Amiibo Artist & Nintendo brand ambassador GandaKris gives us the goods!
Hey Good People! It’s Chipz again with an interesting blog post today. All of them are interesting…what am I saying? Anyhoo, this one in particular intrigued me because it’s an interview with someone named Krystyne a.k.a. GandaKris, who’s a Nintendo Brand Ambassador, and she makes our favorite collectible items. That’s right folks, she makes Amiibos!! On top of that she has a truly interesting story. I wanted to thank my buddy Switch Akasha for allowing me to repost this wonderful interview on my site to share with all of you, feel free to check out his website. Sit back and enjoy!
-Chipz
GandaKris (Krystyne) is a GameInformer featured Nintendo Ambassador who creates the most amazing custom Amiibos out there. We contacted Krystyne on Instagram (@missgandakris) in regards to doing an interview with us and she was very kind and promptly responded to our inquiry. Our interview with her includes a more in-depth look into her creative background, her love for Nintendo & some awesome tips for creatives alike.
Enjoy and be sure to show her some love! (Social links below.)
Alright Krystyne, lets start with the basics–Where are you from?
Answer: I’m from Nevada born and raised! Most think it’s just a desert full of cactus and no wildlife but it’s my home.
How did you discover your passion for art?
Answer: Growing up it was hard for me to associate with the people around me. Making friends honestly didn’t occur till Junior year of High School. In the meantime I was taking art classes like drawing and ceramics since I needed electives. That same year I joined the video game club and met my closest friends till this day. By combining two things that I loved art and video game I was able to make conversations with those around me regarding my creations. I found a way to relate to people in turn removing the fear of being judged. My passion was to make friends through my art.
How did you get into sculpting and modeling specifically?
Answer: I took ceramics in High School and instead of doing the assigned projects I started to sculpt melee characters such as Kirby and Falco! Definitely not my best work but we all have to start somewhere haha.
Can you please tell us a little bit about your first contact with Nintendo and how it came to be?
Answer: Senior year was ending and soon I’d be out of ceramics class with no available materials. So I had to research ways to continue making art at home. Nintendo has always been an inspiration for my work and at a young age I knew straight out of high school I wanted to work for them. So after doing my research and making jewelry out of clay I sent a letter and examples of my work off to their headquarters. I received the nicest rejection letter in the mail but it didn’t hinder my motivation. Instead it fueled my passion even more. Through hard work and all the support I’ve been given I’m now a Nintendo Brand Ambassador.
How have your experiences been with the Art and Nintendo community so far?
Answer: Nothing but love and support. To be able to combine both communities into one has always been a dream come true. Not only do I get to make art but I can inspire the next 18 year old who maybe is scared of the unknown.
What have been some of your favorite projects to work on so far?
Answer: A few of my favorites would have to be Armored Mewtwo, Okami and Iwata Tribute. Armored Mewtwo is special because it reminds me of when I spent time with my family at the movie theaters watching all the Pokemon films. Okami was definitely one I loved not only was the outcome perfect but it also happens to be my little sisters favorite game. Iwata is the one Amiibo I can say made a huge impact in this world. Not only did it allow others to grieve but it also gave back to the community. It was auctioned off to raise money for St Jude!
If you could collaborate with one person who would it be and why?
Answer: If I had to choose an artist maybe ItsBirdy however it would be amazing to collaborate with The Rockhaha.
I think Adidas would be open to a Nintendo Adidas crossover who knows haha.
What are your plans for the future? (as far as Art or Nintendo–or both)
Answer: Both! I plan on putting all my focus on YouTube making Nerdy DIY tutorials, Custom Amiibo Tutorials, Streams and Gamer with Gains workout segments!
What are your favorite Nintendo games and characters?
Answer: It’s so hard to pick from but if I had to choose I’d say Super Smash bros Melee! My main has always been Pikachu and my sub is Ganon for the funzzies.
Do you have any tips for people who might be interested in getting into sculpting or moulding?
Super Mario Cereal Amiibo
Answer: Absolutely! Without going into great detail otherwise you’d be reading this forever the one thing to have is passion. It’s what keeps you going when things aren’t working out! I have a YouTube showing a much more detailed process but Passion is something you must always have.
That concludes our interview, a special thank you once again to Krystyne for her time and amazing story!
Below are a just a handful of key points we can take away from @Gandakris
Takeaway #1: Not only was art her outlet when nothing else stuck, but it brought friends around who couldn’t deny the awesomeness of her work. How powerful is that? Who can relate?
Takeaway #2: Never give up. With her passion for both Art and Nintendo, she combined the two and swung for the sky by doing her research and taking the first step. Though she got turned down at first, she ended up becoming an official Nintendo Ambassador by creating with passion and pressing forward.
Takeaway #3: Nothing but love here in the Nintendo community! If you’re an artist or just video games, there are a million and one ways to express yourself online, pick a route just do it! (sorry Nike)
Takeaway #4: What a doll. Her contribution to St. Jude by auctioning off her Satoru Iwata Amiibo in memory of the former Nintendo President is such a beautiful one of a kind dedication and tribute.
Takeaway #5: She is going to be focusing on her Youtube content, so lets all keep an eye out and subscribe should we find her tutorials and streams awesome. (how couldn’t you?)
Takeaway #6: Passion Passion Passion! Lets reflect on her story and take her words into action. If you want it and you love it, be thorough and don’t stop until you succeed.
Well there you have it folks, what did you think of the interview? Can you relate to Krystyne and what she’s been through, and what she continues to do? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
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