Sunday, July 26, 2015

Conan the Barbarian Masters of the Universe Classics Style

As I said in my post for my custom 3.75" Conan the Barbarian action figure (See it here.), I appreciate all versions of Robert E. Howard's character...well, almost...
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But even in these two examples, there are aspects that kick-ass because the source material is so good. (You gotta admit, kid Conan from the Jason Momoa movie was great.) From the written stories themselves, to Frazetta's paintings, to the Marvel comics, to Schwarzenegger's movies (Barbarian, and Destroyer), to the Dark Horse comics, even to the animated series "Conan The Adventurer", they all veer off into their own interpretations of Howard's character and each bring something special to the mix. So I tried to infuse elements of all of these interpretations into one custom Conan figure.

To that end, I gave him sullen icey blue eyes and thick black hair to be true to Howard's descriptions and Frazetta's paintings.
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However, I sculpted the hair to be more "Schwarzeneggeresk," and the details of the sword to be reminiscent of the Atlantean sword from the movies. I also chose a more "movie-star handsome" portrait for his face. The trademark gold band on his arm is, of course, inspired by the Marvel comics depiction.
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I gave him tattered armor, bracers, and a battle worn axe inspired by Cary Nord's work on the Dark Horse comics. Notice also the "Wheel of Pain" emblem pendant (and tiny leather necklace straps) around his neck inspired by the first Conan movie.
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Finally, because my son loves it, I gave him a shield inspired by the Conan the Adventurer cartoon complete with Needle the Phoenix on the face.(It really is an underrated kid's version of Conan. So if you dismissed it when it first aired in the 90's and now you have kids, I recommend it as a great first introduction to the character.)
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Here are a few more pics. Can you guess the inspiration for each pose?
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He was a long time coming and a labor of love. I hope you dig him. If you do, he's available on ebay right now. Click this link to check out the auction. http://www.ebay.com/itm/291524347567 Until next time, I remain The Insidious One.