Ben Spencer has been dreaming of the stars since 2010 when he founded Galaxxor, a brand of exquisite designer art toys. Spencer has incorporated his affinity for vintage action figures from the 70s through the 90s along with the aesthetic of Mid-Century Space Age Design to produce – alongside artists from around the globe – a series of handmade and hand-painted collectibles, as well as full production designer vinyl figures.

Now you’ll be able to find the entire Galaxxor collection on hobbyDB as an Official Archive. With an Official hobbyDB Archive, Galaxxor fans can document and track the value of their collections, get updates on exclusives, plus lots more.

We recently had the opportunity to pick Ben’s brain regarding some of his inspirations, processes and more.

Over to you, Ben, err…we mean Galaxxor!

When did you create Galaxxor and what was the inspiration behind its founding?

The initial sculpt was done around 2009 and was a reaction to my introduction to the concept of Designer Toys in the years prior. I had already been collecting vintage action figures and looked at them more as pop cultural art pieces.

So, what I really set out to do was create something that had one foot in each world – something that felt very toyetic and nostalgically welcoming, but was a bit more design-forward and could stand on its own as an art sculpture.

What was the very first Galaxxor figure? How many of them are there now?

The very first Galaxxor sculpt was not too terribly dissimilar to what collectors can still pick up today in vinyl. I was very much cognizant of the idea of platform figures and wanted to set out to create something that had a lot of mileage, in terms of re-use.

Obviously, the design has evolved somewhat, through resin production and then vinyl production. But, aside from the introduction of
some new parts and the obvious colorway variations, I’m still working with the same core design.

Were you a collector when you were younger?

Yeah, I’m a kid of the 80’s, so I got all of the good stuff. But I would for sure say it was the shape and shape of the Masters of the Universe-type 5 1/2” that really spoke to me in the most profound manner. This still reverberates through pretty much everything that I do to this day.

How would you describe the style/aesthetics of a Galaxxor figure?

Again, I’m sort of straddling two worlds. There’s obviously the classic 70’s-90’s toyeticism, with a sprinkle of cosmic Jack Kirby and Metal Hurlant added to the proverbial gumbo. But equally important is my love of minimalist and space-age object design and abstract sculpture.

At the end of the day, it’s still a toy. And if you don’t feel compelled to pick it up and play with it a bit, I haven’t done my job. However, I also want my figures to function as a cool design object that an adult could pop up on a shelf, next to a plant, or something along those lines.

How long does it take to complete a figure from concept to shelf? Can you share some of that process?

It can vary quite a bit. But my current standard procedure is to sculpt a figure in the traditional method with clay. Then, I have that sculpt scanned and digitally cleaned up a bit. From there, the file gets sent off to the factory, where steel molds are produced.

And finally, I’m then able to submit designs to the factory, dictating color, paint applications, and that sort of thing. So, maybe upwards of a year and a half, from start to finish?

Are all Galaxxor figures limited edition? What’s the best way to add Galaxxor figures to our collections?

Yeah, absolutely. The production numbers can vary a bit, and we have increased them in the last year or so to keep up with current demand. There’s nothing worse than someone discovering my work and not having anything for them to grab from the website!

All of that being said, when a figure is produced in a certain colorway, or as a certain character, that’s it. There’s nothing to say that we won’t occasionally revisit popular characters or colorways, but each release will be significantly different from anything that’s gone before.

The best way for hobbyDB members to grab new Galaxxor figures is here on hobbyDB.  And if you want some of the many sold-out items I did over the years you can add them to your Wish List here and get a notification when they come up.

Where can new fans find you on Social Media?

@galaxxor on Facebook, hobbyDB, Instagram and TikTok

The post Bringing Galaxxor’s Mid-Century Space Age Designer Arts Toys to PPG Partner hobbyDB appeared first on Pop Price Guide.