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02-05-2022, 03:27 PM | #1 |
Mayor of Geek Creek
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Twin Falls, Idaho
Posts: 4,752
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I loves me some ninja turtles, which should come as no surprise to those of you who've perused my other TMNT thread I began back in 2014. (Somehow, the fact that my previous TMNT toy photo thread is eight years old weirds me out much more so than the fact that I'll be turning forty-five this year.) However, that older thread was designed to be a catch-all gallery for TMNT figures and kitbashes from any iteration of the franchise that might strike my fancy, whereas it has become clear in recent years that my collection will henceforth revolve completely around NECA's figures based on the 1990 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film (and whatever other toys I can half-assedly customize to justify their inclusion.) To my way of thinking, my newly streamlined collecting focus necessitates a new and more specified thread, added to which the discouraging fact that, while my old TMNT thread has a humbling and affirming number of views, in recent years the conversation therein has slowed to nearly a halt, and what I crave more than views or, lord help us, "likes," is conversation about this absurd franchise, so I hope you'll bear with me as I start a new and uncalled-for gallery. (Not really so new, honestly; this first, mammoth post of the thread is largely copy-pasted from a similar thread I launched at the Fwoosh forum a couple years ago... and yet that thread has a few thousand views but zero comments, and again, I am all about discussing this silly hobby.) Before I forget: I call my ever-expanding head canon surrounding the '90 film "The Hensonverse," owing to the fact that the Turtle suits from Jim Henson Studios remain eerie and enchanting and (mostly) convincing to me even now, thirty-plus years after the film's release. Just getting that explanation out of the way now, 'cause if I keep adding to this thread, you'll likely see the word "Hensonverse" a lot. Also, a disclaimer: Many of you already know that most of my "customs" are usually just lazy kitbashes, and sometimes not even that! (In a habit I loftily and self-aggrandizingly call "found art," I sometimes like to take an existing toy and change nothing but its name; cower at my customizing might!) Now then, enough with the obligatory long-winded and navel-gazing Geek Creek intro; let's get to the photos! First up, a few odds and ends from my brief tenure as a collector of NECA's quarter-scale turtles. Here I used the shells from two 2003 Playmates Turtles and the binocular accessory from an old quarter-scale Darth Maul to create a movie-aesthetic Turtle Comm: Cinematic Cheapskate: I am inordinately saddened that I haven't found a suitable vehicle to recreate this next absurdity in the seven-inch scale. Behold, the Our Generation Sweet Stop Ice Cream Truck! Triceraton skull (a triceratops skull aquarium prop with some odd bits from McFarlane Manga Overtkill glued on): I found a cat skull in the Snake River Canyon and asked my niece to sew a prison hat for him to pay strange tribute to Scratch, a character and toy that was after my time: (From here, the rest of the photos are of the seven-inch figures.) I used an old McFarlane Ultima Online figure as a Hensonverse take on Metalhead: (I like that it looks like something an actor would crawl inside to operate.) Another cinematic Turtle Comm, this time a Hot Toys Roadblock GPS accessory with swappable wee printouts of the turtles and April: Found a lizard skin on a shoot and reckoned the turtles mightn't be the only mutants in Northampton: Here's Michelangelo's motorized skateboard (clearly meant to emulate the vintage Cheapskate toy) from the sixth-scale DreamEx figure. It scales much better with the NECA figures: Donatello's latest invention, put together from Technodrome parts after the turtles defeated Krang and Shredder: (I wish I'd kept this one.) DC Collectibles Artists Alley James Groma Batman Vinyl Figure, aka Wingnut: (I wish I'd kept this one, too.) Donatello upgrades (the parts are from Funko Legacy Evolve Hank, except the goggles, which came from Star Wars Black Chewbacca): Space Donatello (NECA Mego-style Interstellar astronaut bits): Valerobots custom-painted my Transformers Titans Return Fortress Maximus into the robot mode of the TMNT Party Wagon! I've since conducted a paint wash on the Party Wagon; I'll share updated photos soon. In the meantime, here's the NECA Robocop vs. Terminator dog as Donatello's pet: Marvel Legends Korg and McFarlane's Total Chaos Quartz as Tragg and Granitor: McFarlane's Heap as Muckman: (I've added much more garbage to him, and I'm pursuing additional mods that I hope to share soon.) Since NECA's 1990 Hensonverse Shredder and Foot Soldier share a body, I thought it might be cool to do a quick swap and see how Oroku Saki looks clad in black: McFarlane Toys Movie Maniacs Brundlefly as Baxter Stockman: (I also wish I'd kept this one.) NECA's Robocop ED-209 as a giant Mouser: Donatello reprogramming and sparring with the Mega Mouser: NECA Armored Kickass gear for Casey Jones: To close, some of my favorite portraits: ...whew! Believe it or not, I still have dozens or perhaps hundreds of photos from the past two years or so to share, including customs or kitbashes (many by friends who are much more talented than me!) of such TMNT oddities as Lionheart, Cowabunga Carl, Man-Ray aka Ray Fillet, April O'Neil, Dirtbag, Rat King, Traximus the Triceraton, Dogpound, and Fugitoid, plus crossovers with geek properties as far-ranging and unlikely as Back to the Future, Ghostbusters, Sigma 6, the G.I. Joe Adventure Team, and Bucky O'Hare. And if you got through this unforgivably gigantic post and you inexplicably still crave more TMNT nonsense, I recommend meds, but in the meantime here is a link to my older and far vaster TMNT thread: https://www.hisstank.com/forum/g-i-j...os-thread.html Last edited by Monte Williams; 02-06-2022 at 02:23 PM.. |
02-05-2022, 10:27 PM | #2 |
dreadnok
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: New Castle, Delaware
Posts: 1,385
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Very nice man! I love all the dio?s and other characters added in. Ive gotten into collecting neca and super7 turtles this past year.
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My feedback http://www.hisstank.com/forum/buy-se...-feedback.html My modern updated customs http://www.hisstank.com/forum/g-i-jo...s-customs.html My old customs: http://www.hisstank.com/forum/member.../customs-1626/ |
02-05-2022, 10:36 PM | #3 |
Mayor of Geek Creek
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Twin Falls, Idaho
Posts: 4,752
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Thanks, Germ!
A friend of mine is all in on the Super 7 stuff. So far I've only gotten Metalhead and Bebop and Rocksteady; I parted with Metalhead and Bebop is a bit too cartoony for my tastes (but only because I'm trying to make him fit into a live-action movie context), but Rocksteady is absolute perfection. As for dioramas, my friend Skot made a sewer lair dio for me last year. I'll add some shots of it to this thread eventually. It's amazing. |
02-05-2022, 11:49 PM | #4 |
Badass Mofo
Join Date: May 2012
Location: The SLC
Posts: 138
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Cowabunga, dude! Outstanding work full of fun and creativity. Every single one of these shots is masterfully done, but I particularly loved the turtles vs. the t-rex series (including that first pic of them looking off the cliff) and kayakin' Leo. Also, repurposing the robocop as a mega-mouser is perfect.
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Knowing is half the battle...the other half is violence. |
02-06-2022, 12:13 AM | #5 |
ORZO
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: PA
Posts: 2,135
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I agree, these are absolutely stunning pictures! Then the accessories, creativity in the setups and how much fun I know you had to be having while taking them.......love it! Huge turtle fan so can’t wait to see more!
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Orzo’s Custom Thread (GUIDE in 1st Post): http://www.hisstank.com/forum/g-i-jo...kitbashes.html Orzo’s Toy Photography & Appreciation Thread (GUIDE in 1st Post): https://www.hisstank.com/forum/g-i-j...ml#post5391654 Orzo’s Dio-Stories & Comics (TOC in 1st Post): https://www.hisstank.com/forum/g-i-j...ml#post5347693 |
02-06-2022, 01:48 AM | #6 |
Hisstank.Com General
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Secret underground complex
Posts: 7,023
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Monte!
I remember you from JBL. It is so nice to see superior customs and photos on this site. |
02-06-2022, 12:16 PM | #7 |
Ukulele Viper
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: La Belle Province.
Posts: 1,849
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Great work, Monte!
Love how you've extended your collection digging in other lines. Same for accessories, wow. Many many awesome pics in this thread! My faves include Leo in the boat and the pics in the sewers, with slime. Awesome.
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02-06-2022, 03:54 PM | #8 |
Mayor of Geek Creek
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Twin Falls, Idaho
Posts: 4,752
|
Thanks for the kind words, folks! Not sure why I find forums so much more satisfying than Instagram, but somehow the conversation in this format feels more natural and intuitive. Maybe I'm just old and set in my ways.
Quote:
Quote:
Thanks, I'll be obliging you in this very post! Quote:
I miss Sigma 6, and I miss the glory days of that forum! Wait a minute... who's this next fella? Geez, do they just let anybody post around here? Quote:
In the meantime, how's about another ginormous photo-bomb? First off, my buddy Jarred created this brilliant custom of Doctor El, the elephant witch doctor from the vintage TMNT series. If memory serves, he used a Marvel Select Rhino body along with a McFarlane Poacher II head. The loincloth is my addition; you'll note that I quickly replaced it with something more colorful. In my head canon, Leo undertook a long, adventurous spiritual journey in pursuit of Doctor El; the first photo below is a teaser that shows Leonardo resting at one of Doctor El's many temples. (Aquarium props are one of my favorite things to photograph.) More photos from Leonardo's journey into the Realm of Faerie and other perilous environs: (That first shot of El Fauno from Guillermo del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth is probably my all-time favorite capture from my nearly twenty years of toy photography.) Donatello got his hands on a vintage 1972 G.I. Joe Adventure Team Mobile Support Vehicle! I added some NECA Power Loader pieces and some old McFarlane X-Files diorama pieces and assorted accessories to the Mobile Support Vehicle to make it a bit more TMNT-worthy. I also removed the bubble windshield for some of the shots; it's my favorite part of the vehicle, but it's a huge pain to photograph! Traumateyes! Starring Raphael and Krang Prime (actually a Halloween mask.) I bought NECA's take on Metalhead, but didn't keep it long 'cause its design is too clean and simple for the movie aesthetic: A couple years ago, a friend and former colleague surprised me with a Super 7 Lion-O. I had to donate the Sword of Omens to Leo for a quick (and heavily gimmicked) portrait: Speaking of lions, here is a radsauce custom Lionheart courtesy of Jarred: Donatello's new hat, plus a mech that Dusty Ayers might recognize: I decided the Foot Soldiers from the 1990 live-action movie are robots, like they were in the '80s cartoon: A run-in with Lord Simultaneous (who I've since captured in custom form, although I haven't photographed him yet) sent Donnie to the future, Leo to the Horn of Africa in the 1800s, and Raph to the Old West, resulting in a Hensonverse take on the Wacky Wild West Turtles: My friend Skot and I went to Robert Louis Stevenson Park last summer, and he brought his amazing Hensonverse Jennika custom along for the ride... plus an awesome Mythic Legions steed! I also photographed Leonardo atop the horse, not that you can discern which turtle it is from this distance (nor even that it is a turtle!): Moving on, ya know who else is staggeringly talented at the custom game? Tankster Innovations! He sold me his kickass Man-Ray aka Ray Fillet for a song, and after several months I finally managed to visit the ocean for a shoot: It's a gorgeous custom, although I'll probably sell or trade it since my collection is so movie-focused. Also last summer, I returned to my old stomping grounds of Twin Falls, Idaho, where I took Jarred's brilliant Lionheart and Doctor El out for their first ever shared portrait: I also photographed a slightly less ambitious custom beneath the Perrine Bridge, namely my lazy (and strange) Cowabunga Carl kitbash: However, my primary goal during the trip to Idaho (besides visiting old friends, of course) was to utilize the tank parked out in front of the National Guard building as a stand-in for Krang's HQ for a sequence I call Attack the Technodrome: I'm pretty happy with the sense of scale. Next, I want to share three portraits of something that is almost unprecedented in my many years and thousands of posts here at the HISS Tank: a custom I actually painted. Admittedly, it was just a simple paint wash, but it was my first, and it felt rather high-stakes, considering the toy in question cost about $200! Basically, I popped the head from a Funko Pop Metalhead onto the Titans Return Omega Supreme to suggest that Donatello used Krang's molecular amplification unit on Metalhead: Here is my lazy April O'Neil kitbash utilizing a NECA Laurie Strode body: I had an idea, inspired by Turtles Forever, of combining various Aprils in my Hensonverse, but I decided I didn't like the idea enough to spend a lot of money on it, so all I pursued was NECA Hunger Games Rue as the April from Rise of the TMNT (a show I've never even seen, but here we are): Here again is the G.I. Joe Sigma Metal Mayhem mech, this time in the sewer lair dio my friend Skot made (better shots of the lair will appear at the end of this post): Here are some shots for Germ, featuring Super 7 Bebop and Rocksteady, who are perhaps a bit too cartoony to pair with the movie figures (especially Bebop), but they're damn fun toys: An updated shot of Shell Shock aka the robot mode of the Party Wagon, painted by Valerobots and then weathered by yours truly: A lazy Bucky O'Hare kitbash: A very odd take on Dirtbag that I put together a couple months ago, being a lazy kitbash consisting of a NECA Jason with a Mezco Doc Nocturnal gas mask and hands and feet from NECA Rahzar: His sidekick is Canary, being a severed head in a cage filled with dirt. It screeches lyrics from Tom Waits's "Dirt in the Ground." Up next, a custom 1990 movie version of Nickelodeon's Dogpound character, courtesy once again of my talented and generous friend, Jarred: Custom Triceraton Traximus courtesy of (I hope you're sitting down) Jarred: [I'm using the giant robot (Hasbro's Kingdom Ark) as the robot mode of an escape pod from a Triceraton Cruiser. My TMNT head canon is kind of weird.] A defiantly strange custom Fugitoid by yours truly, once again utilizing Skot's badass sewer lair diorama as a backdrop: I very gently customized my unmasked Casey Jones by adding tape as sweatbands to obscure the ugly wrist joints: Speaking of Casey Jones, here from the mega-talented Josh Izzo is a wicked Mirage Casey Jones custom: And finally, FINALLY, to draw this unjustifiably bloated post to a close, a buttload of photos of the stunning, staggering, awe-inspiring sewer diorama Skot made for me: What Skot accomplished with some paint and a few pieces of foam is nothing short of witchcraft! Add in the dozens of accessories he generously included, plus the dozens and dozens I'd gathered over the years and received from others, and I like to think Don's station looks suitably cluttered and lived in! Thanks for checking out this latest exhausting glut of photos! |
02-07-2022, 06:30 AM | #9 |
Badass Mofo
Join Date: May 2012
Location: The SLC
Posts: 138
|
These works can best be described as radical, gnarly, and totally tubular. A few favs from the new batch:
The modifications to the Adventure Team vehicle are amazing. It looks right at home in the world of TMNT. Really creative (and brutal!) use of that Halloween mask. Using a real tank to represent the Technodrome is pure genius. I can't say enough about how cool those shots are. More exceptional creativity with the giant Metalhead custom. You found a way to make a Funko Pop look cool! The paintjob looks great. Don's lab -- wow.
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Knowing is half the battle...the other half is violence. Last edited by Superbad; 02-07-2022 at 06:32 AM.. Reason: Clarity |
02-07-2022, 09:29 PM | #10 |
Mayor of Geek Creek
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Twin Falls, Idaho
Posts: 4,752
|
Thank you, Superbad! I always found that Adventure Team vehicle compelling, and it was fun as hell to kitbash it.
As for the Halloween mask, I have a vague idea for a diorama involving it. Just need to buy some foam and discover if I have the knack. Thanks again for the kind words! |
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