My First Custom Toy Project
I’ve never been that keen on customizing toys, especially older ones because I have a weird thing about “ruining” the past. I do like when I see really good custom figures, but overall it’s really not my thing. The other day I went over to a friend’s house and bought all of his old G.I. Joes and some other figures. Before you get excited, a lot of them were in bad shape and most of them were from the “crappy” Joe era of the early ’90s. Still, I got a few gems like a V2 Alley Viper.
Out of the stuff I didn’t think I wanted to ultimately keep, I fell in love with a cobra vehicle called the Parasite. It’s a Cobra troop carrier rendered in some of the worst and garish colors I’ve ever seen. Here, take a look:
I’m sorry if you puked on yourself, but you can blame Hasbro in the ’90s for that. I saw that this vehicle had potential under those ugly colors, so I took it upon myself to paint it a bit to give it a better look. Sorry, I don’t have any pictures so far, but so far so good. It already looks a million times better and I haven’t even put it back together. After I clear coat it, I think I’ll post some pictures.
Of course, the big problem with this is that it lacks stickers now and nobody does repro stickers for such an unpopular vehicle. I figure I’ll pick up some stickers from other vehicles and use them, because I think it will fit more of the feel I’m going for anyway. I emailed the “Mexican guy” everyone goes to for most of these sorts of things and so far no email back. Hopefully, he doesn’t think I’m some sort of secret agent or something.
I’ve found this project really fun. It’s almost got me wanting to buy more Parasites to repaint, to at least give these ugly things a second chance at life.
Image from: YoJoe.com
July 14th, 2009 at 9:07 pm
Good luck!! I’ve done a couple simple custom figures and it is a lot of fun. I’m no where near as talented as a lot of the customizers out there, but it is still fun regardless.
July 15th, 2009 at 8:38 am
Super-size it……….hold the pickles.
July 15th, 2009 at 10:24 pm
Why customize it when its colors are bursting with so much radical juice?
Seriously though, just the thought of customizing it is already making it look better.
July 15th, 2009 at 11:09 pm
I know walmart used to sell these little decal making kits complete with CD-ROM that would let your basic printer print on special decal sticker sheets. The only issue was you had to be really good with the scissors or hobby knife to get them cut out just right…
July 16th, 2009 at 7:45 am
That vehicle does indeed look awesome in better colors. I have the version Hasbro released at TRU a few years back. It was red and black, and came packaged with 3 or 4 B.A.T. figures. I don’t remember what they called that reissue of it, though.
July 22nd, 2009 at 7:40 pm
Kooooool! If you’re not used to customizing, then I’d say just spray the whole thing with some Krylon Fusion spray paint, whatever color you want. Then go back and paint all the little details by hand.