CAFN #62: THE SPECTRE

CAFN #62: THE SPECTRE

CAFN was joined by The Spectre, Dan Kosa, to talk about a small fraction of his great custom work. Hit that play button and listen in as he describes how he turns trash items to custom treasure, the construction of some of his awesome dioramas, his best custom figure recipes, and painting techniques. Don't forget to go to the CAFN Archive Page for all the download links and to go back and listen to your favorite episodes.

If you haven't seen the brand new and improved CAFN Page yet, be sure to give it a look.

Go here to listen to the Custom Action
Figure News podcast:

http://www.imperialshipyards.net/CAFN/index.html

If there is anything you would like them to feature on a future podcast be sure to let them know at:

chad.cafnpodcast@yahoo.com

tamer@imperialshipyards.net

CUSTOMIZER SPOTLIGHT UPDATE: Peakob1

So this month we don't have a "new" artist to showcase for our Customizer Spotlight.   Maybe by the end of the month, but don't hold your breath.  I can't believe that we have been able to keep the feature going so long considering the blog has been around for almost four years now.  Having to come up with a new artist isn't always easy since this feature is about custom action figures that are in my personal collection.  While I have a multitude of action figures that you might not have seen yet, both "figures made by artist's we have already featured", and also "figures that we're not sure who they were crafted by".  One day we'll have to do a feature showcasing custom action figures "made by artists unknown to us", but that is for another day.

Today, we will still provide you with some Star Wars custom action figures that are in my collection, it will just be from an artist that has already been featured in our Customizer Spotlight...an update to their feature.  And what an update it is.  

One of the most upsetting changes to the Star Wars toy line was the discontinuation of the Clone Wars toy line.  I always felt Hasbro really took a lazy approach toward the end of the line in 2012.  Even though the show continued on in to 2013, once 2012 hit, we only got repacks.  Europe was fortunate enough to get a limited run of figures, but no new characters were released there other than the 501st Clone Trooper.  All new characters that were introduced in Seasons 4 or 5 never made it to plastic.  Here at home we are still working on making a few of those characters in plastic and one of our customizing friends has been helping us get the job done.  Peakob1 has already added so many wonderful action figures to my collection and believe me there are still more to come.  The latest custom action figure is an updated look for a character as he appeared later in Season 5.

While Hasbro does have plans to release a version of this Sith character, they plan on releasing him in a realistic sculpt featuring only 5 points of articulation figure that upon viewing the prototype we just weren't very impressed with.  Compared to Peakob1's version, it doesn't hold up.  Peakob1's creation is a version of Darth Maul that I wish everyone had a chance to obtain and I couldn't be happier to be the one to have this figure in my collection.  It is the epitome of a missed opportunity by Hasbro.  This figure is fully articulated with even ball-jointed hips!  His lightsaber hilts even attach to his belt.  He even comes with the Darksaber hilt as well that attaches to his belt at the rear.

"CLONE WARS DARTH MAUL"

created by Peak-OB1 Custom Creations

Peakob1 on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/Peakob1

Peakob1 on Yakface.com:
http://www.yakfaceforums.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=5631

Peakob1 on Droids & Ewoks:
http://droidsandewoks.forumotion.com/customs-and-art-f13/

Peakob1 on Jedi Defender:
http://www.jedidefender.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=20796.0

To go to the ebay page of Peakob1 click below:
http://myworld.ebay.com/peakob1/?_trksid=p4340.l2559

"Custom Build A Droid C-3PO" created by Elias

This was a very easy custom action figure to make.  All I had to do was repaint a Build A Droid U-3PO with some gold paint and then apply a brown wash.  Hasbro still hasn't made a Build A Droid C-3PO so I figured that I'd beat them to it.  I love the articulation this repaint offers.  This C-3PO has swivel shoulders, wrists, hips and neck.  He also sports ball jointed elbows, knees, ankles and waist. The best part about this action figure is that he disassembles at the neck shoulders and hips so he can fit into the pouch on Chewbacca's back.  Hope you all like my results.

"Build A Droid C-3PO"

created by Elias

SKILL LEVEL: BEGINNER

Hasbro's Build A Droid U-3PO

My C-3PO was featured on Yakface.com's Facebook page.

 
My C-3PO was featured on the front page of Imperial Shipyards.

My C-3PO was featured on the Facebook page of Imperial Shipyards.

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

One Awesome eBay Auction - Hangarbay94's Endor Imperial Landing Platform

Now this is an eBay auction I wish I had the money for.  With the "Buy It Now" option I don't anticipate this being available for very much longer.  This is a one-of-a-kind scale Endor Imperial Landing Platform from the Star Wars movie Return of the Jedi. This represents over a hundred hours work and features a custom paint scheme, working LED lights and comes complete with an AT-AT Walker and Imperial Shuttle from the Star Wars toy range. Built to scale with Star Wars figures and vehicles, there is nothing like this available commercially. This was a created while Star Wars customizer Hangarbay94's kids went through a brief Star Wars phase and he had a wonderful opportunity to relive his childhood. He will not be making another. This model can broken down into component parts for storage (a bit like a fold down table) and would suit anyone looking for an awesome Star Wars display for a shop or feature item in a Star Wars collection. Made from sturdy materials, this item is in good condition with no damage. Hangarbay94 will supply the buyer with additional decals for future use. Hangarbay94 has not calculated shipping costs outside the UK, but if a buyer is interested expect to pay in the region of £100+ for postage and packaging as this will need to be sent via specialist courier in extensive protective packaging.  As a proud owner of this artist's work, I highly recommend picking this up.  In fact, I'm running out now to pick up a lottery ticket in hopes that I win and use the money to score this awesome Hangarbay94 creation.

"Imperial Landing Platform"

created by Hangarbay94

Here's the link to the auction here:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/251376510192?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:VRI&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2661