Miss Monster is one of the hardest working artists I have ever seen. It seems like she has a new project being rolled out every millisecond and each one is incredibly impressive. She works in more mediums than there are numbers in pi and crams each microscopic crevice with gorgeous detail. Pretty much Miss Monster is a bad ass and you should be following her closely because she is rocking the DIY toy scene. You need to go to her shop because its pretty much guaranteed you'll find something you can't resist. Personally I'm in love with the Uncle Dapper plush and hope he get's rereleased. I had to get her for an interview, so have a peek into the mind of Miss Monster!

Any upcoming projects your excited about that are not confidential? 

I'm planning on doing my own run of small foo dog creature figures, been having the itch for a new toy but i want to do it all on my own. I was also commissioned to do a version of Anubis as a bust and it looks like casts of it will be something available to the public. I'm trying to get better at molding and casting so id like to push more toy stuff. And with Christmas coming I'm planning some Krampus goodies soon too...

Any artists inspiring you right now?

I'm crazy for Grime's art right now. He's a tattoo artist who does some really crazy shit with line work and color.... so inspiring. I have also been watching that Making Monsters show and marveling over Jordu Schell's skill. I have known of his work for awhile but lately seeing his stuff makes me look at my own and feel such shame for not being anywhere near his level! haha! It's great to look at work that's miles beyond your own for an art kick in the ass...

Any toys your digging at the moment? 

I just got the Hot Toys Predator 2 "shadow predator" 1/6 figure the other week and i love it. I have collected three of the Hot Toys Predators, I love toys that can balance detail with articulation while also making them "fun". As far as designer toys I really really want to get the Ashley Wood Blind Cowboy figure but missed out on the pre-orders. It's such a different, cool design! I also bought an original piece from an amazing doll maker:http://remjie.com/ It's on the way from Russia and I'm so excited. Her work made me get back into handmade doll making...she's also super nice!

Biggest nightmare project or Favorite past project? 

When Ii first started out doing art for a living I took a commission for a sculpture of a horse. Just a horse! How hard can that be? Well, bad news, horses are REALLY tough to sculpt and the woman that commissioned it was REALLY into horses so she wanted it to be 100% accurate.... it turned into such an ordeal since i had to change it up so many times to get it right. Then the sculpt cracked while baking and i just wanted to tear my hair out. I don't think she really liked the result in the end, i felt so bad. But good projects: I really enjoyed working with Meat Bun to do their Daigo commemorative shirt: (http://meatbun.us/store/products/the-beast-natural) They were so easy to work with and the shirt came out so nice... plus i got to draw a Japanese monster i had never heard of so you can't beat that.





Favorite beer or mixed drink? 

Whiskey and water! Can't drink beer anymore, boo! My guts hate beer now.

You don't have to reveal all your secrets but any tips for artists trying to get into creating toys, screen printing or any other sagely advice? 

Don't expect things to happen overnight, it takes years to build up an audience and a good reputation. Be nice, try to listen to people with more skill/experience. Make stuff EVERY DAY. 

How do you keep motivated to stay at the easel/desk? 

When people get really happy about my work, it makes me want to make more... when people send me photos wearing/enjoying my work or bragging on owning my art. It's a cool feeling to know someone is proud and happy to own my work so it makes me want to do better art and make more people happy. I think the best is when i make something that i spent a lot of time on and i really love and someone just gets it. No comments that start with "looks like/reminds me of..." or "you should..." They understand it for what it is, they buy it and they love it. I was at a recent convention and a guy walked up, had never seen my work before, pointed to one of my hand made dolls that i was immensely proud of and said "i need that" He bought it and sent me photos of it.. he loved it. I did my job right. That is a wonderful feeling and that's the sort of person that keeps me at my desk.



Which of your own characters is your favorite if you had to pick and why? 

Ha! I think my orange foo dog guy is my favorite...he's the first one i turned into an "official" toy. He's so goofy and happy with his little wall eyed smile. I think he represents my good side. Either him or Uncle Dapper since I'm a sucker for handsome monster gents 

Ancient mythology and Lovecraft seem to run deep in many of your works, (Krampus, Cthulu, etc..) what draws you to them? 

Something about scary monsters has always attracted me. Even as a kid i was into toothy, clawed things. Started with animals and then moved into monsters once i discovered horror movies and comics. As a kid i wanted to be a monster so bad! I'd say it's a mixture of power, mystery and fear.. a pretty potent combo.

Which albums do you work best to? 

Gnarls Barkley , Amon Amarth, Dethklok....though i usually listen to Howard Stern while working.



You work in so many mediums including making costumes and masks, what is your preferred medium to work in? 

Sculpting for sure. Though it does change... i go through phases. I'll be super into sculpting for a few months ( like now) but then ill get really into painting or leather work. I just cant stick with one thing, it gets old after awhile. But at the moment, sculpting... especially because i started using this new clay that's so so so nice to work with. Sometimes buying a new art supply will kick start a change in medium.

Is there anything you would like to dip into that you aren't currently playing with? Like Comics or Posters etc..? 

I have wanted to do comics for years and have talked about it on and off. I drew little comics for myself up until college. The problem is, I have characters but no story for them. Plus comics are a huge commitment and i have big time ADD. I think you REALLY have to love comics to do them right. Your life has to be comics. You have to eat and breathe comics. I don't have that dedication to one medium... at least not at the moment. I'd love to do gig posters too... especially for metal bands.



What do you enjoy doing when not creating awesome art?

Worrying.

Anything else you want to promote or mention for clutter readers? 

I'm planning on moving towards more handmade toys, plush and dolls... my shop doesn't reflect that at the moment but please do check in often, there is always something new going on!

Great info from Miss Monster be sure to keep an eye out and follow her work at http://www.missmonster.com/

Devin "Spicy Donut" Lawson