Customized Action Figures
| Synonyms: | |
| See also: | Fannish Dolls |
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Customizing action figures is a fannish activity that arises from a dissatisfaction with the official action figures that companies offer consumers. One fan says: "Why customize? Because the toy companies will never make that gorgeous Red Sonja figure of your dreams, and customizing is the only way to get it!"[1]
From another action figure customizer, Ian McLean:
- "... Is your favourite character still missing? Why not Trek-it-yourself? Decapitate a few bargain table figures, plonk on a new coat of paint and you, too, can supplement the ranks of Starfleet's finest... My first Star Trek figurine make-over dates back to 1980, just after I had discovered Star Trek fandom. I was actually retaliating against AMT's inclusion of a mere three figures (Kirk, Spock, Sulu) with its otherwise excellent Enterprise Bridge scale model kit. I hated the fact that the finished model had all those empty chairs: no navigator, communications officer, doctor, engineer, nurse or yeoman. There wasn't even a token, disposable red-shirt. The perfectionist in me wanted, at the very least, the three division colours to be represented."[2]
Ian has also customized some Batman (1966) and V action figures, in various scales, to fill void in his collection.
Gallery
Batman (1966) action figures of Olga, Two-Face and various villains' G.O.O.N.s.
Visitors from V, made from cannibalized action figures; Russell Meyers made 3D-printed blasters to scale.
Han Solo in his WWII-inspired bomber jacket.
Faux ad: Exeter Action Figures
A 2006 faux TV commercial by Church Tucker for Starship Exeter action figures, based on the old Mego commercials. (27 secs.) The "Wego Corp." customized figures are by Thomas Hudspeth and are modeled after the characters in the Exeter Studios' series of fan films. Voiceover: "Beefy". [3]
Exeter action figures ad - Click here to view
X-Files
Some fan-created Mulder and Scully adventures: Alien Ice Picktures: "Online web episodes starring Mulder and Scully's action figure alter egos."
External Links
- Star Wars WWII - CustomCon 19 - Spring 2008
- Figure Realm - Custom Action Figure Tutorials - This section of Figure Realm is where great customizers pool their figure-smashing know-how to help new customizers become even greater!
- Basic Action Figure Customizing Guide
References
- ^ Custom Action Figure Tutorials. (Accessed 29 January 2011)
- ^ Ian McLean. Recipes for customizing Playmates Star Trek action figures, via Wayback. (Accessed 29 January 2011)
- ^ Exeter Action Figures (Released 17 December, 2006)