It’s not often that we as journalists truly get an opportunity to present an undiscovered gem like Mike Schultz and Shark City Ozark. 

Most of the collectibles we buy are well known, from large corporations, manufactured in China as cheaply and quickly as possible.  Sadly, we’ve become all too accustomed to breakage, mismatched parts, and sloppy paint; literally for decades now.  Then one night, I happened by chance upon Shark City Ozark.  Like me, it was clear from the onset that Mike Schultz was as passionate about the film “Jaws” as I was.  Let’s face it, there really has been a dearth of Jaws-inspired merchandise in the marketplace, let alone quality merchandise.  Now, through hard work, dedication, research, and lots of talent, Mike has not only found a way to manufacture the single greatest and most accurate Bruce the shark collectible, he has also discovered a new way to fabricate it.  Well, maybe it’s fair to say that he’s rediscovered it.  Since it’s been a while, you may have forgotten what it’s called, but never fear, Captain Collector is here to help! 

It’s called “Quality Customer Service.” 

You see, Mike fabricates these maquettes one at a time, by hand, and each is made to each individual customer’s preferences!  What Mike has accomplished is simply extraordinary.  For those of you familiar with the shark in question, you will instantly recognize that Mike has captured the beast like no other has.  Mathematically recreated from decades of researching rare behind the scenes photos, Mike’s beast measures over 3 feet long, and dwarfs Sideshow’s laudable efforts not only in size, but in quality and accuracy.   I am qualified to make that statement, also being a proud owner of Sideshow’s Jaws maquette.  It just doesn’t measure up, and Shark City Ozark has stepped in to fill that void.  Sideshow’s efforts represent A shark, not THE shark.  Not the shark that killed Chrissie Watkins, and certainly not the shark that ate the little Kintner boy. 

This is not a situation where what you get looks close, but not as nice as the prototype.  Let’s face it, from Sideshow’s statues to Toy Biz’s Marvel Legends, as collectors we’ve become all too used to seeing amazing prototypes, only to have the final product fall short of our pre-installed expectations by some measure of percentage.  It’s inevitable, manufacturing in China at a factory which wants to crank your production run out as quickly and cheaply as they possibly can. 

This is simply not the case with Shark City Ozark.  Each piece is not only made to order (i.e. how droopy you want the fins, how bloody the maw is, how battle damaged the teeth are, etc.), but you have a great deal of control in the final appearance of your collectible.   Of course, you can always let Mike do what he does best, and trust his instincts as well.  Based on the images shown below, you’ll see that you can’t go wrong trusting Mike’s vision.  Check out Mike’s Bio below, gawk at the pretty pictures, and get a sense of what it is to be pursuing the American dream as an artist and a collector.  It’s encouraging to know that “Made in America’ hasn’t completely gone the way of the buffalo on the old frontier. And while the world population of sharks is diminishing, Mike Schultz is doing his part to make sure one big shark in particular is here to stay in a BIG way.

  There’s more pieces coming from this little engine that could very soon,  look for their latest press release right here in the coming weeks.  Oh, I almost forgot to let you all know – I’m not only amazed by SCO’s work, I’m also a customer who plunked down his hard-earned cash for the right to own one of these magnificent works of art.  Soon I’ll be showing you pics of my very own Bruce NTT and doing an in-depth review!  Be sure to check out SCO’s website www.sharkcityozark.com and their chat board www.createforum.com/operationorca for more pictures & information.  And just think, you probably thought it was safe to go back in the water…

Born and raised in Tucson Arizona, Mike Schultz, spent his early years in local libraries pouring over sculpting and casting books seeking to absorb every possible thing he could learn about the craft he would hone as a career. Developing an early talent for sculpting, Schultz created his first animatronic or mechanical great white shark at the age of 11. 

He soon found he had a passion making the imaginary real, spending his formative teen years discovering techniques to build ball and socket animation characters, as well as elaborate cutting edge cable controlled creatures to the astonishment of his peers. 

Taking his newly honed skill to another level at the age of 19, he created yet another mechanical shark. This time Schultz pushed the envelope building a 6-foot forward 1/3 section of a full size Great White as a presentation piece to the Universal Studios tour in Florida for use in their soon to open JAWS attraction.  Missing the opportunity due to Universal’s abrupt choice to use an in house union builder, Schultz took what he had learned and forged on undaunted. With his passion for shark building as strong as ever, Mike knew that someday his dream could still be realized if he followed his goal.

While Schultz certainly loves sharks, he’s also produced a multitude of other mysterious and incredible creatures including a full-scale Tyrannosaurus Rex.  Between 1998-2005 Mike created high quality dinosaur and fossil castings as well as elaborate diorama displays for a popular Dinosaur museum attraction in Florida. In addition Schultz began building innumerable paleontological replicas for private collectors that had heard about the work Schulz was capable of.

Among his other professions while learning his craft and to help support his family during this period Mike was also a pastor, carpenter, State Correctional Officer, and most recently a 911 operator for the city of Ozark Mo. Finally realizing his talent should be fully shared and utilized, Mike decided to dive into the profession of full time sculptor.

After having literally faced death repeatedly in 2009 from a misdiagnosis, Mike decided to make his passion for art his primary focus and livelihood, rather than a secondary income to support his family. As a profound believer in God, Mike hasn’t looked back.

His latest project known simply as ‘Bruce NTT (Nose To Tail)’ has gained the welcomed attention of some of the entertainment industries greatest talents, including some that actually worked on the original ‘Jaws’ films that inspired Mike to pursue his dream in the first place.

One of Mike’s goals is to be able to produce the absolute highest quality shark toys and collectibles available in a market he sees in need. “I want to see quality shark toys on store and theme park shelves with an accuracy level and quality that matches professional special effects realism.”  Whether it be producing tie-in collectibles or generic yet realistic shark renditions; Mike is looking to fulfill a void.

“I grew up wishing there were good shark toys and when I never found what I was looking for I guess I realized I needed to be the one to make that happen. Not tomorrow…but today.” Mike V. Schultz

Shark City Ozark

While the name Shark City Ozark might not sound instantly familiar, SCO has been in the SPFX business for over 30 years quietly creating museum quality three-dimensional interactive art for highly satisfied clients who demand nothing but the best. SCO realistically creates the imaginary for endless applications and more…on time and under budget with a reputation for doing more than the minimum.

For more about Mike Schultz and Shark City Ozark visit:

http://www.sharkcityozark.com

 

About the Author: Captain Collector A veteran member of the toy journalism community for more than ten years, Steve "Captain Collector" Ceragioli has been an avid collector for four decades. Known for his honest reviews and vivid photography, he has written for some of the most prestigious action figure sites on the web. As a collector, Steve can often be found at local retail stores, hunting for the latest releases and meeting fellow collectors. Steve collects many of today's hottest toy lines, and he has a massive collection of vintage toys and knowledge. Cap brings a deep passion for the hobby along with him to AFHub!

 

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