AGE APPROPRIATE WARNING

*ADULT SUPERVISION & PROPER SAFETY EQUIPMENT ARE REQUIRED WHEN UTILIZING THE TOOLS, PRODUCTS & TECHNIQUES DESCRIBED HERE ON OUR BLOG TO CREATE STAR WARS CUSTOMS.

Tuesday, May 16, 2017

CLONE WARS "OSI SOBECK" created by Customs for the Kid


Osi Sobeck was a male Phindian and the warden of the infamous Citadel, a Separatist prison on the planet Lola Sayu known to be inescapable for even Jedi.

This action figure was initially created for our YouTube show "Customizing The Clone Wars". Osi Sobeck was the lead villain in the story we covered for our episode, and he begged to be made into a toy. The first head sculpt for the figure was extremely rushed so we could get it done in time for the show. While making the figure, we quickly noticed the direction the size of the head was going just wasn't working as well for the character as the body was. We wrapped the action figure up minutes before we filmed the episode for the show with the knowledge we would have to fix the head at a later time. Dad was very open during the episode about his dislike for the head sculpt and said it would be revisited after the show wrapped up. While we did just that, it took about 4 years before we actually got back to it! 

Thankfully though, we finally did Osi Sobeck justice. 

Dad sculpted onto the Clone Wars Savage Opress action figure from the Target 3-pack to create the Osi Sobeck. The head was originally taken from The Clone Wars Mace Windu toy but I obviously heavily remodified it. Aves Fixit, Green stuff and Pro Create were all used to bring Osi Sobeck to fruition. 



"OSI SOBECK"
created by Customs for the Kid

























Over 1 year into the Clone Wars,[1] Separatist forces captured Jedi General Even Piell, who was returning to Coruscant from a mission. Piell and some of his men were imprisoned in the Citadel to be handled by Sobeck. Count Dooku ordered Sobeck to get valuable information about Hyperspace coordinates known as the Nexus Route from Piell and his Captain Wilhuff Tarkin, as each possessed half of the information.[4]

The Jedi Order and Galactic Republic launched a mission to rescue Piell and his men, using a separatist shuttle and reprogrammed pilot droids to get a rescue team, led by Jedi Generals Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi, on Lola Sayu. Sobeck suspected that the Jedi would attempt to rescue Piell and had his T-series tactical droid second in command, K2-B4, scan the shuttle for life forms when it asked permission to land on the planet. The scanners didn't detect any life, as the rescue team had been frozen in carbonite, and K2-B4 gave permission to land. Sobeck grew suspicious when the shuttle didn't arrive on the landing platform. When a clone trooper accidentally activated an electro mine, Sobeck was sure a rescue team had entered the Citadel and ordered the facility on high alert.[4]

Sobeck monitors the Citadels’ cameras.

The Jedi managed to rescue Piell from the interrogation cell but Sobeck activated a super magnet, that pulled the group's weapons to it, as well as Anakin, who had a cybernetic arm, and had them surrounded by BX-series droid commandos. Anakin, however, managed to destroy the magnet, allowing his fellows to take their weapons back and destroy the droids, much to Sobeck's frustration. The team went on to retrieve Tarkin and Piell's other men from their cell and split up into two groups. The first group, led by Piell and Kenobi, used thermal denotators to create some explosions on the upper levels of the prison as a diversion, wreaking havoc in the facility, while the second group, led by Tarkin, Skywalker and his padawan Ahsoka Tano, escaped the building on the lower levels into a series of tunnels.[4]

Count Dooku contacted Sobeck after learning of the escape, and Sobeck assured him that the situation was under control and that he would soon have the information. Meanwhile, Skywalker had his astromech droid R2-D2, who was in charge of the shuttle and the reprogrammed battle droids, landed their shuttle on the Citadel's landing platform so he could pick up Kenobi's group, who were still in the building. Kenobi's group, however, had been captured by Sobeck's troops and brought before Sobeck, who demanded Piell's half of the information, executing a clone and threatening to kill the rest if he refused to speak. Before he could kill a second clone, K2-B4 informed him that Skywalker's group had been located, and he ordered the prisoners be taken to the interrogation level for torture while he focused on Skywalker's group. R2-D2's droids managed to take over Kenobi's group from the security droids escorting them and a droid soon reported that the prisoners had not arrived at the interrogation level, angering Sobeck. K2-B4 told him that Count Dooku wanted to speak him, but Sobeck ignored this and ordered all units to the landing platform, as the shuttle was the prisoner's only chance to escape the planet. When Kenobi's group tried to board the shuttle by acting as prisoners of the reprogrammed droids, K2-B4 informed the units on the platform of the deception. This resulted in a battle on the landing platform. Skywalker's group soon arrived, but a commando droid managed to blow up the shuttle, destroying the team's only chance of escape. The team retreated into the lower caves of Lola Sayu.[5]

Sobeck was almost certain that the Republic would launch a second mission to evacuate the prisoners, and had K2-B4 command the blockade fleet while he focussed on recapturing the team. Count Dooku contacted him again, demanding the truth about the prisoners. Sobeck told Dooku that his troops would soon capture them now that their ship was destroyed, to which Dooku replied that Sobeck's honesty was the only thing keeping him alive. Sobeck released a pack of Anoobas to track down the prisoners, which killed Piell after he had passed on his half of the information to Ahsoka.[2]

Sobeck is killed by Tano.

When a droid reported that the Anoobas had located the prisoners, Sobeck personally commanded a squad of droids on STAP's to deal with them. Sobeck and his party found the group on a small island and engaged them. Without success, as Anakin and Obi-Wan destroyed most of Sobeck's squad, while R2-D2 created a cloud of smoke, blinding Sobeck, which allowed ARC trooper Fives to shoot his STAP down. Tarkin tried to shoot Sobeck but missed, and Sobeck grabbed his throat. Realizing he could never have the information, Sobeck lifted Tarkin and attempted to throw him into the lava, so that no one would have it. Ahsoka, however, spotted this and impaled Sobeck through the back with one of her lightsabers, killing him. Not long thereafter, the Republic broke through the blockade of Lola Sayu and evacuated the prisoners.[2]




SKILL LEVEL: ADVANCED



PURCHASE HEADCAST HERE:



PURCHASE AN ANOOBA HERE:








Sunday, May 14, 2017

"CUSTOMIZING THE CLONE WARS" - EPISODE 48



Clone Wars custom action figure artists, Peak-OB1 Custom Creations & Darth Daddy of "Customs for the Kid" display Clone Wars custom action figures from Season 3 of The Clone Wars TV series episode "The CItadel".





Monday, May 8, 2017

SUPER-ARTICULATED "POE DAMERON" created by Darth Daddy

This was actually a really easy custom to produce.  Once you get past separating the upper torso of The Black Series Finn figure along the seams to free up both the arms, all you have to do is drill the shoulder sockets of The Black Series Cassian Andor figure to accept them.  Switch the jackets, hands, and remove the holster and then paint the pants and boots before laying The Black Series Poe Dameron head on top of the Cassian Andor body.  Oh yeah we also used a Dremel to hard sculpt the flap of the Cassian Andor shirt to make it look like Poe's. After all that was completed, all that was left to do was the neckline a little lower and add a brown wash to the jacket to wrap things up.


SUPER-ARTICULATED
"POE DAMERON"
created by Darth Daddy












RECIPE

Head - The Black Series Poe Dameron
Arms and Jacket - The Black Series Finn
Upper Torso and Legs - The Black Series Cassian Andor




SKILL LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE




Sunday, May 7, 2017

"CUSTOMIZING THE CLONE WARS" - EPISODE 47


Clone Wars custom action figure artists, Peak-OB1 Custom Creations & Darth Daddy of "Customs for the Kid" return from their brief hiatus to display Clone Wars custom action figures from the Mortis Trilogy from Season 3 of The Clone Wars TV series".



Thursday, May 4, 2017

"DEATH SQUAD COMMANDER" created by Elias

Not only is today Star Wars Day, but this year is also the 40th anniversary of Star Wars! To celebrate Customs for the Kid figured we would bring an old Vintage figure to life that collectors are still waiting to see made with some modern sensibilities. Namely super-articulation...

Action figure collectors were really bummed this year when the Death Star Commander was released in the 6" scale by Hasbro in his black outfit rather than in his original Vintage Imperial greys.  So to pay tribute to the figure from the childhood of the OTC crowd we figured we'd showcase a custom version of the character to celebrate May the 4th.  Elias made the helmet a little more screen accurate and gave the figure a much needed paint job to complete the piece.

It was a great way to enhance the our collection here at home and a fun way to pay tribute to our favorite film franchise.  Stay tuned for a lot more custom action figures from A New Hope throughout the year as we plan to continue paying homage to the film that started it all on its 40 year anniversary.



"DEATH SQUAD COMMANDER"
created by Elias












SKILL LEVEL: BEGINNER


One figure for inspiration and another for its creation.





Saturday, April 29, 2017

"TUSKEN RAIDER CAMP DIORAMA TUTORIAL" created by Elias


So for school, I was recently given an assignment where I had to create a blog explaining the process of adopting a new skill and putting it into practice.  I had hoped I could have written a blog about anything since I had seven years of experience writing this one.  Although that would have given me an unfair advantage over my peers if all I had to do was some copy and paste to get my assignment done. Therefore, I decided to try my hand at something closely related to creating my own action figures, I figured I'd tackle learning how to make a Star Wars diorama.  

You would have thought for as long as I've been writing this blog, that I would have tried it at least once, but we never really had the space in the house to both build and display a large scale piece. Dad once made a small display piece for a few of our Star Wars Rebels action figures, but that is about all we ever attempted and I wasn't even home for that build.

I have a feeling that this may be the only diorama that I do.  Not because I didn't enjoy it, but because I have no idea where I'm going to even put this one now that it is completed.  I probably should have went a little smaller on this build.

Nevertheless, I learned quite a bit making this diorama. By the time I finished, I realized I acquired more than just one skill, but I added several new ones to my skill set.  I learned how to use plaster of paris bandages, installation and utilization of LED lighting in a display, and ways I could create an uneven surface in my display base with a variety of mediums I never used before.

I have to give a shout out to Frank D'iorio's Diorama Workshop website for providing me with a great step by step explanation on how to fabricate the outer shell of the Tusken Raider Hut.  I took it a step further and fleshed out the inside too, complete with tusked supports wrapped in real leather bindings, fur rugs, and a metal fireplace with light effects.

On top of that I had to make my first video tutorial explaining the entire build process in great detail so viewers could recreate my final result.  Dad even taught me a few tricks in post production as I edited what I had filmed.

But enough talk, watch my tutorial!







"TUSKEN RAIDER CAMP DIORAMA"
created by Elias



View inside the Tusken Raider hut. Real leather straps were used to accent the hand sculpted tusks that were painted and then used to simulate the hut's supports.


 A metal electrical fitting was used to construct the fireplace.


 Rugs and wall hangings were made from a furry fabric to simulate animal hides.






SKILL LEVEL: ADVANCED






BACKGROUND IMAGE:

_Pixelpiper. Star Wars Tatooine Landscape. Digital image. Flickr.com. Flickr.com, 13 July 2013.   


Friday, April 21, 2017

"REEGESK" created by Darth Daddy

Reegesk was a Ranat scavenger and experienced thief from Aralia, known as a fair trader. He regularly traded with Jawas such as Het Nkik. Reegesk was not picky, and was willing to steal anything, even trash. His tribe needed power for their bootleg vaporator unit, so he went into Mos Eisley to look for a power source. He attempted to trade a Sand People battle idol to Nkik in Chalmun's Spaceport Cantina, during which he quietly stole the power source of Nkik's BlasTech Industries DL-44 for use with his tribe's vaporator, leading to the death of Nkik, not knowing his gun had no power during a shootout with stormtroopers.

In all honesty, this figure took me about 30 minutes to make.  Exactly as long as it took me to drill the headcast, place it on the body I had in fodder, and sew the soft good robe shut. In less than hour I was able to add another desired character to our Cantina display.



"REEGESK" 
created by Darth Daddy








SKILL LEVEL: BEGINNER










Monday, April 17, 2017

COMING SOON - TUSKEN RAIDER DIORAMA TUTORIAL


So Customs for the Kid have been hard at work all week creating content for our blog. Dad has been working on a new Clone Wars action figure for a future episode of "Customizing The Clone Wars", and I have been venturing into some new territory by tackling my first ever Star Wars diorama piece.  I had a school assignment where I had to document my journey as I adopted a new skill. Since I have been making custom Star Wars action figures for 7 years now, I figured it was time that I tried to make my first diorama. The best part about this assignment was that I decided to do a step by step video of my entire process from start to finish.  I put so much work into the video that I decided I would share the tutorial with all of you once it is completed. In the video, I cover the build of the Sandpeople hut complete with interior details, the creation of the desert environment, and how to use LED's and a glue gun to create fire effects.  I'm almost done with the video editing so stay tuned for the release of my video and pictures of the completed project!


Tuesday, April 11, 2017

"CUSTOMIZING THE CLONE WARS" - EPISODE 46.5


Clone Wars custom action figure artists, Peak-OB1 Custom Creations & Darth Daddy of "Customs for the Kid" display Clone Wars custom action figures from Season 3 of The Clone Wars TV series episode "Witches of the Mist".