DARTH DADDY's CUSTOMIZING CORNER: CHEWIE

Darth Daddy's Customizing Corner featuring Star Wars customizer Chewie in the latest Customizing Corner over at The Star Wars Underworld.

CLICK HERE TO READ

I can't tell you how happy I am to present you with this week's artist in my next installment of DARTH DADDY's CUSTOMIZING CORNER. Justin Cook, who is also known in the Yakface Forums as Yak_Chewie is by far one of the most talented and creative customizers out there today. Chewie is an administrator over at Yakface Forums and he oversees the custom creations part of the forum where I first received the foundation for my own customizing education.

Anyone who's looking for inspiration to build a custom action figure or needs a kitbashing recipe to follow need not to look any further, Chewie has more recipes than a cookbook.

His great body of work landed him the lead off spot on the Customs for the Kid "Customs I Wish I Owned" archive page.  He was the first artist that I ever featured on the Customs for the Kid blog.  Chewie has made over a hundred action figures over the years and they are all figures I'd love to have in our Star Wars custom action figure collection.  Chewie was my most dominant influence as a customizer when I first started to make action figures of my own.  Chewie's work opened up my imagination and helped me realize that as a customizer, I now had the opportunity to create my own Star Wars stories with Star Wars characters of my own invention.  If you watch the video we posted of his customs you'll immediately see that his body of work is something special.

Chewie is also the creator of "The Enloe Chronicles" photonovel series which is probably known to be one of the most famous Star Wars photonovels ever made.  The Enloe Trials photonovel series is what's driving Chewie to customize more than anything else. The latest chapter in his most recent story is just another awesome Star Wars adventure where a group of heroes race to locate an ancient Sith artifact before it falls into the hands of The Emperor.

This week I'm going to present Chewie's custom action figures the way he does in the forums.  Complete with their recipes so you can all have the opportunity to try and recreate them if you so wish.

Rykrof Enloe - As seen on Dathomir in "The Enloe Chronicles" photonovel series.

head - SAGA Endor Rebel
torso - TVC Kithaba
chest armor - TAC Rahm Kota
scarf - fodder bin
arms - TVC Kithaba
tunic - TVC Kithaba
hands - random Stormtrooper
crotch/things - fodder bin
shins - Legends Bikers Scout



Imperial Infiltrator - Made for the ISY/Yakface Rebels themed customizing challenge that runs through the end of April.

head - SAGA Legends
rest - TVC Captain Fordo

Walrus Man, realistic Clone Wars version

head - TVC Ponda Baba
rest - SAGA2 Death Star Gunner



Talbarr - Wookiee who will show up in "The Enloe Chronicles" photonovel series.

head - Early Bird Chewbacca

cloak - random cloth painted

bandolier - McQuarrie Chewbacca

rest - Black Series Merumeru

Tibanna Gas Miner - For a past Yakfinities, Cloud City Denizens.

helmet - TVC Padawan Anakin x 2, thermal detonator

torso - TVC Admiral Ackbar

arms - McQuarrie Boba Fett

gloves - OTC Cloud Car Pilot

tunic - TVC Admiral Ackbar

legs - McQuarrie Boba Fett

Freelo, Dathomir Assault - This is how he appeared in Chapter 3 of The Enloe Trials

head - Legacy Mon Calamari Warrior

torso - TVC Endor Rebel

chest gear - GI JOE Airtight

arms - TVC Rebel Trooper

hands - Legacy Mon Calamari Warrior

belt - random Darth Vader

legs - TVC Rebel Trooper

Innoril the Slayer - Decades ago, Innoril left the Jedi Order and then slaughtered a group of Jedi Masters, including Rykrof Enloe's mother. Innoril has lied dormant for years and is preparing to reemerge.

head - Captain America Red Skull

scarf - Evolutions Starkiler

tunic - TVC Starkiller

rest - The Hobbit Orc figure

Battle Hardened Stormtrooper Squad - Chewie painted these guys to look like they've been going at it against the Rebels for a while on some distant planet in the Outer Rim. They are showing up in current chapters of his photonovel series.

Everything - TVC Sandtrooper repaints

To see more work from Chewie, visit the links below:

Yakface Forums:

viewtopic.php?f=14&t=80&start=1455

(great place to find action figure recipes)

The Photonovel Alliance:

http://www.thephotonovelalliance.com/pn ... icles.html

(for a good read...)

Yakface Secret Santa 2012

So for the last three years now, Dad has been participating in Yakface.com's Secret Santa event.  It has always been a huge provider of Christmas spirit in our home and was a real influence on Dad's decision to run a Secret Santa over at Imperial Shipyards this year.  This year, Dad was assigned Star Wars customizer Justin Cook aka Chewie as the recipient of his holiday custom creations.  Chewie had us our first year participating in the event and he was kind enough to send us two custom action figures rather than just the single required figure the event promoted.  

Dad wanted to return the favor when he participated in this year's event.  Because Chewie was a fan of Dad's zombie custom action figures and hints that Chewie dropped regarding his upcoming New Enloe Photonovel Chapter, Dad thought Justin would appreciate two unique Star Wars zombies.  Dad was really excited, and a little intimidated about creating custom action figures for one of his all-time  favorite Star Wars customizers.  Dad was thrilled when Chewie said he received the action figures and loved them.  Keep your eyes peeled in future chapters of Chewie's photonovel.  You may just see these guys in a chapter featuring the undead.

Abyssin & Vurk Zombies

created by Darth Daddy

Below are the recipes for the custom action figures Dad created presented in "Chewie" fashion:

Vurk Zombie Recipe:

Head - Defective Coleman Trebor head cast courtesy of SithHappens

Forearms and Lower Legs - VOTC Dengar

Torso, Thighs and Upper Arms - VOTC Bossk

Abyssin Zombie Recipe:

Head -Defective Myo head cast courtesy of SithHappens

Torso and Arms - Clone Wars (Homer Simpson) Savage Opress

Legs - Elis Helrot 

Shirt - POTC Zombie

 Chewie's Seekers of the Dark Relic Photonovel features Darth Daddy's "Vurk Zombie"

Dad's Secret Santa Zombies were featured on the front page of Imperial Shipyards.

Seekers of the Dark Relic Photonovel

An all new adventure in The Enloe Trials photonovel series picks back up, as Rykrof Enloe and his team of Rebels attempt to recover an ancient Sith artifact from a destroyed Imperial research facility on Dathomir.

Rykrof will discover he’s in for much more than he expected as the mission quickly falls apart; as Darth Vader has taken an interest in recovering the relic as he leads his best troops into battle on the planet.

Head on over to the forums for the latest installment!

 This latest installment features Darth Daddy's "Vurk Zombie"

 Abyssin & Vurk Zombies

A VISIT TO SPRYWALKER RANCH

A few weeks ago, I had an opportunity to see some awesome Star Wars custom action figure art created by one of the most talented customizers out there today, Luke Sprywalker. Some of you may know L.E. Spry aka Luke Sprywalker from the Celebration VI "Star Wars Custom Action Figure Panel" that was held in the summer of 2012.  Luke Sprywalker was a speaker at the panel along with Star Wars customizers Sillof and Sith_fire30.  Dad and I had the opportunity to visit Luke Sprywalker's home, affectionately dubbed Sprywalker Ranch while on a trip through North Carolina on our way to visit family. Getting to hold some of my favorite custom action figure art in my own two hands was a real treat.  I thought the photos of his work were cool, seeing them in hand was just mind blowing.

 Luke Sprywalker on the right drinking the blue milk.

Dad decided the best way to mark the occasion of our visit to Luke Sprywalker's was to update the video of his custom action figures that way you all can see the artwork that we got to see when we visited.  His figures are just amazing.  Seeing his art was one of the most rewarding experiences I've had since I started this hobby, and making friendships like his has made the adventure all worth while.  Hope you enjoy the video.

LUKE SPRYWALKER

Dad updated the video of Luke Sprywalker's custom action figures for this post.

THE SIGHTS

While I was there I go to see my friend Jaxon's awesome Starkiller costume.

We got to check out Luke Sprywalker's super cool vehicle creations too. Up close and personal. We always loved this swoop bike.  It was really cool to give this one a closer inspection.  The paint work was impeccable.

I was always a big fan of a photonovel called Star Wars Apocalypse that was written by Kessel Run Imports and illustrated by Hangarbay94.  Luke Sprywalker and Hangarbay94 made all the custom action figures and vehicles for it and I got to see the actual pieces they used during our visit.

I even got to see this Jabba's Palace diorama from Celebration out in Luke Sprwalker's garage.

 It was really cool to get to hold the winning figure from our Smuggler's Gambit Custom Action Figure Contest that we held with RebelForce Radio.

THE SWAP

While we there, Luke Sprywalker taught Dad how to make molds for resin casting, and we did a parts swap that landed some really cool items in my fodder box.  I already made a custom from some of the parts he gave me.  All I did was paint some flames on this Clone Pilot's helmet, but I like the way he looks.

CLONE PILOT "TORCH"

created by Elias

Luke Sprywalker gave us these awesome iconic Star Wars boxes during our visit.  I can't wait until Dad molds and casts these so we can have some more of them to scatter around my room.

He also gave us two casts of this piece for diorama building.

PARTS FOR DAD'S PROJECTS

 

Dad parted this guy out and started to modify the base figure so he can begin sculpting.

Luke Sprywalker and Dad did a parts swap that helped Dad acquire some much needed parts to complete his figure.

These two pieces, although looking a tad rough around the edges, are going to save Dad hours of sculpting time and will help him complete the larger pirate at a much faster pace than if he had to make these elements from scratch.

MOLDING & CASTING LESSON

RESULTS

Coming soon.

Dad made a cast of the Finn Tegotash head that he created so he can make pirates more quickly.

Eight templates ready to go

Dad's cast held all the detail.

Dad also utilized what he learned during his molding and casting tutorial to make a duplicate of the lightsaber hilts for his soon to be finished General Pong Krell custom action figure.

Dad just has to paint in all the fine details on this figure before shipping him off to Star Wars customizer Hyperdrive so he can create the soft good clothing on this artistic collaboration.  Luke Sprywalker got a good look at this figure during our visit and gave it his stamp of approval.

 

REST & RELAXATION

Swimming in the pool at Sprywalker Ranch with Jaxon Spry.  Our visit wasn't only action figure related.  Good times were had by all.

NOTEWORTHY PHOTONOVELS

Several of the photonovel artists have posted some outstanding stories as of late for their readers’ enjoyment.

First up, Yakface staffer Jodo continues his outstanding Era of Darkness series, which can be seen here.

Next up, forum member Choi has added another action packed installment to his Alliance Intelligence series.

Need a break from the Original Trilogy? Then check out the latest update in the Will of the Force series by CloneCrazy by clicking here.