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Even when the likenesses aren't 100% there, the essence of the character comes through. (I'm currently working on a series of customs based on a movie, but the head sculpts aren't available, so I'm doing my best to "re-cast" the roles in way that feels at least spiritually authentic. All that to say, I really appreciate how you've done that here.)
And thank you for using that JoyToy bomber jacket! I've almost ordered that figure on many occasions just for the jacket, but I've never felt confident enough about how well it would play with figures other than the one for which it was designed.

The deep, saturated colors make these look like they came out of some magic “if Galoob had survived until 2023” box. Really gives these figures a shot of nostalgic fun, but without looking simple.

Power Lords? You used parts from Power Lords?! For that alone, you deserve an award. Amazing blending of parts. Never would have seen that.

(How about some WIP photos?)

Oh, man - love these! That's a perfect head & build for Face - been trying for years to figure out the right recipe and you nailed it. And the WWII torso on Hannibal is genius.

Awesome work on everything!

very cool! you nailed them all.

Those are fantastic and perfect in every way. Perfection.

On a somewhat related note, does anybody else think the 6 inch Retro Lady Jaye would make a good Murdoch or is it just me?

And the bomber jacket is a nice piece. It's a little thicker than some of the figure-scale jacket pieces, and it's fairly stiff, so I had to sand down the chest quite a bit and do some gluing to get it to fit properly. I've got another custom in the works that uses it, as well.

those are fantastic!
I'm not too sure about B.A.'s beard ... a bit too Santa style

I've seen A-Team customs since the beginnings of the interwebs. I like all of them. It doesn't take much to get my attention. but to keep my attention, to get me to focus down on the minutia, you have to do something special. The parts usage her is next level. You don't see people pulling out a Willie Scott necklace and Power Lords shins for customs these days...or possibly ever. All I have is praise.

Author:	sgartz [ Sun Mar 12, 2023 11:56 pm ]
Post subject:	The A-Team
It's been a long time since I posted anything, but I do still make customs, and I'd like to get back into the habit of documenting them and putting them out into the world again. Lately, I've been trying to work through an immense backlog of pieced-together figures and half-finished ideas. Seeing both Sizemore77's incredible 1:18-scale '80s mega-project and Past Nastification's recent and awesome A-Team customs finally motivated me to finish a set of A-Team customs I've had sitting around for a while now. I never had any of the Galoob A-Team figures as a kid. I must not have asked for the 3 3/4" figures, and the 6" figures were out of scale with anything else I owned. I always loved the look of the 6" line, though: those little cardboard inserts promising a "full set of action accessories" really worked on me, and once I saw all the little tools that came with B.A., I was even more intrigued. I had attempted an A-Team set about ten years ago, but I only got as far as Hannibal and a half-finished Murdock. After the Marauder WWII figures came out, I was messing around with some parts and stumbled onto a recipe for a Galoob-looking Hannibal. I pieced together rough versions of Face and Murdock, but I couldn't find a recipe I liked for B.A., so I moved on to other projects. Thanks to the work of the aforementioned customizers, I got the push I needed to dig them out and force myself to finish them. A few emergency eBay purchases later, here they are: A-Team-1 by Snaggletooth Customs, on Flickr A-Team-Group-2 by Snaggletooth Customs, on Flickr

Author:	sgartz [ Mon Mar 13, 2023 12:01 am ]
Post subject:	Re: The A-Team
John “Hannibal” Smith Head: Star Wars Jeremoch Colton Chest: Marauder WWII Arms: Marauder WWII Hands: Marauder Legs: Marauder Feet: ROC Storm Shadow Belt: Marauder w/ Indiana Jones Colonel Vogel holster Flamethrower pack: GI Joe VvsV Torch Flamethrower: Galoob A-Team Harness: Slaughter’s Marauders Falcon Detonator: Galoob A-Team M-60: Galoob A-Team M-16: DG Duke Pistol: Marauder WWII This guy wasn’t too complicated: the parts came together very easily, and most of the accessories were already made for the other Hannibal custom I made years ago. I love Marauder figures and parts, and I like the idea of the modular accessories, but I don’t like how bulky they are when assembled. So I went after the belt with an X-Acto knife and cut little recesses for the pouches to lower their profile. I gave him gloves because I remember him wearing them pretty frequently on the show. Hannibal-3 by Snaggletooth Customs, on Flickr Hannibal-2 by Snaggletooth Customs, on Flickr Hannibal-1 by Snaggletooth Customs, on Flickr

Author:	sgartz [ Mon Mar 13, 2023 12:03 am ]
Post subject:	Re: The A-Team
Templeton “Faceman” Peck Head: Eagle Force Matt Matheson Chest: Marauder Arms: Marauder Jacket: Marauder Legs: Marauder Feet: Marauder Radio Pack: World Peacekeepers M-16: DG Duke Submachine Gun: Marauder Pistol: Marauder Face was the easiest of the figures to make. The only significant modification was to shorten his arms to better fit the proportions of the figure. I also sanded off some material on the sides of the torso to allow his arms to rest at his sides with the jacket on. I decided to go with the sportcoat, rather than the bomber jacket of the Galoob figure, because I wanted to add some variety to the team, and because I remember him wearing sportcoats on the show. The likeness isn’t perfect, but this head had the hairstyle I wanted, and it was close enough for my tastes. Face-1 by Snaggletooth Customs, on Flickr Face-2 by Snaggletooth Customs, on Flickr Face-3 by Snaggletooth Customs, on Flickr

Author:	sgartz [ Mon Mar 13, 2023 12:04 am ]
Post subject:	Re: The A-Team
B.A. Baracus Head: 4” wrestling figure w/ added mohawk Chest: Boss Fight Arms: Boss Fight Legs: Boss Fight Shins: Power Lords figure w/ straps from FSS General Hawk belt Feet: JoyToy zombie Vest: Marauder Necklace: Indiana Jones Willie Scott Bracelets: Star Wars Black Series Maz Kanata Backpack: 25th Torch Welding Torch: Lanard Corps Harness: Slaughter's Marauders Falcon Toolbox: Galoob B.A. Baracus Welding Mask: Star Wars Hoth Escape Han Solo Bolt Cutters: World Peacekeepers Tools: Lanard Corps M-16: DG Duke B.A. was the last figure I made, and I had been kind of dreading working on him because I wasn’t that excited about the recipe I had come up with. While I was working on him, I had a couple of ideas that ended up taking the figure in a completely different direction, and he ended up being my favorite custom of the bunch. I was stuck on the shoes for a while, but I happened to see the JoyToy zombie figures while looking for something else; problem solved. Again, it’s not a perfect likeness, but the more I looked at the head, the more I liked it. BA-1-v2 by Snaggletooth Customs, on Flickr BA-2 by Snaggletooth Customs, on Flickr BA-3 by Snaggletooth Customs, on Flickr BA-4 by Snaggletooth Customs, on Flickr

Author:	sgartz [ Mon Mar 13, 2023 12:05 am ]
Post subject:	Re: The A-Team
H.M. “Howling Mad” Murdock Head: Marauder Chest: Marauder Arms: Indiana Jones w/ JoyToy cuffs and Marauder hands Jacket: JoyToy Legs: Marauder Feet: ROC Storm Shadow Hat: Eagle Force figure Backpack: Elite Force figure M-16: DG Duke Pistol: Marauder WWII Binoculars: PoC Beachhead Grappling Hook: 85 Alpine launcher Murdock had been somewhat pieced together for a while before I finally got around to finishing these customs. I bought several of the JoyToy figure with that awesome bomber jacket piece, and I’m really glad I did, because I keep having ideas for it. I thought about repainting the hat, but I had a plain one on him for a while, and it felt a little too generic. I like the logo, and the hat mold itself was exactly what I wanted, so it stayed. I went back and forth between several different heads, but I like the weird grin on this one. Murdock-1 by Snaggletooth Customs, on Flickr Murdock-2 by Snaggletooth Customs, on Flickr Murdock-4 by Snaggletooth Customs, on Flickr

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The A-Team https://joecustoms.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=48908	Page 1 of 2

Author:	kowalski [ Mon Mar 13, 2023 3:45 am ]
Post subject:	Re: The A-Team
Yes!!! I've been eagerly awaiting a glimpse of your contemporary work and it does not disappoint. These are absolute perfection. The part selection, accessorization, and modification are all flawless. Even when the likenesses aren't 100% there, the essence of the character comes through. (I'm currently working on a series of customs based on a movie, but the head sculpts aren't available, so I'm doing my best to "re-cast" the roles in way that feels at least spiritually authentic. All that to say, I really appreciate how you've done that here.) And thank you for using that JoyToy bomber jacket! I've almost ordered that figure on many occasions just for the jacket, but I've never felt confident enough about how well it would play with figures other than the one for which it was designed. It looks fantastic here, so... I guess I'm going to go order way too many of them now? Anyhow, great stuff! Looking forward to seeing more!

Author:	past nastification [ Mon Mar 13, 2023 5:56 am ]
Post subject:	Re: The A-Team
Phenomenal set. The deep, saturated colors make these look like they came out of some magic “if Galoob had survived until 2023” box. Really gives these figures a shot of nostalgic fun, but without looking simple. Power Lords? You used parts from Power Lords?! For that alone, you deserve an award. Amazing blending of parts. Never would have seen that. (How about some WIP photos?) The sculpting and parts choice, BA’s broad-but-character-specific in particular, is wonderful.

Author:	Chief [ Mon Mar 13, 2023 9:56 am ]
Post subject:	Re: The A-Team
Oh, man - love these! That's a perfect head & build for Face - been trying for years to figure out the right recipe and you nailed it. And the WWII torso on Hannibal is genius. Awesome work on everything!

Author:	2DARK2C [ Mon Mar 13, 2023 3:39 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: The A-Team
very cool! you nailed them all.

Author:	alleyviperelite [ Mon Mar 13, 2023 4:32 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: The A-Team
Those are fantastic and perfect in every way. Perfection. On a somewhat related note, does anybody else think the 6 inch Retro Lady Jaye would make a good Murdoch or is it just me?

Author:	sgartz [ Mon Mar 13, 2023 10:50 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: The A-Team
kowalski wrote: Even when the likenesses aren't 100% there, the essence of the character comes through. (I'm currently working on a series of customs based on a movie, but the head sculpts aren't available, so I'm doing my best to "re-cast" the roles in way that feels at least spiritually authentic. All that to say, I really appreciate how you've done that here.) And thank you for using that JoyToy bomber jacket! I've almost ordered that figure on many occasions just for the jacket, but I've never felt confident enough about how well it would play with figures other than the one for which it was designed. Thank you! And I agree 100% with that approach to likeness: I'm good with a head that feels like the character to me, even if it might not be a spitting image. I cannot wait to find out what it is that you're working on! And the bomber jacket is a nice piece. It's a little thicker than some of the figure-scale jacket pieces, and it's fairly stiff, so I had to sand down the chest quite a bit and do some gluing to get it to fit properly. I've got another custom in the works that uses it, as well. past nastification wrote: The deep, saturated colors make these look like they came out of some magic “if Galoob had survived until 2023” box. Really gives these figures a shot of nostalgic fun, but without looking simple. Power Lords? You used parts from Power Lords?! For that alone, you deserve an award. Amazing blending of parts. Never would have seen that. (How about some WIP photos?) Thanks for the kind words! That's some high praise, because I love the look of those Galoob figures, and I really wanted to translate that to the modern figure construction. And I should have said that the Power Lords pieces were from the newer 4" Four Horsemen versions. But the original Power Lords are one of my all-time favorite toy lines, and I have a bunch sitting around the workroom. I need to start taking WIP photos; I'm terrible about that (and about photographing anything, really). But that part of the figure wasn't too elaborate: I just cut the calves off of the Power Lords dude (it's a white guard guy, and they were the only piece I could find that was ribbed like a sock), popped the JoyToy shoes into the ankle socket, and then carved a little peg onto the lower leg for everything to fit onto. Chief wrote: Oh, man - love these! That's a perfect head & build for Face - been trying for years to figure out the right recipe and you nailed it. And the WWII torso on Hannibal is genius. Awesome work on everything! Thanks! I had gone through about 20 different possible heads for Face, and I was all ready to go with one of the Oscar Isaac heads from the Star Wars sequels because the face had a nicely smarmy look to it, but a bunch of the Eagle Force figures arrived just in time, and that Matt Matheson head immediately jumped out at me. I was really happy with the jeans-and-sport-coat look for him, so I'm glad to hear it's working for someone else, too! 2DARK2C wrote: very cool! you nailed them all. alleyviperelite wrote: Those are fantastic and perfect in every way. Perfection. On a somewhat related note, does anybody else think the 6 inch Retro Lady Jaye would make a good Murdoch or is it just me? Thank you both! And I hadn't seen that Lady Jaye head before, but I can see the resemblance!

Author:	Goldbug [ Wed Mar 15, 2023 1:39 am ]
Post subject:	Re: The A-Team
those are fantastic! I'm not too sure about B.A.'s beard ... a bit too Santa style

Author:	kowalski [ Thu Mar 16, 2023 3:10 am ]
Post subject:	Re: The A-Team
sgartz wrote: And the bomber jacket is a nice piece. It's a little thicker than some of the figure-scale jacket pieces, and it's fairly stiff, so I had to sand down the chest quite a bit and do some gluing to get it to fit properly. I've got another custom in the works that uses it, as well. Good to know. I have one on the way from China right now (literally ordered it right after I saw your Murdoch), so I'll be curious to see for myself, but knowing how much work you did to make it look that good just speaks all the more to your execution. Looks perfect.

Author:	pluv [ Thu Mar 16, 2023 10:04 am ]
Post subject:	Re: The A-Team
I've seen A-Team customs since the beginnings of the interwebs. I like all of them. It doesn't take much to get my attention. but to keep my attention, to get me to focus down on the minutia, you have to do something special. The parts usage her is next level. You don't see people pulling out a Willie Scott necklace and Power Lords shins for customs these days...or possibly ever. All I have is praise.

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Author:	sgartz [ Thu Mar 16, 2023 3:40 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: The A-Team
Goldbug wrote: those are fantastic! I'm not too sure about B.A.'s beard ... a bit too Santa style Thanks! It's definitely a much bushier beard than Mr. T had, so I get what you're saying. I considered giving him a shave, but ultimately I just liked the way the head looked, so I left it as is. pluv wrote: I've seen A-Team customs since the beginnings of the interwebs. I like all of them. It doesn't take much to get my attention. but to keep my attention, to get me to focus down on the minutia, you have to do something special. The parts usage her is next level. You don't see people pulling out a Willie Scott necklace and Power Lords shins for customs these days...or possibly ever. All I have is praise. Thank you! Those are some very kind words, and they're much appreciated.