TTC talks to Stan Manoukian

I don’t consider myself as a toy customizer artist. After all I’ve done very few customs … I’m not very comfortable for me the appropriate form of other artist. I make originals sculptures and it’s true that I would like to develop more and more the production of vinyl toys or resin , less expensive than original. I have already published “Kondo” with Obitsu, the toy was pulled few copies (about 150) and almost everything was sold. I would like to continue in this way, but it is a job and a very long and expensive process, unfortunately I can not self-produce me every time. We have projects with Stranger Factory, I’m working on now.

I hope, we work together with Stranger Factory on different projects. Things will move better soon after my come back from Japan because I was pretty busy these months on MMIV !

This was not the first. Kondo was me first real vinyl toy. Unbox didn’t really officially released “Gork”, he was featured on several shows and we got very good feedback but we will make design changes to improve before the official launch and for the rest. I do not know if Unbox still want to work with me, I hope, because I have so many things in mind. We would love to see Wild Cat to come to life in vinyl or even a resin toy. Which character would you personally like to see go into production?

Ho Yes, Wild Cat ! it’s a great idea, but there’s too much creature that I’d like to see on vinyl !! It’s almost impossible to make a choice .. In fact I’m working more on a toys series, so that each complements the other and structuring my universe, and really look like a creature’s collection.

We actually found your Paintings and drawings before seeing your sculptures. How did you get into designer toys?

I have always worked in parallel on toy projects for 10 years, and the toy’s world evolved much since! I did a lot of design and few were produced. I hope that my work on my original sculptures will want to vinyl toys manufacturers to produce more toys and make them more accessible. Brandt & Kathie pushed me to work on this direction !

Always! I struggle to work in silence, there’s always music in the studio, it’s a computer with Itunes passing random all kinds of music that I love … And then sometimes I select my playlist. My tastes are pretty broad, recent movies or music from the 50, 60, 70, 80 etc … Hard rock, psychedelic rock, big beat, jungle, electronic etc …  a little of everything!

Yes! Probably my Soul of Chogokin’s robots, or some Ashley Wood’s. I almost stopped buying toys, I have no more space. And now I’ve began to buy Double Parlour’s small resin prints and there are a lot of Kathie & Brandt’s sculptures or small prints  I would like to have.

We spoke with Brandt about a project together. It’s exciting, because apart from working with someone I admire the work,  what is important for me is to appreciate the person with which I share this experience.

Hoooo, it’s so hard to answer! If I knew how it worked and if it was that easy it will not be interesting! it’s so random! I will say that one of the only advice is to never give up. Pursue his idea to the end, make plans and move forward and improve from project to project. See the long term and never stop even if it is often difficult to have his work recognized