XM Studios constantly pushing boundaries

"WE are often labelled as crazy people because we do crazy stuff," declares Bryan Tan with a certain modicum of pride. "Sometimes the toys we make are not meant for the general public. Like S$6,000 statues that are larger than the two of us combined - who is going to buy that?"

And yet, people do. XM Studios has in fact made quite a name for itself in the field of collectible toys, no small feat given that when they started out, many doors were slammed in their faces simply because they were too small and too unknown.

Fast forward to 2019 and we are seated in the secret lair that is XM Studios' headquarters - behind dark doors that have been wrapped to look like a vault from the outside, protected by a high-tech looking alarm system and a cryptic sign that simply states "artists at work". We are surrounded by wall-to-ceiling cabinets filled with statues of every size but this is not even the full extent of the company's collection.

Mr Tan and Ben Ang are just two of the five co-founders of XM Studios, which designs and produces handcrafted cold-cast porcelain statues for pop culture brands such as Marvel, DC and Transformers. The other three are Mr Ang's older brothers Seng and Clair Ang, and another business partner, Chris Sng.

But what makes their story in particular so compelling is their unlikely start. The "Ang bros" started out as a hobby shop where they taught hobbyists how to paint their own models. Over the years they branched into building and servicing life-sized and larger-than-life sculptures for shopping malls and even Universal Studios Singapore.

In 2012, XM Studios was launched, with a focus on popular culture brands. Mr Ang says: "When we started out, there was a handful - maybe three brands in the world - that are producing similar stuff. Now, I think, there are seven or eight."

The founders of XM Studios knew they had to differentiate themselves right from the get-go. Mr Tan says: "I am quite confident to say we were one of the first to do dynamic poses when we started. But now, a lot of people use this as a benchmark."

According to the duo, characters used to just hold a "museum pose" - whether standing straight and tall or with their arms folded. For the artists at XM Studios, the aim is to recreate poses that mimic flight or jumping, action poses that reflect the superheroes' abilities.

"When we design our pose, we have a lot of switch outs. We can have two or three different portraits with different expressions and we can have two or three different arms holding different things. So that when you put them on and change them they tell different stories," adds Mr Ang.

In 2012, the crew decided to tackle a new challenge: breaking into the Batman market. With all the different Batman variations - comic, movie or game versions - already licensed to different producers, XM Studios decided to do the next best thing: create their own Batman.

The "Batman Samurai" series transports Batman and all the characters from that universe into a world like no other. Part samurai, part cyber punk and techy so as to honour Batman's affinity for his gadgets, this character is perched on a Japanese-style roof with intricately carved swords hanging by his belt.

"When we first created it, of course people were resistant to the change. They were like: What are you doing to our Batman? Batman is our legend, our icon, what have you done?"

Gamble with Batman

It is a gamble that has paid off. In fact, the two years the team spent working with creative teams to work out the back stories and create different allies and enemies for the Batman series was an early foreshadowing of the direction they are now taking: new characters with original back-stories that are exclusive to XM Studios. Also in the wings: a gallery-style experience store for collectors to showcase their prototypes and let collectors (and the curious) see how their products are created.

"An experience store is something we've always wanted because collectors always say: Ben, you're in Singapore but there's nowhere for us to see your items. Even the studio here is not open to the public," says Mr Ang.

The envisioned space will be a gallery, an experience walkway to show how the products are created, and, in Mr Tan's words, a place for hobbyists to hang out after their partners throw them out of the house for "spending too much on toys".

There are, in fact, many aspects to the trade that casual collectors may be unaware of. Indeed, the process is surprisingly tedious. From conceptualisation to creation of a master prototype - where Seng Ang experiments with different colours and paint techniques to lay down the "master paint" - each stage requires approval from the licensors.

And then comes the tricky bit - engineering. Because while the design may look good on paper, it may not stand up to scrutiny after production.

Mr Ang explains: "Let's say you want your character to fly. How do you want to achieve the flying effect? These are all cold cast porcelain figures and can weigh from eight to 10kg, or even 20kg. If you want to have it standing on one leg, you have to make sure it's properly engineered so it will stand the test of time.

"And which material do you choose? Which is more flexible and more suitable for this particular pose and design?"

The pieces are even put through high heat and pressurised environments. If the statue starts to lean or crack, adjustments are made and the process is repeated. All in, over 100 hours of work by professional artists and digital sculptors go into each piece, says Mr Ang. Each piece is individually hand painted, and every arm and torso is taken out before it is sanded down and fitted together. Indeed, no two pieces are exactly the same, and that is why they command such hefty sale prices.

However, the founders are aware that they are missing out on a large chunk of the market. This year, they are expanding their range of toys, with cheaper options aimed at children. Mr Tan promises, however, that whatever the price point, every piece XM Studios produces will continue to meet the high standards collectors have come to expect.

"We always have to stay true to our core characters and beliefs and brand. So, the best quality, the best materials, the best engineers to make the product, and the best storytelling.

"We ourselves are collectors. We are boys that haven't grown up. We like to smile and giggle sillily when we see our comics and our toys. That's the same thing we want to bring to all the big boys out there."