My attempt at Muppet Customs

[beaker]

Decided to try my hand at some custom outfit paint jobs.

First up is "Daft Gonzo", inspired by listening to French techno funk robot band Daft Punk(seen here: http://www.musicnewsculture.com/pix/daft-punk-helmet.jpg )

Sucky camera phone pics unfortunately, but here goes:

front:
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos...63425259162_1039387066_31352334_4179378_n.jpg

back:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=31352338&id=1039387066&ref=fbx_album

next up is classic hipster nerd Gonzo:

front:
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos...63425739174_1039387066_31352339_7723930_n.jpg

side:
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos...63425779175_1039387066_31352340_2003388_n.jpg

back:
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos...63426139184_1039387066_31352341_6708951_n.jpg

in scale with other 3 3/4" - 4" Muppet action figures
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos...63426179185_1039387066_31352342_7218614_n.jpg

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos...63426219186_1039387066_31352343_6367072_n.jpg

 

[Dearth]

I can't get a couple of the links to work, but I'm amazed at the checker pattern you painted, especially on such a small figure.

Hey, I gotta ask, where did you get that 4"-scaled Beaker? That would come in really handy for a photonovel I've got planned.

Keep 'em coming!

Dearth

 

[beaker]

I can't get a couple of the links to work, but I'm amazed at the checker pattern you painted, especially on such a small figure.

Hey, I gotta ask, where did you get that 4"-scaled Beaker? That would come in really handy for a photonovel I've got planned.

Keep 'em coming!

Dearth

Oh thanks. I realize I need to get a proper camera. I used to do a lot of actual custom Muppet and cartoon character figures; either via modifying existing figures/figure parts with super sculpey and acrylic paints, or wholly from scratch with plasticine and or sculpey. My friend tho was showing me how to make original molds in silicon, and creating production of figures you sculpt with either one solid piece or jointed pieces(either by scratch, or grafting sculpted parts onto existing figures to create an original cast) from there you can pour in two part vinyl injections, rubber, resin, or varying plastics(tho recommended for outside) For instance, if one was to win a prototype on ebay that was unreleased, one could take the figure apart at the factory seams and recreate it with silicon molds.


Oh! so yeah, the gonzo I used was from here:
http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/The_Muppets_Take_Hollywood_PVC_figures

And the Beaker figure is a reconstructed(with joints, and slightly repainted) one of this rather rare line of collapseable Muppet characters in 2003. I think they came out with Kermit, Piggy, Fozzie, Gonzo, Animal, Beaker and Pepe. But essentially they were on these little bases, and each joint was tethered by string and you pressed a button on the base.

Since the 80's I've been obsessed with finding Muppet/Henson related figures/pvcs in the 3 3/4"-4" scale, and its interesting how now all the sudden most the figures at the stores went from the Mcfarlane standard back to the 80's 3 3/4" scale(tho sadly, still retaining the $10-$11 price point)

 

[Hartley]

Brilliant! I want Daft Gonzo playing at my house, my house!

Phil

 

[beaker]

Brilliant! I want Daft Gonzo playing at my house, my house!

Phil

Ha! That reminds me, I'm half jokingly thinking of putting a bonus track on my album Im finishing up(its kind of indie dance pop music with a hint of comedy) with a disco house electronica funky song called "LCD Soundsystem Sold Out My Room"(*is a HUGE LCD fan*)

I wish my camera was better, as I did the little zippers, back of the leather jacket lettering("Daft Gonzo"), and little chrome plates on the gloves detail.

 

[Hartley]

Ha! That reminds me, I'm half jokingly thinking of putting a bonus track on my album Im finishing up(its kind of indie dance pop music with a hint of comedy) with a disco house electronica funky song called "LCD Soundsystem Sold Out My Room"(*is a HUGE LCD fan*)

Excellent, do it!

Sound of Silver - best album of the noughties.

Phil

 

[Dearth]

And the Beaker figure is a reconstructed(with joints, and slightly repainted) one of this rather rare line of collapseable Muppet characters in 2003. I think they came out with Kermit, Piggy, Fozzie, Gonzo, Animal, Beaker and Pepe. But essentially they were on these little bases, and each joint was tethered by string and you pressed a button on the base.

Wow, those are obscure. I only found one photo of these "push puppets" online:
https://plus3.safe-order.net/cgi-mj...UT!3C/font> Push Puppet - Muppets 4 Piece Set

3-D Animators, they were called. And they only show four of them. My curiosity is piqued... now I want to get some of those.

Dearth

 

[Dearth]

My friend tho was showing me how to make original molds in silicon, and creating production of figures you sculpt with either one solid piece or jointed pieces(either by scratch, or grafting sculpted parts onto existing figures to create an original cast) from there you can pour in two part vinyl injections, rubber, resin, or varying plastics(tho recommended for outside) For instance, if one was to win a prototype on ebay that was unreleased, one could take the figure apart at the factory seams and recreate it with silicon molds.

I know some folks who've done that with Star Wars prototypes, but I find more often that once someone spends that much money on an unreleased item, they're very hesitant to give others the chance to own a copy for less. Whether fear of devaluing their investment or just crazy Daffy Duck greed, I can't say.

I've contemplated investing in the silicon materials for my customs. Like, right now I am doing two identical customs simultaenously. It would have been very useful to make one and then mold it, but I've been doing all the work in duplicate by hand.

Dearth

 

[beaker]

Excellent, do it!

Sound of Silver - best album of the noughties.

Phil

I had never even heard of LCD Soundsystem til I came across the video for "North American Scum" on youtube and I immediately fell in love with the whole sound and theme. LCD seem to be one of the few newer acts Ive seen that have the fun irreverent spirit of new wave/post punkish sort of zany bands from the 80's I love like Talking Heads, B-52's, Devo, They Might Be Giants, etc.(that fun irreverent sound with a deeper subtext or social message imbued) I could totally see James Murphy on Sesame Street or doing something with the Muppets ala Weezer's Gone Fishin'.

Speaking of Talking Heads, have you seen this Kermit the frog spoof of "Once in a Lifetime" from Muppets Tonight?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jbya4kxC6E

 

[beaker]

I know some folks who've done that with Star Wars prototypes, but I find more often that once someone spends that much money on an unreleased item, they're very hesitant to give others the chance to own a copy for less. Whether fear of devaluing their investment or just crazy Daffy Duck greed, I can't say.

I've contemplated investing in the silicon materials for my customs. Like, right now I am doing two identical customs simultaenously. It would have been very useful to make one and then mold it, but I've been doing all the work in duplicate by hand.

Dearth

Yep! Thats exactly what my friend Damon does, is professional star wars customs, complete with creating authentic(tho hyper stylized) card backing/blister packaging. photoshop printed onto comic book backing boards on each side then cut to fit the card size)

I remember being very very involved in the comic book/star wars/etc custom figure scene online in 1997-2000 big time. I even was doing random celebrity/tv/movie actor customs on star wars spoof cards as kind of a joke(basically I'd find a 3 1/4 or 4" random figure, and then create a custom sculpted head of whatever celebrity I thought would be fun)

I myself would LOVE to see more vinyl Muppet figures come out officially. I dug the vinylmations and kubricks, but I want to see more! Imagine a fun, urban vinyl styled beaker, sam eagle or big mean carl.

As far as mold duplicates Id love to see; dark crystal.
I couldnt believe how awesome these prototypes were!

http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/_...mages/5/55/Dark_Crystal_Figures_-_Garthim.jpg

http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/File:Dark_Crystal_Figures_-_Landstrider.jpg

http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/_...images/7/70/Dark_Crystal_Figures_-_Mystic.jpg

http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20070122054926/muppet/images/2/24/DCfigure.skeskis.jpg

Can you only imagine how cool itd be if those had been released in 1982? I wish, how like NECA rereleased the original 1982 Tron figures, they coulda gotten ahold of the prototype molds and made these. But my dream is for a continual line of 3 3/4" to 4" Muppet universe figures to be released by Disney, much like the Kenner/Hasbro Star Wars line.

Wow, those are obscure. I only found one photo of these "push puppets" online:
https://plus3.safe-order.net/cgi-mj...UT!3C/font> Push Puppet - Muppets 4 Piece Set

3-D Animators, they were called. And they only show four of them. My curiosity is piqued... now I want to get some of those.

Dearth

Oh cool, I had never seen online pix of them. Basically in 2003 I had read someone on here post a press release or something talking about Muppet toys coming out, and those piqued my interest; and given I couldnt find them anywhere where I am I had someone from here track em down for me. But unlike Palisades and Sababa's Muppet/Fraggle stuff, not many of these seemed to get released. I took the head off the 3d Animator
Pepe and put it on the Jack in the Box Pepe( http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20080306143159/muppet/images/c/ce/PepeClappersPVC.jpg ) figure: