Well, I've pretty much burned myself out on Joe & Cobra customs (once I get a 25A Blowtorch I'll basically have every character I want/need), so I made my predicted move back to making Superhero customs.

Many of you remember the tons of Microman-based heroes I made a couple of years ago -- well I've since discovered that:

A) Microman parts suck balls -- most of my former customs have disintegrated -- either by playing with them or just displaying them -- a no-go regardless
B) DC Infinite Heroes also sucks balls -- too small, too ham-handy, too useless for customs.
C) I'm cautiously optimistic for the Marvel 4" figs - but if they, too, suck - I'll probably have to start revamping my Marvel characters too.

So I started doing what I did many years ago -- using Joe parts to make my superheroes. This time, however - the 25A parts are SO much better for the purpose than JvC/VvV parts. With a few exceptions. I doubt I'll convert all my heroes to Joe-form (some will have to wait to see if the new Marvel figs make good custom fodder), but there are some that I definitely have to replace.

Anyway -- here's what I whipped up this weekend while taking a break from shoveling snow and cleaning the Man Cave:


General Zod -- about as LBC as you can get - I wanted a new Superman-class villain but was at a loss for parts until I was looking at the Battle Pack Destro. Then I slapped a Breaker head on him (the only head that looks in-scale with the body), added some paint apps and called him done.



Beat-down with the other baddies(Luthor was blatantly copied from Phalanxx):





Green Arrow -- another no-brainer. My old one was starting to crack at the bicep and the MM body was just too gangly anyway, so I made an easy-bake Ollie with some Joe parts and an Obi-Wan head.





Thought this was a cool shot - all the nighttime guys in one scene:




Ra's Al Ghul - more of a throw-away, but I wanted him in my collection after re-reading Supes/Bats/Wondy: Trinity this weekend (one of my fave mini-series.) So Ra's will be a bit of a background guy, but I may upgrade him later on. I've got a cast Ra's head, but it's too big -- I had trouble finding a good work-around, so I just sculpted some features onto a CP Hawk head for now. Eventually, I'll fix it - but again, this is just a gap-filler.



Hawkman -- he's been through many iterations -- first I used an MHS Thor body for a base - but that didn't work. Then for the last couple of years I was using a MM wrestler dude - but he looked like crap. So I finally used one of my last MLS Magneto bodies to fix him where I want him.





Finally - here's the custom that's been the biggest pain in my ass this week -- Wonder Woman. I was never 100% happy with my old one, and when she started breaking (stupid MM parts!) I started making a new one out of Joe parts. Well - that was a disaster. I can't seem to sand anything fine enough to turn clothes into skin, so I couldn't stick with a traditional Wondy that way -- so I went back to the MM drawing board until the new Marvel figs come out -- maybe I can use a Ms Marvel for a base or something.



I'm really proud of the new head - it's an LJ head with Baroness hair and additional sculpted hair. I sculpted the eagle for her chest back when it was on a Lady Jaye torso - so it looks a little too big for her MM chest, but again, we'll see what I can salvage when I find a better base figure. I dropped the high heels and grafted some Scarlett feet on to retain her height but also keep her ankles from snapping off.

Yes, I went with spandex bike shorts rather than crotch-flashing panties -- sorry, fanboys. I prefer the functional look from Trinity, so that's what I'm sticking with (I almost gave her long pants, but decided against it.) No stars on the shorts because 1) I can't paint that well and 2) I always thought they were kinda dumb looking.

Anyway, hope you like 'em --- here's a final parting shot with the League members (along with Flash - one of the few surviving Micromen customs...)



Cheers!

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Nice work. That's actually a suprisingly good and idea for Zod. Never would have thought of that one.

I also really like how Moon Knight stands out next to those other darker characters.

Nice stiff all around, Chiefy.

Zod: Repeat after me. If paint is what I see, an LBC, this cannot be. I literally heard the lightbulb go off over your head when you talked about this. The end result is very cool and fits the character of Zod.

Green Arrow: I can dig it, but I think he needs his hat or cowl.

Ra's: I think his head needs to be more fierce, but the body you used is nice. Did you cut that cape yourself?

Hawkman: Definitely your best incarnation yet.

Wonder Woman: Great work on the head. I'm not digging the MM parts, but that's not your issue. I also like the longer pants look, myself.

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The only painting on Zod was where I covered up the "blades" that I shaved off his shoulder. Oh - and the neckerchief. And the head. So repeat after me: "when Billy finally posts a friggin' custom of his own, he can argue semantics about what is and what is not an LBC"

Ra's does need a new head - but again, just a place-holder until I get him finished. I might sculpt a waistcoat on him later, since I like the "puffy" shirt-sleeves look. The cape was stolen from my MM Alan Scott (since I'm going to be re-doing him as well) and was custom-built from a green t-shirt.

I was going to use the Force Unleashed Jedi's cowl for Ollie, but it didn't fit right. And besides -- the day I listen to your advice on hats is the day I quit the hobby

The great thing about Wondy is that I used an LJ neck post on the MM torso, so when a suitable base figure comes along, I can just transplant her head with no muss, no fuss.


Thanks for the comments guys!

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Ahh, but I have posted LBCs. The last one I posted was a MM Elektra and it used no paint.

Check and mate, good sir.



There are other cowls to consider. Zartan ones come to mind. Also the newest SW CW Plo Koon has one.

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It's nice to see a Wonder Woman with pants I just get belligerent when artists depict her in underwear. It's sexist, and just kinda stupid; you don't wanna know how painful that would be during any kind of exercise. She's great as is, but if you really need to rebuild her with other parts, go with those 1:18 Dead or Alive women from awhile back. The arms and heads aren't of much use, but some of the torsos and legs are great for customs. The Marvel figures coming out soon should be pretty good, too. Hopefully.

The rest are really great, especially Zod and Ghul. While I wasn't totally sold on the character, that custom kinda makes me want to add him to the growing list of Gotham's weirdest. Thanks~!

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I'm loven all of them.
Zod very cool but needs fists not those silly preposed hands. Is he going to poke Supes with his super strong finger.

Hawkman = cool, but I thought the other 100 attempts were cool also.

GA Can't wait to see him with a hood or hat.

Ra's very cool idea. What head do you have that's to big cause I think I have one that's to small.

These are some handsome customs, Chiefy.

That Zod is supremely cool and Wonder Woman is really cool too.

I want to come to your house and play with your toys.


Oh, and I am loathe to admit it, but Killy is right. If you painted the bastard, it ain't lazy enough to meet the commonly accpted definition of LBC

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Yeah, Chief - I used the newest Luke Skywalker fig's cowl for my Oliver Queen (picture for nonhijacking, illustration and idea purposes only) :



I really like your work on all of these. I think it's a huge treat when I see a new post from you. I think you've done some outstanding work with the Wonder Woman figure. Zod is awesome. And the recipe for GA makes me seriously want to reconsider my own. What I might try is some part swapping to make my Oliver Queen use the body recipe like this, and use my existing figure base as a Connor Hawke figure. Hmmm. You've got me thinking.

Anyway, I love the stealable ideas I always get from your posts. love it.

EDIT: And I completely forgot to say that Hawkman is my favorite from the bunch. It really rivals AV's most recent Hawkman incarnation as two of my favorite customs of the year.

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chief always makes nice customs....I really think Hawkman and Green arrow are the best of the new bunch.Yeah GA needs a hood but this is a good look without it. WW the head looks really great. i hate MM stuff too but she's a good looking figure and when more parts come available you'll make her even better.
Keep it up
Tim

And strangely, you just gave me an idea for Voltar. Amazing how this internet thing works.

- R

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Computer ate my post. Now you get the short version. Great work. Wonder woman is fantastic. oli needs the Clone wArs Plo Koon hood. Zod could have the Ep 1 Chancellor Vallorun head.

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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Don't know if it's JC or something else (not having issues with any other sites), but every time I try to post something, everything locks up and I lose it all. I had a nice long response to each of your comments and now it's gone.

So to sum up -- thanks to everyone for your suggestions & kind words. Ollie's going to stay hatless because that's the way I prefer him. -- Even had a "gay hat" joke about Billy but that got eaten as well, so forget it.

Here's an updated Ra's with a new head (sculpted hair on a Tobbi Dala) and that waistcoat I was talking about -- I like him a lot better now. He needs some touching up, but he's good enough for me at this point.



Thanks again for all the comments guys! -- Oh, and IZ -- appreciate the ladies' insight into the practicality of wearing crime-fighting panties.

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I was agreeing with you. Stregnth in numbers my man. Like I said this was the more condensed version of a much longer post that was eatten.

Chief the new and improved Ra's is much better. I'm talking way better.

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