Its
been a looong time since I did any custom work, and even longer since I made a
figure. Despite the fact that I have a
few outstanding works for other people, I wanted to ease back into it with a
project that’s been percolating for ages.
While I liked my Rocketeer custom, I was always wanted to improve upon
it, as well as actually make a decent scratch-build of the helmet.
The figure was a Spider-Man at one time in the distant
past. I spliced on some Bullseye boots,
LOTR Denethor hands, and clothed him in some fabric...the jacket is made from
some thin material that has a leathery texture (thanks phinny), allowing for
greater range of motion, and scales better.
The pants were made from some stretchy material that unfortunately
pilled up when painted...I’m not too happy with the texture. The helmet is pure epoxy putty that has been
sanded and smoothed, with styrene fin and intakes, and fishing line for the art
deco styling on the side. The recessed
lenses and breathing grate were achieved by applying masking tape to those
areas, spraying several layers of primer, and removing the masking tape once
the primer had dried. There was enough
of a recess in the paint to distinguish the lines.
The “Cirrus X-5” (as opposed to the X-3), was made from a
plumber fitting, a plastic vial for the dome top, some styrene rod chopped up
for the little rivets, fodder bits, and
some strips of vinyl. I sprayed it with
metallic silver, and accented it with antique gold. I outfitted the bottom booster with a narrow channel to
accommodate a flame chunk from a Marvel Legends War Machine.
Lord knows the whole recipe list for this custom! Kingdom Come Superman parts, Marvel Legends Captain America, lots of epoxy putty for sculpted details, leather work, an Evil Ash sword, and some vinyl and plastic card for the shield. This one got ebayed I believe.
I always loved the Blue Beetle's design. An early experiment with fabric, some leather work, a modified Gambit head on a Bullseye body, and you have a vintage serial style Blue Beetle.
Another oldie! Combines DC Direct Kingdom Come Wonder Woman head and hands, Marvel Legends Elektra torso, mystery legs, sculpt and leather hybrid chest detailing, leather costuming, and a repainted Lord of the Rings Boromir shield. This one was given as a trade not long after it was made. I like the look of this figure...always have.
Another oldie! Again, this was made in 2006, and uses Marvel Legends and Lord of the Rings parts. The beard was sculpted, as was much of the hair. Mjolnir was made from a length of hard plastic tube, epoxy putty for the head, and some leather strip. The tunic and cape are leather, and the fur lining the cape is from a Spawn figure I believe. I eBayed this one a couple of years ago when money was tight (but when isn't it?). Figured I'd post it here seeing as how the big shiny Avengers movie is just around the corner.
Since I haven't had much time as of late, I figured I'd dip back into the past and update with an oldie...Adam West Batman! The base figure is a DC Direct Superfriends Lex Luthor, modified with epoxy putty, vinyl, and a beautiful fabric that was 'donated' by a fellow named Martin from England. I made this custom in 2006, which scares the crap out of me because that was six years ago! Why am I posting this specific custom now? I caught an episode of Batman '66 a few nights ago, and my wife (who has never seen the show before) was laughing out loud. Of course she was...it was the episode where Batman does the famous Batusi! The past couple of decades have not been kind to this show, but I think its actually quite amazing. Sure, I love the Nolan films, and I appreciate the depth given to the character by the finest creators of modern comics, but Batman '66 reflected the Silver Age comics perfectly, and really was a live-action recreation of Carmine Infantino's artwork. Besides...the Barris Batmobile is fantastic. I'd take an episode of this show before any of the Tim Burton or Joel Schumacher films any day. I still have this custom too...he represents a stylistic departure from my usual work during this very prolific period.
