[Fred Broca]

My take on Classified-style Flash (at last!)
First, for any who've not seen my work, this is a digital composite image I made for fun in Photoshop, from a combination of pics from HISS Tank?s website as well as my own photos (the Sig Sauer is from Wiki). It's part of a series that just grew out of my wanting to see the classic G.I. JOE team done in the Classified style.

Not much to say really, other than that I believe I was unconsciously drawing from the original Flash Thompson for the portrait. I think it fits though, lol. Hope you all dig it! - https://m.facebook.com/groups/398663...ibextid=Nif5oz

[AWOL]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fred Broca

There was something about Flint?s look?the beret and spats/ boot covers? that made me think of a WWII style Action hero

He's actually more badass than Duke, having been a Ranger AND a Green Beret:

[Fred Broca]

My man Flint! For me, my love of G.I. JOE is broken up into two parts: the O13 and Everyone Else, lol. Of the Everyone Else category, Flint is my absolute fav (or rather tied with Storm Shadow, Roadblock and Airborne, but anyhow.) There was something about Flint's look, (the beret and spats/ boot covers,) that made me think of a WWII style action hero, which I loved as a young kid. Before there was Star Wars there were WWII movies on TV to give that sense of adventure that cartoons in those days couldn't). So, for this render I really wanted to give him that old-school style of mansomeness and swag in his likeness and vibe.

As with all my other PS renders of late this is less about real-life accuracy and strictly about a love-note to my kid/teen self and homage to the original '85 figure (which I also didn't have,) but by then my toy obsessing had been hijacked by Transformers, (lol) Any how, (@[Daryn Marshall,) I decided to go with your initial recommendation and give Flint the Master Parachutist badge). And since this is retro, I also thought it would be cool to give him an old M88 style helmet. Hope you all dig it! - https://m.facebook.com/groups/398663...ibextid=Nif5oz

[Fred Broca]

Everybody cut'a Footloose! Back with another render (caught Covid over a month ago and it really threw me off my rhythm). The funny thing with Footloose for me is that the only connection I had with the character back in the day was that I thought he was funny as hell in the cartoon, (Freak me out maaaan,) after a close encounter with a scorpion), and he was the only JOE that talked like my friends and I (duuuude!), lol.

Anyhow, with this I just stayed as true to the original figure as possible with a modern touch here and there. For his face likeness, I did my best to convey a man who was both serious about his job and juuust a bit out there, as the original card bio stated (it's all in the eyes). Hope you all dig it!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/3986...ibextid=Nif5oz

[Fred Broca]

Greetings Elites! This is Classified Grunt! Yes, a digibash/composite I made in photoshop (the figure photos I used are from Hisstank, as well as Bobby Vala's Action Force line for the helmet, so I hope I've not stepped out of bounds in using them, and my sincere apologies if I have). Any how, just having fun imagining what one of my Old-school favs would look like. And yes, I know many of you don't like the shin guards. I LOVE the shin guards, and I'll tell you why: they're clearly a nod to the greatest G.I. JOE movie of all time......Aliens (as in James Cameron's Aliens film), lol).- https://m.facebook.com/groups/398663...ibextid=Nif5oz





Just finished Classified style Grunt version 2.0. First, weapons are from Tomytec and the photos for this composite are a mix of my own and from Hisstank.com

I just wanted harmonize the original image I did a bit more with the ones that came after. I tweaked his face a bit, added a gritted teeth face as an homage to the original ARAH card art, and added some bonus hands (a thing I really hope we see soon!). Now that Roadblock is happily in my collection, I decided to use his helmet in order for more unit solidarity (going to put it in my updates). As for the design of the helmet, I made it a hybrid of the modern tactical helmet and that of JOE member 'Bazooka' (always dug his look) where the side flaps cover more of the ears (purely an artistic choice there), and a headset so's to communicate with his teammates. Hope you all dig it as much as I had fun in making it! - https://m.facebook.com/groups/398663...ibextid=Nif5oz







My latest render: Grunt version 3, lol. (Grunt is my muse with all things G.I. JOE)

So, while I wanted to homage the original figure, as I've been doing lately with my other images, I also wanted to see how far I could keep pushing the classic iconic aesthetic in the modern direction. I didn't want to do two separate renders though, but the divide in fandom I've noticed lately (i.e. Classicism vs New interpretation etc.) gave me the idea of why not doing both? Why not a figure you could kit out in any direction you wanted? Yes, while I was initially skeptical that Hasbro would ever give a single figure THIS many accessories, the sheer amount of glorious plastic that came with Serpentor-Superstar gives me hope. Plus, these renders for me are all about dreams, and if you?re going to dream, then dream big I say!

So, with the kit, classic style suspender harness and M16, and with the more modern figure an MSV style vest with the classic suspenders and the US Army?s new Sig-Sauer squad weapons. Hope you all dig it! - https://m.facebook.com/groups/398663...ibextid=Nif5oz

[Breakerfan]

I have no words to express how quickly I would put my money down for that Baroness and Hawk.

[Fred Broca]

I'm remembering mild summer days in Vancouver, (40 years ago,) on my familie's front lawn area and firing missiles at imaginary COBRA fighter jets. Page 3 of my love note to the past is therefore Colonel Hawk and the original MMS! The missiles are from promo image of a model set: AFV Club's 1:35 scale MIM-23 'Hawk' missile system (I see what you did there Hasbro.) though touched up with some classic logos. I could write an essay about how dear that original set was to me, but I think the point has been made, lol.

While the intent for this was mainly Retro-tastic, I wanted to give it a touch of modern. Instead of a control panel, I gave Hawk a little tablet where he could work the MIMs/MMS and communicate with his team. Hope you all dig it! - https://m.facebook.com/groups/398663...ibextid=Nif5oz

[Fred Broca]

My latest render, Kwinn! There is no greater love for me in all G.I. JOE'dom than the legendary Inuk Mercenary, Kwinn. Hands down my most favourite character in all the franchise. Not Snake-eyes, not Duke, not Stalker or Hawk or Flint, Destro, Storm Shadow, but Kwinn. The character for me was one of those things that happens in fiction, where an author seems to tap into something deep with a particular character, one that really comes to life in one's mind and heart. In hindsight his story was somewhat brief, but it really moved me when I was a kid; here was this large, fierce, powerful man, incredibly cunning, resourceful and knowledgeable, but one who didn't lord those qualities over others (well, sort of). He lived and breathed his own code and spirituality, and followed them right to the very end, in what was both an impressive display of self-mastery while also delivering one of the series most epic take-downs. His death in the comic really moved me, but as they say, great characters never truly die.

For this render, I went with his second and most iconic look, as that is the one I resonate with. His weapon was a bit trickier though; how do you handhold and aim a metal box that kicks like a horse? Yes, he did it in the comics, but for a figure idea, I went with a WWII inspired bale/handle to slip over the barrel, whereupon he?d hold the weapon like a movie minigun. I couldn't decide whether to give him a Predator/Iron Man ammo chute set-up or typical backpack, so I included both, lol.

As for his appearance, (portrait,) I did my best to create something that felt as authentic and true as possible to what he embodied to me. Someone calm (sleeping volcano type of calm), outwardly dispassionate (he was still a merc), calculating, fierce yet with a touch of pain in his expression (cause you don?t get wise in this life without goin through some shit!). I also added a few more items to his necklace that are traditionally worn by Inuit Hunters: Walrus teeth and tusk edges to go with the Weasel skulls.

I gave him short hair to make him feel more paramilitary and mercenary-like, but also to denote his inner discipline. Lastly, Kwinn said he'd fought the Polar Bear and won. A feat like that deserves it's own story, but I thought what better way to imply than with some scars on his face and arms. Any how, hope you all dig it! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/3986...4295/permalink

[Fred Broca]

I wasn't going to post this, but I'm having too much fun making these and my inner 9 year old is only egging me on, lol. It goes without saying that R 'n R was another deep sentimental fav of mine, with that huge gun and criss-cross bandolier of bullets (what kid in the 80s wouldn't dig that!) And since I had the comic just before I got the first figure, I was having none of that business of Breaker being on the Ram; that baby was driven by Rock 'n Roll!

In my personal Joe-verse canon, Craig is a classic rocker and musical connoisseur, therefore I had him name his weapons after two classics that he would surely love and that helped me get into the spirit of Rock 'n Roll (Rick Derringer's "Rock 'n Roll Hoochie Koo," and Little Richard's "Lucille!")

And needless to say, I am SUUUPER stoked to see what Hasbro has in store on Wednesday! My Classified Breaker days on the Ram are already numbered, lol. Hope you all dig it!






Inspired from Valaverse's AF Trigger figure and Sideshow's 12" figure....Special Mail-Away Exclusive Rock 'n Roll! In my JOE cannon, R 'n R is a child of the 60s, Vietnam vet (though forever comic-book young,) and lover of the classics!
https://m.facebook.com/groups/398663...ibextid=Nif5oz

[Fred Broca]

Apparently someone on IG's been trying to take credit for these. All images are watermarked and noted as digital renders. And serious shout out to Herb Jay and Marauder Ruben for giving me the heads up! Thanks guys!

Classified Scarlett! Number 4 in my O.G.13 'dream figures' digital renders. (EDIT: the helmet I've been using in these images is from Bobby Vala's upcoming Action-Force line, so my sincerest apologies in forgetting to credit him on that! I also used pics from Hisstank as well as my own).

As for Scarlett here, this one is more about the head sculpt, as I wasn't planning on making Scarlett initially, but I'd figured why not; the the image of her on the original ARAH card art was the most striking of the bunch, and I'd always wanted that likeness in figure form. I tried to get that ARAH card likeness, but I found it doesn't translate well to the semblance of 3D dimensions, (the eyes are actually freakishly huge and the tiny flared nose looked skeletal, lol.) So, I did my best to normalize the features from that image and this was the result. As with the other figures, maaan, the things I'm learning after reading the bios after all these years, lol! I didn't know that Ms. Scarlett is a sniper, and thus the larger rifle. Got rid of the giant big bright red and white target on her left shoulder, and the green helmet is a nod to the one she sported on missions in the early comics. Hope you all dig it! More on the way! And thank you all for the support and encouragement! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/3986...ibextid=Nif5oz