On behalf of this joint project by One Sixth Republic and myself, monkeyboner, welcome to what is planned to be a weekly showcase for the wonderful and talented 1/6th scale figure customizers (apparently the word customizer isn’t recognized by the dictionary but we aim to make it legit!). Each week we will shine the spotlight on an artist or team of artists to find out more about their craft and to present their amazing work to the rest of the world. If you have any suggestions as to who to feature in the upcoming weeks, feel free to shoot me an email at arthurliam@gmail.com.

JACOB RAHMIER

One of the more prolific 1/6 scale figure custom painters recently, Jacob Rahmier of Missouri, USA has been showcasing his tremendous talent on the Sideshow Freaks Forum, where he is known as Rahmier84, and on the official One Sixth Republic Facebook group. Jacob specializes in custom head sculpt painting, re-sculpting of existing head sculpts, and real hair mods.

How and why did you get started with customizing toys in general?
“I started when I was looking for a cool idea for my dad for his Bday. I saw someone do a 1:6 custom action figure and since my Dad got me into collecting 12 inch G.I. Joes as a kid, it was perfect gift for him. So I decided to try and sculpt and paint the head of my dad myself. When I did the research on how to sculpt and paint one I found the SSF forum. I saw a custom Don Draper and Walter White…I was hooked.”

Are you a collector yourself? If so, what can we see in your collection?
“I am a collector for sure. Sadly my collection is small, most times I put a figure together and the best part is the process. I usually sell them when done to make a different or better version eventually.”

Do you think toy customization is an art form?
“Yes I totally see it as art. When I first found the ssf custom section I immediately appreciated the figures as art for the detail at that scale and was blown away by it.”

Which aspect of customizing is the most difficult for you?
“The most difficult aspect for me is painting eyes, always the hardest thing to get right.”

Besides yourself, who do you think are customizers that deserve recognition and appreciation?
“Nathan Eakins paintwork inspires me everytime I see it. Johnny Cheungkinmen is the total package, guy can do it all. Trevor Grove is one of my favorite sculptors and a great guy too. Inigou Gil is also a great sculptor.”

If a job opportunity presented itself and you had the chance to work in a large company like Hot Toys or Enterbay, would you take it and why?
“Of course! It’s a great opportunity, who wouldn’t!”

Which of your products are you most proud of?
“My brother Robert and I did a True Detective figure that will always be one of my favorites. All the people involved that made it happen and way my first big project.”

What is your favorite non-custom, commercially available 1/6 scale figure?
“That a tough one…..89 batman for me. I watched the vhs til it wore out as a kid.”

If you weren’t making custom figures, dioramas, what do you think would be keeping you busy right now?
“I’d probably be playing PS4 or painting on canvas.”

I feel like anyone can do it if they took the time and did some research

Any projects you’re working on that you’re excited about?
“Always!”

Finally, any tips or suggestions for those who want to start customizing their figures?
“Just start and don’t stop. Paint 100 heads! Sculpt all the time! Sew 50 shirts! Each time you will learn and improve. If you wanna get good it just takes time and patience. I feel like anyone can do it if they took the time and did some research.”