We recently had the privilege of catching up with famed sculptor RandyBowen who is, of course, the founder and owner of Bowen Designs. He started off as garage kit creator but developed into one of the most influential sculptors to date. The company was founded way back in 1992and had primarily focused on the Marvel Licenses. He has crafted spectacular pieces ranging from the X-Men to characters from Avengers. While he is the primary sculptor, he does often include freelance sculptors to keep up with his ever-growing demand.
My favorite piece from Bowen is Iceman, where he so beautifully captured the look and feel of the physical form of Bobby Drake. He really is super talented, more so when you factor in that most of his works were done before some of the technology used today to produce statues were even formulated. That is why Bowen is so sought after and have escalated in value.
(Photo Credit: Roan van Wyk – South African Premium Collector)
- Hi Randy, tell me what pushed you into designing or sculpting statues?
RB: Thanks for your Interest. Hmmm… I am really not sure to tell you the truth. But here’s my theory; When I was two or three years old, my mother and sisters use to have me practice writing the alphabet, and copying pictures from comic strips. I could already write by the time I was four or five years old. This lead to fairly good hand and eye co-ordination. I began drawing at an early age as well. Many times my parents would have my grandparents babysit my siblings and myself. They did not have toys at their home, but they did have a rather large box of plasticine clay. I would spend hours making dinosaurs, miniature people and other animals out of clay.
- What is your process in coming up with ideas?
RB: It depends on the job. If it is a licensed character, I would look at the material and art that is available. Then create a rough drawing of the pose and concept. Other times a client will come to me with a very specific idea that they would like to have sculpted.
(Photo Credit: Paul Launspach – South African Premium Collector)
- Who are the key artists who influence your work?
RB: They are many… Frazetta, Jon Buscema, Jack Kirby, Robert Crumb, Walt Disney, Bruce Timm, Neal Adams, Chiparus, Bugatti and many others.
- You haven’t produced in a while; will we be seeing any new works soon?
RB: Quite possibly…I went through a divorce a couple of years ago. The divorce decree prevented me from producing anything for a five-year period. That five year is almost up. I also had some pretty serious spinal surgery recently. I am going through a lot of physical therapy for the next six months. Getting back my motor skills is a top priority for the time being. If I can recover sufficiently, then I will look back into wide production.
(Photo Credit: Paul Launspach – South African Premium Collector)
- I would love to see your hands touch some DC properties, any chance of that?
RB: Sure… there’s always a chance. The first statue that DC produced where my sculptures. I would like to have another chance with them.
- There are a lot more different properties that now develop statue compared to when you first started, what has managed to grab your attention?
RB: There are so many fantastic sculptures out there… It’s difficult to single any out. However, one that I have on my desk is Mike Mignola Batman statue from DC’s Batman Black and White series.
(Photo Credit: Grant Robertson – South African Premium Collector)
- What advice would you give to young aspiring sculptors?
RB: If you going to be successful; plan on not having any social life for the next few years. You will need the time to focus on developing your skills.
- An easy one to get the ball rolling, artists always seem to lean into certain characters. From each side of the fence of DC and Marvel, which characters resonate more than others with you?
RB: For Marvel characters, I like Wolverine, The Hulk, Captain America, and the Fantastic Four. ·
- 3D printing has revolutionized the world as we know it, as an artist do you feel about the technology in general?
RB: I feel that 3D printing and programs like ZBrush are just other tools in an artist’s arsenal of tools at their disposal. It does make things much easier for artists with the skill to create sculptures in a traditional manner, and it makes the process go much faster in general. I personally like the feel of creating sculpture traditionally, but my company was the first to embrace statues based on digital sculpting.
(Photo Credit: Grant Robertson – South African Premium Collector)
- 3D printing has revolutionized the world as we know it, as an artist do you feel about the technology in general?
RB: It is completely dependent on the artist. Digital sculpting makes it much easier to create compositions that “defy gravity”. It will always take someone with the skill to mold and produce these pieces in the real world (at least for the moment). The technology improves with each passing year. Someday, you won’t need to order a statue… You’ll simply be able to select or create what you want online, and print it at home in full color!
- And lastly, will we soon see a Bowen Website?
RB: I’m not going to launch another Bowen Designs website until I have something to sell. I went through a traumatic surgery last year on my spine, and am currently getting back on my feet with physical therapy. Getting my motor skills back is my primary priority at the moment. Once I’m recovered, then I’ll be deciding which direction to go professionally. Fortunately, I made enough money during my active production years to be able to afford to take time off. So I don’t need to rush back into production at the expense of my health.
(Photo Credit: Roan van Wyk – South African Premium Collector)
A special thank you to Randy Bowen as well as the South African Collectors Paul Launspach, Grant Robertson and Roan Van Wyk for their time and contribution to this article.
(Photo Credit: Grant Robertson – South African Premium Collector)
