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Interview with
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Alterton

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Interview done by:

 
daredevil2710 and Chaminou



Universmarvel : Hi Alterton, could you introduce yourself?

Alterton : Yeah, why not? I am Alterton, the almighty lord and ruler of the sleeping dungeons. Son of a bitch, mmm sorry….son of the shadows and storms coming from the southern lands…what the hell, who am I kidding? I am just an asshole, lucky enough to get paid to do something I will do for free and that is sculpting fantasy/comic characters. Are you happy now?


Universmarvel : What is your background?

Alterton : Well, it was just about sitting in my desk trying to give form to my thoughts with clay. That is it. Back in the days I was at dentistry university and one day I found at a local comic shop the Hulk vs Thing Bookend sculpted by Bowen, I think produced by Graphity Designs. I didn’t know anything about sculpting or about a biz behind it. You must consider the fantasy comic days died in Argentina in the 70s so here is only about military dictators, soccer and corrupted politicians. There is no place for fantasy or dreams. So I asked the price of both pieces and they told me something like 600 American bucks. No f*** way… so I went to the art store, bought some regular clay and Voile! I was sculpting my first piece. I sculpted for about a year and a half and then I stopped cause I did not have the time to sculpt and to study. As soon as I finished the university I met two of the most important persons in my sculpting career, Norm Kitman Piatt and Martin Canale, because of their support and friendship I was inspire enough to start pushing some epoxy again, and since then I started to quit everything related to dentistry, I quitted my orthodontics PhD and my time was consumed slowly by the sculpture stuff. And without noticing I was becoming into a full time sculptor.

Universmarvel : I know you re also a mad dentist!!! Do you use the same tools?

Alterton : Well, lets unveil the truth, I hope non of my ex patients read this, I used with them the same tools I used with the sculptures without sterilization, but how were they gonna know it? the epoxy I use has no bad taste! and yeah why not?, in some cases the tools I used with the patients I used with the sculpts later, so those how had a work from me, no that red color was not paint, was blood and that shinny finish wasn’t varnish, no, no, no, was dried spit…LOLOLOLOL…just joking…At the beginning I used broken tools, as the work needed more details I started to buy dentistry tools exclusively for sculpt besides the ones I need to work as a dentist. In some cases I customized the tools with the Dremel to fit specific needs, and some times I bought specific sculpting tools.

Universmarvel : Why do you sculpt? And How long have you been sculpting?

Alterton : Why? A hell of a question, I have no idea, honestly. I guess all started back in the dentistry university days as a way to get out of the stress and tension generated there. As time went by, the therapy become a hobby and then the hobby turned into a passion and started to take its place until I decided to quit my stupid and stressful profession to become a fulltime sculptor. But why do the sculpting keep being so passionate? I don’t have a clue dude. It is an indescribable felling, and I am not into the classic style or the ancient sculptors, the baroque or the abstract shits. I love to do fantasy and comic characters; that was what got me into this and that is what I want to keep doing! 
I have started to sculpt as a hobby in 1997, quitted at the end of ‘98, got back in the game by 2002 and my first piece released by a kit company was in 2003, that same year I did a huge base commissioned by the GoreGorup for a Nike commercial.



Universmarvel : What is your favourite comic book’s character and non comic book’s character?

Alterton : I don’t have one comic book character; it is a whole Team, yeah baby, the Avengers…why? Because you have a lot of eclectic and so different characters working together and the foes gallery is so outstanding. The Avengers unite all Marvel Universes in one comic book!
And non comic book, well I have a lot of them…if we are talking about books I am a H.P. Lovecraft fan…man, the under antique world he has created is awesome, and the way he used to write is magical. And talking about fantasy magazines I choose Nippur from Lagash, a character from the pages of the diseased Argentinean Editorial Columba created by non other than Robin Wood, an awesome writer and drawn by, according the times, the 3 Villagran Brothers. Others characters created by he are Dago, Jakaroe, Savarese, etc etc etc…outstanding stories now lost because the stupid Argentinean idiosyncrasy of not buying stuff out of soccer, missing people or popular music!!!!
 
Universmarvel : What is your first sculpting?

Alterton : It was a regular clay Captain America vs. Red Skull, it really sucked but I loved it when I did it. I sculpted without anatomy references, no wire armature, nothing… damned I don’t how I was able to do that!!! Well, I don’t know how I am able to work these days!


Universmarvel : What are yours different influences? And why your style is so realistic?

Alterton : Well, besides the fantasy stories from Columba Editorial read in my childhood, I guess every single fantasy/comic sculpture has a different way to hit me. I love mostly every piece of resin released by collectible or garage kit companies in some way.
Right now I have found I feel comfortable doing pieces with that Alex Ross’ bulky superheroes style. When I sculpt I like to go for the regular big fat dock-working guy anatomy with something like regular clothes and not tight pants. I like to sculpt clothes and capes not muscles. Another great artist with this kind of style is John Watson; he has drawn some of JSA awesome covers. I guess it is because is the closer style to the ol’ Kirby way I used to enjoy when I was a kid or George Perez initial works.

Universmarvel : What is your favourite piece of work you have sculpted yourself?

Alterton : Normally, I never ever like my work, not even when it isn’t finished and I am still working on it, I always see my work and I think it really sucks.
But there are 2 pieces I like them most, but not because the sculpt per se but because they mean something to me, those would be Portal of the Gods (http://www.alterton.com.ar/Portal.htm) , the first sculpt I did from my own design and because I love that bulky winged puppy wolf, and Follow the Horizon (http://www.alterton.com.ar/Follow.htm) because was my first sculpt done for molding and casting and because was my first piece after 3 years without sculpting because of my dentist career.


Universmarvel : What is your favourite piece of work by another artist? Why do you like this piece so much?

Alterton : Sorry, but I cannot answer such a specific question, cause I don’t have only one favorite piece, I have a couple of them:
Martin Canale Werewolf warrior for Pegaso Models. The anatomy and pose is so damned amazing, and the details are outstanding.
Andy Bergholtz GIJoe pieces for Palisades. The clothing and facial expressions on them are speechless.
Randy Bowen Death Dealer for Bowen Designs. The piece shows the darkness and horror of Frazzeta’s original paint that is scary!
Tim Bruckner Green Lantern vs. Siniestro. The anatomy and the way he managed to give that flying effect is unbelievable.
Tony Cipriano Brianiac unproduced bust. The facial expression is beautiful.
Sam Greenwell Lady Demon for Chaos comic. That pose and those curves!!!!
Gabriel Marquez’s Ultimate Thor bust for Diamond Select. You can really see the anger on Thor’s face!
Every Spawn line since series 17 from Mcfarlane’s toys. Mc’s company has changed the way of do action figures, and is still improving it with their monsters lines.
Mark Newman Moonsinger for Newmanoid models. Looks like the wolf is just standing there, just waiting, just ready.
Rocco Tartamella Thor defeated non produced statue. He captured Loki’s book cover so damned well!
Greg Polutanovich Pirate bust for Dramatic Bronzes. Awesome face and clothes.
Karl Sanders Keeper of time for DragonFire studios. The man lived among Dragons, this piece is so damned strong!
Ruben Procopio Lockjaw for Bowen Designs. Looks alive!
Claudio Setti Cable bust for killing time kits. He made it just as I always pictured Cable should look.
Shiflett bros Cremator statue for Chaos Comis. The expression of his face and the pose are so dramatic.
Joy Snyder Adam Warlock bust for Dynamic Forces. His face is so well done and the way he is holding his cape is perfect.
Eric Sosa Green Goblin statue for Bowen Designs. Goblin’s body torsion and pose, just outstanding!
Sota Toys Cthulhu action figure line. The details and the way they released them are just unbelievable.
Mark Vantyne Werewolf by night for Jayco toys. The pose and how he managed to represent the character is so damned great.
Ray Villafane….damned I can say it, but I have seen one of his latest pieces and is so damned beautiful it hurts!
Steve West Drac and lucy kit…textures and pose, awesome!
William Paquet Batman over the clock tower. This is THE Batman!
And I should stop here, cause if I keep mentioning sculptors and pieces I could do it for ever and ever and you will have to edit it!!!


Universmarvel : What was the first sculpt you did that was picked up by a garage kit producer?

Alterton : The Iron Dictator (http://www.alterton.com.ar/Doom.htm) picked and produced by Jayco Toys. It was a modified version of my original Dr. Doom on Throne. I remember I contacted John offering it and he told me he wanted some modifications, so he requested me to change the Doombot head under Doom’s foot for an Iron Man head, also to add some veins and to do a crest for the back of the throne. I was more than happy by that time and I am more than thankful to Jayco toys for the chance they gave me.


Universmarvel : What do you prefer, working for big companies or sculpting garage kits?

Alterton : I used to think that working with big companies was suppose to be a pain in the ass, but I have no complains with the guys I am working right now, in fact I feel more than comfortable with them. I mean, I have the honor to be working directly with Digger, president and creator of Art Asylum; the man is really crazy and wicked and he has such insane ideas about how a character should look or what he should represent, or the kind of characters we are able to do. It is really great to be able to work with such a talented bastard, a person I admire a lot because of his sculpting skills and because of how he, with hard work, was able to create a monster as big as Art Asylum. Besides I am doing Marvel characters, characters from the publisher I enjoy the most.
From the other hand is First4Figures an upcoming company which I trust it will have a great success in the near future. I am more than happy and honored to be able to work with them walking side by side with their growing and development. F4F art director is Alex Davis, a really, reallyyyyyyy nice person to work. Thanks to his arguments and directions I have been able to improve my skills, searching for new techniques and materials to be able to achieve his high expectations about how Transformers should look. We talked and talked about what should be done next, and the man has some very specific ideas about what he wants.
In both cases, I am more than thankful to Digger and Alex because they are always pushing me to get better, they are always there to hear my complains and mood changes, and believe me, I can be a real pain in the ass most of the times, so having the experience to work with them is really an awesome path I am fucking glad to follow!
And about the garage kit, well I have no complains either, I have worked with the best people around; John, Charlie, Rams and Norm have been such understanding people, such a great companions I am more than happy to count with them. In all cases I felt free and I always had their support.
So, so far I haven’t felt a big difference to work with both sides of the collectable world. I know there are differences when you work with big companies because talks and chats I had with fellow sculptors, but so far I feel comfortable and free in both cases and that is the most important thing for me.

Universmarvel : Do you have any new sculpts for Diamond or anothers companies coming out soon? And about your next garage kits project?

Alterton : About new works for Diamond, yes I am doing another full figure for them, honestly is a crazy design I think most of the collectors never thought it will come, it was really a shock to get this design and will be another controversial piece, a veryyy controversial one, but I like it a lot and is more my kind of stuff…you’ll see. About F4F I have finished a big, huge thing for them, I think you will see it soon; and I am working with the second Battlefield line piece, also a new battle out from that line and with Leandro Sivori (BF1 painter) we are doing a single piece.
About the garage kit thing, well here you have an exclusive news…come on the drums……Paradox resin will release an original line of kits and limited pre paints pieces from a story I have created a while back and was checked by the Great Kitman. The first piece will be “The Forgotten One”, and “For Hire” and “Ahead We Must Go” will follow him. It is a story about heaven and hell and the eternal battle between them and will have a lot of those bizarre and grotesque characters I loved to do before I got hook by the comic biz.


Universmarvel : Is there anything you can give us a picture of that you have recently done and will be released soon?

Alterton : I am so sorry I am not able to show you what is in the workbench, if I do it, I will be out of work. But I can show you the pics from the upcoming fantasy line release from Paradox. And also a couple of pics from my new studio I have recently finished, maybe this would help to those upcoming sculptors to have some ideas or to improve what I did. I used a lot of other sculptor’s studio pics as references to do mine.
http://www.alterton.com.ar/For_Hire.htm
http://www.alterton.com.ar/ahead.htm
http://www.alterton.com.ar/Follow.htm
http://www.alterton.com.ar/Forgotten.htm

Alterton's studio
Universmarvel : To conclude, can you tell us few words in French?

Alterton : J’aime mon amour mademoiselle Dubois.
My soon to be wife last name is Dubois, her first name is Sil and of course I love her so damned much!!!!! So have I said properly?

Universmarvel : Thank you for your attention and your investment in this interview. Best Regards.

Alterton : No man, please I thank you for this chance to be interviewed by a site I check everyday! Your news section is great and the collectors’ collection pics are more than helpful when you are searching for a certain statue as references for sculpting!
Best regards !!!!