Special Edition "Sixteen Questions" with Customizer of the Year 2005

The following is a Special Edition "Sixteen Questions" with the winner of the 2005 Customizer of the Year Contest. I had originally submitted eight questions to a random group of cusotmizers and the winner happened to be part of the group! The Customizer of the Year contest has been sponsored by Fujis and the online store stuckakid. They also put together a number of prizes for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners, including this cool trophy you see here. I've been pleased with my purchases at stuckakid so check them out if you haven't already. Also don't forget to thank Fujis when you see him around on the boards for his hard work on the contest. It takes a lot of work to put together a contest like that.

And now, without further delay, I present Sixteen Questions with the winner of the 2005 Customizer of the Year contest - antacost.

1. Which was the first Minimate you ever purchased?
Rob Zombie

2. What is the average length of time in hours does it take for you to make a custom minimate?
Depending on complexity, it takes anywhere from five to fifteen hours... Apocalypse took probably twenty to twenty-five hours over two weeks...

3. Of the minimates you’ve made, which custom is your absolute favorite?
I'd say that it's a pretty close tie between Vigilante and Psylocke... Vigilante's probably in the lead, though...

4. How much money do you think the average custom minimate is worth?
Like anything, "worth" is what someone is willing to pay for something... I've seen customs go for less the price of the materials it takes to make them, and that makes me sad. I try to charge out complexity. If I've got to make every piece for a figure, of course that one is going to cost more than a simple repaint. But I'm not going to sell a figure for less than I've got in it...

5. Do you own a Gold Spidey?
Nope... Probably never will... I can't bring myself to spend that kind of money on a 2" piece of plastic... I'd love to have one, but that's a lot of money...

6. If all of the Marvel Minimates fought all of the DC Minimates, who would win and why?
D.C. because they have Superman... Marvel has no one close to his power levels...

7. What is your best trick or secret for customizing minimates?
Spend a little more money on your paints and brushes... They do make a difference...

8. White Queen or Catwoman?
Catwoman

9. Where does your handle, antacost, come from?
- I made the word up back in high school... I've been using it online ever since. I just like the sound of it...

10. How many long have you been customizing figures (minimates or other)? What got you started?
- I've been customizing figures for probably 10 years. What got me started? I dunno... I've always liked messing with things and making them unique, one-of-a-kind kinda things. I've been customizing Minimates for a little over a year.?. I really like the block figure style, and the Mini's are the best of the bunch...

11. Do you use decals on your creations? If so, any tips for using/making/applying them?
- I do use decals. I really only use them for logos, and blacks. For instance, I'll just print out the black lines for a face, and then paint the color in... Same thing for chests. As for tips, I really don't have any. Where I work, I've access to a vinyl printer... It's usually used for making decals, labels and bumper sticker and the like. It's a pretty pricy printer, and it takes foils that run about $65 a color... I use it to make toys... I tried Testors water-slide decal paper, and hated it... The blacks looked horrible, and the colors were even worse... I've never tried any other brands.

12. How long have you been a fan of comics, and what was your first comic book?
- I've read comics as long as I can remember. My first comic? Amythest #4 and a Captain Carrot were my firsts... I'm still waiting for that Amythest re-launch...

13. Who is your absolute favorite comic book character?
- That's a tough question... There are many. Big Blue's probably at the top of the list... Superman! You just can't get a better character. I'm also a huge Deadpool fan. Blue Devil, Zatanna, Hellboy... The list goes on and on... The Goon!...

14. You said earlier that your first minimate purchase was a Rob Zombie minimate. Why did you purchase that minimate?
- I like Rob Zombie. Simple as that. I saw the figure at Sam Goody, and thought that it was pretty cool. Took him home, opened it up, and the rest is history...

15. Your profile picture lists a website, TheFMH.com. Did you create the FMH?
- One of my college buddies actually created the FMH. Over the years, I've had a hand in many aspects of the characters, but lately, I've been in the lab making Minis...

16. Your minimate customs are spectacular. Can you tell us about any new ones we can look forward to in the coming months?
Why, thank you... I've got two finished that nobody's seen yet. On the table, are four other figures that I just started working on... Three of those are ready for paint. I've got like ten figures that I've gotta get finished up for commisions, and a lot of those are underway, so I'm pretty busy... I try to sneak in a figure for my collection here and there, but right now, most of my customs are re-dos for other people...