Where does the inspiration for the dolls come from (style, names,
poems)?
We get our inspiration from everywhere, no one particular source.
From music, movies the world around us. Sometimes the smallest
things inspire the creation of a doll. And lots of times
they way your first envision a doll to be is not the way it comes
out in the end. Most of the time they takes on a life
of their own. |
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How did you
get Mezco interested in the dolls?
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Back in 1998 when we first started making the dolls we were selling
them at horror conventions. At one particular convention, Chiller
Theatre, Mezco was at the show and they bought one of our dolls.
A few months later they contacted us and basically said they were interested
in taking over manufacturing and distribution of them. So we took
a meeting with them and found out one of the coolest things about Mezco
was, they wanted us at the helm still doing all the designing.
So we decided to sign on with them, with us still at the creative helm
and doing all the design work. Three years later we still
do most of the designing and still have the final say
in everything. We couldn't be happier working with Mezco, they
are just the best company to work with. They never turned us down
for an idea being to outrageous or controversial. We have a great
relationship with them.
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Did you ever think
that it would become this popular?
Never in our wildest dream did we expect things to turn out as they
did. It was never our intention to make a cult toy. We basically
just made these for ourselves. It wasn't until later they
we tried to see if other people would be interested in them as well.
As it turns out we filled in a niche that needed to be filled. |
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How does it feel
seeing doll ideas that were in your head not that long ago, now
sell for hundreds of dollars on eBay and in the aftermarket?
It is an amazing feeling. It is hard to believe that people
would be that into something you have created and be willing to
shell out so much money for it. Unfortunately we never see
any of the secondary market money. But it certainly gives
you the feeling that your stuff is making a mark on the horror genre. |
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You
guys started out with the Living Dead Dolls at the Chiller Convention.
Any favorite Chiller memories?
Chiller Theatre was always the biggest event for the year for us.
We have been going to Chiller for about 12 years now. Being
the horror fans we are, there is no better place to be then Chiller. Some
the best times we ever had were at Chiller. As far as the
dolls go, some of the most memorable moments are on the night of
their debut they sold out instantly. Another was the last
time we sold hand made dolls before the Line came out under Mezco.
Everything new we ever did with dolls usually were unveiled at Chiller.
It is their home, it is our home. |
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How far do you
plan on taking Living Dead Doll's? How many series' do you plan
on doing?
We plan on taking it to the deepest darkest depths of hell.
Which is probably Hollywood. We have no master plan.
Obviously being fans of film we would love to see it take on that
challenge. We always felt that the dolls were always part
of their own universe. We never saw them as just another
Chucky type thing, but more part of an alternate world they live
in where new stories can be created. We link them more to
My Little Pony then Childs Play. But actually we are thankful
that we have been able to do as much as we have done so far.
Most trends don't last this long, which makes us think we really
have touched upon on something that will last. We have so
many ideas we want to do we only hope that we will get the chance
to share them all. |
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Has
anyone ever been grossly offended by the dolls?
Other then being banned in Greece, almost being banned in Singapore
and a few angry mothers here and there, we have never gotten much
flack for what we have done. Which really surprised us because
we are still waiting. |
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About how long
does it take for a doll idea to go from concept to actual product?
We usually work about six months in advance. But sometimes
concepts are created a year or so in advance, there are
some things that have been in the works for years that's still
haven't seen the light of day. And yet sometimes we come
up with ideas that we need to produce right away because they
are screaming to get out of us.
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Any
doll a particular favorite of yours?
Damien: I am usually
excited about each new doll we create. They all have their
own special meaning to me, it is hard to pick any particular favorites.
But right now I am very excited about series 8.
Ed: Ditto
on series 8. I have always had a special place in my heart
for Posey, Hazel and Hattie and Hush.
Anything super secret about Living Dead Dolls that you would
care to share with the faithful Icons Of Fright readers?
We don't create the dolls, they create themselves. |
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What are your earliest
horror memories?
Damien:
I grew up on horror films. They were always on when I was
a kid. I grew up watching Creature Double Feature to Saturday
Night Dead. I was named after Father Karris from The Exorcist.
I remember as a little kid, playing in the room when The Exorcist
was on TV, and just from the sounds alone in that movie, I could
not bring myself to look up to see the screen. Just from
sounds of that movie it scared the shit out of me. It is without
a doubt the greatest horror film to this day and still scares me.
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| Ed:
I remember one Saturday afternoon while watching Creature Double
Feature with my cousin Mark, my mother decided it would be funny
to paint her face up real pale, put dark eye make--up on, a long
flowing night gown and walk out of her bedroom with a lit candelabra.
She was moaning and hissing and me and my cousin Mark nearly shit
ourselves. I never ran out of my house that fast since.
Much later when asked when I was going to grow up I told my mother,
growing up was for kids. I was way beyond that now thanks
to her. |
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What's your favorite horror movie/actor?
Ed: If I
absolutely had to, I would say The Exorcist. But it is like
asking which is your favorite doll, it just seems unreasonable.
Now as far as actors go, I am going to go outside the genre and
say Gary Oldman. He has played everyone from Beethoven to Sid Vicious,
to a Jamaican to Dracula. Beat that.
Damien: Picking a
favorite horror movie is near impossible. There are so many
good ones for so many different reasons. But I do have a soft
spot in my heart for zombies and I will usually sit through any
zombie movie no matter how slow. Even something like Oasis
of the Zombies makes me feel all warm inside. So for that
I am going to have to say, Night of the Living Dead, is probably
one of my all time favorites. It really changed the face of
horror and certainly the legend of zombies. As far as actors
go. Like movies, I am not partial to one particular actor.
I have always really dug the character of Dr. Frankenstein though.
I am fascinated by his desire and compulsion that drives him to
the point of madness. I think because I see a little of myself
in that character that I can identify with him so well. But
I like a lot of the actors who played him over the years that really
expressed that compulsive driving madness. Especially Colin
Clive, Peter Cushing and even Herbert West from Re-Animator. |
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How do you guys feel about
the current horror movie scene?
Ed: I
think for the first time in many years it is hopeful. With
Asian releases like Ringu, The Eye and Audition, we have actually
been given fresh ideas. The American remake of Ringu completely
blew me away. I still can't believe that Hollywood could
actually get something right. Lets just hope that with Ju-On
having cast Sarah Michelle Gellar as the lead that they don't
screw it up enough to erase the impact of the success of The Ring.
Damien: The current
horror movie scene seems to be getting better. We are finally
over that wave of Scream crap teen fests and finally getting back
to some real scary intelligent horror. Now with stuff like
Cabin Fever coming to the theater it gives me a little hope.
The Asian horror scene seems to be where it is at right now with
a breath of fresh ideas. Ringu, Uzumaki, Ju-On, The Eye
have all been great films. Though I do hope we don't get
to involved in this new trend of remaking classics like Texas
Chainsaw and Dawn of the Dead. I would much rather sit through
the originals.
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Is there anything
that scares you guys?
Ed: Yeah the
current state of affairs. What use would there be for horror
if people didn't still get scared.
Damien: Hell
yeah. Bugs and children creep me the fuck out.
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Fast zombies
or slow zombies?
Ed: I like them
both, but I got to go with slow. I think now a days fast moving
zombies make more sense. But screw nowadays, I am going to stick
with Romero.
Damien: Slow absolutely.
Though I did like the fast ones in Return of the Living Dead.
So...how about a Techno-Weenie doll?
Uh...yeah. We'll get right on that. |
Visit Ed and Damien at www.Living
Dead Dolls.com!!!
and also at www.unearthly
possessions.com!!! |
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