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.

Sunday, September 4, 2011

ACTION FIGURE EMPIRE ADDED TO "CUSTOMS I WISH I OWNED"

TK-9849, the poster boy for Action Figure Empire, official mascot, and founding member, started collecting action figures as a young kid. He was turned on to the world of pop culture, sci-fi, and all things nerdy by his father who also worked for many companies including Lucasfilm, Marvel, DC, Jurassic Park, Warner Brothers, Visa, Exxon, Shell, Goosebumps, Ghostbusters, Hasbro, Mattel, and many other licensing companies, creating toys, sculptures, artwork, and holograms. Together they collected movies, comic books, and of course action figures. For TK-9849 collecting, especially toys and comics, has always been a joyful experience and one that brought him closer to his father. To be a collector is another way to be a serious and dedicated fan of a franchise, story, or toy line. Having studied art in College, TK-9849 started to apply his imagination, combined with his creativity, to his collection of Star Wars action figures (having spent thousands of dollars in amassing it), and thus creates kit-bash/part-swap custom creations. The fun is in the challenge of not painting anything, nor permanently altering anything. All items are removed and the figures are returned to their original states after photographing each custom creation. He has also been known to branch out into charity work for young collectors in need. He pioneered the Toys For Eli Toy Drive (with the help of Darth Daddy, Tamer, ISY, Rebelscum, Yakface, and many more) to bring hundreds of Star Wars toys to a young fan in a difficult situation. Nothing compares to the giddy rush that comes from scoring some new figures, opening them and posing them, photographing them and reviewing them on the Action Figure Empire Blog, and then using their pieces for future custom figure projects!"



Action Figure Empire


"Plastic is a way of life" --TK-9849


AFE Blog:
http://actionfigureempire.blogspot.com/

AFE Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Action-Figure-Empire/196704237028097

AFE on Imperial Shipyards:
http://www.imperialshipyards.net/SMF/index.php?topic=6619.0

Look for fodder on eBay and Star Wars items for sale under seller name:
sdan9300



Thursday, September 1, 2011

BATTLE DAMAGED GENERAL GRIEVOUS

This is my latest custom creation. Dad used this figure to teach me about how to use Apoxie Sculpt and how to weather clothing on an action figures. I painted the figure. Dad showed me how to apply the Apoxie Sculpt to Grievous' cape for the fire concept I had in mind. After I painted the cape, Dad showed me how to add water to black paint to create a wash to weather Grievous and the cape.



"BATTLE DAMAGED GENERAL GRIEVOUS"
created by Elias










SKILL LEVEL: ADVANCED



FEATURED

My "BATTLE DAMAGED GENERAL GRIEVOUS" was featured on the front page of Imperial Shipyards.



Wednesday, August 31, 2011

QUICK ALTERATIONS


As you know Dad likes to introduce our audience to quick and easy modifications that they can make to their existing action figures to spruce things up a bit. These two action figures are no different.



ULTIMATE BARRISS OFFEE


We really loved Hasbro's new VOTC Barriss Offee action figure, but she didn't have a very battle ready appearance. But by accessorizing her by combining parts from the Star Wars Saga 2002 Collection 2: Attack of the Clones #12 Barriss Offee [Jedi Padawan] and a few accessories from the new CW Barriss Offee, we were able to create the Ultimate Barriss Offee with an interchangeable head sculpt, a short cloak to go with the existing hood, and a battle action cloak too. Dad is planning on adding an interchangeable right hand so I can keep using the magnet hand from the Star Wars Saga 2002 Collection 2: Attack of the Clones #12 Barriss Offee also.



She looks a lot more battle ready now.



Dad loved the head sculpt of the original Barriss and wanted to come up with a way to show off the hair of the action figure in his Ultimate edition.



With an Exacto knife Dad cut of the head of the AOTC Barriss and then used a drill and Dremel to give the head the ability to snap securely onto the neck post of the VOTC figure and have full articulation.



With all these accessories a lot of variations could be produced to enhance play.




ORIGINAL ACTION FIGURES


VOTC Barriss Offee




Star Wars Saga 2002 Collection 2:
Attack of the Clones #12 Barriss Offee
[Jedi Padawan]


SKILL LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE



SORA BULQ
with Articulated Knees


Dad boiled the original Saga 2 Sora Bulq action figure to remove his unarticulated legs and replaced them with the CW Eeth Koth legs instead. By boiling the two action figures in hot water for about 5 minutes, the plastic was soft enough to swap out the legs of the figure. Dad read that JACKOFTRADZE used the same technique with the legs of a Kit Fisto from the Target Geonosis 2-pack. Dad didn't have one in our fodder so Eeth Koth had to step in to make it happen. Dad at some point would like to replace the hard goods skirt with a soft good skirt when he finds a suitable replacement.


ORIGINAL ACTION FIGURE

Saga 2 Sora Bulq



FEATURED

Dad's "Ultimate Barriss Offee" was featured on the front page of Imperial Shipyards.



SKILL LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE


Tuesday, August 30, 2011

"STRONOX" VIDEO UPDATED IN "CUSTOMS I WISH I OWNED"

Dad wants to apologize to everyone for falling behind on our "Customs I Wish I Owned" postings. No need to worry, we have plenty of new customizers on the way for you all to check out. Dad has four new artists that he is waiting to introduce you all to in the weeks to come.

We also have a lot of new pieces to feature in our "Customizer Spotlight" with Star Wars custom action figures created by customizers Luke Sprywalker, Peakob1, Sillof, Omar Rivera, and two new additions created by kr2700/SWK Kustoms and Wraithnine who have been featured before in the "Spotlight".

To hold you all over, Dad just updated the video for Stronox in our "Customs I Wish I Owned" archives. Check out what he has been working on since Dad completed his last video.


STRONOX

Stronox is a 33 year old nurse from Pennsylvania. When he isn't parenting, he's either customizing figures, drawing, painting, reading, collecting toys, or gaming.



STRONOX




You can get to the blog for Stronox by clicking the link below:

http://stronoxcustoms.blogspot.com



You can see more Stronox by clicking the link below:

http://www.yakfaceforums.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=5253


Go to his ebay sales page:

http://myworld.ebay.com/stronox117/


Dad's "Stronox" video featured on the front page of Imperial Shipyards.



KITONAK GLADIATOR: STILL PHOTOS & BACKSTORY




Kitonak Gladiator

created by Darth Daddy




Dad used a Marvel Skaar action figure for the body and a Droopy McCool head and hands to complete this action figure.



He liked the tattoos on the original figure so he incorporated the design into the figure.




Dad's tribute figure to Dan of the Dead's "Fez Xik" action figure. If it weren't for Dan's "Princess Bride" themed action figure, Dad would have never thought to create a Kitonak of such size.




BACKSTORY

The two gladiators a week before their battle.


These two gladiators fought together as a team in many battles and were always victorious. It was said that watching them work together to defeat their opponents was like seeing a ballet. They acted with such precision that they easily took apart even the biggest of threats. With a lack of worthy opponents, it was only a matter of time before they would have to meet each other face to face in battle. Surprisingly, when the Kitonak gladiator defeated his Gamorrean friend, the crowd actually granted the Gamorrean mercy for the showing that the two had put on that day. Their meeting in the arena was so sensational that the story was passed down in Geonosian history for generations to come. It would be the only time these two would face each other in fact. They fought together as a team for years after the memorable event took place, but just around the time when the crowd was getting hungry for a rematch, the two both disappeared overnight. It's said outside of Geonosis... that on that night, the two defeated their most challenging opponent ever...the life of being slave, and with their escape... together, they won, their freedom. Searches were made, but they were never found, making one wonder if they ever escaped at all.


IN THE NEWS

Dad's "KITONAK GLADIATOR" featured in Echo Base News' "Customizer Spotlight"