BBCC Winnerview #2: Dr. Keerakh

They thought I had forgotten. Or more likely, they had forgotten. But they were wrong. This contest's winnerview is with Dr. Keerakh, who won BBCC #49 with his Armored Protector.

TBB: Congratulations on winning your first BBC Contest! Anything you'd care to tell us about your winning entry? Perhaps how the building process went?

Dr. K: Thank you! The building process was more or less an accident, starting off with a simple Metruan torso. I experimented with several pieces, namely Nuva armor, and decided to see how much armor I could load onto this Matoran. Eventually, I realized the armor was far too bulky for a Matoran to be practical, so I settled on a Toa instead. As I had already sealed off the bottom of the torso with a Nuva shoulder armor piece, incorporating a waist was definitely tricky. Eventually however, I got it right and continued with legs, arms, and wings. Due to the bulky nature, movement is restricted in the legs and arms in slight ways. Although I'm not necessarily proud of it, this MOC was started before the contest.

TBB: Before starting work on a MOC, do you plan it all out beforehand or make most of it up as you go?

Dr. K: I rarely have a definite idea of where to go before I begin a MOC. I may have an idea of what I want it to represent, and perhaps what kind of pieces to use, but never have I actually planned out the build before getting my hands on pieces. Generally, by the time I'm halfway done with the torso I know where I"m going with it and can appropriately build from there on.

TBB: What genre, if any, of MOCs do you most enjoy building?

Dr. K: Regretfully, humanoids. However, I rarely settle for a typical Toa, instead putting a spin on it. With Armored Protector, that spin was bulk and majesty. One of my unpublished MOCs, a black and tan robot, is thin and wiry, focusing in lightness and speed. If I ever do make a simple Toa humanoid, I like to incorporate an interesting weapon, wings, or something to give it flair and personality. Also, I've recently been experimenting in larger titan MOCs as I once did as a younger MOCist, but now with more skill. My main BBCC 50 MOC is a titan, and one I'm truly proud of. I sense that this is were I'll be heading in the future.

TBB: Is there anything in particular that you tend to draw a lot of inspiration from? And more specifically, from what sources, if any did you get the idea for your winning MOC?

Dr. K: I admire the creations of ToM, Shannara, DV, and Roa particularly. ToM and DV always make a MOC look elegant and flowing; Shannara is very creative in his designs, and Roa has the very unique skill of making a cluttered MOC look very good. I draw on all those things when MOCing. Also, I greatly admire the works of Brickshelf members Toa Ju and LOVEJOINT. Both are amazing titan builders, and have heavily influenced by BBCC 50 entry. I have imitated to Toa Ju's leg upper leg design somewhat in my entry, and the incredible Japanese-esque flair that LOVEJOINT puts in his MOCs have inspired me too. Check their galleries out. They're both great.

TBB: What advice would you give to your fellow MOCers? Building tips, advice on attitude, anything.

Dr. K: Well, for one thing, be different. Same old Toa humanoids are getting old. Invoke interest, be bold and give your MOC flair and personality. In many situations, bigger is better. Have fun and go over the top if you want! Armored Protector went over the top with weapons and armor. You can do the same with wings, decorations, anything. MOCs can go in many directions though. Don't be fooled into thinking every MOC has to be a grand show. ToM's rose was simple, elegant, but great. Still, don't be afraid to take risks. I went crazy trying to make a huge dragon, and still have an unfinished torso laying around. Will I ever finish it? I don't know, but hey! It's worth the experience.

TBB: Thanks for taking the time to do this. Anything else you'd care to share with us?

Dr. K: Thank you for interviewing me. Be on the lookout for my contest entry coming soon. WIP pics coming soon as well to my blog. See ya!

Certainly an excellent interview. I'll try to be more on-the-ball with the next one, so keep your eyes peeled! I'll also try to branch out from MOCing-specific questions.