The mild mannered but dangerously imaginative Mr. Burnett gets FMCS’d this week (poor chap). But you will be glad to know he survived and lives to do other interviews elsewhere! Take a peek below, and get to know more about why he spends hours alone late at night locked in his basement with his power tools.

Site: www.mikeburnett.com

Contact: mike3burnett@hotmail.com

FMCS: Hi Mike how’s tricks?

If you are referring to my days of prostitution - I stop turning "tricks" once I left college. It paid my tuition and it was better than working at Taco Bell.

FMCS: Nice site (www.mikeburnett.com) How long has that been running?

Thanks - it’s been running for 3 years now. I am in the process of updating it to make it easier to sell my work from it.

FMCS: So Mike tell the FMCS readers about yourself! Do your mom proud she paid for your education!

Well I guess you could say that I am a family man. I am married with 3 kids. I started early - I was a father at the age of 22.

My oldest is now 16 years old. Basically, the only thing that differs me from my neighbors in Rocky River(a small sub-berb of Cleveland, Ohio USA), is my demented sense of humor and the fact that I am awake until about 2 o’clock in the morning most nights tinkering with wood and painting my characters.

FMCS: In the fashion stakes how is Mr. Burnett attiring himself to stand out from the crowd in a crowd of err…crowded people?

With 3 kids, that doesn’t leave much money left for me to make a fashion statement. Fortunately, my oldest son wears the same size as me - so I do borrow from his wardrode from time to time. He does have an extensive collection of Alien Workshop t-shirts. They look great with my "Zoobas".

FMCS: Please tell us about the wooden figures and how all that originated?

I suppose they came about as a cumulation of my occupations, hobbies and interests.

After college, I worked at an architectural firm as a designer. There I developed a fondness for building scale architectural models. If you combine that with my love of action figures, vintage toys, urban/designer vinyl and wood working - I guess you get a formula for for what I do. Plus I hate doing freelance work. Working for clients is just to much pressure for me. It really stifles my creativity.

I just enjoy developing and making wooden figures in my basement for my own amusement and if someone likes them enough to purchase them - then that is a plus.

FMCS: What inspires you right now?

I would say that I am more motivated by artists and designers, rather than inspired by them.

There are just so many artists than I admire and so many different styles that I enjoy, it is hard to point out one or two. I can say that artist like Tim Biskup and Gary Baseman do keep me extremely motivated to keep on creating.

Seeing what they have accomplished - going from illustration and graphic design to fine art and toy design is certainly impressive and something to strive for.

FMCS: How is Mrs. Burnett and the kids? Holidays planned this year?

Everyone is doing great. Thanks for asking. Holidays are usually planned around some of my gallery shows. Last year was New York City. This year it is Los Angeles and San Diego.
I am creating some exclusive limited edition hand-made pieces for Toy Tokyo (www.toytokyo.com) to be exhibited at this years Comic-Con (www.comic-con.org).

What could be better than sunny California and a comic book and toy convention?

FMCS: When ‘chillin’ with the ‘homies’… gridiron, loaded weapons or ’surfing’ on the rooftops of locomotives? How do you guys kick back?

Yes - all three to some extent. Instead of the gridiron, I prefer the baseball diamond. Our choice of loaded weapons is paint ball guns.

And instead of "surfing", we prefer to hit golf balls at the passing train that go by on the track behind my house.

FMCS: What are you working on right now?

Besides the pieces I am creating for Comic-Con, I have several shows that I need to create new stuff for. I just finished a piece for a group show called "Lions, Tigers, Bears, Etc." at Wootini Gallery (www.wootini.com). The show opens July 14th. It is my first non-human wooden character.

In November I have a 4 person show in Chicago at DVA Gallery (www.dvagallery.com). The show titled "Wild, Wild Midwest" will include the work of Chris Ryniak, (www.bigistudio.com ), Colin Johnson (colinjohnsonillustration.com), Jeremiah Ketner (www.smallandround.com) and myself.

And in December, I have a show lined-up at Compound Gallery (www.justbedesign.com) in Portland, Oregon. I am creating unpainted wooden sculptures to be sent out to artists to be customized.

This will be an international show. I am sending these out so far to artists in France, Germany, Japan and Argentina. I am really looking forward to see what other artist do with my blank character shape.

FMCS: What’s been the funniest response to your work that you have received from someone?

The funniest and most embarrassing responses I got, was from the custom Dunny I did for a Tristan Eaton show. My "Day Dream Dunny" had a word balloon above his head dreaming about a nude and very sexy female Dunny.

The word balloon is mechanized so when it is pushed down "Day Dream Dunny" would get a large erection in his ‘tighty whities’.

I caught my kids and their friends playing with this piece in my workshop. They were pretty embarrassed – as were adults at the gallery opening.

FMCS: Whootlebacks or kackle makers? Your preferred choice please?

Oh boy - I wish I knew what these are. It sounds like I am missing out on some fun here!

FMCS: Any respect due’s you would like to get off your chest? Send some love…

Yes - I would like to say "hey" to Chris Ryniak. He is my partner in crime (of sorts) when it comes to gallery shows. We have done a bunch together. He is always looking out for me and we keep each other motivated by trying to out-do one another.

Also, my wife, Jeannie and kids for putting up with the sounds of power tools at 3:00 in the morning. That is true love.

FMCS: Thanks Mr. Burnett for the interview and all the best for thefuture!

Thanks for having me. And congratulations on having an excellent website.

Site: www.mikeburnett.com

Contact: mike3burnett@hotmail.com