Ok, time for one of my "Seagull" custom sessions (I swoop in, make some noise, drop off a load of crap, and swoop out again.) I was hoping I'd get a chance to do some more customs and get more involved with other stuff on the site, but with the new job & going to school, I doubt I'll have much time to visit in the coming months.
So back during the Custom Celebration, I showed off some preliminary ideas for a group of
Sci-Fi/Fantasy customs, and at the end of the thread got motivated to start a series of D&D characters. Now, let me clarify - I never played D&D - never really had the opportunity, and even if I had, I don't think it'd be my thing. But I watched the hell out of the cartoon and enjoyed the world they created on TV. Only had one of the figures - StrongHeart, but I was familiar with the other characters via the show and seeing the figures on the pegs.
For those who never watched the cartoon:
I recently re-watched all of the old 'toon episodes on YouTube, and was surprised how well they stood up. Sure - it's still a kids' show, but it was fun nonetheless. So I started using that as a basis for my little D&D world. After seeing an episode where Venger pulls combat pilots through a space/time portal to prevent the kids from being born, I got the idea that this is another dimension that draws victims from various timeframes, and even other dimensions. "Mythical" creatures (like those from Greek myths) originated here, but most of the human population actually came from our Earth from various points in the timeline, allowing people from different eras to interact (the kids are from the 80s, StrongHeart was an English Knight of old, etc.)
Wanted to give it a grittier feel than the 'toon, obviously, so I fast-forwarded the timeline 20 years - the kids are all in their mid-late 30s now. Eric & Bobby are dead (because I disliked them when I was a kid and still do - so they weren't worth the fodder pieces & paint.) - They are a little jaded and a lot darker in personality. In the "epic" battle that killed , er, Eric and Bobby, Dungeon Master was also killed, so Teddy (Presto) had to step up and fill that role. He's actually one of the more powerful magicians in the realm now, but his loss of innocence drained most of his personality. Sheila & Diana are basically the same, just older, wiser, and lethal. Sheila occasionally suffers bouts of depression due to her brother's death, but is always able to focus during battle. Hank was the hardest hit of the survivors - carrying the guilt of their deaths and feeling responsible for failing them as their de facto leader. As a result, he is more ruthless in battle, yet more protective of his remaining friends - and slow to forge new relationships for fear of losing another member of the "family."
I was reading how the (never produced) series finale was going to show that Venger was DM's son and the kids are able to redeem him, Darth Vader-style, right before they went home. In my world, that never happened -- when DM was killed in the great battle, Venger's last ties to humanity were eradicated, and he became more monstrous, powerful, and lost the remaining sense of honor he sometimes demonstrated in the series.
Anyway -- blah blah blah -- on to the customs (you'll also see a few "guest stars" in the mix
)
StrongHeart - tried to made a decent homage of the original figure, but using available parts:
Original inspiration:
Helmeted head - Chap Mei, DCIH Hawkman, Green Stuff
Regular Head - SDCC Grampa Destro
Rest - MU Thor
Sword - LOTR modded
Shield - WWII Cap
For the kids, I didn't really put that much effort into them - but since I did Venger, I figured I needed some of the originals. Still need some touch-ups, but I'm pretty much bored with them now, so they'll have to wait until I find the time & motivation to fix them. FYI - I really don't like the Thor movie figs for customs at all. Hate those legs, especially.
Then you might remember these guys from my other thread -- I added a Narnia figure to add some diversity:
My big dilemma is this guy -- I finally snagged a WW Hulk - knowing that he was way too small to be Hulk, but perfect for my D&D 'verse. Started messing with fleshtones, and decided against just making him a bulky white guy, so I ended up with this --
Figured he's a Wood Troll or something - he doesn't look quite so blotchy in person and the tattoos and scars are more distinct in-hand. Not sure if he should be a good guy (I've got too many as it is) or a tortured-soul servant of Venger. Meh - I'll figure it out.
Venger -
Used the Frost Giant body because it gave me the size I wanted:
But decided to go "minimalist" on the clothing/customization because it was becoming a pain in the ass to work with the figure - which is why I came up with the "lost all ties to humanity" angle.
Kelek -
Original fig:
Henry Jones Sr head modded
MU Vision body (because it was going to get thrown away, anyway)
Darth-somebody cloak
Cyclops (don't have a name yet- Warduke shown for scale)
This was the main reason I wanted my WW Hulk to be a different flesh tone - because this guy was a pasty white guy and I wanted some diversity.
WWE Dusty Rhodes fig with sculpted face and modded boots.
Warduke -- if Venger's the Darth Vader of this world, then Warduke is the Boba Fett. And as such, he deserves a pimped-out ride:
Head - MU Magneto w/Green Stuff
Upper body - MU Warpath
Left Arm - MU Thor
Legs - Hawkeye
2-headed Wolf Beast - Chap Mei
And for those who don't remember the original:
Bad Guy height comparison -
I'm also adding these Narnia dudes as bad guys to help flesh out the team:
Ok - for "Guest Stars", let's start with this guy:
Never read Warlord comics - wasn't familiar at all with the character, just had the toys:
Didn't understand why Green Arrow would be wearing a Thor Helmet and Snow Leopard Speedos & a cape, but my Remco Hercules fig needed a sword so he could hang with my He-Man, so I grabbed Warlord when I was 10-11 years old.
Then I started doing some research when I saw the
JLU Warlord/Supergirl/Demios pack, and decided to make one, since the JLU Warlord head was a perfect 1:18 fit and far less cartoony than any other JLU fig. Actually found that I really like the concept - although the execution was a little lacking (helmet & speedos - total ripoff of Burroughs' Pellucidar, which is a goofy idea to begin with, etc.) -- But I loved the idea that he was a downed SR-71 pilot, and after watching the aforementioned D&D episode with the various time-warped pilots, I had an epiphany.
Yeah, yeah - he has pants - sue me. But you can't argue that the head doesn't look great on a 1:18 body. Still gotta get a better sword and fashion a scabbard, but he's getting there.
In the time before his nifty cape & helmet:
Heads - JLU Warlord & Matt Trakker modded
Upper body - MU Namor
Lower body - WWII Cap
Cape - W:O Sabretooth?
Lastly - there's this "Black Knight" guy that I made up as a goof -- playing into the "space/time victim" thing. Nobody knows his name -and he doesn't speak. But he's a fierce and noble warrior and helps out the heroes in times of need. Here he is with his one close friend, T'im-Barr
Now - "Where are the dragons?", you say? -- Right here.
Just gotta build some Dungeon dios now
Cheers!
Matthew – 
Everything here is awesome! I love 'em all. I had Strong Heart and Warduke when I was a kid. Might still have most of Warduke's shield around here, somewhere. Those are 
