Toy Customizer: Juan Luis Salido Bruque

Interview with Toy Customizer:  Juan Luis Salido Bruque

Welcome to another awesome Toy Customizer Interview!!

Toy customizing has quickly become an ever-increasing hobby thanks to adult-collector toy lines, and the slow pace at which they release new product. There’s nothing stopping you from creating your very own ideal action figure. Today we are talking with a guy who goes by the name of Juan Luis Salido Bruque from CUSTOMOTUCS KEMAO.

Juan Has made some awesome customs and he can basically make you any MOTU Classic figure that hasn’t been made yet!!!

MOTU!: Hi Juan and thanks for taking time out to do this interview with me. (Click here to read the interview if you missed it) Ever since I interviewed you as a Toy Collector and I saw the incredible custom figures you have made I decided I must do a follow-up interview with you. That awesome Custom Bravestarr and Custom Tug-O-War figure are awesome.
 

Bravestarr and Tug-O-War

Can you tell us a bid about yourself?

Juan: Hello again, friends. I'm a big fan of MOTU, I make my own creations and I also direct the Spanish podcast La Cueva Del Terror. (a.k.a. The Fright Zone) with other Spanish Collectors. (La Cueva Del Terror - Facebook)

MOTU!: So Juan, how did you get started doing action figure customs?

Juan: I started painting Warhammer figures about twenty years ago. From that I went directly to do some sculptures, since I studied the Art in Spain. My first custom I made was with the 200X MOTU Figures. I didn't have money for an exclusive Moss Man so I created one for myself with a Beast Man. After that, I made some more characters, but for a while I was doing nothing. When the MOTUC arrived, I got some cheap ones through the net and started to create some characters and also to create existing figures like Fuerza T and Blackstar. I haven't stopped since. Now I share my hobby with my friends Jordi from Toplus Customs, Fer from Mismotus and Pablo Gerrero Masilla. We exchanged pieces and knowledge.

MOTU!: How long have you been customizing figures?

Juan: My first custom was Tara, sister of Seahawk. I did it in 2010. I think by 2020 I will do her daughter. LOL.

Tara, Sister of Seahawk

MOTU!: You do a lot of sculpting on your figures, not just the same old repaints seen elsewhere. What materials do you generally use to "make the magic happen”?

Juan: I use materials that I try. There are some like Super Sculpey, which despite being used by many people, I do not end up liking. In the end I discovered a material that is made in my city and has no brand. It is only sold in a store here and is a mixture of two components. Sometimes I use more typical materials. In the USA it is easy to do this job. Here it is more complicated and expensive.

As for painting, use Montana Spray and Liquitex paints. Sometimes I do not like the result. Some colors go sticky, but I keep experimenting without stopping.

MOTU!: Your paint jobs are very well done. Can you tell us a little on your technique for getting a sweet paintjob that gets past the pesky joint rub problem?

Juan: As I said, I usually make a first Montana Spray base. Then I paint details with acrylic paint and brush. Sometimes I use the airbrush with Tamiya.

The problem with joints and painting is the eternal dispute for a customizer. Personally, I do not play with my customs, so I do not worry much. I have tried many ways to solve the problem, but sooner or later, the painting comes off. The trick of protecting with a thin layer of super glue or sanding the area, does not always work. I must say that MOTUC figures are not very well made and this problem is in many of them.

There are some customizers that have found the solution and hide it. The day I find out, I'll make it public. On the other hand, those customizers who say that they do not skip the paint on the joints, I would like to touch their figures and check it. But well, as I said before, I do not play with my customs. Some, I know that I can articulate them and with others, I must be very careful .

MOTU!: Any horror stories of something gone horribly wrong?

Juan: A lot of things have happened to me. Let some figures change the tone of color after a few months. That in summer they fall by the heat and that the painting sticks to the ground. Let the chrome paint never dry. Let the 4 Horsemen take out the character I created or thought to create. The last horror story I'm living with is creating the Galaxy Rangers. It's costing me a lot, because they have more work than I thought at first.

MOTU!: On the opposite end of blood loss, what has been your favorite custom to date? Not necessarily your favorite character, but one that just turned out exactly, or better, than you planned.

Juan: I think my favorite is Bravestarr, but I have better ones. STRAGON, for example, is my masterpiece. The problem is that it is a little away from MOTUC and looks like a Seventh Kingdom character, but I love it.

Stragon

ICE HACKER is another beast that I like very much, although I am pending to change the tail and to restore it a little.

Ice Hacker from the MOTU Mini Comic, The Dragon's Gift

I love STARRBLOOD. It's based on a bootleg figure I had when I was a kid. The GUERREROS DEL ESPACIO.

Duckman from Guerreros Del Espacio

I recently met the creator of those bootlegs and now I am friend with his son, another collector of MOTUC. K'TLOR is a very cool character. I used a head from Kevin Kosse, sometimes I use pieces from other creators, I really like to think of a kind of collaboration between two artists.

K'Tlor

KING CRINGER is just that. A collaboration between two. It is a creation of my friend Fer. He gave us some of his works but Jordi Toplus and I asked him for permission to transform it more. And there is the result.

King Gringer

SCORPON-OR is a very crazy design that I had stopped for a long time. The end result is great. One of my favorites for a long time.




Scorpon-Or

TUG O'WAR is a beautiful design by Axel Giménez. In addition, it is very simple to create. Hopefully you are prepared to leave this year through Super 7. LILITH and ASHURA did it at the same time. Two characters for the POP line, very bizarre but with beautiful colors.

Lilith

Ashura

QUICKSILVER and MAKO are top five. I created them to be able to have the podium of the Thunderforce next to Lion-O. Thunderforce was a project to join the series of Thundercats, Silverhawks and Tigersharks, but did not take place at the end.

Quicksilver

Mako

MIGHTOR and ZANDOR are two characters of Alex Toth. I'm thinking of creating the majority of those legends we saw through the Hanna-Barbera cartoons.
 

Mightor and Zandor from Herculiods

MOTU!: Do you have upcoming MOTUC customs that you're excited to be working on, or planning out?

Juan: I'm working as I said in the four Galaxy Rangers, but I have other creations in progress. Force Destroyer T in Filmation version. Iron Lion of the Infaceables. Iron Jaw of the Cosmic Cowboys. Hercules & Goliath, Birdman and Spaceghost of Hanna-Barbera. Tex Hex by Bravestarr. Dargon and Spidrax of Sectaurs. Besides these characters, I have three creations of my own prepared, but those are surprise.



MOTU!: Where can people see more of your work? Also, what is the best way for someone to get in touch with you for commissions?

Juan: You can view my work on my Facebook at CUSTOMOTUCS KEMAO at:  www.facebook.com/customotucs/

Actually I don’t do commissions at the moment, but perhaps in a few weeks.

MOTU!: Thanks Juan, great talking with you! We are look forward to see more sweet new customs from you during 2017.

Juan: Many thanks to you. Everything done for the benefit of our Masters Of The Universe is appreciated. A greeting to all.