VGRevolution will be presenting interviews with as many nominees as we can from the Designer Toy Awards. We decided to start off with not only a nominee but also the Host for the event. The Sucklord runs his own company called Suckadelic. He works in many pop culture fields for his pieces. The big field that he is known for is Star Wars. Designer toys isn’t his only claim to fame. He has appeared on reality shows before. Most notable is Bravo’s “Work of Art: The Next Great Artist.” Making it to week six of 10 was very impressive for a toy art designer. Of the two seasons, he is the only one from this field to participate.
Reality show star, famous toy designer and host – it seems like there is nothing he can’t do. I was glad he took the time out of his busy schedule to answer some questions. Also, it has been announced that he will be designing a toy for the event – another exclusive that any fan of his will need to get. With the event being in NYC, his home city, I am sure Sucklord will have a few surprises waiting for the audience.
Here is the interview…
1. How did you get into the world of art and designer toys?
I’ve been doing this in some form since 1979, when the “designer toy
world” started showing up in NYC in the late 90s. I politely knocked on
the door a few times. When no one answered, I kicked it in…
2. What figure are you most proud of?
No one in particular. The magnitude of the total output is more impressive
than any one singular figure
3. Is there an artist or a series that you collect?
No. I don’t collect anything in particular. I just buy whatever I like,
usually its vintage toys rather than designer or vinyl.
4. As a fan of Star Wars, is it safe to say you would have been part of the Dark Side? And do you think Darth Vader would enjoy your toys?
I suppose there are some Dark Arts to what I’m doing. Darth Vader is not
really my audience. Plus he’s like, the cops, so he may not appreciate me
operating outside the copyright laws of the Empire…
5. When you started making vinyl toys did you think they would be a
awards ceremony?
I don’t make Vinyl toys. I make resin toys. And I did not think there
would ever be an awards ceremony when I started.
6. You were recently announced as the host. Did it take any convincing for you to say yes?
I had to convince them. I angled for the job
7. Where do you see designer/vinyl toys heading to in the future? For example, do you see the toys you make one day being put in a museum or is it just a fad that in a few years people will forget.
I’ve probably answered this same question about 50 times. It’s not a fad.
People have been playing with toys and totems since the stone age. These
things have already been in museums. Wondering if it’s a fad at this point
seems out of step with what’s going on.
8. What would it mean to you to win Artist of the Year? And are there any other categories you are paying attention to or nominees you’re pulling for?
I don’t know if it means much of anything. I win even when I lose, so it’s
not important. It’s a nice acknowledgment, and doing this kind of thing is
fun. But artists who let the outcome affect their process or sense of who
they are, is in the wrong business
To learn more about about this artist you can visit his website at Suckadelic.com. Here you can visit his blogs, twitter and even his store.
