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Michael Hudson: Sculpting ReelArt
Scoop: Michael, let's start by giving our readers your personal backstory. What were your early influences and experiences that started you on the path to where you are today? Michael Hudson (MH): I grew up in small town America living the life of Betrand Brinley's The Mad Scientist's Club. When I wasn't building tree houses and underground forts, or terrorizing the neighborhood girls I read comics, Famous Monsters of Filmland and just about anything else pulpish I could get my little hands on, including the great Edgar Rice Burroughs novels. You could say I was firmly grounded in the pop culture of the day. After college and art school, I became a frustrated comic book artist want-to-be who never mastered sequential layouts. Through a twist of fate, I ended up as a fine arts watercolorist/pastellist with numerous sidetracks along the way to keep me fed and watered. I came up with the name ReelArt Studios in 1995 while mulling over some proposed comic book story ideas and doing a little prose writing. The comic book story ideas fizzled, some of the writing got published and I began a print series of computer-assisted paintings based on old film stills utilizing the words "reel" and "art." Several years later I found myself missing the comics and classic illustration of my formative years. I switched gears (nothing new for me) and decided the way for me to be a part of the comics world was to assist the creators and their characters through merchandising and what better way than through garage kit production. Yeah you heard me right; garage kits... no licensing involved and you get to produce whatever you want without fear of litigation. I hooked up with a well known, and thankfully, local sculptor, Shawn Nagle who encouraged me to go the pre-paint route instead. I'll touch more on that later. Our first piece was licensed through Livingston, Tinnel and Vokes based on their award winning graphic novel, The Black Forest. The rest is, as they say, history. Scoop: When deciding on a subject for a sculpting project, what generally is the progression for you; selecting a subject you want to do and then negotiating a license, or securing a license to a specific property or a particular artist's work and then selecting the image to be sculpted? In other words, does interest in a particular subject instigate a license negotiation, or does procurement of a license determine the subject? MH: I guess it would be easier all around if the producer procures the license first. I think that is generally the procedure when a producer is seeking a property with numerous characters from which to choose for sculpting. I typically do things the hard way (laughs). I love art. Whether its genesis is from sequential comics, pinup, classic and contemporary illustration or even early to mid-century advertising, there is a wealth of imagery that I want to bring into the third dimension. So selecting a subject is usually, but not always, the way I go about things. I generally fall in love with an image and then start the process of procuring the license. Scoop: So how do you narrow the field and select your subject matter? MH: As a "boutique" producer, ReelArt Studios doesn't have the luxury of having a large comic book company with well-known characters or an iconic movie license which would afford us the continuous pool of characters from which to sculpt. Not that I'm complaining... not at all. We've just got to think "outside the box" and go and find the sculpt. I do this by continually researching art and properties that fall within the realm of our specialty. I do this both online and through the more traditional (and more fun) building of an extensive book and magazine library. Scoop: Once you've decided on an image you'd like to translate into statue form, how do you set about securing licensing? MH: I determine who owns a property, research what I can about them and then give them a call, introducing myself and ReelArt Studios. I ask if we can submit a proposal and, if it is a creator owned property, a licensing agreement along with the proposal. Generally if the Licensor is an agency or corporate entity they will have their own license contracts. After that, it is simply a matter of staying on top of things as it is very easy for contracts to fall by the wayside, sitting for many months untouched. Securing licensing can be tough when one is dealing with multiple claims of ownership. Scoop: Have you got any particularly interesting or amusing anecdotes in this area? MH: Yeah, one such incident transpired over my wanting to use movie poster art depicting a mid-twentieth century film swashbuckler in his most famous role. I contacted the film license holder in person at LIMA a couple of years ago. However, the usage of this particular actor's likeness required a license with the estate as well. After contacting the estate and, to my surprise, speaking with the deceased actor's widow, I was placed in contact with her agent. After contacting the agent I was then sent to a well-known celebrity likeness-licensing agency with whom the estate was working. There was also another faction of the actor's family who were declaring rights to his likeness but after my attempt to contact them with my plans, I thank God they never came forward with a claim to rights. In attempting to negotiate a license with both the film company and the licensing agency, I was never able to get the two to decide on an amenable split of advance and royalty fees. Each party esteemed their value and hold over the actor's likeness more than the other until it became absurd. After some months I gave up the project to my great disappointment. Since that time a GK (garage kit) company has produced a similar piece but with pre-paints you just can't do that. Scoop: How do you arrive at a design for items not based on a particular iconic image? Obviously, your Frazetta, Elvgren, Stout, and 3 Stooges pieces, for example, are taken from specific pre-existing images, whereas Phantom and Blue Bulleteer are not. MH: Actually Blue Bulleteer is based on existing Brad Gorby cover art from AC Comics Femforce #38. We did work quite closely with Brad in tweaking the art for a more dynamic sculpt. Regardless of whether we are using existing art or we are creating the pose we are looking for something that will translate well into 3-D. What looks good in flat art doesn't always translate well into sculpture due to forced perspectives and such. While I am capable of drawing a character I'd probably end up giving the character my spin and that's really not what I'm after. I like to work with the artists that draw the characters day in and day out because I feel that I will end up with that classic look that ReelArt Studios is known for. It also gives me the opportunity to pay homage to those wonderful artists I admire so much! Regarding the Phantom and Devil statue, I went to Alex Saviuk whom I met through Shawn Nagle, the sculptor of the piece. Alex is a swell guy and an accomplished Phantom artist having had a close association with the character for many years. Alex and I discussed the body dynamics I was looking for and he came up with several thumbnails from which to choose. One of those was right on the money with my vision for the character. It's interesting to note that I was initially against having the wolf, Devil, in the sculpt. I thought it would distract from the Phantom character. Both Alex and Shawn persuaded me into the addition and I'm glad they did. The piece was a huge hit! Scoop: As an artist yourself, do you work up preliminary designs personally and pass them on to the designated sculptor, or do you direct the sculptor to study the work of a particular artist for each character? MH: I've done it both ways. We've got a piece pending release called, Sinbad, One of 1000 Nights, sculpted by Jason "Spyda" Adams. I came up with the preliminary design, giving Jason some specific elements I was looking for and then just turned the project over to him. He refined the art to my satisfaction and we went to work. I know sculptors love working this way and when you, as a producer, are not operating under a license it gives you more liberty to operate in this manner. Usually we are working from a particular piece of art but I always attempt to excite the senses of my sculptors by saturating them with reference materials pertaining to the character and to the artist of the selected art which we are basing the sculpt off of. I generally send them a CD full of reference material and ask that they soak it up for a couple of weeks before beginning the project. Your readers might find this of interest. On transposing any piece of flat art into sculpture there are unseen elements which have to be translated by the sculptor. This can be a daunting task when one is working on highly visible iconic art. One such case came about with Tony Cipriano while working on Frazetta's Snow Giants. Note that the barbarian's face is not shown in the original art. As a Licensor and a sculptor, you've got to show the work to Mr. Frazetta for his approval. How does one affect a translation of Frazetta art? Now Tony is one of the most capable and talented sculptors I know but he was beside himself on the depiction of the barbarian's face. We talked it out and I told him (Tony) what a genius he is. I also counseled him to go to the art books and study Frazetta character facial features. He ended up studying the visages of all the Frazetta barbarians, especially pieces dealing with the character in our sculpt. Thankfully Mr. Frazetta was delighted, so we both were. Tony hit a homerun! That is one of the best cases I can think of where a sculptor channeled an artist's work and filled in the void without missing a beat! Scoop: How much back-and-forth with the licensor is generally required to get preliminary design approval before the actual prototype sculpting begins? MH: Thus far (knock on wood) I've been fortunate to find the design approval process relatively painless. Perhaps it is because the Licensors are usually very familiar with our source material (selected artwork) and the fact that when we do design we always try to stay true to the classic, iconic look of the character unless otherwise instructed by the Licensor to make changes from that look. Scoop: How do you match sculptors to particular projects? MH: First off, all of our sculptors are freelance. Would that we were a large enough company to have sculptors in house (laughs). These guys and gals are such great talents and most of them are capable of sculpting most anything under the sun. As an artist myself there are certain things I enjoy painting more than others. It probably shows in my work. I think this is true of any artist. I get a lot of resumes from sculptors seeking work. One question I always ask is, "What do you enjoy sculpting most if for your own pleasure?" Scoop: Are there specific criteria? MH: I love matching a sculptor with a project that gets him or her excited. My preference would be that the work be more than a routine assignment for them. Again I think it reflects in the work if an artist or sculptor is charged about the project. I also do my best to keep up with the careers of a great number of these guys. I'm a fan of the works they so capably do. A lot of them have web sites and there are some great online resources for reviewing their work such as thesculptorscorner.com, Statue Forum and The Clubhouse. Scoop: Do you ever, as some studios do, "audition" multiple sculptors for samples for specific pieces and pick whose version you like best? MH: Since I follow the work of these guys so closely, I don't feel the necessity of auditioning multiple sculptors for samples. Their time is as valuable to them as mine is to me and I just don't feel that is the way ReelArt Studios needs to select sculptors at this time. Scoop: So you just select a sculptor you'd like to work on a piece, based on his or her demonstrated strengths, give them the designs, and see what they come up with? MH: Yeah, that is pretty much how it works. I believe I know what these guys and gals are capable of. I make a choice. If the proposition excites the sculptor I generally feel I've made a wise choice. Scoop: Do you accept spec work? MH: Yes. William Paquet, Jason Adams and Tim Bruckner have all pitched work which ReelArt Studios has contracted to produce. They are all very strong pieces which I personally feel will market well. The fans have been supportive of such efforts when we've brought the plans before them and I think that speaks for itself. I think most of these guys have a yearning to have their own characters and works produced. When such works fit in with our line and I see a potential market for said works, I will always consider the opportunity to partner with the sculptor on one of their own creations. Scoop: Does the licensor ever have any input into sculptor selection? MH: I think one might find this more to be the case when working with an artist on a creator owned property. Not so much when dealing with a corporate entity. Artists and sculptors tend to be fans of one another's work so it's not as unusual as it might seem. Frank Cho has been the only artist I've worked with who has specified a particular sculptor in our licensing agreement. His choice of Mike Petryszak for the Babe & Ape piece was truly inspired. A perfect choice which pleased Frank, the fans and me. I happened to know Mike so this made the deal easier. In most cases I would always rather have the control over choosing which sculptor with whom we work. But one has to consider the views of the Licensor and if it were to be a deal breaker, well... Scoop: How easy (or difficult) is it generally to get licensor approval on a prototype sculpt? On a paint master? On packaging? MH: Maybe I've been fortunate but obtaining Licensor approvals on sculpts, paint masters and packaging have not been that difficult thus far. I give the Licensor as much input as they want in bringing a piece to production. Some like to see every stage of a project's progress while others only want a concept sketch and the finished product. I personally like it when a Licensor takes a part in the process as long as they give us the leeway to create without continuous revisions. I've heard the horror stories from sculptors working for producers attempting to get multiple art director approvals on a given project. That could easily be a nightmare and one I'm glad to have avoided thus far. A great example of a Licensor/artist taking an active part in the process would be William Stout, one of my favorite illustrators. I love working with Bill because he understands the translation of flat art into three dimensions. He becomes an integral part of the process when we are working with him and it does improve the work. Scoop: How hard has it been cracking into this market? MH: It hasn't been easy. Initially I'd intended to go the GK (garage kit) route but I was persuaded by Shawn Nagle to produce pre-paints because they would gain more of a market recognition and bring in a greater return per my investment. It is also a lot more work (laughs). He neglected to mention this. I just try to look forward and never back. Being a boutique producer (by choice) and not having a high profile comic book license does make it more difficult to succeed in this business. Especially when the primary sales market is the LCS (local comic shop). The impetus of the shop owner is to buy sculpts depicting the characters from the "Big Two" because their character lines represent the bulk of his sales. That is understandable but it does make it more difficult for the specialty producer. It is also a shame because there is such a wealth of material coming from the independents, and so much art within the realm of pop culture that, in my opinion, needs to be translated into sculpture. That is just one of the reasons why I appreciate companies like Bud Plant. They transcend the comics-only market into the entire realm of pop culture. It's the perfect venue for ReelArt Studios products. I wish more retailers would take a chance with the lesser known characters. I believe a great sculpt is a work of art. Why does it have to be a well known superhero? Scoop: And how difficult is it getting your products out there? Securing distribution deals? MH: I love the creative process, I love securing licenses but marketing is a difficult and never-ending job. I don't have 50, 25 or even five people on the phones bringing our products before the retailers. I relied on the internet to get our products before the market and I made what phone calls I could. That being the case, I had established a pretty good group of U.S. retailers but there is just so much one person can do. I only had one foreign account. When I approached David Scroggy at Dark Horse about a joint venture on the Frazetta line, I was thrilled when he stated that Mike Richardson wanted to carry our entire product line. In my way of thinking, and certainly better for me than them, it was a match made in heaven. Dark Horse is a major power in comics, film and pop culture collectibles but they seem like a close knit family whose members all love what they do. It is a company who hasn't forgotten from whence it came. Their business principles, their focus on creator-owned properties and much of their subject matter is well aligned with our vision at ReelArt Studios. They have brought our product line to an international market and for all the hard work they do on my behalf I am grateful. Happy Birthday (20 years) Dark Horse! Scoop: In general, how has your entry into the market been received? MH: Thanks to the various online forums for classic characters, pulps, sculpting and statue collecting, the must-read online news sources like Scoop and such quality paper magazines as Amazing Figure Modeler, Toy Shop News and Kitbuilders, ReelArt Studios has generated great press. The fans have been wonderful and if it weren't for them I'm sure I'd be bagging groceries somewhere here in Florida (laughs). I may anyway (more laughter). I try to maintain a close and personable relationship with the fans much as Stan Lee did so many years ago with Marvel. I believe it is important to be attainable to your target audience. I'm going to go deep here, but there is so much sensory overload in today's world and it is just natural that we forget what isn't continuously being placed before us. Why do you think they show the same commercials over and over, sometimes within the span of one program on TV? One of my jobs is to maintain that continuous presence before the fans. That is another reason why I appreciate Dark Horse and the work they are doing with our marketing program. Every single sale and customer that ReelArt Studios makes is important to me. Scoop: Where do you see ReelArt headed in the future? Any insights into your general upcoming game plan? Any artist's work you'd like to adapt that you haven't already? MH: My gosh, yes! Quite a number and I hope the ones that are alive read this interview. In no particular order they are Jim Silke, Joe Kubert, Jack Davis, Wally Wood, Alex Raymond, Al Williamson, Shane Glines, Sergio Aragones, Wendy and Richard Pini, Arthur Suydum, Mark Schultz, Mort Drucker, Enoch Bolles, Dave Stevens, Gary Gianni, Bruce Timm, Berni Wrightson, Frank Commuso, Budd Root, the old Haddon Sundbloom Studio artists and Bernet to name a few. A couple of these we are actually working on but they haven't been released as of yet. Scoop: Any negotiations in the works? You don't necessarily need to be specific, so as not to jeopardize any deals. MH: Ahha, Mike... Is this where we do the blood oath swearing thing? Oh no, it would do no good. This is going before the public. Yeah... I've always got something up my sleeve but as you say I don't want to jeopardize any deal. Again, I am working on a few impressive licensing deals but since they haven't come to fruition as of yet, I'd hate to say anything to jeopardize their going through (pantomimes zipping mouth shut). Scoop: Hey, I had to take a shot! Any characters you'd like to render that you haven't already? MH: Sure... we'd love to do all of the Edgar Rice Burroughs characters. Same goes for Robert E. Howard. The Shadow and Doc Savage are at the top of my list. A number of characters from classic literature such as Sherlock Holmes are on the horizon. There are a bunch of classic movie characters and scenes I'd love to do but licensing may prove prohibitive. Remember I discussed one such incident earlier in this interview. I'd like to do a handful of 1960s television characters which I won't name because that market is so competitive. I'd love to do a Hitchcock tribute. My list grows all the time (laughs). Scoop: Any sculptors you'd like to work with that you haven't already? MH: Yep and in no particular order they are Jeff Yagher (I'd just like to meet the guy), Mark VanTine, Ruben Procopio, Sam Greenwell, Alterton, Joe Simon, Andy Bergholtz and Jarrod and Brandon Shiflett. There are a number of others all who are also great. These are just the ones off the top of my head. Scoop: Any announcements/breaking news you'd like to give our readers? MH: I've been verbally approved by King Features to produce a Flash Gordon statue based upon comic book art. I'm excited about this one because it gives us the chance to touch on Raymond and Williamson. I've been in talks on a couple of iconic pulp characters, which I can't name, to produce classic pulp cover art renditions of said characters. I'd give my eye teeth to see these come through. Scoop: Any interesting new deals signed? MH: Our latest secured license is with Nightsky Grimjack Rights and Production Vehicle LLC to produce a Grimjack statue and other IP holdings of the company. Scoop: Any pending new products to reveal? MH: William Paquet's The Spider should be ready for unveiling in the very near future as will the paint master of the behind-schedule Frazetta's Egyptian Queen. We previewed a handful of new products at this year's San Diego Comicon International. Frank Cho's Babe & Ape and J. Allen St. John's Tarzan and the Golden Lion are set for production, scheduled for a second quarter 2007 release date. I am planning to kick off William Paquet's Cabinet of Curiosities line of monster busts this coming year along with Tim Bruckner's Major Marjorie, Space Star Ranger. Images of most of this stuff can be found on our web site at www.reelartstudios.com Scoop: Where do you see the character statue market heading? MH: Wow... that's a loaded question but a very good one. The market is obviously not where it was even three or four years ago. This is evident when the larger companies are producing smaller runs on their most well known characters and placing more attention and dollars behind the action figure market, which to my knowledge is doing quite well. But then again, the consumer can purchase how many action figures for the price of just one statue? (sigh) Scoop: Do you think the over-saturation of the statue market with superhero-themed product is destined for implosion? MH: Yep, that is my concern. Without naming parties (and I do respect both parties and their IP holdings), I think a great part of the problem is due to the glut of over licensing by one particular company. Another part of the problem, in my opinion, is that the other large IP holder will not license its characters as resin statues to other companies which would be fine if they would take their focus off of the several major characters that they self produce over and over and in turn utilize the great wealth of characters within their vast repository. I mean, talk about milking a cow to death. It all boils down to the "almighty dollar." As a small company, I too am interested in making money, but my primary focus is on creating lasting works of art. By the way, I would dearly love to get my hands on some of the properties of this latter company but until things change that will not happen. Scoop: Do you think the diversity of your product line will help you survive the market "realignment" that some are predicting? MH: I sure hope so! But not only our diversity. I hope it is also our dedication to quality. Our commitment is to our Licensors and to the fans and collectors. I know the Licensor has a choice with whom to license and the consumer has a choice where to spend their hard earned dollars. Obviously there are not going to be as many people purchasing say, a Stout's Number One as a Batman or Superman statue. This isn't due to a lack of quality but to a smaller niche of fans for Number One. I've got to hope and remain optimistic that there are fans and collectors out there who are getting tired of the same things being done over and over. I hope they're looking for something different, something unique. That is where ReelArt Studios and other small boutique companies come into play. Our plans are to continue to "think outside the box" and to explore subject matter that has thus far been off the beaten track for statue producers. Pulp characters, classic literary characters, classic illustration including pinup and advertising art and creator owned properties such as the Frazetta, Cho and Stout lines will continue to be the hallmark of ReelArt Studios product line. I hope we can gain a larger following by staying the course. I do appreciate every fan and collector out there who has bought our products. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank them and of course you, Mike Wilbur and Scoop for allowing me the time for this interview. Scoop: And thank you, Michael, for your time and for giving us a look behind the scenes at ReelArt Studios and at some of the exciting creations you've produced.
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