Custom Spiderman heads

It's a mystery exactly which Hong Kong company is behind this, but these custom Spiderman heads have been making waves recently. They're quite popular for replacing Medicom's own produced heads, since their paint ops are simplistic and fairly disappointing at times. Maybe Medicom will get the message when some people willingly pay the equivalent of an entire Medicom figure for a custom head. Good news is these heads are sorta mass-produced, so you shouldn't have to pay an arm and a leg if you locate a better source.

I only have Peter Parker, so here are photos comparing the Medicom product (left) to the custom-made head (right).






Notice painted details like facial markings on the custom, compared to the clean look of Medicom's. There is more shading on the custom as well. My only gripe is they used too much yellow, which makes Peter look rather sallow and contrasts poorly with the RAH body.

Next up, the "battle damaged" Spiderman custom.






They've managed to quite impressively meld two of Medicom's headsculpts together, the "masked" Spidey and Peter Peter. The webbing detail on the mask also lines up with the outfit on Medicom's figure. But since they're calling it "battle-damaged", he shouldn't be looking so happy IMO. Shoulda given him a swollen eye or something. XD

It's hard to tell how large the production run of these custom heads is, so grab them while you can if you want to spruce up your Medicom Spideys. The next heads to be available locally will include the awesome-looking Eddie Brock/Venom custom and a few other Peter Parker heads with varying likeness.

Click to read more.. / 続きを読む...

Kingdom Hearts keyblades from Play Arts

Clockwise from middle: Oath Keeper, Oblivion, Wishing Lamp, Ultima Weapon from KH, Ultima Weapon from KH2

Been awhile since I felt excited about anything Square Enix. But Play Arts recent offering of Kingdom Hearts keyblades looks mighty interesting. The set includes 5 different keyblades, each measuring 11cm to 13cm long. Of course, I'm hoping they'll be compatible for use with 1/6 figures*. :3

Pre-orders will be available soon from Play-Asia. They offer free shipping to Singapore. So I'm really tempted.

*For example, the Master Arms weapons collection seen here. Although they purport to be 1/6 scale, they seemed a bit too large when I checked them out in-person. The gunblade handles didn't look like they'd fit your standard 1/6 body. So much for the idea of a Seifer custom with his kick-ass gunblade. :S

Click to read more.. / 続きを読む...

Obitsu tanned bodies no-go-go

Obitsu Marrone
Obitsu Coconut (far right)
My mantra is to try out as many options as possible when it comes to customizing 1/6 dolls or figures. So recently, I discovered Marrone (medium tan) and Coconut (dark tan) Obitsu bodies. What a shame Obitsu decided to end production due to tanned bodies being unpopular in Japan! What about the ganguro/yamamba fashion movements?

Does anyone know where I can still get my hands on a set of either? If you've got one to sell, drop me a line!

I'm trying to order a Marrone body from a nice lady's online shop. If you read this ML, yes, I'm genuinely interested. Please get back to me soon. :D

EDIT: I've received the Marrone body. Thanks Lisa!

Click to read more.. / 続きを読む...

Mamachapp Moko-chan + Neo-go repaint

Achtung! Major girly-ness ahead.




Haven't updated in ages! I'm in such slump, work-wise and hobby-wise. ><
Well I got busy painting again this weekend after receiving my first shipment of Obitsu heads and bodies. I painted a Mamachapp Moko-chan doppelganger (custom #6) to put the Moko-chan outfit I got from Dollshow 20 to use. Her head's ginormous. (See comparison with Volks Neo Go after the jump.)

-dies from overdose of moe-
Those gigantic eyes too aaages to paint. Her "animal ears" are attached with elastic and wouldn't fit any of the smaller Volks/Obitsu heads I had. So I had to order a head similar in size to the original Mamachapp doll - the Obitsu #1 comes very close.

Obitsu bodies have tighter joints compared to Volks, which makes them easier to pose. Moko-chan uses a 23cm body and she's even capable of balancing on one leg. Neat!

I also wiped and repainted the blonde Volks Neo Go 3 head (custom #7), aiming for better results this time. He's retained his original sullen and pouty look. My sister mentioned she still prefers black-haired "Kanda". It's just that the Neo Go 3 headsculpt practically dictates the uber androgynous look. IMHO, Neo Go 2 heads make better-looking males, but I don't have a body for the one I'm painting next. Meh, I hope Volks will restock their Neo Go bodies soon.

Click to read more.. / 続きを読む...

Volks custom #5

Here is a Volks C head I painted over the weekend. It's another anime-esque mold, which I consider much-needed practice before I take on more realistic heads (hello, Cy Girl Midori).





She took over the EB Beauty body I used in a previous photo shoot (I hate how the arms detach so easily at the elbows when posing her). Her hair colour and outfit remind me of Heather from Silent Hill 3, so "Heather" it is. :)

Apologies to my 1/6 bros for the multiple girly doll posts. D:

Click to read more.. / 続きを読む...

Review: BBI Cy Girl Mystere

Yesterday I received my first complete Cy Girl, and I wasn't sure what to expect. Here's what BBI printed on the back of her box:

"Cy Girl Mystere is a Stealth Operative who is highly trained in covert tactics and extended operations. Her bio suit is specifically designed to conceal her from heat seeking technology allowing her to infiltrate secure locations undetected."

Does she look stealthy to you? Maybe up to her shoulders, because her mop of blonde hair kinda stands out like a sore thumb. Perhaps she's counting on her unwavering beauty to stay the hand of any sniper who has her in his sights?





The mask fits snugly over her face, so you don't need to secure it for it to stay on, although BBI provided some string to tie on the mask. If you look closely at her headsculpt, you can see speckles of slight discolouration that makes me think of pores in her skin. Don't know if it's on purpose though!



The strength of this figure is probably the clothing (i.e. latex cat suit, corset, and what resembles fetish latex underwear). "Stealth Operative" explanation aside, Mystere's ensemble looks more like BDSM, but I'm sure the boys won't be complaining. BBI ought to have ditched the gun and shipped her with a whip, because it makes more sense at this point.



Mystere's arsenal consists of 2 weapons: an MP7 and a wicked-looking dagger. I hope I assembled her weapon properly, since there aren't any instructions or pictures to refer to. It has a detachable scope, flashlight, muzzle, and comes with 4 ammo clips, 2 of which are attachable to the MP7. I'm not a gun person, let me know if I'm mistaken. ^^;

Among the drawbacks: boots are molded plastic instead of sewn. And her gun doesn't seem to fit properly into either hand. (BBI didn't provide any additional hands either.) Box art shows her posing mysteriously with a strange triangular object hanging off a very long chain. What the heck is that supposed to be? She also comes with a tiny skull ornament you can hook on to her outfit. Maybe it's a good-luck charm.



Posability is good, although the latex catsuit restricts things somewhat. I couldn't test to see if she could do a split without ruining her catsuit, so this is one figure you'll probably leave in a standing position for fear of spoiling her outfit.

Click to read more.. / 続きを読む...

Volks custom #4

Painted my remaining Volks Neo Go 3 head. It's a rather effeminate sculpt, so the challenge was to avoid making him look *too* girly.




When it comes to 1/6-scale clothing, you can't go wrong with Azone. I bought this navy men's kimono set intending to customize a samurai ages ago, when I ordered my first batch of heads from Volks. At the suggestion of my boyfriend and my sister, I painted this head to look like Kanda Yuu from D.Gray-Man. Can't say I'm a fan of the character or the series yet, only watched a couple of episodes so far.

Also, the Volks red-head has swapped bodies. She's been dressed to resemble the Shinigami/Vizard from Bleach, complete with a 1/6 mask. I'll repaint the mask to look less cheerful, lol.

It's probably time for me to get new paintbrushes. Does anyone know any alternative to Volks' paintbrushes? I've tried brushes I bought from art stores, but none have been good enough.

EDIT: I've uploaded new photos after Nat pointed out my noobish mistake, lol! Thanks again Nat!

Click to read more.. / 続きを読む...