Interview with customizer Okedoki

designer toys qee munny dunny bearbrick designer vinyl
Please tell us a little about yourself
I’m Okedoki (aka Tam). I was born in Saigon, Vietnam. I now reside in Edmonton, Canada.
I studied fine arts and sociology at the University of Alberta, however I took a hiatus from painting and pursued holistic medicine. Presently, I’m a full time Acupuncturist and herbalist, and paint during my spare time. My likes are: ice cream, the 80s, fluffy dogs and eccentric people.

How and when did you get into designer toys?
I walked by this sign, with a picture of the Mishka series 3 dunny on it. I thought it was such a cool design. I had to check out the store. I bought a blind box, and got Tilt’s bubble girl. I found myself staring at the design, and was drawn to the social contradiction and implications of mass produced art. It got me surfing on the net for more information. That was when I found online stores, and forums for vinyl toys. I was in heaven, and of course hooked. I love how it was 3d art. It was tangible, limited, and the artists were usually in control of the entire process from creation to distribution. That was almost 2 years ago, and I’m still fascinated by the vinyl world today.

What are your favorite toys and/or artists?
Fav. Toys: Dunnies (Mao, Silver Cell Phone, Tilt’s bubble girl), Bird is the Word Mao Bust, Dumb Luck Rabbit by Baseman, Little Wanderer by Nara.

Fav Artists: Frank Kozik. I think the man is a genius, and he’s shown since his poster days to his present vinyl creations, that he’s socially aware and is a force to be reckoned with. Kozik creates what he wants (I admire that in an artist). Other artists I admire and love are Banksy, Shepard Fairey, Yoshimoto Nara, Dave Cooper, and Gary Baseman. I came into the vinyl scene late, and I’m still playing catch up as I’m getting to know other artists and their work more and more.

Tell us a little about your own collection
My collection is always evolving. Dunnies (3” and 8”) are the bulk of my collection. I have some sculptures and customs that I did as well. I’m a huge Star Wars fan, along with comic super heroes, so I have figures from that genre as well. I guess my collection is pretty diverse. I collect for the design of the piece; rarely do I ever have a complete set of any series.

When did you start customizing?
It has been a year and a half since I started to customize. I was browsing through Kidrobot forum, and saw other people’s customs. I thought, why not try it myself. I had an extra madl figure, and thought it would be cool to transform it into Kozik’s Mao. I even painted the box to match the original Mao dunny box. I had a great time doing it, and when it sold in the Kidrobot forum, I was ecstatic. It took off from there. Now, I get commissions from people all over the world. I think it’s awesome how it’s a small vinyl community, but it encompasses the globe.

What are your favorite toys for customizing?
I’ve worked on many different platforms, but I’m drawn to dunnies. I love the roundness, and the bunny ears are adorable. I recently did a mega munny, and I love the super large canvas. Right now, I’m working on a Daminci. I’m really digging the complex shape. I’ll definitely do more Damincis in the future as well.

What materials and techniques do you use?
Acrylic and super sculpey mainly. I enjoy working with sculpey, to add to the original form, or to make accessories. It can be time consuming with the sculpting, baking and sanding, but I love the finished product and it is worth it in the end. From start to finish: I have an idea or is given to me by the collector. Usually I’ll sketch it out, and do my research on the figure. I’ll acetone and sand the original figure. Then apply any needed sculpey. Bake and sand the sculpey. Then, I’ll draw out the design on the figure, and paint it by applying multiple layers of thin acrylic. I never use pen or markers; everything is done with a brush.

How much time do you spend customizing a toy?
Oh, not as much as I would like. I work crazy hours at the clinic, and come home really late at night. I’m lucky if I can get in a couple hours a night of painting. Usually, I do my painting on the weekends when I have longer periods of time to focus and get things done.

Do you make other art besides customizing toys?
Prior to customizing, I was mainly into painting on canvas. During my University days, my focus was printmaking and sculpting. Painting was tedious, and I never had much patience for it. I guess I just could not concentrate at the time. Now, painting is another form of meditation for me, and I love it.

What other interests do you have (besides designer toys)?
I’m fascinated with our social and biological connective with each other and ourselves. I’ve always been interested in the micro/macro relationship as well. I think my profession as an acupuncturist touches on some of these abstract concepts, and helps to bring it into light on a daily basis as I help other people enrich their health and lives. I’m also a bit of a jock. I’m a huge soccer fanatic, and have been playing soccer for a long time. I’m into books, movies, and food!!

Do you take on commisions?
Oh, I’m always open for new commissions. I love hearing fresh ideas. There is a bit of a waiting list right now, but definitely hit me up if you’re interested.

Where can people see more of your work and/or contact you?
You can check out my website www.okedoki.com. All my contact info is there. Drop me a line and say hi, would love to hear from you.