The Imperial Shipyards
Imperial Creative Engineering => Custom Figures => Topic started by: spudafett on August 16, 2009, 04:29:20 PM
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I thought this would be an interesting thread for everyone to post to.
Tell us why you got into customizing and what you enjoy most about it.
As for myself I am a person who has to constantly have a hobby project going on or else I get bored and cranky, no seriously, ask fri-lek slave (my wife)! When I was in high school and before I moved out of my parents house I built potato cannons and was big into that. I had cannons that would launch everything from pea sized chunks to soccer balls (my favorite still was launching golf balls). When I moved to western ky though and in with my wife and kids space was too limited to be involved with a hobby that used 20 foot sections of pvc pipe, not to mention I live in the city and there is nowhere to shoot a cannon that can lob a golf ball 600+ yards....
So what was I to do... we couldn't afford cable, and I am hacking the internet from the neighbors wireless router's and that's not always a gaurantee, I had school to do and a job but I still had to have something to do that was relaxing and gave me a sense of accomplishment... I picked up oil painting for a while (several of my paintings are on my deviant are site if your willing to go back through a years worth of posts) and several of my paintings are hanging in my home. Still I wasn't very good at it and it just wasn't for me....
then I found some pictures of a few customs of one of the founding members of the seal-team-six customs boards had made on deviant art, a bunch of "how'd you do that" questions later and I was a member of the st6 customs forum. From there I've been at this almost a year now and have done more custom star wars figures than I can remember! It's turned into more than just a hobby with several of my customs being sold on e-bay. One of which (slave ahsoka) caught a whopping $75.00 and still blows me away!
but it's not about money, or commissions, or even your all's comments on the figures that I post (although I love hearing what other people think of course and absolutely eat up any constructive criticism you have, so don't be afraid to tell me if you don't like something or if you would have done it differently)... for me it's all about having a hobby which I can enjoy, see the progress in and feel that sense of accomplishment at the end. It's even better now that I've gotten both my kids and my wife into it too. This is the first hobby that I've been actually able to realy sit down and enjoy with the whole fammily. AND it's so much better than any "movie night" or "game night" if you ask me!!!
lol sitting around the kitchen table has become a completely new thing at my house!
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Customizing for me began Christmas of 2000, when my brother in law made a custom of me as a Jedi for a gift. I loved it, and was soon intrigued in doing so myself. It began mostly as fan fiction, just making Jedi and Sith that I had dreamed up. Bounty Hunters were next, followed by different versions of clones, such as Shadow, camo, desert, etc. Next came the idea to make figures that Hasbro had not made, but that I wanted. In addition, I made a couple ships to go along with them, and even customized a couple Gentle Giant mini busts, taking plain Phase II Clones and turning them into 5th Fleet Security, Shadow, and others.
For me, the bottom line is that I customize to make what suits my likes, make what Hasbro hasn't or won't.
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Great question, Devon. I will answer tomorrow but a few of us already know why I started.
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I used to
pay play warhammer 40k, necromunda, games like that. My pals and I loved putting the models together in crazy combinations, where you could actually change equipment for your game pieces by radically changing some models, :)
Well, anyway, I played from95-2005, but towards the end, it was just becoming too commercial, and several of us just wanted to sit around and paint/customize. I happen to have these two GI joe figures on my end table in the living room, snake eyes and cobra commander. I had picked them up in 2003, but had just found them again in April of 2004, around the 15th. Anyway, I thought about altering the joe, so I went to my steady pal google and looked up customizing gi joes. Joecustoms came up, I read a lot of the board and joined up right away. It was a few months before I actually made a custom, but there were some great guys on that board, so it was easy to get started(not like on other boards where only a few guys are elevated). I stayed on there til my pal hawkeye made his own board, mostly for guys fed up with bigger boards, then joined the ST6. Sadly, ST6 was always at odds with the JC boards, so in March of this year, I gave up JC cold turkey and stuck to the St6 boards, well, until Devin brought Clint over there. I chatted with clint a bit on PM's and bam, came over here, which I have to admit is the friendliest of all the boards I frequent.
Wait, thats how, not why, hmmm.
I customize to create, since I love to make stuff that I didn't buy, does that make sense?
Ideally, I'd like to ignore the joe/cobra/star wars storylines and make my own, just can't figure exactly how to do that. . . yet.
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I had done SW models as a late teen, but never really had the heart for it. Fast forward 20 or so years to to about October 3 years ago when my wife was pregnant with our second child. I needed something that I enjoyed, that wasn't as time consuming as model making, nor nearly as expensive. I also wanted something I could "play" with and display at work. Action figures and especially SW figures seemed to fit the bill perfectly.
I did a few repaints and then created my first "tank". I had noticed that Hasbro was thin in the ground vehicle department so I tried to "fill a need" both for others out there and myself. I also had hopes that if ppl really liked my stuff I could supplement my income, and make my wife proud of my hobby.
My first Tank went for about $80 dollars on eBay and my second about $60. I then started getting into the figures and especially the clones. My goal has always been to create vehicles and figures that look like they have been in the "real" world more than some cartoon. For the last 9 months or so I've just been customizing between being a dad and husband (which isn't a lot) but certainly this board has helped revitalize me.
Like I said, it's been about 3 years no since I really got into customizing and well, I'm not the big success on eBay I had hoped to be, but I am extremely proud of what I've created, and continue to create. Most of all my hobby has been self funded by its own success which makes my wife happy. =)
Deep down I think I customize to allow that tiny creative bug in me a chance to enjoy himself, with hopes that someday I'll be able to supplement my income :P
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I write and I build models/paint D&D minis. Have been building models prolly 30 years, off & on. Realized I could use figs to illustrate my stories. Poof!
And the funniest thing - my figs are going to illustrate someone else's story before they do any of mine!! Now there's cosmic irony for ya! (and boy, I can not wait to see it!!)
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I started back in, 1978, I believe, when Episode 4 hit Germany.
We were all hyped up with the movie, collected the Panini sticker albums and dreamed of space ships, lightsabers, etc.
Of course, we bought the Kenner figures which, I remember well, cost 2,50 Deutschmarks (on tenth of what one figure now costs in EUR!).
We built huge ships and space stations from cardboard and styrofoam, made our own Stormtrooper armor from polystyrol sheeting and all that.
Anyway, it started by not being able to get the figures to sit in a command chair, so we cut the legs. The Rebel troopers didn't exist, so Han Solo and the Death Squad Commander were merged and re-painted with Airfix enamels...
Later, I switched to military modelling and soon found out that my figures are a lot better than my vehicles, so I specialized in figures and dropped the vehicles altogether.
There was a long pause due to work, other projects, getting married, raising a family, etc., but I always looked out for SW figures.
I customize out of pure enjoyment and find it a great way to relax. I've been watching Jay's Channel on youtube for a while and when he mentioned the Yards, I dropped by and was instantly caught. It took a couple of days to develop the characters of the 175th SpecOps Group and I went to work. The quality of my work is just a shadow of what it's been when I was really into military miniatures, but it's coming back slowly.
However, it is a great way to relax and to do something together with my kids.
We all enjoy it a lot and spend quality time together. That's what counts now.
Maybe I've grown up after all...
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lol C_K, none of us have ever realy grown up I think... face it we are all adults who still "play" with toys! albeit in a much more labor indusive way than we did as children.
I always find it a little embarasing when I'm checking out at the store with a big load of figures and the kids are with me and the cashier says "that's so nice of your dad to buy you two all these toys!"... it never fails that one of the boys will look at them and say "they arent for us, He's going to take them!"
lol... good times.
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Boy was that in interesting read. I know one thing, we are sure glad to have you guys haning around the Yards just pumping out great creations. It is quite amazing, as a non customizer, to see just what new and unique things you guys cook up.
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Join us Tamer, and together we shall do what hasbro will not!
lol seriously, you can do it! just put your mind, exacto knife and paint brush to it!
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One day perhaps, one day. It is really amazing to see what you guys and gals create.
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Spudd, your comment totally made me laugh, I can just imagine that! I don't have kids, and whenever I go to TRU, the only line ever open is always the one with the pretty girl working there, and it's pretty obvious I'm getting them for myself.... yeeeeeah, can't help but feel like a bit of a dork. Oh well.
I started customizing in college when I was in an apartment by myself (girlfriend got an internship in St Louis and other roommate got a job in Colorado), and I was bored a lot... I had a Darth Vader fig (the TAC one, i think, with the shiny fabric chain and swivel-only shoulders), and he was really cool except for his goofy chain thing and that stupid codpiece that wasn't glued down so it would flap up when I had him in his "what is thy bidding, my master?" kneeling pose... So, I cut the stupid fabric-chain off, and modified the codpiece so he could kneel and not look terrible. Since then, it's pretty much just been fixing Hasbro's crap-ups. Yay being a perfectionist! I mean really, who else here is OCD enough to re-paint 4-LOM's eyes with a toothpick because they're slightly the wrong color? :D
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I have always needed some kind of creative outlet. When I was young, inspired by my brother, I was always into creating some kind of artwork. Usually sketching but spreading into lithography and painting. Also at a young age, I was really into plastic modeling. Cars, Military, and, of course, Star Wars. As a child, I loved reading military modeling magazines and strived to match the work of the old master builders portrayed who would show incredible paint apps to their figures and create realistic scale dioramas. I got pretty good at painting up and even slightly customizing the figures and even made a few dioramas back then. Fast forward to 1992 when I was in the Navy........I was back into building models, military and cars. I built my first custom model car. I believe it was a 78 transam kit where I super detailed the motor and the car's interior just using fodder that I found around the ship. Wiring, braided lines, speakergrills and trim rings. I even found emblems on adds in car magazines and cut them to serve as custom aftermarket floor mats.
After I got out of the service, my passion for the car models lasted another 4-5 years and I created some really neat customs some of which I have shown in my non-star wars customs thread. "not the best ones yet, though"
fast forward a few more years, around the time that ep 1 came out, I started collecting Star Wars again. It was those darn character topper cups from the fast food chains that did it. first the cups, then garage sale fodder, then moc figures.
A few years later, to supplement my income during the slow winter months, I started selling on ebay. Toys and Video games was my fare and I still run the store that I started 4-5 years ago. Sure, I had some star wars stuff but didnt specialize in it at the time.
Researching around on the bay to see what toys were hot sellers, I came to find the star wars custom listings. I was amazed not only by the cool creations that I found but by how much hype and traffic these sellers were getting from their custom star wars auctions. Well, that's what inspired me to try my first star wars custom figure. Using my modeling talents, I did a few simple repaints and put them into an auction. The response was so positive, I did it again and again. I moved onto some head and equipment swaps and more difficult paintjobs and the traffic kept growing as did the prices that these creations would fetch. I tried a diorama to list with a figure and they went wild for that. At this point, I decided to try molding and casting some parts so that I wouldnt have to scrounge parts from 3 different figures to make one. That worked out well enough that I decided to start selling the parts.
It was around this time that I met Tamer, Phatty, Reconsgt, and Darth Aussie at another site before the Shipyards was born. Then is where I started to document my creations step by step online.
On a whim, I tried mixing a couple of resin helmets to make a new helmet of my own creation and listed it. They went crazy about that one so I did more and more.
For me, It had started out being about the money as I was trying to build traffic to my store and then It became about the hype and all of the feedback that I was getting about my customs. It also gave me a little thrill to think that my customs then and now reside all over the world in at least 25+ different countries.
Now, things have changed in that the bad economy has pretty much made the bottom fall out of the customs game on ebay as a good custom will fetch about half as much as it would of two or more years ago. The buyers are alot more pickey about what they want and are alot tighter with their money. It's to the point now where when I do a custom, it is worth more to me than it would go for on the bay which is why I don't list nearly as much custom stuff as I used to. " i used to list 1-2 custom figures a week every week"
That doesn't mean that making customs does not still thrill me. It does. There is a feeling of accomplishment when you make something cool that can't be matched anywhere else. Sometimes I will have fun making something that Hasbro hasn't made or won't make. sometimes I like to make stuff that no one will make. Those of you who know me know that I love the little details and if there is a fine little detail or some feat of micro engineering that seems hardly possible but I somehow pull off, it just thrills the hell out of me.
Naturally it fuels the fire hearing all of the positive feed back about my stuff that I have gotten here, and I am thrilled to be a part of the great customizing crew here at the shipyards. I do believe that there is a good chance that I will be doing this for the rest of my life and I have accumulated enough custom fodder to last well through my retirement assuming I get that far and actually retire. "yes, there is also enough car and military model kits to take me through that time, also"
I really enjoy this thread and like to read about how the rest of you got started doing this.
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after watching customs on youtube, I really like them, but had shit for paint
but after watching Rasputin37 (wraithnine) I figured I should customize figures, I figured if I suck, I suck, but if I paint one superawesomely amazing figure, I can do another.
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pete, we all sucked at first. Except for my wife, somehow she picked it all up imediately... still kinda makes me frustrated! lol
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I started with customs when I saw first pictures of a Clone Assassin. I thought Hasbro will never bring out this figure so I made it by myself.
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me... I began customizing after I started customizing lego clones. I saw what wraithnine could do and I was amazed! I decided to try it and it was really cool. so here I am a customizer. ;)
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Welcome Bly. I haven't had a chance to say hello yet.
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Why? C'mon guys, we all know there is no why!
;D :P
Ok, I'll bite ;) Just read through the other replies and they make this a very interesting thread altogether.
Back in 2005 I joined TheJawa, which had a very solid customizing section. Back then I didn't even know such a thing existed! But Hasbro's tardiness in releasing a Galactic Marine made me do some research on the matter. I started lurking the customizing section there and read all of the tutorials on FFURG. In spring 2006 I took a small leap, bought some Citadel paints and made my own Galactic Marine.
So I customized it because Hasbro hadn't made one yet.
However, as you all know, customizing doesn't stop with one figure. As was also the case for me. I tried to improve on my Marine design, but when Hasbro finally released their Marine (which, apart from the silly feet, is an awesome trooper) I shifted my focus on other characters. Comic book characters and fan fic ones. And now I don't customize something, because it hasn't been produced yet, but just for the fun of it.
And it has gotten kinda out of hand I must admit. From one single Galactic Marine, my new hobby practically went to warp 9 hyperspeed to encompass lots of WIP figures, sculpting, dioramas, vehicles and contests!
I have sold a few of my early customs on ebay for a couple of bucks, but I'm not running a business. I'm too slow for that, and time's always an issue. Occasionally I make a commissioned figure for a fellow board member, but that's about it.
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The reason I started customizing was basically this website itself.
It all started back when I joined. I enjoyed looking at the pages everyday and thought it would be cool to join in on the fun. So I went out, bought some paint, and here I am now.
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I started at about 7 yrs old using lots of broke SW and later GI Joe figs... about 3o yrs ago.
Models and paint and making new stuff out of old came natural... what you used got more complex as you got older.
Kind of quit in 1997 being in the army without much free time and all that. but started MOC collecting, and what was opened was special and displayed.
I did a little looking around for a few years and always thought I could get back into this, but never really did until 2007 after getting back from my 2nd trip to Iraq.
Just something to help me relax, and make or fix whatever stuff hasbro wouldnt. From comics or novels or just whatever seemed cool at the time.
I know I havent posted pics of anything here, but eventually I should get around to figuring out the easiest way to get some up here.
Its funny that part of my job is computers and such, but posting pics here is really hit or miss with me. Got it to work a few times, but it was harder than a 30 day FTX at NTC for me. No digital patience on my part.
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why do I customize?
well it's my creative outlet
I love toys and it double as loving art too
and I'm damn awesome at it
(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b190/wookietattoo/emoticons/shifty-1.gif)
;D
seriously, I mostly customize Star Wars and GIJoe action figures but there are occasional other lines I dabble in. Then beyond that, I paint and make projects of random other non-toy stuff too, including a bit of small statuary and a couple Christmas ornaments before this year, so it really IS an all around hobby for me. I'm proud of my talents.
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why do I customize?
well it's my creative outlet
I love toys and it double as loving art too
and I'm damn awesome at it
(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b190/wookietattoo/emoticons/shifty-1.gif)
;D
seriously, I mostly customize Star Wars and GIJoe action figures but there are occasional other lines I dabble in. Then beyond that, I paint and make projects of random other non-toy stuff too, including a bit of small statuary and a couple Christmas ornaments before this year, so it really IS an all around hobby for me. I'm proud of my talents.
LMAO if there was a smiley with a head that swells and then pops i would use it for this comment very funny indeed....
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It's nice to be able to create what Hasbro can't be arsed, or don't have the common sense to create themselves.
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why do I customize?
well it's my creative outlet
I love toys and it double as loving art too
and I'm damn awesome at it
(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b190/wookietattoo/emoticons/shifty-1.gif)
;D
seriously, I mostly customize Star Wars and GIJoe action figures but there are occasional other lines I dabble in. Then beyond that, I paint and make projects of random other non-toy stuff too, including a bit of small statuary and a couple Christmas ornaments before this year, so it really IS an all around hobby for me. I'm proud of my talents.
DOn't forget your army of miniature dwarves, :)
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The reason I customize is I got bored one day and decided to paint one of my clones and now I am an addict to customizing. :D
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From one single Galactic Marine, my new hobby practically went to warp 9 hyperspeed to encompass.....
lol good catch.... ;)
I think once someone does finaly make a custom figure it imediately becomes an adiction. To be able to make something that can not only be a work of art but also a fully functional TOY... well... it simply rules! at least in my book.
I used to oil paint for a little while, and although it satisfied my creative outlet for a little while it just wasn't satisfying. Once a painting is finished all you can do is look at it... I missed the kind of awesome feeling I got from doing stuff like building potato guns, where not only can you create something, but that something actually has a function! of course, action figures can't blow stuff up... but I can make believe.... :)
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I customize to catch up on the series of the clone wars and to make my own clones. smtie
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I do it more for the fact I get to create the clones name and backstory. I always enjoyed fan fiction and this is my way of doing my own fan fiction.
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Yeah fan fiction is what i mean and the series
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Well I used to do a bit of transformer customisation and then my interests shifted to Star Wars after I saw Clone Wars with my Uncle... I saw some of Jay's youtube videos and was determened to create a custom! I bought 5 CT-327 figures of of e-bay and cept them like that for a while... I got sick and rented Republic Heros to entertain myself as I wallowed in my own filth and saw and played a Sgt. Kano and immeadieatly loved the design so I gave it a shot with Testors paint! To my desmay the paint remained tacky and refused to dry. >:( I was about to purge and purchise some Games Workshop Citidel Minis on ebay when I FOUND A STORE NAMED GAMES WORKSHOP!!! It's funny because it's been infront of my face sence I was like, 6 and never noticed it... :P I bought Scab Red, Ultramerines Blue and Skull White... I have compleated 12 customs and purchised 8 more paints sence then... THE END ;D
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The reason I customize is I know I can't get the figures I want (Marvel Star Wars, Classic Star Wars and WEG characters). I don't do these to sell and most probably never will, I do characters I want in my collection.
The other part of the reason I customize is the thrill of seeing something come together after so many hours of work and sometimes sweat, blood (and then sometimes proper blood at that) and tears.
So that's it in a nutshell, the reason I customize.
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i started customising when i wanted to have the astromechs that hasbro wouldnt make ,from then it snowballed into clones and the rest is ..history
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Why do I customize hum??? Because im a big geek and nerd!!!! ( pushes wife off the dam computer) HU HUMM any way back to why I cutomize ive always had a thing for changing things around to fit my needs. As a kid I would do it to my tranformer gi joe and he man figs much to the chagrin of my brother cause I would mess his up too. Its just kool to see something that you have created up on your shelf or someplace else where other people can see it . My parents would have a fit whenever I would paint (or ruin a toy like my dad use to say) but its just something that I got to do. Now as an adult its just an outlet and it relaxes me besides its either that or kick the poor dog .
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I've recently been copying customs by other guys.
I did a sylar custom based about 90% on Darkos, now I'm working my way through the SA backlog Devin posted. My scout trooper is a little droopy, I don't think I drilled out his chest enough.
BUt I'm with devin, the idea you can create, then enjoy your stuff, its very cool.
Right now, on my desk, sylar is killing a scout trooper...couldn't have done that yesterday.
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I've recently been copying customs by other guys.
I did a sylar custom based about 90% on Darkos, now I'm working my way through the SA backlog Devin posted. My scout trooper is a little droopy, I don't think I drilled out his chest enough.
BUt I'm with devin, the idea you can create, then enjoy your stuff, its very cool.
Right now, on my desk, sylar is killing a scout trooper...couldn't have done that yesterday.
he is droopy? you drilled out his chest...? what the heck are you trying to do man? did you even watch my videos :P
lol... j/k I take great pride in knowing someone is emulating my work.
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I did watch your video, before I drilled the chest, it would attach.
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I started WAYYYY back when the "BattleTech" 4th edition tabletop miniture wargame came out. The starter box came with a bunch of plastic minis. I thought "these could be painted", and so I did. I went thru about 120 or so of those, then started to add paint apps to my rather large toy collection. I went to kitbashing my own ideas out of Toybiz figs, went to Transformers for a while straight-up repaints), then change to Star Wars for the level of customizeability available. I don't sell any of my customs, I just do it as a way to express imagination and creativity.
I've since sold most of my collection, but I've still got the BattleMechs that started it all.
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I made my first custom from a defective Ahsoka Tano action figure I received from Tunghori that had no face paint and only her pink skin. We had found a MOC Ahsoka that day at Target, so I decided to create a second fan fiction character to diversify Elias' collection. I even customized a Jedi Starfighter for her from an extra Obi Wan Jedi Starfighter that he had. He loved it and it was his favorite toy. I later made three different versions of this character at different stages of her life for him.
Later on we bought a few custom action figures on ebay that were created by JACKOFTRADZE and Order66Customs. When they arrived Elias asked me if I would start making him custom action figures. At first I told him that I didn't think I was capable, and I'll never forget what he said, "Dad I believe in you. I know you can do it. Just start and I know you'll finish." I figured that this speech my 6 year old was giving me was a parent's golden opportunity. I figured if I set an example and set out to accomplish something I thought I couldn't do, I could throw his pep talk back at him for years to come whenever he was unsure of himself. I made action figures of two fan fiction characters that he invented and had drawn every day for about a year.
As soon as I finished those customs, he asked me to help him create a blog about Star Wars custom action figures. Today the blog celebrates its one year anniversary. I made a custom action figure every week for a year now. It started off by trying to set a good example, but it also ended up being a bonding activity for us and I even got a lot of self fullfillment out of it too. It's super relaxing and everytime I finish an action figure I have a real sense of accomplishment. I've grown to love every action figure that I've made. The blog has been a real blast too. It has definitely been a life changing event and has given me a real sense of accomplishment. It's funny what your kids will get you doing.
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Hmmm....I actually started to grow tired of seeing (only slightly) different versions of some of my favorite characters (i.e. Luke, Han, mandos)---or NOT seeing characters ever being made (Dass Jennir, early Starkillers) and wanted to create entirely new counterparts to the ones Hasbro was always pumping out. I just like the idea that if I don't like what is put out there for us to buy, then I might as well make it myself! Customizing has, over the past 2 years, become a relaxation activity: it helps me de-stress after teaching and spending time with my two children (both under the age of 3). I can really get into customizing like I do a puzzle: getting just the right pieces and accessories in place takes time---if you want to do it right---and i enjoy the "journey" of finding which components will make the "best" figs. I love the inspiration that hits when you see someone put together a great fig and you think: "I could do that" or "I might try a different version of the fig he/she came up with"...
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At first it was a need to make what Hasbro did not. Then I was making them to try and get my favorite customizers to notice me. And now I just do it for myself and also if I see someone else come up with something that I really like and I say " I want one those too". And some of my customs were to try and win competitions and ended up being some of my favorites. Competitions are great because they force you to do your best if you really want to win. But some guy named Sprywalker keeps kicking my butt!! LOL