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Mon, Apr 13, 2009
If you live in the Bay Area, or have gone to any art toy show in the last few years, you know the guy who signs his emails “Cheetos and Beer.” His name is Leecifer, a nickname he’s been living with since toddler times. But the artist otherwise known as Lee Gajda has grown into the moniker. And here at ToyCyte, we’ve been following his exploits for a year now. Leecifer excels at turning a run-of-the-mill platform toy into a splatter-painted and dry-brushed piece of original art. It’s not unusual for someone to say, “I don’t really care for X platform, but I want it because Lee painted it.” The only words to describe his output are: wickedly prolific. Going through his Flickr sets was more illuminating than last week’s episode of LOST. And it was hard to pick favorites for this story. TOO MUCH great art? That’s a terrible problem to have…With Leecifer’s most recent customs for the I.W.G. Humans Beware show now sold-out and his original resin figure/canvas set included in the latest London Phillips de Pury auction, the dude is hotter than his nicknaming folks could ever have imagined. Leecifer’s been a friend of ToyCyte since the beginning, and we’ve had this custoMONDAY in the works for a while, so without further ado…want to win a ToyCyte-colored custom Dunny or Ghostland figure by Leecifer? You’ll need to enter…
Leecifer is giving away your choice of a green custom 3-inch Dunny or Ghostland figure. This is a two-part contest, so pay close attention if you want to win the grand prize. Leecifer created a series of ten awesome Dunnys and Ghostland figs. The custoMONDAY winner will have his/her choice of either green one. The rest of the figures will be available for sale (at nice prices) in the ToyCyte store. Once all ten figures have been won/purchased, Lee will randomly choose a person who gets to send him a toy to customize FOR FREE. I don’t think I need to repeat that Leecifer’s PdP auction piece had an expected selling price of almost $1K…
Here’s what you need to do. Post below what toy you’d like to have Leecifer customize should you happen to win the grand prize. “Bonus consideration for toys I’ve never customized before, my favorite toys to customize, what they want it turned into, why, fav colors, whatever details they wish to add etc.” In a month or two, we’ll do a follow-up showing the grand prize pic with its lucky winner. Note: In order to win, your dream custom toy blank should exist, ideally owned by you or easily acquirable, so that you can send it to Leecifer upon being chosen. Just to be clear: Anyone is eligible to win the custom Dunny or Ghostland figure, but you have a 1:10 shot at winning the grand prize too. So include some reality in your dreams. If the grand prize winner is unable to supply Leecifer with a blank figure, we will move to the next runner-up.
Please post your custom toy dreams by April 26th at midnight PST. We will declare the winner on April 27th, shortly before the next custoMONDAY. The contest is open to anyone, anywhere in the world. If you have already won a custoMONDAY in 2009, please feel free to share your creativity, but you are, regrettably, not eligible for the prize.
When/What was the occasion of your first toy customization?
It would have been as a kid in Ohio (I was born in California) in the late 70’s early 80’s. After Star Wars came out I remember crashing together model kits to make my own spacecraft and robots and stuff. Before that, I remember chopping up little plastic army men to make multi-armed mutants and zombies.
The first custom art show I was in was The “Funny Club” Club show in 2004 I believe. I turned my funny club fig into a big spider and chopped up a bunch of series 1 Dunnys as victims. I ended up tossing the dead Dunnys in favor of one cast out of resin that was better looking when it had its eyes drilled out.
By my count (and I’m still going through Flickr), you have customized virtually all platforms–including non-platform toys–do you have any favorites to work on? (I am really digging all your Fatimas.)
Hahah. Thanks man! Hell yeah the Fatima would HAVE to be a fav, followed closely by Super7’s Visighost. Some others would be Tiger Baby’s, Rebel Inks, KvPs, Observers, Mummy Boys, Squires, Glamore Cats, Doku’s, Cheshire Cats, and recently Koibitos. Initially, I had hit a few pieces of Secret Base and some other Japanese vinyl, but like a lot of folks, I pretty much hit my stride w/ Dunnys and Qees, but quickly moved on to other forms. With the exception of a few KvP’s, the one I haven’t hit much of (that I would really like to) is Kaws. The other toy I can’t seem to get my hands on (no pun intended) is Longneck’s Menargo. It’s this amazing turtle body with an erect shlong neck topped w/ a skull!!! That’s punk rock in my book baby!!!!!
When it comes to Hip Hop, people talk about east coast vs. west coast. When it comes to toys, we’ve got eastern vs. western. What’s the big bias among kaiju fans against western vinyl, and how have you (thankfully) gotten past this hangup?
Ridiculous isn’t it!?! It’s never been a problem for me as I could see validity in the efforts of both sides. Likewise both sides have produced some stunningly bad crap!!!! From what VERY little I can ascertain – the Asian/Japanese vinyl crowd (they no longer use the word “kaiju” due to it’s overuse/misuse) have undoubtedly been at this way longer than the current “urban” vinyl scene largely associated w/ Western Vinyl. Also, the quality of Japanese Vinyl is simply the best. However for me personally, I’d like to think you don’t really notice the quality of the toy underneath when I’m done w/ it and are much more interested in the paint/sculpt/customize job I’ve laid on it. Admittedly I have found myself “polishing turds”, but it’s a great feeling selling something that was pretty bad at the start and now someone really wants it. The flip side of the coin is having someone give me something rare or valuable to customize which is hugely flattering considering that piece may very well be fantastic to start and that person has entrusted me to embellish it w/ my own personal vision!!
Sorry… what were we talking about? What side has the bigger nerd population? Look, in most cases these are adult (I use that word loosely at best here) guys collecting TOYS. How fucking self-absorbed and hypocritically pretentious must you be to say one side or the other “doesn’t do it right”?! Hahahahaha!!!! A funny sidebar to this is I believe I got the custom mod position on SkullBrain to keep me from posting up my crusty Western vinyl on there. Damnit!! They knew I’d tow the line and knock it off . That Glenn Pogue is a crafty bastard!
Ultimately I like to be as “Rodney King” on this issue as possible. Well not the racing around coked outta my gourd at 115 miles an hour before a bunch of Nazi cops kick the shit outta’ me part, but the “Can’t we all get along?!” part.
Tell us about your painting process and the custoMONDAY piece.
Well in an effort to offer something for everyone I elected to do 5 of Super7’s killer little Ghostland figs and 5 of the perennial fav, the 3” Dunny. In terms of the process itself I start by cleaning and priming the fig., sketching the features or outlining color fields, adding any additional sculptural elements, more priming, and then it’s on to painting. My customs are very DIY ghetto as I use everything from old miss-tinted acrylic latex and enamel house paint to temperas, gesso, model paint, deco paint pens, spray paint etc.
Literally whatever I can get my hands on.
How did you get hooked up with the Phillips de Pury auction? Do you know the results of the auction?
Kirkland Jue of Toybot Studios hooked me up w/ Steve Agin. I’d love to see that dude’s legendary “barn” full of toys! Much like yourself I’ve lost track of hours talking to Steve on the phone – always an engaging and funny conversationalist.
I sold a piece early on, but don’t know about this last one.
What’s a typical day like for you and what are your interests outside of art and toy collecting?
Well I could never do this w/out the patience of my very loving and understanding wife Michele! So first order of the day is to try and help her get out the door to work. Then it’s a shower, domestic chores (I’m a hell of a wife!!!), e-mail, boards, phone calls, quick look at the calendar/planner, and then off to the garage to paint – sometimes until the wee hours of the morning.
Could you relay the conversation you had with your folks when you told them you were leaving a corporate career to essentially paint on toys…?
Hahahah! Yeah that would have been a good one. Both my folks have been dead for quite some time. I can tell you my dad shat an engine block when I turned down the “union card & power plant” life he wanted me to take to go to school for art. I was accepted to Pratt but the prick wouldn’t take me off his taxes, (even though I wasn’t living at home) and I couldn’t get any financial aid. Can you say “Hello University of Akron”!!!
I’ve worked at an ad agency, a mom & pop design studio, print co’s and then I did a 15 yr stint as an in-house illustrator, designer, art director for the phone co. Here again, w/out Michele, I’d be completely screwed and probably be climbing telephone poles in the ghetto for a living. We were both scared about not having the corporate job, but she agreed I should “go for it”!! We haven’t looked back since.
But it’s not just toys. I’m actively pursuing gallery work and never turn down the odd corporate gig that comes along. I’m not the type to draw a line in the sand. I believe you have to be flexible to follow a dream and take every opportunity.
Your website lists that you live with 7 turtles, but it’s a little out of date. I know turtles live a while, but thought I’d check in on your current turtle count…
So sad, but yes we are down one turtle. Although we still have one that I got when I was a helmsman for a canal boat (Ohio tourist trap) more than 20yrs ago. He’s a tenaciously mean little bastard but has mellowed w/ the onset of decrepitude!
We just got back from the I.W.G. show. What’s next for Leecifer???
You guys are on top of everything!!! Thanks for the great coverage BTW!!! Well next up I’m curating a group show of custom toys April 18th at Super7 (1628 Post Street, San Francisco, CA 94115 begins at 7pm) called “It Came from SkullBrain” and in the interest of “glastnos” I took the opportunity to invite a bunch of my favorite Western Customizers to hit up Japanese Vinyl along side of some of the amazing talent already inhabiting the SkullBrain Board!!!! Should be just amazing. Let’s see then there’s Phoneticontrol’s “Thought Processor” paper toyshow, a show at Lift in Detroit, a wine bar show in the Castro, a recycled objects show at MonkeyHouse in LA, then the Super7 Anniversary, a Carney Show at MonkeyHouse, gonna’ help Dril1 w/ a show at 1AM that I may paint part of a wall for, there’s a mini art book, uh jeez lots of stuff just in the next couple months. Oh and commissions. I always make time for those!!!!! I’d love for your readers to hit me up if they want any of that action!
You heard the man: hit him up at leecifer [at] leecifer [dot] com. Below are a few photos of where it all goes down, some inspiration and the artist making small talk with one of his many fans. Now go enter the contest. Good luck!
Jeremy Brautman - who has written 1965 posts on ToyCyte: Toy Culture Collected.
Jeremy Brautman joined ToyCyte in 2008 and has been writing about toy culture ever since. You can currently find him contributing to a variety of blogs, artkiving doodles at Doodlesplatter.com and cataloging artistic ephemera at ARTkivers.com.
April 13th, 2009 at 12:18 pm
Toy: Mist Orus
Colours: Sky blue & White with any bright summery colours.
Why: My username since age 11 has been cloudeh (pronounced: cloudy) and for my birthday last year in june I was allowed to get a commission piece done by squink in the same style described above on a 3″ dunny.
Would be nice to have another to go along side it.
April 13th, 2009 at 12:24 pm
I have the pervect one take a Jled smash and make it into a rugged almost destroyed Incredible hulk like figure.
April 13th, 2009 at 12:28 pm
I have the pervect one, take a Jled smash and make it into a rugged almost destroyed Incredible hulk like figure.
Why, because i think the colors you use would fit perfect with his anger and agresstion. he just wants to be left alone. but it never happens.
April 13th, 2009 at 12:31 pm
i’d say a kathie olivas hazel would be totally rad. you could twist that sculpt and make it soo creepy. i think it would rock all leecifered up.
April 13th, 2009 at 12:33 pm
I would love to see a doze ganesh customized… All hari krishna like with some of those awesome vintaged. Oranges… Complete with some sick leecifer flowers… Turning that boombox into some sick creation…
April 13th, 2009 at 12:42 pm
Personally, I’d like to have my Keel Haug Clegg customized. I’m a big fan of Craola’s work, but the figure just fell flat.
I’m overall unimpressed with the crab feet, as they don’t rest on the feet they just kinda dangle there. Something with shades of Green, making good use of the claws, perhaps the wake of the water around the base shell..Loch Ness monster style would be rocking.
This figure would be a good test of a customizers ability to think outside the box, as well as having a unique and thought provoking foundation.
April 13th, 2009 at 12:44 pm
I’m not eligible, but I want to put out there that a Leecifer x Jamungo Crappy Cat (in green) would be a dream come true.
April 13th, 2009 at 12:57 pm
I wanna see a Combat-R Zero customized to look like a zombie ironman. Red and gold, with battle-torn armor that reveal flesh and bone underneath. He could have teeth showing through the bottom of his broken helmet with blood flowing out between his decaying teeth. There would be a rotting heart (infested with maggots) seen through the hole on his chest where his energy generator was supposed to be. He could have half a mask on (which could be removable, optional)which shows how the helmet looked like, vs how his face is now
April 13th, 2009 at 1:07 pm
Hey J I’m eligible right? hahaha well just a thought, Ayako Takagi’s UAMOU figure would be awesome with almost like a visible ghost look type feel, black and white with a neon green heart! Ayako’s UAMOU figures are tradionally dope but it would be even sicker if Lee did something like that to ‘em. Props to Lee!
April 13th, 2009 at 1:11 pm
I would want Lee to hook up a Fatima for me if I was to win…
Stigmata Fatima….
April 13th, 2009 at 2:14 pm
I would love to see him do a Bertie pipe bomb, but I do not own one, so I think a filth wagon could be awesome.
April 13th, 2009 at 3:02 pm
Since I’m a huge HazMaPo fan I would love to see one of those done.
Something with a green/yellow/black scheme. I have 5 extra HazMaPo’s just waiting to be customized and I have no problem blanking one out if needed.
Also I love that Labbit and Teeter set.
April 13th, 2009 at 3:12 pm
WOW! this is gonna be a tuff choice!
You folks are GOOD!!!!
Some great ideas and we just started!!!
April 13th, 2009 at 3:47 pm
i am ridiculously girly, so i think something with pink and sparkles and hearts would be fairly amazing…possibly on an urban warfair skully? altho if i were the big winner, i would probably purchase fun-ner blank since skullys don’t have too much detail.
April 13th, 2009 at 3:47 pm
If I could have Leecifer customize any figure, I would have to choose my own resin art toy that I have been working on:
I always liked the rat fink puke green red and yellow color scheme, but I think it would be fun to see what Leecifer would do with him without any restrictions at all.
April 13th, 2009 at 3:52 pm
^link to picture of prototype: http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b130/mistuh_T/S7300625.jpg
April 13th, 2009 at 3:59 pm
I’d definetly swoon over a Dbz GOKU super saiyan 3 dunny. How I picture it in my head is a 8″ Dunny, with the sculpted blonde hair in the back, wearing the orange slevesless shirt and pants , and the blue undershirt. It could have 1 (sculpted or not) bandana on one of the dunny ears.
With leecifers signature twist on it of course.
cheetos and beer!
April 13th, 2009 at 4:07 pm
I’d like to see Lee’s interpretaion of any Visighost I’ve painted
.
April 13th, 2009 at 4:22 pm
I would love to see my DIY bear qee turned in to a sort of evil Chuck E. Cheese. So many kids cry when they see him; this could be what they see in their imagination. I’ve been wanting to do this myself for so long, but I am not much of an artist. Looking at your Batman stuff, your style would be perfect for this.
April 13th, 2009 at 4:51 pm
I would love to see Leecifer customize the Mongolion and the latest Ooze Bat figures.
April 13th, 2009 at 8:00 pm
Lately I’ve been getting into the resin toys from Hello, Brute. The Leecifer look seems like a complete 180 from Jon Knox’s style. So I’d like to see one of Jon’s Brute Toy or Kristopher figures done in the Leecifer style, maybe as a zombie or some monstrous mutation from a rabbit-boy into a rabbit-lizard-boy. Plus there’s the opportunity to dress the kid up in dirty polka-dots, stripes or flowers. There you go.
April 13th, 2009 at 8:04 pm
The group shot from the pieces in the show at Super 7 is really damn impressive.
I’d really dig my blank skuttle being painted on by Lee.
April 13th, 2009 at 11:34 pm
I’d like to see the Jukebot customized to be similar to the robot from the classic series Lost in Space. I am into this idea for two reasons. The first being my current obsession with old school robots and how their quirky awkward designs are laughable but yet creatively amazing. The second being that I am fond of anything that is still memorable after it’s initial popularity has dwindled down. Numerous people have heard “Danger Will Robinson” but less and less know what it’s from. As far as colors, I’d leave it up to Lee to toss whatever he feels appropriate on there. In my mind it’s white, gold, and red, but if he hates white, gold and red, so be it. Regardless of who wins, Lee’s stuff is amazing and I am excited to see what comes of this custoMONDAY. Peace.
April 14th, 2009 at 12:21 am
Colors are not important to me, but I am a fan of sideshows and human anomalies, so I think a 3″ dunny or 8″ munny resembling one of the great performers like Jojo the Dog faced Boy, Zippy or the Lobster man would be great.
April 14th, 2009 at 6:48 am
I’d like Leecifer to create a zombie Unicornasaurus for me.
Using the colors green & yellow primarily, I want a stinkyrotting unicornasaurus!
Because I love zombies… & unicorns are great too.
A zombie unicorn.
Who wouldn’t wanna do that?
April 14th, 2009 at 6:50 am
I’d like to see Leecifer customize a Mr. Potato Head. Why? Because MPH is so squeeky clean and cookie cutter that having Leecifer’s gritty, texture-rich, color-blended treatment would create a totally sweeet looking juxtaposition from the pop icon toy. TOTALLY SWEET.
April 14th, 2009 at 7:44 am
I have a set of Metalocalypse Dethklok Figures that I want to have done by Lee. It would be great if he did them as old school horror monsters, superheros, or just zombie like guys. From the time I got these guys I wan’t really feeling the paint and the first person I thought of to custom them up was Lee.
April 14th, 2009 at 2:02 pm
I would like Lee to do a self portrait on a Berry the Beaver.
April 14th, 2009 at 4:13 pm
I have an extra Bender figure and so much would like to see it customiced by Leecifer, along with a dunny
April 14th, 2009 at 4:46 pm
Ha! Pogue owns a Barry the Beaver. I wonder about the implications of customizing a toy meant for, ahem, internal use.
April 14th, 2009 at 8:17 pm
I would like a Lego minifig customized. These guys are so iconic I think one would look great all tricked out.
April 14th, 2009 at 11:04 pm
I think a Lee customized Mini Munny Mobile set would be dope after seeing what he did to his IWG set for Human’s Beware. A lot of artists aren’t really using the Mini Munny Mobile and to see what Lee comes up with would be dope. As far as what I would want it to look like, I want it to look like whatever Lee wants it to look like!hah. I trust that he’ll make something dope.
April 14th, 2009 at 11:33 pm
This set looks great and what a fantastic grand prize
I’m thinking a Chaos Monkey Ninja in white and red or orange. Maybe some metallic bits? Maybe a cyborg ninja chaos monkey! I want to say a cyborg zombie ninja chaos monkey but I don’t want to everyone’s head to explode when they see it
April 15th, 2009 at 9:15 am
cyborg zombie ninja chaos monkeys rule!!!!
Dear god don’t let Pogue win!!!!
April 15th, 2009 at 10:22 am
Toy- Bwana Spoons Killer
Colors- I’d like to leave it up to Lee, but probably have the colors more on the cool side though to help round out the collection.
Why- Cause Stone Cold said so!
April 15th, 2009 at 11:41 am
dear god, please let Pogue win…
April 15th, 2009 at 1:02 pm
i would like Lee to customize a 1980′s pair of he-man figures/characters for me. the first one i would like customized is he-man’s faithful cat companion, battlecat. the toy can be seen here: http://hmoukdad.sim.dal.ca/dl/foster/images/hemantoy1.jpg
customizing the battle armor is, of course, optional.
the 2nd he-man figure i want customized is Mantenna. here is a link to him: http://www.toyarchive.com/STAForSale/NEW2001+/MOTU/Toys/Loose/MantennaComplete2a.jpg
feel free to ditch the lame crossbow.
why do i want these figures customized? it would be awesome to see mantenna riding battlecat. plus, i love me some old he-man toys and i want something different on my shelf than every other 30 year old kid who is holding onto his childhood. also, as far as i can remember, you’ve never done them.
as for colors, i would never be so pretentious as to tell you how to paint. that is your call, my good man.
April 15th, 2009 at 1:26 pm
In an effort to ignore Bert I’m gonna focus on Maz’ excellent ideas!!
April 15th, 2009 at 6:21 pm
I’ve got it! I would love to see Lee to take a old Optimus Prime toy that I have and make it Leecified! believe me this thing is pretty big compared to other toys! That would just be fucking dope
April 16th, 2009 at 6:50 am
I didn’t see any MadL in that interview!!
Have you done any in the past?
Anyway, that would be the piece I would send you!!!
BTW, that Ho-chi Minh bust (not sure of the spelling) is amazing!!!
April 16th, 2009 at 10:51 am
Holy crap dude those 4 Fatimas are just berserk… wow.
Amazing customization, really well executed.
April 16th, 2009 at 7:22 pm
I would love, love, love a Fatima customized to look like a Kitsune (Japanese folklore fox that can take human form). Why? Because I love folklore and Japan and foxes, and Leecifer’s Fatimas are to DIE for. Also because I’ve been wanting to make a plush Kitsune for ages and just haven’t found the time for it yet. Unfortunately, I can’t get my hands on a Fatima, so I would ask that Lee customize a blank of his choice. Although, it would be kind of funny to see him put a wicked dark folklore twist on a Barbie–America’s “foxy” icon turned into a more literal fox–ha!
April 17th, 2009 at 12:44 am
It would be ill to see a MEGA Munny customized to resemble Pardees Owlex, the greens and blues would pop. The walrus riders tight but I was left wanting something after his dunny, and your styles mesh…
April 17th, 2009 at 10:36 pm
Ok, I got it this time. A Leecified Mars-1 Observer would be my toy of choice for Lee to customize. The toy itself is already jaw-droppingly gorgeous, but with Lee’s take on it, it’d be doper than dope. Also, Lee creates creatures that haven’t been discovered yet (only by Lee of course.hah) and what better than to create a Leecifer Observer who watches over Lee’s creatures? Kinda like a guardian for all of Lee’s monsters and things. I don’t really have a distinct way of how I want it to look like because whatever Lee makes I would be happy with. The current versions of the Observer are great, but they don’t really pop out as much as a Leecified one would! I know that if I gave Lee one to customize, he’d make it the best Mars-1 Observer version to be made.
April 19th, 2009 at 3:54 am
I think a Usugrow Rebel Ink done up as Wolverine would be an awesome custom. The Rebel Inks hands are already done up into fists Wolverine style!
April 21st, 2009 at 2:50 am
My toy of choice for customize would be a MAD L, fluorescent colors green, yello, red. That would be fresh.
April 21st, 2009 at 5:50 pm
Emilio Garcia, Jumping Brain!!! Any which way!!! YEEEHHAAA!xxx
April 22nd, 2009 at 5:04 pm
I am fortunate enough to have an Itokin Park Himalan done by Leecifer and I’d like to continue the trend with either a Mikazukin or a Nano both by Itokin. Something in flowers. Pinks or greens.
April 23rd, 2009 at 6:26 pm
I recentl lost me house in the tea fire of santa barbara and my collection of toys burned. So ever since then i have been wanting a munny customized for me that is a gold ninja with a spray paint can in his hand a skull face and a small customized labbit standing next to it, also in gold with the cigarette turned into a sword!!!!! you rock leecifer!!!!!!
April 24th, 2009 at 9:11 pm
I have an old Hess Truck I would love to see transformed into something kick ass.
Thanks!
April 26th, 2009 at 8:48 pm
Didn’t realize I was so late to the party, but I would have him customize this hilarious McDonald’s happy meal toy I got on my move to Detroit last year, it’s a little dude with an afro that plays a sweet beat when you turn it on but it defintely nees a new paintjob
April 27th, 2009 at 10:53 am
And now the moment we’ve all been waiting for…the winner of the custoMONDAY mini by Leecifer is…EL MAZ! El Maz has a choice between Lee’s green Dunny or Ghostworld figure.
And the Grand Prize winner is…Simon. In about 2 months, we hope to post pictures of your customized Doze Ganesh.
Congrats everybody! Stay tuned for the next custoMONDAY coming soon…
April 30th, 2009 at 9:30 am
YAY! i will gladly take the ghostland figure! so stoked!