I was damn lucky to not only have a Kamakura from Joenerd TJ (two actually, both $4 from clearance shelf at Toyworld) but also a beat-up one from a $30 lot I got from the US (with True Heroes boat and 22 figures).  Since he’s made up of 25th Ann. Storm Shadow (v30, I think) I didn’t need the parts really.  But I knew when I used it that I wanted it to be for a proper Kamakura custom. When I was getting the idea for Sandstorm, BANG, it hit me.  Don’t forget Kamy! So there you go.  But his blue wasn’t green enough for me, considering that he’s always, always green in some way.  And I wanted him to have some sort of body armour on his lower parts to match the upper parts, making him more armoury and tough and Impact Armor Awesome.  Plus, it gives me a chance to balance things drybrush-wise. Recipe Head/Torso/Arms/Upper Legs – ROC Kamakura Lower Leg – ROC Snake Eyes (v47) Feet – Resolute Storm Shadow Backpack – Sword sheaths from ROC Storm… Read moreCustoms – Kamakura, Rise of Cobra

Snake Eyes.  My boy.  The goods.  The shit.  The Real Deal baby. My first true love. While a part of me will always, ALWAYS want to do some sort of “Ultimate” Snake Eyes (and still plans to, despite the Wave 3.5 Retaliation figs) I also really, really love the idea of making new ones for unique situations.  I had a ROC Ripcord body with an extra Snake Eyes head on it for AGES when I had my ROC guys set up, and when I started this whole Impact Armor project I realised that I was going to have to give him a proper Snake Eyes treatment instead of just a headswap, sword and uzi. Recipe Head – Dollar General Snake Eyes Torso/Upper Arms – ROC Duke Lower Arms – ROC Snake Eyes (v43) Upper Legs – ROC Snake Eyes (v47) Lower Legs – ROC Charbroil Webgear – ROC Snake Eyes (v47) All up, it was pretty easy painting him because the grey that I happened to have was an exact match for the one they already used on Duke’s Impact… Read moreCustoms – Snake Eyes, Rise of Cobra

I was nearly done with the original gangsta’s from the Impact Armor crew (Rise of Cobra) when it hit me: There were more figures with this armor! So I dug around to find parts that would match Sandstorm, surprisingly easy really, and made a new one that was going to get the complete workover. Recipe Head – 25th Firefly Torso/Upper Arms/Upper Legs – ROC Ripcord Lower Legs – ROC Snake Eyes Sandstorm was fun because I knew fuckall about him.  I sort of thought that he could be a sniper or some shit for the Impact Armor Team when they’re all assaulty and missiony.  I liked the idea that he’d have some desert camo and a bigass sniper rifle from Marauder’s. [EDIT] I see now that he’s an MP, so I might try to work that angle instead.  But I do really like the idea of a ‘Perimeter Control Specialist’ on covert ops being a sniper.  I mean, other than ninjas, what else would you have?

Shipwreck was a character that I immediately liked in the toyline and missed terribly from the movie.  He would’ve been a brilliant addition, especially with his badass knit watchcap and Impact Armor instead of that stupid Popeye hat and chinos. That said, I liked the Impact Armor heaps.  So much so that I did a custom of everybody that had some, and then some!  But I still had to give him some of the trademark pants and sailor-style boots.  Plus, instead of the gray battle camo on the Impact Armor, I gave him blue as homage to the sea, ARR! Recipe Head/Torso/Arms/Upper Legs – Shippie Lower Legs – ROC Storm Shadow Feet – Damn… I honestly forget.  The Customs Box is getting pretty full these days. Shipwreck was fun and I’m really happy with how he turned out.  EXCEPT… the joints.  Fukkinell, it is a bastard to try and get the joints whittled down to where they won’t rub paint off when you move his legs.  I’m still not sure that he’s okay for this, but I’m too afraid to… Read moreCustoms – Shipwreck, Rise of Cobra

Cover Girl was yet another one of those figures that made me wonder, “Why in the Blue Fuck was she even IN the movie?”  Because really, let’s hire the hot chick for a menial role yet still with a recognisable code name, then kill her brutally when she hasn’t even done ONE THING that was cool or awesome.  Fkn LAME. So yeah, I wanted to do a custom of her not only because the Joes are low on de wimmins, but also because I felt bad that her part in the movie blew anchormen. Recipe Head – ROC Cover Girl with 25th Ann. Scarlett’s hair.  Carved, cut, styled and set before painted blonde. Torso – ROC Scarlett. Upper Arms – Agent Helix Lower Arms – ROC Baroness Upper Legs – ROC Scarlett Lower Legs – Agent Helix Feet – ROC Scarlett (no fkn heels in combat please!) Belt – 25th Firefly with ROC Paris Pursuit Storm Shadow’s holster. Holster, right leg – Renegades Ripcord. The head was the fun part because it kind of cheeses me that these chicks would… Read moreCustoms – Cover Girl, Rise of Cobra

At first, Agent Helix kind of pissed me off. I had no idea who she was, her face looked a little funny, her guns were absolute shithouse and she was hard to fkn find for under $10. Then, I won a low-bidding auction for her and somebody else I needed (one of the Neo Vipers maybe?) for pretty cheap, getting her for about $5. Then I’d remembered I’d already bid in another auction for just her, and I ended up winning another low-bidding affair and getting her for about $4. Once I saw that I could do a custom or two with her parts, she sort of grew on me, and then I found out that she’s in the video game which me and Oldest Child recently picked up used at EB Games. So I’m no longer pissed off by her. She’s not my favourite, but she’s alright. Recipe Head – DUH Upper Torso – ROC Baroness Lower Torso – ROC Scarlett Upper Arms – ROC Scarlett Lower Arms – Agent Helix Upper Legs – ROC Baroness Lower Legs –… Read moreCustoms – Agent Helix

When I’d first sat down to create a custom that wasn’t solely for the Aussie Custom Contests on Hisstank.com I figured that I should start somewhere obvious, like with the Ninja Force craptastic 90’s figs that were never, ever going to get made in modern versions (well, not most of ’em anyway). Since I already did Nunchuk for the Aussie Customs Comp, I thought I’d move to my next fave, good ol’ TJ. Recipe Head – Top half is Jungle Viper and bottom half is ROC Storm Shadow that I sliced off and glued on. Bandana trailing parts are the belt from Dollar General Storm Shadow. Torso – ROC Snake Eyes (v43) sanded and modded to get rid of lame-ass armour markings. Arms – Resolute Storm Shadow Upper Legs – ROC Snake Eyes (v43) with the pouches from ROC Shockblast’s belt glued on. Lower Legs – POC Tornado Kick Snake Eyes, modded. Feet – ROC Snake Eyes, Paris Pursuit. Shin and Forearm guards – Jacket skirt from ROC Storm Shadow. Breastplate – POC Whirlwind Gayass Kick Storm Shadow, heavily melted… Read moreCustoms – T’JBang

I didn’t do much to ol’ Shaz Breaker here, paint-wise, but I crafted him an eyepiece thingo, ear thingo and chest thingo from the movie. It has ALWAYS annoyed the shit out of me that they didn’t even bother to put either the ear or eye thing on him in any of the figures even though he wore it in nearly every scene and the rest of him was nearly new sculpts.