One of mine and Dad's favorite Dark Horse comics is Darkness written by John Ostrander. I love stories about Aayla Secura and Dad is a Quinlan Vos and Master Tholme fan. After reading this comic series, we were both fans of Master Zao. So much so that Dad had to make him into an action figure. Dad has been working on this action figure for a long time.
Click image above to go to Dark Horse's site for the book's page.
If it weren't for the help of
Lucasclones, Dad may never have finished this figure.
Lucasclones provided Dad with the pouches Master Zao wears around his waist.
Lucasclones had needed Trandoshan body parts after the
Clone Wars: Season 3 finale,
Wookiee Hunt inspired him to create a few
Trandoshans and Dad had a few parts he could spare. When Chad asked Dad if he wanted anything for the pieces, Dad asked if he had any waist pouches and sent Chad some images of Master Zao. Dad was thinking he was going to have to sculpt them by hand, but Lucasclones came through in a big way. Thanks Chad!!
Those who ate Zao's cooking often found that its taste, whether good or bad, reflected the degree to which their current mental state was in harmony with the Force.
In spite of his blindness, he remained a formidable and lethal adversary, wielding his unique lightsaber cane with frightening accuracy.
He later cooked food on the streets of
Saleucami, where he encountered his old friend
Tholme, who was on the planet to investigate the actions of the
Dark Jedi Sora Bulq. Zao believed the
Jedi should serve the Force and the principles of the
Galactic Republic, but explained to Tholme that the Republic itself no longer upheld those ideals.
Zao was opposed to the
Jedi serving as officers in the
Clone Wars. However, he did help Tholme locate Sora Bulq's underground
Morgukai cloning facilities.
As the war continued, rumors abounded of his death. Since he was not involved with the war, he was not killed in the execution of
Order 66. Dressed in rags amongst huge crowds, he was overlooked as a beggar by
clone troopers searching for Jedi to execute.
INTERESTING FACT:
Zao was originally going to die in
Darkness, but according to artist
Jan Duursema,
"Zao would have been toast in Darkness
, but we were asked not to kill him."[2]
MASTER ZAO
created by Darth Daddy
SKILL LEVEL: ADVANCED
WIP PICTURES
Dad kept the ball hinge ankle joint of Yoda and glued it to the feet of the Teemto Pagalies to keep the articulation.
Dad gave this figure full articulation except at the hips. Master Zao's hips are only hinge joints.
Dad used the head, and feet of a Teemto Pagalies action figure, arms of a CW Quinlan Vos, and everything else was a Vintage Yoda action figure that was dremeled and sculpted to create the figure. The lightsaber blade is removable.
The shoulder joints are still Yoda's, but they are glued and sculpted to fit the modified CW Quinlan Vos arms.
I used a frying pan from a Indiana Jones Marion Ravenwood action figure to give Master Zao a tool for cooking.
