Over the course of 2005-2008, I assisted Art Asylum, designing production control art for various projects, most notably their Minimates line. This involved turnaround views for every part of the figure that was to be included in the final product, along with any surface artwork that needed to be applied.
Anyway, Batman was definitely a “dream come true” project. Being a life-long fan, I never expected to be contributing to any “official” project. When the line was being developed, I pushed for a “Jim Lee” styled Batman, as the “Hush” story was still quite popular, and DC Direct was developing all sorts of figures and props. While the gloves and upper cape were re-used from existing molds, I enjoyed developing a more detailed “pouch” belt, along with the cowl and bat-cuffs.
While the photos shown here on the site represent the finished figure, it should be noted that I contributed the control art only. As with all of the Minimate projects, there were many talented people involved: production managers, sculptors, other designers… This figure was very much a team effort, and the finished product reflects the contributions of many individuals.Particularly with these early waves, I worked with another designer as I learned the ropes and to help cope with the volume of characters in development. While I have included some of my own pre-production designs, fellow designer Uriel ultimately refined the look on the faces and muscles, helping maintain a consistent style for the overall Minimate brand. Thanks again for the assist, Uriel!
Released 2/28/2007
Featured in TOYFARE MAGAZINE, Issue #107, July 2006.
