"THE BAD BATCH" ECHO in DROID DISGUISE created by Elias

I made this version of this character back in 2021, and at customs for the kid I prefer not to tread the same ground twice, but work is work!  

The base for this figure was a Clone Wars Commander Ponds.  I used a Dremel to subtract from the shoulder pads, Breastplate, and Dorsal plate in preparation for the sculpting that was needed.  I also cut the left arm below the elbow, where I then attached the slicing plugin sculpted by Aude's Workshop.  The head was also sculpted by Aude's Workshop, but I modified it so the visor could lift, revealing Echo's face inside.  I sculpted using Green Stuff, but the arms and legs I was able to leave mostly unchanged.  

Just like the first time, color picking for this figure was a challenge. His pallet is made up of many different shades of grey, and it's important for each color to be distinct from the others.  With a careful eye and thoughtful paint mixing, this figure really came to life!

Doing Echo again for this commission has given me an interesting look into my own development as an artist over the years, and I'm very happy with how this came out!  If I have to make him again in the future, I'm curious as to how my skills will improve.

"STAR WARS: THE BAD BATCH"

ECHO in DROID DISGUISE

created by Elias

Background by Hyperdrive.

"RETURN OF THE JEDI" NIZUC BEK custom action figure by "Customs for the Kid"

Nizuc Bek was a male human who was in the palace of the crime lord Jabba the Hutt prior to the Battle of Endor. Bek was hired by Jabba the Hutt to guard celebrities visiting Jabba's palace. He was assigned to protect Sy Snootles, the Max Rebo Band's lead vocalist. When Luke Skywalker arrived and failed to persuade Jabba to release Han Solo and Chewbacca, he use the Force to possess Bek's DL-18 blaster pistol in an attempt to kill the Hutt.

A Velkin Tezeri action figure was used to create our Nizuk Bek. We used a head and accessories we received in the mail from Outer Rim Traders. We then painted the items and modified the head with some soft goods and a scrap of plastic from some old plastic robes. We then repositioned the holster . the canteen then sculpted a rectangular pouch onto the belt of the Velkin Tezeri torso.

"RETURN OF THE JEDI"

NIZUC BEK

created by "Customs for the Kid"

Headsculpt and accessories by Jeff Thompson

THE VINTAGE COLLECTION "GALACTIC STARCRUISER" GAYA Created by Elias of "Customs for the Kid"

Recently, I posted a Captain Keevan which was commissioned for a display at Halcy-Con, but that wasn’t the only figure.  For the second figure of my Galactic Starcruiser set, I made Gaya, the Twi’Lek diva who entertains guests at the Galactic Starcruiser Hotel.  The convention organizer who commissioned the figures also informed me that they will be on display on a background created by The Cardboard Galaxy. 

The recipe for this figure was simply a General Leia Organa in her ceremonial dress from the Black Series Collection. Underneath her regalia is a mostly featureless body, which was very easy to sculpt onto.  I modeled the head-sculpt myself using Blender, which I printed and then painted. Because more than one actor portrayed the character we were asked to create a generic headsculpt for the character. 

The soft goods were the biggest challenge making this figure.  I made a trip to the fabric store to find the perfect textile, which happened to be an indigo satin.  To make the pleats in the dress, I had to fold each section and stitch it.  The light trim was sculpted out of ProCreate.  The graphic on her cape was hand painted, which was challenging because if I made a mistake or painted outside the lines in any way, the fabric would be ruined and I would have to start fresh with a new piece of fabric. Thankfully I pulled it off on my first attempt!  Painting the pattern on her back was an incredibly painstaking effort. My great, great-grandfather was a fashion designer. I wonder if he would approve of my sewing and patterning skills. What do you think? Does it run in the family?

We hope you appreciate the newest addition to the Galactic Starcruiser collection!

THE VINTAGE COLLECTION

"GALACTIC STARCRUISER"

GAYA

created by Elias of "Customs for the Kid"

President Lyndon Johnson with his daughter Lynda at her White House wedding wearing a tuxedo that was designed by Amore Pace, my great, great-grandfather.

"THE CLONE WARS" DUCHESS SATINE KRYZE created by Elias of "Customs for the Kid"

What better way to celebrate our 14th Anniversary as bloggers than by making that special figure for yourself that you have always wanted? Fourteen years ago, I was a six-year-old kid asking my dad to make custom action figures with me and on this very day our customs are appearing in the "Evolution of Toy Collecting" Panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2024. What a journey!  Today, I finished creating the action figure that my dad and I have dreamed of making since Duchess Satine Kryze of Mandalore debuted in 2010.

Years ago, my dad had a figure which came about through the will of the Force. Darth Daddy hoped to collaborate with our friend Hyperdrive, and 30 seconds after thinking he should contact him, my father received a text message from Hyperdrive and immediately agreed to collaborate when Dad asked him!  One thing lead to another, and now their legendary creation of General Pong Krell graces our shelf.  I feel so fortunate to now have a collaborative creation of my own.  This is my figure's story and how Duchess Satine Kryze willed herself into existence. Around the time that I decided to attempt this project, our friend Aude's Workshop sent us a surprise package with a lovely note, which read as follows:

The sculpt he is referring to, is the beautiful head sculpt featured on the action figure below.  At "Customs for the Kid" we have a tradition of giving some shout-outs to other artists in our community we are sure you will enjoy, and Aude's Workshop is one you will certainly appreciate.

To make this figure of Duchess Satine Kyryze, I used a Clone Wars Asajj Ventress as my base.  I took the elbows, forearms, and boots from a Clone Wars Adventure Padme, and replaced them on Ventress.  I then used my Dremel's Nylon brush to strip all details and forms away from the base figure.  To sculpt her upper body, I used a mixture of Green Stuff and Procreate, and left her lower body untouched so that the dress would rest on her legs correctly.  

Making her dress out of real fabric was one of the bigger technical hurdles.  I knew from the moment I decided to make Satine that I wanted her to have a dress made of real fabric.  If she couldn't sit in the Mandalorian throne, what was the point of making it?  

So, I had to come up with a strategy.  The form of her dress resembles some kind of flower, belling out at the hips, tapering at the ankle, and then opening like the petals of a petunia.  I devised a pattern for the innermost layer, which would consist of six identical panels.  I assembled it, pulled it over her, and then got started on the outer layer.  This layer would create the bell form, so I patterned a single piece of the dark blue fabric, cut some darts into it so it would form around her correctly, and affixed it to the under dress.  To get the end of her under dress to be shaped like flower petals, I had to thread crafting wire through the hem and position it how I wanted.  After the two main forms were constructed, I added in the other pieces of fabric and painted the dress as needed.  The purple scale-like details on her dress were sculpted out of Procreate and glued in place. After a few days of painting, Satine was ready for photos!  

About a month ago, my father and I were discussing the photoshoot, and what kind of pictures we wanted for today's celebration.  Since I went through all the trouble of making a soft goods dress, he suggested that I try to get a Mandalorian throne to pose her on.  We immediately recalled the Mandalorian throne room display produced by Cardboard Galaxy and both agreed it would be perfect for our figures debut.  Unfortunately, the Mandalorian throne room he made wasn't available for sale on his eBay page anymore. Thankfully, Bob from Cardboard Galaxy went out of his way to get one made for us, and we are immensely grateful.

We want to thank Aude's Workshop and Cardboard Galaxy for making this project possible.  The kindness of our community of artists never fails to inspire me.  We hope you all enjoy our execution of the Duchess Satine Kryze, and happy 14th anniversary to "Customs for the Kid!"

"THE CLONE WARS"

DUCHESS SATINE KRYZE

created by Elias of "Customs for the Kid"

Cellphone screensaver for Duchess Satine fans.

Sunday July 28th, 2024

The Evolution Of Toy Collecting - 4:00pm - 5pm PDT Room 32AB

It's expected that toys have evolved over the decades, but what about how people collect them? Super collectors Martin Smith (Heroes of the Halcyon podcast), Brian Frey (toy package artist), and Silver Ciprian (Star Wars Thrifting channel) discuss the paradigm shifts and innovations that have FUNdamentally changed the hobby of toy collecting from the 1970s to the present. From Toys "R" Us and holiday catalogs to 3D printing at home, collecting toys over the past 50 years has itself been an adventure worthy of a retrospective. Featuring artwork from "Customs for the Kid"!