Secret Base: Interview with Kinoshita Hiddy

Hello hiddy, can you introduce you to the French public STP. 29 years old, a graduate of sport, born in Osaka in Japan and my hobby is sport, all sports! What is your profession ? Manager of Secret Base When did you start producing toys? 8 years ago. What is the story of creating Secret Base? I could not find fun toys, so I started doing it just for fun. What we can find in the secret base store and where is he? Secret Base products of course! It can be found at some friends in La and NYC. Secret Base is based in Tokyo. ATVEC Who are you connected in the world of Toy and design? Oula, sincerely there are too much, I can not quote all! What relationships do you have with Iwanaga de Bounty Hunter? Mr. Iwanaga is like a big brother for me! What are the relationships you have with Medicom? You have done a lot of collaborations with them on Be @ Rbrick or Rah, how did it happen? Mr Oka from Medicom Toy is my master! As for the BE @ rbrick it was done for fun not at all in a business spirit. We have the same vision on these projects and that's why we have completed this collaboration. I read that you started making figurines with Iwanaga, can you describe the story of your first figurine please? Mr Iwanaga decided on the name of the store, Secret Base. But at first I did not do the first toy with him. The HSitory is: Take-Shit (Low Player of the Japanese Hard Core Cocobat Group) has created a fight figurine entitled Fink-Shit. I thought then, if I have a shop one day, I will make the figurine that will be the opponent of this fink-shit. And what had to happen arrived! This is my first "Toy Story" What is your goal as a Toymaker? I have no goal as a Toymaker, my goal is to make movies and comic books with my characters. Do you think the toys are part of a lifestyle in Japan? No, I do not think so. Japan is one of the oldest and most interesting market for the toy, what can change the perception of Japanese compared to the figurine today? In the past, production was much more interesting and there were many more cool toys. Everyone had fun with lots of different toys, we really played with. Today what kills the market is the second hand or those people who resell immediately after buying to make profit. That's why right now the Japanese culture of the toy goes from worse. What is the secret of Secret Base? Do you know why your Toys are becoming more and more popular right now? It's a secret ahahah! I do not know the exact reason but in my opinion it is because the toys SB are underground and bring some freshness in this universe, that's what the popularity is slowly climbing, gently. Why do you produce your figurines in Japan rather than China like the majority of Toymakers? Because I was born in Japan and I'm Japanese! But also for the Japanese economy (AHAH) ... What do you think about this new generation of Kaiju creators in Japan? It does not interest me at all ! It's even embarrassing to see as many copies of existing stuff and people who diffuse toys without originality .... What is your opinion about the Toy market in Japan right now? For my part I do not care about the market. I'm not paying attention, I'm going out toys when I want it! Are there new artists or creators who interest you around the world or do you focus that on Kaiju and figurines related to the rock universe? I do not interested at all to other designers. By the way I am not thoroughly in rock figurines, it is just that these are my friends who conceive them. What is the most difficult in Toys's design? There is nothing difficult, I do not feel like this, it's so fun to do toys! How do you choose new colors for your toys? I am my inspiration ... Do you do all the sculptures of figurines by yourself or do you make preparatory drawings that you trust a modelizer? I do not do everything in myself, I draw a lot and after with my staff we all bump together on the realization. Do you think that limited productions make toys more difficult to get for more and more collectors? Unfortunately SB is a small company, so we can not especially make big big products. Nevertheless, do you plan to increase production? There are no such plans for the moment, but maybe I will make big biggest productions on some figurines. It will depend on the situation. Do you plan to work in the future with other companies and figurine stores? Yes I will be very happy if SB products could be available for the world. Can you tell me more about SB figurine collectors, who are they? Why do they collect Toys SB? What other genres of figurines collect? I do not really know .... Maybe they feel something through the SB figures, the fun they can provide. I am very grateful in any case of the attention that collectors bring me. I imagine you have been a fan of figurines for a long time, can you tell us a little more about your collection and your passion, for example: what was your first toy? The toy is really part of my life, I continue to buy if I find toys that I like. My very first Toy was a musk rider What are your favorite toys? Disgusting and repulsive toys. How many toys do you have in your collection So much that I can not count them! What are your favorite colors for figurines? The Clear Color, and the crazy colors. What is your favorite hero? Myself What is your favorite bad guy? Myself What is your favorite music style and what groups do you admire? Especially rock and rock bands. What is your favorite movie? I can not limit myself to one !! I like lots of kinds of movies ... What is your favorite manga or comics? Pff ... like it's so much !! What is your favorite brand of clothes? None in particular. What do you prefer to eat and where? Beef ! The best place is in Roppongi (a district of Tokyo) What do you see for the future of Secret Base? Do you plan to get out of new characters? A fun shining! I hope anyway !! New characters? Such !! Thanks very much !!!!