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Opportunity LOL's Spotlight Interview: Manny Rivas, Head Curator of the Most Wanted Collective
Designer and custom toy fans already know the basics of the Most Wanted Dunny series - they sell fast, the customs are amazing, and everyone wants them. With MW3 looming, we now have the names of the participating artists: Sergio Mancini, Tim Munz, PAUSE, Ryan the Wheelbarrow, Frank Mysterio, Dr. Befa, Gomi, Igor Ventura, Matucha, NEVERCREW, Kevin Gosselin, Grimsheep, Nikejerk, Chauskoskis, Map-Map, RunDMB, and Luihz Unreal. Exciting - right? Well, now a ton more information on Most Wanted is coming to you today. Head Curator Manny Rivas hooked us all up with background info on the collective, it's future, and some reveals! The shots below, artists list, and Most Wanted's past performance is truly impressive, so enough prologue - start reading! What is your role within the Most Wanted collective? Manny Rivas: "I'm the head curator along side my buddies (and MW artists), Tim Munz & Igor Ventura. I help keep things organized behind the scenes while acting a sort of "hype-man", at least that's what I've been called, lol. From helping to scout for artists to be a part of our series and/or collective, to figuring out logistics, I have a hand in a little bit of everything. With Tim & Igor being the incredibly talented and busy (as I'm sure their commission lists are pages deep) individuals they are, it's only fair that I hold down the fort while they're creating amazing customs ;) " Is Most Wanted a concept or a business? Do you have a trade name, LLC, contracts, etc.? Manny Rivas: "We are far from a business, at least in the traditional sense of the word, haha. We're just a bunch of artists and fans who decided to try something that had never been done before. The actual collective just sort of came together on it's own after the first MW Series. It was a bit of a no brainer, lol." What difficulties and benefits have you seen from becoming "head curator" at MW? Manny Rivas: "Well, let's see. . .I've definitely lost a bit of sleep over it to say the least, haha. But who needs sleep when you're working along side the future hard hitters of the designer vinyl scene. Seriously though, we've had some pretty late nights. We're all scattered around the globe so when something urgent comes up, or we need to finalize a few things, one or two of us usually stay up a little later than normal. But, despite any glitches we've experienced, the excitement of seeing whatever projects we take on unfold behind the scenes never gets old. Being able to see the creative process of each artist first hand, is awe-inspiring. And the best part of all is being able to consider them good friends while still admiring them as a fan." How do you see Most Wanted evolving over time? Manny Rivas: "I definitely see the collective growing larger and stepping into the production scene. Although many of the artists we currently work with have had or will be having their own production pieces (which by the way I'm damn proud of) out very soon, I would love to see a collaborative project on a larger scale. Possibly an MW X [insert established vinyl company here] production series, who knows? If the demand is there, we'll definitely do our part to make it happen!" Any chance you could hook us up with some early info or reveals of MW3 releases? Manny Rivas: "Absolutely! What took so long for you to ask, lol! The first one up is titled "iscream", and it's by one of the newer names to join Most Wanted, Gomi aka Mark Troup. I absolutely love how Mark keeps his customs clean and simple, while still putting out a design that is absolutely awesome! Off or on the series, this is definitely an instant classic that's sure to end up being highly sought after.
Now on the completely opposite (but equally amazing) end, we have Kevin Gosselin's "Golem" Dunny. What can I say that you can't already see with your own eyes. I mean, wow. Truly a master of his game! When it comes to sculpting on the smallest of scales, Kevin makes you think that what you're staring at is 10 times it's actual size. I don't know about you, but I sure as heck wouldn't be disappointed pulling one of these little guys. So if you plan on trying to score one of these come drop date, be early and have your F5 key finger ready. . ."
When do you expect the Most Wanted 3 customs to become available for purchase? Manny Rivas: "We're going to push for April. As always, we want to make sure that the end results are as perfect as possible so if it takes a couple more weeks to do so, then that's what we'll do. After everything is said and done, we hope that you guys will see where all the time and effort went to. " Beyond Most Wanted - what is your background and what do you do for a living? Manny Rivas: "Well, I guess I'm just you're average geek. I love art, toys, going to concerts, re-watching everything I grew up watching [to the point where I end up annoying everyone else] and anything involving ufos & conspiracy theories, lol! I'm also a bit of a foodie and I love trying anything that's edible, and pairing it with a nice pint of beer or a glass of wine or two. But before this turns into an ad for "e-harmony" and I talk about taking long walks on the beach, I think I should stop, hahaha! Any who, I've always worked in the service industry, mainly as a bartender so I guess that's where my love for good food and drinks came from." Could you talk about your experiences in collecting and commissioning? Could we see a shot of your collection? Manny Rivas: "I've been collecting all my life, actually I was probably a bit of a hoarder when I was a kid. But as far as designer vinyl goes, I started back in '05, and became more of a serious collector in '07. That was around the same time I started noticing all these amazing artists who were taking acetone to production pieces and painting over them with their own designs. I was floored thinking, "Wow, that's pretty ballsy and awesome all at the same time!", and I instantly fell in love with the concept of using these toys as a sort of 3D canvas. I've been lucky enough to have been gifted and traded for a few pieces from my friends Timself, WuzOne, Sergio Mancini, RunDMB, and a couple others. Sadly my collection has been ever changing so most of them are stored away for now till I figure out a really nice set up for them. I'll be sure to get them nicely displayed next time so I can get some pictures for ya. I gotta warn you though, my collection is nowhere near as impressive as some of the others I've seen. . .Yea, I'm talking to you Liam, lol! Seriously, you are a beast! Just make sure to keep your doors locked securely if I'm ever in the UK." Where do you anticipate the toy world being in five years? Manny Rivas: "That's a tough one. Honestly, I'd love to say that it will be much bigger with newer artists dominating the game, but when it comes to such a niche art as this, you never know what will happen. But what I am certain of is that it will be around for a long time. Who knows, maybe one day you'll be seeing some of the custom work that's coming out of the Kidrobot forums right now, displayed next to a Goya in a museum somewhere. I know, I know, but I can dream can't I, hehe." Who are your favorite comedians? Do you listen to comedy podcasts? Manny Rivas: "Eddie Izzard, Eddie Murphy, Denis Leary, Chris Rock, Daniel Tosh, Jim Jefferies, and a bunch others. No, I don't, but I should. Everyone needs the occasional laugh, haha." What could the Opportunity LOL readers look forward to from Most Wanted and Manny Rivas in 2012? Manny Rivas: "As I mentioned before, we're definitely hoping to branch out into production (we're actually trying to work something out as we speak), but we are absolutely lining up a show or two. I'm thinking a small local show here in L.A. to kick things off, and a traveling show that will reach another country or two. Also, some of our boys from Red Mutuca Studios, Sergio & Igor, are coming down for this years comic Con so maybe we can do a bit of brainstorming then. Either way, expect big things from our artists (keep your eyes peeled cuz these guys are taking the scene by storm) and from the Most Wanted Collective. As for myself, well, I'll still be here enjoying the ride that is Most Wanted while trying my best to bring you guys new and exciting projects. Thank you all for the mad support you've given us over the years, we will definitely strive to put Most Wanted on the map for 2012!" So excited! You can follow Most Wanted on their Blog | Store | Facebook | Twitter
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