The Most Wanted Crew : Behind The Hype

Welcome to the blog spot for all things related to The Most Wanted Crew; An artist collective created by Tim Munz, Igor Ventura, and Manny Rivas, featuring some of the most sought after up and coming artists and customizers from around the globe. Feel free to check out our online shop for original artwork and customs from some of our many talented artists. Thank you for checking us out and we hope you come back often to see what's new in the world of The MW Crew.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

KEVIN GOSSELIN'S "CANNIBAL" DUNNY : FULLY REVEALED


For those of you who didn't sign up for the mailing list, here is you're first look at Kevin's "Cannibal" dunny for series 2:





Don't get him too close to your other dunnys, they may end up as a shrunken trophy on his coffee table.




Make sure to keep checking back for updates on how to get your hands on a blind box. And from what I hear, Kevin may have one open slot left for some 8" versions he'll be doing of this little guy. And for those wondering if there will be any APs of his S2 design, the answer is, absolutely! But don't sleep, cause they're sure to sell out fast! For more info on both his 8"er and APs, you can get a hold of him through his site:
kgosselinart.com


Much love,

the MW crew.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

CHAU"WHO?"SKIS?! : AN INTERVIEW WITH WALTER JACOTT




This week I sat down with Walter Jacott, better known to his fans as Chauskoskis, to get a little insight behind his art, his life, and his contribution to the "Most Wanted" series.


Let me start off by saying thanks for being a part of the series, and for taking the time out from your busy schedule to do this little Q&A.
Now, tell us a little bit about your art; Where does your inspiration come from, is there a method to your madness, an what medium, if any, would you say is your favorite?



First I just want to thank you guys for inviting me to the Series, you guys did a terrific job on this. Well, honestly i don't consider my stuff "art". I'm just a guy who makes ugly characters and stuff. But that's easy when you've grown up with clay in one hand, and a pencil in the other, lol. I don't feel that I have a particular style, but if I do, I know it's constantly changing. At times, My drawings and sculpts tend to vary in style from one another, but I plan on finding a more defined path with my custom toys. My inspiration comes from all around me; art, people, random stuff, or whatever else I've seen through out my 32yrs of life. I use whatever pops into my head most of the times, but there are moments when I'm just a complete blank. Which is why I've saved every single drawing I've ever made. So when i just can't come up with any good ideas, I open up my big box filled with thousands of drawings on small papers and napkins. Then I just take a look at them and auto-steal some ideas, lol. I also love to look at art and design websites, and right click and save hundreds of pics of anything that's awesome, even though I never really look through them. I guess I just hope that something good will stick in to my brain, lol. (But just a little warning, I'm always full of surprises, so beware cause I may come up with a different style every once in a while :P) As for a favorite medium? Hmm, tricky question... Honestly, I don't have one, I enjoy them all.


"Chauskoskis" is such a unique name, and I can't for the life of me figure out what it stands for, lol. So, what exactly does it mean, and why did you choose it as your artist name?


Haha, maybe I Should have picked my last name instead? I've just recently started using this nick name now that I'm in the toy scene, but its origins come from as far back as '97. As you know my names is Walter Jacott. Walter is not a very common name here in Mexico, and my last name, which is Scottish, is even less common. I think it's so rare that all the Jacotts here are direct relatives of each other, lol. Well, I was introduced to a couple guys who later become close friends of mine. It was just like a "hey guys, this is Walter Jacott", "pleased to meet you" type of thing. Some time passed, and one day I was walking on the street and the same guys saw me from across the street, so they wanted to shout out my name. . . but they had obviously forgot it, because what came out of their mouths was: "HEY YOU.......(big pause) CHAUSKOSKIS!" Lol, it was the only time they called me like that, but I think they were trying to say some weird name that is like the Mexican version of "Tchaikovsky" ( the classic musician). That's a little bit of a long story though, but I hope it made enough sense, lol.


For those of us how don't know much about the inner workings of the art scene, share with us some of your experiences. From past projects to future collabs, we're all ears ;)



Dude! There is so much cool stuff to come... Of course I have dozens of custom toys on the table, but there are also some original figures as personal projects; Some as DIY toys, some as sculptures to be casted in small runs, some hot collabos with some well known artists (Karuzo is still on the way, my buddy Frank Mysterio and I are really happy with how the things are moving along), and many cool shows coming up. Some of them I can't really talk about, but I can say im on the Celsius show in July from Rotobox, and the Jouwe Show from MyTummyToys... And of course my soon to be out designs for the Qee X Skelanimals series (how awesome is that?) -FUNKY DANCE HERE- LOL


How did you come to find out about the "Most Wanted" project? How do you feel about the line up, and tell us a little bit about your piece in the series.


I'm a part time visitor on the KR forums just cause I'm already a member on 4 or 5 different art forums, and as you know it takes a huge amount of time to post back and forth. Sometimes I even forget were I just posted, lol, anyways, I always go to KR boards and click for "new posts". And the "Most Wanted"series always seem to be on top, lol. So I read the whole thing, even though it was super long, and I was impressed by the detail and dedication from the artists and the organizers. It looked so well planned and handled with care, that I felt so much respect for you guys. I was already friends with some of the artists on the first series so it was great to see many of them aboard. So I am very pleased to have joined all my old and new buddies, who are great artists btw, in this series.

I remember submitting 3 or 4 rough ideas that were very complex with many add ons and stuff, but the final design we decided on, well, I have to say it really rocks! Maybe some people will expect something crazier from me, but I think this was a good choice. I feel I used a unique way of using the dunny shape, plus it's a very clean and simple design, at least I think so. I can't say any more, but I really hope you guys like it as much as I do.

Watch out KR here comes MWS2!



Thanks again bro, much respect from myself and all the other guys. Any last words you wanna give to your growing legion of fans? And what's the word on getting an original piece from you?



Just want to say thank you to you Manny, Igor, and Tim. Also, a special thanks to Sergio Mancini, WuzOne and Gawein who said good things about me, which I think helped me get on the series :)

To the fans, hope you dig my stuff even more so now, cause I will be around for a while, lol. Expect the unexpected!

About commissions :( I'm not taking much, cause I have too much stuff to take care of lately, but anyways feel free to drop me a message for whatever you like. If you need a tip or even a commission I will see what Ican do. It's good to know the people who like my stuff and I'm always pleased to say hi.




Thanks again Walter, and thanks to everyone who checked this out. Below you'll find some links to Chauskoskis work, so you can pick up were we left off. We hope you enjoyed the interview, and please feel free to leave us any comments. Good or bad, we want to hear them. And remember to check back next week for another interview from one of our artists.


http://walterjacott.blogspot.com/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/walterjacott/
http://twitter.com/chauskoskis

Sunday, April 18, 2010

FROM GERMANY, WITH LOVE. . .

For those of you who followed the first series, you probably remember our guest artist, Flying Fortress. Well, here's a little something our very own Tim Munz (aka timselF) sent his way just to say thanks:

http://www.teddytroops.net/2010/03/04/custom-teddy-trooper-by-timself

for those of you who are interested in snagging a dope custom from the man him self, you can contact him at: timunz@gmail.com
And believe me, you'll be glad you did ;)

Thursday, April 15, 2010

INTERVIEW WITH KEVIN GOSSELIN


Through out the series we'll be doing a few interviews with the artists themselves, so check back every week to get an insider look at what your favorite MW artist is up to. This week I'm proud to present you with a few words from Kevin Gosselin. Hope you enjoy it, and please let us know what you think by leaving a comment or two:

First of all, I just want to say thanks for taking the time to not only do this interview, but also for being apart of this artist collective. So tell us a little bit about yourself, who is Kevn Gosselin? What makes you tick? Is it true that you have a vast collection of vintage communist propaganda? How did Ricky Martin's coming out effect you? . . Just messing with you, lol, let's just stick to the basics; So tell us a little bit about where you grew up?


Well, I'm a New Hampshire boy. I grew up in a small New England town of under 3,000 people and there wasn't much to do. I passed the time fishing, playing video games and reading comics. Real wholesome like. This town was so small it didn't even have a grocery store. Just a couple mom and pop markets and 1 gas station. Fortunately we had cable. One of the first places in the states due to our proximity to Boston. So I got my pop culture. Being so rural was great though and kept me out of trouble. I loved it and it's made me who I am. But at 18 I left for art school and have been bouncing around ever since.


When did you begin your art, and what led you to where you are now? Tell us a little bit about your process, as far as where you gather your inspiration from, what medium do you like working with best, but most importantly, where the hell do you find the patience to create such detailed work, lol.


Wow, that's a lot of questions there. Where did it begin? Really, it has always been there. I'm assuming it's gotta be the same way with everyone who has a passion for art. Passion? hhmm. More like love hate relationship. By that I mean I love it but it can be a source of eternal frustration. At least for me. I don't think I've ever been satisfied with anything I create. But I digress. Where it began, yeah. As far as making custom toys, it's very recent. That Kid Robot MunnyWorld show was the beginning of everything for me. Just came out of the blue and quite frankly I'm holding on to it and trying to milk it for everything I can get. I want to be an artist. I want to manage somehow to afford a way to be that kid who just wants to be left alone for hours while I dream of cool things to doodle. So that's what drives me. The desire to just have that luxury.


When it comes to customizing toys, I have a phrase that works for me. Thinking within the box. I've never really liked that other way of thinking, you know, outside of the box, because the reality is, there is a box. And for good reason. The people you want to communicate are in that box. And it's my job as a communicator to think within the bounds of the project and make it work. So with toys, I try to think about the platform in front of me. I don't try to make it something it's not. I try to make it something it could be. Bring it to life. The same, but more so.


As for patience, well, that's the big artist secret. Lot's of people will try to convince you that there's this thing called talent. I've never believed that. I believe there's desire and hard work and if you want to be good then you don't stop until you have achieved that. Patience is an artists best friend. So I try my best to take my time to do things to the best of my ability.


I don't know if I have a favorite medium yet. I know what I don't like though. I HATE carcoal and pastels. They're just too dry and suck the moisture out of me.


Are there any names in the urban art scene who you admire? If so, how have they affected your style and/or technique, if at all.


Huck Gee. Cause he sells his customs for some mad cash. Maybe the rest of us could do a little better if Huck wasn't taking all the people's money. JK. I think it's great and it gives us little guys a goal to aspire to. But I think if I had to get my hands on just one artist's work, it would have to be Chauskoskis. His work has such a unique look to it and the craftsmanship is beautiful. Each piece has a real artist touch to it. But is he urban? I'm still learning all this stuff. Scribe is more urban I suppose. Yeah, yeah, they're two of the artists in this group. I'm not trying to pitch this series at all, I swear. I think it just shows you how fortunate I am to be in this group.But I don't think anybody influences me in any other way but to make me work harder. When you see excellence it makes you realize that you need to step up your game or fall behind.


What brought you to this little artist sweat shop we got running, otherwise knows as the "Most Wanted" Artist Series, and how do you feel about the project as a whole?


To be honest, I had never heard of this group until Toy Break had a blind box just a month or so ago. Yeah, that's how much of a newbie I am. At the same time AW177 had emailed me to ask me some questions about my graphic design experience. I took the time to write him a short novel sharing with him my experience and I guess in turn made myself a new friend. When I heard about the first series on Toy Break I mentioned to AW177 that it would have been cool to have been a part of that. He asked me if I wanted a chance to be a part of the coming series and I jumped at it. Karma. I'm a big believer in it. Oh, and Thank you very much AW177! So how do I feel about it? I think it's great. For both the artists and the fans. Each one of us is creating a limited series of original custom art that anyone has a chance to purchase for a modest price. It's making customs accessible for those who can't afford our pricey commission fees. And for the artist, it's back breaking, eye-straining work that makes us curse the day we ever signed up. No? What I mean to say is that it's great exposure for each of us. It gets our work out there and promotes us and the art of customizing. It's also builds a sense of community amongst the artists. It's all great.


Once again, mad props for being a part of the series! Feel free to give any shout outs, threats to your enemies, and please tell us how we can go about scoring one of your amazing pieces?!


No, thank you for having me. I'm super psyched to see what everyone comes up with and really proud to be a part of this group. As for scoring a piece, well, people can find me through my site at kgosselinart.com. I also want to mention that I'm planning on making a couple 8" versions of my Most Wanted design. I love this guy and think a 8" would really do it justice. The 3" is awesome but the 8" is going to be sick.


Thanks again Kevin, I know your "cannibal" dunny is going to be a big hit in the series ;) Everyone else be sure to check out more of his work on his site, and for those of you interested in grabbing a commission or two from him, act quick cause spots are filling up fast!

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

THE MAILING LIST IS UP AND RUNNING!

So we finally got the mailing list up and running, big ups to Kevin for setting it up! Where do you sign up you may ask? First, put the "tobacco pipe" down, and look at the top right hand panel ;) Just fill in your email address, click subscribe, check for a confirmation email, click the link, and you're good to go! Remember that this how we'll be releasing all the important information, like the preorder and drop date, so if you miss out on either one, don't say I didn't warn you ;)

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Yo!

What up folks, welcome to our blog spot. Freshly created to satisfy all your MW needs ;) I'll be posting everything you need to know about our 2nd custom artist series, including teasers, preorder info, drop dates, so on and so forth. But not worry, I'll still be as active as ever on the original KR thread. For those of you who aren't familiar with the "Most Wanted" artist collective, you can check out more info here. Also, I just want to thank all our loyal fans who helped make series 1 a huge success, we couldn't have done it without the love from a such an amazing community. We promise that series 2 will be nothing short of it's predecessor in both amazing talent, and quality. Stay tuned for more info from the original artist series. . .