DARTH DADDY's CUSTOMIZING CORNER: ELIAS

Darth Daddy's Customizing Corner featured our resident Star Wars artist Elias in the latest Customizing Corner over at The Star Wars Underworld.

 

CLICK HERE TO READ

This week I decided to showcase the artwork of one of the youngest Star Wars artists in the action figure customizing community. He is also one of the most active bloggers in the Star Wars community as a whole. For almost four years now, Elias has been hard at work showcasing the art of the biggest players in the Star Wars custom action figure community, all while making some extremely remarkable pieces of his own. He started the "Customs for the Kid" blog when he was just 6 years old, and his blog gets over 12,000 hits a month from over 150 countries throughout the world! Quite an achievement for someone so young!

Already his action figures have graced the front pages of several Star Wars fan sites who were impressed with his artistic skill.  I have collaborated with Elias on numerous projects, more than with any other customizer.  If it weren't for Elias, I would have never become a customizer myself.

You see, Elias is my son.  Back in the summer of 2010, Elias saw a few Star Wars custom action figures for sale on eBay, and asked me if we could make some custom action figures of our own.  Because I never had any experience making action figures, and had only a mild interest in art in my youth, his request seemed like an extremely daunting task.  Had he not talked me into it, you definitely wouldn't be reading this feature right now, and we never would have gotten involved in the fan community at all.  Elias has had a huge impact on the Star Wars custom action figure community and not many people in fandom know the story behind the artist.

His blog features the best Star Wars custom action figure directory with all the information you need to know about the wide assortment of talented artists that make up the customizing community.  His blog features video slide shows of each artist's work, as well as links to where you can find more ways to follow each artist, complete with the contact information that the artist provides.  While at his blog you should also check out the archive page of his Customizer Spotlight showcase that displays custom action figures from his growing custom action figure collection. Elias has many signature pieces from the most talented customizers out there today.  His blog is well known for creating a platform that linked many artists to each other and promoted the art form as a whole.

For all you fans that feel like creating your own action figures is too difficult a task, Elias has a few words for you, "If I can do it, you can too."  I too didn't think I had what it took to make these beautiful little pieces of art.  It was Elias' belief in me that got me started.  When I told him I didn't think I had the skills to get involved in the hobby, he said, "Dad you can do it.  I believe in you.  Just start, and I know you'll finish."  Hundreds of action figures later and a blog with four years of content and counting, Elias couldn't have been any more right in his assumptions.

I can't tell you how cool it is to see the new generation of Star Wars fans aggressively promoting the Star Wars franchise.  Elias has already been interviewed on the Voice of the Republic podcast, Expanded Fandomverse, and Custom Action Figure News, and one day his hope is to be featured in Star Wars Insider for all his efforts.  The coolest part about Elias is that he's not just being featured in Darth Daddy's Customizing Corner because he's my son, it's because he earned his chops in the community.  At 10 years old, he is certainly an artist to keep your eye on.

Elias' Customs for the Kid blog:

http://customsforthekid.blogspot.com

Elias' Custom Action Figure Index:

http://customsforthekid.blogspot.com/p/customs-for-kid-action-figure-index.html

Elias' Customizer Directory:

 http://customsforthekid.blogspot.com/p/star-wars-customs-i-wish-i-owned.html

Elias' Star Wars Custom Action Figure Collection:

http://customsforthekid.blogspot.com/p/customizer-spotlight-archives.html

Elias' Facebook Page:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/customsforthekidblogspotcom/106964532716263

Elias' Clone Wars Custom Action Figure Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/CloneWarsCustomActionFigures

  

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/customs4thekid

Pinterest:

http://www.pinterest.com/customsfortheki/

Tumblr:

http://starwarscustomsforthekid.tumblr.com/

CLONE WARS WEEQUAY PIRATE with MASSIFF created by ELIAS

So recently my Dad made a baggie full of kitbashed Clone Wars Weequay Pirate action figures from his own headcasts, Shahan Alama  action figures, and Hondo Ohnaka action figure bodies.  The bag also has an assortment of pirate knives, goggles, blasters, and braids.  You just grab a body and accessorize it however you want.  Every kids dream really. This particular pirate sported the lower arms and braids of a Hondo Ohnaka, while the rest of the body was from the Shahan Alama except the head that was created by my Dad from a cast of his own sculpt.  I added a paint job to the action figure to make him my own unique creation.

My favorite part of this project was the Massiff.  I found him in the fodder, but he didn't have a harness.  I took a run to the nearest arts and craft store and picked up the lather strapping, chain, and silver links and fabricated my own harness.  I love the way that it came out!  Another cool addition to my Hondo Ohnaka gang!

I love making pirates!

CLONE WARS WEEQUAY PIRATE

with MASSIFF

created by Elias

SKILL LEVEL: ADVANCED

 

 My Pirate and Massiff were featured on the front page of Imperial Shipyards.

DARTH DADDY's CUSTOMIZING CORNER: HYPERDRIVE

Darth Daddy's Customizing Corner featured Star Wars artist Hyperdrive in the latest Customizing Corner over at The Star Wars Underworld.

CLICK HERE TO READ

When it comes to customizing, Hyperdrive's signature "weathered and worn" soft goods are unique. He has been honing his craft for many years without a studio; just his wife's sewing room and his kitchen island. He told me it takes about a week to create each figure and the work entails great care and attention to detail. Each piece is sanded down to remove any features that may reveal a bump or bulge from under the custom clothes. The clothes are then custom crafted to the size and shape of each figure for the best possible fit. Hyperdrive strives for maximum articulation underneath the soft goods cloth giving his figures a realistic look. Some of his favorite characters include: Obi-Wan Kenobi, Qui Gon Jinn, Vader, Yoda, General Veers, Watto, Maul, Greedo, Jawas and Gamorreans.

Hyperdrive's soft goods work is just amazing! Once we saw his figures we knew we had to include his work amongst the other artists I have featured in Darth Daddy's Customizing Corner. Hyperdrive is the guy that should be hired by Hasbro to handle all the soft good clothing design on future figures going forward! 

Hyperdrive is also one of the few Star Wars custom action figure artists that I have had the privilege of collaborating with on a project. When I was creating my Clone Wars General Pong Krell action figure, I came to a point where I  started to think about how I was going to do his clothing.  I really wanted to do soft goods, but I didn't feel like I had the skills to pull it off.

Immediately the amazing custom soft good creations of Star Wars customizer Hyperdrive popped into my head and I thought to himself, "I wish I could do soft good's like Hyperdrive."

My immediate second thought was, "I wonder if I could get Hyperdrive to do the soft goods?"

Followed by, "How should I go about asking him?"

The General Pong Krell action figure collaboration was willed by The Force.  No lie.  True Story.

In "less than a minute after I had that thought of asking Hyperdrive to make the soft goods from my Krell", I got an email from him asking me if he could update the video of his work on our "Customs I Wish I Owned" page. I immediately obliged and while I had Hyperdrive's ear, I asked if he would collaborate with me on Krell. The rest is history.

When I was finished with all the sculpt and paintwork, Krell was shipped off to Hyperdrive who not only created the beautiful looking soft goods tunic that Krell is now sporting, but Hyperdrive also made one awesome diorama stand for Krell when he's on display.

Hyperdrive created Krell's soft goods tunic, tabbards, and wraps with fabric that was hand dyed and then weathered. He also created the leather removable belt held on with a metal clasp located at the back and then inlaid magnets that were set inside for saber hilt connections.  He then fabricated a custom swamp display base with water effects.  And after all that was done, he fixed his busted sewing machine. 

"JEDI GENERAL PONG KRELL"
created by Darth Daddy

(KRELL's TUNIC and DIORAMA STAND created by HYPERDRIVE)

"Hello all. I just had the privilege of contributing to one of the coolest, most beautifully sculpted figures that I have ever worked upon. Darth Daddy's sculpt work on his General Pong Krell figure is top shelf, TOP SHELF! Having seen it in person, I can attest to his craftsmanship and skill. While the entire piece is nicely sculpted, I was blown away by the head sculpt and his feet. Also his paintwork was awesome. Pong Krell is en route back to Darth Daddy as we speak. Looking forward to sharing the finished product with you all.  It was awesome to lend a hand with this figure. It's way more rewarding to collaborate with others, I highly recommend it. When the figure arrived at my door, I wanted to live up to DD's craftsmanship. We emailed constantly once it was on my bench, and after several alterations, arrived at this finished product."  - Hyperdrive

To see more Star Wars custom action figures created by Hyperdrive, click the link below:

http://www.yakfaceforums.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=6760

Yakfinities #51 Continues

The latest Yakfinities Customizing Challenge continues – and the entries have really been mounting up the past couple weeks as customizers create their visions of Space Pirates in the Star Wars galaxy.  Check out all the latest submissions, or try your hand at making your own custom figure after the jump!