Who is Christopher Evilos?
I’m Christopher Avalos. I was born and raised in Burbank, California. I have been around creativity my whole life. Throughout my childhood, my father, Carlos was always creating something. Watching him build gliders, catch and train hawks and fix stuff around the house really helped shape my creative spirit. He never forced what he knew on me. I’ve always loved to watch him create and when the time came for me to build something, on my own terms, he was there to help. He always let me succeed & fail on my own and was there to give me tips on how to do it right or better the next time around. My father taught me to be independent and learn from my mistakes. Through my mistakes I have become more knowledgeable of what does and doesn’t work.
The whole Evilos thing came from my sticker art days when I wanted to be known without people actually knowing who I was. Also, I wanted to prove a point. At first you read EVILOS, so you think: "Oh this guy is Evil" or likes Evil stuff, but you would be wrong. EVILOS backwards is SO LIVE. Most people would never pick up on that. I wanted to show people another way of looking at something. Don't judge a book by its cover. I try to make all of my art thought provoking, something to think about, not just pretty butterflies to look at. So, the name Evilos really means "So Live your life", experience something, connect with humanity.
What is your relationship with Disneyland?
My relationship with Disneyland runs very deep. When I was very young, once a year, my whole family would take a trip to Disneyland. Everyone, my cousins, brothers, parents and grandparents would all go as a huge group and we would get on most of the rides. Disneyland has stuck with me so tremendously because of my experiences at the park. When I was seven my cousins told me that Space Mountain went upside down and when it was time to go on the ride I cried. My grandmother had to wait with me as my whole family went on the ride. I didn't even go on Space Mountain until I was ten or eleven because of that. Jerks...
The most traumatic thing about Disneyland was the Haunted Mansion. First off, being only seven or eight, the ride was very scary. On top of being so young, I had reoccurring nightmares, for a full year, that my brothers (ages four and six) would fall into the dining scene with the dancing ghosts and be taken away forever. I’m sure Walt Disney never intended for kids to be traumatized by the ride but for a whole year of my youth it was something I could never get out of my head. So you can see how Disneyland has affected my work and now having kids of my own, it’s truly a remarkable experience to see Disneyland through fresh eyes once again.
What do you do outside of Vinylmation?
I’m a Digital Compressionist, which is a fancy name for digital editor. I work on all kinds of movies and TV shows that end up on the Internet for people to stream on their home computers. I do a few Disney shows also like Phineas & Ferb, which I really enjoy working on. Aside from my artwork, I have no other hobbies per say, just being a husband to a super amazing wife and father to my two children keeps me very busy. I’m truly blessed.
How and when does Vinylmation come into your life?
Vinylmation comes into my life when I least expect it. I will wake up in the middle of the night and Orange Gears will be staring at me with those crazy eyes. So I hide under the covers afraid for my life. Seriously though, I became aware of Vinylmation in late 2008 when I was searching for blank vinyls to paint because at the time I was starting to paint Munnys. When I searched "DIY Vinyl" on eBay I saw Vinylmation and being a huge Disney fan this was a no brainer for me.
What was your first Vinylmation figure?
My first Vinylmation figure was the white, blank, create your own figure. I was collecting Disney pins (2008) when Vinylmation came out. I remember thinking to myself "Oh, look Disney is trying to cash in on the Blind box Vinyl Toy craze". So I never purchased any. The sad part is many hard-core vinyl collectors still have this thought about Vinylmations. I respect them completely and find them more interesting than any other vinyl collectible on the market today. I hope those other people come around to realize these are a great product backed by awesome artists. Boy, I wish I would of picked up a couple cases of Park 1.
What was your first custom Vinylmation?
My first custom was the Evil Kermit, which I painted on my first Vinylmation figure. I had to paint the white figure black because this was before the colored blanks came out. I wanted to paint something and didn't really know what I wanted to do. Out of the blue I decided it would be cool if I did a backwards Kermit to go with the Park 1 green, normal Kermit. This turned into Evil Kermit, which is a play on Bizzaro a character from the Superman comic book series. Bizzaro is the evil version of Superman. I showed off this custom on Vinylnation.net and people started to email me asking if I could make them one. So I thought that I might be on to something here. I put that first Evil Kermit on Ebay and I think it went for $40.
I took the money and bought four blank vinyls and made more. Everything has snow balled from there. Somewhere, someone has that first custom sitting in their collection.
Who is your favorite Disney Vinylmation artist, and why?
To say I have a favorite VM artist would be dishonest and unfair to all the other great artists involved with VM. Honestly, I don't have a favorite artist. Every artist brings their own unique vision and style to the table and I feel that’s what really makes Vinylmation so special to me as a collector. I really enjoy many of the designs by each artist and it’s fun to see what these talented men and women come up with every time a new series comes out.
If given the opportunity, would you join the Vinylmation artist design team?
If I were presented with an amazing opportunity to design for the DDG I would seriously consider it. I feel that I have a unique style and perspective that would benefit the group. I’m very much a team player and extremely loyal. Designing for DDG would be a dream come true.
What artist would you like to see design a Vinylmation?
I would love to see Javier Soto design a vinylmation. He is one of the most talented underground artists that create Disney fan art. Google this guy, he is the artist that did the Custom Haunted Mansion Stitch at D23 in 2008 and was the artist that did the Ezra bust that was in the 40th Anniversary Haunted Mansion event. He is also a good friend of mine and if given the right opportunity this guy could become a legend.
Where do you draw inspiration for your art?
Inspiration is a funny thing. It can come from the strangest of places or show itself at an awkward time. For the most part I draw a lot of my inspiration from my childhood and the toys I played with or cool stickers I enjoyed when I was a teenager. I get a lot of inspiration from other creative people.
What kind of art and/or artist do you enjoy?
I really enjoy a lot of the pop artists from the 20th century. Two of my favorite artists are Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein. They both had a great eye for what people wanted. Warhol had a great way of expressing himself through images anyone could understand. My favorite artist from the 20th century is Jackson Pollock because people thought he was a terrible artist, but he transformed what modern art was at the time. I can relate to an underdog because I feel that I have been one my entire life. I also try to emulate Pollock with some of my other work. I try to put my own spin on it, but you can see that his influence is extremely present when you study my work on a deeper level.
What is your favorite Disneyland Resort attraction?
Hands down the Haunted Mansion because it had a profound affect on my life. I’ve always enjoyed Halloween and things that were scary. I think this ride is one of the greatest dark rides ever made. One goes through so many emotions as they ride through the attraction and it’s so wonderfully put together. Walt Disney and the Imagineers had to invent technology as they went along to complete this ride.
Who is your favorite Disney character?
I used to like Donald Duck a lot when I was younger, once again the underdog thing. I feel Donald always played second to Mickey and I thought Donald was a lot cooler than Mickey. Mickey always seemed too perfect. Donald had faults, made mistakes and tried to always work through them. As an adult I really don't have a favorite. I see them all as just characters with their own unique traits. I like all of them.
How many designs have you made?
Seriously? I have no idea. Maybe I should take inventory.
What does the future hold for Evilos?
At this moment I have no idea what the future holds. Things are moving so fast. The addition of Vinylmation to my life as an artist has opened up a lot of doors. I have had my work in a few different shows and I’ve been asked to do customs for other companies using their blank vinyl’s. I’m happy to make stuff and be creative. I’ve always had a passion for creating art. I’m sure this will continue throughout my life. I have a strong feeling something wonderful is on the horizon, but I really can't put my finger on it.
What current designs are you working on?
Right now I’m working on a custom for a show I was invited to be a part of in November. It’s been a challenge to work with the new materials, but I love a challenge. I’ve been so wrapped up in Vinylmation customs over the last year that it’s refreshing to work on other projects with other creative people.
Which is your favorite Vinylmation?
My favorite Vinylmation is Orange Gears from Urban 3. This character does not get the respect he deserves. I have a collection of 42 of them so far and I’ve painted over about 20 of them. If you have one of my early customs chances are there is an Orange Gears underneath.
What about Vinylmation made you want to design them?
I’ve always enjoyed Disneyland and Park Merchandise as a whole, so being an Urban Artist when Disney first came out with Vinylmation, I had to make something out of them. I was super happy that they produced blank vinyls and encouraged artists to "Create Your Own" because it really opens up kids to creativity and I’m all for that.
What advice would you have for future aspiring Vinylmation artist?
Be patient; take your time with your creations. Know that you are going to screw something up along the way. It takes a lot of time and knowledge to figure out what works and what doesn't. You’re not going to make something breathtaking over night. The more time you put into it the better your creation will be. Never give up and always go for it.
What tip and/or trick can you give those whom are customizing Vinlymation?
Come up with a solid plan. Like the famous saying goes "Measure twice, cut once". Think outside the box. You never know what awesome creations will come from mistakes.
Overall, which series is your favorite?
I really enjoyed the Toy Story series. For the first time the design group used out of the box thinking with the addition of "Bonuses" like Buttercups Horn and Buzz's Helmet. To me this is what Vinylmation is all about, creativity.
What kind of series would you like to see Disney create?
I would love to see Disney make a series with designs from well-known "Create Your Own" Artists that are well established within the collector community. I think that would do very well and inspire others also to pick up a brush and make something.
Tell us about what it means to be sponsored in Vinylmation?
I was thrilled that ProTech was interested in my work and they would sponsor me with their awesome display products. I show a lot of my work at trade events and art shows and because of that this partnership made sense for both Pro Tech and myself. In a sense this validated my contribution to the vinylmation product and how much pride I put into what I work on.
What is your favorite part about collecting and customizing Vinylmation?
I really enjoy the chase and the camaraderie in the trading community. It’s a very fun collectible; the people that are involved are awesome and very passionate about this product. My favorite part about customizing vinylmation is seeing what other artists can create with this canvas. I’m very impressed, all the time, with new innovative customs I see people come up with.
Any last words for our audience?
I would love to thank my wife Heidi for putting up with my stuff all over the house and our two children Alexander and Isabella for being awesome.
I want to thank my Father for being the spark that lit my fire.
I want to thank my mother for putting up with my father’s insane creative nature.
I want to thank Jason Zubar and all the staff at Vinylnation.net, they provided a place for me to showcase my work and it has been a great launching pad for many other artists.
I want to thank Tom Corless and the Vinylmation Station for giving me the opportunity to explain my work on their podcast. Stay tuned there is more to come from the Vinylmation Station in 2011.
I want to thank Steven Miller for being the face of Vinylmation. He takes a lot of the heat when things don't work out and he's the closest thing to Walt Disney's vision of what a cast member should be.
I want to thank the whole Disney Design Group for the awesome products that they create.
I would love to thank Vinylmania.org for the opportunity to get inside my mind and let people know what makes me tick.
Lastly I would like to thank the fans and collectors that have supported my work. I appreciate all the love. Without you I’m nothing.
Christopher "Evilos" Avalos
