Sorry for the wait, but, fear not; I have brought an interview straight from the messy and satisfying depths of figure customization. Welcome, AhabPredator!
First up, what is your favorite film in the franchise and why?That's a tough call. But I have to say that if I narrowed it down to two... it would be Predator (1987) and Aliens (1986). Both of these films did some ground-breaking things for cinema history and have been culturally defining films since they came out. They have been the inspiration for countless scifi movies, videogames, and books. Ultimately Predator takes the win for me. Stan Winston's designs are among some of the very best costumes that have been on the big screen.
How did you come up with your username?It's based upon the main Predator character from the Fire & Stone/ Life & Death comic book series from Dark Horse Comics.
Who are you, and what do you do outside of AvPGalaxy? Well, I can tell you some of what I do. Right now, I do private corporate security. Originally I was a deputy for a Sheriff's Office in Florida. I would like to get back to policing sometime soon but would prefer working at a Police Department this time around. If not that, I am also working on my MBA/Human Resources degree.
How has the franchise, and fandom in general, influenced you?That's an interesting question. I would say I've grown up the with AvP series... I've watched it evolve from movie to movie and game to game. I originally started with AvP 1994 on PC. I played the campaigns and the multiplayers until the game shut down and no longer became popular. I also watched every movie in the franchise. Some movies I loved, some I tolerated, and others I hated. But at the end of it all, I developed a passion and respect for all 3 intellectual properties (AvP, Alien, and Predator).
Who is your favorite member/best friend out of everyone you've met on these humble forums?This is a weird one. I guess you could say originally I had the wrong impression on certain people. Mainly Voodoo Magic and The Old One. I thought they were something else when I first interacted with them, but have found they are actually nice people. Even if I don't always agree with their points of view (and vice versa) they are forum members who preach respect of other backgrounds. That's something almost admirable. Especially lately with some of the scraps that have been going on lately. Also the rabbit. TheSailingRabbit is good people. A fitting apprentice for figure customizing.
(Awww, thanks.) What drew you to use Ahab as your digital avatar and cosplay subject?It's weird. Something just... clicked. With Ahab - he was the first predator (yautja) to actually do miraculous things, develop as a character, and survive his story. This is something of a rare occurrence with our favorite alien hunters. He had a sense of humor as well, which was something we don't really see often with a Predator. Also his bond with Galgo Helder in the comics was something interest. I think this quote best defines it.
"You have a bond? An agreement?"
"Nah. There ain't a word for it. "Bond" is overstating. Ahab'd gut me soon as look, if he had to. An understanding, maybe. But let's call it bond for simplicity."
―Cpt. Paget and Galgo (from Alien vs. Predator: Life and Death)
In regard to cosplaying, I have ALWAYS wanted to cosplay a Predator. It's just something that hasn't been possible... until now. Mostly due to money.
What inspired you to start collecting and customizing action figures?It's something I always wanted to do. When I was younger, I used to read Yak_Chewie's Star Wars photonovels on
Yakface.com and thought I wanted to do that one day! So I slowly got into the practice... collecting figures first. Then buying additional ones... customizing slowly and surely over time. The hardest part was learning techniques. This was mainly gathered from YouTube tutorials and
figurerealm.com.
You mentioned in the Fan Section board that you are planning on making a film about Ahab. How far along are you in creating a plot?As I mentioned there, I don't want to give a whole lot away. But I have come to the conclusion they will be episodic encounters of past hunts. Ahab will walk through the trophy room of his ship, admiring past relics and trophies he encountered from his hundreds or perhaps even thousand years of life? As he walks through the room, he will touch them... and that will initiate a flashback sequence that shows us
how obtained that trophy and
what was sacrificed to obtain it. No hunter leaves un-scarred. Something especially true in his physical traits. Each of these flashpoints will feature his memories. You never know
who might show up in such sequences. We know that Yautja are bound to live a long time.
What are your thoughts on how the franchise has evolved since you became a fan?This is a reflective and difficult question. I would say there have been a lot of good and bad... but as of late, more bad than good. I don't want to sound like a pessimist but that's the truth in my mind. Predator 2018 was a complete disaster for me... I absolutely hated about 85% of that movie. BUT it did have some merits. The special effects in the first five minutes were incredible (especially when watched in D-Box movie theater seating). The lab escape scene was mostly brilliant, but a lot of what happened didn't make sense. It did look
pretty. It was interesting to see Fugitive utilize human weaponry to fight back until he could reclaim his own weapons. This is something I don't see being out of character for a Yautja. But the rest of the movie...? I'd avoid talking about it. As for the Alien franchise... oh man, what a mess. I'm not impressed with the various ret-cons that have occurred in it with Ridley's decision making about the plot. A lot of the actors, ships, and scenery were incredible... but re-writing the whole mythos was not necessary. I'm more confused than disappointed. Michael Fassbender definitely carries Prometheus AND Covenant.
When can we expect the next episode of AvP: Grit and Glory?Hopefully soon! I have been building a lot of dioramas for this lately and doing some custom figures. These pieces take a lot of time to craft and get right. Every shell casing, explosion mark, and floor tile has to look real. Tell a story. If I don't do that, I can't do it justice! The background scenes are as much of a character as the characters themselves. I also might go back and re-do a couple sections for the purpose of making a better product.
Finally, in your opinion, what is the most important part of creating photo-comics/novels?Imagination. If you can think it, you can make your dreams come true. I know that's really corny, but there is merit in that. I never thought I would ever have a photonovel to my name. Granted it's not the best looking one out there, but I feel it's an ever-evolving piece of art. And I will get better with time and do amazing things down the line. That is assured... a lot of the new dioramas I have been working on have been
huge in scale. I even recently got the schematics for a 7" scale Neca-figure friendly Aliens APC. I would very much like to make my own, put my own spin on some of the artistic parts of it and make it something special. But that will have to be down the road! Right now my Ahab suit is my main investment...
