There are lots and lots of aspects to any one action figure that contribute to it’s overall appeal, or it’s overall unappeal. Week after week I harp on the aesthetics of the sculpt, the usefulness of the articulation, or the play value of the accessories. But the single factor that can make or break even the best work in every other category (or on the flipside, carry some pretty weak work in every other category) is the paint.

Now obviously, the figure you get is painted by a machine or person working like a machine, doing the same few strokes over and over again. They use masks and forms and templates to get straight cuts and clean lines, and the final version may have fewer paint operations than expected. That’s often because cutting the paint is the quickest way to cut the unit cost at the last minute. But at the start of all this, at the very beginning, is a hand painted pre-production figure(s) that sets the stage for what they company HOPES the final product will look like. And when they want it to look it’s very best, they call in the man we’re talking with today.

One of the finest artists in this field is Edward Wires. He has worked for just about every toy company past and present, including Hasbro, Mattel, Toybiz, Diamond Select, Palisades, DC Direct and Art Asylum. If you’ve ever marveled at a Marvel Legends prototype, then you’ve been marveling at Ed’s work. I sat down with EW to ask him a few questions:

MWC: So Eddie, how did this all happen? Painting houses, painting cars, painting nudes – these are all things the common world understands. But how does a man end up painting toys for a living?

WIRES: I grew up as the penultimate nerd (the term “fanboy” wouldn’t exist for at least another 10 or 15 years). Reading comics, collecting action figures, watching cartoons, jumping off my deck with a towel tied around my neck, and blowing up Star Wars vehicles. I also built model kits. Cars, planes, tanks, soldiers, knights, and then resin and vinyl character kits. It’s something I’ve been doing all my life. As I got older (and stopped blowing up everything I built), I really got into the rendering. Especially on monsters and creatures. And it’s one hobby I’ve always stuck to. Even now.

MWC: What do your family and friends think of your work?

WIRES: They all pretty much think it’s interesting and unique. And you have to understand, I was destined to be in construction, a plumber or a bartender (and there is absolutely nothing wrong with those professions. Did them all for years), so my family is especially surprised and excited. But of course, the hardest part is explaining to them exactly what I do. I guess they can’t wrap their heads around the fact that I don’t actually “play” with toys for a living.

MWC: There are lots of talented people in the world, but your work stands out every time I see it. What is it that gives you that edge?

WIRES: Thank you for that. Sincerely. I think though, it is because I am the epitome of the uber-nerd fanboy. I am completely immersed in the characters and comics, but at the same time I know this is a business and you are only as good as your latest project. I have a passion to do this, even after nine years, because it is not something I ever even dreamed existed as a profession, let alone as something I could make a career out of. And I have this obsessive compulsive personality (with a little bi-polar mixed in; ask anyone). And because of my love of toys, I want every piece I do (no matter what it is) to look like something I want to display in my collection.

MWC: You’re good friends with sculptor Bill Mancuso. How has that influenced you? And do you get the chance to collaborate a lot?

WIRES: We’ve been friends since first grade. He’s the one that encouraged me to put a portfolio together and do the comic-con thing. And after a whole summer of “No”, he encouraged me to go back the following summer and do it all over again. We’ve collaborated quite a bit on Palisades and Diamond projects.

MWC: Are there types of work or styles of figures that you prefer working with?

WIRES: I want to get my hands on everything. From flesh eating Trolls to Pokémon. In plastic, vinyl, or resin. Anime to portraiture. I want to work on everything for everyone. Like I said, I love this business and everything it has given me over the years. Of course, I like to work on the heavily rendered stuff the best, but that’s just icing on the cake.

MWC: You’ve worked on hundreds of figures in dozens of lines – any favorites that stand out?

WIRES: Believe it or not, I think I’ve actually past the thousands mark, and that to me is the greatest testament for my love of the industry. I mean sure, some projects are more challenging than others, but I’ve painted everything from fully rendered realistic to plastic coconut book danglers.

I say it all the time, but Marvel Legends is my favorite. It is the be-all-end all of mass market action figures. And growing up a Marvel Zombie, I got to work on a line of toys, which for decades only existed in my head. And then when it became a reality, all of my, “if this ever happens I’m gonna do this…” got to be applied. I got to work on some of my favorite characters of all time, and make them look like they existed in the real world, while staying faithful to their comic incarnations. And that’s what I was asked to do. And after the first few series, the push went harder and further against the envelope to outdo the series before it. And I think everyone involved accomplished just that. Even with the splinter lines (“Classics”). Years from now, people will still be excited about these. And I got to be a part of that magic collaboration.

One of the other things that stands out is the people I get to work with. I work with (and among) some of the most amazingly gifted and artistic people on the planet. Every single one of them adds something wonderful to my career.

MWC: Everyone likes to talk about their favorite work, but what about the stuff you weren’t happy with? Any figures that just didn’t turn out the way you envisioned them, or didn’t live up to your own expectations of your work?

WIRES: I can’t really think of anything. I mean yes, there are a few properties I wasn’t “in to”, or was indifferent to, but I approached them with the same excitement and enthusiasm as I would anything. I am just one cog in the gears that turn the wheel. And if someone is going to pay me money to paint something to look like their vision, I have to approach everything that way. After all, it is the toy “business”.

As far as product not turning out the way I did it, I can’t control that. I used to get upset that I put all of this work into something, and then the product came out very flat, but I got paid for the job, and then costs had to be cut somewhere. Paint application is always the first to get “cut” because it is the easiest way to wrangle your production costs back in. Ultimately, I do my part of the process, and whatever happens after that isn’t up to me.

MWC: What’s a day in the life of Eddie Wires really like?

WIRES: It’s like a day of sunshine filled with marshmallow clouds and fruit roll-up rainbows. Shattered by the deafening chatter of machine gun fire and the screams of those maimed and wounded and…

Sorry…

It’s actually a lot less exciting than most people would think. I know there is this illusion that toy people live and work like rock stars and set their own hours and “hang out and play” all the time, and that is furthest from the truth.
My day usually goes like this:

Get up around 7am. After getting the whole wake up, coffee, etc, out of the way, it’s a true work day. Phone calls, emails, more phone calls, lots of painting (yes, I’ll admit it, that is exciting no matter how you slice it), phone, paint, phone, paint, take pictures, more email, then FedEx. Ahh yes. The sweet sweet delivery system with by whose clock we live and die.

The actual breakdown of phase one could be pretty boring so I didn’t give a hit by hit account of it, but it is done pretty much every day. The only thing that really changes is what we’re actually working on.

So, now the FedEx drop-off has passed. Get a cup of coffee and drive home in rush hour traffic (but this is great for getting back in touch with west coast clients). No time to relax though. There’s a short bit of a break here for about an hour or so. I have to spend some time with the wife Y’know? I’m glad she is so understanding on those nights when I can’t though.

Then around 8 or 9pm after all of the phone calls and emails are done, this is when the real digging in honest to goodness no interruptions work gets done. Usually lasts til about till one or two in the morning. Another round of emails and voicemails and then it’s off to bed where I put something on the TV to fall asleep to.

I generally work around 60 to 70 hours a week, and as much as 100 hours or more a week before a big show (toy fair, comic con, etc). During those last few days before the shows it generally goes; work six hours, sleep two, work six hours, and sleep 2. But I wouldn’t change it for anything in the world.

MWC: Your experience has obviously taught you a great many tips and tricks to producing the best work. There are tons of customizers out there, and for many of them, getting the paint just right is the biggest battle. Any tips you can provide, or corrections to common mistakes that you see?

WIRES: I am absolutely blown away and amazed at some of the customized work I see (and I am always checking this stuff out), but the best advice I can give to anyone is; Always challenge yourself to find what works for you. Experiment with different paints (brands), different brushes, different techniques. Be your own worst critic. Don’t be afraid to redo something, even if it means starting completely over. Don’t ever look at something sloppy and say, “Well, that’s the best I can do.” Redo it. And redo it again, until it looks flawless. Straight lines, logos, cut lines (where one color meets another) should all look flawless. Push yourself to get there. You’re having fun along the way anyway. Take critique and advice when it is given. Then apply that to what you’re doing. Then do that over and over again.

“How do you get to Carnegie Hall?” Practice, practice, practice…

MWC: No action figure message board is complete without at least one thread on dream lines. C’mon, admit it – you’ve posted in those threads before. What’s your dream line?

WIRES: My absolute dream line would be a six inch Marvel Legends style line of…

I love that format and scale, and it can be applied to anything; Indiana Jones, Star Wars, G.I.Joe. I would love to see (and get to work on) that.

If I had answered this a year ago I would have said, “…style line of Conan, or Judge Dredd.” Someone in the heavens was listening to my wishes on that one. Wow. Now if I can just figure out how to get the other ones rolling.

MWC: What’s the hardest aspect of your job?

WIRES: The hardest part is the juggling. Work, life, work, marriage, work, yardwork, and all that jazz. I have so many interests outside of toys, and I just don’t have time to get to them. I used to play my guitar all the time, and now it actually has a layer of dust on it. I used to customize toys like crazy, now I have 3 filing cabinets full of “some day when I get around to it” projects. I love movies. I don’t get to really sit and watch them straight through anymore. It’s usually watching them for 30 or 40 minutes at a time over the course of several nights (sometimes I’ll buy a dvd, and before I even get a chance to watch it it is on broadcast cable), and in that time I have to spend time with my wife.

And I’m not complaining, mind you. I’ve chosen this life. I can turn work down if I want a little more free time. But why would I do that? Everything tends to work out how it should anyway. Sorry to ramble there on that one…

MWC: How does most of your work come in these days? Is it due to referrals within the industry, or do you still have to get out there and beat the bushes?

WIRES: It’s about 50/50. I find myself on the phone a lot. I try to keep in touch with people (in the industry), even if I am not working with them. You never know when they’re going to get a job they don’t have time for, and they need to subcontract it out. Better to be fresh in their minds. And then other times I’ll get a call out of the blue from someone I’ve never talked to who got a referral from someone I haven’t talked to in a year to do a project. It’s all a big part of this roller coaster ride of the toy industry. But this is where you as an individual comes into play, and you get to put your best foot forward.

MWC: I’m not a big fan of the personality test on Inside the Actor’s Studio, but there are two questions that are actually relevant here – what’s your favorite and least favorite color?

WIRES: Favorite color is black, because it generally goes on in one coat. Least favorite color is black because if you make a mistake with it, any other color is going to take several coats to cover it up.

MWC: You’re living the geek dream life. Any words of wisdom for those looking for that special place in the world?

WIRES: You have to keep the fanboy locked up inside you. All of your knowledge of specific issues and character appearances will come in handy, but no one will want to hear it unless they specifically ask for it. You have to read up on what everybody is doing. You have to remember that this is not about you and unless it is asked for, you should keep your opinion to yourself. You are doing work for hire.

In a nutshell, you have to be a well rounded person. You have to know more than just toys. You have to be able to hold your own in a conversation about anything and everything and be able to sell yourself at the same time. You have to be willing to take criticism and disappointment. You have to be able to network, and be willing to travel and spend money and cater to the needs of the company you are trying to get the work from. You have to be able to get the work done quickly, and efficiently at an affordable price. You have to be willing to learn all kinds of things you may not have an interest in. But, ultimately, you have to deliver. Against any and all odds. And you have to consistently deliver, so that the company or person who sends you the project has every confidence and assurance that you will get it done time and time again.

MWC: What do you do when you’re not working?

WIRES: I have rediscovered the joys of lifting weights and target shooting. I love reading and watching TV (thank gods for DVR) I play my guitar when I get the chance, but at the end of the day, as long as I get some time to spend each day with my wife, I’m happy.

MWC: Any final thoughts, political rants, social commentaries, or general ramblings you’d like to get off your chest?

WIRES: Oh I could on for hours about all of the above, but I’m not going to (but if you catch me in a bar after a few drinks; I just might).

I just want to thank you for letting me share my little piece of the pie in this wacky world we call the toy industry. And I want to thank all of the kids (young and old) who buy the toys. Keep buying them, so we can keep making them.

Thanks to Eddie for taking the time to talk with me. If you’d like to see more of Ed’s work, hit his website, or hit the San Diego Comic Con in two weeks, where there will be lots and lots of new prototypes on display sporting a coat from Mr. Wires!

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