Tag Archives: mattel

New Custom Figures – Armored Batman with Light Up Eyes and Movie Repaint Batman!

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Hey everyone. Now that Batman v Superman Dawn of Justice is here, I wanted to celebrate with some customs! I bring you two this week. The first is a repainted DC Comics Multiverse Batman v Superman Batman. He’s been repainted head to toe to be more realistic and movie accurate, had the weird cowl texture sanded down, given a new fabric cape, and I’ve given him a grapnel gun, and a movie accurate batarang I made out of styrene. The second is Armored Batman with light up eyes!. With some customizing magic, I added an LED inside the figure so Armored Batman’s eyes light up in that awesome intimidating way like in the movie. Not only that, but this one has also been fully repainted to look more realistic, and he’s got a fabric cape, and I even made him a Kryptonite spear, like the one he uses in the film. I’m really proud of how I was able to fit the wiring, switch, and battery compartment in the figure.

Be sure to check out the pages for each custom to see lots more pics, and read up on how they were made. Also, the Youtube videos for my Batman and Armored Batman custom figures have exclusive WIP photos! The Batman and Armored Batman customs are also up for auction on eBay this week. If you’re interested, or know someone who might be, click the pictures below to take you to the corresponding auction page. Thanks for looking!

 


Armored Batman with Light Up Eyes (Batman v Superman Movie Style) DC Universe Custom Action Figure

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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. ***

And don’t forget to check out the Youtube video below for exclusive WIP (Work In Progress) photos!

Batman’s armored look in Batman v Superman Dawn of Justice is pretty cool, and the Mattel DC Multiverse figure is awesome, but he’s even better with light up eyes! I had to do some heavy modding to this figure to get it to work, since there’s very little room inside the figure for wiring. It took every bit of customizing trickery I know, but now Batman has some awesome and intimidating light up eyes. I used a bright white LED that fits inside the head, with some fogged up clear styrene behind the eye holes to help diffuse the light. I made sure the switch to turn it on and off, and the battery compartment were easily accessible on his back. I removed the cape and added a fabric one, because I thought it looked much better, and hides the switch and battery as an added bonus! The figure has also been given a full repaint, with dark washes, and metallic highlights for a realistic feel. Of course I couldn’t make this figure without giving Batman his Kryptonite Spear! This is the weapon he fashions in the movie to use against Superman, so I had to recreate it. With his light up eyes, kryptonite spear, and grenade launcher, Armored Batman is ready to lay the beat down on that Kryptonian menace, and any other baddies in his way!

Armored Batman with Light Up Eyes (Batman v Superman Movie Style) DC Universe Custom Action FigureArmored Batman with Light Up Eyes (Batman v Superman Movie Style) DC Universe Custom Action Figure

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Batman (Batman v Superman Movie Style) DC Universe Custom Action Figure

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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. ***

And don’t forget to check out the Youtube video below for exclusive WIP (Work In Progress) photos!

The Mattel DC Multiverse Batman v Superman Dawn of Justice Batman has a pretty good sculpt, it just lacks in the paint department. I wanted to give him a full movie accurate, realistic repaint. So I gave all of the gray areas a dark wash, with some light highlinting to really bring out all the detail in the sculpt. I painted the scallops on his gloves gold to match the movie. I cut off the cape and heavily modified the cowl so I could glue it down to the body. Then, I attached a fabric cape for better posing and aesthetics. Of course the head was repainted to look more like Ben Affleck, including his 5 O’Clock shadow! I also sanded down the weird texture on the cowl to match the neck piece. Then, I modified a grapnel gun accessory from one of the basic Dawn of Justice Batman figures. I made it smaller and more compact so it didn’t look quite so ridiculous. I painted it to look like the one he uses in the movie, and fabricated a fully movie accurate batarang out of styrene for him to hold and throw at some criminals! Now Batman is ready to dispense all sorts of righteous Gotham justice!

Batman (Batman v Superman Movie Style) DC Universe Custom Action FigureBatman (Batman v Superman Movie Style) DC Universe Custom Action FigureBatman (Batman v Superman Movie Style) DC Universe Custom Action Figure

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Mattel 6″ Ghostbusters 2016 Action Figures Revealed

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Paul Feig, director of the upcoming Ghostbusters 2016 reboot movie, posted an image, on his Twitter account, of Mattel’s upcoming 6″ line of action figures of the whole new female Ghostbusters team, featuring Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones. Ghostbusters is set to hit theaters on July 15th, 2015.

Continue reading for the full image and more!
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Custom Action Figure – Ra’s Al Ghul, League of Shadows (Movie Style)

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Here is my latest custom, Ra’s Al Ghul in his League of Shadows ninja gear from Batman Begins! I always wanted Mattel to make this version, but since they never did I just had to do it myself. Ra’s Al Ghul has been rendered in complete movie accurate detail, down to the plating on the back of his gloves and even his belt. I even sculpted in and removed the weird open mouth gap the Ra’s head had before. Click on the photo below to see the full photo set and detailed description on how it was made. Click here to see the video for a bunch of exclusive WIP photos! And if you’re interested in owning this custom League of Shadows Ra’s Al Ghul, it’s currently for auction on eBay. If you know someone who might be interested, please pass the link along. And if this is your first time visiting Mint Condition Customs, check out the Custom Action Figure Archive to see every single custom I’ve made up to this point. Mint Condition Customs is where toys become Interactive Art!

 

Ra’s Al Ghul League of Shadows (Movie Style) DC Universe 6″ Custom Action Figure

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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. ***

And don’t forget to check out the Youtube video below to see some exclusive WIP photos!

I always wanted Mattel to make a proper Ra’s Al Ghul Batman Begins figure, but since that never happened, here I bring you Ra’s Al Ghul in full League of Shadows ninja gear! Ra’s al Ghul was made using a Star Wars the Black Series Episode 3 Obi-Wan Kenobi, the head from a Movie Masters Ra’s Al Ghul, and the forearms from a Movie Masters Batman Begins Batman. I fused the Batman Begins forearms to the Obi-Wan arms, and used Aves Apoxie Sculpt to blend and fill in the gaps. I also added plating to the back of the hands (including the rivets!) with styrene. The lower cloak was replaced with fabric. The belt is made using two strips of styrene, with the belt buckle being fodder that happened to be perfectly movie accurate. Everything was repainted several shades of dark brown to match the movie, with the gauntlets dry brushed lightly for a metallic look. The head was also completely repainted, and I even sculpted in to cover that weird open mouth gap he had before. One katana later and League of Shadows Ra’s Al Ghul is ready to take down Batman and do all that is necessary to cleanse the world of corruption!

Custom Action Figure – Batman Arkham Origins w/ Shock Gloves & Thor the Dark World w/ Poseable Cape!

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Hey there! This week’s new customs are a Marvel/DC twofer. Up first is a new custom Batman Arkham Origins figure, complete with video game accurate battle damage and equipped with Electrocutioner Shock Gloves! And then I have a Marvel Select Thor the Dark World custom action figure complete with a wire poseable cloth cape! Click each picture below to see the corresponding page to view the full gallery and detailed description for each custom figure. And don’t forget to view the videos I made for both Arkham Origins Batman and Thor to see exclusive WIP photos and more! And if this is your first time here, check out the Custom Action Figure Archive so you can view every single custom action figure I’ve made up to this point. Here at Mint Condition Customs, toys become Interactive Art!


Batman Arkham Origins (Battle Damaged W/ Shock Gloves) 6″ DC Universe Custom Action Figure

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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. ***

Don’t forget to check out the video I made for this custom action figure near the bottom of the page to see some exclusive WIP (work in progress) photos and more!

This custom Arkham Origins Batman action figure was really fun to work on, because I just got to go crazy with my dremel. Well, not completely. I wanted Batman to look battle damaged, as he does late in the Arkham Origins game. I actually researched stills from the game to make sure the battle damage was accurate. To achieve the damage, I used my dremel on some parts (such as the bullet mark on the chest), but for most of it I used my carbide scriber to dig into the figure to actually give the damage dimension. I then painted inside each damage mark with some silver paint to show the metal plating underneath shining through. I also gave Batman his shock gloves. In the Arkham Origins game, Batman gets these from the Electrocutioner. Once again, I wanted to make sure they were accurate. I used a combination of some styrene rods, Aves Apoxie Sculpt, and some electronic wiring to put the gloves together. I made sure they wouldn’t interfere with articulation, and would be nice and sturdy. All that was left was to paint up the gloves, and dry brush some gray shades all over the figure to give it more of a weathered look, and now Arkham Origins Batman, while tired I’m sure, is ready to fight for his life against Black Mask’s assassins!

Batman Arkham Origins (Battle Damaged W/ Shock Gloves) 6" DC Universe Custom Action FigureBatman Arkham Origins (Battle Damaged W/ Shock Gloves) 6" DC Universe Custom Action Figure

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Tutorial – Masters of the Universe Classics Rio Blast Chest and Gun Backpack Fix

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Hey everyone! Got a brand new custom action figure tutorial for you. People have (rightfully) had complaints about the flaws of the new MOTUC Rio Blast figure. My new video tutorial shows you how to fix him so his chest flap closes all the way, his gun backpack sits correctly on his shoulders (so the visor covers Rio Blast’s eyes) and his leg chaps sit a bit closer to his thighs. Just click here to go to the full page with a written out detailed description. You can also watch the video below. If you know someone having frustration with the Masters of the Universe Classics Rio Blast, send them the link to the video. And if this is your first time here at Mint Condition Customs, check out the Custom Action Figure Archive. It’s full of every single custom action figure I’ve made up to this point. Mint Condition Customs is where toys are turned into “Interactive Art”!

How to Fix Masters of the Universe Classics Rio Blast – Custom Action Figure Tutorial

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In this tutorial, you will learn how to fix all the problems with the Masters of the Universe Classics Rio Blast action figure. The tutorial will teach you how to fix the chest flap so that it will sit flush with the chest when closed, the gun backpack so that it sits low enough that the visor will be properly lined up with Rio Blast’s eyes (like the vintage figure), and the leg chaps so they sit just a little bit closer to the thigh. To see how each section is properly done, it’s recommended that you watch the video above to see everything properly executed.

TOOLS NEEDED:

1. X-Acto Knife

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2. Pencil

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3. Needle Nose Pliers

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4. Silver Duct Tape

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5. Dremel

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CHEST FLAP:

The first thing you need to do is have the chest flap closed so you can mark with your pencil where the peg sits. What you’ll be doing is cutting out a hole from the chest so the peg doesn’t bump into anything and can close all the way. What I did was I followed the circuitry design in the chest so it looked like it was part of the design. Once the hole is cut, test it out. If you need to trim up the hole, do so. Once you do that, congrats! You can now close the chest flap all the way. However, when it’s open you can see the blue of of the Masters of the Universe Classics Rio Blast chest. That is where the duct tape comes in.

You could paint a small portion of Rio Blast’s chest silver and that would take care of the problem. Unfortunately not everyone feels comfortable painting, which is why I’m suggesting using the duct tape. It’s simple, quick, and anybody could do it. You’ll just take cut out a small rectangle of duct tape and apply it to the Masters of the Universe Classics Rio Blast figure’s chest. Start from the bottom, and work your way up. When you have it fully applied, you will have some wrinkles between the muscles. I’m personally OK with that, since it kinda looks like it’s continuing the circuitry design. Once that’s done, put the vest back on. Problem #1, taken care of.

GUN BACKPACK:

The reason the backpack can’t lower all the way is because of these shoulder bumps on the Masters of the Universe Classics Rio Blast figure. I’m not sure what they are, except an obstruction. What you’ll need to do is mark with your pencil where those shoulder bumps hit the guns. You’ll be cutting out a small rectangle from both sides of the guns so they can clear these bumps. The best part is that they won’t be noticeable at all when the guns are resting. Once you have the areas marked, use your X-Acto knife and cut them out. You will have a vertical cut to make, where you can’t fit your blade. You’ll need to run the blade across, applying force, which will score into the plastic. Do this until you can feel the blade poke through. Now take your pliers to help pry these pieces out. If there’s any plastic left, remove it with the X-Acto knife.

And then cut a tiny piece out of both sides the edge of the backpack that sticks out to stop the guns from lowering. After you’re finished, put it on the Masters of the Universe Classics Rio Blast figure and try it out. If you’ve don it right, then Rio Blast’s eyes will be lined up with the visor. Problem #2, taken care of.

LEG CHAPS:

Now this part isn’t wholly necessary. If you’re OK with the chaps sticking out, you can skip this. But if you do want them to sit just a bit closer to his legs, read on. I noticed the pegs inside the chaps are bigger than they need to be, and this is why they stick out so far from the thighs. Pop the chaps off the legs. Next, take your dremel, preferablly with a round sanding bit, and grind into the peg, making it shorter. Remove any flash and test out the gun. It should fit just fine. Then pop it back on the figure and it will sit just a little bit closer to the thigh. Repeat all of this for the other one as well. Problem #3 taken care of. And now your Masters of the Universe Classics Rio Blast action figure is now fixed.

Rio Blast is my favorite Masters of the Universe character, and always has been. The Masters of the Universe Classics Rio Blast figure has been my most anticipated in the line since I ever thought it could be a possibility. I understand the frustration with buying something with flaws. We action figure collectors know it all too well. I do hope that this shows you that you can be proactive about your figures and make changes that make you happier with the figure.