Name: Steve Moore
CM: Any Personal Info you are willing to share: (married? Kids? Pets? Occupation? Where from? Other hobbies,/Interests?).
SM: I was born and raised in central Ohio, and remain here. I am married with a daughter from my first marriage, and a young son from my second. We also have a pair of twin boys on the way. I am employed at OSU. Aside from toys, I collect old tv shows and comic books.
CM: How did you get started collecting mego?
SM: When I was a kid, I would go to flea markets with my grandparents and buy Megos whenever I’d see them. I eventually sold almost all of the ones I had at a yard sale, keeping only my Treks and the Cornelius that I had received as my first Mego as a gift. I took a break from flea markets for a few years, but started going again when I got my driver’s license in high school. I remember finding a Batman and Robin, and I have been hunting them ever since.
CM: What is your favorite original mego figure and line?
SM: For me it’s the WGSH, with Trek and POTA a close second. It’s tough to pick just one. I guess I would have to go with Spider-man as my favorite. I do need to mention that I think the approach to characters like GA, Thor, and Conan is my preferred style. The less cheesy the better, and I hate the oven mitt look.
CM: What is, in your opinion, the biggest "hole" in mego's original lines. (what figure or figure line is missing that should have been done).
SM: To me that’s a toss-up between Flash/GL and Sulu/Chekov.
CM: What motivated you to start customizing?
SM: See the last question – I wanted to fill in the gaps. When grouping the originals together, the absence of several guys really sticks out.
CM: What was your first custom?
SM: I’m not sure – it’s been a long time. One of my earliest was a Golden Age Sandman. Sadly, I lost a chunk of pics when Photopoint disappeared.
CM: How did it come out? (looking back on it now)
SM: It was WEAK. It was a hodge podge of AJ parts and a knock-off head from the 80s. I could certainly do better now.
CM: What have you done/learned that has improved your customizing skills?
SM: I am fairly good with my Singer now, but just as importantly I know when to put the machine away and sew by hand. There are some things that I just can’s make work on a machine, and that’s a big part of the battle. I’ve also realized the importance of a good selection of paints and brushes.
CM: What areas of customizing is your strongest points, or favorite things to do?
SM: My favorite part is kit-bashing. I think I’m fairly good at putting together a decent figure from existing stuff. I often have to break down and buy a custom resin head somewhere, but otherwise just about everything else one would ever need is just waiting for someone to have the vision to put it to use. Albert Penello comes to mind as a real master of utilizing off-the-shelf parts to make some killer customs.
CM: What resources make it easier for you as a customizer? (is there a source for parts? Information? Etc. that aids you more than anything else?).
SM: I could go on and on here. I’d be remiss if I didn’t start with Paul Clarke – AKA Doc Mego. I have a good inventory of his parts, and they are a base for many of my customs. Next I’d have to say CTVT. Since they cut their prices, I’ve bought a ton of their stuff. I restring their bodies, and weed out the inevitable percentage of busted/broken pieces. For heads, there are almost too many people to name. Reproheads, Customslab, Tigersbonemachine, Brian Leitner……just to name the places where I’ve gotten a few.
CM: What is your favorite custom you've done and do you think it's your best work? If not, what do you think is your best work?
SM: My favorite is the Phantom I did a few years ago. I do consider it my best work, mainly because I like it just the way it is. On a lot of the other characters I’ve done there has been one thing that I might wish I had done better or differently, but on this particular one I like it as-is. Since I sold this one, the challenge will be to do another one equally as well.
CM: Why do you choose the projects you choose?
SM: Sometimes it’s to fill in a gap – Chekov, Sulu, Doc Ock, GL, etc. Other times it’s because I like the character, or at least the look of the character. Sometimes it’s just because I want to do something that no one else has.
CM: What are your favorite customs others have done and why?
SM: What are your favorite customs others have done and why? (if there is one- for example, Leitners Catwoman, David Lee’s Ghost Rider, etc…) In no order: Derek Combs – X-men, Bryan Bossart – KISS, David Lee – Ghost Rider and Headless Horseman, Dave McCormick/Paul Evans/James Brady – Every Trek – not a bad one in the bunch, Laurie Halbritter – Mary Jane Watson, Ron Peritore - Superfriends, John Farley – Morbius, John Schipper – Land of the Lost, Albert Penello – Lone Ranger. And for overall body of work, it’s pretty cool to see all of Austin Hough’s and Brian Leitner’s stuff. This is from memory; it’s really amazing how much good stuff is out there nowadays.
CM: What is on your "to do" list in the near future?
SM: I am putting the finishing touches on the Abomination, and a new Flash. The old Flatt head version Flash just wasn’t doing it for me. After that, it’s Woody & Buzz from Toy Story.
CM: How do you think customizing affects the mego collecting hobby?
SM: I think it keeps it alive for those of us who have all of the original figures that we want. It’s just a natural progression for me.
CM: Any tips or words of customizing advise to new customizers?
SM: Everybody has to start somewhere, so don’t get discouraged. There is a place for everyone, whether it’s as ambitious as sculpting and casting, or more nuts and bolts like picking out the pieces from someone else and putting them together your own way. Knock on wood, but I’ve never seen anyone get worse at customizing with practice.
CM: Do you sell custom figures or parts? If so, why?
SM: I don’t sell much anymore. A good custom usually takes time, and if I sell it I have to turn around and do it again. These days I’d rather do a different character than make one I’ve already done.
CM: What does your family/friends think of your mego custom work/hobby?
SM: Thanks to chronic halitosis, I don’t have any friends. As for my family, honestly, they don’t get it. My daughter has hit her teen years, so I have to make sure I don’t leave doll parts lying around the house in case her friends come over. How embarrassing!! I’m guessing my boys will think it’s cool when they get older, but until then I’m on my own. Thank Abrams for the museum.
SM: I’d like to thank the Museum for giving me a place to display my work, and to thank you Dave, for all the time and effort you’ve put forth to get the customs section back up and running. It’s an honor to be included!
CM: To see more of Steve's work, visit his CustoMego gallery.