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What if the classic arcade game Contra had been made into a live action movie back in the 80’s? That was the question I asked myself while tackling this project. Since the original characters were so obviously based on Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone (so much so that the cover to the original game was traced over movie stills from Predator), I decided that none other than the two action stars themselves would play the lead characters, Bill “Mad Dog” Rizer, and Lance “Scorpion” Bean.

They were each made from NECA parts. The bodies are NECA Jungle Encounter Dutch, the head for “Mad Dog” is Dutch, and the head for “Scorpion” is from a NECA Rambo. I had to paint over the blood on Rambo’s forehead, and the camo paint on Dutch’s face and match the flesh tones to the figure bodies. I used parts from the sash of a Hasbro Marvel Legends Elektra for Mad Dog’s headband. Their pants were repainted their respective red and blue to match the game sprites, but done in a realistic camo pattern.

Mad Dog’s gun comes from a Marvel Legends Hope Summers, and Scorpion’s is cobbled together from a NECA Aliens pulse rifle, and some other fodder guns, and both were painted black and then dry brushed with Citadel Mithril Silver. And then finally I gave them their classic weapons: The Spread Gun, Machine Gun, and laser. They were pieced together from clear acrylic rods and beads, and can be swapped between the guns via pegs on the ends of the weapons. And now my movie concept Contra figures are ready to take down the Red Falcon Organization!