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*** Head on over to my Ebay Auctions to see what’s available this week, or commission me if you’d like your very own custom action figure like this one. ***
Janine Melnitz is the secretary for the Ghostbusters but every once and a while when the others need the extra help she’s ready to throw on the suit and proton pack and bust some ghosts with the best of them!
Janine was made out of a Hasbro Marvel Legends Marvel Girl figure with the proton pack and belt from a Mattel Peter Venkman, the glasses from a Diamond Select Angel Wesley, and the hands from a Hasbro Marvel Legends two pack Elektra. All sculpting was done with Aves Apoxie Sculpt and all painting was done with Testors Model Masters, which were made for adhering to plastics so they’re perfect for customizing.
The look for this custom was mainly inspired by the cover from this Ghostbusters comic that came out last year, “What in Samhain Just Happened?!”. I also wanted a Janine in a Ghostbusters uniform to go along with the Mattel Movie Masters Ghostbusters figures.
I resculpted her hair to match the French Bob hairstyle she sported in Ghostbusters 2, then painted it all black and then with insignia red trying to make it look as realistic as possible. I also used some diluted blue to give her eyeshadow since Janine was always one to overuse makeup. I had to drill small holes into her hair so the earpieces of her glasses would fit which means they’ll never fall off and they’re still removable. The necklace she comes with is the one Marvel Girl came with just with the X removed from it.
It took some working, but I replaced her hands with Elektra’s since they were perfect for holding the Neutrona Wand and Marvel Girl’s hands were in an open palm position. I painted her hands black to match the standard Ghostbusters gloves. I also repainted her boots black as well, and her outfit the Ghostbusters uniform tan color.
The belt was removed from the Peter Venkman figure (it was actually pretty easy to remove) and glued in place to Janine and I connected the hose right under the belt on her skirt. I had to paint the belt to match the other Ghostbusters since the belt came from the Ghostbusters 2 Peter Venkman which was black instead of white.
The Proton Pack was probably the most interesting part about this custom, because it wasn’t easy prying that thing off Venkman’s back! I struggled with the idea of making the pack removable or not and finally figured out how. When I took the pack off Venkman there was an empty space in the pack itself, so I took some foam sheet and cut a piece to fit inside, glued it in place and painted it black. Then I poked 4 holes in it. Then I took the straps from a backpack accessory that came with a skateboarding figure, painted them green, and made the pegs from that fit into the 4 holes I had just made in the foam. That way Janine can wear the Proton Pack and it can be easily removed. No fuss! Just an extra level of detail I felt the official Mattel Ghostbusters should have had as well.
After all that Janine was almost finished. She had the hair, the glasses, the uniform, and the Proton Pack. Now all she needed was the patches. I made her name tag by using the actual font used for the Ghostbusters nametags and printed it out on standard printer paper. Then I took some clear packing tape and placed it on the front and back of the nametag, cut it out, and glued it in the right spot. I also used some matte sealant over the nametag for extra insurance it wasn’t going anywhere. I did the same thing to the Ghostbusters logo on her right arm.
So now Janine Melnitz is fully ready and equipped to bust some ghosts right alongside the others, or on her own when they’re all too busy. Just remember when they say “Who you gonna call?” the first person you talk to is Janine Melnitz.
