Featured Art: Boba Fett Prototype Funko Face Box
When we think of custom Star Wars packaging, one of the first names we think of is Nate of N8 Products. Despite being relatively new to the game, Nate has already made a splash in the Star Wars custom toy community, starting with his iconic vintage style custom Black Series boxes.
Nate has a keen eye for clean retro designs and, just as importantly, the skills and talent to bring them to life. Nate has since gone on to create custom vintage style card custom figures such as old Luke Skywalker, Rey, BB-8, and even John Boyega as himself. Fans of The Simpsons will also find an array of Luke Skywalker figures modeled after the show’s characters. Our favorite has to be Bespin Luke, complete with a detached hand!
As if the quality of his work wasn’t enough to catch our eye, Nate has also created a number of Boba Fett prototype custom pieces. Our favorite white-armored bounty hunter first made an appearance as a Black Series box, fitting in perfectly with his already impressive lineup. Next, he cranked things up to eleven by taking the popular Disney Infinity Boba Fett prototype repaint a step further by packaging it onto a brilliantly designed custom vintage card. He followed up strongly with a white version of his Black Series box, then released a stunning 18″ custom Boba Fett prototype figure with a box to match. More recently, Nate has come up with perhaps his greatest creation to date: the Funko Face Box. Despite the product’s recent debut, he was gracious enough to carve out some time for us to share about himself as a Star Wars customizer, collector, and fan. Thanks Nate!
What was your favorite Star Wars memory growing up?
I have a lot of favorite Star Wars memories growing up, but one of them was when I was a little kid I came home from watching The Empire Strikes Back at the movie theater. I can’t remember all the details, but I remember my Mom asking me if I liked the movie. I do remember being very excited about the fact that she even asked me if I liked the movie because I was so willing to talk about how much I really enjoyed it. I think it caught my parents by surprise how much I actually liked it and wanted to talk about it. They didn’t seem so interested in listening to me talk about it so much though. That was the first Star Wars movie I ever saw. Soon afterwards I watched A New Hope in the furniture/TV section of J. C. Penney at the mall. That movie was always on there.
You’re well known on Instagram for creating Star Wars-themed custom toys and packaging. When and how did you get started?
I’m actually kind of new to the customizing world. My very first custom was a Star Wars Funko Pop I made in late 2015. It was a Sabine Wren in her Rebels season one colors. I added some blacklight glow features to it. I think it turned out pretty cool, and I was happy with it. It took me a long time to finish because it was my first time doing something like this. It was a good learning experience, but now I’m much more efficient. Then I expanded to customizing Star Wars action figures in both 3.75″ and 6″ scales.
Your Instagram bio also indicates that you are a collector. What are some of your favorite Star Wars items in your collection?
Yes, I’ve been a huge Star Wars fan since I was a kid in the ’80s. I collected just about all the Star Wars action figures back then. Unfortunately I wasn’t wise enough to keep them sealed on their card. I kept them all in the Darth Vader case and the C-3PO case, and stored them in my closet. But when I went away for college my mom ended up clearing out all my stuff and put it in boxes in the garage, which ultimately led to a garage sale and all my Star Wars stuff was sold without my knowledge. I was devastated when I found out. Heartbroken, I later scavenged through the garage and luckily found a box that had a couple of my toys, namely the big vehicles: the Y-Wing, B-Wing, and the Millennium Falcon. The Millennium Falcon was my favorite because it was the biggest toy I ever owned and I still have it today, safe in my possession. That’s my sentimental favorite, but a couple years ago I bought a few vintage Star Wars action figures MOC off eBay for my personal collection. The Jedi Luke Skywalker figure is my favorite, even when I was a kid.
What is your favorite character and/or product line to work on?
I’ve been off and on with collecting throughout the years. I collected Star Wars figures during the mid-’90s to the early 2000’s. Then I lost interest for awhile. But then the Vintage Collection stuff came out, and that was cool because of the retro cards. So I collected some of the Vintage Collection figures. But I have to say, when the 6″ Black Series figures came out, that’s when my interest and excitement in collecting again was totally revived. These days, the 6″ Black Series line is my favorite. Obviously the biggest thing I’m known for is taking the Black Series box and designing it into a vintage style box. It was very exciting when I first came up with that concept. I didn’t know if something like that would be possible. But once I started working on it, a light bulb went off and it felt like I solved a puzzle. The moment I extended the metallic bar from the front to the side of the box around the “window”, that’s when I knew I had hit the mark. I’m really proud of the whole design overall. Now the vintage style boxes have evolved into slipcovers, which makes it easier for everyone to display their collection with a retro look. And as soon as I get my hands on the latest wave, I’ll make slipcovers for those too but I haven’t been able to find them yet. Haha!
Your latest creation is the Funko Face Box. What inspired the idea?
The Funko Face Box is something I came up with by accident. My two favorite things to collect these days are Black Series and Funko Pops. I already did something for the Black Series boxes, so I knew I wanted to design something involving a box protector for Funko Pops. I initially was going to do a standard Star Wars black-based design similar to what I did for the Black Series boxes and slipcovers. But as I was working on the box for the Boba Fett Funko Pop, I realized the way I shaped the graphics around the window kind of looks like Boba Fett’s mask from a certain point of view. So, once again I felt like a light bulb went off and I “let the Force guide me”. Haha! So I made the Boba Fett, then the Proto Fett, and Sabine. I’ve finished about six different ones and two more are almost done. There’s over 160 Star Wars Funko Pops, so I get to pick & choose which ones I want to make a Face Box for. Overall I’m really pleased with the end result. I think they’re really cool, and make a bad ass display. It may or may not be a big hit, but I’m pretty proud of this design too.
What was the most fun and most challenging part about developing the product?
The custom products I come up with are mainly based on what I think fans would like. As a fan myself, I know what I would like. In regards to packaging, whether it’s Star Wars figures or Funko Pops, there’s always a way to make things more appealing. Most Star Wars fans, including myself, love that classic vintage retro look. So I look at new Star Wars merchandise and say “How can I put an old twist on this new thing?” In other words, “How can I make this look cooler?” Or in regards to the figure itself, a lot of times the toy companies haven’t made a particular figure yet. That’s when we as Customizers take it upon ourselves to make that figure for ourselves and/or provide to those who want it. It’s a lot of fun to create things.
Last but not least, what is your dream goal as a toy customizer
Well, I really enjoy coming up with creative, innovative ideas and making them a reality. It’s a fun hobby, but if it really starts to take off, I’ll be more than pleased. Hopefully I’ll make even bigger strides in the new year. I’m in the process of making my own website, but in the meantime you can find my designs on eBay and Instagram under the name n8products. May the Force be with us all!
About Nate of N8 Products
Nate of N8 Products is a Star Wars Customizer and Collector. He can be found on Instagram as @n8products, and his custom Star Wars creations can be purchased on eBay.