Last week I posted about the custom District 9 “prawn” mech that sold for a whopping $5300 on eBay. I got in touch with the customizer, Chris Hooton (who goes by “Sabertooth” on Figure Realm) to find out more about this amazing piece.

What parts did you use to make your custom prawn mech?

Ok, well, this is going to sound like a MacGuyver recipe, but I used parts of a Transformer, a Bionicle, one pair of chopsticks, some q-tips, a toy gun, some sheet plastic and some rubber floor mat.

How many hours of work were involved, and how much did it cost you to make?

Well, I did him over a weekend, starting at about 3 a.m. Saturday morning and finishing him about 6:30 p.m. I took a three-hour nap somewhere in there 🙂 He was quite a challenge!

As for costs incurred, I think with paints and parts about $60.

Have you made, or do you plan on making, any more District 9 customs?

Yes, I recently made a custom of the “Christopher” prawn character and I will be making another mech, and possibly a Wikus/prawn custom with all sorts of neato accesories! I really like the movie, and so far making the toys has been quite fun!

Which toy company would you like to see make a real District 9 toy line, and why?

Hmmmm…well the company that i think would do the best job would be NECA, they do great work and I am a big supporter of theirs.

Do you make other customs, and if so, what kind?

I make all sorts of customs! Most of the time it’s based on impulse on what or who I make. Transformers tend to be labor-intensive but fun; for the most part I like to try to make things that are either have not received the toy treatment yet–or what is out is not all that great looking and I like to see if what I can do could be better. I like to keep trying to improve my skills and hopefully make a fan of what I’m made a very happy camper!

To see more of Chris’s customs, check out his customs section on Figure Realm!