Quantum Mechanix Inc. (QMx), a privately-held developer of licensed, high-quality entertainment replicas, today announced that Ben Mund, better known by the alias "Whitefall," has been "bound by law and sentenced to hard labor" as the first
QMx Artisan.
Mund, who is best known for his many beautiful, highly detailed tributes to
Firefly and
Serenity, has an extensive background in visual design and a real passion for the science fiction genre.
Mund has spent the last 15 years as a corporate graphics designer and marketer in the CAD/CAM industry. He has been a paper prop designer for nearly two decades and discovered the larger prop community within the last ten years. "The work that I've truly loved - creating screen-accurate paper props - has been outside of my professional life until now," Mund said. "I've used prop design as a tool for keeping my skills sharp and because it lets me play with fantastic designs that I would never get to work with otherwise."
Mund started his "sentence" at QMx late last year as a member of the QMx Brain Trust - an advisory committee of hard-core fans who work with the prop development team to help ensure accuracy and "maximum fan joy." He was a member of the core group that supported development of the
Official Serenity Blueprints, the entire 750-unit limited edition of which recently sold out.
Mund, like the rest of the QMx team, is also a serious prop collector. "I have a focused collection of screen-used props from sci-fi films with design aesthetics that I most enjoy, including
Serenity and
Blade Runner," he said.
Mund is already hard at work on his first couple of projects for QMx, both in the Serenity 'Verse. He would love to tell you about them, but unfortunately, he cannot divulge the exciting details as it would violate his nondisclosure agreement and would activate the subdermal explosives all QMx artisans and staff are required to have implanted.
Mund had this to say about the decision to join QMx: "What drew me to QMx was the Serenity license; I was curious about what the company would produce. After hearing the initial list and the association with Geoffrey Mandel, my excitement only grew."
"What really sold me, though, were the people. After having the opportunity to talk to QMx's leadership, it became obvious that this was a group with a great combination of movie knowledge and passion for creating props that really helped you feel like you were part of the film. And that's what drew me to props in the first place," Mund said. "Oh, yeah, and the large amount of ordnance aimed in my general direction - that was pretty compelling, too."
"Above all, I'm an enthusiastic fan who is flattered beyond belief at being asked to contribute to the official 'Verse," said Mund. That level of enthusiasm is a key reason why QMx is proud to welcome Ben Mund as the first QMx Artisan.
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