Insidious Customs: The Ultimate Action Figure Art

Ultimate Spirit and Freedom G.I. JOE Custom Action Figure Art

2012-01-29T22:50:00.000-06:00

While I really like Spirit's portrayal as a smart, stoic individual with a keen knowledge of the natural world in the G.I. JOE: A Real American Hero comic book series written by Larry Hama, his portrayal in the 80's cartoon as a mystic "other" with a bad stereotypical Native American accent annoyed me. So I always had mixed feelings about the character. And when he was released in the 25th Anniversary line in 2008, the figure was abysmal. It was almost as if they had run out of money to paint his details. Freedom, his eagle companion was a plain brown and worst of all, Spirit's head-sculpt and deco made him look like an 80-year-old Johnny Cash impersonator. (See pic for comparison below.)

So as you can see, Spirit needed an overhaul. First, I added washes to his clothes and gear to bring out the sculpted details. Then, I went to town on the gear painting his grenades, trinkets, clips, handles, and even the buttons on his pouches. I painted the gun barrel and scope and detailed the "arrows" in the removable clips. I gave Freedom a wash and then dry brushed his feathers to bring out all the details.

Finally, I replaced his head with a Slayer Design Studios head that was a better likeness of Spirit and had more Native American features. The hair braids were a particular challenge as the head was cast in a fairly rigid plastic. And even after heating and shaping the braids around the gear, the one on the right still stuck out very unnaturally. I carefully cut the braid mid-length and repositioned it using some sculpting material so that it laid closer to his chest and followed the contours of his gear. I then painted the head matching the skin tone of the arms.

I hope you dig him. If you do, he's available on Ebay right now! Click this link to check out the auction. Until next time, I remain The Insidious One.

Selene from Underworld Awakening Custom Action Figure Art - In Progress

2012-01-19T13:40:00.001-06:00

I was planning to have my latest Selene custom action figure finished for the theatrical premiere of Underworld Awakening on Friday, January 20th. But it doesn't look like I'll have the time to do it.

However, I still wanted to share my excitement for the latest installment in the Vampire vs. Werewolf vs. Humans franchise with a rare behind the scenes "test fit" photo. A test fit is when I assemble all the pieces that will go into a custom figure for the first time. I've already worked on the individual parts sanding, smoothing, prepping, and even sculpting them, but this is the first time I see them all working together. It is here that I make sure the proportions are right and make any final mechanical adjustments.

My first Selene was okay, but since I was finally able to get the Slayer Design Studios torso, I wanted to upgrade everything about the figure including a head that looked more like actress Kate Beckinsale. This time, I used a different Joe head as a base and then sculpted the hair. (I also sculpted bracers on her arms - Not pictured.) The rest of the body parts are from various Joe females. Some of the joints didn't quite fit together so I had to dremel them a bit. And while the detail on the Slayer torso is top notch, the corset "tribal" markings were omitted.

To remedy the situation, I painstakingly created a waterslide decal of the tribal markings and will apply it to the finished figure. (What's a waterslide decal? You can see what I'm talking about here.) The decal turned out really great and I can't wait to see it applied to the figure.

I hope you enjoyed this sneak-peak behind the creative curtain. I'll post finished pics as soon as she is complete. Until next time, I remain The Insidious One.

Giant Human Sized Globe Suit Custom

2011-11-29T14:03:00.003-06:00

Yeah, I know this one is a stretch but I've been getting a lot of messages asking what I've been up to lately. Well here are the answers...

1) I moved.
2) I've been working on a lot of commissions for clients. (Pics of those coming soon.)
3) I've been creating and producing games and "interactives" for events and trade-shows.
4) I've been writing and producing commercials and viral videos for consumer products companies. Sometimes, even making the props for these videos.

One such video was for Replogle. If you're not familiar with Replogle, take a closer look at just about any globe. That's right, more than likely Replogle made it. They are the largest globe manufacturer in the world and they approached me to do some demo videos for a new product called The Intelliglobe.

It's an interactive globe that comes with an electronic pen that allows you to touch anywhere on the globe to learn tons of interesting things about that place. The information is provided through audio so you can hear voices, music, and even animal sounds. You can compare different parts of the world in several different ways from life expectancy (one of my curious favorites) to population. The database is massive and you could literally sit and play with it for hours and not even scratch the surface of the information it contains. (You can check out here.)

After playing with it for just a few minutes, I felt it was worthy of more than a demo video. So I suggested that in addition to the demo videos, we shoot a commercial / viral video to give this product the attention it deserves.

They were open to the idea so I met with my long time collaborator and good friend Matt Wechsler of Hourglass Films. A few hours and two Kuma burgers later, we came up with the plot for the video that we affectionately called "He Knows Too Much." In the video "a giant globe runs through the streets of Chicago in a hilarious mad-cap chase" as I later explained in the pitch meeting.

Well Replogle loved the idea so I had to figure out a way to make it all happen. Luckily, I was able to secure a slightly imperfect giant globe from Replogle. It is the largest model that they make (and is the same model that's in the Oval Office). This globe normally costs several thousand dollars and here I was having to hack it up with a saw because it needed to be wearable by an actor.

It was so big (64 inches), it was going to be difficult transporting it to all the locations so I decided to cut it in half. Using the lines of latitude and longitude as a guide, and outfitting my Dremel with a special diamond tipped cutting disk, I started cutting. I only had one shot at this as this was the only one they would spare so slow and steady was the order of the day. Any small slip could destroy the paper covering of the globe. The plastic walls were so thick, when I was finished cutting, the cutting disk was trashed.

I cut two arm holes in the sides and a viewing hole near the top so the actor could at least see in front of them. However, I attached a wire mesh in front of the viewing hole to obscure the actor's face. I sanded down all the openings to make them as smooth as possible but they were still a little rough because of the quality and thickness of the plastic. (Sorry about that rip in your shirt, Roy.) I cut a hole in the bottom so the actor 's body could stick out. To keep the two halves of the globe together, I attached industrial grade Velcro to the inside edges with super strong epoxy. The actor could secure the Velcro once he was inside the globe.

Matt and I scouted some fantastic Chicago locations like Zia's restaurant in Edison Park and drew from the stellar pool of Chicago area actors to form the cast. It was a long, two day shoot but it couldn't have been better. The video below is the result and you can finally see the globe in action!

I hope you dig this little divergence. I promise more custom figures next week. My clients have commissioned some real beauties. Until next time, I remain The Insidious One.

The Little Differences: Pre-Filmation Alcala Mini-Comic Style He-Man

2011-11-21T12:41:00.002-06:00

Vincent: It's the little differences. I mean, they got the same $#!t over there that we got here, but it's just – it's just there it's a little different.

*****

Today's installment of "The Little Differences" features a figure that has been a personal quest of mine since the Masters of the Universe Classics line began; a pre-Filmation mini-comic stlye He-Man as drawn by master illustrator Alfredo Alcala.

As you may have read in previous posts (Blond Teela and Eldor), my preferred version of the MOTU mythos is the one laid out in the first four mini-comics from 1981 where He-Man is a barbarian that leaves his jungle tribe to fight evil. (They call him Oo-Lar on the new MOTUC bios.)

In these books, He-man looks a little different than in other sources. For example; the bracer on his left arm matches his right arm, his skin is a little less bronze, his armor a little lighter gray, and the fur on his boots is a little lighter in color.

The differences are subtle, but to me, they are substantial. Here's the parts break down...

Head = Prince Adam (serious face)
Body = King Grayskull
Arms = Preternia Disguise He-Man
Boots = Preternia Disguise He-Man
Armor = Green Goddess
Trunks = He-Man
Weapons = He-Man

Here's a comparision shot that shows the differences between my He-Man (left) and the standard He-Man (right)

The challenge was finding a body whose skin tone matched the double bracer arms from Preternia Disguise He-M an. The skin tone of this figure is much lighter than regular He-Man. Luckily, King Grayskull's skin is lighter too. Prince Adam's slightly lighter skin tone head also was a good match and the slightly less intense eyebrows offer up a nice change from standard He-Man. (The hair piece was positioned a little high on this particular head and I plan to go back and reposition it.) The boots were an easy boil-and-pop swap. The slightly lighter armor from the Green Goddess was an easy fix. Finally, the trunks were, as always, a challenge to swap from regular He-Man, but nothing a little boiling water and elbow grease couldn't handle.

Based on the parts used, this was a fairly expensive figure to make but thanks to the awesome traders and sellers on He-Man.org and HissTank, I finally have the He-Man I always wanted. (Now I just have to find a good dagger to add to his boot!)

I hope you dig him as much as I do. If you do (or don't for that matter), leave a comment. Until next time, I remain The Insidious One.

Bultar Swan (Clone Wars Armor) Star Wars Custom Action Figure Art

2011-08-22T13:12:00.002-05:00

I've always felt the Jedi "extras" shown in quick cuts during the arena battle on Geonosis in Star Wars: Attack of the Clones made the Jedi look wimpy. Their lightsaber swinging was stiff, they didn't leap through the air, and when they twirl-kicked (I'm talking about you Agen Kolar) they looked plain silly. Bultar Swan was one of these hapless background characters so I never gave her a second thought...until I read a story in one of the Clone Wars Adventures comic books

In it, she was the lone survivor after a hard fought battle on an Separatist planet. And like Obi-Wan in the Cartoon Network Clone Wars animated mini series, she wore modified clone trooper armor.

Finally, Bultar looked, moved, and fought like a Jedi should. (Sorry Bultar Swan actress.)

So inspired by this story, I decided to make a figure worthy of this appearance. I used parts form both versions Hasbro released, added some clone armor parts, repainted her and then added battle damage and weathering to give her armor to give that, "I've been fighting armies of droids for 30 days straight without a break" look.

I hope you dig her as much as I do. Until next time, I remain "The Insidious One."

Eldor Masters of the Universe Classics Custom Action Figure Art

2011-07-21T10:14:00.005-05:00

Eldor, the Heroic Guardian of the Book of Living Spells was supposed to be released in the 1987 "Powers of Grayskull" series of the Masters of the Universe action figure line. (You can see more photos and read more about him here at He-Man.org.)

As you may have read in my blond Teela post, my Masters of the Universe mythos do not include Prince Adam. However, I had the figure as a kid so my brother and I utilized him as a heroic wizard. (A character class that seems oddly absent from the line.) In 2001 while I was working at a small toy design and licensing company, I was thumbing through the old Toy Fair catalogs and saw Eldor for the first time. I had no idea they has planned to fill the gap my brother and I had filled with Adam all those years ago. And I thought he would have made an excellent addition to the line.

Jump ahead to 2008 and the Masters of the Universe Classics line. Slowly but surely other previously unreleased characters from "Preternia" such as He-Ro and Preternia He-Man are released. The time seemed ripe for a character like Eldor to finally have his day. Unfortunately, to date, he has not. So I once again took matters into my own hands.

The Book of Living Spells was a labor of love and a challenge to make. It features a flexible vinyl binding and actual spells written in it.

Preternian heroes unite!

I hope you dig him. Until next time, I remain The Insidious One.

Rafael Nieves: Non-Fictitious Character Custom Action Figure Art

2011-05-09T22:08:00.003-05:00

I didn't become this super talented writer, artist, and maker of all things cool over night. ;-) It took years of practice and the help of several very talented individuals who shepherded me in these areas. One such shepherd is Eisner Award nominated writer Rafael Nieves. Over the years, Raf has lent more than just an ear to hundreds of my cockamamie scripts and story ideas helping me make each one better. But even more than that, Raf is the wheel hub around which my creative pals spin. He keeps us together and he keeps us moving. So when his birthday came up this year, I wanted to do something special to say thanks for all that he's done for me. The finished piece ended up looking so much like Tony Stark I thought I'd share.

His accessories include his ever present Mac Laptop with red cover (for pounding out his latest masterpiece), glasses, and of course a cigarette.

The head started as a G.I. JOE: Rise of Cobra "Breaker." I cut the hair off his forehead, sanded it smooth, sculpted his signature coif and sanded down the nose. Crafting the tiny hoop earrings was a challenge and I actually ended up sculpting them separately and then gluing them on afterward.

Here we are at Dan Con 2011 where I presented him with the completed piece.

Until next time, I remain "The Insidious One."

Uncle Owen & Aunt Beru Star Wars: A New Hope Custom Action Figure Art

2011-04-10T12:59:00.009-05:00

Just about everyone who saw Star Wars: A New Hope as a young child has a memory of the charred skeletal remains of Uncle Own and Aunt Beru burned into their memory. (Pun intended.)

They appear on screen for only a few seconds but it's long enough to cause one to imagine what those stormtroopers may have done to make them that way. (More on that later.)

So when Hasbro released the Toys R Us exclusive "Disturbance at the Lars Homestead" playset, I thought we might finally get 3 3/4 scale figures or at least some kind of sculpted relief to represent the skeletons. "Outragous!" you say? Well it wouldn't be the first time as sometime back in the 1990s the Micro Machines "Death Star Playset" included a Lars Homestead area including a patch of sand that you could flip to reveal the skeletons. (Check out the video here if you don't believe me.)

Well, we didn't get the skeleton figures so I once again took matters into my own hands. Below is the result.

They really complete any Lars Homestead diorama and now I can't imagine not having them there.

After I made them, I had a bit of fun imagining what those nasty Imperial Stormtroopers did to Luke's poor adopted parents so I created a little comic or "photonovel" as they say. It's called "What Really Happened on Tatooine? Click the graphic below to see it.

If you liked that one, check out the other banner links on the right side of the page. Also, I have some great Star Wars stuff coming up so subscribe to the blog or follow me on Twitter so you don't miss out. Until next time, I remain "The Insidious One."

"Smile for the camera, you two crazy kids!"

Law & Order G.I. JOE Custom Action Figure Art Take 2

2011-02-25T08:23:00.001-06:00

I made my first Law and Order a few years ago and I was really happy with how they turned out. Since then, Hasbro gave us this ROC version. But that wasn't even close to what we wanted from a Law and Order so I thought it was time to give them another go.

I had two objectives with this piece; 1) Make the colors and details even closer to the vintage figure card art and 2) More accurately and realistically equip the figures including gear and painted details.

I researched German Shepards to get Order's fur just right and I even gave him a "wet" nose. The "MP" waterlide decals I created for my original piece still look great on the helmet and arm band. (I printed an extra set so contact me if you want to buy a pair for your custom.)

"It's getting late, Order. And Shipwreck still hasn't checked in. Cover Girl said he was headed this way after the bar closed. I can't imagine how he got in here but it's a good thing I brought the bolt cutters."

"Wake up, Shipwreck! By the smell of your breath, I'm guessing that cup isn't filled with Slurpee."
"Woof, woof!"

"On your feet sailor! I'm not carrying you back to base this time!"

"Quiet night tonight, Order."

"Woof, woof!"
"You spot something there, buddy?"

"Oh no, a Cobra Viper from Rise of Cobra! You're in real trouble, pal. Order really hated that movie!"

I went a bit crazy with the gear but I wanted to include everything Law and Order would need to keep the peace among the JOEs. I hope you dig 'em. If you do, follow me at the links on the right side of the page or leave a comment. (I read all posted comments.) Until next time, I remain "The Insidious One."

Lady Jaye G.I. JOE Custom Action Figure Art

2011-02-19T16:48:00.000-06:00

Whether you prefer the ball-cap and jumpsuit wearing vintage figure or the raspy voiced short-haired version from the old cartoon, every JOE fan has a special place in their heart for Flint's main squeeze; Lady Jaye. Hasbro has done a few versions of her over the last few years but they've all come up short in one aspect or another. So when a client contacted me about doing his favorite version of Lady Jaye which is based on her appearance on a comic book cover, I jumped at the chance to not only do this unique version of her, but to do her right.

The 25th Anniversary single carded "hat wearing" Lady Jaye actually has one of my favorite face sculpts of any 18th scale action figure. In fact, I like it so much I used it on my Agent Courtney Krieger Cover Girl. Unfortunately, the hair is pretty goopy-looking so just like the Cover Girl, I cut it off. This time, however, I re-sculpted her entire hairdo to give it the same kind of playfulness it has on the comic cover.

I also sculpted the belt buckle, additional web-gear, and rounded off the top of the hat to make it more of a ball cap. The extra pouches were cut off another figure and attached with super glue.

I detailed the heck out of her with paint and washes. There are actually 3 colors in the camo-pattern but the lighter green doesn't show up so well in the photos.

I hope you dig her. If you do, leave a comment, follow me at the links on the right or contact me for a commission of your own. Until next time, I remain "The Insidious One."

Mara Jade Star Wars: Expanded Universe Custom Action Figure Art #2

2011-02-17T14:15:00.002-06:00

It's no secret that I love the Star Wars character Mara Jade. She's a tough as nails spitfire with a noble heart. So when I took a commission to make another custom figure of her, I decided that I was going to perfect her.

I found some new reference for inspiration and got to work!

Don't you just love Adam Hughes Star Wars work?

While the differences between the mass released, orange haired, purple suited, bad face-painted, comic pack Mara Jade and this one are quite dramatic, the differences between this one and my original are subtle.

I sculpted some extra "stray hairs" to give her bangs some drama, dyed her bodysuit black, repainted everything else, and then detailed the heck out of her with more painting, washes, and glosses in just the right places.

I sewed her trademark gray short cape but this time I designed it so that it could fully cover her shoulders should she need to "blend-in with the locals."

Until trouble strikes! Then it's quick-draw, "BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!"

I hope you dig her. If you do, leave a comment, "follow me" using the links on the right, or contact me for a commission. Until next time, I remain "The Insidious One."

How to Commission a Piece of Custom Action Figure Art

2011-02-09T09:43:00.008-06:00

You'll notice that I often refer to "commissions" in my posts. If you've wondered what I'm talking about, today's your lucky day because today's post is all about my commission process.

A commission is a figure that I make at the request of a client (this could be you). It may be a character I've made previously, a new concept, or even a little of both. Below is my step by step process. For this example YOU will be the client (or commissioner) and I will be...well, me.

You've always wanted a (insert the name of your favorite character) action figure. But Hasbro (Mattel, etc.) either hasn't made them or they haven't made them to your liking. So you decide that you want to get this figure made.

STEP 1: You contact me via email (Eric@Insidious1.com). In your email, you describe the type of figure you want including...

The scale and style. (ie: Modern Star Wars, Modern GI JOE, Marvel Universe, etc.)
The details of the character. ("I want him to have a brown trench coat and red Chuck Taylor sneakers.")
A few images or links to images for reference. (This is the most helpful thing you can do.)

STEP 2: I write back to you with any questions and/or a quote.

STEP 3: You write back to me accepting the quote. You also send half of the total quoted amount to me via PayPal.

STEP 4: I secure the parts and begin working on your figure.

STEP 5: When I have finished the figure, I email photos of the completed piece to you for approval.

STEP 6: You email your approval and send the second half of the payment via PayPal.

STEP 7: I mail your brand new ONE OF A KIND piece of action figure art to you.

It's that easy! Here are a few other general things you should know about commissions.

1) Commissions aren't cheap. They are hand sculpted and painted pieces of art so don't expect your quote to resemble anything near what you would pay for a figure at a mass market retailer. I am a professional toy designer with over ten years experience and I bring the same level of expertise to my custom figures that I bring to real toy prototypes.

2) I don't make the same figure twice. What this means is that while I will make the same character multiple times, every single piece will be a ONE OF A KIND. The differences between versions can be as sublte as color changes or small sculpted details. Other times the differences are as dramatic as using completely different base pieces to construct them. This also means the second time I do a character will often be an improvement over the first.

I hope this post has dispelled any mystery surrounding commissions. So if you have something in mind, drop me a line. There's a link to my email on my Profile Page or you can click the "The Insidious One" I put at the end of every blog post. I hope to hear from you soon. With that, I remain The Insidious One.

Luke Skywalker Jedi Master Star Wars: Expanded Universe Custom Action Figure Art

2011-02-05T08:42:00.004-06:00

In the Original Star Wars Trilogy, Luke Skywalker transforms himself in the span of just a few years from a whiny farm boy in A New Hope, to a whiny Jedi in training in The Empire Strikes Back, to a "barely there" Jedi Knight in Return of the Jedi.

But now, thanks to The Prequels, The Clone Wars TV show, recent video games, and current comics we see fully trained Jedi performing feats that make Luke's abilities in Return of the Jedi seem...underwhelming.

Even as a kid, I imagined that Luke would continue to train in the years after Jedi and would eventually become a powerful Jedi Master. His costume might even become more like Obi-Wan and Yoda's. But it would always somehow have that "black element" that mirrors the inner darkness all Skywalkers must face.

The funny thing is that I recently discovered at the Star Wars Archive Database that Kenner was actually developing a Luke figure that very much fit my childhood imaginings. (See pics below.)

This figure was actually developed for Return of the Jedi as "Jedi Luke" before the figure we all know was created.

Years passed but I still longed for my vision of a powerful Jedi Master Luke. In recent years Hasbro released the New Jedi Order Luke in the Jedi Evolutions pack but it just wasn't doing it for me. He looks wimpy with sloped shoulders, bland colors, and a pitiful facial expression. I had all but given up when I finally saw this Legacy comic book cover by Adam Hughes.

It was the closest thing to my childhood image I had ever seen but there was one missing element...the black. Re-inspired by this piece, below is my solution...

He has the more traditional Jedi costume but I sculpted his Return of the Jedi tunic underneath. He also has his plain black boots, and his black utility belt (albeit outfitted with more traditional Jedi gear). I went back and forth on the color of the outer layer of the tunic but in the end I felt that it would be too much if it was black. I made it brown and I'm really happy with the result as I think it unifies the colors of the costume.

I hope you've enjoyed Star Wars Week here at Insidious Customs as much as I have. Star Wars has played a huge role in making me a collector, designer, and lover of toys and I thought it was high time I showed it some affection.

Thanks for all the fun and laughs, Uncle George. You succeeded. You gave us back mythology.

The response to Star Wars week has been so positive, I will definitely be doing more Star Wars pieces soon. So be sure to sign up to follow the blog, follow me on Twitter, or subscribe so you don't miss anything. (All those links are on the right.) Until next time, I remain "The Insidious One."

Cade Skywalker Star Wars: Legacy Custom Action Figure Art

2011-02-04T08:01:00.002-06:00

Today's installment of Star Wars week features a very popular Expanded Universe character from the Legacy comic book series by John Ostrander and Jan Duursema...Cade Skywalker. Cade is a direct descendant of Luke Skywalker, a former Jedi Padawan turned smuggler, bounty hunter, and pirate.

As is often the case with rough and tumble guys like Cade, he picked up a few tattoos during his adventures. But when Hasbro created his figure, he was wearing a long coat with sleeves so we couldn't see his tattoos. I decided to remedy the situation with a new pair of bare arms to show them off.

The tattoos are actually custom-made water slide decals that I created. (You can pick up a set for yourself at my Etsy shop.) I also detailed the heck out of his boots and gear. And before you say it, yes, I know the belt is backward in the photos. (It bugs the heck out of me too but since I no longer own him, I can't turn it around and retake the photos.)

Since Cade is often depicted with three tattoos in the comics, I made the black one for his right arm as well.

Yes, Cade is a bad-ass. He has no problem crossing lines that make the spirits of his ancestors cringe, but that's also why his stories are so much fun.

I hope you dig him. Check back tomorrow for the final installment of Star Wars Week as it features one of my favorite Original Trilogy characters inspired by contemporary sources. Until then, I remain "The Insidious One."

Toryn Farr Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back Custom Action Figure Art

2011-02-03T08:33:00.003-06:00

Welcome back to Star Wars Week DAY 4! Since I've been focusing on Expanded Universe characters in days 1-3, today I'll bring our focus back to the Original Trilogy with a character who, despite very limited screen time, plays an important role in The Empire Strikes Back's "Battle of Hoth"...Toryn Farr.

"Who is Toryn Farr?" you ask. According to Wookieepedia, she's the rebel officer who ordered the massive ion cannon to fire at approaching Star Destroyers, offering cover fire for escaping Rebel transports during the battle of Hoth.

According to me, she's the female rebel who touches the pointy thing to the clear map when Han walks by. (See image below.)

I can understand why Hasbro never made her but I feel that she is the centerpiece of any Echo Base Command area diorama, especially since they gave us the tactical screen with General Rieekan.

The headset is made from model kit parts and scraps. I actually contoured the earpiece to her ear so that it stays close to her head and doesn't fall off easily.

It is also removable so she can continue her adventures after she escapes Hoth.

I gave her the rank of Lt. Commander (Major) as ordering giant cannons to fire should come from someone with some kind of higher rank.

I hope you dig her. If you do, subscribe to my blog and stay tuned as Star Wars Week continues tomorrow with a variation of a popular character from the "Star Wars: Legacy" comic book series. Until then, I remain "The Insidious One."

Clone Emperor Star Wars: Dark Empire Custom Action Figure Art

2011-02-02T09:28:00.001-06:00

Star Wars Week continues with a character that compliments yesterday's Dark Empire Luke ...Clone Emperor Palpatine. Now, I know there isn't a whole lot of love for this character (Well, maybe except for this guy.) but I always felt that he was a great villain because he was a younger, stronger Palpatine. Unfortunately, Hasbro hasn't captured this idea in either the Power of the Force 2 or Legacy Comic Pack releases. So I set out to make an imposing, virile Clone Emperor worthy of the Palpatine legacy!

One of my goals was to combine the Cam Kennedy's bold silhouettes from the comics with modern poseability.

I also really liked the coloring of the comic pack package art (sans the white hair of course.)

My solution for the silhouette was to combine a molded top piece with a soft goods cloak. The skin features washes and dry-brushing to give it that creepy "fresh from the cloning vat" look.

And here he is in action against Luke.

Hope you dig him. If you do, leave a comment and stay tuned for tomorrow's installment of Star Wars week which features an overlooked but very important character from The Empire Strikes Back's "Battle of Hoth." (Which is what it looks like in Chicago right now.) Until then, I remain "The Insidious One."

Luke Skywalker Star Wars: Dark Empire Custom Action Figure Art

2011-02-01T08:31:00.000-06:00

Welcome to DAY 2 of Star Wars Week at Insidious Customs. Today's installment harkens back to the dark days of the 1990s when there were very few Star Wars products, no TV shows, and and certainly no movies. All we had were novels, memories of the original trilogy, and comic books like the Dark Empire series.

While I appreciate Cam Kennedy's highly stylized illustrations and coloring of the interiors of the books, I feel that Dave Dorman's covers give us a glimpse of what things might really have looked like if the adventures of Luke Skywalker had continued after Return of the Jedi. To this day, Hasbro has given us two different Dark Empire Lukes in the Power of the Force 2 and Legacy Collections, but both seem based on Kennedy's look and the molded cape of the Legacy version was unwieldy. So I decided to make a Dark Empire Luke in the Dorman fashion with modern articulation and a soft goods cape. The result is below.

Here are some shots of Dark Empire Luke in action! In them, you get a sneak peek of tomorrow's figure. Can you guess who it is?

I hope you enjoyed this second installment of Star Wars Week. Check back tomorrow for another entry. Until then, I remain "The Insidious One."

Bastila Shan Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Custom Action Figure Art

2011-01-31T15:16:00.003-06:00

Welcome to Star Wars Week at Insidious Customs! This week, I will post a new Star Wars piece every day. First up is a commission that I recently finished for a client; Bastila Shan from the Star Wars video game Knights of the Old Republic.

I had seen posters and pictures of her here and there and I always thought she was a cool looking character but not owning an X-Box myself, I never got to see her in action. So my first job was to find some good reference and luckily I found quite a bit using Google Image Search.

After seeing the details of her tunic, I knew this was going to be a massive sculptural undertaking but I looked forward to the challenge.

To get the worked leather look of the tunic I had to sculpt each layer separately, let it harden, sand it, and then add the next layer.

The hair was also particularly challenging with her two short ponytails in the back. I actually sculpted them in place and then removed them, reattaching them with glue to ensure they would stay attached to the rest of her hair.

I went back and forth on the bangs as on the package art (see below) her forehead is exposed but when I saw that she had the bangs throughout the game, I decided they were part of her iconic character and added them.

As for the yellow lightsaber, it's bashed from a Darth Maul handle and two early Luke Skywalker blades. For some reason, many of the early Luke blades were yellow instead of green. I sculpted the emitter shrouds.

I hope you dig her. She was so labor and time consuming I won't make her again. But I'm happy with how she turned out. Check back tomorrow for another edition of Star Wars week! Until then, I remain "The Insidious One."

My Custom Action Figure Art Work Table

2011-01-21T11:59:00.002-06:00

Just wanted to make a quick post because I've been getting a lot of emails lately asking where I've been. The short of it is; work and commissions. In fact, I have an upcoming post that details the entire custom figure commission process in case you were curious how it all works. I'll also be sharing photos of said commissions so be sure to sign up to follow the blog, add it to your feed, or bookmark it. In the meantime, I thought I'd take this moment to share a photo of the controlled chaos that is my work table.

In the photo you can spot some pieces in progress including two very personal creative obsessions inspired by the work of the super talented customizer JACKOFTRADZE.

Hope you had a great holiday! Until next time, I remain "The Insidious One."

Ash Evil Dead 2 Horror Custom Action Figure Art

2010-12-03T10:40:00.003-06:00

I've been a fan of Sam Raimi's three "Evil Dead" movies for many years. The hapless hero of these movies is a discount store clerk and part-time undead slayer named of Ashley "Ash" Williams. While now-days we're used to getting figures for every movie released, back when these movies came out (1981, 1987, and 1993 respectively) very few movies did. In fact, by 1999 there still weren't any Evil Dead figures so I took matters into my own hands for the very first time...

The first custom action figure that I made was Ash. He's pretty terrible by today's standards but considering the parts that were available to me in 1998 and that it was my first custom attempt, he ain't all bad. In fact, I sent photos of him to Wizard Magazine and in August of 1999 he was chosen as "Homemade Hero of the Month."

Fast forward to 2010...and in the meantime McFarlane, Sideshow, Diamond Select, and Palisades have given us Evil Dead figures in numerous formats and scales. In fact, the Palisades figures were the scale that I always wanted...1:18th (or 3 3/4"). While they were highly detailed and articulated, they were a bit lanky and just didn't have the presence of modern Star Wars or G.I. JOE figures. And so I tasked myself with creating an Ash that could stand confidently, shoulder to shoulder with figures from these lines. Below is the result...

I was mostly inspired by his appearance in Evil Dead 2 but I did take some liberties including his bare chainsaw arm and open shirt from the Army of Darkness poster.

I also added details that only the hardest of the hardcore Evil Dead fans would notice like the hook that holds the pull-start on the chainsaw when he needs to start hacking zombies on the fly. I sculpted the wrist watch on his left arm and sculpted his hair to give it the Campbell signature coif.

My fellow customizer and good pal Stocos28 hooked me up with the chainsaw which looked pretty good right out of the box but I added the top and side handles to make it more accurate. The chest straps are a combination of existing pieces and sclupted parts. He is also, of course, completely repainted including the face to give him a quirky Campbell expression.

One more piece I created for the fans is the mechanical hand accessory that Ash made for himself in Army of Darkness.

I also redecoed a Palisades Neconomicon to complete the figure.

I hope you dig him. I haven't decided if I'm going to sell him as I put a lot of work into him and as you can see he has a lot of sentimental value. But if you really really really gotta have him, make me an offer I can't refuse. ;-) Until next time I remain "The Insidious One."

Custom Figure Wars: III Play Custom Contest Entries - Ash, Toxic Avenger, Handi Man

2010-11-18T08:17:00.000-06:00

Hey gang, I teamed up with Stocos28 and JACKOFTRADZE to enter the III Play Custom Contest on the Custom Figure Wars website.

You can check out all the entries at the link above or you can check out ours individually at the links below. We turned our entries into a little comic so be sure to read them in order.

Part 1: Handi Man from "In Living Color" by Stocos28

Part 2: Toxic Avenger from "The Toxic Avenger" by JACKOFTRADZE

Part 3: Ash from "Evil Dead 2" by me. (Insidious Customs)

We hope you dig 'em. If you do, leave a comment! Until next time, I remain The Insidious One.

Cover Girl (Grease Monkey Version) G.I. JOE Custom Action Figure Art

2010-11-11T23:13:00.000-06:00

My clients consistently request one character more than any other; Cover Girl. I can't blame them because while Hasbro did finally give us an official one in the "Rise of Cobra" movie line, she looked nothing like her vintage character and the head and hair sculpts were abysmal.

But since I won't make exactly the same figure twice, it can be challenging to come up with different takes on the character. You can check out some of my previous takes here, here, here, here, here, here, and even this little cutie here.

So when a client recently contacted me to make one, I was a little hesitant at first. But when he suggested I use one of the cool new Slayer Design Studio torso's, I agreed to do it.

I imagine this is what CG might look like when she's down in "The Pitt" at the Garage level working on the Wolverine, hence the nickname "Grease Monkey Cover Girl." The wash on her tank top gives her just a hint of sexy perspiration without making her look like she's stinky.

Since her parts are so different from the vintage figure, I stuck closely to her original colors. As for the hair, the client liked the parted bangs I had done on previous CG so I sculpted some for her as well. I like them even better this time around.

I spent a lot of time prepping, fitting, and cleaning up the Slayer torso but in the end all the hard work paid off. I hope you dig her. If you do, leave a comment below or contact me for a commission of your own. I hope you've enjoyed "Cover Girl Week" as much as I have. Until next time, I remain "The Insidious One."

Cover Girl G.I. JOE (Vintage Boots) Custom Action Figure Art

2010-11-10T23:09:00.000-06:00

Welcome to yet another, Cover Girl custom. My mantra of never exactly duplicating a custom piece has pushed me to find ways to bring even more detail from the vintage figure into the modern realm. I did this with this figure by adding the vintage style boot details.

The details are actually sculpted raised details just like the vintage figure.

You'll also notice that I changed up some of the colors including the hair and face deco.

I hope you dig her. Just one more day in "Cover Girl Week" and one more Cover Girl to go so be sure to tune in tomorrow. Until then, I remain "The Insidious One."

Cover Girl G.I. JOE Cartoon Style (Blond) Custom Action Figure Art

2010-11-09T23:48:00.001-06:00

When Cover Girl first appeared in the G.I. JOE animated mini-series in 1983 (Now known as "The Mass Device"), she was blond and wore a green uniform. Don't believe me? Check out the pics below.

Despite this unique appearance, she did more in these episodes than she did in just about any other; she was the one who went to pick up Snake-Eyes when he returned to base after his harrowing ordeal in the radioactive crystal cave.

Then with the help of Timber, she disposed of the exploding booby trapped canister.

Later, she was at Duke's side after he escaped the Cobra Fortress.

This custom is an homage to her; the ex-model turned tank driver, fast on her feet, and sharp as a trench knife.

The cartoons were cheesey, but I love 'em none the less.

Hope you dig her. If you do, leave a comment or contact me regarding a commission of your own. Until next time, I remain "The Insidious One."

Cover Girl (Brown Hair) G.I. JOE Custom Action Figure Art

2010-11-08T10:29:00.000-06:00

Welcome to Cover Girl week at Insidious Customs! Yes, I've just discovered some Cover Girl customs that I somehow overlooked sharing with you. So if you like this character you're in for a treat starting today with "Brown Hair" Cover Girl.

She's very similar to a previous CG I had done but for this one, I wanted to make her colors a little darker from her brown hair to her deep red lipstick. I was also able to trim up the jacket even more to make it look more form fitting. Finally, she features my custom made waterslide decal "Wolverine" patch. (You can purchase one for your Cover Girl custom here. But hurry, there's only one set left!)

And yes, she does fit in the vintage Wolverine.

I hope you dig her. If you do, leave a comment or contact me to commission your own Cover Girl. Until next time, I remain "The Insidious One."

Never Say Never Again... James Bond 007 "Daniel Craig" Custom Action Figure Art

2010-11-04T15:23:00.001-05:00

Just as Sean Connery said he'd never play James Bond again after "Diamonds Are Forever" in 1971 only to reprise the role in "Never Say Never Again" in 1983... at the bequest of a very nice client all the way in Singapore, I've created a new version of my Daniel Craig James Bond. But to live up to my mantra of never creating the exact same piece twice, I've made a few improvements to our favorite member of Her Majesty's Secret Service.

This time I added more detail to the face, especially the eyes to give them that cold icey-blue stare. I've also made the tie a little darker and got rid of his pocket hanky because he just looked a little tougher without it.

I hope you dig him. I have a Sean Connery in the works, but he'll have to wait for a future post. Until then, tell Ms. Moneypenny that I remain "The Insidious One."

Darth Eatus - Sith Apprentice: Star Wars Custom Action Figure Art

2010-10-27T15:50:00.001-05:00

Chicago is a fantastic city to live in for many reasons; the public lakefront, the cleanliness of the city streets, the friendly people, and food that's so good you can't help indulging. But for me, the best part of living is Chicago is the creative community. I'm lucky enough to be part of an extremely talented group that includes artists like Saint G's Juan Arevalo, Beardo's Dan Dougherty, The Lonely Rice Chronicles' Tony Maldonado, and writers like The Apocalypse Plan's Rafael Nieves, Magnificent Scoundrel's John Stangeland, and B.L.A.M. Comics La Morris Richmond.

From time to time we gather to discuss our current projects, give each other feedback, and plan our next group project or venture. On one such occasion, we had gathered at a fantastic 70's retro pizza place in Berwyn, IL. And after we had conducted some business, the conversation went to Star Wars. We were attempting to determine who is the toughest Sith of all time and as the conversation was becoming very heated, La Morris interjected that he could settle the debate once and for all. Our pizzas were just then brought to the table and we all turned to listen. La Morris grabbed a piece of the fresh hot pizza and just before he placed the large cheesy slice in his mouth he said, "Darth Eatus; because he eats all the other races in the Star Wars Universe." We all rolled on the floor with laughter. But I thought it was particularly funny so I decided to expand on the joke by creating this custom figure and writing the bio below.

Darth Eatus

Long before Darth Vader or Darth Maul, Darth Sidious had a human apprentice from Corellia named Ilikal. When Sidious discovered him, he was a teenager living with his ailing mother, stealing (more than his share) of food and anything else they needed to survive. Sidious sensed a great desire within him that could never be quenched no matter what he achieved. In this, he saw power and a way to easily mold the boy into his ideal servant. And when the boy's mother tragically passed away one night, Sidious took him under his wing.

Ilikal was a fast learner and soon Sidious anointed him Darth Eatus. Sidious did not know that the boy's hunger for knowledge and power was driven by an even deeper desire, to consume everything and everyone. And when Sidious was preoccupied with his machinations, Eatus would sneak away, defeat, and consume sentient beings of all types. He felt that if he beat them in battle they were unworthy to live and that they were fitting fuel for his rise to power.

In the end, Eatus succumbed to a foe he could not defeat with his lightsaber nor his Sith Magic...heart disease. He died alone in a dark alley in the midst of consuming a large Askajian female. Darth Sidious was pissed.

You'll recognize most of the parts I used. The helmet detail and spikes are sculpted. I had a lot of fun making this piece. I hope he made you laugh as well. Happy Halloween and until next time, I remain "The Insidious One."

UPDATE:
He was purchased by one of Jackoftradze loyal clients in Mexico so I'm happy to say Eatus will have some high quality custom buddies to hang out with.

Red Sonja Custom Action Figure Art

2010-10-22T08:02:00.009-05:00

I saw Red Sonja for the first time at a the Barber Shop. It was an "old school" kind of place and the owner was a tall burly "Chicago-guy" with a mustache. Sports, boxing, and dirty jokes were the only topics of conversation and it always smelled like a combination of aftershave and machine grease. There was a poster on the wall from 1950 showing the twelve different haircut options you could choose from; all buzz cuts. Below it was a hand-made wood magazine rack full of Playboys and old comic books. As a twelve-year-old boy this was my glimpse into the domain of men.

One summer day, my mother sent me to get a haircut. As I rode my bike to the shop, I was looking forward to re-reading one of the ten old Conan comic books on the rack. But when I arrived, I noticed there were some "new" old comic books on the rack, including this one...

It was Red Sonja #1 and I soon discovered that she was a female Conan, tough as nails, and a ferocious beauty. I poured over the first issue hoping I'd at least have time to read a second. But before I could reach for the next one, it was my turn in the barber's chair.

I got more haircuts that summer than any other.

This is my tribute to Red Sonja, her creators Roy Thomas, and Barry Windsor-Smith, and to Robert E. Howard (Whose character Red Sonya inspired them), and to that Barber Shop; one of the last domains of men.

She is a combination of Star Wars, G.I. JOE, Narnia, and Marvel parts with sculpted details that include parts of her hair and of course her trademark armored bikini.

The face sculpt was perfect, but the original deco made her look like she was falling asleep so I repainted the face and "opened" her eyes with some longer, darker lashes and her signature green eyes. I also gave her the metal shoulder pads.

"Who are you, little man?"

"Your wurst nightmaeh!"

(Note: Their heights in this photo look a little off. In actuality, Conan and Sonja are almost identical in size.)

I hope you dig her. If you do, leave a comment before she takes off on another Hyborian adventure. And if you like all things Hyborian, check out CROM! The Ultimate Conan Fan Blog. Until next time, I remain "The Insidious One."

Conan The Barbarian Custom Action Figure Art

2010-10-21T11:48:00.003-05:00

Robert E. Howard was a man both out of time and ahead of his time. His characters resonate through the decades and across continents as his works have been published in numerous languages for the last sixty years.

Of all Howard's characters, I have appreciated his grim stoic thinker Conan in more media than any other; from the novels, to the monthly Marvel Comics, to the movies, and the excellent Dark Horse Comics adaptations of recent years. This piece of Action Figure Art is a tribute to Robert E. Howard and Conan himself in all his forms.

The wheel of pain pendant is made of jewelry quality metal and painted to give it a weathered look.

Conan's greatest foe? None other than Red Sonja of course! (Check back soon for more info and pics on her.) If you dig Conan, as much as I do, I recommend you check out CROM! The Ultimate Conan Blog. Until next time, I remain the "Insidious One."

Frostbite G.I. JOE Pursuit of Cobra Style Custom Action Figure Art

2010-08-30T15:01:00.001-05:00

I'll admit, it; the G.I. JOE: Pursuit of Cobra line is growing on me. To that end, I thought it only proper that I create a Pursuit of Cobra style Frostbite to go with the Wolf Hound (Snow Cat.)

I feel there are a few trademark characteristics of the POC line such as the heavy use of camouflage patterns, spicing up older parts by combining them in new and interesting ways, a darker color scheme, and the inclusion of a lot of removable gear. I've tried to capture all of these elements with this figure right down to the removable ski hat and goggles. For that extra level of detail, he also features my custom made waterslide decal polar bear shoulder patch.

He fits great inside the Wolf Hound (Snow Cat.)

"Cobra Commander is gonna be so pissed when he finds out we got captured."

I hope you dig him. If you'd like to commission a custom piece of your own, contact me through my profile link at the top of the page. Until next time, I remain the Insidious One.

Juno Eclipse (Tank Top) From Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Custom Action Figure Art

2010-08-27T10:45:00.003-05:00

After I posted my latest Juno Eclipse, I realized that I created two other Junos whose pictures I haven't shared on the blog. Today's Friday Flashback remedies the situation.

After seeing my first Juno in casual attire, a client contacted me to commission a Juno for himself. I asked if he would mind if I made her in her tank top. (As a rule, I never exactly duplicate a piece as I consider each of them to be a unique piece of art.) In the end, he couldn't make up his mind so he commissioned both; one in a jacket and one in a tank top.

Sculpting her tank topped torso was a major task but I'm happy with the result. I'd like to redo this version at some point as I prefer the ball jointed elbows that most figures are using these days.

"Hey baby, check out my red lightsaber."

"Honey, I've been from one end of this galaxy to the other and let me tell you, I've seen much redder lightsabers."

Here's an "in progress" pic on my work table. The one on on the left is in the middle of being sanded and the one on the right is pre-sanding. You can see that Juno's "perkiness" was of great concern. ;-) (Pay no attention to the Mon Mothma torso standing-in as a head support.)

Hope you enjoyed these pics and this little sneak peak into my creative world. Until next time, I remain the "Insidious One."

Frostbite G.I. JOE 25th Anniversary Style Custom Action Figure Art

2010-08-19T13:48:00.004-05:00

I never owned the vintage Snowcat but the box art is memorable to me because Snake-Eyes is sitting next to Frostbite and I always felt he was a poor choice for the mission. (A ninja dressed all in black against the white snow?) It's also memorable because Frostbite's expression is so intense yet the figure positioned a mere inch away in the vintage package has the biggest grin you've ever seen on a 3.75" figure.

So when the new Pursuit of Cobra Snow Cat...errr, I mean Wolf Hound came out, I had to get one. Unfortunately the driver they included with the vehicle wasn't Frostbite but some generic looking guy named "White Out" who I figure must have been in the accounting department before they got computers. And the Frostbite that was released in the Rise of Cobra line just didn't have the look or the character of the original figure. So I decided to make a 25th Anniversary style Frostbite, complete with goofy grin.

After I started this piece, I saw a few other great looking Frostbites on HissTank.com. And while the paint jobs looked fantastic, I know how hard it is to get white paint to cover other colors and no matter how well you prep, seal, and sand, over time the paint on the joints will chip away. So I was determined to #1 not paint his joints and #2 make his uniform bright white to match his vintage uniform and make him look unique when standing next to 25th Anniversary Snow Job whose uniform is a very dull white.

I achieved this by using a Snow Job from the Past and Present Target Exclusive box set as a base and carefully removing all of the paint and camo from his uniform. (On a side note, the file card art for the vintage "Rockslide" that came in this set features an image that looks just like vintage Frostbite. Perhaps Hasbro had intended to create a 25th Anniversary Frostbite and scrapped the idea after the artwork was created?)

I used a ROC Shipwreck head and sculpted the furry hat around a pair of Snow Job Goggles. I cut the pockets off the chest of the figure and sculpted the jacket fur and collar. He is of course completely repainted to create a black bushier beard and his famous grin.

The final touch is a custom designed waterlside decal for his arm. After much research and debate, I call it a Polar Bear. (Perhaps commemorating the fact that he likes to swim in frozen water with his friends every winter?)

He includes two pistols and his sniper rifle.

"C'mon Snow Job, let's march these snakes back to base."

"Sir, I normally don't talk to strangers but I lost my compass and your big smile lets me know that you're a nice man."

"That's right little girl, bad people never smile."

I had a lot of fun making him. If you dig him, leave a comment. Or if you need a suitable driver for your Snow Cat...errr, I mean Wolf Hound contact me regarding a commission.

Blond Teela Custom Action Figure Art from Masters of the Universe Classics

2010-08-18T22:23:00.005-05:00

I remember the moment I discovered Masters of the Universe as vividly as if it were yesterday. The year was 1982 and I was a little boy in a Venture discount department store with my mother and, as usual, I had sneaked away to check out the toys. I was looking for Star Wars figures but before I could get to them I discovered these massive grotesquely muscled heroes and monsters. They were all posed in a weird squatting position and much larger than the 3.75 inch Star Wars figures I was used to. They repulsed me so I skipped over them and continued to search for Star Wars toys.

But then like a car wreck on the highway, I came back to them. The beautiful paintings on the vehicle boxes sucked me into this weird world with their depictions of massive battles. I labored over them discerning every detail of the battle.

I was completely fascinated but I knew my parents wouldn't let me start collecting a new series of action figures (particularly one that wasn't in scale with my Star Wars figures) so I put any thought of getting them out of my head.

A few days later one of my more "well-off" friends at school started bringing in the mini-comics that were packaged with the figures. The art inside by Alfredo Alcala was amazing and I finally learned what these guys were all about; they lived on a strange planet where they fought over a powerful sword and a mysterious skull faced castle. The main character was a barbarian who left his people in the jungle to help fight evil and he was called He-Man.

There was also a beautiful blond haired warrior woman in these stories called Teela. She rode a gold unicorn and would often get captured by Skeletor who wanted her as his bride. But she was also a fighter who wasn't afraid to jump into battle with a sword or an axe. It was during these battles that we saw her long golden tresses flowing with each swing of her weapon.

I was hooked and thanks to Santa, I got my hands on some of the figures. However, shortly thereafter, the entire Masters of the Universe mythology was re-written to follow a superhero/secret identity model and Teela's hair changed from blond to a reddish/auburn color.

I understand why they made the change in the story; to make the world a little less severe and therefore friendlier to younger kids and their moms, but I still prefer these original stories. And "Blond Teela" is a part of them. This is my homage to her.

She is of course based on the MOTUC (Masters of the Universe Classics) Teela action figure and includes two heads both of which are repainted including the eyes and lips to make them a little sexier. The hair on the "long hair" head is two parts. The part near her shoulders is rubber so that she still has a full range of head poseability. The top is a firmer sculpting material that allowed me to capture that wispy 80's hair from the comics.

I hope you dig her. If you do, leave a comment. Until next time, I remain "The Insidious One."

Ultimate Destro (3) from G.I. JOE Custom Action Figure Art

2010-08-18T08:54:00.002-05:00

While it's fun to see the updated "Pursuit of Cobra" takes on classic G.I. JOE characters, I miss the 25th Anniversary line where they would try to recreate the vintage looks. However, even that line missed the boat on several characters including those that were released multiple times. This explains my obsession with perfecting 25th Anniversary Destro.

Every time I re-do a character, I make subtle improvements. This is the third time I've created "Ultimate Destro" and I finally feel like I've perfected him. (You can see my first version and read more about the character and his history here. You can see my second version here.)

He's all black just like his vintage figure and this time I painted the outside of his collar black to match the vintage figure as well. I brought out the metal details with different shades of paint and then washed and highlighted them to give them a more worn and realistic look. (Even his gun features a dry brush.) I also detailed his necklace gem and hit his belts, boots, and straps with a varnish to make the black on black really pop.

Now he's ready to take on the Joes, The Baroness, and even The Cobra Commander when he gets uppity...

"Don't bother me, Destro! My plan is foolproof!"

"Even my patience has its limits, my dear Cobra Commander."

"Oh, stop sputtering like a broken toaster and..."

"Ack! Destro, put me down!"

"Do not lay hands on me again, Commander!"

"Destro darling, put him down."

"I'm taking over this operation, Commander. This time, we will not fail!"

"Destromeo, you're sooo irresistible when you take charge."

"Oh brother, hissssss!"

Hope you dig him. You can leave a comment below or you can add him to your Cobra Command Team by bidding on him right now on ebay.

Juno Eclipse (Casual Attire) Custom Action Figure Art from Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

2010-08-17T21:52:00.002-05:00

Did I mention that I love Star Wars: The Force Unleashed video game for the Wii? Oh yeah, I did.

And while I also love the Toys R Us exclusive box sets of figures, they still didn't get Juno Eclipse right. So in anticipation of The Force Unleashed 2 video game being released later this year, I've created another Juno Eclipse and this time she's even better.

I used the new box set version of Juno as a base, replaced her long sleeved arms with custom sculpted shorter sleeve arms, sculpted that sexy disheveled hairdo she had when she kissed the Starkiller for the first and last time, and then repainted the whole figure.

Comment below if you dig her. Until next time, I remain "The Insidious One."

The Little Differences: Quick Kick and Serpentor G.I. JOE Custom Kitbashes

2010-07-23T17:52:00.010-05:00

"It's the little differences. I mean, they got the same $#!t over there that we got here, but it's just – it's just there it's a little different."

*****

The Little Differences is back and today's entries are G.I. JOE Quick Kick and the Cobra Emperor Serpentor. Quick Kick features one very small improvement that may make some people a little nervous to do themselves, but the payoff is well worth it. Whereas, Serpentor requires a little less skill and a little more bashing.

When we finally got Quick Kick in the "Pyramid of Darkness" DVD Battle Pack, he looked just about perfect from his skin tone and muscled Bruce Lee like torso sculpt to his bare feet and accessories. But there was one "glaring" problem...his eyes. They were lidless and the pupils were so small he looked like he had just seen a ggggghost.

To remedy the situation, I used a very fine 2/0 brush, dipped just the tip in Reaper Pure Black paint, and carefully added an upper eye lid to each eye and dotted the center of each eye to create a larger pupil.

Now he'll never take his eyes off his opponent, even when he bows. (Bonus cool points if you can guess what movie I'm paraphrasing.)

Serpentor has never been a favorite of mine. Yes, Larry Hama somehow figured out how to make him cool in the comics, but that annoying "This I Command" crap the cartoon writers came up with grates on my ear drums to this day. So I almost didn't even bother with this bash but since I had all the parts, I figured, what the heck.

You'll need the helmet, staff, "bra," and "back piece" from the "Arise Serpentor Arise" DVD Battle Pack Serpentor and the body, cape, belt, sword, and shoulder snakes from the single carded version. Removing the "back piece" from the DVD figure is the trickiest part of this bash and it took several attempts where I would let him sit in a cup of boiling water and then try to pull it free from the back hole. The glue was really strong so I eventually pulled it out enough and just cut it off with an exacto making sure to leave enough of a backpack stub so I could later glue it in place. I painted the "bra" Reaper Leaf Green which matches the other green areas on the figure very well.

He doesn't look exactly like the original vintage figure but he's a whole lot closer and much better looking than any standard released version.

Once again, I hope you see how the little things you can do to your figures can make all the difference in their appearance. Until next week this is eric@insidious1.com signing off.

Cover Girl G.I. JOE Resolute Style Custom Action Figure Art

2010-07-07T22:35:00.003-05:00

I'm really excited about the G.I. JOE: Resolute box sets coming out later this month. Yes, Snake-Eyes should have been black instead of gray and Scarlett's head sculpt is a little weird but at least we're getting these figures that were originally canceled. One can only imagine if the movie deal didn't happen and this series wasn't sidelined. It certainly would have been cool to see all or at least more of the characters as they appeared in this media...especially this tank driving cutie who happens to appear in the background of quite a few scenes; Cover Girl.

She was commissioned by a really great returning client so these are the first pics of her on the net. She's actually a combination of parts from five different figures and features a lot of sculpted details including sleeves, waist, collar (which is a little hard to see in the photos with the long hair), hair, and even her belt buckle.

I think she fits in great with the other Joes in the box set. I better get to work on one for myself before it comes out later this month!

Hope you dig her. If you'd like to commission one of your own, as usual you can contact me at Eric@Insidious1.com.

The Little Differences: Beachhead & Outback G.I. JOE Custom Kitbashes

2010-07-02T11:09:00.001-05:00

"It's the little differences. I mean, they got the same $#!t over there that we got here, but it's just – it's just there it's a little different."

*****

Friday means a new "Little Differences," and this week's entries are two fan faves that can be made with very little effort; Beachhead and Outback.

To make this grumpy, foul smelling ("I don't use deodorant") Ranger you'll need the comic pack version and the Hall of Heroes version. Both of these figures had some great parts but neither was definitive in my eyes. (What the heck was up with the yellow paint on the boots of the Hall of Heroes version anyway?) Take the body, weapons, and backpack from the HOH version and replace the lower legs/boots with those from the comic pack version. The legs easily unscrew and the colors are a perfect match. For some reason, the vest and ammo bag of the HOH version are gray instead of black and the comic pack version has the proper black but for some reason they painted the pouches that hold the clips. This is easily remedied by painting the pouches on the comic pack version black.

If you want to go all out, you can also paint the clips themselves gunmetal so they better match the injected metallic color of his machine gun as I did. (To avoid paint rub, be sure to seal the vest with a light varnish or sealant and let it dry thoroughly before placing it on the figure.)

Outback is one of the easiest bashes you can do. Take the vest and backpack from the Assault on Cobra Island Pack and place them on the figure that came with the FLAK Cannon vs. Cobra CLAW Vehicles.

If you want to go all out, I also felt that the head sat a little high on the neck post so I took a smooth dremel bit and drilled a little deeper into the neck hole. No more rubber necking for this survivalist!

Once again, you see how little modifications can turn your stock figures into something special.

And as always, if you have an idea for a custom that you don't think you can tackle yourself, drop me a line about a commission. eric@insidious1.com

The Hard Master from G.I. JOE Custom Action Figure Art "Ultimate"

2010-06-28T04:35:00.002-05:00

When I posted my first Hard Master custom, I teased that I was working on another one that was even more true to his look from the original Marvel comic books. And just a few months shy of a year later, he is finished and I couldn't be happier with how he turned out.

He's a combination of parts from 8 different figures. Some parts were dyed red to minimize paint rub and wear including the gi top, belt, and legs. I show you how to dye parts here but I must admit, getting the red deep enough and bright enough was a challenge that required multiple and unusually long sessions.

But the one part that gave me the most trouble was the head as I searched far and wide to find a suitable wrinkled, bald, old, Japanese man head. I tried numerous 21st Century WWII figures and Pirates of the Caribbean figures but none of them were a good enough base for me to work with....until I finally bought a Doctor Rex Lewis figure and removed his mask and toupee. I dremeled and sanded the scars smooth in most areas leaving them as wrinkles in others. I also smoothed out some his features to make them appear more Japanese. I painted all the skin, gave it a wash, and then highlighted it to really bring out the details of his face and body. (See the last pic.) Finally, I painted his trademark intense stare.

"Do not let your intensity toward the opponent you see blind you to the opponents yet to reveal themselves."

Last but not least, I added the Arashikage tattoo to his right forearm in the correct position using a custom made waterslide decal. I wasn't sure about the "soft goods" gi top at first, but now I can't imagine him without it. Besides, I love the fact that in the heat of battle he can ditch it to show off his sinewy old man muscles. ;-)

I hope you dig him as much as I do. If you're making a Hard Master or other Arashikage of your own, one set of Arashikage tattoo waterslide decals is also still available in my etsy shop. Until next time, I remain "The Insidious One."

The Little Differences: Zartan and Cobra Commander G.I. JOE Custom Kitbashes

2010-06-26T23:10:00.000-05:00

"It's the little differences. I mean, they got the same $#!t over there that we got here, but it's just – it's just there it's a little different."

*****

This week's "The Little Differences" features two Cobra's; Zartan and Cobra Commander. While both of these characters have been released numerous times with different decos, accessories, and parts, it took a combination of several of these releases to make what I feel are the ultimate versions of these two crucial characters.

While I never owned the vintage Zartan as a kid, I loved to play with my friend's figure and the important role his character played in the Marvel comic books only made me appreciate him even more. But none of the 25th Anniversary releases were true to the colors of the vintage figure. So I used the feet, torso, arms, armor, and thighs from the singled carded release. And combined that with the head, backpack, sniper rifle, pistol, masks, and knife of the Hall of Heroes release and lower legs of the Cobra Box Set release. These swaps are very simple and require only a small screwdriver to open the legs. Luckily the pants colors match very closely.

Another really small tweak I did to his head was to adjust the position of his cowl as it was originally a little too low so you couldn't see his face very well. I dropped the head in some boiling water to soften the glue that attaches it to the head. And after about a minute, it pealed right off. I put a tiny dab of crazy glue in the ridge of the head, positioned the cowl the way I liked it, and held it in place for a minute to let the glue set.

Now he's back in black and ready to assassinate the Had Master!

The Cobra Commander has a fantastically unique uniform but every release of him seemed to get one or two details wrong. The Senior Ranking Officers Commander was pretty darn close with lots of great painted details like the buckle triangle, rank pins, and jacket buttons so I used him as a base and then added the chrome head from the DVD Battles pack version. But still one thing was missing...the red stripe down his right pant leg. I used a thin red waterslide decal to create the stripe, but if you have a steady hand or masking tape, you could use paint to achieve the same effect.

After last week's more involved bashes, these two are pretty simple once you gather the parts. I hope you dig 'em and see once again that the little differences can make a big impact on your figures.

P.S. - Be sure to check out JACKOFTRADZE contribution to "The Little Differences" on his blog. jackoftradze.blogspot.com He tells you how to upgrade two Star Wars vehicle staples, the Y-Wing and the A-Wing!

The Little Differences: Rip Cord and Grand Slam G.I. JOE Custom Kitbashes

2010-06-18T10:54:00.000-05:00

It's the little differences. I mean, they got the same $#!t over there that we got here, but it's just – it's just there it's a little different.

*****

This week's little differences features a more involved bash and a very simple bash. I hope you dig them.

We finally got a 25th Anniversary style Rip Cord G.I. JOE action figure in the guise of Spc. Altitude in the Assault on Cobra Island internet exclusive figure set. But he was a bit of a let down in a lot of ways. 1) He had the ugly Red Star head. 2) He didn't have an oxygen tank. 3) He had no altimeter.

The first thing I did was fix that head so I changed it to the Ace head from the Toys R Us Exclusive Air Command 3 pack. The Ace head more closely resembles his face from the Marvel comics and the hair color is almost perfect so no painting needed. However, the Ace head is also a little smaller than the Red Star head, so you'll need to add a tiny dab of hot glue to the back of the helmet so it fits snugly.

Next I popped his left hand and added the wrist communicator from Tomax to give him an altimeter.

Then, (and now this is the part I warned you about in last week's post) I took the air tank from a ROC Cobra Eel, trimmed the hose off up to the valve, drilled a small hole with the dremmel in the front parachute, put a tiny dab of glue in the hole, and inserted the peg of the air tank. I was planning to connect the hose from his mask to the valve on the air tank but for the sake of pose-ability of the head, I did not.

And for the icing on this cake, I created and added a tiny waterslide decal of the patch that was pictured on his original 1984 card art. (You too can add this patch to your Rip Cord as it is available for a limited time at my Etsy shop.)

This week's second figure is something many have done but I added one thing that puts him over the top. Grand Slam came with the Target Exclusive Night Specter and was almost perfect in my opinion except for one glaring omission, his jet pack. To get a jet pack that most closely resembled the original green, I used the one from the Target Exclusive Ultimate Battle Pack Stalker.

I also had an extra "jet flames" from a Star Wars Boba Fett figure from a few years ago and it fits perfectly into the exhaust holes of the jet pack.

But the bit that really puts this one over the top is the waterslide decal I designed and added to the jet pack. On the original JUMP Jet Pack there was a sticker on the back of the pack and for some reason Hasbro hasn't included it with any of it's releases.

If you would like to add the decal to your jet pack, it is available for a limited time in my Etsy shop. Get it before it disappears.

Are you daring enough to go above and beyond a normal "Little Differences" to make these two? I think they're worth it. Until next time...

The Little Differences: Short Fuze, Grunt and Jan Ors by JACKOFTRADZE

2010-06-11T09:08:00.000-05:00

Vincent: It's the little differences. I mean, they got the same $#!t over there that we got here, but it's just – it's just there it's a little different.

*****

As two of the "Original 13" Joes, Short Fuze and Grunt have a special place in my heart. So when we finally got 25th Anniversary versions, of them, my original team was (nearly) complete. Short Fuze came with the Target Exclusive "Ultimate Battle Pack" and was almost perfect ...except for the lack of a clear visor on the helmet and the head which was a Doc repaint and sat too high on the neck post. While the Doc head is great for Doc, it doesn't quite fit the intense expression I remember in Short Fuze's 1982 original package art.

The head is from the Hawk comic pack which not only had the perfect intense expression, but the blond hair as well. (Then what about Hawk you ask? I'll get to that in another post.) I also took the visor from that comic pack hawk and I used a tiny drill bit in my dremmel to put two holes in the sides of the helmet so the visor would snap into place. To complete the look I gave him a mortar shell from a BBi weapons pack that was on clearance at TRU.

Grunt was released with one of the Toys R Us exclusive Senior Ranking Officers Sets but his unform was a goofy green color that didn't look good with the other more drably dressed Joes. While the original 13 had varying green colors, none had this bright of a green color. So I took the head and gear from the figure and put it on a comic pack Duke body. I still think I need to dremel the head a little bit so it sits a little lower on the neck post but Grunt now fits in with his buddies. (Thanks to JACKOFTRADZE for this one.)

And speaking of JACKOFTRADZE, you can check out more pics and info on his contribution to this week's The Little Differences "Jan Ors" at his blog. He offers up the recipe as well some witty insights into Star Wars comic packs and collecting. Check out the teaser below!

Once again, you can see that with a little parts swapping (and maybe a little drilling this time) you too can make your figures much better. Stay tuned as next week's figures take a little more effort than usual but are also that much cooler...

The Little Differences: Lando Calrissian Guest Starring JACKOFTRADZE

2010-06-04T13:46:00.002-05:00

Vincent: It's the little differences. I mean, they got the same $#!t over there that we got here, but it's just – it's just there it's a little different.

*****

I actually got the idea for "The Little Differences" from the conversations I have with fellow toy designer, customizer, and good friend JACKOFTRADZE. Recently, he started his own blog so without further ado I give you his first installment in this series; everyone's favorite Cloud City Administrator Lando Calrissian. See the teaser pics below and click here to learn how you too can make the perfect Lando with very little effort!

You can check out the rest of his cool customs at http://jackoftradze.blogspot.com/.

The Little Differences: Cutter & Steeler from G.I. JOE

2010-05-28T13:15:00.002-05:00

Vincent: It's the little differences. I mean, they got the same $#!t over there that we got here, but it's just – it's just there it's a little different.

*****

In this week's installment of "The Little Differences," we have Cutter and Steeler from G.I. JOE. (I promise they won't always be Joes as I have some Star Wars characters already lined up for next week.)

When Hasbro released Cutter in the Toys R Us exclusive Command 3 Pack, the figure looked pretty close to the original except for the terrible reuse of the Gung-Ho head and hat. To remedy the situation, I used a Deep Six head which has good strong facial features and a relatively smooth hairdo that would allow me to add a ball-cap without having to cut part of the head away or permanently glue it in place. I sculpted a nice bushy "Grabowski" mustache (as it is known in Chicago) with epoxy putty. I then painted his hair and mustache the same dark brown color so they would match even adding some sideburns to go with the facial hair. I procured a ball-cap from Broken Arrow Toys, added one of my custom waterslide decals for the Boston Red Sox logo and then painted the entire hat dark blue. I heated up the hat with a hair dryer a little bit to get it to fit snuggly and BAM! you've got Cutter. (My Cutter Boston Red Sox decals are available for a limited time in my Etsy shop.)

Steeler is an even simpler bash using the parts of 4 figures. The torso, legs, head, helmet, and display base are from his first release in the Steeler with Armadillo vs Serpentor with Air Chariot vehicle pack. The visor and gear are from the Target Exclusive Ultimate Battle Pack release. The forearms are from Comic Pack Duke and the final touch is the black gloved hands from Snake-Eyes release 1.

So as you can see, with a little boiling and popping, you too can make the Ultimate versions of certain characters. Until next time as "the man" always said, "Excelsior True Believers!"

Cobra Commander as He SHOULD HAVE Appeared in G.I. JOE: The Rise of Cobra Action Figure Art

2010-05-27T16:11:00.003-05:00

The best movies based on comics and cartoons adapt the things that worked well in the original medium while not straying too far from the things that made the property successful and loved by fans. Another key is adapting the iconic visual elements from the source material. This is a logical move because it not only pleases the fans but also doesn't create new problems by breaking things that work simply for the sake of doing something new.

If you've read some of my previous posts, you know I made Hawk, Shipwreck, Roadblock, Duke, and Scarlett as they SHOULD have appeared in the movie G.I. JOE: The Rise of Cobra. This is my take on good old Cobra Commander.

Would they have sold less movie tickets if he happened to wear his trademark cowl instead of that goofy clear plastic mask? I argue that they would have sold more. In the movie, we see the Commander's face is simply that of a burn victim. So not only is there no reason for him to cover his face from a literal perspective, but from a storytelling perspective as well.

When Cobra Commander was introduced in both the comics and cartoon both of his masks (the cowl and his mirrored helmet) completely obscured his face with no hint of what was underneath. So every time a bit of it was revealed, part of his past and character was revealed. It was also fun for the viewer to try to guess what exactly was underneath those masks.

Finally, the cowl, if treated properly can appear even more frightening and allows far greater expression for the actor underneath than a hard plastic helmet with all the weird reflections and glare that go with it.

The most challenging part of creating this piece was the Cobra logo on his chest which is one of my custom waterslide decals. It took a few tries to get it right as it is positioned on a very detailed area of the chest and required decal solvent to get it to cling to the shape. I also clear coated the entire upper torso with a gloss to give it more of a body armor feel and contrast with the rest of his costume.

Thanks for reading and I hope you dig him. He's available right now on ebay . Get him while you can!

Snake Eyes (V3) Custom Action Figure Art from G.I. JOE

2010-05-26T12:11:00.001-05:00

As you can see from my avatar in the corner, I'm a fan of the character Snake-Eyes from G.I. JOE. While most people know him only as a mysterious badass ninja, the character as written by Larry Hama in the original Marvel comic books is more of an everyman who just happened to find himself in some extraordinary situations that transformed both his appearance and the direction of his life. But underneath it all, he wants the same things we all want; to be able walk in the sun holding the hand of the person we love.

In the comics, after many years and with some very special reconstructive surgery techniques, his hideously scarred face was reconstructed. Unfortunately, almost immediately after the surgery was complete, Snake-Eyes was captured by Cobra and while making his escape, his face was scarred once again.

He defeated his captors and stole their gear. Apparently he liked the gear enough to keep it as his uniform. And while his face was scarred once again, it was nowhere near its previous level of disfigurement so he even removed his mask from time to time.

This piece is inspired by that version of Snake-Eyes or Version 3 as he is called in the toys.

I wanted to capture the makeshift look of his gear, so I treated each part of his outfit a little differently to make it seem a little less uniform and more dirty and gritty.

Then I detailed the heck out of the gear including the snoopers and backpack weapons.

But the final piece is the repaired but re-scarred unmasked head. His hair had a little bit of a wave to it in the comics so I sculpted it that way and actually carved out the scars on his face before I painted them.

Hope you dig him. He's available in my etsy shop right now. Get him before someone else does.

Cover Girl Combat Heroes Style Custom Action Figure Art

2010-05-24T21:22:00.002-05:00

Just when you think I've created every possible version of G.I. JOE's Cover Girl, comes the cutest version of this tank driving redhead yet; the Combat Heroes version.

While the last wave of figures was only released in Canada and included such favorites as Shipwreck and Lady Jaye, it did not include Cover Girl but I think you'll agree, she fits right in.

Hope you dig her. She's one of a kind and available in my etsy shop now. Get her before someone else does!

The Little Differences: General Joseph "G.I. JOE" Colton & General Hawk from G.I. JOE

2010-05-21T10:46:00.002-05:00

Vincent: ...you know what the funniest thing about Europe is?

Jules: What?

Vincent: It's the little differences. I mean, they got the same $#!t over there that we got here, but it's just – it's just there it's a little different.

*****

This is the first of what will be a regular Friday feature where I show examples of how simple parts swaps and/or with very little effort, you can dramatically improve the appearance of your favorite characters. Because as Vincent explains to Jules in the movie Pulp Fiction, those little differences can make things so much cooler.

Being the first in this series, I thought I'd start at the top of the G.I. JOE chain of command with General Joseph "G.I. JOE" Colton and General Hawk.

This figure uses the body and gear from the "Hawk" Toys R Us exclusive "Command Figure 3 Pack" and the head from a Star Wars Obi-Wan Kenobi figure. I specifically chose this Obi-Wan because he has a slightly disheveled hairdo and featured an open mouth that looks as if he's barking orders like every good General should. Also, for the most part, Star Wars heads are a good fit on the G.I. JOE 25th Anniversary style bodies but in this case, I added a little hot glue inside the head to make it fit a little more snugly. (Note: If you use hot glue to do this, DO NOT let the hot glue cool while the head is on the neck post or you will not be able to move the head and it could break the neck post when you try to move it.) For the final touch and as an homage to the original 1960s G.I. JOE 12 inch figure, I painted a tiny scar on his cheek.

This version of "General Hawk is combination of the single carded version and the cartoon inspired 5 pack. The single card had a lot of great body detail but the belts were gray instead of black while the 5 pack version had black belts but the fur collar was brown and it didn't even have his name printed on his jacket. So I unscrewed one of the legs on both figures and let the bodies sit in some hot water to make it easier to remove the belts and soften the glue holding the epaulets on the shoulders in place. After a minute or two and with a little pulling, the epaulets came off and I was able to swap the shoulder holster and belt. After he was cool and dry, I positioned the shoulder straps and collar and added a tiny dab of super glue to the holes in the shoulders to reattach the epaulets. I also used the helmet from the 5 pack which has more paint detail.

Call me OCD or a perfectionist, but I feel these little details make a big difference to the overall look of a character. And if you're a "figure guy," this is probably something you already do. Until next time...

Selene from Underworld Custom Action Figure Art

2010-05-20T16:35:00.003-05:00

As far as Vampire movies go, Underworld is one of my favorites. It has vampires, werewolves, Hong Kong style action scenes, chooses prosthetics and puppets over CG, and stars badass Kate Beckinsale in a skin tight vinyl bodysuit and corset.

I've literally been waiting to do this figure for over a year. I first got the bug when I discovered Tri-Gate Creations once offered a "female vampire hunter" torso that looked strikingly similar to Selene's in the movie. Unfortunately, every time they made it available again it sold out before I could get one. So rather than keep waiting, as usual I took matters into my own hands...

The parts are a combination of five different figures. (Can you spot them?) But the torso is heavily modded requiring me to dremel down the waist and sculpt the lower half of the corset.

The trick of using a glossy varnish on some areas and a matte varnish on others really makes the black on black details of this figure pop.

Finally, I had some fun with her and some other figures and props.

Hope you dig her. She's available for purchase on ebay. Or if you'd like to commission your own custom piece of action figure art, contact me at Eric@insidious1.com.

Sgt. Slaughter Custom Action Figure Art from G.I. JOE

2010-05-20T11:04:00.000-05:00

Hasbro is releasing a brand new, modern era Sgt. Slaughter action figure. While I like that it really looks like Robert Remus, the man who plays Sgt. Slaughter, it doesn't quite seem to fit the heroic proportions of the rest of the figures in the line or his muscular image in the cartoons of the 1980s. So I decided that I needed to make my own version of him.

This is one of two versions Hasbro will be selling exclusively at the 2010 San Diego Comic Con.

Okay, maybe the Hasbro sculptors were even being generous. Here's a pic from back in the day.

In the 80s cartoons, he was more muscular than Superman and could do anything but fly.

*****

Sarge - "Up and at 'em you lazy pukes!"

Sarge - "I'm here to whip you guys into shape and show you what it means to be a wrestle...er, I mean a soldier."

Sarge - "You call yourself G.I. JOEs? I've never seen a more sorry line up of pantywaists since Wrestlemania VII!"

Quick Kick - "Pssst, Steeler. This guy sounds like a 1960s Spider-man comic, am I right?"

Sarge - "You gotta problem, solider? Where the heck is your shirt? And while yer at it, where are your shoes?"

Quick Kick - "I never wear a shirt or shoes, sir! That's just my style, sir!"

Sarge - "Your style, huh? A JOE needs to be able to hop in a Skystriker and fly to any environment in the world at a moments notice. How the heck can Hawk send you to the North Pole if you're half naked?!"

Steeler - "That's actually where we found him, sir. He was filming a commercial for Frozen Fudgies dressed just like you see him now, sir."

Quick Kick - "You should see me on space missions, sir."

*****

The baton is made from a model kit sprue with a sculpted top. The whistle is also sculpted. The chest "USA," thigh, and boot emblems are my custom made waterslide decals.

Hope you dig him. The Sarge is available for purchase at my etsy shop. Or if you'd just like the decals for your own custom Sarge, contact me as always at Eric@insidious1.com.

A Tale of Two Lifelines

2010-05-18T01:30:00.000-05:00

I still don't understand the fascination with the G.I. JOE character Lifeline. But I can't argue with the fact that his name always comes up whenever I talk favorite characters with other JOE fans. To this end, I've created several custom action figures of him. (You can check out another one here.) So I thought it would be fun to compare two of my more recent versions of Lifeline that are different takes on the character but share one common part, the excellent Trigate Creations headsculpt.

As you can see, the first one more closely resembles the original 1986 action figure with the button down shirt with three pouches while the second has more of a modern updated helicopter rescue look with a quilted body armor, knee pads, and removable pistol on the chest.

I added some gear and sculpted details to both figures to make them even more authentic to the original including a little "beeper" type gizmo on the first one's belt. The head and my custom designed decals work great with either interpretation.

I also painted the heck out of the gear to really bring out the detail on the backpacks which are vintage and required some radical modding to fit the modern peg hole.

I hope you dig them. If you want to see more of what Trigate has to offer, you can check them out here. If you'd like to buy a set of these decals or commission a Lifeline of your own, you can contact me as always at Eric@insidious1.com.

"Poor Wild Bill. He was a good soldier, a better pilot, and a swell friend."

"Hiccup! I ain't dead you muckle head, I jush had one too many Rum and Yo Joe Colash."

How to Apply Custom Made Waterslide Decals to Your Action Figures

2010-04-16T17:16:00.003-05:00

Many people write to me asking how I get such clean detailed logos, letters, and symbols on my custom figures. The answer is custom made waterslide decals. "What's a waterslide decal?" you ask. Well, if you've ever built a model car, it's that kind of decal where you soak it in water and then apply it so that it dries in place. The advantage of a waterslide decal over a sticker is that it can conform to irregular shapes like wrinkles in clothing and seams. And if you match the background colors well and seal it afterward, it blends in seamlessly.

How do you make them? That's a whole other story. Today, we'll assume you contacted me and ordered a custom made set or a set I've done previously and now you want to apply them to your own custom action figure.

First let's make sure you have everything you need:

1) One or more action figures. I like to do more than one at the same time because there is a little bit of setting up involved and they can be tricky to work with so by decal number three, you've got the feel for working with them again.

2) Bottle of Micro Sol decal solvent. You can get it at a hobby store or order from the link.This stuff will help the decal adhere to irregular surfaces like folds in clothes. It actually "melts" the plastic of the decal so you have to be very careful with it.

3) Tweezers

4) New Clean Paper Towel

5) Distilled Water

6) Shallow Lid or Yogurt Cup (turned upside down) filled with distilled water.

7) Clean Exacto Blade and Cutting Mat (Not pictured.)

8) Clean Small brush

9) Dixie Cup Filled with Distilled Water (Not pictured.)

Step 1:

Cut out your decals close to the edge of the design but with enough room so you can still hold them with the tweesers without touching the printing on the decal. Sometimes as with Cover Girl's arm patch, you have to cut right to the edge and be even more careful when handling it.

Step 2:

Hold the decal up to the area you will be applying it to. Make sure it will fit. Trim it as necessary.

Step 3:

Pick up the decal with the tweezers being careful not to touch the printing.

Step 4:

Using the tweezers, hold the decal face up on the surface of the water for 3 seconds. This will allow the backing paper to get moist. If it is too small as with Cover Girl's patch, let it sit on the surface. (DO NOT SUBMERGE THE DECAL as it can cause the colors to bleed!)

Step 5:

Place the decal face up on a paper towel and let it sit for 30 seconds. This allows the backing paper to loosen from the decal. Larger decals will need more time.

Step 6:

While the decal is loosening from the backing paper, take your brush and put a very light coat of decal solvent on the area of the figure where you will be placing the decal. This should almost evaporate by the time you place the decal in position. Clean the brush with running water from a sink and dry it on a paper towel as you will be using the brush again in a moment and you do not want any solvent to remain on it.

Step 7:

After the 30 seconds, pick up the decal with the tweezers and place it face down on a flat clean surface. A table is good, preferably close to the edge of the table in case you have trouble picking up the decal.

Step 8:

Using the tweezers, gently nudge the backing paper of the decal to make sure it will slide. Then using the tweezers, pick up the backing paper with the decal still halfway attached.

Step 9:

Still holding it with the tweezers, place the decal on the figure using the brush (or the exacto, but be very careful not to tear the decal) to help slide it free from backing paper. You only have a few seconds before the decal begins to set so quickly place it into position.

Step 10:

If it is not staying in place or the decal doesn't seem to adhere, put a tiny drop of water on your brush and use it to gently smooth out the decal surface. Be careful not to use too much water as it will crack and smudge the colors on the decal. I recommend trying to dab the corners or edge of a decal first.

Step 11:

If the decal does not seem to be adhering to the contours of the area you are placing it onto like a wrinkled jacket sleeve, dip only the tip of the brush in decal solvent, and gently brush a little solvent onto the areas of the decal that will not adhere. If it will not adhere in the middle of the decal, you will have to use the brush to gently push the decal into the recesses of the wrinkle. (NOTE: Be EXTREMELY careful when using decal solvent as you only have one shot at getting it right. After you use it on a part of the decal it cannot be moved without destroying or cracking the decal.)

Step 12:

Let it dry over night.

Step 13:

Spray the entire piece with some kind of sealant. Many different companies make different kinds of sealant from matte, to gloss, to others in between. Whatever you use, I suggest using a spray and applying it very lightly. I use Games Workshop Matte Purity Seal. It's more expensive than most, but the quality is the best I've found and the large can lasts a long time.

Step 14:

Let the whole thing dry over night.

When you're done, you have something that even the finest miniature painter cannot reproduce. If you'd like to buy any of my decals or would like to commission a new design, contact me at Eric@insidious1.com.

Scarlett and Duke As They Should Have Looked in G.I. JOE: The Rise of Cobra Custom Action Figures

2010-04-15T15:56:00.002-05:00

In previous posts, I showed you Shipwreck, Roadblock, and Hawk as they SHOULD have looked in the movie G.I. JOE the Rise of Cobra. Today, I thought I'd share Scarlett and Duke in a little web comic I did before the movie was released. (When I thought they were going to pair Duke and Scarlett.) I hope you dig it.

The joke at the end is from an article I read somewhere that Channing Tatum told his agent that he wanted to play Snake-Eyes instead of Duke. Well, at least if he did that we wouldn't have had to endure his weird ebonics speech pattern throughout the movie.

Not much to these guys but a head swap, some extra gear, and some very careful painting but the end result is pretty dramatic. Contact me if you'd like to commission one or both of them for yourself.

Pythona Custom G.I. JOE Action Figure from G.I. JOE The Movie (1987)

2010-03-25T15:07:00.000-05:00

I have a few recurring clients with whom I've built relationships that have allowed me to make some really great figures that I normally would not have chosen to make on my own. One such figure is Pythona from the G.I. JOE animated movie from 1987.

I say that I wouldn't have made her on my own because as a kid I despised the movie for two reasons: it rewrote the origin of Cobra into some sort of science fiction story and they turned Cobra Commander into a snake. So I discarded the whole thing as not being a part of my "Joeverse."

But as an adult, there are many things I can appreciate about it such as the premise of an organic technology based culture versus a modern mechanical military and a character who is a sexy humanoid/reptile hybrid female assassin; Pythona.

I did a lot of research to get the face deco just right and used a gloss on certain areas to give her a more organic look. I hadn't planned on giving her earrings but after watching the movie again, I felt like they were part of her iconic character and so I made them from very tiny pieces of styrene that I cut to shape. The costume details were an insane time consumer and also required a lot of freeze framing to see how it appeared from all sides and I have to say, it wasn't consistent and required me to fill in quite a few gaps.

She was an incredible challenge in so many respects, I told my client that I would not repeat this character, but I'm really happy with the outcome and so was he. Hope you guys dig her too.

The Countess Cobra Test Pilot & Sidewinder Cobra Experimental Vehicle

2010-03-17T00:30:00.002-05:00

I always felt that Cobra needed more female characters. So when Daremo's "The Mission" contest on Hisstank.com called for a vehicle, I decided to take that opportunity to not only create a new Cobra jet but a new Cobra female character who would serve as a driver for that vehicle. Enter "The Cobra Sidewinder" and her pilot, "The Countess."

COBRA SIDEWINDER

The SIDEWINDER is an experimental ultra-compact VTOL aircraft that can move incredibly fast at altitudes as low as 20 feet above the surface. In order to stay airborne at such low altitudes, it utilizes extensive computer systems to assist pilot control. However, all the bugs have not been worked out so the vehicle currently tends to slide from side to side in the air especially when hovering. This "side winding" appearance is what gave the vehicle its name.

Techno-Viper 1053's log:
Currently, the SIDEWINDER is still in the testing phases at a secure hidden location. Test pilot THE COUNTESS was assigned by THE BARONESS herself. The aircraft's speed and maneuverability will revolutionize the ground war with the Joes, that is, if we can get all the systems working together at the same time. Note to self: Keep an eye on THE BARONESS as she has been poking around even more than usual. Seems suspicious.

TEST PILOT
Code Name: THE COUNTESS
Primary Military Specialty: Pilot
Secondary Military Specialty: Aircraft Mechanic
Birthplace: Classified

Contessa is the daughter of a deposed Count of a small Eastern European country. During her youth, while her father was still in power, she and Anastasia "The Baroness" became childhood friends. However, after the murder of Anastasia's brother, the two lost contact. Many years later while on a mission for Cobra in Turkey, The Baroness found Contessa working as a pilot for a local crime lord. Despite the years, they immediately recognized each other and after the Baroness killed her boss (inadvertently costing Contessa her livelihood), Contessa asked to join Cobra. The Baroness welcomed her old friend with open arms.

Between her excellent flying skills and likable personality, Contessa quickly rose through the ranks to become Cobra's top pilot below Wild Weasel. However, her beauty did not go unnoticed by Destro and created a rift between her and The Baroness. In fact, it was Destro who gave her the code name "THE COUNTESS" despite protests from The Baroness. (Note: In aristocratic hierarchy, the rank of Countess is above Baroness.)

Qualified Expert in all Cobra aircraft as well as F-5E, F-15, F-16, F-18, XP-14/F and most Russian aircraft including the Su-30MKI.

Cobra Commander Says: "The Baroness must be a student of Sun-tzu because she not only appointed The Countess to be our experimental aircraft test pilot but also her "personal" pilot. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer indeed. I can only assume from her growing jealousy that one day The Baroness will find it necessary to ensure that one of our experimental aircraft meets a tragically lethal end."

And here's "The Mission" story I created using The Sidewinder, The Countess, and the G.I. JOE character I created, Top Shelf.

Intel:
Code name SPECTRE has identified a new Cobra aircraft that is being tested at an underground facility in the Southwestern United States.

****

Orders:
Code name TOP SHELF will be dropped 10 miles from suspected site of Cobra experimental vehicle testing facility. (See code name DUSTY for insights and preparations.) TOP SHELF will proceed to site and conduct surveillance as long as deemed necessary to estimate capabilities and threat level. Upon completion, TOP SHELF will proceed to extraction point and call for pick up. NOTE: TOP SHELF must NOT ENGAGE enemy unless threat is immediate and eminent.

****

Top Shelf's log:
Entry 0 - Day 1 - 21:30
I'm making the drop under what little cover the desert night sky can provide. Dusty's flying the Dragonfly low and he won't tell me where we're headed. I can't tell if he's following orders or just grumpy but I'm guessing by our travel time and the terrain that we're in southern Nevada or New Mexico. I always wanted to get abducted by aliens. That would totally rock! Come to think of it, that's probably why Cobra's using this area to test their experimental aircraft. Any "sightings" by the locals would be lumped in with all the others as the latest UFO.

Entry 1 - Day 1 - 24:05
Dusty isn't much company. He won't quit griping about how I got picked over him for this mission. "Desert is MY specialty, blah, blah, blah!" Anyway, Dusty's getting fidgety so I must be dropping soon.

Entry 2 - Day 2 - 02:17
Whoever said a ten mile run through the desert in full gear at night was a piece of cake was out of their mind. It was probably Dusty. I gotta remember to slug him when I get back to HQ. Arrived at observation point and set up blind just inside a rocky crater surrounding suspected site.

Entry 3 - Day 2 - 4:06
Satellite photo of underground hangar confirmed. 50 yard "hole" opens in the center of the rocky crater. VTOL aircraft whose profile resembles a miniature Cobra Rattler rises from hole. Aircraft hovers three minutes above the hole before it begins to shake from side to side so much that the pilot loses control and almost crashes into the crater wall. Pilot regains control and it descends back into the hole.

Entry 4 - Day 2 - 6:01
I can't say that I've seen anything, but I get the distinct impression I'm not the only one watching this site. Will not move for the next 24 hours to attempt to verify.

Entry 5 - Day 3 4:15
Hangar doors open again. Same aircraft rises from within. This time it rises smoothly but when it pauses to hover, it still slightly sways from side to side. Aircraft takes off, skimming the crater no more than 10 feet from the surface.

Entry 5 - Day 3 4:45
Aircraft returns to hangar but just hovers over the closed door. The nose mounted machine-gun opens fire...

Entry 5.5 - Day 3 4:54
I evaded the machine gun fire but it tore up half my remaining water supply. I thought they might have made me but they must have just been testing the gun. Wait, something is definitely going on. Inside the cockpit, the pilot is looking very agitated. The aircraft sways even more before it lands right on top of the hanger doors. The pilot throws open the canopy and tosses some kind of robotic scorpion out of the cockpit. Its smoking and the legs are twitching. The pilot hops out and is female. She plugs a few rounds into the thing, and stomps it into the ground. The pilot then removes her helmet, throws it onto the sand covered ground and yells something at the top of her lungs that sounds like "Stacy." She gathers her composure and gets the plane moving again. This time the hanger doors open and the aircraft descends. WTF just happened here?

Entry 6 - Day 3 5:22
I see movement on the other side of the crater. Some kind of desert ninja looking guy with a whole lot of electronics gear. He opens some a hidden access hatch nearby and disappears.

Entry 7 - Day 4 4:09
Hangar doors open and same aircraft rises from within. When it reaches 30 feet above the opening, right side engine explodes and the plane crashes into the side of the crater. I can't tell if the pilot survived the crash. Ground crew emerges from below and douses the flames. The Baroness herself is among them. Damn it, Hawk if you didn't give me orders not to engage I could put two bullets right through those geeky glasses. Wait, the pilot is coming down the side of the crater, she must have ejected before the explosion and it sent her outside the crater. She's a hot mess and her flight suit must have been on fire because she's smoking and walking like a drunk. But she still has enough left to throw a sucker punch right across the Baroness' face. Don't know why the Baroness didn't duck, but she orders some of the ground crew to take her away. The pilot is spitting and cursing at the Baroness as they drag her down the hole.

Entry 8 - Day 5 2:15
Made it away from the site undetected and awaiting pick up. I'm not entirely sure what I saw happen down there but it appears that the aircraft is out of commission for now. Was it mechanical failure or the result of sabotage, it's hard to say. Y'know if the Cobras could just stop fighting themselves for a minute, they might actually stand a chance against us. Dumbasses!

The Sidewinder is a completely repainted mini A10 Tank Killer from another figure line with custom decals designed by me. The Countess was a lot of work just trying to get the pieces to fit together as most Joe female parts are not compatible with each other. I also modified the torso to streamline her body armor and make her a little more well endowed. She also features custom made decals on her helmet and body armor.

I almost had as much fun creating the characters and story as I did making the customs. Thanks again to Daremo for hosting the contest that inspired me to create these.

I hope you dig them. If you do, they're on ebay right now. They're also ONE OF A KIND so get them before they're gone.

James Bond 007 (Daniel Craig) Custom Action Figure

2010-03-08T13:59:00.002-06:00

I love James Bond movies and especially the original novels by Ian Flemming. In fact, I've read every one of them. Yeah, they're candy for guys but Mr. Flemming takes us places and shows us cultures that very few in the U.S. have seen first hand. And Bond always lets us see them in style.

So when the new Bond movies starring Daniel Craig seemed to take Bond back to his novel roots, I was elated. Yeah, he's not as suave as Pierce but he gets the job done. The suit he wore on the posters and in the film "A Quantum of Solace" inspired this custom action figure.

He's ready for action in his classic black suit, shiny blue silk tie, highlighted hair, and pocket square. As usual, I painted the whole figure in matte colors but to bring out the details like the belt, belt buckle, and tie, I used a varnish to make them shiny.

I couldn't resist pairing him with the Joyride Studios Aston Martin for a few shots. It's the perfect scale for 3.75 inch figures.

I hope you dig him. If you do, leave a comment or contact me for a commission of your own. Until next time, I remain "The Insidious One."

Dr. Venom & Brain Wave Scanner Custom Action Figure and Playset

2010-03-08T13:28:00.002-06:00

Over the past 27 years, we've seen just about every single major character from the Marvel G.I. JOE comics turned into an action figure in one form or another. One glaring omission is Dr. Venom. So who is Dr. Venom, you ask? He was the original head scientist for Cobra who created chemical weapons and the infamous Brain Wave Scanner. Yeah, Dr. Mindbender gets all the glow but Venom originally built the device.

His character left a big impression on me as a kid because he was written so nasty by Larry Hama, more so than even Cobra Commander. He would smile and lie to your face and then stab you in the back as soon as he got the chance. He was also brutally violent in the execution of his back stabbing. He didn't care about anyone but himself and he loved to gloat when he won.

Yeah, I completely understand why Hasbro wouldn't release this figure. What kid wants to open a middle aged man in a lab coat on Christmas morning? Below is my custom 25th Anniversary style version of Dr. Venom including his trademark 50's style bouffant hairdo custom sculpted by me.

But Dr. Venom wouldn't be complete without his most famous device...The Brain Wave Scanner! As readers, the Brain Wave Scanner was made even more exciting by the fact that it gave us our first glimpses into Snake-Eyes' mysterious past.

And later it served as the centerpiece of one of the most exciting G.I. JOE tales ever written, the word balloonless and captionless story "Hush Job" in Yearbook 3.

My Brain Wave Scanner is a combination of odds and ends from various toy lines. But I originally I got the idea when I saw the part that would become the head restraint, After that, the rest kind of fell into place. I took some liberties, but since it never appeared exactly the same way twice I figured nobody would mind. After assembling, I completely repainted and detailed the heck out of the thing to make it look even more diabolical.

Hope you dig these two pieces. They're available on ebay right now but time is running out so bid on them fast.

Nick Fury Custom Action Figure Marvel Universe

2010-03-05T09:45:00.005-06:00

I've loved the Marvel Comics character Nick Fury since I was a little boy. He's America's James Bond with cool gadgets, guns, cars, and beautiful women but with a distinctly American story. He was a WWII war hero, an ordinary man thrown into extraordinary situations, and a thinker who always manages to one-up even the most powerful super-villains and heroes when necessary. My Nick Fury is drawn by Jim Steranko with all the wonderful 60's kitsch that made every page of Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. interesting to look at even if you ignored the word balloons.

So when Hasbro and Marvel Comics decided that they were going to make a Nick Fury figure for the Marvel Universe line, I was ecstatic! In order to get it, you had to sign up for Marvel's digital comics which wasn't cheap. But I was willing...that is, until I saw the final product.

He didn't look like any version of Nick Fury ever and the head was far too young to be the grizzled but hip hero from WWII. Yes, I know he keeps himself frozen at about age 40 with the Infinity Formula but wtf? After doing a little research at MarvelousNews.com, I found the answer. The likeness was based on one of the higher ups in Hasbro. Ugh! Jim Steranko should punch this guy in the nose!

Needless to say, I've once again remedied the situation. A fellow customizer on Hisstank.com posted his version of Fury a few months ago using a really fantastic head sculpt that looked almost like Steranko had drawn it! And after a lot of digging, I found out it was an old Jurrassic Park head. Luckily, I was able to find one in a bin at a toy show. It started out really rough, but with a lot of work including some dremeling to make him look a little older around the eyes, it was perfect for my Fury.

The head also features a sculpted eye patch and cigar which was by far the most difficult part of this custom because of it's tiny size. The head is completely repainted as well as the body and gear to give it that bold 60's look. I added the signature holster to his chest which was also missing from the Hasbro figure. And as a child of the 80's I also couldn't resist giving him an M16 with grenade launcher.

Hope you dig him. If you do, he's available on ebay right now! He's a one of a kind so get him while you can.

Ultimate Destro (2) G.I. JOE Custom Action Figure

2010-03-04T11:03:00.002-06:00

I really enjoy the character of Destro in the world of G.I. JOE for many reasons. You can discover those reasons HERE in the post for my first Ultimate Destro. So I decided I wanted to make another Ultimate Destro, this time with a chrome head and applying even more of the custom techniques I've acquired over the past year.

Again, he's the figure Hasbro never gave us: all black like his vintage figure but this time I used more washes and dry-brushing to bring out the detail in the metal gloves, missiles, and grenades. I also detailed the gem around his neck and gave him pupils in his eyes.

The final touch was using a gloss varnish on the belts and boots. I got this idea from a technique I used to use when I was designing cars and Star Trek ships for Johnny Lightning where I would use a matte and glossy version of the same color to give a subtle coolness to the casting and allow the original sculpting detail to really come through. Hope you dig Destro. If you do, he can be yours because he's on ebay right now.

Night Force Outback Custom G.I. JOE Action Figure

2010-03-03T13:43:00.003-06:00

When Outback was released in 1987, I didn't think much of his bright orange "Grizzly Adams" beard and bright white "Survival" T-shirt. How could he be useful for anything except being a walking/talking signal for pick-up?

And what was with all the "trainers" on the Joe team all of a sudden? (Sgt. Slaughter anyone?) But when the Night Force version was released in 1988 in more subdued colors and with a new mission of night recon and infiltration, I found the character much more palatable.

Flash forward to 2009: Hasbro gave us two updated 25th Anniversary versions of Outback but neither one was the original or even the Night Force version. And the hair and beard was an even more unnaturally bright orange. I've remedied the situation by repainting his face fur in more natural colors, repainting his eyes, giving him some new gear and painting it black, and adding tons of painted details to up the ante even more. Check the pics below. Hope you dig him. If you do, you can buy him now on ebay!

Parts and Inspiration

2010-01-23T11:54:00.001-06:00

Many people ask me where I get all the parts and pieces to make my custom action figure art. Well, I buy a lot of figures at Target and Toys R Us. But I'm also lucky enough to live in Chicago which means I can hit the Bridgeview, IL Toy Con that happens every other month or so and the Kane County Toy Show twice a year. But in between those shows, and when I just need some inspiration, I go to Quake Collectibles on Lincoln Ave in the city.

I recently made a trip there not because I needed specific parts, but just because I happened to be in the neighborhood and as usual, it paid off with some unexpected finds. Dave the proprietor is one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet. In fact, I think he's the closest thing you'll ever see to a real Santa Clause as it seems that all he wants to do is use his toys to make people smile. In fact on this trip, there were some uppity middle school boys grabbing everything in sight and he handled them with both patience and grace. He has toys from all areas and all genres from the floor to the ceiling of his small shop. This can be a little overwhelming until you stop trying to focus on each piece and just let your eyes wander.

You never know what you're going to find as he is constantly updating his inventory so it's not only great for parts, but for inspiration as well. I somehow neglected to take photos of the boxes and boxes of loose figures and parts. I could spend hours just digging through them...and I have.

So if you're coming to Chicago or just passing through, Quake is definitely a place to check out. I guarantee you'll leave with something that makes you smile and you won't have paid a lot for it either. (Just don't go on Tuesday because they're closed.)

"Evil" Death Troopers Custom Star Wars Action Figures

2010-01-21T11:10:00.003-06:00

While there seems to be a glut of zombie media today, I prefer the more unorthodox stories that put a twist on the genre like Marvel Zombies, the Resident Evil Games and the movies Shaun of the Dead, and especially Evil Dead. So when I heard about the new Star Wars novel Death Troopers and saw some of the fan made films, I was very excited.

Soon afterward, I created these. While anyone with an extra Stormtrooper figure and a dremel can conceivably make a Death Trooper, I put a lot of thought into these. Of course they would start out as regular Stormtroopers fighting off the zombie hordes, so what kind of wounds would they get? Would they accidentally shoot each other? What pieces of armor would be peeled away by hungry zombies trying to get to the flesh inside? And after they became zombies, would they chew through their own helmet?

I've seen a lot of custom zombies that look like someone basically slapped a bunch of red paint on them. So I took a lot of care making the blood look like it was real; the splatters needed to look like they occurred as they were fighting and the drips and pools as they were stumbling around around bleeding from their own wounds. Had gangrene set in?

These were also my entries into the "Zombie" contest on Good To Go Customs Forum. Here's the write up I included with the entry. Bonus points if you can figure out the movie I'm referencing and the joke in their names. (Hint: It's one I listed above.)

Evil Death Troopers

TK5TU3PY and TKLU3PY were your average "I can't shoot straight to save my life while wearing this awkward helmet" Imperial Stormtroopers. Assigned to Endor during the battle of the second Death Star, these two saw the tide of battle turning and fled. They walked for days across the tree covered moon until they came upon what looked like an old house. They decided to rest and spend the night. Unfortunately, TK5TU3PY came across an old data tape recorder and decided to play it.

Several days later, the sole survivor of a nearby Ewok village arrived at Chief Chirpa's feet wounded and exhausted. He said that the neighboring village was destroyed by two Stormtroopers who had terrible powers and could not be stopped with arrows, rocks, bolas, or even swinging logs. The survivor died the next day from his wounds.

THE END?

There were a lot of cool entries but the fans chose them as the winner. Thanks to everyone who voted for them!

I have plans for more variations on this theme that pick up where my little story left off. If you'd like to commission a piece, contact me at eric@insidious1.com

The Green Hornet and Kato Custom Action Figures

2010-01-13T11:00:00.005-06:00

I've loved the Green Hornet and Kato since I was a wee little boy. I was first introduced to the character through the 1960s T.V. show. Yeah, it was goofy but every once in a while Bruce Lee would break out some awesome martial arts moves. And when Chicago's NOW Comics started producing a new comic book in the 80's, I became a dedicated fan.

Over the years, between myself and my father (his CB handle is Green Hornet), I've amassed quite a collection including masks cast from the original masks worn by Van Williams and Bruce Lee on the show. But no one has ever produced small scale, articulated, Green Hornet and Kato action figures. Therefore, I crafted these.

I went back and forth between the various versions of the pair on T.V. and in the comics. In the end, I took aspects that I liked from all these iterations and combined them into something new. I also thought it would be cool if they fit into an existing "world" and since G.I. JOE once had an anti-crime unit (See D.E.F), I made them in the 25th Anniversary Joe style.

The other half of the decision to use more articulated G.I. JOE bodies as a base was that it allows for cooler martial arts poses for Kato.

The masks are sculpted and based on the mask replicas in my collection. (Yes, I know they wore several different versions of the masks in the show, but these are the ones I like best.)

I even included their signature weapons; Green Hornet's Gas Gun and Kato's Throwing Darts.

With a lot of luck, this new Seth Rogan Green Hornet movie won't be a total piece of crap. But we'd all better our fingers crossed from what I've seen so far.

I hope you dig them. If you would like to commission a custom piece of action figure art of your own, contact me at eric@insidious1.com. Until next time, I remain The Insidious One.

Glenda G.I. JOE International Hero (Custom Action Figure)

2009-12-15T10:22:00.007-06:00

When G.I.JOE toys were sold internationally, often the characters were changed in name and appearance. Was it so they could tell whatever stories they wanted in comics and other media and not have to worry about kids confusing them with their American released versions? Was it the availability of the tooling molds? (I find that hard to believe because of the sheer creative use of parts on some of these international figures.) Or was it simply to make the characters easier to identify with in that country? I don't know the answer but I don't think it was the latter and Glenda is the case in point.

Glenda used the Scarlett figure as a base but featured a chrome torso, a completely different deco, and different accessories including Breaker's headset and Flash's laser gun. You can check out the original figure here at YoJoe.com. When you read her file card on the back of the package, it explains that she's the Co-Pilot (which seems kind of sexist), test pilot, and intelligence officer named...Jane Mullighan. Yeah, I wouldn't expect someone with that name to be a member of the "Commandos Heroicos" but if you look at the names and the background stories of the rest of the team, none of them appear to be from South America.

So when I decided to make a new version of Glenda, I not only wanted to make her look like a badass pilot (not just a co-pilot) but also try to explain how someone named Jane Mullighan who wears a chrome leotard and light blue body suit fits into the Argentinean branch of G.I.JOE.

My initial thoughts were to make her chrome torso look more like body armor and give her a pilot's headset she could actually wear unlike the original figure that had no means of keeping the Breaker headset on her head. To those ends, I painted her leotard a more gun-metal finish and after much experimentation with different removable headsets, I drilled a hole in her hairdo and attached a microphone. (Sometimes simple is the best solution.)

Along the way, I saw a fan made vintage style pin-up of her where she was wearing an Air Force patch on her arm and in that moment, her back story came to me and I added the patch to her left shoulder. The back story result is below.

(Please pardon my typo in sentence #2. - Eric)
Despite using a "Pilot Scarlett" figure as the base, the entire figure is completely repainted including the blue bodysuit and face.

Hope you dig her. Let me know your thoughts. - Eric

G.I.JOE The Rise of Cobra Behind the Scenes (Custom Figure Comic)

2009-11-25T13:24:00.000-06:00

After being generally disappointed with the movie G.I. JOE: The Rise of Cobra, and then reading Dennis Quaid's comment about wanting to see more action in the sequel; "I want to ride a horse and shoot a gun. I want a horse with an accelerator suit." I couldn't pass up doing something in response. I hope you enjoy.