1st, heeeeeerrrrreeeee's Johhny...um...West, the NJC winner
And the write-up I did with the Johnny submission:
Johnny West (w/ Thunderbolt)
Johnny is the titular cowboy from the old Marx line of Johnny West 12" Action Figures. Johnny's bio was never really fully formed, which allowed him to be whatever kind of old west star you wanted him to be. Most everyone perceived him to be the good guy, however, and his adventures regularly pitted him against the likes of Sam Cobra, Geronimo, and Chief Cherokee.
The Marx figures had surprisingly good articulation in the day, but their accessories were what really set them apart for that era. These qualities helped make up for the fact that each figure was made using 2 basic colors (flesh and a molded body color), with only hair and eye details painted in any way.
In making Johnny be 3 and 3/4" scale, I struggled with the choice to go for realism with the paint choices, or to make this figure an homage to the original's design. I had all but decided upon realism, yet once the light brown paint hit the figure, I felt compelled to do the whole thing that way. I did add a touch more face detail than the original figure had, for whatever that is worth.
The other thing that made the Marx cowboys interesting were the great Marx horses. With that in mind, I felt this figure would not be complete without Johnny's trusted steed, Thunderbolt.
PARTS:
Head is a commissioned Hydro-shrink job by Asphalt;
Torso upper legs and upper arms are TF Flint;
Lower arms are A-Team Murdock
Lower legs are 25A Red Star, modded heavily
Boots from Wild Bill
Vest: Indiana Jones coat
Kerchief?
Belt is kibble from various other belts;
Hat is Chap Mei, modded to be worn
Winchester Rifle is Playmobile
Money bag is from Chap Mei
Horse (Thunderbolt) is a repaint of PTE horse. Saddle from PTE, Bridle from Dollar Store horse, blanket cut from a vintage Marx Johnny West horse blanket.
And Sam Cobra (who, incidentally is my fave of the two):
And what I wrote for Sam's submission:
Sam Cobra (w/ Satan)
Sam Cobra is the premier bad guy from the old Marx line of Johnny West 12" Action Figures. Good old Sam was a gambler, thief, and overall shady individual. The Marx figures had surprising good articulation in the day, but their accessories were what really set them apart for that era. These qualities helped make up for the fact that each figure was made using 2 basic colors (flesh and a molded body color), with only hair and eye details painted in any way.
In making Sam be 3 and 3/4" scale, I tried to balance paying proper homage to the original, while trying to keep his look semi-relevant. I basically kept the body style all black, but added more face detail than the original figure had, and I injected some color details to the accessories, which originally would have been all in black as well.
The other thing that made the Marx cowboys interesting were the great Marx horses. With that in mind, I felt this figure would not be complete without Sam's trusted steed, Satan.
PARTS:
Head is a commissioned Hydro-shrink job by Asphalt;
Body is SDCC Destro, modified by cutting coat length, sculpting scarf, and adding ascot, amongst other details;
Hat is built using clear plastic insert from Henry Jones hat fused onto a brim from a 25A Wild Bill hat;
Gun Belt is MU Union Jack (?)
Belt Buckle is Aves Fix-It, and removable belt buckle Derringer pistol is plastic kibble;
Sword Cane is Henry Jones umbrella handle fused to random blade, stored inside of coffee stirrer as the cane part;
Dynamite made using toothpicks, thread, and Aves fix-it;
Money bag is from Chap Mei
Horse (Satan) is a repaint of PTE horse. Saddle from PTE, Bridle from Dollar Store horse, blanket cut from a vintage Marx Johnny west horse blanket.
