Having grown up in the 80's/90's MTV generation, I would watch everything I could set my eyeballs to. Saturday morning and after school cartoons was the best! I like monsters and mutant stuff the most, so I loved shows like Masters of the Universe, Ninja Turtles, Street Sharks, Toxic Crusaders etc.. Just the typical stuff for boys of that time.

I would also always go to local news agencies to read comic books until they staff kicks me out for not buying anything.

Growing up before the internet, my only access to Japanese anime was actually through Hong Kong television. It was all dubbed in cantonese but I didn't know the difference at the time. I'd get my uncle to record them on VHS then sent to me in Australia. Stuff like Dragon Ball, Saint Seiya etc. I couldn't get enough of it and would watch those tapes on repeat.

Then as I got older into teenage years, during what you can possibly call my 'rebellious phase', I became obsessed with a of Hong Kong film franchise called "The Young and Dangerous". It was a series of badass films about the HK triads/ gangsters and I thought those characters were like the pinnacle of cool. Me and my Chinese friends would run around town dressed trying to imitate them, thinking we were all tough and stuff. Which is super funny now considering we were living in the relatively peaceful suburbs of Sydney, Australia.

The next big inspiring thing that came out of Hong Kong to me, would be in the early 2000's with Michael Lau and the birth of the designer toy scene. His 'Gardener' and then later 'Crazy Children' series blew my mind! I had never seen anything like it. I remember I had only just started working my first job at that time and spending all my pay on those toys. Truely world changing stuff for me!

From as early as I remember, drawing has always been a big part of my life. I couldn't tell you why, but I always loved it. I was always that one kid scribbling in his notebooks in class. I would draw characters from my favourite cartoons then over time, gradually move on to creating my own original characters to fit into the world of those cartoon ones. When I think about it, sorta similar thinking to the stuff I'm still drawing these days! Haha. I'd like to think I'd gotten a bit better by now though. And certainly never thought I'd be able to make a career out of it.

I went to a graphic design school for a while but don't think it really helped me much in terms of drawing skills. Eventually I dropped out thinking the time will be better spent if just kept practicing on my own.

I got the name Brack Metal from when I used to live in Tokyo, I'd go to metal shows or record stores and I'd chat with people about music. Whenever the topic black metal comes up, most locals will pronounce it as "bRack metal" as the pronunciation for R's and L's are sort of switched in Japanese. I liked that and thought there was a nice ring to it. Plus, I love Japan and I love black metal. So I kinda decided to steal it and use it for my art project.

Ahh I hate that question! Too many to list but my current favourite band is probably Vampillia.

What I love most about the metal genre as a whole is not really only about the music but the powerful, rebellious, angry attitude surrounding it. No rules, ultra violence, pure chaos. I love the dark, fantasy elements and the over the top theatrics of it all. It's all very inspiring to me and I always strive to inject a bit of these feelings into all of my artworks.

The Brutal Brack Metal is the most vile, gnarly gang, deep from the Under Underground.

It's also a world building project I started few years back. I was attempting to tell a story or create a universe without any writing and just through a series of character drawings with blank back grounds.

I believe that just by creating more and more of these characters (recruits to the gang), and through little details in each character's design, the viewer will naturally be able to get an increasingly better idea of what their world is like and possibly even be able to generate their own stories/ back stories for these inhabitants.

This is an on going project and my life's work. I will continue to expand this universe by recruiting new members to the BBM as long as I can.

I think it's always a natural process and it's kind of hard to put into words. Inspiration is everywhere. We never stop looking at cool shit. Just need to keep track of where you store this stuff in your head and be able to retrieve it when needed. I always just start off with one idea, maybe a small design detail or object I wanted to draw then I just mix and match it with a bunch other little ideas that I think is rad and complimentary to the overall design. Put it all in your mind blender and out comes a Frankenstein of ideas i.e. a new original character!

I always draw the eyes last. I see it sort of like the last step of a summoning spell, as a character doesn't look alive till it's eyes get filled in. It's like giving them the breath of life.

As a life-long toy collector myself, I've always dreamt of making my own toys. A dream that I didn't think was realistic though, as at the time I had no clue how to even begin. Luckily my illustrations was eventually able to catch the attention of some toy companies interested in turning my characters into toys. Through working with these companies, I learnt as much as I could about the production processes and eventually gained enough connections and resources to start up my own toy line, Brackmetal Toys!

Every part was difficult! Everything was a learning process.

To start off, even though I had been drawing for years, I was really forced to start thinking about my character designs in a new way. Something that looks good as a 2D front on drawing might not work anymore when you view it from different angles in 3D.

Also it was a huge hurdle learning the about the production process, the characteristics and possibilities of different mediums and then designing something that will work within those limitations.

Definitely a lot of trial and error. I'm still learning everyday.

It really depends on the kind of toy. But if we're talking about soft vinyl (what I've been working with so far), the design needs to be solid and eye-catching. A confident, simple design that's not overloaded with details. Something that stands out amongst the millions of other designer toys out there right now. Not an easy task!

I've always had an interest in sneakers and street wear in general. I don't really buy into so much anymore though, but it's fun to look at. My favourite shoes to draw are really old and dirty Dunk Highs.

Just to continue building on Brutal Brack Metal gang. So far it's illustrations and toys. Excited to see what other mediums we can branch out to in the future. There's no stopping the BBM!

I think it all just comes down to practice. Put in the hours. Stay focused and be prepared. Keep your sword sharp so that when opprtunities come your way, you'll be ready to kill!