Gung Ho (G.I. Joe Marine)

I loved the way Gung Ho was portrayed in Resolute. The subsequent figure was good, but not quite where I wanted it to be...

Parts: Entire figure (RoC Gung Ho), Upper arms (Comic Pack Gung Ho), Rifle (custom).

Supplies: X-acto knife, super glue, paintbrushes, Testors paints, Testors Dull-Cote.

Reference: Screenshots from G.I. Joe: Resolute.

The mustache was repainted to match what was seen on-screen. To give Gung Ho some bigger arms, as well as the T-shirt he wore in Resolute, I simply swapped his upper arms with the ones from a comic pack GH. I used the X-acto knife to very gently score the lines where the T-shirt sleeve ended. Then, I painted the area to match. I also used the X-acto knife to cut a slit between his trigger finger and te remaining digits so that the finger would fit into the trigger guard. That's the entire modification to the figure.

The rifle was chopped and super glued together from a few different things. The base rifle came from 25th Anniversary Baroness. The stock was cut off and replaced with one that I took from a bbi Elite Force MP5. The scope is a drastically shaved down AN/PVS-4 night vision scope that came with my modular M4's from Marauder, Inc. The ammunition drum was trimmed from one of the many weapons that came with the RoC Pit Commando. The grenade launcher was taken from some really cheap piece of junk that was lying in the bottom of my spare weapons box. Finally, the flash suppressor was a small bit of the thin black hose that is common among Joe figures.

Short-Fuze (G.I. Joe Mortarman)

I've said before that Short-Fuze was never one of my childhood favorites, but I grew to appreciate him after serving as a Mortarman in the USMC. Here is Short-Fuze decked out in RoC-style uniform...

Parts: Entire figure (RoC Pit Commando), Helmet (RoC Pit Commando), Body Armor (RoC Pit Commando), 60mm Mortar (vintage Short-Fuze), M4 Rifle (Marauder, Inc.), Kneepads (bbi Elite Force).

Supplies: X-acto knife, Super Sculpey, paintbrushes, Testors paints, Testors Dull-Cote.

Reference: None.

The Pit Commando is a nearly perfect base for just about any character. In this case, I trimmed the kneepads from a bbi Elite Force figure, hollowed them out a bit and then super glued them to the knees (he still has full articulation and full range of motion). The elbow pads were already present. I painted both the knee and elbow pads black, along with the sculpted plastic buckles that hold the groin armor to the vest. If I am able to get my hands on an extra UBP Short-Fuze head, I will probably replace this one. But for now, the Pit Commando head will suffice. I used some Super Sculpey to add his glasses. After curing the Sculpey in a mug of boiling water, I painted the glasses. I also painted the hair so that it is the same as all previous versions of the character. Finally, I could not call him finished without improving the sad excuse for a mortar that he's been lugging around since 1982. The mortar was modified a bit and is painted to resemble (as closely as possible) the M224 60mm mortar that we used in the Corps. In the photos, the legs ar folded up and wrapped with the spread cable. They can be still be folded out to set the mortar up in firing position. I added the M4 Rifle because it stands to reason that a special mission force like the Joe team will not be carrying that much mortar ammunition in their packs (that stuff is pretty darn heavy). Once he fires it all up, he'd switch to the rifle and jump right in with the other team members!

Zarana (Dreadnok)

As a kid, I was never a big fan of the Dreadnoks. In fact, I kind of disliked them. Lately, however, they have held a new appeal for me and I've started to build my own little gang of them. In keeping with the recent trend of "reinventing" classic characters (or at least giving them fancy new outfits), this is my take on Zarana. Part blue jeans and biker leather, part high tech assassin. All around bad-ass hottie.

NOTE: For wildly accurate classic versions of Zarana, Mad Joe and Novascream (along with many, many others) have done some really top notch work. I think at some point, I'll want to try to recreate the masterful jobs they've done with theirs.

Parts: Agent Helix (entire figure), Shotgun (Bench Press).

Supplies: Paintbrushes, Testors paints, Testors Dull-Cote.

Reference: Various... and at the same time, none!

After deciding that I wanted to use the Helix/Dialtone head for Zarana, I spent several hours mixing and matching parts, trying to get the effect I was looking for. Eventually, I realized that I couldn't do any better than unsing the entire Agent Helix figure.

I painted the legs with a light blue to simulate faded jeans. I liked the knee pads and boots, so I left them as they were. Although I was originally looking for an upper body that show

ed more skin, I liked this one for it's utter practicality. I went with a plain grey shirt under what looks like leather body armor. Won't stop a bullet, but it'll give her the edge in any kind of hand-to-hand engagement. The pink hair was a no-brainer. You can only change so much, right? The shotgun was a nod to Zarana's very first comic appearance (she was carrying the same type when she surprised the Cobra hierarchy at Zartan's swamp hideout).

Lady Jaye (G.I. Joe Covert Operations Specialist)

I seem to be getting a lot of mileage out of the RoC Cover Girl figure, but it really is a great base for female customs! Next up is Lady Jaye in her RoC outfit.

Parts: Head (cast of DVD pack Lady Jaye), Body (RoC Cover Girl), Pistol (Marauder, Inc.), Belt & Holster (DVD pack Lady Jaye), Spears & Backpack (DVD pack Lady Jaye), Knife (bbi Elite Force).

Supplies: Dremel, X-acto knife, Super Sculpey, paintbrushes, Testors paints, Testors Dull-Cote.

Reference: None.

Yet another head swap... I'd be ashamed of my lack of creativity, if it weren't for the fact that I'm really happy with the way these characters keep turning out! Nothing tricky about this one. I took a cast of Lady Jaye's head (thanks, Ash) and Dremelled it out to fit the post on the Cover Girl body. Because a couple of nasty air bubbles decided to beseige her nose and lips, I had to do a wee bit of sculpting before painting. I added a knife to her right boot (similar to the original LJ outfit) and then equipped her with all of Lady Jaye's gear. A bit of Dull-Cote and she was done!

Rock N Roll (G.I. Joe Machine Gunner)

Many of the classic G.I. Joe and Cobra characters have gotten a new look for the Rise of Cobra and/or Pursuit of Cobra lines. For the most part, I think this is a good thing. It's not like each character would have had only one outfit, right? Things would change from time to time and from one environment to the next. My one real objection is the few cases like Bench Press. What an excellent figure! But, did they need to steal Rock & Roll's file name and biography for him? Couldn't they have just said "this is Rock & Roll as he appears in the RoC/PoC lines". Anyway, I decided not to get worked up about it. Instead, I just repainted Bench Press' hair and beard the correct color and rename him as... you guessed it: Rock & Roll!

Cobra Hydro Sled

This was actually my Cobra Hydro Sled, purchased with my hard-earned allowance, way back in 1986. When I rescued it from my mother's attic last summer, it was in pretty sorry shape, having barely survived infinite backyard battles. Aside from the expected wear and tear, the cannon / speargun attachment, which is needed to hold the forward armor in place, was long gone. The decals were mostly gone. One of the mounting pylons was broken off and stuck inside the corresponding torpedo.

So, I began by reattaching the torpedo mounting pylon with the aid of a little super glue. worked like a charm and the torpedo is still removeable. The bigger problem was what to do about a main weapon system. Fortunately, there were various vehicular weapons found in the same attic storage box. I trimmed and modified the minigun from the RAM sidecar (ironically, the only piece I still have from the RAM) and super glued it in place. When it came time to repaint, I kept a lot of the original paint scheme, but tried to spice it up a bit, too. The sled was given a liberal application of Testors Dull-Cote.

My son and daughter allowed me to borrow these three Cobra divers for the photos. After the photos were taken, the kids were delighted to receive the Hydro Sled as the latest custom donation to their ever-growing G.I. Joe collection.

Cobra H.I.S.S. Tank

This is the second HISS tank I've done (see the first one here) and it is a project that has been underway for a couple of months. My son had a red HISS tank from the Target Ultimate Battle Pack. After he saw the Crimson Sabotage version, he liked the way the drive covers were painted red. Who am I to deny him?

So I ended up spray painting the entire tank a much more vivid (bloody) red. The black areas were done with Testors flat black. The treads and drive wheels were drybrushed with Testors aluminum to give them a worn look. I also hollowed out the barrels on the cannons using my trusty Dremel.

Adam likes things red, and he apparently likes them shiny, as well. When I asked him to choose between Dull-Cote and Gloss-Cote, he didn't even hesitate to say GLOSS! The decals came from Rick at the 334th Joe Company. They cost me $3 with the shipping included. All in all, I think the whole thing turned out pretty well, and Adam is ecstatic about it!

Cobra Tele-Viper (Communications Specialist)

A few months ago, I started reading G.I. Joe comics again (Thanks, Joel). Needless to say, a lot has happened since I stopped reading (around Marvel #90 or so) and I have been pulling lots of ideas for new custom figures from them. This was directly inspired by a scene in Frontline #18 where the Crimson Twins have a group of female Tele-Vipers working for them...

Parts: Helmet (25th Anniversary Tele-Viper), Head (Juno Eclipse), Body (RoC Cover Girl), Vest (25th Anniversary Tele-Viper), Submachine Pistol (RoC Baroness), Backpack (RoC Gung-Ho).

Supplies: Dremel, Super glue, X-Acto knife, Testors paints, Folk Art paint, Paintbrushes, Testors Dull-Cote.

Reference: G.I. Joe Frontline #18.

I have been getting a lot of mileage out of this Cover Girl body. But honestly, what's not to like about it? It's a reasonably proportioned female figure wearing standard-looking military fatigues, that can be posed quite realistically. Anyway, for this custom, I popped off the Cover Girl head and tossed it in my parts box. I used the X-acto knife to trim away the part of the collar on the back of her neck so that it did not interfere with the helmet later on. The helmet was hollowed out using the Dremel. The helmet fit easily over the Juno Eclipse head and could be removed, if desired. However, the amount of modification needed to make the head fit the neck post required the helmet being glued on a bit later. The entire uniform was painted with Testors #1172 (Sea Blue). The cargo pockets on the legs were painted with Folk Art #440 (Violet Pansy). I mixed a little bit of black paint with the Folk Art stuff because it was just a bit too vibrant. I wanted the colors to match the male Tele-Viper that I have. When adding the vest, I trimmed it just a bit, so that it fit her more like the male Tele-Viper's vest fit him. I gave her the small backpack from an RoC Gung-Ho and a submachine pistol from the first RoC release of The Baroness (which my male Tele-Viper also carries). Finally, the entire figure was given a light coat of Testors Dull-Cote to seal the paint and reduce shine.

Gung Ho (G.I. Joe Marine)

I really like Hasbro's recent RoC version of Gung Ho, but in my mind he's Resolute Gung Ho. I wanted to make a GH with the same RoC camo scheme as many of my other figures, so he he is...

Parts: Head (25th Anniversary Gung Ho), Body (RoC Hawk), Tactical Vest (RoC Pit Commando), SAW pouch (bbi Elite Force Marine), M4 Rifle (Marauder, Inc.), Tactical Pistol (Marauder, Inc.), Holster & Belt (RoC Hawk), Machete (RoC Crimson NeoViper).

Supplies: X-acto knife, super glue, paintbrushes, Polly Scale paints, Testors paints and Testors Dull-Cote.

Reference: None.

This was another very simple custom. The base figure was not really modified in any significant way. I popped off the head and replaced it with the new one. I repainted the trousers and cover to match the uniform I painted on my Leatherneck figure. The mustache was repainted dark brown. The vest was added and I trimmed off the holstered pistol, replacing it with a SAW pouch from a bbi Elite Force Marine figure. I also cut a rectangular shaped slot in the back of the vest, so that the machete could be easily slid into the vest. It was positioned so that he could reach over his shoulder and pull it out, if needed. I gave him a modular M4 from Marauder, Inc. The appropriate parts of the weapon were painted gunmetal and flat black. Finally, the entire figure was given a light coating of Testors Dull-Cote.

Bombstrike (G.I. Joe Forward Air Controller)

I've always thought that Bombstrike had one of the better sculpts as far as female heads were concerned, so it was no huge leap for me to decide to put one of my many Bombstrike heads on a ROC female body.

Parts: Head (Bombstrike), Body (ROC Cover Girl), Rifle (25A Baroness).

Supplies: Dremel, X-acto knife, paintbrushes, Polly Scale paints and Testors Dull-Cote.

Reference: None.

Like many of my recent customs, this was was ridiculously simple, but I was very pleased with the final product. I popped off the Cover Girl head. Then I used the Dremel to hollow out the Bombstrike head. The skin tone was not an exact match, but it was better than I was likely to get trying to paint-match, so I left it alone. After adding the new head, I decided to get rid of the photo ID pinned to the figures shirt pocket. I simply trimmed it off with the X-acto knife and sanded the area smooth. I painted over the area with the same camo pattern as the rest of the shirt. I gave her the same rifle (I think) that originally came with Bombstrike. Finally, the entire figure was given a light coating of Testors Dull-Cote.

Leatherneck (G.I. Joe Marine)

This version of Leatherneck was done for an upcoming desert diorama. Since I already had the desert AWE Striker version of Leatherneck, he was an obvious choice to be included in it.

Parts: Head (Leatherneck), Body (Leatherneck), Hands (bbi Elite Force), Load Bearing Equipment (UBP Short-Fuze), Ammunition Pouches (bbi Elite Force), M16/M203 (Leatherneck), Rifle Magazine (Marauder, Inc.).

Supplies: X-acto knife, Super Sculpey, super glue, paintbrushes, Polly Scale paints and Testors Dull-Cote.

Reference: None.

Just like the last two figures, this is an "improvement" of Leatherneck so that he'd fit in with the other team members in the diorama. First, I removed the stupid Dreadnok belt he came with. Then, I dremelled off the idiotic shoulder armor (this is NOT Thunderdome!). I decided to use a bit of Super Sculpey to actually sculpt him some decent body armor. I have always hated the wrists on these arms, so I replaced the hands with the gloved hands from a bbi Elite Force Marine. To keep the articulation, I actually trimmed the studs from the old hands and glued them on the new ones. Then, I repainted all of the brown areas (straps, boots, holster, gloves, etc) using a slightly different color than his uniform. I cut the existing Vietnam-era magazine off the rifle and replaced it with a modern 30-round magazine. Finally, the entire figure was given a light coating of Testors Dull-Cote

Steeler (G.I. Joe Tank Commander)

This version of Steeler was done for an upcoming desert diorama. Since I already had Steeler and his tank from the Target Ultimate Battle Pack, I decided to include them in it.

Parts: Head (UBP Steeler), Body (UBP Steeler), Helmet (UBP Steeler), Visor (UBP Steeler), Knife (UBP Steeler), Holster rig (UBP Steeler).

Supplies: X-acto knife, paintbrushes, Polly Scale paints and Testors Dull-Cote.

Reference: None.

This is a simple "improvement" of Steeler, so that he'd fit in with the other team members in the diorama. First, I trimmed off the ridiculous second strap on the holster rig. That strap, if work properly, actually goes under his right arm. Because it wouldn't fit properly in that position, I chose to remove it. Then, I repainted all of the black areas (straps, boots, holster, gloves, etc) using a slightly different color than his uniform. The face was painted a darker flesh color, to appear lightly sun and windburned. Finally, the entire figure was given a light coating of Testors Dull-Cote.

Short-Fuze (G.I. Joe Mortarman)

Although he was never one of my favorites as a child, I eventually came to appreciate Short-Fuze after the USMC decided to make me a mortarman. This version was done for an upcoming desert diorama (hopefully, by the time the entire diorama is finished, I'll have come up with a better background than the one I used for this picture).

















Parts: Head (UBP Short-Fuze), Body (UBP Steeler), Body Armor (ROC Pit Commando), Helmet (UBP Short-Fuze), Visor (Comic Pack G.I. Joe Hawk), Knife (UBP Short-Fuze), M9 Pistol (UBP Steeler), Holster (UBP Steeler), Thigh Pouch (bbi Elite Force), M224 Mortar (UBP Short-Fuze).

Supplies: X-acto knife, super glue, Dremel, paintbrushes, Polly Scale paints, Testors paints and Testors Dull-Cote.

Reference: None.

The base figure was not really modified in any significant way. I popped off the Steeler head and replaced it with the Short-Fuze head. Then, I repainted all of the black areas (straps, boots, holster, gloves, etc) using a slightly different color than his uniform. The body armor was trimmed to fit better and then the side flaps were glued shut so that they appeared as if they were fastened with velcro. The face was painted a darker flesh color, to appear lightly sun and windburned. I painted the appropriate parts of his pistol gunmetal. Finally, the entire figure was given a light coating of Testors Dull-Cote.

The mortar was a project all in itself. The version that has come with Short-Fuze since 1982 is weirdly inaccurate for reasons that I won't bore you with (remember, this was my primary weapon system in the Corps and even 10 years after getting out, I can still talk all day about it). I cut the barrel off about midpoint, flipped it around and glued it back on. This way, the bipod (called an M170, for those keeping track) extends from the midpoint of the tube, allowing for higher-angled fire. The baseplate (which is called an M8) was bent to sit flat on the ground and then painted OD green. The cannon (M225) was painted gunmetal. The appropriate parts of the bipod was then painted gunmetal, flat black and OD green. I created discarded ammunition tubes by cutting some wooden dowel and then painting them black (these simulate the cardboard tubes that the rounds are packed into for shipping). Once Short-Fuze and his mortar were placed into the diorama, these ammo tubes were scattered around as if they'd been discarded during firing. The cleaning staff (commonly referred to as a "donkey dick") was made from a small piece of metal rod with tape wrapped around the end. The bristles on these brushes were copper colored, so I painted them that color and then applied a lot of back to simulate the carbon that Short-Fuze is trying to swab out of the barrel.

Leatherneck (G.I. Joe Marine)

When I first saw the G.I. Joe team uniforms from G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, I have to admit that I was a bit skeptical. Since then, they've grown on me and I really like them. The thing is, I can't bring myself to display my ROC characters with their classic (or Resolute) counterparts! It just seems wrong. So, I've embarked on a mission to create a few of my all-time favorite Joes (Gung-Ho, Leatherneck and Airborne) in the ROC-themed uniforms so that they might be happily displayed with Hasbro's offerings. I immediately found that Hasbro's RollBar figure is nothing more than an ROC-themed repaint of Airborne, so I am pretty sure he'll fit the bill with no modification at all. The recent ROC/Resolute version of Gung-ho comes very close to what I'm looking for, so I'll end up modifying one of those. Unfortunately, the ROC version of Leatherneck leaves quite a bit to be desired (IMO). This is my take on what he should look like...

Parts: Head (25th Anniversary Gung-Ho), Body (ROC Sgt Stone), Tactical Vest (ROC Pit Commando), M4 / M203 Rifle (Marauder, Inc.), backpack (ROC Copperhead).

Supplies: X-acto knife, super glue, paintbrushes, Polly Scale paints, Testors paints and Testors Dull-Cote.

Reference: None.

This was a very simple custom, but the end result was extremely satisfying. The base figure was not really modified in any significant way. I popped off the head and replaced it with the new one. After painstakingly color matching the colores used for the trousers, I painted the shirt and cover (that's the name we Marines have for a hat) with the same camouflage pattern. The mustache was repainted black and I dry-brushed some short, stubbly hair on the sides and back of his head (Marine Corps regulation rather than the longer hair that Hasbro has always given him). The vest was added and I painted the appropriate parts of his pistol gunmetal. The grenades on the backpack were painted OD green with gunmental for the spoons. I gave him a modular M4 from Marauder, Inc. and added the M203 grenade launcher to it. The rifle barrel was hollowed with a heated safety pin. The grenade launcher barrel was given the same treatment with the tip of my X-acto knife. The appropriate parts of the weapon were painted gunmetal and flat black. Finally, the entire figure was given a light coating of Testors Dull-Cote.

Evolution of the Clone Commanders (Part IV)

As you may have guessed from the last few posts, the next figure in my ongoing Evolution of the Clone Commanders series is Commander Fordo (ARC-77). I have no idea what happened to Fordo after the end of the Clone Wars, but assuming that he survived to the end of the conflict, I think it is likely that the Empire would continue to capitalize on the unique and highly specialized skills of Fordo and the other surviving Advanced Reconnaissance Commandos. We know that the Empire eventually developed Storm Commandos, an elite branch of the Imperial Stormtrooper Corps known for their blackened Scout armor and specially trained for counter-insurgency missions, siege breaking, and sabotage. I think it reasonable to surmise that at least some of the ARC Troopers may have been the beginnings of what eventually became the Storm Commandos...

A-77 Captain Fordo (Alpha-class ARC Trooper) Phase II Armor

For his great efforts at the Battles of Muunilinst and Hypori, Fordo was awarded the Chancellor's Service Medal, which he refused and instead gave to CT-43/002, a fallen member of the Muunilinst 10. He was also given Jaig eyes, bestowed to clone troopers for particular acts of bravery. These were applied to the helmet of the phase II armor he wore later in the Clone Wars, during the Battle of Coruscant. Fordo's preferred use of weaponry proved most effective in the defense, at one point throwing his blaster rifle through a super battle droid like a spear, then continuing on wielding one of his blast pistols and another blaster rifle from a fallen trooper. His position was being overrun by Separatist forces, and he was ordering a retreat when Jedi Masters Yoda and Mace Windu arrived to reinforce the beleaguered clones. With the Jedi aiding in defense on the left, the captain and his men focused fire on the right and turned the tide on the battle droids.

Parts: Head (Saleucami Trooper), Torso (Saleucami Trooper), Arms (Saleucami Trooper), Legs (Saleucami Trooper), Blaster Pistol (Clone Commander), Holster (Clone Commander), Blaster Rifle (Clone Trooper).

Supplies: X-acto knife, brushes, Testors paints and Testors Dull-Cote.

Reference: The Clone Wars animated microseries. NOTE: This figure was first posted quite a while ago, but I moved the post because I wanted him to fit into the chronology of my other Captain Fordo figure posts.

First, I used an X-acto knife to remove the vertical strap on his harness and to carefully scrape all of the red unit markings off of the armor. Next, I painted the figure according to my references. A light coat of Testors Dull-Cote was applied to seal the paint and reduce the shine.

NOTE: After I posted this figure at the FFURG Forums, Soja Rinn pointed out that I had fogotten to add the rear holster. I trimmed the holster from a Clone Commander's kama using the X-acto knife. I then sanded the holster smooth and super glued it to the rear of his equipment belt. The holster was painted white to match the rest of the armor and a light coat of Testors Dull-Cote was applied. Thanks, Soja! Adding the holster made a huge difference!

A-77 Captain Fordo (Alpha-class ARC Trooper) Animated Style

This version of Captain Fordo was inspired by The Clone Wars television series, which I watche every week with my kids. Because Fordo is one of my favorite clone characters, I just couldn't resist rendering him in the animated style of the show.

Parts: Head (Captain Rex), Torso (Captain Rex), Arms (Captain Rex), Legs (Captain Rex), Blaster Pistols (Captain Rex), Blaster Rifle (Captain Rex).

Supplies: Testors paints and Testors Dull-Cote.

Reference: Although he has not appeared in the show to date, this figure depicts Captain Fordo in the animated style of The Clone Wars television series.

This is simply a re-painted Captain Rex. There was nothing particularly tricky or difficult about it, but I'm still very happy with the way it turned out. The Jaig eyes were carefully scraped off the helmet with the blade of an X-acto knife. Then the armor was re-painted to match Fordo's armor markings. A light coat of Testors Dull-Cote was applied to seal the paint and reduce the shine.

A-77 Captain Fordo (Alpha-class ARC Trooper) Phase I Armor

Alpha-77, known as ARC-77 and more commonly known as Fordo, was an Alpha-class ARC trooper captain in the Grand Army of the Republic who led his squad, later known as the "Muunilinst 10", into combat at the Battle of Muunilinst during the Clone Wars. Although he was an excellent tactician, Fordo preferred solving problems through heavy weapon use, as opposed to complex tactics. Fordo and his squad were instrumental in the attack on Muunilinst, infiltrating the city and disabling a massive artillery cannon, even after their LAAT/i was shot down. As the bulk of the Republic forces took advantage of this to breach the city, he aided Jedi General Obi-Wan Kenobi in a surgical strike on the enemy headquarters, leading to the capture and surrender of key members of the InterGalactic Banking Clan leadership, including Chairman San Hill. Shortly thereafter, Fordo helped defeat the formidable bounty hunter Durge, despite being injured in the fight. In response to a distress signal received from Jedi Master Daakman Barrek after the end of the Battle of Muunilinst, Kenobi sent Captain Fordo and a unit of ARC troopers to Hypori to rescue a doomed Jedi task force on the planet from the clutches of the dreaded Supreme Commander of the Droid Armies, General Grievous. Despite taking casualties, he and his men held their ground and succeeded in driving the fearsome droid commander away with a hail of heavy weapon fire. Their efforts undoubtedly saved the lives of three of the four surviving Jedi - Ki-Adi-Mundi, Aayla Secura, and Shaak Ti - while the fourth, K'Kruhk, was left for dead, although he survived his serious wounds through a healing trance.

Parts: Head (Captain Fordo), Torso (Captain Fordo), Arms (Captain Fordo), Legs (Captain Fordo), Blaster Pistols (custom-made), Kama (Captain Fordo).

Supplies: X-acto knife, brushes, Testors paints and Testors Dull-Cote.

Reference: This figure depicts Captain Fordo as he appeared at the Battle of Muunilinst, during the first season of the Clone Wars animated microseries.

This was more of an improvement of the existing figure than a true custom. Overall, I was pretty happy with the Captain Fordo figure. He got a new paint job using a brighter red, and some of the details that were missed at the factory got painted (such as the webbing for his holsters, buckles on the kama straps, etc). He also got a new pair of pistols. Although the original ones were probably more accurate for the realistic sculpt, I really liked the longer barreled pistols he was seen twirling (something he seems to have inherited from Jango) in the Clone Wars animated microseries. The new pistols were made by cutting the stock and part of the receiver group from a standard DC-17 rifle. The barrel and pistol grip assembly were super glued together and the barrels were hollowed out with the Dremel. A light coat of Testors Dull-Cote was applied to seal the paint and reduce the shine.

RC-1345 Sergeant Humpty (Republic Commando)

RC1345, nicknamed "Humpty", is the leader of a Republic Commando Squad within the Special Operations Division of the Grand Army of the Republic. He and his squad are routinely assigned to Commander Gree's 41st Elite Legion to perform certain critical functions.

Parts: Head (Republic Commando Scorch), Torso (Republic Commando Scorch), Arms (Republic Commando Scorch), Legs (Republic Commando Scorch), Holster (Clone Commander), Blaster Pistol (Clone Commander), Pulse Rifle (Marauder, Inc.).

Supplies: X-acto knife, super glue, emery board, sandpaper, brushes, Polly Scale paints and Testors Dull-Cote.

Reference: None. The character and his design are entirely fan-fic.

The basic Scorch figure was not changed. The backpack and the thing attached to his right leg were removed and set aside. The figure was then painted in a camouflage pattern of my own design. No references were used, I pretty much just decided how I wanted it to be. The holster was trimmed away from the kama of a Clone Commander figure using an X-acto knife. The holster was then painted flat black and superglued to the right leg, in place of the item that was removed earlier. The pistol can be easily inserted or removed from the holster. The original figure, Scorch, was a demolition specialist and much of the backpack was supposedly geared toward that mission. Therefore, I ended up chopping quite a lot of the backpack off to make it appear like more of a basic trooper's pack. I also added an antenna to the backpack before painting it flat black. I also attempted to remove the anti-armor attachment from the DC-17 Commando rifle and convert it to a standard commando's rifle. This effort was a dismal failure. I was also unsuccessful in trying to trade for enough of the rifles to outfit my squad. After several months of agonizing over it, I finally decided to give the commando squad M41A Pulse Rifles, as seen in the film Aliens. I know, I know... it's not Star Wars. But it's a fantastic weapon. Once the figure and all of the accessories were dry, I applied a light coat of Testors Dull-Cote to protect the paint and dull the shine.

Evolution of the Clone Commanders (Part III)

The next figure in my ongoing Evolution of the Clone Commanders series is Commander Bly (CC-5052) of the 327th Star Corps. After the end of the Clone Wars, Bly continued his service to the Empire, even performing a couple of special missions for Darth Vader himself. I used a PotJ Sandtrooper for Bly's new armor. I didn't really have a special reason for choosing the Sandtrooper, aside from wanting to keep each of these guys a little bit unique. Had I not already used the EVO Trooper armor on Commander Bacara, I could have just as easily given that to Bly. To give Bly a little extra firepower, I trimmed down a modular M203 Grenade Launcher and attached tio to the barrel of his E-11 Blaster Rifle (my theory being that this was an experiment that didn't really work out and was later abandoned by Imperial Forces).

Evolution of the Clone Commanders (Part II)

This is the next figure in my ongoing Evolution of the Clone Commanders series...

The next one up is Commander Bacara (CC-1138). I've always liked Bacara because he was the commanding officer of the Galactic Marines, a unit near and dear to me as I was once a Marine, myself. While Bacara's Marines wore maroon-colored armor that was the obvious predecessor to the Snowtrooper armor, he wore a regular set of phase II armor with a modified helmet. I decided to continue this trend of having him wear different gear than his troops. While Bacara's Marines would have adopted the Snowtrooper armor, I gave Bacara a set of EVO Trooper armor. Both provide the wearer with protection against the hazardous environments that might be encountered by a Marine Landing Force. As with the Cody figure, no significant modifications were made to the figure, but the armor was painted to somewhat resemble that which was previously worn by Bacara.

Imperial Infantry Trooper

This is the second Imperial Army Infantry Trooper I've done. He is in the same squad as my previous Imperial Infantry Trooper and Imperial Infantry Officer. Stay tuned for more of this squad in the near future!

Parts: Head (TSC Galactic Marine), Body (TLC Imperial Engineer), Helmet (AT-ST Driver), Load Bearing Equipment (25th Anniversary Snake-Eyes), E-11 Blaster Rifle (TLC Imperial Engineer), backpack (PotF2 Sandtrooper).

Supplies: X-acto knife, paintbrushes, Testors paints and Testors Dull-Cote.

Reference: Illustrations from the Star Wars: Empire comic series.

This one was done exactly like the first one. I removed the Engineer head and replaced it with the GM head. I dipped the load bearing equipment (LBE) in a mug of boiling water and then stretched to fit the waist of the figure. Once it fit correctly, it was dipped in very cold water to keep the desired shape. I added the LBE to the figure and then used the X-acto knife to cut off the hand grenade and the holster. I glued a cast of a Sandtrooper's ammunition pouch to the LBE where the holster had been. Finally, the back pack was attached to the LBE with two small dabs of super glue. When the LBE is removed, the backpack stays attached to it. The casted ammunition pouch was painted black and the entire figure was given a light coating of Testors Dull-Cote.

CC-0607 Captain Kay'Tee (Commander of the 5th Reconnaisance Group)

This is a special project for my daughter, Katie. She has me asked numerous times "why aren't there any pink girl clones"? She doesn't understand what a Clone is and just sees them as soldiers in white armor. So, who am I to argue? For her 5th birthday, I have made her a pink Clone Commander in the animated Clone Wars style. The character is named Captain Kay'Tee. I saved all of the packaging from the figure and modified the cardboard insert a bit so that the character name and image matched her new figure. This was my first attempt at packaging, and it is by no means perfect. But,. I figured that she's gonna tear it open anyway, so I didn't want to spend too much time on it. I just thought it would be cool for her to open. The character image looks kind of washed out in the photos. I'm not sure why that is, because it doesn't actually look that way.

Evolution of the Clone Commanders (Part I)

Okay, this next series of figures was completely inspired by a customizer by the name of JediStyle (see his work here: http://www.yakfaceforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=357&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0). He made several custom Imperial Stormtroopers that had colored markings like those seen in units of the Grand Army of the Republic toward the end of the Clone Wars. In particular, I loved his Commander Fordo in phase III armor. This got me to wondering what some of the other notable Clone Commanders would look like in Stormtrooper armor that bore markings similar to their Clone armor...


The first one I tackled was Commander Cody (CC-2224). Cody wore a visor in his phase I armor as well as both versions of his phase II armor. It was no big stretch to see him continuing this trend. Cody also used a small jetpack and often commanded airborne troops. Because of this (and it's similarity to Cody's phase II armor), I chose the Imperial Jump Trooper as the base for this figure. No significant modifications were made to the figure, but the armor was painted to closely resemble that which was previously worn by Cody.

Llats Ward (Mandalorian Mercenary)

Llats Ward was a Mandalorian mercenary, selected by Jango Fett to train Jango's clones on Kamino as part of the Cuy'val Dar. Everything in the life of Llats revolved around battle and war. He had studied and memorized the campaigns of all the great Mandalorian leaders of the past, and used them as lessons to enhance the clone troopers' fighting skills. He wore gray-and-green armor, with yellow knee and shoulder pads and a large Mythosaur skull painted across the chest.

Parts: Lower Arms (VTSC Boba Fett), Rifle (RotS Deluxe Clone Jet Trooper), Everything Else (EE Exclusive Llats Ward).

Supplies: X-acto Knife, Paintbrushes, Testors Paints and Testors Dull-Cote.

Reference: I used photos of the original Llats Ward figure to get the coloring of the gauntlets correct.

This is more of a "restoration" than a true custom figure. I actually liked the Llats Ward figure and would not have changed anything other than giving him a new weapon. However, I obtained the figure in a trade and he did not have any lower arms. Because I had recently dismembered a VTSC Boba Fett for another custom figure, I had the arms lying around. I tossed them into some boiling water to soften the plastic and then popped them onto the Llats figure. Then, I painted the arms to match the rest of the figure. After a light application of Testors Dull-Cote, I decided to give him a new weapon, too.

Edit: Shortly after this figure was completed, I traded some items with another customizer (Arc_trooper77), and he was kind enough to throw in the cape that I had been missing for Llats. I've updated the photo to reflect this addition!

Sgt Jak Kona (Alliance Marine)

Sergeant Jak Kona is a Human male from Prairsuno. He joined the Rebellion shortly before the Battle of Hoth and has seen action in most of the major engagements since. He has risen quickly through the ranks based upon an uncanny ability to keep his troops alive while accomplishing their missions. He was among the 18,000 Marines who fought at the Battle of Mindor and was promoted to Sergeant immediately following that action. He is armed with a BlasTech DH-17 blaster pistol, a favorite among Marines and Naval Forces on both sides of the Galactic Civil War due to it's ability to pierce most body armor without piercing the hull of the vessel. He also uses a BlasTech A280 blaster rifle for longer range engagements.

Parts: Head (Elite Force U.S. Marine), Body (PotJ Rebel Trooper Tantive IV Defender), Helmet (TAC Rebel Vanguard Trooper) BlasTech A280 Blaster Rifle (SAGA Endor Rebel Soldier), BlasTech DH-17 Blaster Pistol (TAC Rebel Vanguard Trooper).

Supplies: X-acto Knife, Super Sculpey, Super Glue, Paintbrushes, Testors Paints and Testors Dull-Cote.

Reference: This is the second version I've done of this character. My wife and kids thought that the head on the original figure looked so much like me, that I developed the backstory around some parts of my life, as well. You could say that this character is the way I'd see myself if I had been born a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away. This version of the character was created for FFURG Casting Call #55: Customs of Us - Revisited. The original figure can be seen here. I think that I will probably continue to expand upon this character, as well.

This figure started out as a PotJ Tantive IV Defender. The head needed a bit of modification. I shaved the hairline back a bit and then resculpted it with Super Sculpey. The mustache was also added with Super Sculpey. I cut a V-neck into the shirt with my X-acto knife and then used my Dremel to expand the neck hole a bit. The new head fits in perfectly with no trouble. I shaved the holster off his right leg with my X-acto knife and sanded the area smooth. I then added a working holster that I had made from Super Sculpey. The ammunition and utility pouches on his left hip were made with Super Sculpey and a push mold. After painting, the entire figure was given a light application of Testors Dull-Cote to seal the paint and reduce the shine.