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Ratfink Customs; ZOMBIES!
Topic Started: Oct 1 2012, 07:03 AM (437 Views)
CustomCreator Oct 1 2012, 07:03 AM Post #1
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Punish!

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Who is the mastermind behind Ratfink Customs?
A: That would be me, Richard Whipple aka Fink

I am assuming you are a big Ratfink fan?
A: Absolutely I'm a fan, but the name is more to do with the definition of the word Ratfink and less to do with Ed Roth's work. While I admire his work I was drawn to the name Ratfink because of its meaning,
"A person regarded as contemptible, obnoxious, or otherwise undesirable." I guess this resonates with me!

How many Ratfink collectibles do you have?
A: I do have one Ed Roth Ratfink bobble head!


How long have you been making customs?
A: I've been messing around with toys since I was a kid, but I started my business Ratfink Customs in 2007

What got you into customizing?
A: I've loved GI Joe's since I was a kid and when Wave 1 of the 25th series Cobra Commander was released it sparked my interest again as an adult. I did some research online and stumbled across an online forum for Joe collectors. Met a guy on the forum who was local and we became good friends. He was a vehicle costumizer and peaked my interest. Before he and I met I didn't even know this stuff existed to this capacity. I'd always chopped up my toys and made creative new creatures from my own imagination but this was a whole new world. He showed me the basics and I started from there.

What is your “real life” job? How does it play into your customs?
A: Customs has been my full time gig now for a few years. My wife and I both own our own businesses and we support each other.

Who is in your family?
A: My blood family, I have two sisters and one brother and my Mom. All creative and all weird! I also have an amazing wife and two beautiful baby Boston terriers!

Any other hobbies aside from customizing?
A: Before I started customizing I did quiet a bit of mixed media art. I've had a few gallery shows with my collage work and mixed media art. I've also been in the sideshow, had my own online radio spook show, and I also run a Podcast "One of a Kind Workshop" with my good friend and co-host Blake Make. Besides that I spend a lot of time with my wife and our 2 Boston terriers Clara and Minnie.

Who are your favorite characters?
A: I have vastly too many to pick but right off the top of my head: Kroenen, Cthulhu, The Creature from the Black Lagoon, Choptop, 21 & 24


So let’s talk about your love of Zombies.
A: I love dead stuff! As far as I can remember I've been a fan of Zombielore. My favorite zombie books are World War Z, The Walking Dead Comics and The Zombie Survival Guide...all of the greats. Top five zombie movies: Night of the Living Dead (original), Shaun of the Dead, Return of the Living Dead, Pontypool and The Dawn of the Dead (remake). I can name so many more but those are my top favorites.

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What inspired you to create all of those GI Joe characters as Zombies?
A: I made a zombie Cobra Commander, a year or so back and ever since I've wanted to make more and more zombies. I enjoy making Joe and Cobra characters into zombies, kind of like Marvel zombies but with Joe.

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How do you get your zombies so realistic?
A: It will sound gross but I look at pictures of dead people. In the pictures that I look at there are about 10 base colors or hues and you can use a mix of any of those. The colors are very specific to make real looking zombies.


What other themes are you into? I see a lot of mechs and robots in your portfolio.
A: In love making steam powered vehicles, robots, weird and strange creatures. I'm great at villains, I'm not so good with the good guys. Guess I've always been a fan of the underdog.
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Do you take commissions?
A: Not anymore! I recently stopped to pursue my own creative projects and progression. To get better I needed the freedom to create new characters and the commissions I found were killing my creativity.

What’s next for Ratfink Customs?
A: More zombies, more robots, more steampunk, Halloween characters and whatever comes out of my head. I always have new projects coming up and ideas I've been scheming.

Any sneak peeks you can give the Workbench?
A: Everything I'm working on currently is for contests but I'll do you one better and show you some pics of my workshop!

Thanks for your time, Is there anything you would like to add?
A: Thank you very much for taking interest in my work, I really appreciate the community and everyone in it! I have tutorials up showing how I do customs and lots of tips and tricks. If anyone has ideas for tutorials they would like to see or questions please feel free to write anytime. Its one big creative pool and we're all swimming in it. Also, Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn!!!

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Richard has opened up a new Customizing Facebook page with tons of tips and tricks, as well as video tutorials. You have to check it out!

Custom Collaboration Coalition



Thank you Richard for taking time out of your busy schedule to answer our questions, and we hope to see more of your work here at The Workbench!
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Skullcandy Oct 1 2012, 07:27 AM Post #2
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 Custom zooombies and rooobots! Seriously, what else could be better? Amazing work! RAWK RAWK



Love the Stormtroopers by the way! :D


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Deleted User Oct 1 2012, 09:27 AM Post #3
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 WOW, those Joe's & Storm Troopers as Zombies are awesome
 
Joerhyno Oct 1 2012, 09:35 AM Post #4
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 Awesome work and a great read. Glad he stumbled onto this little hobby.
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Ratfink Oct 1 2012, 03:07 PM Post #5
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Again thank yous guys for taking interest in my work
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Sweet Lou Oct 2 2012, 08:52 AM Post #6
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 Wow. Incredible stuff. I love it.
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Peeker Oct 2 2012, 09:12 AM Post #7
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In umbris potestas est

holy macaroni!

fantastic stuff.
I'm waking the woman up so she can see this!
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Bulldozer36 Oct 2 2012, 09:56 AM Post #8
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Battlefield 3 Master

 If he did any zombie Halo stuff I'd buy all of it.
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