Showing posts with label Skeleton Warriors. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Skeleton Warriors. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 1, 2017

Vitruvian HACKs Warrior Skeleton by Boss Fight Studio


Boss Fight Studio is now up to Wave 7 of their Series 1 Vitruvian HACKS (Greek mythology) action figures.

I held off on buying the "Cursed Skeleton" from Wave 5, because I didn't really like the color combo (looked too much like something out of Scooby Doo cartoons), and the way that the skeleton looked kind of clunky wearing ill-fitted armor. The armor would look fine on a BFS human male figure, but it didn't look good on a skeleton.

"Cursed Skeleton" by Boss Fight Studio
 Luckily, the latest wave has a "Warrior Skeleton" (not Skeleton Warriors) wearing armor that fits correctly, and even better- a paint wash for that fresh-out-of-the-grave look. BFS solved the clunky armor issue in the simplest, most efficient way possible- by using the female armor instead of the male armor. The color combo of brass and dark grey looks good with the paint-washed skeleton. It's a considerable improvement over the "Cursed Skeleton".

"Warrior Skeleton" by Boss Fight Studio
The skeleton comes with a helmet, shoulder and arm armor (right side only), armor skirt, greaves and a shield. Weapons included are one sword and one spear. For some reason, I received TWO bases with some transparent armor spacers.

The paint wash can be heavily applied in some places. I found that the wash made several of the joints very stiff, and I was unable to get much rocker ankle action. The armor was already placed on the skeleton at the factory, which is a good thing, because it is not very easy to remove any of the body armor. Any attempt to do so requires a soak in hot water and the removal of limbs before removing the armor. 

Considering that this deluxe Warrior Skeleton cost me only $5.00 more than the standard, unpainted, unaccessorized standard skeleton blank, I'd consider it to be a good deal. BFS is, at this point, re-using figures and parts repaints and recombining them into new characters, but they are doing it with considerable thoughtfulness and design savvy. The end results can be spectacular. Recommended.

Armor that fits properly makes a big difference
Note: Since the Warrior Skeleton is a fully painted and packaged figure, and is part of a proper Series 1 Vitruvian HACKS wave, the availability of the figure is limited. Boss Fight Studios has already sold out of half the figures in Waves 1-4. If you like skeletons, or think you like skeletons, or you want to stage your own Jason and the Argonauts movie in miniature, get one now. You won't regret it, and even if you do, you are practically guaranteed to recover 100% of your costs by selling it on ebay in a year or so.


RELATED PAGES: 

Greek Mythology Vitruvian H.A.C.K.S. action figures
A Collection of Toy Skeletons

Sunday, June 19, 2016

A Collection of Toy Skeletons

Updated: 07/03/16: Dokuroman skeleton rating raised, due to fix available for mid-spine joint problem.
Updated: 08/05/16: New "Bag of Skeletons" available at Michael's.
Updated: 09/10/16: Added review of LEGO skeletons. 
Updated: 10/19/16: Added review of Dokuroman Pumpkin nightmare skeleton.
Updated: 08/15/17: Added review of Bag O' Bones by Boss Fight Studio. 
Updated: 08/15/18: Added review of Big Lots Jumbo Pose Skeleton bootleg

I like skeleton toys, a lot. They remind me of my favorite Disneyland rides, "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "The Haunted Mansion". When they're done well, they can fit into many different themes. And, since skeletons are generic, toy companies don't have to pay for expensive licenses, or do stupid things like mold character-specific clothing on them, therefore locking them into only one franchise.

Skeletons (especially quality ones) have better articulation than humanoid characters, and can be endlessly customized. They can represent tattered medieval knights, armies of the dead, zombies, pirates, dead soldiers, space marines, etc. They can also be humorously and ironically placed into scenes of normal, everyday living, as shown on Flickr groups like "Skeleton Toy Figures".

I mainly buy skeletons in the 3"-6" range. I bought the skeletons listed below to increase the population in my 3/4 scale (1:15) world, some more successful than others. Below are my reviews of the different skeletons that I have.

FLAT HALLOWEEN SKELETON

Flat Halloween skeleton
Pros: Extremely cheap.
Cons: Everything.

No "bones" about it- this skeleton is crap. It's flat, 2D and the sculpting (especially the head) is terrible. I'm not sure if it's facing front or back. Not an action figure. Not a jiggler. It doesn't have a lot of play potential. This design has been around for a long time (since the 1960's) and was originally a 9" skeleton manufactured in Hong Kong. These can be found cheaply, in a bag with other plastic creatures like bugs, spiders, bats and rats. Creative crafters have found uses for this- as a template to make rubber stamps!

FLAT SKELETON
ManufacturerUnknownPrice$0.10
Year2010Location boughtHalloween store
Size5.5inPOA0
Scale1:13Rating (1-10)1


STRETCHY SKELETON

Stretchy skeleton
Pros: Fun to play with (when new), low price, good sculpt, comes in different colors.
Cons: Too soft and floppy. Cannot stand on its own. Does not last.

Well, at least this is a 3D skeleton and has a decent sculpt. But, it's too floppy and has the texture of a jellyfish. Even gummi-bears are firmer. Not an action figure. Not a jiggler. The toy is not made to last as the material seriously degrades within a few years. The outer layer becomes "crusty" and then stretching it would probably rip it apart completely. If only this mold were used to make a PVC skeleton! Now that would be a great toy!  Comes in 2 sizes: about 3" and about 6".

STRETCHY SKELETON
ManufacturerUnknownPrice$0.50
Year2010Location boughtgrocery store gumball machine
Size3.25 in & 5.5inPOAinfinite
Scale1:24 & 1:13Rating (1-10)2


SKELETON GARLAND

Skeleton garland
Pros: Durable, inexpensive. Good size and compatible with standard 1:12 scale dollhouses, or popular 6" action figure lines.
Cons: Poor (2 points) articulation, skull and collarbone not anatomically accurate, skull weirdly shaped. Not fun to play with.

Things are beginning to improve. This skeleton is 3D and can last decades. Or centuries. These are normally sold in packs of 4 around Halloween. The same body (but poorly painted) is sold at The Dollar Tree in a 4-pack for $1.00. Also sold at Walgreens. Only the legs move at the hip. That's it. Despite these limitations, crafters have been able to pose them for static Halloween displays by breaking/sawing the joints and regluing them in different positions. These have still-life diorama potential but are not action figures.

SKELETON GARLAND
ManufacturerUnknownPrice$1.25
Year2010Location boughtMichael's art/craft supply
Size5.75inPOA2
Scale1:12Rating (1-10)4


BAG OF SKELETONS

Bag of Skeletons from Michael's
Pros: Durable, inexpensive. Good size and compatible with standard 1:12 scale dollhouses, or popular 6" action figure lines, sculpt is an improvement over similarly-sized skeleton garland.
Cons: No articulation, not fun to play with.

This early in the season (first week of August), Michael's is already stocking Halloween items! I saw a new item, the "bag of skeletons" and expected them to be the same figures as their "skeleton garland", just repackaged. Upon closer examination, the skeletons are slightly and subtly different. Particularly the skull, which is more human-shaped and not shaped like a monkey skull. The grossly-deformed collarbone has been eliminated, and the backbone is not a separate piece anymore. The measly 2 points of articulation were also removed, but that's no great loss. The original design only allowed the garland skeletons to goose-step anyway. It's a given that any serious crafter or modeller is going to cut apart the joints, and re-glue them in different poses. The paint job is hit-and-miss. Each individual skeleton has a different paint job, indicating that these were hand painted at the factory, and not very well.

Comparison of new (left) and old (right) Michael's H'ween skeletons
So, why do I buy this crap? Well, since Michael's always has 40 to 50%-off coupons, this stuff comes cheap and buying 3 bags of these (18 skeletons total) costs as much as *ONE* Vitruvian HACKs skeleton. They have some uses as background characters, and it's possible to create some scary furniture with them, like a bone throne. I might even figure out how to add moveable joints to them someday.

BAG OF SKELETONS



ManufacturerMSPCI (Michael's)
Price$1.33 ($0.80 w/ coupon)
Year2016
Location boughtMichael's art/craft supply
Size5.75in
POA0
Scale1:12
Rating (1-10)5


BENDY SKELETON

Bendy skeleton
Pros: Cheap, durable, can stand on its own, can be posed, comes in different colors, fun to play with.
Cons: Overall sculpt not very anatomically accurate.

This is a wire bendy skeleton, with a PVC body and wires inside. It's a good desk toy, can hold a pose, and in a pinch, can (barely) work as an action figure. However, it's not very anatomically accurate, as the feet are huge, the arms are short and the torso is too thin. These are very inexpensive (I bought these in a 12 pack), and can make excellent party favors or Halloween Trick or Treat bag handouts.

BENDY SKELETON
ManufacturerUS Toy CompanyPrice$0.42
Year2013Location boughtUSToy.com
Size5 in POAinfinite
Scale1:15Rating (1-10)6


MODERN JIGGLER SKELETON

Modern jiggler skeleton
Pros: Inexpensive, flexible but not floppy, customizable.
Cons: Only pseudo-3D, overall sculpt not very anatomically accurate, most of the body is in a flat pose.

For a while, these were my only source for quasi-3D, flexible jigglers that looked OK next to Spooky Kookys and looked like they somewhat all belonged together. I found them in a novelty shop. Only the skull and ribcage are 3D, the rest of the body is pretty flat. Since they're made of PVC, they were customizable with a hot knife to shorten them and put them into better, more dynamic poses. They also look better when they wear clothing. Later, when October Toys released their superior new Skeleton Warriors figures, I no longer needed to hunt for any more of these jigglers.

MODERN JIGGLER SKELETON
ManufacturerUnknownPrice$1.29
Year2010Location boughtnovelty shop
Size5.5inPOAinfinite
Scale1:13Rating (1-10)6


TINY 1:35 MINI SKELETON

Tiny 1:35 skeleton
Pros: Good sculpt, well made, many uses for 1:35 model kit diorama builders
Cons: Zero points of articulation

Wow, a blast from my past! I found this in my old "hobby box" in the garage! I can recall the date, because I remember having this when I was making a Gene Simmons figurine in 1:32 scale as a teen. I'm pretty sure it came out of a gumball machine. It's about 1:35 scale (2 inches tall), made of styrene, and has a good, 3D sculpt. Some uses could be: small-scale Halloween graveyard dioramas, battlefield scene dioramas, D & D wargaming, cupcake toppers. I doubt that this sort of figurine could be sold to children anymore these days... people are more cognizant of the risk of it being swallowed by children or pets. Just to think... there was a time when this was considered a toy and was mass-produced and sold very cheaply.

It deserves a "6" rating, even though it's more akin to a static model.

Update: Just on a whim, I decided to put on a layer of Testor's black paint wash on it. Take a look at the result! Whoa, baby! What a difference! Gawk at all of the hidden details that the wash brought out, revealing just how good the sculpt is! I'm just speechless. This isn't a pricey 1:35 scale precision model kit or anything. It was a 70's-era gumball machine toy!
Tiny 1:35 gumball machine skeleton with paintwash

TINY 1:35 MINI SKELETON





ManufacturerUnknown
Price$0.10 or $0.25? (in 1978)
Year1978
Location boughtgrocery store gumball machine
Size1.875 in
POA0
Scale1:35
Rating (1-10)6


LEGO SKELETON

LEGO skeleton
Pros: LEGO brand is well-known, widespread availability at retail stores, has impressive array of accessories, vehicles and buildings, has articulated joints, fun to play with, appeals to kids and adults.
Cons: Extremely stylized, very toy-like, not realistic, unable to fit into any other universe besides LEGO, cannot buy skeletons by themselves.

I've had LEGO skeletons for a long time, since 1997. LEGO is a universe all unto itself, as "scale", in its most conventional sense, is not relevant in a LEGO world. The LEGO minifigures, including the skeleton, are all 1.5" tall, but they are not 1:48 scale, since their heads, torsos and limbs do not follow normal body proportions in any way.

The LEGO skeleton has 5 points of articulation (head, ball-jointed arms, legs). They can fit into many LEGO themes, although my personal favorite involves mummy tombs. Unfortunately, one cannot buy the skeletons separately (to build an army), as they are sold packaged in boxes with other figures and LEGO bricks in themed sets. They can be found in multiples on ebay, averaging about $2.00 per skeleton. Another option is buying bootleg LEGO knockoffs. I found this little pirate set, by "Enlighten" at a Chinese housewares store for $1.79. It's actually pretty decent, and provides a lot of bang for the buck.

"Enlighten" bootleg LEGO set

LEGO SKELETON
ManufacturerLEGOPrice$8.00 (Oasis Ambush set)
Year1998Location boughtToys R' Us
Size1.5 inPOA5
Scalenon-scaleRating (1-10)6.5


DOKUROMAN ARMORED ACTION SKULL!

Dokuroman Armored Action Skull
Pros: Beautifully sculpted, anatomically correct, moveable jawbone, compatible with popular 1:18 action figure lines.
Cons: Difficult to buy, delicate, spine ball joint pops out.

Boy, am I torn on this one! I really wanted to love these, and it was difficult to get them, but there is a critical design flaw: the ball joint where the lower spine meets the ribcage/upper spine constantly pops out. Kaiyodo really needs to re-engineer this particular joint. Otherwise, with 19 POAs, tons of tiny ball joints, and a low, low retail price, they are a marvel in this scale. They are actually gachapon (capsule) toys sold in vending machines in Japan. Currently marketed with a weapons/hands/base accessory pack. They could have been rated more highly, but I docked them by 1 or 2 points due to the problematic spine joint.

Update: After prowling around on some message boards, I had heard that  "Pledge Floor Care Finish" could help with the loose joints. After trying it, I will say that it actually works. I was able to fix problem joint in the middle of the skeleton, and now I can appreciate the toy a heck of a lot more, since it stopped falling apart. Rating has been bumped up from a 6 to a 7. Can't go higher because the ball joints simply do not have the range of motion or reliability that the combined hinge/swivel joints on other skeletons have.

DOKUROMAN ARMORED ACTION SKULL!
ManufacturerKaiyodoPrice$4.00 (retail), $7.50 (scalper price)
Year2016Location boughttoy store in Tokyo, Japan
Size4.25 inPOA19
Scale1:18Rating (1-10)6 7


SPOOKY KOOKY SKELETON

Spooky Kooky skeleton
Pros: Whimsical sculpt. Lasts for decades, good play value.
Cons: Body proportions not anatomically accurate.

What can I say? I LOVE Spooky Kooky jigglers! I'd always wanted this particular one as a child. It was never meant to be an accurate representation of a skeleton. In particular, the head is extremely large. But, it was meant to be a part of a line of creepy dungeon dwellers, and none of them (even the humanoid ones) are normally proportioned. It's a good play figure and rear-view mirror dangler. The plasticized rubber is so good that it can last for 4 decades (and counting).

Fans of classic Aurora monster model kits will recognize the influence of "The Forgotten Prisoner of Castel-Mare" on this little skeleton jiggler.

SPOOKY KOOKY SKELETON
ManufacturerImperial ToysPrice$0.49 (price in 1971), $5.00-$20.00 (current ebay price)
Year1971Location boughtebay
Size4.25 inPOAinfinite
Scale1:15Rating (1-10)7


DOKUROMAN PUMPKIN NIGHTMARE

Kaiyodo Dokuroman Pumpkin Nightmare
Pros: Beautifully sculpted, anatomically correct, moveable jawbone, compatible with popular 1:18 action figure lines, includes extra hands and a large amount of bonus Halloween accessories
Cons: More delicate than other articulated skeletons. Ball joints do not have full range of motion.

Just in time for Halloween, Kaiyodo has produced a new series of their Dokuroman skeletons: Pumpkin Nightmare. Initially, it was not clear whether the Halloween accessories were just an add-on pack, but the newest ad copy showed that an entire skeleton, along with the Halloween-themed goodies came packaged together, all for only 400 yen each! Additionally, Kaiyodo had addressed their supply and distribution issues, and plenty of these became available, even to international buyers.

Once they arrived, I cracked open a pack immediately. Kaiyodo has made improvements to the problem spine joint and neckbone, and now they fit more deeply into the re-engineered sockets on the ribcage piece. Kudos to Kaiyodo for fixing these!

The pumpkin head is fairy large, and is designed to fit completely over Dokuroman's skull. They can also fit a Rement Pose skeleton as a turban! You get A LOT of pieces: 32,  including the new Halloween stuff (tree, cat, pumpkin head) and the improved base (now ABS, and not PVC) and TWO sets of hands, the clenched fist and the open spellcasting hands. I'm rating this a 7.5 for the improved joints and sockets as well as the added value of the accessories, all done without raising the retail price.

parts inventory for Dokuroman Pumpkin Nightmare

DOKUROMAN PUMPKIN NIGHTMARE
ManufacturerKaiyodoPrice$4.00
Year2016Location boughtToysanta (mail order)
Size4.25 inPOA19
Scale1:18Rating (1-10)7.5


RE-MENT POSE SKELETON


Pros: Whimsical sculpt. Excellent Revoltech-like joints, moveable jawbone, paint wash nicely applied, includes extra hands, lots of accessories available, appeals to all genders, whole family of skeletons available, fun to play with.
Cons: Mid-body spine joint is a bit floppy, odd scale, adult body proportions not accurate.

We're approaching the upper-end of quality now. The Re-Ment Pose skeleton from Japan is absolutely fantastic! The majority of the joints are tiny Revoltech-like ones that combine both a hinge joint and a 360 degree swivel joint. It's pretty durable, and can take a shelf dive without falling apart. The sculpt is intentionally "kawaii" cute (the adult skeletons look like children- large head, short limbs, small torso). The Pose Skeleton and all its non-military, non-superhero accessories has a very large female following, which is unusual for skeleton action figures. An entire family is available: Mom, Dad, child and doggy and (soon) kitty!

The only slight disadvantage is the odd scale- 1:20, which makes Pose Skeleton and its accessories slightly small for standard 1:18 figures.

REMENT POSE SKELETON
ManufacturerRe-MentPrice$8.00
Year2015Location boughtAmazon.com
Size3.5 inPOA24
Scale1:20Rating (1-10)8


BIG LOTS 7" JUMBO POSE SKELETON BOOTLEG


Pros: Amazingly inexpensive, good articulation, sturdy, MEGO-compatible.
Cons: Some mold flashing, cartoon-y proportions, legs incorrectly assembled at factory, overly-large joints.

For Halloween 2018, a new set of toy skeletons had just appeared at discount-big-box-store, Big Lots. These are basically bootlegs of Rement Pose skeletons, but much BIGGER! This bad bootleg boy is just a hair less than 7" (using calipers to measure). It's heavier than I expected, has a short torso, and very thick, stocky arm and leg bones. It's not anatomically correct, but is still clearly recognizable as a human skeleton. And... it's only 5 dollars!!!

Most of the joints are a large-ish combo swivel/hinge joint. The joint attaching the skull to the neck is a really tight fit and affects the ability of the jaw to open and close. Elbow (hinge joint only) and hands (swivel joint only) are exactly like the Rement Pose skeleton, but the bootleg is, of course, lacking the additional interchangeable hands. As-is, the knees cannot be bent in the correct direction, so it's necessary to pull out the legs and swap left for right, as well as the feet. Once this is done, the knee bends almost 90 degrees. It is able to stand by itself.

All in all, this is an amazing skeleton toy for the price! 24 POA! Sturdy and burly, it can be given to kids (unlike the original, delicate Pose skeleton). It's compatible with 8" MEGO figures and accessories, and some MEGO clothing. So versatile! And so cheap!

Big Lots 7" Jumbo Pose skeleton

ManufacturerUnknownPrice$5.00
Year2018Location boughtBig Lots
Size7 inPOA24
Scale1:10Rating (1-10)8


SKELETON WARRIORS TITAN SKELETON  

Skeleton Warriors Titan skeleton
Pros: Very sturdy, durable joints, reasonable price, comes in different colors, very good/excellent overall articulation, Glyos compatible, fun to play with.
Cons: Odd scale, stylized sculpt that some people find "cartoony", no back articulation.

These guys are a personal favorite of mine. I don't consider the Titan skeletons to be 1:18... I consider them to be 1:15, and they fit in very nicely with my 1:15 jigglers in a 1:15 world. The joints are durable, and so is the skeleton- it can easily take a drop to the floor without falling apart. They make heavy use of "Glybrid" joints, which combine a hinge joint and a 360 degree swivel Glyos joint, which makes many parts interchangeable with figures from multiple companies that do Glyos. Articulation is very good... they can do most poses, but cannot bend their elbows or knees as deeply as some other skeleton figures can. They're large enough to wear soft goods- real tailored fabric clothing. And they're cheap enough to army-build, and you won't feel bad carving them up and applying body modifications to them at $10 a pop.

Some room for minor improvement: a hinged jaw, the addition of a wrist hinge, and some backbone articulation would be nice.

SKELETON WARRIORS TITAN SKELETON
ManufacturerOctober ToysPrice$10.00
Year2015Location boughtOctobertoys.com
Size4.75 inPOA26
Scale1:15Rating (1-10)8


BAG O' BONES BY BOSS FIGHT STUDIO


Pros: Unusually inexpensive for a Boss Fight Studios product. Lots of spare bone parts for dioramas, random weapons included, possible to assemble complete skeletons at 15% of retail price.
Cons: Bag is not guaranteed to contain a complete skeleton. Leg bones are often warped and incorrectly assembled.

Surprisingly, Boss Fight Studio offered blind bags of skeleton parts, called Bag O' Bones in late June/early July of 2017. Priced at only $3.99, each bag contained about 3 oz. of parts. Judging by their photos on Facebook, it looked like a complete skeleton was in the bag, so I took a chance and ordered 2 bags. Total cost: about $8.00, which is less than the price of a single standard factory-bagged skeleton.

When I opened my first bag, I evaluated the pile, and found a complete black skeleton in there- but it had to be assembled. I was pleased with my haul- I was already ahead. After waiting a few weeks, I cracked open the second bag. Combining the contents of 2 bags increases the chances of building complete skeletons exponentially. After separating the parts by color, I was able to build a total of 5 skeletons. The only downside is that some the parts are factory seconds/rejects- particularly the pre-assembled leg bones. Many were warped, and the knee joint was incorrectly put together at the factory. It's not a very easy process to remove the pins and reverse the joint, but with persistence, a dish of boiling water, a nail setter and flat-nosed jewelers pliers, I was successful. Overall, I am very happy with what I got. Genuine Boss Fight Studio skeletons at less than $2.00 each! And, there were enough fishbone daggers in the bags to supply each one of them with a weapon!

BAG O' BONES
ManufacturerBoss Fight StudioPrice$3.99 per bag
Year2017Location boughtbossfightshop.com
Size3.875 inPOA28
Scale1:18Rating (1-10)8.5


VITRUVIAN H.A.C.K.S SKELETON

Vitruvian H.A.C.K.S. skeleton
Pros: Amazing articulation in a small scale, moveable jawbone, comes in different colors, lots of armor/weaponry available, perfectly compatible with 1:18 scale figures by other companies, anatomically accurate sculpt (with one exception).
Cons: Joints are stiff out of the bag, unusually flat ribcage, cannot cross legs, hand and foot occasionally pop off.

Although seemingly expensive for a 4" unaccessorized and unpainted figure, once you have one of these in hand, you can't help but gasp in awe over the amazingly-engineered joints! I would have NEVER thought that a wrist hinge & swivel joint, or double-jointed knees, or rocker ankles could be made in this size, but somehow Boss Fight Studio did it! It stands at 4" and with true adult body proportions, and is compatible with the many 3.75" and 4" action figure lines (GiJoe, Star Wars, Marvel, etc.). The double-jointed knees enable the skeleton to do deep knee bends but it comes at a cost: it lacks a knee rotation joint or the necessary range of hip joint movement to, say, sit on a folding chair and cross its legs. The Yoga lotus position is out.

The current VITRUVIAN H.A.C.K.S. wave is Greek mythology, so Iron Age accessories are available for these skeletons.

VITRUVIAN H.A.C.K.S. SKELETON
ManufacturerBoss Fight StudioPrice$12.99
Year2016Location boughtbossfightshop.com
Size3.875 inPOA28
Scale1:18Rating (1-10)9


KAIYODO REVOLTECH "JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS" SCI-FI SKLELETON

Kaiyodo Revoltech skeleton
Pros: Beautifully sculpted, anatomically accurate, moveable jawbone, great packaged accessories and base, excellent Revoltech joints, can effortlessly duplicate the full range of human motion.
Cons: Too expensive to army-build or customize.

The Rolls Royce of toy skeletons! Designed and manufactured by Kaiyodo, this is on the high-end of the scale and really shows the incredible quality of Japanese toys. It currently sells for $65-$70, but I was able to get a pre-owned one in Hong Kong for about $30. The sculpt is so good that it can be used as an artist's model. Fans of Ray Harryhausen may want to use this for stop-motion, but need to stiffen the joints first with (believe it or not) acrylic floor polish. The joints are true Revoltech, and all of them combine a hinge joint and a 360 degree swivel joint, giving the skeleton a full range of motion without any joints popping out. This skeleton has all of the advantages of Dokuroman, Pose Skeleton and Vitruvian H.A.C.K.S. skeletons, and none of the disadvantages.

But, the main issue is that these skeletons are expensive. Too expensive to buy in multiples or to customize. The scale is a little odd, too. At 5.5 inches, it looks puny compared to popular 6" action figures. The skeleton comes with extra hands, an extra sword & shield and a beautiful storage base.

KAIYODO REVOLTECH SKELETON
ManufacturerKaiyodoPrice$30.00
Year2010Location boughttoy store in Hong Kong
Size5.5 inPOA33
Scale1:13Rating (1-10)10



RELATED PAGES: 

Pirate Hats (for action figures) DIY Tutorial
"Captain Bar" DIY Dollhouse becomes Pirate Bar
Greek Mythology Vitruvian H.A.C.K.S. action figures
The Search for Dokuroman
Imperial Toys Spooky Kooky jigglers, Part 1
Imperial Toys Spooky Kooky jigglers, Part 2
October Toys Skeleton Warriors
More Gacha-Love, shipped from Japan!
Vitruvian HACKs Warrior Skeleton by Boss Fight Studio 


Friday, January 1, 2016

Polymer clay miniature coins for dioramas


I've been stumped for quite a while about how to make authentic-looking doubloons for treasure chests. Originally, I used gold cardstock and punched 1/4" coins and stamped them by hitting them with a metal button and a hammer. But, the coins were thin, kept slipping out of the chest and didn't have the look or the weight of real coins.

The main problem was how to do die engraving, and with what materials. I finally invented a method: using Instamorph Moldable Plastic for the dies (stamper) and Scupley polymer clay for the coins. Instamorph is moldable when placed in boiling water and hardens to a very durable plastic at room temperature. The die impressions were very simple:

FANCY BRASS BUTTONS from the fabric shop!


Button companies have already done the hard work by engraving the designs on the buttons. There's stars, sunbursts, anchors, crowns, heraldry shields, eagles, flowers, and all sorts of designs available. All you need to do is mold top and bottom dies using Instamorph and then press the button onto them while the plastic is warm. In a few minutes, the plastic hardens.

Knead Sculpey until it's soft and then pinch off small amounts and roll into little balls. Flatten them slightly with your finger. Alternatively, the clay can be rolled into a sausage shape, and sliced. The slices would become the coins. Leave them on a cold kitchen countertop for a bit- cold Sculpey makes better coins. Then, place the Sculpey coin planchet between the two dies and press. Every so often, it's good to wipe the dies down with a drop of cooking oil and a rag to prevent the coins from sticking.


There's a fantastic tutorial on "The Blue Bottle Tree" on the various methods of getting a metallic look on polymer clays: 


It turns out that I already had all of the materials I needed, so I didn't need to go out and buy anything. I used the acrylic paint method and simply painted the unbaked coins, let the paint dry and baked them at the usual 200-250 degrees. They came out fantastic. The "silver" coins needed an additional step- a black paint wash to bring out the details and replicate the real patina on vintage silver coins.


They are, on purpose, slightly irregular and sometimes crudely stamped, to emulate Spanish doubloons (pieces of eight) that are famous in pirate movies, books, stage musicals and Disney theme park attractions. Everybody loves pirates! In fact, this method closely resembles the real methods used in minting doubloons, aside from the materials.


The end result is an amazingly good diorama piece that looks and feels far more authentic than toy pieces or decor stolen from aquariums.


There are almost 400 coins in this picture!

RELATED PAGES:


Pirate Hats (for action figures) DIY Tutorial
"Captain Bar" DIY Dollhouse becomes Pirate Bar

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Working hurricane lantern, Mark II, using battery-operated tealights

'Tis the season, and those little battery-operated tealights are in stores. They're available (at higher prices) year 'round at Michael's, but the Christmas season brings them to more stores, and at lower prices.

I decided to replace the hurricane lantern on the Titan Quest weapons cart. I was never happy with the first version. Thought it was a little crude. The lantern was cannibalized from one of those battery-operated tealights that use a round, CR-2032 battery.

It's intended to be rustic, so I hid it in a wooden tub. From what I can see. the circuit board is necessary to make the light flicker. Otherwise, the bulb can be directly wired to the battery and it will work, but you 'd lose the on/off switch feature. So, this project retained the flickering light and the on/off switch, but disguised the entire battery casing into a period-appropriate setting.

The skeleton is 4.75" tall. The lamp itself is a bit under 1", so this design can easily be adapted for MEGOs, 1:12 scale figures, dollhouses and even 1:6 scale figures.

Tutorial below:


Saturday, December 5, 2015

Titan Quest Weapons Cart project (continued)

Some photos of the wagon in-progress. Serious hobbyists who build high-end wagon kits will recognize the proper, functional running gear, which was not originally included in the $2 kit. I carved it from 1/4" square wood dowels and disposable wooden chopsticks.

More realistic blueprints downloaded from the Internet :



Further along in the build, the little Rement Pose Skeleton tries out the driver's seat for size. You'll notice the compound lever for the brake. Since the simple brake lever is in the middle of the wagon, there had to be a logical way for the cart driver to pull it from the front seat. I'm not a mechanical engineer, I had to think very hard about this and built a mock up first to make sure it worked.


And, here's the Skeleton Warriors weapons cart at completion:



I did a few modifications and replacements. Instead of a canvas cover, I used a sheet of suede, intentionally cut roughly around the edges. The wagon had gained a lantern, because it doesn't make sense to be driving around in the dark. The lantern lights up, courtesy of the CR-2032 battery and round battery casing hidden underneath the wooden tub in the front of the wagon.

It's not an exact replica of the Titan Quest cart, but one can easily see the heavy influence that the game had on the final version of the $1.99 model.


RELATED PAGES:
A Collection of Toy Skeletons

Friday, December 4, 2015

Instamorph Moldable Plastic

I recently bought a bag of InstaMorph Moldable Plastic, and spent some time with it.

You dunk the stuff in hot water and pull it out and mold it with your hands. It hardens after 2-3 minutes at room temperature. If you still need to work on it some more, dunk it in hot water again.


I decided that wanted to make some Spartan spears for some skeletons, in their size. The shafts are made from wood, with real leather wrapped around it. For the spear heads, I used InstaMorph.

It doesn't hold detail as well as Sculpey, but it has a HUGE advantage over wood, styrene, ABS plastic, putty, Sculpey, etc... it's almost unbreakable. The fragile part of a spear head where the spear head meets the socket is actually very strong and isn't going to snap off. The sockets can be made hollow to slip over the wooden spear shafts (like real life). Bows can be made completely functional, and can shoot arrows a few feet. There is a slight flex to InstaMorph, which can be tapped as an advantage. The texture of the weaponry is a little rough. Don't expect the elegance of Valyrian steel swords for the Lannisters using InstaMorph. The results are more akin to the rough ironwork made by a field blacksmith.

Examples of weaponry made with InstaMorph:


Functional bow and arrows made from InstaMorph:


To dye the stuff, I used chalk pastels. Basically, I shave off some powder from a chalk pastel stick and knead it into the plastic while it's warm. The color possibilities are endless, since a huge set of chalk pastels (36 colors) can be bought at Michael's for $4.99. Since the colors become part of the plastic, there is no paint rubbing off. The colors are permanent.


The moldability of InstaMorph varies based on the water temperature you use. If the water is at a rolling boil, then InstaMorph becomes VERY moldable... my preferred temperature to knead in colored pastel powders. At the "barely boiling" water temperature, you can put a bend on an already-molded piece, or flatten a tip. I'd say that the greatest risk for burns is from the boiling water, not the InstaMorph itself. I use tongs to pull it out of the hot water, then pat-dry it and it's reasonably safe to mold by hand. I wouldn't recommend it for children under 12.

It gets better... InstaMorph BINDS TO PVC! So, whatever soft PVC heads you have... you can add hair, moustaches, beards, horns, etc. and the stuff will bind itself to the heads, or hands or boots, etc. It could possibly be used to repair body and joint cracks.It doesn't stick to all types of plastic, so you'd need to experiment and find out what it does/does not bind to.

In the hands of skilled sculptor, an endless array of plastic action figure accessories can be made. It's not quite like having your own home plastic injection molding machine or vacuform kit, but it succeeds in placing some awesome plastic molding capabilities in the hands of your average kitchen hobbyist.


Thursday, December 3, 2015

Halloween Rat Skeleton and Skeleton Warriors!

(originally written on Oct 26, 2015)

Happy Halloween! This Halloween season brought Rat Skeletons to the stores. They're by "Crazy Bonez" and the price ranges from $4.99 to $12.99, depending on where you shop- it's all the same Rat.

Here's a few shots of a work-in-progress. The Rats are perfectly-sized mounts for Skeleton Warriors, since there is a lack of properly-scaled horse skeletons (believe me, I searched for horse skeletons). I was at the library yesterday doing research on how saddles are made. I intend to do this completely old-school, making a saddle the same way that real-life horse saddles are made. You can see the wooden framework in the pictures. Eventually it will be covered with leather with functional reins, belt buckles and stirrups.



(Originally updated Oct 31, 2015)

Here's the progress on the Rat Skeleton saddle. It's 75% done. Just a few details left to add, like ties and a saddle blanket. And there's the bridles still to-do.

The saddle is leather on a wood frame. A week ago, I didn't know anything about saddles and how they're made. After a trip to the library, and a LOT of Internet searches and YouTube videos, I understand now how splendidly designed a Western saddle really is. And I gained a new vocabulary. So this is also an educational opportunity, as well as a "develop some new hobby skills" project.



(originally updated Nov 9, 2015)

The skeleton is the basic October Toys "Bone Titan Skeleton", with Testor's Create FX Acrylic Stain to bring out the details. The Rat Skeleton was also detailed in the same way. Afterwards, they were covered in a matte acrylic clearcoat.

The saddle is handmade by me. It took a little over a week to make it, authentic old style, with a wood frame (saddle tree) and covered with very thin leather. I didn't know anything about horse saddlery or tack, so I had to learn how to do this by reading books at the library, Internet searches and Youtube videos. Not bad for a first attempt!

A Rat skeleton and a Horse skeleton are very different, so I had to make some adaptations to the saddle to make it work.

I liked the way the harsh late-Fall sun came through my window, so I photographed this with natural lighting. The backdrop was a storm graphic mooched from the Internet (shhhh!) taped onto foam board.


At the risk of totally shattering the illusion, here's the actual photo shoot setup:


RELATED PAGES:
A Collection of Toy Skeletons