The following are excerpts from an interview with Joker Inc.
A: My very first custom was a repainted Weequay figure from the original Star Wars line. That must bave been back in 1985 or so. I used Testors model paint on it, and to this day it’s never dried.
A: I tend to find my inspiration from the holes in the existing 7″ scale lines. Of course, now that DC Direct seems to have acquired the rights to Superman and possibly Batman, I’m far more selective with the figures I customize. We both tend to work with a ‘theme’ in mind, though. My most recent batch focused on the History of the Batman, starting with the original Bob Kane “Bat-Man” of 1939, to the David Mazzucchelli Year One Bats, and then ultimately the definitive Neal Adams Batman of the 1970s.
A: I was afraid you’d ask that. As far as raw materials, I usually spend $20 or so per figure. Multiply that by 2, as Casimir and I make TWO of every figure and give it to the other upon completion. So… for the 150 or so figures on our site, that means we’ve actually customized over 300, not counting the repaints and scrapped customs that never made it online.
A: I have embarrassing memories of being 4 years old, wearing a black snow cap on my head underneath my plastic Batman Halloween costume in the Texas summer heat. My mom wouldn’t dye my hair black, so I improvised. My Uncle Randy was my other big hero at the time, so I’d dress as Batman and pick up cigarette butts of the street pretending to smoke like my uncle. I was a real charmer.
