REDLINE - I had seen dak posting here at TFW2005 way back when I was a n00b here, but at that time, I wasn't into customs at all. I had really wanted to contribute to TFW2005.com because I loved the board so much, and when I was finally given the chance, it was to be a mod over what was then the customs forum. I jumped on it, even though I didn't care about customizing at the time. Being a mod quickly changed that; I found myself searching around for more; and that's how I found Transtopia shortly after it began.
I found dak's stuff there, in their gallery, and as he was posting some of his newer works. From the get-go, he was posting not only extremely creative projects, but challenging ones. You could see visible steps of improvement through every single new piece he posted. His works thus far have culminated in his masterpiece, his scratch-built Nova Prime, in which he had nothing to go on other than a couple of rough design sketches from Don Figueroa. This beautiful piece ended up winning the blue ribbon at BotCon 2008 this year.
The aforementioned Nova Prime
In addition to his talents, he's also a supremely nice guy who is always willing to help another person out. He offers insights and opinions, helping newer guys and older members alike. If he ever has any gripes, he always delivers them as a soft-blow that is always followed with ways in which you can improve your project, sometimes in ways you hadn't even thought of. dak is also a Super-moderator over at our sister-site, Cybertron.ca, as well as a staff member for Canada's TFCon. dak's numerous contributions to the community of customizing and Transformers makes him more than deserving of being recognized as this month's Featured Radicon!
plowking - I have always been a fan of dak's work. His first piece that really caught my eye though was his Alt/BT Nemesis Big Convoy. This thing came out so cool and evil looking. The fact that he used a diecast Hummer for the body is what really got my attention. Ever since then, dak has continued to wow me with new customs, and his latest, Nova Prime was the cherry on top of the icing for me. This MASTERPIECE is just jaw dropping beautiful - scratch-built piece of art, that I have loved ever since I first saw the W.I.P. pics.
dak you truly are deserving of this honor; its a pleasure to have you among the ranks of all the other Featured Artists. Keep those customs coming man.
The Man of the Hour! superquad7 - Much of what I have to say about dak, REDLINE and plowking have articulated very well. I had seen many of dak's projects over at Transtopia and I'm always intrigued with Transformers that are just bashed all to pieces and made into "kitbashes". dak's work is characterized much by the actual construction of something new, taking
TF parts and using them like LEGOs.
I remember how cool it was to see his Masterpiece-style War Within Optimus Prime. I think a success of any artist is when the work evokes to others "I want one." That was one of my initial reactions to that piece along with just simply appreciating the piece for what it is. The
War Within series has always been one of my favorites, and while Hasbro has even made toys of some of them, I've always wanted them to look like this piece. I think someone said it best when dak is the one who really understands Don Figueroa's designs
As pk said, dak really got my attention with his Alternators (Binal Tech?; BT = diecast) Big Nemesis Convoy. While it doesn't transform, it's always stood out in my mind as looking totally cool. With my own particular interest in the Alternators/Binal Tech line, I continually look for inspiration; dak's piece here is one such example. I had actually planned on making my own Nemesis Prime loosely based on his custom until Hasbro saved me some work. I'd still like to make a Hummer Alt someday, and this piece is one that continues to fuel that inspiration.
Since then, there's no denying that his Nova Prime has just been a runaway success. I remember the wip thread for Nova and continually being excited about the choice of character subject. The end result continues to blow my socks off. It truly deserves the place awarded at Botcon 2008.
Film set built by dak
One of the aspects I've always loved about Don Figueroa's work is that the styles of Transformers and Gundams are well meshed for a nice, modern look. While I've seen
TF customs that use Gundam parts, I've rarely seen a mastery of the amalgamation of styles done as well as dak has done with this piece. I continue to be excited just to see what dak has in store for us. As cool as his work has been, I know we're in for some real treats down the road!
His contribution doesn't stop with just his customs work. dak's contributions to the community itself as an active Radicon, a board staffer at Cybertron.CA, as well as continually contributing to TFCon certainly warrant notice. As REDLINE notes, dak is one who can interact well with Radicons and their work, always being insightful and helpful to others. These attributes constitute the mark of a great Radicon, and dak does a nice job personifying them well. We're very pleased to feature dak this month as well as to learn more about one of our fellow Radicons who continues to serve as a inspiration. Our hats are off to ya, dak!
Yep . . . you guessed it INTERVIEW R: Tell us a little about yourself.
D: My real name is Duncan, I’m 24 and live in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. I work in Film and Television as a member of the Art Department. I do everything from sets to props to set and prop design/build. Throughout school I have always been into art and mainly focusing on 3D sculpting and design. I also help run and organize TFcon Toronto and host the customizing panel there.
R: What got you into the art of kitbashing? Why do you like kitbashing? How long have you been into kitbashing?
D: Growing up I’ve always had an interest in making things. I would always make cardboard sculptures and build many things out of LEGO. As I grew up my interests changed going from LEGO to model kits and eventually ending with custom Transformers figures. I have been kitbashing since the Beast Wars where I had a small obsession with making my figures “show accurate”. That was the beginning and now I’m beyond straight repaints and moving on to larger builds.
The one thing that keeps me coming back is figuring out how to make each character fully functional. In my opinion, the best customs out there are the ones that are fully poseable and can transform. There are maybe two or three that I have built that don’t transform, but when I build, articulation and transformation are priority.
R: How did you get to your level of customizing? Did you have any formal training and/or previous experience in your background? What have been some useful resources for your artwork that you suspect others are unaware of?
D: I love transformers on a deep, intimate level. By that I mean, when I play with a
TF, I watch and learn it inside and out. How each part moves, how it’s crafted, how it poses, how the internal mechanics work, and everything about it. I memorize it, then use that knowledge in my work. I also have a love for movement. I love to watch things move and how every part of the object works together. I apply this to my work. I do have an art background, but a lot of what I know is self taught. I’m constantly experimenting with new techniques on each custom I build. Each technique is brought on to a new project, improved, until another new skill is learned and added to the list. I can also visualize objects in my head very well. I create a 3D render of an object in my mind and can then move and manipulate it for my art. All these skills are used together to create my art.
Another thing I do is really get to know the character I’m working with. I know their backstory, the things that make them tick, their job and most important, every bit of detail and movement that makes up the character. By knowing as much as I can about the character, like an actor, I can know more about them and “be the character”, which is very useful when building.
R: What are some of your short-term goals as a kitbasher? What is your ultimate goal as a kitbasher?
D: When I work on a project, one goal is to learn at least one new thing, either technique or how to use a certain product. My ultimate goal is to continue making customs that transformers fans can love and enjoy.
R: Do you have a dream project, and if so, what is it?
D: There are a few projects I’d love to do. I don’t really have one project that I could say, “I wish I could make that”, I just make it happen. As to what these projects are . . . I cannot say.
R: What other hobbies do you have, if any?
D: If you consider playing video games a hobby, there is one. I also just like to watch things. I’m not sure if you would consider it a hobby, but it’s something I find very interesting. The interaction of people and things.
R: Do you have any advice for up-and-coming kitbashers?
D: I’m going to give the same advice everyone gives: practice. I think it’s a really good idea to set a goal and try to teach yourself. The best way to learn something is to just do it. There are only so many questions you can ask before you just need to stand up and get to it. Practical experience is key.
dak's customs work area R: What is your inspiration for your projects? What influences your character choices?
D: I really hate doing projects that everyone else has done. I like to be creative and unique. When I choose a character I like to find ones that people recognize and are really cool iconic characters. Nova wasn’t one of those recognizable characters unless you read the comic, but he did catch everyone's eye and gave give the opportunity to make fans aware of some of these small yet big characters.
R: Who are some of your favorite kitbashers and inspirations?
D: I think everyone is awesome and all have some serious talent. To name a few that I’d like to recognize, Don Figueroa has been pretty much been the inspiration for all my work. Alex Milne is another inspiration and also one who keeps on pushing to get my projects done. Those guys are comic book artists, their drawings are the basis for all my work and I drive myself to create a level of work equal to theirs, but in 3D.
Others I’ve got to mention are Nemesis Preaking and Freestyle, for creating unique and different idea’s for modern characters, following through with it and making it look REALLY cool. Lobo and Viagra Prime for creating awesome scratch built projects. All those customizers that have a title with “labs”, “Customs” or “ factory” or some shop title, you all have some excellent paint skills. TheDevastator for turning all these
G1 characters into “real” classics. And of course to TFmaster for recognizing talent and encouraging everyone to keep going.
R: What figure has been your favorite to work on so far? Why?
D: Nova Prime was really fun to work on, and I had a great time with it, but the best I think was working on my 10 ft Optimus. I just love making things on a large epic scale.
R: How long does it typically take you to complete a project from start to finish?
D: It all depends on if I loose interest somewhere or get bored. Taking all those factors, it could be 3- 5 months.
R: Which TF is your favorite and why? Favorite TF character? Favorite series? Favorite toy (non-custom)?
D: I love Tracks cause I love Corvettes. I can’t say I have a favorite single character . . . I love Cybertron and the Movie lines. And favorite toys . . .
BW Cybershark, Movie Ratchet and Blackout,
BM Divebomb and Cybertron Prime. I’m really liking Animated voyager Prime and Grimlock too. Oh and Magmatron. Aaaaaand Classics Magnus with City Commander armor.
R: What was your first customs project that you worked on? Any memorable stories to share?
D: I think my first
TF custom was
BW Dinobot. I repainted him to be more show accurate and then I saw this non-transformable version made at Unicron.com and said “to hell with it” and destroyed the mold to make an even more accurate version.
R: What are your favorite movies//TV shows?
D: I love
Underworld,
LotR,
Transformers,
Star Wars . . . and I’m sure there are other movies. I like
Reboot,
Frasier,
Myth Busters and a few others . . . I don’t really get to watch much TV.
R: What do you consider your strengths as a kitbasher are? Weaknesses?
D: This may sound kinda weird, or depending on who you are, one strength I can say I have as a kitbasher is to be able to visualize my creations in 3D in my head before and while I’m building. I can transform them in my mind. Now I know that sounds kinda dorky or “yea . . . ok . . . .”, but I think as a kitbasher it’s something great to have.
I also think having the ability to see something in something else is a good thing to have. Makes for great Frankenstein bashes.
As for weaknesses, I think my painting could be improved a bit. Or maybe I’ll just stay away from the Krylon triple thick clear coat, ha!
dak at work on the 10 foot Prime R: How would you describe your work environment? (For example, do you like to have certain music going while making customs or do you have certain things set up that immediately inspire you?)
D: My work environment is like walking into a car garage. Shelves and boxes of parts, rock music playing on an old radio, parts littering the tables, plastic bits surrounding the equipment table and usually print outs of the current project on the wall or on the work bench. I’m actually moving, so that environment will change, but this is how I like it. Maybe with a smaller amount of plastic bits . . . .
R: What are your favorite things about the process of making a custom? Pet peeves?
D: I love coming up with a successful idea. The excitement you feel when there is something you have been trying to work out and then finally you get it, build it . . . and POOF, it’s like the best thing in the world.
I hate when something doesn’t work out, and you try and try and try . . . . and there are so many holes and cuts and nicks. That it’s not worth using that piece anymore and you got to find another idea.
R: What are things you look for as “cool” in a toy? Describe what you like/dislike in certain Transformer toys.
D: A cool toy for me is poseable and detailed. I love all the Transformers toys that are released, but the best ones are cool vehicles, that change into a super cool robot that can make life-like poses. I’m not a fan of Brickformers. Some are cool, but overall I’m not a fan. An example of characters I LOVE are the movie line. I’d like to make a movie based character at some point.
R: What do your non-TransFan friends say about your work?
D: They think it’s really cool! The thing is, most of my friends know me as having an art background. So when they look at my stuff they see it as my art and can pass by the geek side of it. They see the characters and think wow . . . and then say, "What is it?"
R: How has the new movie affected your customs?
D: Not in my personal style, but I’d like to make one. The only way it (and animated) has affected my customs is by showing me that it is possible to create a custom that looks like one thing in robot mode and change into something that you would never expect it would.
R: What artwork do you do outside of Transformers customs?
D: I draw once in a while, and I also build and design sets/ props for work.
R: When you listen to music, what do you like to listen to and why? How does this impact your artwork?
D: I listen to rock, metal, new rock . . . that type of music. I find it keeps me thinking, and when I get to a part of the project where I need to do stuff over and over, the music keeps me pumped so I don’t get tired of what I’m doing.
R: What toys besides TFs do you enjoy and why?
D: I like the odd Spider-man figures (especially symbiotes). I also really like Spawn figures for their detail.
R: Boxers or briefs?
D: Thermal Underwear??? Boxers.
R: What trends do you see in your own work and what do others tend to say about your customs?
D: I guess the main thing that people say is, What did you make it out of? When I tell them, it’s like, "From how many characters did you say?" It’s just me using as much as I can to get the results I want. And If I can’t find it, I start to make the part myself.
R: How has making Transformers customs impacted your life uniquely?
D: I think it has helped to justify my collecting, ha! It has also gotten me to find my own skills and know what I can do and what I can improve on.
Another set piece by dak REDLINE: When one looks at all of your pieces in the Radicons Customs gallery, they will quickly notice that you’ve never been shy about doing some serious modifications or engineering feats. With that said, do you care to share any of your upcoming projects? What “allowed” you to jump in so fully into making Transformers customs?
D: I don’t like to restrict myself when I build things. If I want something to be a certain way, I don’t hold myself back from doing it. There are some times that it fails, but you learn from your mistakes, right? You will never know if you can do it, unless you try. I don’t like to hold myself back, and I like doing things different than everyone else.
I do have two projects that are in the works. One I had started before Nova, and the other I will start soon. Some know which 2 characters these are, but I’m going to keep it quiet till closer to their finish date.
Have you ever considered making a custom Transformer “dak”?
D: I have considered it. I would love to either make the Road Bots corvette into a DAK character, or take the same car, but a movie styled version. Maybe after I finish the two current projects.
superquad7: "One of the inspirations to my work has been your Alternators Nemesis Big Convoy. I've always really liked it, but I shared the same sentiment that you seemed to regarding its lack of transformation ability. Do you plan to re-approach this custom again soon? If so what are some things you'll do differently?
D: I would like to come back to this character at some point, but not for a while longer. I would probably use a smaller Hummer model, or a larger Alternator like Prime. I would also make sure that all points fit together and work properly. I am so use to taking random parts to make new characters that it’s a little difficult to just ewshell a character. Mind you, he was done a while ago, so my skills now would be improved.
Also, it seems that there is a heave comic book influence to your work. Do you have any plans to make any more customs of other characters in the comic book universe(s) that we don't have toys of? If so, what characters/molds?
D: There are a few more characters that I would like to make or I am making. I do have an interest in that new first 13 comic. I’m sure I’m going to make some of those characters.
plowking: dak, with your Scratch-built Masterpiece Nova Prime (that I absolutely LOVE!!) exactly how did you go about making the pieces/parts? I know that you went primarily off of artwork, but you gotta tell me/us . . . how? Did you envision it in your head, or did you sit down and draw these parts out on paper first?
D: It’s all out of my head. I basically just look at the images and found parts that are the same or similar, then build on it to make it even more like the image. I had to use my imagination to find some of these basic parts. I knew I could find some parts in the transformers line, but some I would need to find outside of the
TF universe. For example, the wheels and front wheel wells are from a Little Tikes toy, and part of the wings are from a plastic coat hangers. That's kind of my whole deal: use your imagination and look beyond to find your parts. It’s all about using your head to find what you are looking for.
dak and his Prime at TFCon dak's Galleries 
Beast Wars Predaking 
War Within Tripredicus 
War Within Tigerhawk 
Scratch-built Generation 1 Arcee 
Transmetals Grimlock 
Scratch-built War Within Starscream 
Scratch-built Nova Prime 
Scratch-built War Within Optimus Prime 
Scratch-built War Within Grimlock 
Alternators Nemesis Big Convoy 
Energon Optimus Prime 
Energon Chro 
dak's Work area part 2 - his "supplies" dak's Threads For Those That Haven't Seen It... "Dak"sterpiece Prime Two New Customs dak's Nova Prime (WIP) Well That's Just Nova Primed dak's Nova Prime WIP Final Pics Till Paint dak's Nova Prime Completed 
Close-up of dak's Nova Prime 
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