Howdy!
After a busy holiday season, things have finally settled back down at The Lab enough to begin posting my wrap-up of 2013 and brand-new, never-before-seen pieces for 2014!
The Holidaze are over, but I wanted this post to be all about gifts I gave in 2013-- everything ranging from classic video game characters to drug kingpins to a special request from my 5 year-old godson...
GOLD NINJA:
This piece was created at the request of my godson, who wanted "A non-fragile gold ninja!"
A few months earlier I was going to make him one using a Retaliation Ninja, but after he said wanted something "non-fragile," I decided to repaint one of the Wolverine movie ninja figures. When he got it, my godson kept saying, "This is EXACTLY what I wanted!!!" and wouldn't stop hugging me. Mission accomplished.
ULTRA-VIOLET:
My godson is not the only one with his own figure... I also made a more conventional, Modern Era Joe for his older sister, who has been collecting GI Joes with her dad for 5+ years.
Together, her dad and I brainstormed Ultra-Violet, a triple agent who is supposed to be the adult version of my goddaughter.
Ultra-Violet is a Dreadnok animal wrangler who has also worked for COBRA on many occasions. She then reports back all movements to GI Joe-- her true identity. In addition to providing intel, classified documents, and spying, she's also a part-time vet specializing in the Joe team's pets/animals.
SCORPION:
Scorpion was created for a good friend of mine's birthday.
When he first found out I made toys, he asked me if I would ever consider making Scorpion from Mortal Kombat. While video games and video game characters aren't my usual forte, when I saw the Retaliation Ninja, I couldn't help but oblige. He's pretty much just a straight-up repaint of that figure and Storm Shadow lower arms bashed onto RN's super-poseable wrist gauntlets.
THE 11TH DOCTOR:
The Doctor here was made for my girlfriend, who is a huge Doctor Who (and Strange Labs) fangirl. When she saw the official 3.75" figures, she said, "Those look like crap. You can do so much better!"
The head's a Han Solo from over 10 years ago, on a Professor X body. When I primed the head, I thought it looked like Matt Smith. Once I painted it, the Solo thing became way more visible. I'm debating whether or not I should find a replacement. My girlfriend loves it and would rather have me work on something new instead.
HEISENBERG:
The alter-ego of mild-mannered Walter White is another piece I created for my girlfriend, who is also a Breaking Bad fanatic.
She spotted the Mezco Heisenberg on a toy site, but was disappointed when she found out it was a large scale figure, to which I replied, "No problem."
Heisenberg was made from a Mutt torso, Storm Shadow legs, and a primed head I had sitting on my workbench that was intended for another character entirely. Inspiration struck, and that was it. The miniature bag of "product" is an actual plastic bag cut down to size, filled with a random clear blue accessory that I found and chopped up. I felt the irony the whole time.
MORE TO COME...
