Yakface.com's Secret Santa 2015

Every year we participate in Yakface.com's Secret Santa event.  This year was no different.  We saw our package was delivered on Christmas Eve so we figured we'd post what we sent as our gift. This year Star Wars customizer JediStyle was the recipient of this year's custom action figure from Customs for the Kid. Two years ago, we did a figure swap with JediStyle for the holiday outside of Yakface.com. so when we found out he was who we were assigned to, we tried to create a companion figure for the first one we sent him.  

Since the last figure we created for JediStyle had a Steampunk feel, we tried to add a little of that flavor here as well.  We decided on a fan fiction figure because we know this artist has created a plethora of his own Star Wars fan fiction figures over the years. We also wanted to maintain the desert vibe from the last figure so the new gift would look good posed with the older one. We really wanted to create a diorama stand that would have housed both figures, but the album cover for High Adventure's "High Five" release cut too deep into the time we had to devote to this project.  

When making this figure we imagined him to be an individual on the run. Hiding on the fringes of the desert, behind a mask, rounding up criminals trying to disappear on the fringes of civilization. This was the first time we attempted doing wig work for an action figure.  Adding in the thread was also daring to venture outside our normal process.  

We included some pictures below of the previous Secret Santa action figure from 2 years ago that we mailed to JediStyle.

"Twi'lek Bounty Hunter"

created by Darth Daddy

  

FEMME MANDO

created by Darth Daddy

CUSTOMIZER SPOTLIGHT #36: JediStyle

JediStyle not only has one of the coolest monikers in the Star Wars customizing community, but he also has creativity and skill that fits his name. This Southern California customizer was one of the first artists that really caught Dad's eye when we first started making our own figures and posting in the Yakface forums. Dad has long admired JediStyle's creative character creations, and his ability to apply paint with such beautiful contrasts and colors that REALLY pop.  JediStyle has a great eye for color and he's one of the best painters in the Star Wars custom action figure community. We just love this customizer's imagination and his creations are a testament to how far reaching it is. There is so much to appreciate in every unique piece.  

JediStyle took some time off from the hobby. Fortunately, he's back now and still has the ability to unhinge jaws.

Recently JediStyle, sent Dad a message, and asked Dad if he could commission him to make a custom Star Wars action figure.   Since Dad was always such a huge fan of JediStyle's work, Dad immediately asked if they could do a figure swap as payment.  For the figure swap they both agreed to create either a bounty hunter or a Jedi for each other, and then mail it when they were finished.

Dad didn't feel like he had any good Jedi fodder, at least not at the level to reach his standards. Which meant that Dad would be making a bounty hunter.  At first Dad was going to try and create some crazy alien bounty hunter, but after seeing JediStyle's Mandalorian series, Dad noticed that there were no female Mandalorians on display.  That's when Dad decided that instead of doing an alien bounty hunter, he was going to create a female bounty hunter, a Steam Punk Mandalorian. 

Dad shipped his creation out early this month and two weeks ago we received our figure from JediStyle.  Just instead of one figure, JediStyle sent us TWO figures!  Two figures AND a diorama!  He sent a figure for me and a figure for Dad.  I can't tell you how excited I was.  As thanks, I'm going to create a figure for him so he can have a figure from me and one from Dad.

The diorama is just beautiful.  The colors in the background are so rich.  I LOVE IT!  We're sure you will too.

"JEDI"

created by JediStyle

We love the hooks on the belts for the lightsaber hilts!

To see more Star Wars custom action figures created by JediStyle go to:  

http://www.yakfaceforums.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=357

"FEMME MANDO" created by Darth Daddy

Recently JediStyle, one of Dad's all-time favorite customizers, sent him a message, and asked Dad if he could commission him to make a custom Star Wars action figure.   Since Dad was always such a huge fan of his work, Dad immediately asked if they could do a figure swap as payment.

Dad has long admired JediStyle's creative character creations, his ability to apply paint in such a way that the colors REALLY pop, and are expressed with such beautiful contrasts.  JediStyle has a great eye for color and he's one of the best painters in the Star Wars custom action figure community.

I don't have a Star Wars custom created by JediStyle in my collection, and I can't tell you how happy I am that I will soon. 

For the figure swap they both agreed to create either a bounty hunter or a Jedi for each other and mail it when they were finished.

Dad didn't feel like he had any good Jedi fodder, at least not at the level to reach his standards.

Which meant that Dad would be making a bounty hunter.  As I saw Dad make this action figure, I kept trying to talk him into letting me have it.  I tried to talk him into just starting a completely new figure for JediStyle.  It didn't work.

At first Dad was going to try and create some crazy alien bounty hunter, but after seeing JediStyle's Mandalorian series, Dad noticed that there were no female Mandalorians on display.  That's when Dad decided that instead of doing an alien bounty hunter, he was going to create a female Mandalorian bounty hunter.

Dad also wanted to make this his first attempt at creating a steam punk action figure.  Dad used metallic paints and healthy amount of dark washes to add the steam punk touches.  The rocket pack contributed well to the look as well.  Dad wanted to keep the figure versatile by keeping the steam punk elements subtle and not too overt.  To do this he made the headpiece removable; held in place with magnets when being used. We had recently watched Tank Girl with Lori Petty and Dad said the shapes of the headgear were influenced by the imagery of the movie.  I love how Dad highlighted the femininity of the figure with the bright hot pink colored tones against the worn desert mud washed yellow.

I love female Star Wars action figures because they aren't produced as widely as the males. I know. Many would argue the the Star Wars action figure line has been the most generous toy line when it comes to creating toys featuring characters of both sexes.  I would agree, but toy customization really brings out possibilities that would never come into realization at the mass production level.  I definitely try to even things out in the street scenes of my play environments and to do that we have created a lot of female custom action figures in this house.  This figure ended being one of my favorites of Dad's.  I especially loved the sword with the Mandalorian symbol sculpted into the hilt. 

As hard as she was to give up, it's cool to know that I have a JediStyle custom action figure coming my way.  Definitely worth it!  Look for the action figure that JediStyle created in December's Customizer Spotlight.

FEMME MANDO

created by Darth Daddy

 
Dad's Femme Mando was featured on the front page of Imperial Shipyards.

JediStyle Added to "Customs I Wish I Owned"

Yeah, we know it's been a long time since we added any Star Wars customizers to "Customs I Wish I Owned", but our delay came about when two of the customizers that we were going to feature had some new additions to their families.  Knowing all the demands that can be put on a parent when a little one comes into the home, we did our best to give them some time to adjust to the new changes. 

All that said, you are in for a real treat and let it be said that the delay in our "Customs I Wish I Owned" posts will be well worth the wait.

JediStyle not only has one of the coolest monikers in the Star Wars customizing community, but he also has creativity and skill that fits his name.  This Southern California customizer was one of the first artists that really caught Dad's eye when we first started making our own figures and posting in the Yakface forum. JediStyle created some of the most unique Jedi action figures that we ever saw and his unorthodox color combinations make every figure he creates just pop.  We just love this customizer's imagination and his creations are a testament to how far reaching it is.  There is so much to appreciate in every unique piece.  To this day we still haven't seen anyone who paints quite like him and our "Customs I Wish I Owned" page would have never been considered complete unless he was included.  Just looking at his work when putting together this video, we learned how painting a wash over your figure can really enhance the appearance of the figure and provide you with an action figure that while being created before the implementation of ball joints and super articulation stands a figure that anyone can admire and appreciate.

Dad has been wanting to feature the work of JediStyle ever since we started to create the "Customs I Wish I Owned" posts, but for a while JediStyle took some time off from the hobby. Fortunately, he's back now and still has the ability to unhinge jaws. 

He's created so many Star Wars custom action figures that Animoto wouldn't let Dad load all the pics that we had.  Because Dad loves JediStyle's work so much, leaving some of his action figures out of the video was just torture for him, but Dad was able to get a great introduction to JediStyle's awesome creations from his earliest figures to his latest show stoppers.  All that said, grab the popcorn, sit down, hit the play button, and enjoy!

JediStyle

To see more Star Wars custom action figures created by JediStyle go to:

http://www.yakfaceforums.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=357