tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49419216499229523522024-03-12T16:45:32.738-07:00Time & TideNauticushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05483976924682794618noreply@blogger.comBlogger530125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941921649922952352.post-60365956176694243662013-02-15T15:54:00.001-08:002013-03-27T04:19:25.046-07:00Winsome Wasp
PICTURE STILL WON'T LOAD - I'LL KEEP TRYING
What can one say about the Wasp? She certainly has a fine sense of fashion, and eventually established a successful career as a designer. That after already inheriting a fortune from her deceased father. Janet Van Dyne had met Henry Pym through her father, little knowing that he was secretly the Ant-Man. When her father was killed Janet expressed her interest in crime fighting and Pym took her into his confidence and gave her the powers of a wasp, including the wings, and the ability to shrink to very small proportions. She had a wasp's sting that she could use as a weapon and certain sensory abilities. Jan, as she was known, was always the more outgoing of the Pym/van Dyne pair while Hank was a bit of a scientific nerd. However, they eventually married and Jan continued her career as the Wasp through Hank's various identity changes to Giant-Man, then Goliath and then Yellow Jacket. Finally he gave up the superheroing business although he has continued to work alongside them. Ant-Man and Wasp were founding members of the Avengers and Jan has even been a very successful chairwoman of the group. One thing she has been noted for over the years are her various costumes. She hardly seems to wear the same one twice. Through a variety of means I have tried to capture some of that variety in my collection, as displayed here. On the left are two of her original costumes, one a Heroclix. Next along the bottom is a version I did from a metal figure, cuting clear plastic wings from a blister pack. Next is also an early version flying at you that I mounted on a bse and then two more Heroclix versions. On the far right is Ant-Man riding a giant ant with Wasp alongside. Far right behind is an Eaglemoss Wasp metal figure from England. Next left is a conversion I did using a "Happy Meal" Catwoman figure and finally on the far left is an Invisible Woman figure I converted. These are all costumes that Jan has used at one time or another.Nauticushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05483976924682794618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941921649922952352.post-79203060779374423662013-02-10T06:24:00.002-08:002013-02-10T06:24:36.457-08:00The Akron and the Macon and a B-24<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDqTjiUF7Oj_cSOpsJUXba-LAJrMXQeyL5aVQJj_7hxVgigwVSJXeTkL4Fjk77rqhOJktmvSOY29Y43n2UFpl3SPQAr-svkaFl3W93uJFqCFnJRj80J7kCBWZ3Z9VhQuABcw8foSgwF8A/s1600/Blog-Akron-Macon-B-24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="193" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDqTjiUF7Oj_cSOpsJUXba-LAJrMXQeyL5aVQJj_7hxVgigwVSJXeTkL4Fjk77rqhOJktmvSOY29Y43n2UFpl3SPQAr-svkaFl3W93uJFqCFnJRj80J7kCBWZ3Z9VhQuABcw8foSgwF8A/s320/Blog-Akron-Macon-B-24.jpg" /></a></div>
In my last post I mentioned I had two of these airship models (Akron and Macon) but I had painted one in enamel and it wouldn't set up properly and was still tacky. I finally bit the bullet, donned my latex gloves like a doctor about to remove a hernia, laid out my Q-tips and a bottle of paint thinner and methodically stripped off the offending silver enamel paint. Then I rinsed off the excess thinner with the dish sprayer in the sink and after it dried out repainted the model with acrylic. I am displaying the two of them here together, a sight no one would have ever seen because by the time the Macon was commissioned the Akron had already been lost. While I was about it I set alongside them a B-24/Liberator bomber of World War II fame as a comparison of size. The B-24 actually took on some of the reconnaissance chores the airships were designed to accomplish. It's a good illustration of just how big these thin-skinned monsters really were.
Nauticushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05483976924682794618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941921649922952352.post-80883985469706043382013-02-05T16:36:00.002-08:002013-02-05T16:36:37.090-08:00Airship Akron<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVxtzDPDiQZyJNmEhyphenhyphen5oRiojVvRZhwzSThRppIuQSERNoHDLie2azL5X4RRH-yrNqJIw0TBtI6slafqiScnK05IvmpkGegfwsg7aWxQQEB1jgrzm7-KC7V8H7pln7x0Ze9mYA7vXZXWZA/s1600/Blog-Akron.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="128" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVxtzDPDiQZyJNmEhyphenhyphen5oRiojVvRZhwzSThRppIuQSERNoHDLie2azL5X4RRH-yrNqJIw0TBtI6slafqiScnK05IvmpkGegfwsg7aWxQQEB1jgrzm7-KC7V8H7pln7x0Ze9mYA7vXZXWZA/s320/Blog-Akron.jpg" /></a></div>
Shapeways has come out with a model of the Akron and her sistership Macon, two dirigible airships built in this country by a German team from the Zeppelin works in that country. Akron became operational in September 1931 while the Macon first flew in April 1933. The airships were kept aloft by 12 helium filled gas cells and were powered by eight 12-cylinder gasoline engines, giving them a range of over 10,000 miles. The United States had much larger quantities of helium than most of the other countries of the world. Helium was not flamable like hydrogen, which fueled the spectacularly ill-fated Hindenburg disaster. Akron and Macon were really designed as airborne aircraft carriers and came equipped with small fighters, the F9C/Sparrowhawk biplane. There was a trapeze arrangement that lowered the planes for launch and they would hook on and be lifted aboard upon their return. Unfortunately the Akron and Macon were also ill-fated. Akron ran into an intense storm front off New Jersey and was lost at sea, only three of its 76 man crew were rescued and a navy blimp sent out to search for survivors also crashed with the loss of two men. Macon was also lost in February 1935, again in a storm, although this time only two of the 76 man crew were lost. You may be thinking that the reaon I only have one model displayed is because the Akron was lost before the Macon commissioned so there was only one active at a time. Actually I have two models, but I tried painting one of them with enamel and it wouldn't dry on the plastic so I painted this one with acrylic and am stripping the other one with thinner to be painted later. When will I ever learn not to paint plastics with acrylic??? Inquiring minds would love to know!!
Nauticushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05483976924682794618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941921649922952352.post-29108712811029893952013-02-03T16:36:00.000-08:002013-02-03T16:36:04.864-08:00Destiny<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhWoV3gsdA0REIL-CSdB1bfMXm-5PYtaLb9f6BJRGLvI5vUMOVlnIY2ZHIhN3pbzz7Tx1ZxqHRPxQUyNtq9qL2nsDLSoF1KJdOYYdjssIzAWOICUAwJVmkaUpeKLbzE1ObqN9FEDnGU48/s1600/Blog-Destiny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhWoV3gsdA0REIL-CSdB1bfMXm-5PYtaLb9f6BJRGLvI5vUMOVlnIY2ZHIhN3pbzz7Tx1ZxqHRPxQUyNtq9qL2nsDLSoF1KJdOYYdjssIzAWOICUAwJVmkaUpeKLbzE1ObqN9FEDnGU48/s320/Blog-Destiny.jpg" /></a></div>
Some superheroes/heroines are stranger than others and Destiny fits that bill. She's not a great hand-to-hand combatant and she's even blind, but she can see the future, which is her mutant gift. A citizen of the UK, she started out in the second Brotherhood of Evil Mutants but after being apprehended switched sides to a U.S. government run group called Freedom Force, which was led by Mystique. She seems to have had an abbreviated career, being gunned down by the Reavers, a bad guy group with whom Freedom Force had come into conflict. Not much of a resume, but I guess you don't need much when you're dead. I did rather like the look of Destiny and used a Spider-Woman figure as the base. I had to Dreml off the hair and then sculpt the helmet or whatever it is using epoxy putty. Then it was just a paint job and a cape made from T-shirt material.
Nauticushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05483976924682794618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941921649922952352.post-71147802307036961722013-01-27T14:06:00.001-08:002013-01-27T14:06:36.937-08:00Hybrid Carriers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMT7vfuCC-_90LZ-eM723AE4vrccPXyBvFEHrnqgIWpEbsH48GcbZHz4VrGvk0xyYhOQa46C2YOQ47nutSU6HLNL2JMWsiiEd7bLlqUZMwPqqxMJBKhyphenhyphena5ZVchNIUUqOsOBiI_D-lqriU/s1600/Blog-Hybrid-Carriers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="153" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMT7vfuCC-_90LZ-eM723AE4vrccPXyBvFEHrnqgIWpEbsH48GcbZHz4VrGvk0xyYhOQa46C2YOQ47nutSU6HLNL2JMWsiiEd7bLlqUZMwPqqxMJBKhyphenhyphena5ZVchNIUUqOsOBiI_D-lqriU/s320/Blog-Hybrid-Carriers.jpg" /></a></div>
There seems to be a strange fascination with the subject of hybrid aircraft carriers. Usually these are either mixed carrier and battleship or carrier and cruiser designs. There have been real and imagined designs over time and I thought I'd present a few here. In the picture, starting from the bottom (these are all 1:2400 scale, that's one inch equals 200 feet) is the Shapeways model of Providence, a carrier/light cruiser hybrid based on a 1935 Board of Construction & Repair scheme No. 39 featured in Norman Friedman's U.S. Cruisers book, page 171. Next forward is one of my own conversions using a Baltimore heavy cruiser hull and forward two eight inch gun turrets with the cut down flight from a Casablanca CVE, which I call the Cambridge. Next up is another Shapeways model of a hybrid featured in Hector Bywater's novel "The Great Pacific War," the Alaska class with two eight inch guns forward. Then we have an offering from Panzerschiffe, who makes epoxy resin models, of a hybrid they call the Stoney Point, which looks to be mounting six inch guns. Then we have another creation from me, which I call the Lakehurst, using a Brooklyn light cruiser hull and another cut down Casablanca. Finally we have the big guy, which is one of my scratch builds from bass wood of a Gibbs & Cox design for a hybrid battleship for Russia, called Design "B" of 71,850 tons and mounting twelve 16" guns. I actually have incorporated it into my U.S. fleet with the understanding that it was building in 1941 when we got involved in the war and we took it over from Russia. These are all interesting designs, and as you can see, they interest a lot of people. However, they were never very practical. As Friedman comments in an article in Naval Institute Proceedings for April 1979, "...they were lousy carriers and not too good as anything else." They were still a lot of fun.
Nauticushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05483976924682794618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941921649922952352.post-33748711527153414172013-01-23T12:11:00.002-08:002013-01-23T12:11:49.417-08:00Superman/Batman and Lex the Joker<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN6nTImBhJCYMEcqfj7NOpBxRvToQ7ky9Z-cA_bOyedjON6ZCNOf6zDDUJie28vryI4kHEcjL0d2JQJKqXHqHXgjt-rtAPVfULtVUwM21fs3WzwmPqCdIz5q5U4IkFdxWr0q2QRqlER2I/s1600/Blog-Batman-Luthor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="203" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN6nTImBhJCYMEcqfj7NOpBxRvToQ7ky9Z-cA_bOyedjON6ZCNOf6zDDUJie28vryI4kHEcjL0d2JQJKqXHqHXgjt-rtAPVfULtVUwM21fs3WzwmPqCdIz5q5U4IkFdxWr0q2QRqlER2I/s320/Blog-Batman-Luthor.jpg" /></a></div>
I just finished these and since I haven't posted for a few days I decided to present them both at once. This is from a DC Elseworlds story where Kal-El lands on earth and is adopted by the kindly - wait for it - Wayne family, Thomas and Martha and of course the ever useful Alfred. When the Waynes are killed by the bad guy after the movie instead of Bruce just going into shock he fries the bad guy with heat vision and then forgets the whole incident. Later a similar incident brings it all back and Bruce discovers his Kryptonian heritage. He starts cleaning up Gotham City but keeps bumping up against Lex Luthor, who experienced an accident at his chemical plant. Bruce buys a newspaper (Gotham Gazette) and hires Perry White and Lois Lane. Lex Luthor shows up and reveals himself to be a little discolored and even more psychotic. He helos off with Lois but Batman catches up with him and almost kills him but he takes a cue from Lois and relents. And in the end assumes a "Superman" identity and lightens things up. I used a 4" Batman figure for Batman, with the head from an armored Batman figure and the legs from a Captain Marvel. Lex was made using the head from a Toy Biz Lex Luthor figure and the body of a Dukes of Hazard Boss Hogg. Love those Elseworlds.
Nauticushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05483976924682794618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941921649922952352.post-59741668319131676522013-01-19T06:51:00.000-08:002013-01-19T06:51:00.803-08:00Space Ranger<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWEPSFpONdfu000zFUtjxEf4ivVO6cheSq23_nVS8qsuq4ar6V4SYbi9-4Uzq5TYQQ9qtl1MSuD_lL5I82nkQ-rjnz5D4tPUYY5_RY1g_HW1gUbPH1i_E9cCIpZgnDaj6Lto9DxEcJN3Y/s1600/Blog-SpaceRanger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWEPSFpONdfu000zFUtjxEf4ivVO6cheSq23_nVS8qsuq4ar6V4SYbi9-4Uzq5TYQQ9qtl1MSuD_lL5I82nkQ-rjnz5D4tPUYY5_RY1g_HW1gUbPH1i_E9cCIpZgnDaj6Lto9DxEcJN3Y/s320/Blog-SpaceRanger.jpg" /></a></div>
As promised (sort of) I decided to feature Space Ranger the action figure since I already featured his spaceship in a previous post. I remember the character from my youth, although I maybe only ever have seen a couple of his comics back then. He was a DC character featured in Tales of the Unexpected and Mystery in Space back in the late 1950's and 1960's. He was one among several superheroes-among-the-stars characters like Adam Strange and Tommy Tomorrow featured during the period. In reality he was Rick Star (secret identity) working for his father, who owned Allied Solar Enterprises (giving him lots of loot to buy fancy gadgets with). Rick had a secretary Myra Mason (sexy girl in short skirts who's always getting herself in trouble) and a little alien side-kick named Cryll who could assume the appearance of any creature he knew about. Space Ranger did have a bag of tricks, in addition to the spaceship, and several different types of weapons with which to subdue the baddies, including four-armed and big-headed aliens of various stripes. I've made an effort in recent years to pick up a number of his comics and have enjoyed them. I may even create more characters from his universe. As for the Space Ranger figure, I used a Mattel Secret Wars Baron Zemo figure with Kang legs and the head from an X-Men Kane figure and some holsters from GI Joe figures. My biggest problem was the transparent helmet he wears. I eventually used clear epoxy and sort of formed it in the right shape before it dried to get the effect, but I'm still not happy with it. Still looking for a clear plastic piece that might work.
Nauticushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05483976924682794618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941921649922952352.post-48266199580897306692013-01-15T12:04:00.000-08:002013-01-15T12:04:44.419-08:00Space Ranger Spaceship<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiefSI-tKkeoRXwgjc8rlexJ3feqhdJysTzInQamSOU9PupSjhQ5h_H9k51D_eBXPAIG4iN0FfDz5KuFwqo6pbe7T4ePPSOxhgK7bkqXMinJbBhUrOAmxpwktudt_oS828XTYvnmkQupMc/s1600/Blog-SpaceRanger-Spaceship.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="262" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiefSI-tKkeoRXwgjc8rlexJ3feqhdJysTzInQamSOU9PupSjhQ5h_H9k51D_eBXPAIG4iN0FfDz5KuFwqo6pbe7T4ePPSOxhgK7bkqXMinJbBhUrOAmxpwktudt_oS828XTYvnmkQupMc/s320/Blog-SpaceRanger-Spaceship.jpg" /></a></div>
I like to have accessories to go with my action figures. You know, things like cars, airplanes, power boats and - oh yes - spaceships. I had done a figure of the DC character from the late 1950's/early 1960's named Space Ranger and had wanted a spaceship to go with him. I liked the attached design, a sort of aerodynamic spaceship with wings, but hadn't found a similar ship anywhere until recently. Again I found it on Shapeways and painted it similarly to the Space Ranger version. Now, the question is, have I ever posted the Space Ranger figure? I don't think so. Stay tuned.
Nauticushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05483976924682794618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941921649922952352.post-12659782264731265272013-01-11T10:43:00.001-08:002013-01-11T10:43:50.529-08:00Zeppelin Tales<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz7TNTfnBfTVD2KCKWD-olo4fjz_cEkixtOOjP2lkE0huLSNKozh6NN3ec60sxZ5bRbzfmZD51u2lLxPdhdOecbbatZj574z_A6jEd98J2Ni6Qt8QJuZTlbEWja3CaySNmPNEqL-_aWXI/s1600/Blog-Zeppelin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="180" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz7TNTfnBfTVD2KCKWD-olo4fjz_cEkixtOOjP2lkE0huLSNKozh6NN3ec60sxZ5bRbzfmZD51u2lLxPdhdOecbbatZj574z_A6jEd98J2Ni6Qt8QJuZTlbEWja3CaySNmPNEqL-_aWXI/s320/Blog-Zeppelin.jpg" /></a></div>
It's nice to know that I can still learn about things that I already thought I knew about. You see, I always thought Zeppelins were painted silvery, which was what some of the famous ones like Hindenburg and the Akron and Macon were. So when Shapeways (I've posted about them previously) offered a German World War I Zeppelin called L48 in 1:2400 scale I thought it would be great to have one - or maybe a few. So I ordered it and then I did a little research and turns out the WWI Zeppelins were not painted silver. Early war versions were more often than not a canvas color, sometimes with camouflage schemes, but the late war versions were typically painted black on the bottoms. Apparently the black didn't show up very well in searchlights, which is why nightfighters of WWII were also painted black. L48 and some of its sisters were black with a blue or gray section on top. So when I got my L48 I painted it accordingly. Actually I think it's a lot better than silver. I may try some of the other versions later.... Stay tuned.
Nauticushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05483976924682794618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941921649922952352.post-47594387956186213022013-01-09T17:25:00.001-08:002013-01-09T17:25:15.341-08:00Uli Algor<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoBt5HDj55Ekp97uys72IDu9DH57YCf58XfMeXJFqW2RJxJ25X7jF4OSJX8U6D1IGfL6iBRg0j_CvMvIY0aAQcw5X3vDkp7KjBSh_LYe1MRIvXgCbvNXJ93RU8w1kMhOYohp6eYXZr4j0/s1600/Blog-UliAlgor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="226" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoBt5HDj55Ekp97uys72IDu9DH57YCf58XfMeXJFqW2RJxJ25X7jF4OSJX8U6D1IGfL6iBRg0j_CvMvIY0aAQcw5X3vDkp7KjBSh_LYe1MRIvXgCbvNXJ93RU8w1kMhOYohp6eYXZr4j0/s320/Blog-UliAlgor.jpg" /></a></div>
Uli Algor?? You're probably scratching your head and wondering who the heck is Uli Algor?? Well, she's a crook who hasn't been born yet. She's a crook in the 30th Century who was imprisoned but the jailers thought their advanced rehabilitation methods had reformed her. Well, it's nice to know they aren't any better at that then they are now. Uli has a grudge against the Legion and sets up a series of confrontations with them and knocks them all out until, of course, she presses her luck and they defeat her. Once again, the criminals never learn, just like the jailers never do. Uli had a belt which could make the Legionaire's powers backfire and go awry. I rather liked the look of her and I just happened to have a Black Widow head, which I thought would fit quite nicely on a spare Psylocke body. It was actually a fairly complicated paint job but I'm pleased with the end result. I'm really not sure if Uli ever made another appearance but I liked the look of her even if she was a one-shot villainess.
Nauticushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05483976924682794618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941921649922952352.post-46148846435661222282013-01-06T17:28:00.003-08:002013-01-06T17:28:41.784-08:00Disguised Legionaires<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcziBFQzy1U5OloJkravPR-yNWRh_blfmP_9gRUS05AUBrGHw0DmaSabYw0NleTsg8YnJu4BGjdGaOnpXvNuT63v_0Mihl1wxYQ9kt7aRy1xczeiPpXA04qw5i7freQmMStU1eHBbeCpI/s1600/Blog-Legion-Disguised.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="279" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcziBFQzy1U5OloJkravPR-yNWRh_blfmP_9gRUS05AUBrGHw0DmaSabYw0NleTsg8YnJu4BGjdGaOnpXvNuT63v_0Mihl1wxYQ9kt7aRy1xczeiPpXA04qw5i7freQmMStU1eHBbeCpI/s320/Blog-Legion-Disguised.jpg" /></a></div>
The picture is from Superboy starring the Legion of Superheroes No. 203 from July-August 1974 and shows four costumed figures with numbers on their chests, three male and one female, breaking into the headquarters of the Legion. As it turns out they are actually members of the Legion testing the defenses of their headquarters. It is revealed that they are, by the numbers: I is Karate Kid, II is Element Lad, III is Phantom Girl and IV is Lightning Lad. When I was making them I used Secret Wars figures for the males, with Spiderman for I, Wolverine with a Captain America head for II, and Daredevil for IV while I used a Happy Meal Catwoman for III. I painted their chests white, traced out the number and painted the rest of them black. This was the only comic I'm aware of that they appeared this way. I like those one-off opportunities.
Nauticushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05483976924682794618noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941921649922952352.post-67431469936200174702013-01-04T15:54:00.001-08:002013-01-04T15:54:17.252-08:00Karate Kid<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheIIK74pKxDLzx1tjpdaongVq7FP3UNGp_BbSoiXCPtGVyI2hz_q4_O7cPQ3cHQE8bW89m-uM-p2NG3ojoDIPEa1AL9Wt7mMGbtyKN_bMuEeUHVnXapTtks-9WyyBv-ZzoKyqaCtlTkvM/s1600/Blog-KarateKid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="291" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheIIK74pKxDLzx1tjpdaongVq7FP3UNGp_BbSoiXCPtGVyI2hz_q4_O7cPQ3cHQE8bW89m-uM-p2NG3ojoDIPEa1AL9Wt7mMGbtyKN_bMuEeUHVnXapTtks-9WyyBv-ZzoKyqaCtlTkvM/s320/Blog-KarateKid.jpg" /></a></div>
Val Armorr was born to a super-villain called the Black Dragon, but ended up being raised by someone called Sensei, who defeated his dad. Val was trained in every martial art known to man - or to Sensei at any rate - and mastered them all. By the time he was a teenager he decided to apply his fighting skills for good and applied to the Legion of Superheroes for membership as the Karate Kid. Despite the fact that he really didn't have any super powers he was accepted at the same time the girl who called herself Projectra also joined. They developed a relationship but she was royalty from the Planet Orando and her dad the king didn't think too much of her prospective suitor. Karate Kid went on a quest to prove himself, even spending some time in the 20th Century. When the king died and Projectra became queen they were married and left the Legion to rule Orando. The Legion of Super Villains moved in to take over the planet but were defeated by the Hero Legion. In the battle Karate Kid sacrificed his life and Projectra was left a widow. I used a Marvel Secret Wars Captain America for the body and a head from a sports figure (I think). I used plastic sheet for the collar and some T-shirt material for the belt.
Nauticushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05483976924682794618noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941921649922952352.post-61387508935270636412012-12-30T06:15:00.000-08:002012-12-30T06:15:31.436-08:00Crimson Avenger and Wing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1jDrkILBf18NS_g79LmDFlER3wH48w4ODVZp2CHfieQZHr3PFij9l2xblezGrCEfWX7rR7L4QZtRvtrOkKG_HSBX7KA9u6JhvZWBewX7ztZaDOAl3yEOrruHAEO6kKUhjOuL64xtFnzk/s1600/Blog-CrimsonAvenger-Wing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="183" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1jDrkILBf18NS_g79LmDFlER3wH48w4ODVZp2CHfieQZHr3PFij9l2xblezGrCEfWX7rR7L4QZtRvtrOkKG_HSBX7KA9u6JhvZWBewX7ztZaDOAl3yEOrruHAEO6kKUhjOuL64xtFnzk/s320/Blog-CrimsonAvenger-Wing.jpg" /></a></div>
In my last post I featured the original appearance of the DC Comics hero the Crimson Avenger, who started life as a pulp-style character. As the superhero craze really caught on in comics the Avenger morphed into more of the style of the times and drug his side-kick Wing along with him. Wing had come from the Hankow area of China, which was by 1938 overrun by the Japanese. Wing, who, like a lot of side-kicks of the period, used the same name in both his civilian and costumed identities, sensitized his employer to the problems in China. Crimson and his side-kick Wing were active in various groups during the period leading up to and during the war, including the Law's Legionnaires, the All-Star Squadron and the Seven Soldiers of Victory. The picture shows the pair in their superhero style costumes. For the Avenger I used the body and head from a Toy Biz Daredevil, the legs from a Silver Surfer and the arms from a Superman. Wing was created using the body, arms and head from a Marvel Secret Wars Captain America and the legs from a Toy Biz Robin figure. The top-knots were cut from plastic sheet.
Nauticushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05483976924682794618noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941921649922952352.post-2300266871015430962012-12-27T10:08:00.001-08:002012-12-27T10:08:50.028-08:00Crimson Avenger<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeKFzbDQVDmFFRYoEBq218Ytcc843IBhlFBlSG1bJQ7ZM8ft_j5UefHO2dcDPNXXfSMwrXqNWN7nT2xVRTvYUICCvBae3VMFbpBEoTtdyB2GztrJYk07KHW8NFSTDXY7hp13W36-LsrNM/s1600/Blog-CrimsonAvenger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="302" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeKFzbDQVDmFFRYoEBq218Ytcc843IBhlFBlSG1bJQ7ZM8ft_j5UefHO2dcDPNXXfSMwrXqNWN7nT2xVRTvYUICCvBae3VMFbpBEoTtdyB2GztrJYk07KHW8NFSTDXY7hp13W36-LsrNM/s320/Blog-CrimsonAvenger.jpg" /></a></div>
Lee Travis was the young, crusading publisher of the Globe-Leader newspaper in a big metropolitan American city. As with so many overachievers, especially in comics, one full-time job is never enough, so Lee decides to adopt a costumed identity as the Crimson Avenger. One of the origin stories goes that he's attending a charity costume party one night when it's held up by a bunch of crooks. Lee is dressed like some kind of highway-man and, taking his costumed role to heart, pursues the crooks along with his valet and driver, an Asian named Wing. They take out the bad guys and Lee decides to continue his costumed activities as the Crimson Avenger. If this all sounds a lot like the Green Hornet and Kato you shouldn't be surprised. Crimson was sort of DC Comics answer to the Hornet and Kato. Since he first appeared in 1938 it was more reasonable for his creators to be inspired by pulp characters. Later the Avenger and Wing would get caught up in the superhero craze, but that's a story for a future post. I did the Crimson Avenger using the body from a Two-Face figure and the head from a Playmates Star Trek Dixon Hill. Then I fashioned a cloak of T-shirt material, with slits in the sleeves for his arms. Two-Face already had a weapon in one hand and I put a second one in the other so Crimson can really come out blazing away.
Nauticushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05483976924682794618noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941921649922952352.post-71894473222493097692012-12-23T13:02:00.000-08:002012-12-23T13:02:40.072-08:00Italian UP41 Battleship Design<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA5b3p-mgE3syVQ8Ql_G6LWfzICHQkW24qHwDs4rEJTnlaeuQO1xDaNZtG4RFRML3jaW2Fc2Mphb3NvtYBM438z39pGeS-rBue610R9Xk7s7ulJH0CpVbxrRhwLNNUTiX6hm2y88Je58A/s1600/Blog-BB-UP41.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="94" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA5b3p-mgE3syVQ8Ql_G6LWfzICHQkW24qHwDs4rEJTnlaeuQO1xDaNZtG4RFRML3jaW2Fc2Mphb3NvtYBM438z39pGeS-rBue610R9Xk7s7ulJH0CpVbxrRhwLNNUTiX6hm2y88Je58A/s320/Blog-BB-UP41.jpg" /></a></div>
I've featured a couple of other ship models produced by Shapeways and here's another. This is an Italian battleship design study from 1936 (also known as the 1936 BB), designed with a displacement of 42,000 tons standard a length overall of 826'10" beam of 116'6" and draft of 30'10" with an armament of 9-16" and 12-6" guns and a speed of 32 knots. It was substantially larger than the preceding Littorio class. Although it was never actually named I call it the Livorno. The reason I have two models is because the Soviet Union also looked at the design as something that might have fulfilled their needs. They had purchased several ships and designs from the Italians, which is why a number of their cruisers and destroyers have a distinctive Italian look to them. They had also worked a deal with the Germans for a good deal of naval hardware in their 1939 non-aggression pact, including a complete - although not completed - heavy cruiser. I named by Soviet version Sovetskiy Gruziya for Soviet Georgia. They make nice additions to my Italian and Russian Fleets.
Nauticushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05483976924682794618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941921649922952352.post-81648466575449434732012-12-18T17:08:00.000-08:002012-12-18T17:08:33.260-08:00Dr. Fate - Female Version<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzkSnayQXH6N6-tzl264hC5gbkcCQrQTRdsWnUFvfUHHHcijY9fT5lhvfeVzrYTHensnWBovwF-8ouKG-HnPhT-z4WhpASV5qmtr2l-2jRgp1e7ngavlVwC_0gShsLZGaZidLzxGuxXuo/s1600/Blog-Dr-Fate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="281" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzkSnayQXH6N6-tzl264hC5gbkcCQrQTRdsWnUFvfUHHHcijY9fT5lhvfeVzrYTHensnWBovwF-8ouKG-HnPhT-z4WhpASV5qmtr2l-2jRgp1e7ngavlVwC_0gShsLZGaZidLzxGuxXuo/s320/Blog-Dr-Fate.jpg" /></a></div>
Dr. Fate is a character that goes back to the Golden Age of comics in the 1940's and for most of his career has been Kent Nelson. He was married to Inza Nelson - I always liked that name - and for at least part of the time he had her locked away in a tower while he went off and battled evil. Then at some point Kent and Inza were linked in more than just the married way and could both assume the persona of Dr. Fate. Then only Inza could do it for a while. This image was during that period. I rather liked the appearance and decided to do a figure of her. It was actually an early effort when there were very few female superhero figures on the market. I used a Superior Models metal figure dressed in garter belt, stockings and high heels with hair past her shoulders. I got rid of all that detail and crafted a helmet from epoxy putty, placing a nail point on top, and used some additional putty for her gauntlets. For the amulet at her neck I used a plastic piece from my parts box, probably an aircraft wheel. Then I painted her with glossy paint and then used a cape from a Toy Biz Robin figure.
Nauticushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05483976924682794618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941921649922952352.post-61342294238199799922012-12-14T15:32:00.000-08:002012-12-14T15:32:40.392-08:00Human Flying Fish<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH9O6e0AXjU1AgNI3QdxP5OGzmMbZMKO2g9ec5IVwzyuIcnQJ_pyfwV3BoqLk_rcHkxbRxKIBiuRc1GExq_0K8cDxU_-DioFXh5sN4WYer_6BtttVgTtlQ4dzUhS4Zda-AVfZkLLURs-E/s1600/Blog-HumanFlyingFish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="275" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH9O6e0AXjU1AgNI3QdxP5OGzmMbZMKO2g9ec5IVwzyuIcnQJ_pyfwV3BoqLk_rcHkxbRxKIBiuRc1GExq_0K8cDxU_-DioFXh5sN4WYer_6BtttVgTtlQ4dzUhS4Zda-AVfZkLLURs-E/s320/Blog-HumanFlyingFish.jpg" /></a></div>
Vic Bragg, former swimming star, has decided to pursue a life of crime. He hooks up with a Dr. Krill and is surgically modified (sounds creepy to me) in order to battle Aquaman. Dr. Krill (aren't krill food for whales?) can make Bragg capable of breathing underwater so he's amphibious but he needs an extra edge to elude the king of the sea. His gimick? Why he also makes Bragg able to fly - or really glide for a while. So the newly designated Human Flying Fish commits a crime, Aquaman shows up, but the fish guy leaps into the air and boards a helicopter Krill has standing by. Pretty slick, eh?? Well, yeah, but then Aquaman sets a trap Bragg and Krill fall into and that's pretty much the end of their criminal careers. The Human Flying Fish shows up maybe a couple more times but really nothing to write home about before he fades into lame supervillain limbo once more. By the way, in case you were wondering, there really is such a thing as flying fish. They leap from the water and glide. When I was aboard ship the commodore used to pot-shot them with an M-1 rifle - don't think he hit too many though. The figure was made using the body of a Toy Biz Captain America, the head and legs from a Daredevil and the arms from a Superman. I like the CA body because it had scales like Mr. Flying Fish. The glider wings were cut from T-shirt material.
Nauticushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05483976924682794618noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941921649922952352.post-70694111211028639772012-12-09T13:23:00.000-08:002012-12-09T13:23:21.621-08:00Superman as Samson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjec09-zLdNI0kpbmkmZrA9GLlRlQW6gwIX-WDxC-csCxG6FqWf_x1CjUqilKQMrqSFnV5v2FfWvAlzaFNaHQ-Rb4Nki8DpCCDoIYzhAY9cmIRX8hQk1OhkbRk-7God6tuw1V5QFm8yGto/s1600/Blog-Superman-Samson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="278" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjec09-zLdNI0kpbmkmZrA9GLlRlQW6gwIX-WDxC-csCxG6FqWf_x1CjUqilKQMrqSFnV5v2FfWvAlzaFNaHQ-Rb4Nki8DpCCDoIYzhAY9cmIRX8hQk1OhkbRk-7God6tuw1V5QFm8yGto/s320/Blog-Superman-Samson.jpg" /></a></div>
I may have mentioned in the past that I've been trying to reduce the footprint of my collection so I have more room on the shelves and can squeeze even more stuff on them. As part of my effort in that reduction goal I decided a while back to redo this figure of Superman. In the Time & Time Again story arc running in 1991-92 Superman travels backwards and forwards through time. In this particular episode he shows up in 1943 a bit disoriented and, because he doesn't seem to be able to get home, decides to make the best of his situation. He joins a circus as their strongman, stage-name Samson, and I'll bet he's the best strongman they've ever had. I rather liked the look of his circus costume so I found a large wrestler figure and a matching Superman head and put them together. I painted the boots and wristbands red and the yellow belt and S-symbol on his chest. But now the big one has been towering over everything else on the shelf, so I got myself a smaller wrestler figure and a smaller Superman head and went through the same process again. The symbol was harder this time because there's a break right there where the figure can move but I manged to paint it on the two sides of the chest. This reduces my "footprint" even more. Always a good thing.
Nauticushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05483976924682794618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941921649922952352.post-26939336506118394772012-12-08T07:48:00.001-08:002012-12-08T07:48:13.343-08:00Kryptonians<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWirre-IZNwh0-MA14eeIaMtQXUpws7SYygeo5ApFcbclqCpJrhnOoNZGPnN6eIDbGwy2d44FsKyWdDtpFCi6svSxsAfsr6ZRyarb2WQH1oAs6xGsanhPEYJsTmUvvhvlhYgaLjf48ADI/s1600/Blog-Kryptonians.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="223" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWirre-IZNwh0-MA14eeIaMtQXUpws7SYygeo5ApFcbclqCpJrhnOoNZGPnN6eIDbGwy2d44FsKyWdDtpFCi6svSxsAfsr6ZRyarb2WQH1oAs6xGsanhPEYJsTmUvvhvlhYgaLjf48ADI/s320/Blog-Kryptonians.jpg" /></a></div>
So Superman was the last son of Krypton. We all know the story about Superman's dad Jor-El trying to convince the science council that Krypton is doomed but no one believes him so he sends his son off to earth just as the mighty planet explodes killing everyone there. Or did it? Later we learn of the bottle city of Kandor that was shrunk by Brainiac and the city that was blown off the planet and was the birthplace of Supergirl, Argo City, and then there's the Phantom Zone with a bunch of bad guys, yada, yada, yada.... Then there's all of the trips Superman makes back to his home world - sometimes seen and sometimes not. Anyway, there's a lot of Kryptonians floating around throughout the DC Comics Universe and I've done a few of them. Here's a sample, along with a couple I used just for fun. From left to right I used two Superpowers Collection Dr. Fate figures with Playmates Q and Picard heads. Then a Superman body with a Riker head and the cape from a Toy Biz Dr. Doom. Then I just added a Flash Gordon from the Defenders of the Earth collection and a Harry Mudd from Playmates Star Trek because I thought they fit in with the others. Can never have too many Kryptonians!!
Nauticushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05483976924682794618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941921649922952352.post-65325667140564344332012-12-05T10:07:00.000-08:002012-12-05T10:07:02.795-08:00Batman - Little Person<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-FNSbuzcYSl-aQRdQBvCGlfkj-oNWl3GL4Csg1NaviimL50PT-Bf6UbqJ6dnMx8Jl1zANulp9PXh2zDzYhugLIibGfOlTxMszaQWXZTTCcd5TetETHJELnhtitBUmxmCb0BKYecCkJrA/s1600/Blog-Batman-Little-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="150" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-FNSbuzcYSl-aQRdQBvCGlfkj-oNWl3GL4Csg1NaviimL50PT-Bf6UbqJ6dnMx8Jl1zANulp9PXh2zDzYhugLIibGfOlTxMszaQWXZTTCcd5TetETHJELnhtitBUmxmCb0BKYecCkJrA/s320/Blog-Batman-Little-2.jpg" /></a></div>
My imagination really is working all of the time!!! I was browsing in a store the other day and ran across this set of figures from Heroclix. I'm familiar with the figures, although I've never played the games, but these were different. They weren't just figures in about 25mm scale (which is where I use some of them) but they almost looked like little people. Brain fart!!! Batman as a little person!!?? What a concept. Little person Bruce Wayne is orphaned as a child and makes the same vow to avenge his parents and battle the forces of injustice. But he's a little person. So he still does it, honing his body and his mind to razor-sharpness, but he's a little person so he really needs those gimmicks because otherwise what crook is going to be terrorized by a little guy even if he is wearing a bat-suit? Talk about finding ways to protect your secret identity - woof. Not sure yet how (or if) to integrate Catwoman or Bane into this concept but I really like it as an Elseworlds sort of scenario. Just always gotta keep thinking outside the box is my motto.
Nauticushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05483976924682794618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941921649922952352.post-80790868311792390262012-12-03T17:24:00.000-08:002012-12-03T17:24:12.012-08:00Wildfire<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjop3lJIzgpznKeLtCT_1PFdaIHpU16l1ry7PWR9b3T16okSO2sV91VMnHDup3IZ9lXQdYcTeD3PmBF23-XdfIsE4pbhOYOQ8A4qmdsTNNkO0bpGPSlUrq8fS7k5sQu25KCnCmp_7ujH_g/s1600/Blog-Wildfire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjop3lJIzgpznKeLtCT_1PFdaIHpU16l1ry7PWR9b3T16okSO2sV91VMnHDup3IZ9lXQdYcTeD3PmBF23-XdfIsE4pbhOYOQ8A4qmdsTNNkO0bpGPSlUrq8fS7k5sQu25KCnCmp_7ujH_g/s320/Blog-Wildfire.jpg" /></a></div>
The Legion of Superheroes during the 30th Century contained many strange and interesting members. Perhaps one of the strangest was Wildfire. Originally Drake Burroughs was an astrophysics student but he was caught in an anti-matter blast and was transformed into anti-energy. A professor coaxed his disembodied energy into a containment suit and he decided to try to join the Legion, but he was basically simulating other Leionaires powers so he was rejected. Later he joined a Leion mission and proved his worth and was ultimately admitted. A bit of a hothead, Wildfire did take a real interest in the Leion Academy and worked hard with the trainees. I confess the art on his containment suit changed a number of times over the run of the comic and I sort of picked the design I liked best. I used the head and body of a Mattel Marvel Secret Wars Kang with the legs from a Captain America. I filled in the Kang face and put some little knobs on the sides of his helmet. The rest was painting.
Nauticushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05483976924682794618noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941921649922952352.post-33359856505321776592012-12-01T15:57:00.000-08:002012-12-01T15:57:04.151-08:00Shining Knight and Winged Victory<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio_Oae9gGTkVg63WlsRzuSKhyphenhyphenZAmH3E35Ept20-xmIE72elchDGfchYhE_IzCMiA3CkZ21PBs0IpvxZXg2Czhvh-BYGIR-a0opp569fcpx_0hJMZn357NacIL4G3Pxt2Tkm0Cd9PTnQFc/s1600/Blog-ShiningKnight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="251" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio_Oae9gGTkVg63WlsRzuSKhyphenhyphenZAmH3E35Ept20-xmIE72elchDGfchYhE_IzCMiA3CkZ21PBs0IpvxZXg2Czhvh-BYGIR-a0opp569fcpx_0hJMZn357NacIL4G3Pxt2Tkm0Cd9PTnQFc/s320/Blog-ShiningKnight.jpg" /></a></div>
Sir Justin was a fresh young knight in the court of King Arthur when he was sent after a rampaging ogre. Accidently stabbing some random tree while chasing a couple of highwaymen Sir Justin releases Merlin the magician. In appreciation Merlin makes Sir Justin's armor lighter and bulletproof - OK I don't know why he would even think to make it bulletproof but what the heck - and gives wings to his horse Victory, who thus became Winged Victory. In his final battle with the ogre Sir Justin kills the beasty but gets buried in an avalanche, going into suspended animation. Revived in 1941 he starts battling the highwaymen of our time, eventually joining the wartime All Star Squadron and the Seven Soldiers of Victory to battle bad guys on a broader scale. He sort of bounced around in time, probably at the whim of the story-tellers, but is actually a sort of favorite of mine as a noble knight stuck out of his own time and just continuing to do what he thinks is right. I feel like that sometimes. I used the body from a Robin Hood Prince of Thieves Little John figure and the head from a Toy Biz Silver Surfer. I sculpted the helmet from Skulpy and made his tunic from T-shirt material, cutting the eagle on his chest from paper and gluing it on. The sword and scabbard are from my parts box. Winged Victory is a Pegasus with the bridle and such painted on and T-shirt material for the blanket and reins.
Nauticushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05483976924682794618noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941921649922952352.post-22293344584739217952012-11-27T16:38:00.001-08:002012-11-27T16:38:26.089-08:00Urko the Terrible<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_HtE-zn0D6Fi0wkTIZJg-Bd025HHMbyK9ZL_WBstRQJ0pBaB16T9-7Abn2IWgg2h20xaNDz8tzcnsuJcnwwdOqq1y1r01VvAgb8JC_5jHIpi8bkiPfiz14YoqDvMCu-2RMAmBO30aEKU/s1600/Blog-Urko.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="264" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_HtE-zn0D6Fi0wkTIZJg-Bd025HHMbyK9ZL_WBstRQJ0pBaB16T9-7Abn2IWgg2h20xaNDz8tzcnsuJcnwwdOqq1y1r01VvAgb8JC_5jHIpi8bkiPfiz14YoqDvMCu-2RMAmBO30aEKU/s320/Blog-Urko.jpg" /></a></div>
I mentioned in my last post that I had this giant Superman comic that had a bunch of reprints in it. The story from Action Comics No 261 was about Superman's Fortress of Solitude. As he was giving a tour there was a bust of a guy named Urko the Terrible. Turns out Urko was a self-proclaimed cloud intelligence who hated all other life forms in the universe - terrible indeed. Urko turns the statues of Superman's friends like Lois Lane and Perry White into superpowered minions and sends them against Supes, but he's too invulnerable and it turns into a Mexican standoff. Superman has a confrontation with Urko in space, using his super-breath to propel a sun at Urko. The sun consumes Urko and that's the first and last appearance of that particular villain. Of course I thought Superman had this personal prohibition against taking intelligent life - but I guess it doesn't extend to smart clouds. When I first saw Urko I thought, "Golly, he looks a lot like Ming." Turns out I just happened to have a spare Ming figure so I painted him green, accented his mustache and eyes and drew the star-burst emblem on his chest with a black paint pen. Urko lives again!!
Nauticushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05483976924682794618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941921649922952352.post-56983100715623970522012-11-25T16:50:00.000-08:002012-11-25T16:50:10.596-08:00My Favorite Superman Artists<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe-NhVV9yId0MenaeMJSefyT7XPxydorZKidVWXE9yzSyM9p6U-pW_fmdfS76EB5nO7OmKblzaCRMkKnwm7e6svKcD_wPfZDcw7L-X57tNY1GJJ00Mtz1CFbUP9NnfSkdOB7RfcURixA4/s1600/Blog-Superman-Artist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe-NhVV9yId0MenaeMJSefyT7XPxydorZKidVWXE9yzSyM9p6U-pW_fmdfS76EB5nO7OmKblzaCRMkKnwm7e6svKcD_wPfZDcw7L-X57tNY1GJJ00Mtz1CFbUP9NnfSkdOB7RfcURixA4/s320/Blog-Superman-Artist.jpg" /></a></div>
I picked up a compilation comic recently (Giant 80 page Superman No. 187) that had three stories with my favorite artists. I confess that these stories from the 1950's and 1960's had some of my favorite Superman art in them - check the page. This was how I saw Superman and still do. There's something about the set of the jaw, the way he's depicted in flight that appealed to me and still does. I never really paid attention to who the artists were when I was young and I'm only marginally more aware of them today. In my defense back in the day that artist information was rarely annotated in the comics. Turns out, according to some of the reference material I've checked out, the penciler on these stories was Wayne Boring and the inker was Stan Kaye. This is sort of like my favorite actor portraying Superman was George Reeves and my favorite James Bond was Sean Connery. It was nice to see this art again and I wanted to share - so there ya be....Nauticushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05483976924682794618noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4941921649922952352.post-42085564527201091592012-11-22T07:50:00.001-08:002012-11-22T08:33:27.308-08:00Ol-Vir from Daxam<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaTIOxddGR1fmM0htex-XvCBNpL442XVyA5u_v0ekbbzDlLEvOE-9ubBR0eSo4ehUe5gqzz4yJawbSjg1G3ZO-j3QLkhZqS9he3QzlkX21DE5O1uLtOIPgxP6FSgA130C8nbe7SgMEdeA/s1600/Blog-Ol-Vir.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaTIOxddGR1fmM0htex-XvCBNpL442XVyA5u_v0ekbbzDlLEvOE-9ubBR0eSo4ehUe5gqzz4yJawbSjg1G3ZO-j3QLkhZqS9he3QzlkX21DE5O1uLtOIPgxP6FSgA130C8nbe7SgMEdeA/s320/Blog-Ol-Vir.jpg" /></a></div>
Daxam is a world where the people are humanoid but, similarly to Kryptonians, when they are exposed to certain gravitational conditions and the influence of a yellow sun, they gain superpowers. However, unlike Kryptonians who are weakened by Kryptonite, Daxamites are brought low by lead. Guess there's not a lot of that where they're from. In the 30th Century Darkseid, a really bad dude and major villain in the DC Comics universe, grabbed a Daxamite named Ol-Vir and had him carry out several missions for the him. Ol-Vir joined the Legion of Super-Villains for a time and fought the Legion of Superheroes, but was defeated. I used various GI Joe parts and head for Ol-Vir and some epoxy putty for the collar on his uniform.
Nauticushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05483976924682794618noreply@blogger.com0