So a while back, coupla years ago, I had a couple of the Defense of Cobra Island (DOCI) Alley Vipers that I got for cheap from Sinodolls on eBay that don’t come with any gear.  None.  Bare. I tried to make the gear myself and had a… well, a real learning experience. Welp, when I saw another one come up in auction for a penny, I grabbed him up and decided that I was going to try and do this thing proper.  Make the equipment as near to the real thing as I could without casting it myself or getting parts from somewhere else and painting those. I started by sanding off the shitty enamel paint from before.  I tried to be kind to myself too, reminding that it was all I could find nearby and all I could afford, etc. but it was still a pain in the ass. Not having much else to work with, I kept the base helmets and vests and sanded the fuck outta them.  I had one extra vest I’d put on another figure… Read moreCustoms – Alley Vipers Revisited

One of my absolute FAVOURITE O-ring Joes was the Night Viper.  I loved him so much that I frequently swapped heads for a cool-looking Joe (like Dial-Tone or Falcon) to make them like, undercover.  Not even terribly sure why I loved it so much, just did. So of course I was stoked when they announced a Night Viper coming out in the Retaliation line of toys.  Thing is, I’d already had the parts and bits together for this project though.  Plus, when I got a gander at the one they’d come out with, $40 on eBay and all, I saw just another kitbash with some cool colouring.  Stupid Hasbro. So I was even more motivated to make my own. Recipe (body): Head – Night Adder Chest/Torso/Arms – POC Snake Eyes Upper legs (outer) – ROC Duke (Impact Armor) Upper legs (inner) – ROC Ripcord Knees – POC Gayass Tornado Kick Snake Eyes Lower legs – POC Gayass Whirlwind Kick Storm Shadow Feet – ROC Charbroil with bits I cut off POC Gayass Tornado Kick Snake Eyes shins Recipe (gear): Visor… Read moreCustoms – Night Viper

It was nearly a year ago when I first got really into Assassin’s Creed and I LOVED IT. I looked for toys, but there just aren’t that many. When I first decided I was going to do this, make this custom, I knew it was a relatively big fucking deal. No illusions here. I wanted to push it though, to attempt something that most others wouldn’t do. I wanted to create a figure that simply doesn’t exist commercially (that I know of) and I wanted to do it entirely of extra Joe parts that I had. Recipe (body): Head – Rise of Cobra Duke Chest – 25th Anniversary Storm Shadow Waist – Ditto Upper arms – ROC Gayass Tornado Kick Snake Eyes Lower arms – ROC Arctic Storm Shadow Upper legs – Resolute Storm Shadow Knees/Lower legs (upper) – Ditto Shins – Pursuit of Cobra Alley Viper Feet – 25th Anniversary Storm Shadow Note the missing finger that not only allows for ease-of-use with the hidden blade but also is a sign of the Assassin’s dedication (from first game only,… Read moreCustoms – Altaïr (Assassin’s Creed)

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