Building your MARINES - CORRECTLY

[JediMike71]

Thanks Les, and you other guys too! Yeah, I've been working hard on the fellow marines. I almost have Cpl. Dietrich done except for someday getting her a set of armor and helmet. Probably from another set of Hudson stuff. I used an extra set of Hudsons's BDUs for her, so they do look a little bulky on her but I'm okay with it. I still have to paint her name over Hudson's name on the nametag on the BDU shirt. Here she is standing next to my Ripley and Newt. I've now since this picture got in a leather jacket for Ripley, and put the grenade bandolier thing on my PL Ripley. I'll post more pictures soon of my repainted PL Ripley. I dirtied up her shirt some more too, and repainted her head. Anyways, heres Dietrich next to my Ripley and custom Newt. I put too much pink skintone color on Dietrich's forehead. I'll fix that soon. Sorry. Yeah, that is an original Les Walker business card that he sent to me after he did the "leg surgery" on my Ripley to make her taller! Cool huh? Thanks again Les! I even got his autograph on the back of it. Sweet!

I just have to put Newt's name on her figure stand...and get in a doll head soon for her "Casey" doll. I haven't finished Pvt. Frost yet, since I'm waiting to get a African-American Hot Toys body for him someday. I'll eventually make Ferro, Crowe, Spunkmeyer, and maybe...just maybe...Carter Burke. I'll post pictures soon of Dietrich for you guys to see.

I love pjam's OOAK (One of a kind) Bishop. I really like how mine turned out. I may add some highlights to his hair with some brown paint. I still wanna get a 1/6 scale laptop for him someday like pjam has for his. I'll keep you guys updated. Thanks again for your kind support!

 

[JediMike71]

Here's the link to my last page of my own thread I started about my custom Newt. It is:

https://sideshowcollectors.com/forums/showthread.php?t=27148&page=4

I've posted new pictures of Newt with the "Casey" doll head I got from Les Walker! Check out the pictures in that thread. Thanks!

 

[metaphorge]

So, about boots: are these from Newline the closest match to proper boots?

(from https://www.newlineminiatures.com/products_other.htm)

I'm not having much luck finding any other 1:6 boots with vibram-pattern soles (not panama).

Edit: I think I answered my own question, the USCM boots are jungle boots with olive drab canvas uppers, right? In that case, these New Line boots would be correct:

 

[drunk_leprechaun]

guys, is $180 a good price for an HT apone figure? or can i find it cheaper if i wait around?

 

[icruise]

guys, is $180 a good price for an HT apone figure? or can i find it cheaper if i wait around?

That seems on the high side. Check recent auctions on ebay. I recall seeing several end about $50 cheaper than that.

 

[icruise]

I just finished my first Bishop custom. Details are here.

 

[metaphorge]

I just finished my first Bishop custom. Details are here.

OK, that's just awesome, and obviates the boot issue. He'd look good posed with an Alien3 Ripley, too....

 

[drunk_leprechaun]

I just finished my first Bishop custom. Details are here.

that is ****ing fantastic m8! really an awesome figure.

 

[JediMike71]

Awesome work icruise! So, "how" did you make it? I thought about getting an extra Frank Black figure someday and doing that same torn apart Bishop. How did you make his "guts"? What did you use for his milky white "blood" or "body fluid"? White acrylic paint? Let me know how you did it. Do you also have his bottom part done? Guts coming out of the tops of his legs? I would like to see a picture of that too. Thanks!

Oh sorry! I didn't see you link to click that shows how you did it on your thread. Just found it and now I know. Thanks again! I'll give it a try someday.

 

[Mudshark]

That is one incredible-looking Bishop, icruise! And congrats, you're the first one to post pics of a custom 1/2-Bishop!!! That is just unbelievably cool! Gotta see some pics of him with Ripley. Now all you need is a Newt of your own and Her Majesty!

 

[Jamal]

Best Bishop ive seen to date icruise! it looks so cool

 

[Stendec]

What an amazing piece of work . . . one of the best customs I have seen here. I love the android detail in the trauma area, looks perfects. You also really nailed Bishops likeness in the Frank Black headsculpt. The small changes to the hair and the really nice paint app really paid off.

If HT does produce a Queen figure then this Bishop will make a fanatstic addition to a PL v Queen display.

I just finished my first Bishop custom. Details are here.

 

[icruise]

Thanks for the comments guys. I appreciate them. I think this is a relatively doable project if anyone else wants to try. The biggest problems are cutting the figure in half and dremelling out the abdomen. The guts are not that tricky.

OK, that's just awesome, and obviates the boot issue. He'd look good posed with an Alien3 Ripley, too....

Yes, I'll have to admit the fact that I wouldn't need boots did cross my mind. I think Bishop in Alien 3 had quite a bit more damage around the face though, which I could replicate if I really wanted to, but I'm not sure I like that film enough to want to make a separate figure for it. Maybe if I could make a good shaven-head Ripley first... Hmm...

Do you also have his bottom part done? Guts coming out of the tops of his legs?

I'm considering doing that, since I do have his bottom half left over, after all. But then I'd need boots...

Now all you need is a Newt of your own and Her Majesty!

I definitely plan to do a Newt, but finding good 1/6 scale children's bodies is pretty difficult. As good as JediMike's Newt is, I don't think I want to use the Hasbro Anakin, since I want more articulation, and I'd also like to try and get a better likeness to the actress. It may be more of a long term project.

 

[JediMike71]

Yeah...it is tough to find a figure for Newt! I did look at many other smaller child "Kelly" figures from the Barbie line. Those tended to look too small for Newt. They were about the size of a 3 to 5 year-old little girl. The Anakin figure was the perfect age since it was modelled after Jake Lloyd, who at the time in 1999, was about the same age and size as Carrie Henn was back in 1986 when ALIENS came out. Yeah, the articulation stinks. I can only get her to hold her Casey doll head in one hand. The other arm won't allow the other hand to reach over to be able to hold the doll head with both hands. My 7 year-old daughter has many Barbies and collects them. I have seen some cloth dolls at Target that have rooted hair. One that looks a little like Newt with long straight hair, but not that much like her. Plus the way those dolls are made the eyes are like little colored buttons, and the heads are not sculpted. I wanted a figure with more articulation, but just couldn't find one. I know the figure Les used came from a cheap 1/6 scale line from Wal-Mart called "Kid Konnection". Those are sold in Wal-Marts anymore. At least NOT the smaller child-sized ones. They do still sell them in the taller 12" Barbie sized versions. Believe me...I've looked! So...my Newt as it is will have to do for now. I am very happy with her. Sure, she could have more articulation, sure the head likeness "could" look more like Carrie Henn that played Newt. And, sure...rooted hair would look much better than the sculpted hair I made. But, you know, I'm happy with her. I did the best I could. It was even harder to find 1/6 overalls. I ended up using ones from a "John Deere" Barbie. You can find those at most Wal-Marts for about $30.00. But I was even luckier to find just the outfit sold on eBay for much less than that. Yeah, she could be better. I may even try to remake her someday, but now I finally have my own 1/6 scale Newt.

If Hot Toys does ever make her I will still buy her from them. But if not, I do now have my own Newt that I worked very hard on, and I'm very proud of!

 

[metaphorge]

I definitely plan to do a Newt, but finding good 1/6 scale children's bodies is pretty difficult. As good as JediMike's Newt is, I don't think I want to use the Hasbro Anakin, since I want more articulation, and I'd also like to try and get a better likeness to the actress. It may be more of a long term project.

How about a Volks body? I'm sure they have one about the right size.

I also wonder if we would have enough interest in Newt to get a group commission going on a dedicated headsculpt. The John Deere Barbie makes the toughest clothing item (the overalls) much easier to find. What did Les use for Newt's head again?

 

[Wor-Gar]

This is just INSANE, dude! Now that's the Bishop I want...laying at the base of the Power Loader.

Super-amazing work!!!!

I just finished my first Bishop custom. Details are here.

 

[icruise]

If Hot Toys does ever make her I will still buy her from them. But if not, I do now have my own Newt that I worked very hard on, and I'm very proud of!

Yep, I totally understand that. Creating something yourself is a great feeling.

How about a Volks body? I'm sure they have one about the right size.

Are those the same as the Obitsu bodies? I've been looking into those and I think they might work.

I also wonder if we would have enough interest in Newt to get a group commission going on a dedicated headsculpt. The John Deere Barbie makes the toughest clothing item (the overalls) much easier to find.

That's an interesting idea. I'd certainly be willing to chip in.

What did Les use for Newt's head again?

I don't know, but I believe it had rooted hair. I personally don't like rooted hair since I feel it gives the figures too much of a "Barbie doll" feel, and doesn't really fit in with the sculpted hair on the other figures I have.

 

[icruise]

By the way, let me just say that the enthusiasm and dedication that everybody here has shown toward these figures has really been an inspiration. I love how JediMike is planning to recreate just about every character in the movie, for example, and all the little tweaks people have been doing. It's stuff like this that makes this hobby fun.

 

[metaphorge]

By the way, let me just say that the enthusiasm and dedication that everybody here has shown toward these figures has really been an inspiration. I love how JediMike is planning to recreate just about every character in the movie, for example, and all the little tweaks people have been doing. It's stuff like this that makes this hobby fun.

I agree fully. USCM collectors FTW!

I'd really like to see HT make at least ONE more "typical" marine in the Apone/Hicks/Hudson -type armor, simply because these parts are getting more expensive on their own.

 

[metaphorge]

I am very happy with her. Sure, she could have more articulation, sure the head likeness "could" look more like Carrie Henn that played Newt. And, sure...rooted hair would look much better than the sculpted hair I made. But, you know, I'm happy with her. I did the best I could. It was even harder to find 1/6 overalls. I ended up using ones from a "John Deere" Barbie. You can find those at most Wal-Marts for about $30.00. But I was even luckier to find just the outfit sold on eBay for much less than that. Yeah, she could be better. I may even try to remake her someday, but now I finally have my own 1/6 scale Newt.

If Hot Toys does ever make her I will still buy her from them. But if not, I do now have my own Newt that I worked very hard on, and I'm very proud of!

Agree fully, and your custom rocks! Only reason I'm not going this route is I've owned that particular Anakin figure for eight years, so the facial sculpt will forever look too much like him for it to work in my display. I do prefer the look of sculpted hair to the rooted, though, especially for fitting in with this line.

Are those the same as the Obitsu bodies? I've been looking into those and I think they might work.

Yep, Obitsu=Volks. Another possibility is the Sideshow/Hot Toys body used for Sam & Frodo. DiD also makes a child-sized body, but I think theirs is too tall for Newt.