elhonez Posted May 13 Author Share Posted May 13 So, a couple months later, I'm back on the horse and made some great progress yesterday. I'm waiting on a fancy metallic paint that can appear to be two different colors for the last main guy, and doing some final accessory gathering and decorating. Looking forward to sharing these, because they'll be the last PMIF set for the foreseeable future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elhonez Posted May 24 Author Share Posted May 24 Sometimes when I reach the end of a wave, things suddenly start moving so... slowly... Lots of little last minute tweaks that end up taking more time, e.g. paint details or additional parts. I think I have less than a week left on these, parts acquisition-dependent. These feel less comic accurate in some ways than my previous waves (I took some liberties), but I'm still excited to share them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elhonez Posted May 26 Author Share Posted May 26 (edited) Â Whew! Finally done. This is the final PMIF wave I had planned. Quick notes: Golden Tigers "leader" and Chaka: I updated Chaka's belt to be more comic accurate in color with a metallic blue. Nightshade and Power Master: Nightshade got a new hairpiece, gold bands, necklace, and touch-ups Cottonmouth and Black Mariah: Years ago when I conceived of a bunch of these as simple QCs, it was before the Netflix Cage series had arrived, and I had rationalized their exclusion by virtue of their relatively minor comic appearances. But when they were cast with Mahershala Ali and Alfre Woodard, I realized I'd eventually have to do these comic versions. For Cornell, I cut and glued some Pai Mei facial hair. I think it looks hilarious. Black Mariah features a hand-painted Corpse Mom dress, which I had made an attempt to dremel-sand first to remove the "damage" deco. Turns out it just made the plastic a bit rough, which was odd. But hopefully the red mostly covers any lingering artifacts. Diamondback and Gadget: OK this was a fun set -- Diamondback is actually covered with a single layer of metallic paint from an outfit called "Turbodork," and it's a paint that appears in different colors depending on what the base is. So I had prepped the parts with black and white in different areas, and this is the result. It looks better in-hand, but I was trying to capture the effect of a shimmering snake skin, which the original artists had accomplished with orange and green. His shirt is just an XO Manowar chest block. Gadget is one I'd never heard of before researching Diamondback, but he seemed simple enough (at first) to QC -- there are some serendipitous parts already available, like Colleen Wing's sneakers and Dallas' (Alien) space suit chest block. But it got a bit tough when I had to hand-paint Jamie Foxx's Electro moustache off, which required some delicate color matching. In hindsight I would've done a decal, but he was a last-minute addition. He's a weapons genius, and the briefcase with knife samples is taken from a specific panel: Edited May 27 by elhonez Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cylonchaney Posted May 26 Share Posted May 26 Always great stuff from you. I don't know the source material but they look great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kotter Comics Posted May 27 Share Posted May 27 Amazing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kotter Comics Posted May 27 Share Posted May 27 Believe it or not, Nightshade showed up on a rack toy with Captain America in the 1970s. I can't figure out how to shrink the image enough to post it, but here's a link. Â Â Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elhonez Posted May 27 Author Share Posted May 27 (edited) Whoa! That's wild! It also makes me reflect that she and four others in this wave all appeared in the Cage series in some form. But wow, I don't think they could sell that toy in that packaging today... the optics of a large white man festooned in the American flag chasing an African-American female criminal in the service of selling a shooting gallery toy... that's a lot to unpack. [EDIT: Also I'm not trying to be sanctimonious here -- I appreciate that you shared this odd piece of toy history! I am just acknowledging the very different standards for very different times.] Edited May 27 by elhonez Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elhonez Posted May 28 Author Share Posted May 28 (edited) Here they all are. I thought it would be fun to see them as a group. Did I miss any Power Man or Iron Fist characters you were hoping to see? Edited May 28 by elhonez Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elhonez Posted May 28 Author Share Posted May 28 (edited) There are a small handful that I have dubbed "The Ones That Got Away," that I only discovered later, or that I finally brainstormed a way to do. I'll revisit these at some much later date: 1. Lionfang He's very flamboyant, which was a plus in my original assessment, but he was a one-and-done and died. However, he was brought back in modern comics. I also figured out a way to do him in the interim, so I'm sure I'll come back to him. 2. Harmony Killdragon I had a rule that I'd only do characters from Deadly Hands of Kung Fu (a black & white magazine) if they appeared somewhere in color. Harmony appeared on a cover, so there was a clear map for her design. I recently seized on the idea of Crimson Viper hair as a rough approximation of her locks. She's an interesting character, like a female Bruce Lee. She was apparently an action star in the 616, and she was set against the Sons of the Tiger for "reasons" until they finally teamed up against the baddies. Classic Marvel. 3. Golden Tigers 2.0 Their robed look was much more toyetic. Kinda wish I had led with this. 4. Chiantang the "Black Dragon" He looks like a variation of your standard K'un-Lun outfit, but he's actually a huge dragon in human guise. He was the original asshole dragon that enslaved Shao Lao, the dragon that gave Iron Fist his powers. Edited May 28 by elhonez Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buttheadsmate Posted May 28 Share Posted May 28 5 hours ago, elhonez said: Here they all are. I thought it would be fun to see them as a group. Did I miss any Power Man or Iron Fist characters you were hoping to see?  What an absolutely stunning set of minimates . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kotter Comics Posted May 28 Share Posted May 28 21 hours ago, elhonez said: But wow, I don't think they could sell that toy in that packaging today... the optics of a large white man festooned in the American flag chasing an African-American female criminal in the service of selling a shooting gallery toy... that's a lot to unpack. [EDIT: Also I'm not trying to be sanctimonious here -- I appreciate that you shared this odd piece of toy history! I am just acknowledging the very different standards for very different times.] 100%. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kotter Comics Posted May 28 Share Posted May 28 What an incredible project! I'm really appreciative of the skill in execution and the scope of the idea! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buttheadsmate Posted May 28 Share Posted May 28 On 5/27/2024 at 2:37 PM, Kotter Comics said: Believe it or not, Nightshade showed up on a rack toy with Captain America in the 1970s. I can't figure out how to shrink the image enough to post it, but here's a link.   I followed that link & immediately chased up the cover of Captain America #164 which featured the original artwork ....oh boy ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elhonez Posted May 28 Author Share Posted May 28 3 hours ago, buttheadsmate said: I followed that link & immediately chased up the cover of Captain America #164 which featured the original artwork ....oh boy ! If I were a better human being, I'd immediately begin work on a Falcon-Werewolf custom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSTZach Posted May 28 Share Posted May 28 These are all amazing. I want to live in a world where they are all available at Walgreens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elhonez Posted May 28 Author Share Posted May 28 2 hours ago, DSTZach said: I want to live in a world where they are all available at Walgreens. Me too! I think that's probably why I photograph them like waves from an alternate dimension. And thanks friends for the kind words, I definitely learned a ton about customizing over the course of these waves. I had initially only wanted to update the photos of my old QCs as a pit stop before my next big project, but I felt the pull to improve and expand on them. By the way -- although some of the original decal art is lost due to a laptop switch & file mismanagement on my part (ex: RIP El Aguila), I'd be happy to make available a flat file of the art for the remaining decals. DM me if interested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elhonez Posted June 28 Author Share Posted June 28 Ok. I've planned out all of the sets for my next theme. By the numbers:Â 8 waves 1 box set 67 MiniMates 9 of which are "army builders" 50 (ish) require decals 7.5 decals done to-date Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cylonchaney Posted June 29 Share Posted June 29 Amazing as always. It must feel good to look at that huge assortment and know that they're all your own creations. Looking forward to seeing the next wave! The thing about artistic endeavours is that the artist gains in skill/experience with each creation. The next wave should be even more amazing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kotter Comics Posted June 30 Share Posted June 30 On 6/28/2024 at 1:56 PM, elhonez said: Ok. I've planned out all of the sets for my next theme. By the numbers:Â Can't wait to see it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elhonez Posted July 8 Author Share Posted July 8 It'll probably be the fall before the first wave is done, based on my current (very slow) decal pace. Related to your post @cylonchaney, I think one of the biggest changes I notice as I pause to look back is that my standards have changed. Previously, I had started everything as a QC -- I was really looking for opportunities to share easy recipes for fast results. But I started to find that I was often unsatisfied with the results. My slow growth as a MiniMate creator is a double-edged sword when it comes to output: on one hand, I'm learning more and getting more efficient, but on the other hand my increasing standards are causing me to take longer to e.g. get decals right, or experiment more with custom bits. For example: I'm branching out into decals for non-standard pieces, and trying to conceive of new ways to cut & glue pieces to better approximate certain looks in 3D. What I'm most excited about with the next batch: Lots of very colorful characters, many or most of whom you'd only be familiar with if you were a fan of the theme. I get a kick out of giving these deep cut characters a moment to shine, and sharing them with people who might not have seen them before. Some are just plain cool designs that Marvel could probably do more with if they wanted to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elhonez Posted August 7 Author Share Posted August 7 (edited) A progress update: I've knocked out decal designs for 25 individual MiniMates. 21 left to go, but those 21 designs will apply to 27 characters. Which is only a thematic hint in the most oblique way. While I'm pretty excited to get to the point where I can actually share a wave photo (maybe October), I'm also feeling a bit daunted by the parts I'm still missing. But it's been a lot of fun to do this deep dive on the theme, which I'll probably reveal when I've finished a larger percentage of the decals. I'd say it's pretty on-brand for me though, so it won't be a big surprise. Edited August 7 by elhonez grammar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kotter Comics Posted August 7 Share Posted August 7 Looking forward to it! Also, re: your last wave. I am doing a rewatch of the Avengers Earth's Mightiest Heroes cartoon (about which I can't say enough) and there is an episode that features many of the c-list villains you made. If you haven't watched it, definitely check it out (Season 2, Episode 5. To Steal an Ant Man. But you should watch the whole series.). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elhonez Posted August 14 Author Share Posted August 14 That show was easily one of the best Marvel animated projects of all time, and I LOVE the episode you mention for exactly that reason. I remember being so surprised to see those characters show up -- Gideon Mace? Mangler? Cockroach Hamilton? GTFO! So good. I just hit the 29th character decal for my next batch, and the 30th decal is a recently-discovered (new to me) army builder that might be my favorite army-builder of all time. They are equal parts ridiculous and awesome. Very 1970s Marvel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NerdyTrev Posted August 15 Share Posted August 15 1 hour ago, elhonez said: Very 1970s Marvel. Steve Gerber Defenders? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elhonez Posted August 15 Author Share Posted August 15 4 hours ago, NerdyTrev said: Steve Gerber Defenders? No, but that's a good guess, and funny that you should them mention because somewhere down the road I have about 16 Defenders / villains planned from that era. I've done a few QCs but they deserve some real love. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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