I was thinking about these display bases. I can easily do these for $15 each, and they come out looking pretty cool I think. Is there any call for something like this? Anybody interested?

If so I'll put together 4 different ones (winter, desert, jungle, and "fire"). I'll do them initially and then branch out to more. For an extra $2 I'll do custom version (you send me a picture you want to use). For more of them I'll be making the suface to put the figures with a texture so it fits with whatever environment. The one pictured here I just threw together this morning trying to see what it'll look like. They're 10" wide, 8" tall, and the base is 5" out from the background.

I'll be ready to take orders on these probably by next week if people are interested. They're something I could make right along side the Cobra base. Oh and 4 Cobra Bases are about ready to be built so orders will be taken soon on these as well.

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Those would be pretty nice to have special team displays, epically with a textured base. I for one would be interested, as they are more sturdy and "roomy" then the diodrama ones.

Hmm, a blown out urban terrain would be beat, or a battlefield in general.

Very cool stuff, J.

Cobra bases, man, I can't wait to see these guys, as hyped as the airwolf,

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J-Man,

two questions:

1. what is the material?

2. what's the 'largest' you could go?

-jm

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1) It's a plastic material. It's the same stuff that the Cobra Base is being made out of. It's good a strong. I couldn't tell you the name, but it's not styrene.

2) Technically I can go as big as 2' x 8'. Yeah that's foot, not inches, hehe. That would be for a solid piece without having to glue parts together or anything. That's also speaking in terms of having a background. I get the material in 4' x 8' sheets.

I was trying to get a Hoth/winter scene display put together with the texture, but it's not going well. The texture is taking forever to dry so it'll probably be tomorrow before I get it finished.

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What would the cost be for the background only, without the base?

Here is what I was planning on doing to pose my customs. I received one of those quick set-up photobooths as a present last year. I wanted suitable backgrounds for the various GIJOE factions. AC Moore has these twelve inch by twelve inch scrap book sheets with various designs on them (also found at Michael's, etc). Example: I have to US Flag ones that I am gonna put together so they look like the famous scene from the Patton movie.

I'm not sure how artistic you might be, but I could see a demand for various scenes (like the Star Wars Cinema Scenes 3-packs) that are based on different environments and factions. These could be based on backgrounds from the comics, cartoons, and from the inserts that were included in the new sculpt 2-packs).


Suggestions:
-Motor Pool (paint lockers, tool storage areas --> perfect for posing any of the JOE drivers)
-locker room (room where all the combat togs are kept --> like that early Marvel issue in Sierra Gordo that ended up with the bunker at the bottom of the river)
-generic bunkrooms (could be used for the PIT or a Cobra boot camp --> Cobra one could have 'Cobra Wants You!' recruitment posters)
-computer rooms (old school reel to reel data processing units-ie like they show in any 70s/80s NASA films, or current server rooms)
-Firing Range (targets in the distance-could be inside ranges or in the field --> think the box cover from the 2006? Convention but without any characters on it)
-Castle Destro (Scotland) interiors
-Silent Castle (in Trans-Carpatia) interiors
-various Cobra Island or Cobra HQ locations (hallways, throne room, etc)
-Dreadnok (grape soda cooler, table with donut boxes-junked look)
-Oktober Guard (Red Square, Flag background with Hammer & Sickle, etc)
-Arashikage dojo interior
-JOE Briefing Room stage with computer (powerpoint?) screens (screens could show 3D shots of buildings, or maps, or mug shots)
-Underwater scene (coral background, undersea Cobra base, etc)
-Satellite Recovery (could be used for JOE repairs or Cobra/MARS sabotage)
-Cliff Assault (is stood on end and is something to be used for posing Alpine or the Rock-Vipers)
-The WALL (list of all the deceased JOE members and allies --> similar to the wall of stars in all the CIA movies)
-Broca Beach boardwalk, arcade, storefronts
-Dr. Mindbender's lab
-Cobra-La locations
-Staten Island Ferry rail with various NYC shots (Manhattan or Twin Towers or the Statue of Liberty) in background
-overhead shots of locations that would be perfect for showing paratroops above targets
-etc
-etc
-etc

If these are kept generic enough, I could see these being used for posing any of the toylines.

An example: Say there was a demand for a scene from Zartan's Swamp. In the background is the swamphouse from the Marvel Everglades mission with Mutt and Torpedo. For it to work, the house would have to appear as if it was like 30-40 feet or more behind them.

Hope I could help...

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Hmm, sadly, I agree with DJ, maybe specific instances like the motor pool or a firing range would work.

I like what you have, though.

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VERY nice. As someone who has had, on occasion, had to try to come up with some appropriate background or other (see my figure reviews on JoeArmory for recent efforts), I like what you've done here!

Well, going on what DarkJedi said, yeah that's what I have in mind. I'll probably not bother with the G.I.Joe HQ stuff since CabanaJack and myself want to actually make a modular Pit sometime after the Cobra Base project starts wrapping up. For now I'll make these stands be locations, themes, and other points.

I'm not doing pegs to stick figure's feet on since various figures are different. If somebody wanted to modify their's it would be easy enough to do. I'll probably draw up some full instructions to show how someone can do it if they really want to. But I'm pretty much going for the idea of just placing the figure there. The figures do stand well and you can hot glue the figure in place if you want the figure to stay there. Or just use a figure stand.

Oh and DarkJedi, I can do straight backgrounds if you want. I'll have to figure up a price. Off the top of my head I'd say I can do the background (10"x8") for $12.

What I hope to do with these is actually have a page with several backgrounds. Anybody interested can just go and pick the background they want. I'm painting the plastic the match whatever theme. Like a desert will have tan plastic with a texture to look like sand on the base. I'll be posting pictures tomorrow of the snow stand I made earlier today. I had to work tonight so I didn't get to shoot the images.

Here's 2 ideas I've got put together for some Cobra stands:

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I was thinking about this at work and got an idea for two more.

There probably won't be a demand for it, but what about a 'bluescreen' and a 'greenscreen'? Maybe a couple of reference markers to make it look accurate.

Yes, I'm talking about those SFX screens they use for movies.

People could 'pretend' their figures are 'movie' characters.

Yeah, it sounded like a good idea at the time...

Maybe a JCW entrance curtain or Jumbotron?

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Well I can do custom backgrounds and will offer that, so anything beyond the stock images I offer will be possible. Now that I have the snow base done, here it is with a Snow Serpent to show it off:











Here's a good close up to show the "snow" texture. Each base will have either a smooth surface or textured surface that fits in with whatever the background is. I'll probably even have tile for the background showing an inner portion of a building too:



Messing around I found that you can allow the flash to reflect and create some cool "sun" effects. It was more by a mistake than anything, but I thought it was sort of cool:

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J-Man I don't know if this helps but I was cjecking out rebelscum.com and they have some pretty cool back ground based on the Star Wars Universe. Here's a couple that I copied than added some stuff using Power Point.



I hope this helps, what I've done for some of my customs and its no where near as cool as your background displays is find picture that I like save'em print them and then shoot them. Would you work with a background that I might have in stock or just what you have?

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Yeah I was looking at the ones Rebelscum has. There's some pretty good designs there. I did use one from an Ultarama background of a Death Star background. I haven't put it on anything yet though.

But yeah I'll do background that anybody has if they want something custom made. Going on that idea of the hanger, I've even been thinking about doing a more generic one that actually has an opening hanger door. Given some of the more higher end technology that G.I.Joe has, a backdrop with a sliding door that looks like it can fit in with G.I.Joe or Star Wars wouldn't be too far out there.

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How are they assembled? I'm curious for 2 reasons. 1) shipping - if the backdrop is permanently attached to the base that will make it more likely to get broken during transit and 2) if the backdrop is slid into a notch on the base it would be nice to just use the backdrop or just the base or whatever.

Oh and that arctic scene looks wicked awesome. I may have to snag one of those for my Snow Serpents.

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These 2 I attached with nails and superglue. I tried to stay away from notching the parts and all since it would be a lot of extra handling, more plastic, and of course the result would be more cost. I'll play with the idea of notching them and see how it would work, but initially I'll just nail and glue them. I'll pack them heavy with newspaper and bubble wrap to be sure they won't snap. I'm pretty sure the nails will hold it as I've had my dog headbutt the jungle one out of my hand and it hit the floor without breaking. Not that I tried to get my dog to do that, hehe, but I was holding that one and didn't see him jump up in the chair and he ended up hitting it.

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