CUSTOMIZER SPOTLIGHT #15: OMAR RIVERA

The latest customizer we'd like to introduce you all to is 31 year old customizer, Omar Rivera from Puerto Rico. When this husband and father of two isn't busy making his awesome Star Wars action figures, he works as an art and history teacher and as a pastor as well. Dad first saw his customs on ebay when Omar had three stunning Padme Amidala action figures that were just incredible to set eyes upon. We didn't have any money at the time, so somebody else won the figures and let's just say that the somebody who is out there is one lucky individual. Fortunately, the following week we did have money when Omar posted 3 new figures up on ebay and they were really cool ones that one wouldn't want to pass up on. Omar openly states that customizing action figures is one of his passions and his passion is definitely visible in his work. Omar told us that he has created over 100 customs to date. So here are the three Star Wars custom action figures created by Star Wars customizer, Omar Rivera that you can find in my collection. Enjoy!

Khaleen Hentz
by Omar Rivera

She even comes with the baby. Unfortunately we didn't see this cool looking Quinlan Vos up for bid.

Khaleen Hentz was once a Separatist agent sent by Count Dooku to spy on Quinlan Vos, as a mole in his spy network. She later turned to the Galactic Republic and became the wife of Vos and the mother of his child.

K'Kruhk "Dark Times"
created by Omar Rivera

K'Kruhk was a male Whiphid Jedi who lived from around the end of the Galactic Republic to the time of the One Sith and the Second Imperial Civil War. The apprentice of Lilit Twoseas, K'Kruhk survived his Master's death during the Yinchorri Uprising and went on to serve with distinction in the Clone Wars. A disastrous loss of life at Teyr led K'Kruhk to question his cause, and he joined a dissident movement on Ruul. Betrayal by one of his own, however, caused him to reaffirm his absolute loyalty to the Republic and the Jedi High Council, and he would go on to serve on Saleucami in the final weeks of the Outer Rim Sieges.

Despite countless brushes with death, K'Kruhk survived both the Clone Wars and the Great Jedi Purge, living to see the demise of the Galactic Empire and the return of the Jedi, albeit while in hiding from the agents of Darth Vader. Only when Luke Skywalker's New Jedi Order was well-established and the last elements of Palpatine's Empire destroyed did the Whiphid finally emerge from hiding.

Some period after the Yuuzhan Vong War, K'Kruhk joined the New Jedi Order and was still active even past the rise of Darth Krayt, serving as a member of the Jedi High Council, and taking a leading role in the Jedi resistance to the ascendant Sith. K'Kruhk's efforts were integral in forging an alliance between the Jedi, the Galactic Alliance Remnant and the Fel Empire. With the death of T'ra Saa at Taivas, K'Kruhk became the oldest and most experienced of the surviving Jedi, and participated in the alliance's final assault on the Sith-held Coruscant.

Following the deaths of Darth Krayt and Roan Fel, K'Kruhk became one of the three Triumvirs of the restored Galactic Alliance.

Thisspiasian Jedi
created by Omar Rivera

To go to Omar Rivera's ebay store click below:
http://myworld.ebay.com/albalindaalba?ssPageName=ADME:X:RTQ:US:1181




IN THE NEWS



Our "Customizer Spotlight" post on Omar Rivera was featured on Ed Johnson Presents: STAR WARS The Clone Chronicles (Webcomics & SW News)

Articulated Knees for Your Hondo Ohnaka

If you toss your Hondo Ohnaka into a pot of boiling water with a Shahan Alama action figure for about 5 minutes, you can pop the two figures apart at the waist and give Hondo, Sahahan Alama's legs giving him the articulated knees that we all wish he had. We didn't paint our legs because we were ok with the way he looked, but you could always paint yours. Just be sure you use parent supervision whenever using boiling water.

Hondo Ohnaka
with Articulated Knees

Hasbro's CW Hondo Ohnaka on the left and Dad's modified Hondo Ohnaka with articulted knees on the right.

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

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.

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