Beyond Toys: Who's the Master of Asia's Anime Figures?

Meet master modeler Dio Wong, who specializes in making prototypes of “figures”—wildly popular Japanese anime figurines.

He tells Joanne Lee about sculpting the perfect figure and turning art into engineering.

HK Magazine: What was your first figure?
Dio Wong: I bought a few [manga] figures such as from “Urusei Yatsura” and “Fist of the North Star.” At the time there were very few human figures—only robots were available. I found them in a magazine and thought they were fascinating.

HK: What exactly does a master modeler do?
DW: Every product has a prototype. Master modelers are like product designers—we design and sculpt 3D figures from 2D comics. Master modelers and figurine sculptors are different—it’s like the difference between interior designers and renovators. Master modelers need to have a background knowledge of art as well as the production procedure. We teach ourselves.

HK: Why become a master modeler?
DW: I love making figures. I started studying it in Form 1. My family had a factory—not a toy one, but they knew about manufacturing. My mother said the figures I had bought were made of silicon. She told me there were many chemical stores on Bonham Strand, and to ask them about materials and molding.

HK: What kind of figures do you enjoy making the most?
DW: I do not limit my interests to specific figuring—I like making figures that have great capacity for creativity. People who ask me to design a figure should expect something new. I don’t like working under too many restrictions. It makes me feel I’m a figure sculptor instead of a master modeler.