LUKE SPRYWALKER @ VIRGINIA COMICON and TOY SHOW on FEB. 7, 2015

If you are in the Richmond, Virginia area this upcoming weekend, be sure to check out the  Virginia Comicon and Toy Show on Saturday, February 7, 2015 that is being held at the Richmond Raceway Complex.  Star Wars custom action figure artist Luke Sprywalker will have a table at the event where he will be selling Star Wars toys, as well as some of his custom action figures and dioramas.

Luke Sprywalker is a great ambassador for the Star Wars customizing community. Sprywalker is regularly promoting customizing contests in fan forums and he's a custom action figure moderator for the forums at Imperial Shipyards. Luke Sprywalker was also an excellent representative for the hobby because he does diorama work and does more than just dabble when it comes to vehicle creation. Sprywalker even created the characters for the photo novel Star Wars Apocalypse written by Nate Ciurla aka Kessel Run Imports and with graphic design and action figures created by Julian Maurice aka Hangarbay94. Luke Sprywalker has had his hands in every aspect of the hobby. The Jabba's Palace diorama he built was full of his custom figures and were on display the entire length of Celebration VI at the Diorama Workshop. He was also one of three Star Wars custom action figure artists to speak at the first ever Star Wars Custom Action Figure Panel held at Star Wars Celebration VI.  It's worth going to the event just to see Luke Sprywalker's work up close and in person.

Also featured at "Darth Daddy's Customizing Corner" on The Star Wars Underworld.

The Virginia Comicon

Get Tickets Here!

Richmond Raceway Complex

600 E Laburnum Ave 

Richmond, VA 23222

Saturday, February 7, 2015 from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM (EST)

Hangarbay94 brings us a new installment of X-Wing Alliance!

Hangarbay94 has checked back in with his latest chapter of the photo-novel series he has created based off of the the PC-ROM video game we all loved so many years ago! If you need to catch up on previous chapters be sure to give the graphic fiction section over at Imperial Shipyards a look! 

 

 

DARTH DADDY's CUSTOMIZING CORNER @ THE STAR WARS UNDERWORLD

Dad started writing a Star Wars custom action figure column for The Star Wars Underworld.


GIVE IT A READ

"Jedi General Pong Krell" custom action figure created by Darth Daddy 
(KRELL's TUNIC and DIORAMA STAND created by HYPERDRIVE)

With the start of the New Year, The Star Wars Underworld thought it would be fun to offer our readers a new feature here at the site. Star Wars action figures have always been a HUGE part of the Star Wars fandom experience. Well, we thought it would be cool to introduce you to a side of the Star Wars artist community that rarely gets its due. Usually buried in the dark corners of Star Wars fan forums, Star Wars custom action figure artists have been creating some of the most amazing toy art that you could ever imagine. Their creations range from simple repaints to 100% sculpted pieces. The creations we've seen could fit within the folk art context as easily as it could within the fine art community. Like with any artistic expression there's a lot of variation in the manifestations that come about. Bottom line Star Wars custom action figures need some time in the spotlight!

Many of these artists started to create these toys when they decided to correct the color on an existing action figure they bought from Hasbro, or add articulation where there wasn't any, but before they knew it, they started to create characters that Hasbro didn't make to try to fill holes in their collections.  Other artists created several Star Wars fan fiction characters so they could just play inside the Star Wars universe and create their own stories.  Kit bashing different figure parts worked great for diorama fillers.  Artists like, Sith_fire30 and Sillof took it to the next level and brought their art backgrounds to task earning them featured articles in Star Wars Insider.

 CVI: Star Wars Custom Action Figure Panel audience. 

It was a really good day for Star Wars custom action figure artists on the very last day of Celebration VI.  The customizing community was finally asked by Lucasfilm to present for the FIRST TIME EVER a Star Wars Custom Action Figure Panel to the Celebration attendees who attended on Sunday, August 26th. The room had filled to maximum capacity and staff had to turn more than half the line of people away without getting to see the Panel discussion.  Demand was way higher than expected and the room wasn't big enough to hold all who were interested in attending.

Customizing is a movement that is growing and The Star Wars Underworld asked me to take all of you on a tour this year through the world of Star Wars custom action figure art.

"Mother Talzin" created by Darth Daddy

In the Star Wars customizing community I'm known as Darth Daddy.  Back in summer of 2010, my then 6 year old son received three Star Wars custom action figures as a gift.  Within 3 minutes of opening his gift, he was asking me to make Star Wars custom action figures with him. 

I was quick to tell him that I wasn't sure I had the skills to do it.  I'll never forget what he said to me.

He said, "Dad, you can do it.  I know you can.  Just start and I know that you'll finish.  I believe in you."

It was hard to say "no" to him after that.  I figured at the very least I could was set a good example and try to do it.

I did some research about how it was done, and found an entire custom action figure community hidden in the indexes of Star Wars fan forums.  I was amazed with what I found.  It was an entire world that I never knew existed... and it was beautiful!  So many toys I would have loved to add to my son's Star Wars collection.  Full of tribute pieces made to honor the films we all love!  Many of the artists shared their techniques and even gave the recipes for making their figures.  Everything I needed to learn was there.

"Bo Katan" created by Darth Daddy & CloneCommanderJay

I think I had made only about two figures when my son, Elias asked me to start a blog about Star Wars custom action figures.  I remember it made me giggle, because I couldn't believe I had this little 6 year old boy telling me that he wanted to start a blog.  I didn't even really know what a blog was at the time.  It was a very funny moment as a parent.  It was definitely a question you wouldn't have heard a child ask when I was a kid.

 Blog logo features my first custom action figure.

Well I had some more research to do and when my work was completed, we launched Customs for the Kid, a blog devoted to covering the ins-and-outs of the Star Wars custom action figure community.  The blog is full of images featuring thousands of Star Wars custom action figures created by artists from all over the world.
  

I've been personally working with the artists, archiving their Star Wars custom action figure art in video slide shows featured on our "Customs I Wish I Owned" page.  The page is a directory that provides you with contact information for the artists, access to their Facebook, eBay pages, and other places where you can see their work.  It's a great place to look around if you are ever looking to commission an artist.

 "Nightsister Assaj Ventress" created by Darth Daddy

  

The blog also provides educational tutorials that pass valuable customizing knowledge onto beginners and masters alike who want to make figures of their own.  We share custom action figure contest announcements like the Smuggler's Gambit custom action figure contest we promoted with RebelForce Radio last year, photo novel chapter updates, and sometimes, we just share pictures of the custom Star Wars action figures from our own personal collection and the contact information for the artists that created those figures as well.

 "Master Zao" created by Darth Daddy

I used my anthropology background to document it all, and somewhere along the way, "I went native." Since the blog started my son and I have created over 200 Star Wars custom action figures of our own. I'm probably best known for my Clone Wars custom action figures, but I've ended up making figures from all the various forms of Star Wars media out there. So not only am I a fan of the art form, but I'm an artist too. While working on Customs for the Kid with my little guy, I try to be the best ambassador I can for the Star Wars customizing community, constantly striving to provide all the exposure possible, and open up the art form to a larger audience.

  "Star Wars Cantina Aliens" created by Darth Daddy & Elias of "Customs for the Kid"

That's why when The Star Wars Underworld asked me to do a Star Wars custom action figure post every week, I was happy to oblige.  So stay tuned, every week I'll post a few pictures of Star Wars custom action figures created by a new artist and give you the same information you can find about the artist that we provide on the blog.   It will give you a chance to see something fun and unique and maybe give you the itch to make an action figure of your own one day.

  

 "Death Trooper" created by Darth Daddy

If waiting a whole week for another one of my posts to appear is too long for you, I post new Star Wars custom action figures almost every day on the Customs for the Kid Facebook page and we have all of our videos available on Youtube too!  For those who want to know right away when something new goes up you can also find me on Tumblr, Twitter and Pinterest.   There's plenty of content to satiate your appetite, there are four years worth of it on the blog itself.  We post about every three days.

Otherwise, you can find me here where you'll discover some super cool Star Wars custom action figure art.

-Darth Daddy

"Ziro the Hutt" created by Darth Daddy

"99" created by Darth Daddy

"Hondo's Pirate Gang" created by the collaborative efforts of Darth Daddy & Elias of "Customs for the Kid" and PeakOB1 Custom Creations

"Chancellor Palpatine" created by Darth Daddy

ARC Trooper "Fives" created by Darth Daddy

"Agent Kallus" created by Darth Daddy

"Agent Kallus" created by Darth Daddy

"C1-10P aka Chopper" created by Darth Daddy

 "Lando Calrissian" created by Darth Daddy

"Kaink & Chukha Trok" created by Darth Daddy

  "Jedi General Pong Krell" custom action figure created by Darth Daddy 
(KRELL's TUNIC and DIORAMA STAND created by HYPERDRIVE)

www.customsforthekid.blogspot.com

Hangarbay94's Mon Cal Cruiser Diorama available for sale in another awesome eBay auction!

After Hangarbay94 put his Endor Platform up for sale on eBay, he is back with the announcement he is putting his Mon Cal Cruiser Diorama up for grabs too. Hangarbay94's custom Calamari Cruiser Hangar Playset comes complete with a custom painted X-Wing and B-Wing as featured in the X-Wing Alliance Web-Comic.  Like his Endor Imperial Landing Platform this is a one-of-a-kind item that has been crafted by a lifelong Star Wars fan with a passion to create toys that should have been but never were. The playset is HUGE! it's made from thick card that folds flat when not in use. There is a box section made from foamcore that attaches to the set by velcro. The set has been created using custom graphics created by Hangarbay94 that have been meticulously stuck onto the card. The ink alone cost over £100. As you can see the Hasbro X-Wing and B-Wings have been lovingly custom painted and used as props for a photo novel called X-Wing Alliance. The paintwork is very durable which means that these toys can still be played with. I cannot stress how much love has gone into the making of these creations and this set would make an absolutely stunning addition to any Star Wars fan's collection or would look great as a store display. Hangarbay94 will also be throwing in some surprise custom painted pilots and figures that were featured in the X-Wing Alliance story, including Ace Azzameen. Postage may be expensive outside of the UK and if you are genuinely interested I can get an estimate from a reputable pack & send courier. Expect to pay in the region of £130.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=251388533758

"Smuggler's Gambit" Custom Action Figure Contest WINNER ANNOUNCED

 

For those of you who don't know, RebelForce Radio and Customs for the Kid have just wrapped up their "Smuggler's Gambit" Custom Action Figure Contest.  The winner of the contest was none other than well-known Star Wars customizer Luke Sprywalker for his Ro Kurota action figure submission.

Some of you might remember Luke Sprywalker from the first ever Star Wars Custom Action Figure Panel that was held last summer at Star Wars Celebration VI where he was one of the first speakers to give the panel. 

Luke Sprywalker is a great ambassador for the Star Wars customizing community and we here at Customs for the Kid are looking forward to hearing him appear on RebelForce Radio.  Luke Sprywalker is an excellent representative for the art form.  He has been displaying his custom creations since 2008 and has put out some awesome action figures.  He does a lot of vehicle and diorama work too.  Sprywalker even created the characters for a photo novel called Star Wars Apocalypse written by Nate Ciurla aka Kessel Run Imports and with graphic design and action figures created by Julian Maurice aka  Hangarbay94.   Luke Sprywalker has had his hands in every aspect of action figure art.  He is always there to offer encouragement to the newer custom action figure artists and is there to support the veteran's as well.  He creates a super positive environment around him wherever he goes and he's always there to lend a helping hand to those in need of customizing advice.   I couldn't think of any customizer more suited to get some air time on RebelForce Radio than this seasoned artist.  Can't wait to hear him interviewed by Jimmy MacInerney (Jimmy Mac) and Jason Swank on their RebelForce Radio podcast.

"I decided I wanted to make the character Sam Witwer voices in Smuggler's Gambit radio drama. I am a huge fan of Sam's, since the release of the Force Unleashed. I wanted the figure to feature sleek tight lines, not bulked up like many of my other figures. I also wanted to go a little bold with color choices for his clothing. It is mentioned that he wears mostly black so I wanted to stick to the description but add interest. When modifying the GI Joe head sculpt I added a small scar to show he had been around the block. Since Sam also plays Starkiller I threw in a few homages to those designs. I wanted him to have several belts, the collar is reminiscent of his Raxus Prime gear cowl, the shoulder armor is a reflection of his training gear design. In the end, other than some resemblance to Sam in the face, I hope it doesn't look like Starkiller, but mildly influenced by his many looks. So on with the show, presenting Ro Kurota, a young spacer just turned bounty hunter with his sights set on Han Solo."  - Luke Sprywalker

The judges for the contest were "Smuggler’s Gambit" writer Kyle Newman, co-writer F.J. DeSanto, Jimmy MacInerney (Jimmy Mac) and Jason Swank of RebelForce Radio, voice actor David Collins (Han Solo in "Smuggler's Gambit"), artist Paul Bateman from The Art of Ralph McQuarrie, actor Sam Witwer (Galen Marek aka Starkiller of Force Unleashed & Force Unleashed 2, Darth Maul in Clone Wars, and Ro Kurota of "Smuggler's Gambit") and Darth Daddy of Customs for the Kid.

"Ro Kurota"

created by Luke Sprywalker

Click the links below to check out Luke Sprywalker's latest customs:

http://s167.photobucket.com/albums/u130/sk8twistedtrees/Jedi%20customs/


http://www.imperialshipyards.net/SMF/index.php?topic=1200.0


http://www.imperialshipyards.net/SMF/index.php?topic=1202.0


http://www.imperialshipyards.net/SMF/index.php?topic=1212.0


http://www.yakfaceforums.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=2971

Click to listen to the latest episode from RebelForce Radio!

This week on RFR: RFR celebrates the 30th anniversary of Return of the Jedi with a report from the incredible VIP screening last weekend in Hollywood. They give us the inside scoop on Kyle Newman's new documentary "Return to Return of the Jedi". And we get caught with Clone Wars actor Stephen Stanton (Tarkin) and filmmaker Trey Stokes who gives us the lowdown about the "Pink Five" saga. All this and Patton "Frickin" Oswalt on RebelForce Radio!

CUSTOMIZER SPOTLIGHT #28: Hangarbay94

The first time we saw Hangarbay94's "Nar Shaddaa Interceptor Patrol Vehicle" we were just blown away.  The silhouette, the color, and the sheer amount of detail that was spread throughout it's entirety put this custom above anything we ever saw before.  The first words out of my mouth when I held it in my hands, "Dad, Hangarbay94's a much better customizer than you." I never saw anything like it.  The imagery was Star Wars meets Blade Runner.  The vehicle was just gorgeous.  I carried it around for two days straight.  I couldn't put it down.  I just loved looking at it.  The slide decal work and the weathering made this custom vehicle look camera ready, set to be used alongside other models and filmed to be in the next Star Wars movie.

This vehicle is jam packed with play features too.  The features include a hook and crane that lowers out of the bottom of the vehicle fit for carrying a bundled load or for towing, the cockpit contains a rolling cage in the back seat of the cockpit to detain prisoners or be moved out of the way for regular passengers, opening doors, and all greatly accented by it's flashing lights and sirens.  The detailed paintwork on the super cool droid that came with it was the cherry on top.

Julian aka Hangarbay94 is an avid Star Wars fan who has made a name for himself by customising vehicles and creating photo novels. His work is featured on Yakface and at Imperial Shipyards where he is also one of the forum moderators. His ongoing project is a graphic novelization of the classic PC game "X-Wing Alliance" which features a mixture of custom figures, dioramas, vehicles as well as creative artwork Hangarbay94 produced using Adobe Photoshop. Julian is self taught and admits to being heavily influenced by Chewie and other contemporary photo novelists.

Amongst his more notable custom projects Julian specialises in making flat, pack-and-easy-to-store dioramas, including large scale fold aways including an LED-lit "Endor Landing Platform" a huge flat-pack "Death Star Hangar" and a "Calamari Cruiser Hangar Bay".

Julian also produced a movie novel called Darkchild that we absolutely love here at home.  Jules now admits to biting a little more than he could chew, and sadly the project remains unfinished at chapter 3.  Don't let it prevent you from getting invested.  It still has a big payoff in the experience of it alone.  Hangarbay94 is a real talent in the Star Wars community with his hands in so many different aspects of Star Wars artistry.

Every time I see Hangarbay94's work, Dad and I just sit there and wonder how he finds time to do it all and to the levels that he accomplishes. He's just phenomenal and raises the bar for the whole customizing community. Now it hangs suspended from my ceiling at the foot of my bed where I get to fall asleep looking at it and wake up with it being the first thing I see.  It is definitely one of the favorite pieces that I have in my Star Wars custom action figure collection.

"Nar Shaddaa Interceptor Patrol Vehicle"

created by Hangarbay94

 "It is my favourite custom." - Hangarbay94

Hangarbay94's 
"Nar Shaddaa Interceptor Patrol Vehicle"
       


     





Listen to the artist himself talk about this project in the second half of this video below in his "Fodder Alert"segment:

You'll find Julian's X-Wing Alliance graphic novel and movie at:

  

www.xwa-webcomic.com

Also check out his Darkchild series on his Youtube Channel at:

http://www.youtube.com/user/hangarbay94?feature=mhum

You should also check out Hangarbay94's:

 Star Wars Apocalypse

and

Homeworld - Return to Higara.