I am always down to customize anything…. I am a custom whore….and I enjoy challenges.

Besides toy customization, what other mediums do you work in?I love doing paintings on canvas, but I just realized painting on wood. I am also getting into more experimental work with found objects.

What would you say is the main difference between customizing a toy; and say, painting a canvas?

A toy is just another canvas, but it has a whole other following of collectors. Also toy customizing got me into a creative mind set, so I have created a huge vareity of art in 2006/07.

Are your toy interests limited to customizing, or are you also a collector?I was into production pieces, but now I want customs and paintings from customizers.

Do you see toy customizing as a fad or an art form with staying power?

I think it’s a constent circle you start with 3″ Dunnies and move up ’til you realize you want pieces that have more meaning to you and you sell most of your production pieces to get customs. Then it starts all over for the noobs.

Do you believe that customizing toys can serve as a launching pad for up-and-coming artists looking to gain some legitimacy?

I gained alot of respect and without KR message boards I would have never met such great people and been in art shows all over America.

Ok, shout out time. Who are YOUR favorite toy customizers right now?My favorite customizers (in no order) : Dok A, Squidboy, Motorbot, Betso, Monster Decay, Dear Earthling, Henry Brazil, RC44, El Maz, Jessie Hernandez, Huck, Mad, and I know theres others sorry if I forgot you…

And my shout outs: Yolao, Wacko (Ally, Larry, and AVA), Useless Toys, Jryde, October Toys, Toy Baroness, KRSF, Tom1979, J*Ryu, Trademark310, Strange Kiss (mike), WTFunks, JoCappy VinylFixx, ZombieMonkie, DeanoMeano, APina, Ghost RIS, Iz the Wiz, and everyone I forgot…

Interview by Jason Sutton

New R.I.P. Custom Kidrobot

This was a commissioned piece for a KR board member.

Kidrobot 11 death

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