This custom should not come as a surprise. I started this small project a couple of months ago, and had two figures completed some time before Christmas, with a third in the making. As with the last one, skip the wall of text if you just want to see my first custom of 2008.
Se my first one in this style here: viewtopic.php?f=14&t=4874
Donald Duck. Arguably the most recognised fictional character in Norway the last 60 years. In order to understand his popularity here, you have to understand our way of reacting to other people. We dislike rich and famous people and we take pleasure in their downfall. Our folklore heroes should be ”normal” like us, and they are usually defined by their negative qualities. And Donald is the definition of the anti-hero: Unlucky, angry, broke. But regardless of his attributes, more often than not, he ends up the winner, the everyday hero. This is probably why a character like Mickey Mouse never had the same status in Norway. He is the hero already before the adventure starts.
I was, like every Norwegian, reading Donald comics before I even could read. Today I have a deep affection for these characters, and even though the comics made today have low quality, the older material (like Al Taliaferro’s comic strips in the late 30s through the 40s, and Carl Barks’ comics between 1940-1970) will never lose relevance.
Obviously, I’m combining two comic universes I like: Disney and G.I.Joe. And this is the result.
Donald Duck – Unlucky adventurer
First some reference pictures:
Parts:
Head – Downtown
Chest/arms – Chuckles
Legs – Backstop
Bow tie made of foam
Hat by Marauder
As you can see, the parts are pretty standard. Nothing special here. Most of the Donald artists have variations on his costume. It’s usually either blue or black. I went with blue. His belt and accessories are white to reflect his feathers, and his pants are yellow like his legs. I kept his boots red, cause.. I liked them that way. The parts are the best I can think of. Head is a no-brainer, Downtown is probably among the most versatile heads, and I think it nails the angry Donald. I could go with long, loose sleeves, and I almost used Storm Shadow v2 sleeves, which would probably look great, but I ended up with short sleeves. Added comfort since the arms were blue to begin with. In doing this he has lost a bit of the sailor look, but he looks a bit more practical in the process. Also practical is the gear he has, with Backstop’s waist and pants. Donald is an adventurer more than anything, and will need various pouches, canteen and revolvers. I’m really happy with the look he got using the slight Chuckles torso on the rather huge Backstop waist/pants. It really looks like Donald Duck, who also is a bit bigger below than above.
Hat was a nightmare, like with Scrooge. I ended up using a Marauder beret, which really was a bit too small, but Comic Donald's hat is too small for his head as well. I made it fit the head and I think it looks good.
All in all, I’m very satisfied with this custom, and another one of my absolute favourite characters have finally been made into a G.I.Joe.
! Again, absolutely wonderful. The mods are perfect, the facial expression priceless, and the beret is a great touch. Any thoughts of doing a Darkwing Duck? I know he's not quite the same duckoverse, but his costume is really interesting and would possibly translate well to a figure. Keep up the most excellent work!
