Building your MARINES - CORRECTLY

[Wor-Gar]

I thought I'd post this so anybody who has put together their marines can help others out with recommendations on how to do it right, and what changes need to be made to make the figures accurate.

For instance, I know many of you have "heightened" Ripley. Also, there's the issue with the wording on some of the breast plates. And the issue of which is the correct side for Hicks' knife.

Anyway, anything anyone can offer here would be helpful, especially to me as I'm starting to build my marines at very long last... and trying to sort through the 100,000 post superthread for information can get a little daunting.

Thanks in advance for any help...

[pjam]

I'll be happy to provide any info needed WG!

Pjam reporting for duty...

[Wor-Gar]

CUSTOMIZING MARINES: TIPS

I guess I'll keep a running tally here:

HT adjustments to clothing/armor:

- Hicks and Hudson knife on left side of armor, not on right side, knife handle and case should be black.
- Gerber knife replacement on Vas and Drake; left leg holster.
- Hudson: Louis to Louise.
- Drake SG: "My B-itch " on gun "Grrrrrrrr" on handle.
- Hicks Armor also has additional markings, "Born Again" on his left shoulder pad.
- Hudson Helmet: a calendar with markings, "Brain Dead" written on right side and an 8 Ball painted on the camo in back left.
- The number of grenade loops is incorrect on the toys. There are five loops and the marines had four.
- Boots are the wrong pattern. I think the toys come with Panama pattern soles when they should be Vibram pattern soles.
- Vasquez's sidesarm is incorrect. It should be a SW M39, not a HK VP70.
- Hicks and Apone's groin armor are the same as Hudson's and should be corrected. The sardine key needs to be removed and the holes left behind filled in. Apone's torso armor should have the lock and clasp removed and the holes left behind filled in.
- Pulse Rifle LED counter should be red, not green.
- I don't think Drake had a sidearm holster.
- Drake had a string of bones/feathers/whatever dangling off the muzzle of his Smart Gun in some shots.
- Hudson's helmet cover only had one seam down the middle, Vietnam era style.
- Hicks helmet needs a strap - use the helmet strap from Hudson for Hicks.
- mic arms on helmets should be silver not black.
- Vasquez had the Spanish word LOCO hand lettered on the back center of her BDU shirt in black marker. (Harris collection has good pics of it).
- The mics themselves are black, not OD green like the toys, and the tips are flat, not rounded. The end of the mic (inside the casing) is silver. There is also a length of black wire running from the cylinder on the other end of the mic arm that's attached inside the helmet. In the movie I believe it was connected to the comm packs taped under the armoured neck pieces, but it's visible in some of the closups of Hudson's helmet during the combat drop.
- Hudson had a length of black para cord and what looks like a section of black chain on it that was attached to the sheath of his combat knife. He wore it looped around his neck and it can be clearly seen in many scenes, including the one where he enters the mess hall before the knife game with Bishop.


Extra bits needed if you're really obsessive:

- Drake tan sleeveless t-shirt with iron-on (available from member)
- Vasquez green wife-beater
- Cheong arm sleeves for Vasquez 'buff' look
- additonal patches available from Chris at EVA
- Vas chest holster; sidearm was a Smith & Wesson M39 not a Vp-70

Re-Painting advice and/or materials to use:

- Hudson and Hicks run darker in their BDU dirtyness, Vasquez runs bleached out.
- to fade BDU's: mix up a very very watered down off white wash and soak them in it for a minute or so.... wring it out and let it dry. Or use the Rit Whitewash.


Anything Pjam or Dave can add or contribute to this evergrowing list will help everyone customize their marines. I mention these two because we all know they are the most obsessive "Aliens" detail guys here and have pretty much done everything that is listed above to their Aliens marine figures so they have first-hand experience. There are of course many other experts here, so if I didn't mention you don't be insulted.

NOTE: This LIST is a quick-look compilation of everyone's tips and advice. For a more detailed explanation of any info posted here, please post a question to the usual suspects or PM them directly.

[pjam]

Hudson: Louis to Louise but I know you knew that. :lol
Drake SG: "My B-itch " on gun "Grrrrrrrr" on handle...

Hicks Armor also has additional markings, "Born Again" on his left shoulder pad. DA can point more of this stuff out...

Hudson Helmet: Les provided a complete set of refs on this. i'll see if I can dig them up. Josh repainted my helmet, basically a calendar front right/center with markings, "Brain Dead" written on right side and an 8 Ball painted on the camo in back left...

[figuremasterles]

Great thread!
I'll try to find my info too....

Josh (DA) should by now, be a wellspring of info on these guys...

Oh, fast tip on weathering... Hudson and Hicks run darker in their BDU dirtyness....Vasquez runs bleached out....

[The ill Jedi]

Awesome thread idea!! This is gonna help me big time with adding the finishing touches to the 'Ultimate Bad Asses'. Thanks Wor-Gar, PJam, Les and anyone else who shares the knowledge! :rock

[ONEYE]

I thought I'd post this so anybody who has put together their marines can help others out with recommendations on how to do it right, and what changes need to be made to make the figures accurate.

For instance, I know many of you have "heightened" Ripley. Also, there's the issue with the wording on some of the breast plates. And the issue of which is the correct side for Hicks' knife.

Anyway, anything anyone can offer here would be helpful, especially to me as I'm starting to build my marines at very long last... and trying to sort through the 100,000 post superthread for information can get a little daunting.

Thanks in advance for any help...

Thank you so much for starting this thread. I've been searching for what paint(s) to use for Drake's face & hair.

[ONEYE]

I also bought Cheong, for his arm sleeves, for Vasquez. Not sure what needs to be done to make it look "natural."

[Wor-Gar]

Thanks for the support guys! I'll be updating the LIST as we go so there will be no searching through a thread -- just check in with the 3rd post for all the up to date answers.

And thank you Pjam for correcting my booboos. :)

[Xander]

This is actually a really interesting thread! I was watching Aliens the other night and got a pretty bad hankerin' for a Marine, but wouldn't know exactly how to glorify it. I've definitely gotta get one of these now, they are on the to-get list for sure!!! Somwhere after Superman and Robo but before SSC Endor troops.

[MaulFan]

Is it easy to switch Hicks' knife from one side to the other?

[pjam]

Not sure, hope someone figs it out... shouldn' t be too tough and as WG noted knife handles and casings were black...

Straps too I think but maybe we should wait for a screen grab first..

[Wor-Gar]

Is it easy to switch Hicks' knife from one side to the other?

I haven't done it yet, but I did look and it seems easy enough. The knife is just belted in with buckles. Incidently, the real marines had no buckles on the knives. I have a basic Dragon black knife and sheath which I plan to replace on my Hicks and Hudson figures. I will most likely "sew" them to the strap so I can remove them in the future. I wouldn't recommend glue as it will stain the material of the strap and will harden it as well. You can pick these knives up anywhere for about $2-$3 - ebay, Monkey Depot, etc.

The oversized green HT knives are one of my biggest gripes, considering how detailed and to scale everything else is. They just gotta go.

[pjam]

Yeah, I just looked too but will yield to the futzmaster Wor Gar on this...

I'm keeping my knives as is but I just examined mine and it seems there are two loops which fit through the knife casing and no apparent way to remove them... wouldn't want to pull them out of the casing, could be impossible to get them back in... maybe one solution is to cut the loops and reglue the cut loop ends with elmers once they are moved onto on the other ammo strap?

I don't think using elmers would be a problem or superglue for that matter the loop overlap would be hidden under the strap anyway and aren't Hicks and Hudsons wrist bands just a glued cloth loop?

[Wor-Gar]

Yeah, I just looked too but will yield to the futzmaster Wor Gar on this...

I'm keeping my knives as is but I just examined mine and it seems there are two loops which fit through the knife casing and no apparent way to remove them... wouldn't want to pull them out of the casing, could be impossible to get them back in... maybe one solution is to cut the loops and reglue the cut loop ends with elmers once they are moved onto on the other ammo strap?

I don't think using elmers would be a problem or superglue for that matter the loop overlap would be hidden under the strap anyway and aren't Hicks and Hudsons wrist bands just a glued cloth loop?


You can undo the strap from the shoulder plate -- its a small buckle clip just like on all the belts. The sheath should slide right off, then just snap the buckle back together.

[pjam]

You can undo the strap from the shoulder plate -- its a small clip just like on all the belts.

Ah yes, I told you guys I would yield to the futzmaster! :lol

I'm moving mine now... then gotta run. Thanks WG!

[DBoz]

Hudson and Hicks' knives were both located on their left side of the armor. Hicks' was strapped to the grenade carrier and Hudson's was tied on and hung lower than Hicks'.

Also, the one that comes with them is totally innacurate. I would suggest getting some of the knives from Chris at EVA (http://members.aol.com/M56SG/uscm.html). It can pass for Drake's as well, even though his was a little shorter. Here's a pic of mine on Drake.

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j146/DarthBoz/IMG_1679.jpg

There are two ways to go about removing the knife that comes with the marines. 1) you can either cut or pull the straps holding the knife to the harness apart (they are just glued) or 2) you can take the harness apart and slide the knife off.

If you don't want to or can't get some knives from Chris at EVA, then a regular Dragon or BBI British commando knife will pass. You can find them in black and brown. Before I got the knives from Chris, I had one that I painted black on my Hudson. Here's what it looked like:
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j146/DarthBoz/IMG_1075.jpg

I simply taped it to the harness using electrical tape because I'm lazy, but as I stated before, in the movie, Hudson's was tied on like so:

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j146/DarthBoz/a2out6p1.jpg

And here's a pic of Hicks':

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j146/DarthBoz/Hicks.jpg

[DarkArtist81]

Also, the Stock Hicks doesn't come with the strap around his helmet. Hudson does. As he is the only one with a cover. But to be film accurate, Hicks needs that strap on his helmet.

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k203/DarkArtist81/Customs/DSCN2982.jpg

Helmets also have stenciling on the back, with their names....

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k203/DarkArtist81/helmet2.jpg

Knee/shin armor is much more scratched and dented...

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k203/DarkArtist81/greave1.jpg

Hicks also has this grafitti on his back, haven't seen it in the film... but this is a recreation of the original prop. I need to add it to my Hicks.

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k203/DarkArtist81/TE_Hicks_Back.jpg

And a further example on the proper weathering on the armor...

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k203/DarkArtist81/breast1.jpg

Hicks sleeves need to be cut and rolled as high as possible and if you really want to be accurate... add this tattoo and arm hair.

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k203/DarkArtist81/DSCN1763.jpg

[ONEYE]

Could Bishop and Ripley be added to this thread?

I just picked up Sideshow's The X Files Frank Black. Fixing his hair is not a biggy, but those freaky eyes! What's best to use for his outfit.

[ambac]

Some points I don't believe anyone has mentioned yet.

*The number of grenade loops is incorrect on the toys. There are five loops and the marines had four.

*Boots are the wrong pattern. I think the toys come with Panama pattern soles when they should be Vibram pattern soles.

*Vasquez's sidesarm is incorrect. It should be a SW M39, not a HK VP70.

*Hicks and Apone's groin armor are the same as Hudson's and should be corrected. The sardine key needs to be removed and the holes left behind filled in.

*Apone's torso armor should have the lock and clasp removed and the holes left behind filled in.

*Pulse Rifle LED counter should be red, not green.

*I don't think Drake had a sidearm holster.

*Drake had a string of bones/feathers/whatever dangling off the muzzle of his Smart Gun in some shots.

*Hudson's helmet cover only had one seam down the middle, Vietnam era style.

There's probably more....

[pjam]

Is it easy to switch Hicks' knife from one side to the other?

Did it last nite but it wasn't THAT easy. The top inner knife casing loop is loop-locked under another to hold it to the strap. I unclipped the strap, cut top loop, then retaped to fit onto the other strap. I may replace it with an EVA but for now it is on the correct side.

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j88/pjam07/DSC05595.jpg

Post futzed. Ready for final gearup:

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j88/pjam07/DSC05596.jpg


Other Notes: The Marine helmet mic arms are silver as you can see from a few grabs, use a silver sharpie...

[Stendec]

Heres a coulpe of simple mods I made to my Hudson and will do the same to my Hicks.

The lobster plates really bugged the hel out of me when iI first picked up the helmet. They seem to hang awkwardly and not flush against the back of the Marines helmets so I removed mine and re-attached them to look right (see comparison pic)

http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s217/eifion_evans/th_lobster_plate_mod.jpg (http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s217/eifion_evans/lobster_plate_mod.jpg)

Its difficult to explain the method but once you remove them and have a play, its easy to figure out. I just used ordinary super glue to re-attach the webbing to the inside of the helmet.

Another dead simple mod is adding some black material between the connecting parts of the leg greaves. A black vinyl type material can clealry be seen on Hicks leg armor as he is gearing up aboard the Sulaco. You dont even have to glue it on since the pressure of the armor against the boot will hold it in place.

http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s217/eifion_evans/th_greaves_mudflaps.jpg (http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s217/eifion_evans/greaves_mudflaps.jpg)

There is plenty of room around Hudsons boots but it will be tougher to do on Hicks since the leg armor are a much tighter fit, still doable though.

[MaulFan]

Pjam, which head are you using for your Hicks, stoner or HT Hudson repaint?

[pjam]

Pjam, which head are you using for your Hicks, stoner or HT Hudson repaint?

Stoner... duuuude.

Mine was repainted by Mr Walker. Josh does an asskick job too. :D

[MaulFan]

Stoner... duuuude.

Mine was repainted by Mr Walker. Josh does an asskick job too. :D

Thanks for the info. I'm actually going to paint my own and see what kind of sucess I can have with it and if I come up short I'll enlist one of the pros.

[ONEYE]

Will anyone post the names/manufacturer of the paints used to repaint the faces? (It's not classified, is it??)

[Wor-Gar]

Will anyone post the names/manufacturer of the paints used to repaint the faces? (It's not classified, is it??)

For that you'd have to ask Les or Josh or Mikey or Darren.

[MaulFan]

Will anyone post the names/manufacturer of the paints used to repaint the faces? (It's not classified, is it??)

I've asked the experts and been told Testors Model Master Acrylics.

[ONEYE]

I've asked the experts and been told Testors Model Master Acrylics.
I was kind of looking for more specific info. I've checked out the Testors site and found a long list of colors that can be used. I am hoping that someone will step up and say which colors work with which figures.

Model Master - Sunburn <table><tbody><tr><td colspan="5">Model Master - Ghoul Flesh </td></tr></tbody></table> <table><tbody><tr><td colspan="5">Model Master - Orc Flesh</td></tr></tbody></table>Model Master - Centaur Flesh
Model Master - Light Flesh
<table><tbody><tr><td colspan="5">Model Master - Bone</td></tr></tbody></table> <table><tbody><tr><td colspan="5">Model Master - Skin Tone Tint Base - Light</td></tr></tbody></table> <table><tbody><tr><td colspan="5">Model Master - Skin Tone Tint Base - Dark</td></tr></tbody></table>Model Master - Skin Tone Warm Tint
<table><tbody><tr><td colspan="5">Model Master - Skin Tone Shadow</td></tr></tbody></table>Model Master - Tan
Model Master - Dark Tan

[Wor-Gar]

I was kind of looking for more specific info. I've checked out the Testors site and found a long list of colors that can be used. I am hoping that someone will step up and say which colors work with which figures.

Model Master - Sunburn <table><tbody><tr><td colspan="5">Model Master - Ghoul Flesh </td></tr></tbody></table> <table><tbody><tr><td colspan="5">Model Master - Orc Flesh</td></tr></tbody></table>Model Master - Centaur Flesh
Model Master - Light Flesh
<table><tbody><tr><td colspan="5">Model Master - Bone</td></tr></tbody></table> <table><tbody><tr><td colspan="5">Model Master - Skin Tone Tint Base - Light</td></tr></tbody></table> <table><tbody><tr><td colspan="5">Model Master - Skin Tone Tint Base - Dark</td></tr></tbody></table>Model Master - Skin Tone Warm Tint
<table><tbody><tr><td colspan="5">Model Master - Skin Tone Shadow</td></tr></tbody></table>Model Master - Tan
Model Master - Dark Tan

You might want to try PMing those guys I listed for exact formulas, or post a new thread for this very question as your query might be getting lost here. I'm not sure they check in here too much as they all have completed Marines.

[ONEYE]

You might want to try PMing those guys I listed for exact formulas, or post a new thread for this very question as your query might be getting lost here. I'm not sure they check in here too much as they all have completed Marines.

I also need the names/brands of the paint to use for their armor.


:confused:

I must be confused. I thought the info would be pasted in this thread, to share the info.

I'll just do a search on my own.

[Wor-Gar]

I also need the names/brands of the paint to use for their armor.


:confused:

I must be confused. I thought the info would be pasted in this thread, to share the info.

I'll just do a search on my own.




Dude, don't get all pissy.

I'm sorry your question hasn't been answered in a timely enough fashion. We're trying to help best we can -- but I must say I'm a little put off by your terse reponses. Repainting is a serious art and this thread really is just concerned with "building" your marines correctly -- you know, buying the right parts to make them accurate.

I didn't intend this thread to be a painting lesson for you.

[MaulFan]

Dude, don't get all pissy.

I'm sorry your question hasn't been answered in a timely enough fashion. We're trying to help best we can -- but I must say I'm a little put off by your terse reponses. Repainting is a serious art and this thread really is just concerned with "building" your marines correctly -- you know, buying the right parts to make them accurate.

I didn't intend this thread to be a painting lesson for you.

And as someone who will soon be constructing his first marine, I thank you for starting this Wor-Gar, it's a nice way to consolidate the efforts that spread over MANY pages in the super thread, but deffinately helpful to have, especially as intricate as these figures seem to be regarding construction.

[DarkArtist81]

I was kind of looking for more specific info. I've checked out the Testors site and found a long list of colors that can be used. I am hoping that someone will step up and say which colors work with which figures.

Model Master - Sunburn <table><tbody><tr><td colspan="5">Model Master - Ghoul Flesh </td></tr></tbody></table> <table><tbody><tr><td colspan="5">Model Master - Orc Flesh</td></tr></tbody></table>Model Master - Centaur Flesh
Model Master - Light Flesh
<table><tbody><tr><td colspan="5">Model Master - Bone</td></tr></tbody></table> <table><tbody><tr><td colspan="5">Model Master - Skin Tone Tint Base - Light</td></tr></tbody></table> <table><tbody><tr><td colspan="5">Model Master - Skin Tone Tint Base - Dark</td></tr></tbody></table>Model Master - Skin Tone Warm Tint
<table><tbody><tr><td colspan="5">Model Master - Skin Tone Shadow</td></tr></tbody></table>Model Master - Tan
Model Master - Dark Tan

Hey bro... no, it's not classified info... :rolleyes:

I use Model Master Acryl Skin tone warm, and skin tone base, also use Model Master Leather. Those are the only ones available in my area and I use various mixes of those colors for all of my human skin tones. I can't say what ratio is used or what hue it becomes once I mix it, because I don't even know. I eyeball everything. So that's the best I can give you....

It's not about color alone, it's in the application and the means of application. :monkey1

[Darren Carnall]

well I'm not going to be any use here I'm afraid as I don't use any particular brand or any particular colours on any of my figures. I use whatever acrylic paints (usually the artists ones in squeezy metal tubes) I have to hand and I always mix my own colours each time.....

I know I know that's no use to you... but hey, I'm an artist, lol. It's how I do things

[DarkArtist81]

well I'm not going to be any use here I'm afraid as I don't use any particular brand or any particular colours on any of my figures. I use whatever acrylic paints (usually the artists ones in squeezy metal tubes) I have to hand and I always mix my own colours each time.....

I know I know that's no use to you... but hey, I'm an artist, lol. It's how I do things

:rock:rock:rock:rock:rock

Art is in the mind, not the brush! :lecture

[nash]

Im not a painter or an artist (well martial artist, does that count? :D) but I think it's pretty apparant that painting a figure isn't as easy as painting numbers. One color probably doesnt mean flesh tone, or hair, or eyes. You'll just have to mix and blend and find what works for the look you want.

[DarkArtist81]

Im not a painter or an artist (well martial artist, does that count? :D) but I think it's pretty apparant that painting a figure isn't as easy as painting numbers. One color probably doesnt mean flesh tone, or hair, or eyes. You'll just have to mix and blend and find what works for the look you want.

Well said and 100% correct, You usually just look at the reference and mix until you have what you want. It's not always as easy as "1 unit part A, 2 units part B".

[MaulFan]

I've just recently got into painting figures, and it really is about just mixing up stuff to get the right shade for the project at hand, people will have varying skin tones, even within caucasion skin; for example, I made a flesh tone for my Faramir that was right for him then went and used it for my Jack Sparrow, but it was too untanned for Sparrow, so he'd require a different shade. I'm sure some have base tones they use for their mix, but the final paint is most like a mixture of shades to fit the character at hand.

[MaulFan]

I have a question for those of you who've swapped out your marines' heads, how do you go about removing the head from the figure? Hicks will be my first non-muscular body or Alien Hot Toys figure and I'm not very familiar with their body and it's construction. Thanks for any help.

[DarkArtist81]

Well, just grab the head and yank that sucker off. It's attached via a neck post that attaches to the bottom of the head. This post has a ball socket that attaches to the body's neck socket....that has a round attachment.

So, you can yank the head off and if you so desired, remove the head from the post and reattach another one so that it is ready to reattach to the neck socket.

[MaulFan]

Thanks Josh, I'll be curious to see what I can do, I'm going to get the Frontline Hicks head, haven't seen too many people use it, it looks nice. I studied the various alternate heads people have been using, and of the 3 big ones (Stoner, HT Hudson, Frontline Hicks), Stoner or Frontline are the one for me, Hudson, while it works with the right paint, looks off in the nose structure from Biehn.

Simple paint question; for those who've added Hick's tattoo on his left bicep, what's the best way to do that and have it not rub off or chip off the plastic of the base body, paint, marker?

[JediMike71]

Thanks Wor-Gor, Les, pjam, Josh and all the others who have tweaked and tricked out their marines. I'm trying to do that with mine too. I repainted the Hudson head for my custom Hicks last night. Looks more like Hicks, now...but not quite Hicks in my book. I'm using an extra Hudson I got from Dboz to make my Hicks too. But, I do have the famous "Stoner" head on the way. I got the "hero head" for Hicks already painted so I'll end up with three different head choices for my Hicks! I missed the tip on how to heighten Ripley. How do you do that? Get her a taller female body? I think she was roughly about as tall as Hicks was? I know Sigourney is a tall and skinny woman. I really appreciate this thread guys. I am obsessive with my marines too...to a point! :o I got some of those great knives from Chris at EVA and his fabric USCM patches set too. Also got Hudson's "winged skull" bolo tie clip I'll put on his armor straps too. I got the clasp and padlock for going over my Hicks's heart on his armor from Chris too. Thanks for the tips and suggestions guys! I will definitely use them to help "trick out" my marines the best I can to how they looked onscreen in the movie! :D

Do any of you have a closeup of the "Born Again" written on Hicks's left (was it left or right?) shoulder armor? I want to see that and get it right so I can put it on correctly on my Hicks's armor. Please post a closeup here of that for me! Thanks again!

[Mudshark]

Also, the Stock Hicks doesn't come with the strap around his helmet. Hudson does. As he is the only one with a cover. But to be film accurate, Hicks needs that strap on his helmet.

Hicks also has this grafitti on his back, haven't seen it in the film... but this is a recreation of the original prop. I need to add it to my Hicks.

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k203/DarkArtist81/TE_Hicks_Back.jpg



Josh,
You found some really interesting details to add to Hicks, I especially like the extra grafitti on the back of his armour! It's hard to spot in the film, but I'm planning to add it anyway, I think it looks cool and it tells us more about his personality.

Fellow Freaks,
The character painted in red appears to be the Chinese/Japanese word for "love". Don't know how it's pronounced in Chinese, but it's Ai in Japanese, (same character as the first name of pro tennis player Ai Sugiyama). Must mean "love for the Corps" in Hicks' case. Unfortunately, I found a mistake on it. There are a couple of brush strokes missing, so it's incomplete and therefore meaningless. It will probably go unnoticed to most people, but I did happen to notice it and thought I'd mention it to any other "perfectionists" out there. I'll try to post pics of the corrected character soon, so anyone who plans to add it can fix it themselves.

On another note, Vasquez had the word LOCO hand lettered on the back of her BDU shirt. It probably won't matter to anyone who's going to display her packin' the M56 or wearing just the tanktop, but she wore that shirt through most of the film up until the time she buys it with Gorman, so if anyone plans to have a later version of her (like me), the lettering would be a necessary addition. Also, the HT version look as though her sleeves were torn off, but they were actually neatly sewn along the seam where the sleeves were removed. (The Harris collection has good pics for reference.) Btw, I've read that Vas also carried a knife, but I've never been able to spot it in the film.

[Mudshark]

Simple paint question; for those who've added Hick's tattoo on his left bicep, what's the best way to do that and have it not rub off or chip off the plastic of the base body, paint, marker?

Just heat up a needle and BURN that sucker in! Just kidding, of course, but it wouldn't rub off then... :rolleyes:

[DarkArtist81]

Thanks Mudshark, I will await that updated character with great interest! That back graffiti was something that I was shocked to know was there.

Mike, I tried to PM you but your box was full... but to take off the markings on Hudson's armor I used Thinner and a brillo pad. It was hard and took me a long time, but it did come off. Some of the camo will come with it as well, but it worked for me. And actually, when you add the rest of the stuff...the lock, etc... It won't really look all that obvious. Hope that helps.

And MaulFan, to paint the tattoo... I painted the arms, sealed them and followed that up with clear Flat. Then I painted the tattoo on and did a wash of skin tone over the tat, wiping away with my fingers. That way it looks to be "in" the skin and not just drawn on. :rock

[ambac]

If I recall correctly, Hicks's armor grafitti was not done by Michael Biehn, probably the only case in which this happened. All the other actors portraying marines were asked to customize thier armor but as Michael Biehn replaced James Remar as Hicks, he inherited the graffitti Remar came up with.

[ambac]

Thanks Josh, I'll be curious to see what I can do, I'm going to get the Frontline Hicks head, haven't seen too many people use it, it looks nice. I studied the various alternate heads people have been using, and of the 3 big ones (Stoner, HT Hudson, Frontline Hicks), Stoner or Frontline are the one for me, Hudson, while it works with the right paint, looks off in the nose structure from Biehn.

Simple paint question; for those who've added Hick's tattoo on his left bicep, what's the best way to do that and have it not rub off or chip off the plastic of the base body, paint, marker?

The Frontline Hicks is a nice sculpt, but I feel it portrays a Michael Biehn that's a little too old. That and it has the slicked back hair look which I think Biehn only sported in the publicity still and never in the movie.

[MaulFan]

The Frontline Hicks is a nice sculpt, but I feel it portrays a Michael Biehn that's a little too old. That and it has the slicked back hair look which I think Biehn only sported in the publicity still and never in the movie.

Well none of the heads out there have the film hair look, so slicked back is the only option, that or the parted hair of the actual Hicks head which as others point out, is just Reese reused and even further from Aliens appearance.

[JediMike71]

Honestly, I prefer Hicks's hair with that "spikey" look to it he had when they'd got inside the processor, and he was only weaing the headset mic to communicate with Bishop, and he was showing Ripley how to use the pulse rifle. I thought about adding some Super Sculpey to one of the three different heads I have for him to get that almost, "flat top" look. You know that look like he put some hair get in it, and the top of his hair is standing up, kinda "spikey" lookin' I guess. Know what I mean? Do you guys think some Super Sculpey would work for that look? Let me know here. Thanks guys! I appreciate it! I just don't really like the "slicked back" hair look for Hicks. I'd prefer my Hicks with the pointy hair look. Just my taste and opinion. :D

[ambac]

Honestly, I prefer Hicks's hair with that "spikey" look to it he had when they'd got inside the processor, and he was only weaing the headset mic to communicate with Bishop, and he was showing Ripley how to use the pulse rifle. I thought about adding some Super Sculpey to one of the three different heads I have for him to get that almost, "flat top" look. You know that look like he put some hair get in it, and the top of his hair is standing up, kinda "spikey" lookin' I guess. Know what I mean? Do you guys think some Super Sculpey would work for that look? Let me know here. Thanks guys! I appreciate it! I just don't really like the "slicked back" hair look for Hicks. I'd prefer my Hicks with the pointy hair look. Just my taste and opinion. :D

You can totally modify the Frontline sculpt for the spikey hair look. I used epoxy putty to do the hair and some model putty filler to fill in the age lines to "de-age" the sculpt. The helmet can still fit on the head with some slight difficulty if you're careful and if you remove the helmet liner. I'll try to post some pictures of my unpainted modded Hicks head and painted up Apone later when my camera recharges.

[Ven]

would it be wrong to get a hot toys hudson and just repaint the head and armor to hicks? get normal skined hands instead of gloves? alter a few things?

[JediMike71]

Hey, "snakebeater" that's exactly what I am doing! I repainted the Hudson head, and am working on repainting Hudson's armor now to be like Hicks's.

What does the "Frontline" Hicks head look like? I'd love to see your pictures of it "ambac", and your Sgt. Apone head too. Thanks! I hope that the "Stoner" head I am getting soon will work with the "spikey" hair I want to try out. I'll put some Super Sculpey on it and try it out after I get it.

Let's see those pictures ambac....Thanks again! :D

[pjam]

Guys, Les is selling some Hicks/Stoner recast heads...

http://sideshowcollectors.com/forums...12391&page=102

[JediMike71]

Hi pjam. Thanks. I was able to find a Stoner head on eBay. A seller had the original loose head for about $10.00 before shipping. But, I do plan on getting Les's "Chronohead" Hudson head someday soon from him. :D

[ambac]

Hey, "snakebeater" that's exactly what I am doing! I repainted the Hudson head, and am working on repainting Hudson's armor now to be like Hicks's.

What does the "Frontline" Hicks head look like? I'd love to see your pictures of it "ambac", and your Sgt. Apone head too. Thanks! I hope that the "Stoner" head I am getting soon will work with the "spikey" hair I want to try out. I'll put some Super Sculpey on it and try it out after I get it.

Let's see those pictures ambac....Thanks again! :D


Here's some images of my mods. These are both Frontline heads, with the Hicks modified as I stated before. The Apone still needs a gloss sheen on his eyes and lips and the Hicks obviously needs to be painted but is primed. Unfortunately I've gotten sucked back into the massive time vortex called Warhammer and Warhammer 40K so that leaves me scant time for modifying silly 12" figures.:lol

http://s92.photobucket.com/albums/l39/grawler99/?action=view&current=hicks02.jpg

http://s92.photobucket.com/albums/l39/grawler99/?action=view&current=hicks01.jpg

http://s92.photobucket.com/albums/l39/grawler99/?action=view&current=apone02.jpg

http://s92.photobucket.com/albums/l39/grawler99/?action=view&current=apone01.jpg

[JediMike71]

Wow, great job ambac! So, I see, the "Frontine" heads...I already have both of those! I got the Hicks and Apone from a seller on eBay. He calls them the "hero heads". I finished my Apone too other than the same gloss on the eyes and a matte coat spray on the rest of the head. I have already painted the Hicks head. So, I'll go back in with some Super Sculpey and add some "spikey" hair to the front of his hair on the top, like you did. I just really like that look for Hicks so much more than the slicked back hair look. Thanks for the pics ambac! I really appreciate it! :D

Guys how did you heighten your HT Ripley figure? Put her head on another body? Does Hot Toys make a taller female body taller than the HT Ripley and Vasquez female bodies? Please let me know how you did it to make her taller. Right now I can see that Ripley and Vasquez are the same height! I know for sure that Ripley was taller than Vasquez. Let me know...thanks again.

[JediMike71]

Hi Les. Thanks for the offer! I will definitely take you up on a Kyle Reese head recast! I already have the Stoner head on the way. I got a loose Reese body from Black Ops Toys. I hope to use the bare hands on my Hicks that I'm using the Hudson body to make. Do you know if the Hot Toys Reese bare hands fit the Hot Toys Hudson body? I really hope so! I know Hicks didn't have gloved hands in the movie, so I wanted to do it right and give him the bare hands.

I was thinking about using the Reese body for my custom Frost. But, I may wait and get a black HT body for Frost. What do you think Les? I may end up eventually making a Private Crowe and Weirzbowski last, just so I have all of the marines. I want to use an extra Ripley body I'm getting in to make the female marine, Deitrich. The fun part there will be finding a Deitrich head! Any idea of any existing heads from HT, Dragon or any other company that would work good for Deitrich, Crowe, and Weirzbowski? Please let me know here if you do!

Thanks again Les. I'll try to get the "Chronohead" Hudson and that Kyle Reese recast head from you soon. How much for both of those shipped? Can you combine shipping on them if I buy them from you at the same time? Let me know here, or send me a PM about it. Thanks. :D

[Stendec]

Les, is your Stoner recast moddified in any way to look more like Hicks because its a teriffic likeness. I hadnt realised the Stoner was that great a likeness to Biehn.

If you do find time to sculpt a version of the Hicks head with spikey hair I'l definately be interested in one :)

[JediMike71]

Hey guys. I just ran across this painted custom 1/6 scale head Bill Paxton as PFC Hudson from ALIENS on eBay. Here's the link:

http://cgi.ebay.com/CUSTOM-LIFE-LIKE-BILL-PAXTON-HUDSON-ALIENS-HEAD-SCULPT_W0QQitemZ260136488002QQihZ016QQcategoryZ272 94QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

So, what do you think? I think it looks pretty good. The likeness is close to Paxton...but not quite there. Post your thoughts here after you view it at the eBay auction link above. Thanks! :D

[MaulFan]

Hey guys. I just ran across this painted custom 1/6 scale head Bill Paxton as PFC Hudson from ALIENS on eBay. Here's the link:

http://cgi.ebay.com/CUSTOM-LIFE-LIKE-BILL-PAXTON-HUDSON-ALIENS-HEAD-SCULPT_W0QQitemZ260136488002QQihZ016QQcategoryZ272 94QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

So, what do you think? I think it looks pretty good. The likeness is close to Paxton...but not quite there. Post your thoughts here after you view it at the eBay auction link above. Thanks! :D

Thanks for sharing. It's not too bad, but to me, the paint and sculpt both poorly define the eye area, which is the most critical point to match a human head on, everything else can be perfect and the wrong eyes will ruin it. If the sculpter were to work more on the eyes, could be really nice, and the hair seems a bit too thin too.

[DBoz]

That is the Frontline Hero Head Paxton painted by pacobird, who does very nice work. You can check out some more here: http://www.onesixthwarriors.com/forum/showthread.php?t=68407

[MaulFan]

Nice paint work on the skin and hair, but something about the eyes just doesn't seem quite right, they don't look as human as some I've seen others do, I can't articulate it, but there is something about them.

[JediMike71]

I think pacobird's painting is great. I really like the Indiana Jones head he's done. Looks better than the Indy head on my 12" Indy now. I may buy that Indy head from him. The Hudson one looks good....but I like the one I have now, and I'm still getting the Chronohead Hudson from Les someday soon.

[Wor-Gar]

Those heads do look nice, great skin tones... but I have to agree with Maulfan, there is something vacant about the eyes in all those sculpts.

[JediMike71]

Wor-Gar, after looking at the heads again I agree with you about the eyes. Man, why are eyes so friggin' hard to paint?! :confused:

[MaulFan]

Wor-Gar, after looking at the heads again I agree with you about the eyes. Man, why are eyes so friggin' hard to paint?! :confused:

Well not to say skin is easy, but hair and skin can be done, for lack of better words, carelessy, I guess relaxed maybe is the better word, but eyes have to be just right or they won't look like eyes or won't look like the person whose eyes you're painting, and on a 1/6 head, it's a small detail to work at.

[Wor-Gar]

Yep, eyes are key. And I imagine very hard to get just right. Of course, we're looking at heads on close-up pictures instead of actual size so maybe in person it's not so noticeable. But I keep thinking of how amazing customizers like Les are who can capture a sense of personality through the eyes on an itsy bitsy 1/6th head. It's really rather amazing.

[DarkArtist81]

Eye's are hard, and simply because you cannot afford to have many flaws in them lest they loose that human look. With skin you can have imperfections and such, but eyes seal the deal. If you can paint good eyes, you are there already. It will all come together in the end. But if you paint droopy misshapen eyes, it ruins the illusion and reminds you that you are looking at a toy or sculpture.

Took me a looong time to be able to paint decent eyes and I still could use a lot of improvement. :lol

[JediMike71]

You guys are right. Eyes truly are "the windows to the soul" as have been said. I am doing better witih eyes, after taking your tips and those tips from Les. Especially to remove the "dots" in the eyes and just paint the colors in them. Then use the gloss on them last to help bring them to life. But it is also true that you can have great skin tones, and hair color, but if your eyes don't look right, the entire head doesn't.

[MaulFan]

Eye's are hard, and simply because you cannot afford to have many flaws in them lest they loose that human look. With skin you can have imperfections and such, but eyes seal the deal. If you can paint good eyes, you are there already. It will all come together in the end. But if you paint droopy misshapen eyes, it ruins the illusion and reminds you that you are looking at a toy or sculpture.

Took me a looong time to be able to paint decent eyes and I still could use a lot of improvement. :lol

Well you're quite good at it Josh, so don't beat yourself up too much, after seeing your work in person finally, I'm quite impressed. One thing I've found in my own dealings with custom painting heads is that not only is paint application key with eyes, but also layering, do you paint skin then eyes on it, do you paint eyes and maybe slop a bit and shape the eyes with the skin.

It's not marines related but here are some shots of the custom Jack Sparrow I'm doing, first attempt and second attempt, even in a short time I learned because my first eyes were horrid.

First
http://www.swmmedia.com/CUSTOMS/MFJS3.jpg

Second
http://www.swmmedia.com/CUSTOMS/MFJS7.jpg

[figuremasterles]

No longer selling Hicks/Stoner or Reese head recasts due to a complaint.
If anyone wants one, maybe I can provide a couple of painted ones later.
Thanks to those that responded, and apologies to anyone offended by the selling of recasts. Won't try that again, even if my intentions were good. :o

HOWEVER...I will be selling some heavily resculpted and definitely original heads in the very near future. Stay tuned for those!

[Wor-Gar]

No longer selling Hicks/Stoner or Reese head recasts due to a complaint.
If anyone wants one, maybe I can provide a couple of painted ones later.
Thanks to those that responded, and apologies to anyone offended by the selling of recasts. Won't try that again, even if my intentions were good. :o

HOWEVER...I will be selling some heavily resculpted and definitely original heads in the very near future. Stay tuned for those!

Sucks! Sorry to hear that, I know you were just trying to help some people out.

So, question: what's the best way to "dye" or "repaint" or "bleach" the BDU's on the marines to make them more worn and accurate?

I need to do this first before I put anything together.

[bwayne]

Stupid question . . .

I just got Hicks today and am starting to put him together. What are those things on the back of the body armor that kind of resemble the holsters for the lightsaber hilts? I know the thing on the left is for the light but I don't have a clue what the other thing s are for? Spent enough on this guy and I don't want to break him (any more than I already have).

[JediMike71]

Hi bwayne. To my knowledge they are just "non-functional" parts. I think I read somewhere that the costume designers, or even James Cameron intended them for something, but they ended up not being used for anything. Can anyone else out there confirm this for bwayne?

[bwayne]

Thanks Jedimike. I didn't remember reading that they were used for anything, but I wanted to ask anyway.

Another question . . . How do you get Hicks sleeves to roll up properly? I remember seeing the shots of the tatoo as the shirt is rolled up high. Does this involve cutting?

[JediMike71]

The sleeves question bwayne....I'm not sure. Maybe Les or Josh or someone that has a completed Hicks could let him know? :confused:

I'm using an extra Hudson I got from Dboz for my Hicks. So I'd like to know too, because I want to paint Hicks's social security number tatoo on his arm myself too.

Thanks guys.

Oh yeah Les...I'd love to see your originals for Deitrich, Crowe, and Weirzbowski if you ever decide to make those three....lesser known marines. I plan on eventually having them all in my collection.

[DarkArtist81]

First...MaulFan... I DO paint the skin tone over the eyes first, layer the pink areas and then the white, followed by the pupils/irises and eyelashes, followed again by the pink and finished with the gloss coat. LOTS of work there. And thanks man, I really do appreciate the comments. Work on my eyes all the time, trying to improve.

And Bwayne/JediMike.... you have to cut the sleeves. It's the only way to roll them up that high. But it really pays off. And if you can, drill out the Born again hole, it really adds a level of detail.

[JediMike71]

Thanks Josh for the "Born Again" tip for Hicks's armor. I have a small power drill I've been using to drill out my Frontline Hicks head's neck that I can use to carefully drill that small hole in his left shoulder armor. I'll just stick the Frontline head on the HT neck post and get a few pictures, but not superglue it to the neck post. I want to get in my Stoner head and repaint it as Hicks and see which head I want to use permanently on my Hicks. :D

Here's a picture of the original camo paint job on the "Stoner" head:

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z104/JediMike71/HicksStonerheadwithcamopaint.jpg

After getting painting advice from Les, he told me just to paint over the camo paint with skin tones in a few coats to get it to look more like Hicks.

[ambac]

Thanks Josh for the "Born Again" tip for Hicks's armor. I have a small power drill I've been using to drill out my Frontline Hicks head's neck that I can use to carefully drill that small hole in his left shoulder armor. I'll just stick the Frontline head on the HT neck post and get a few pictures, but not superglue it to the neck post. I want to get in my Stoner head and repaint it as Hicks and see which head I want to use permanently on my Hicks. :D

Here's a picture of the original camo paint job on the "Stoner" head:

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z104/JediMike71/HicksStonerheadwithcamopaint.jpg

After getting painting advice from Les, he told me just to paint over the camo paint with skin tones in a few coats to get it to look more like Hicks.

I'd actually recommend a pin vise to drill out that hole, Jedimike. You'll have a little more contol and it's a little safer.

[JediMike71]

A "pin vice" ambac? I'm sorry I'm not familiar with that tool. I'm not a big "tool" person anyway. I was gonna give my father-in-law's power drill a shot using a very small drill bit. But, at the same time, I don't want to "trash" my Hicks's armor in any way either. Let me know what that "pin vice" looks like, and describe it for me if you don't mind doing that. Thanks! :D

[Stendec]

Sucks! Sorry to hear that, I know you were just trying to help some people out.

So, question: what's the best way to "dye" or "repaint" or "bleach" the BDU's on the marines to make them more worn and accurate?

I need to do this first before I put anything together.

Good question Wor-Gar: Anyone have any ideas on how to fade out the BDUs as I have desperately been trying with no luck. I bought a set of BDUs from Chris (which are totally awesome) but I cant for the life of me fade out the colours. I have put them through at least 30 wash cycles and even tried bleach on a small test area but they still look too new. This is one of the last things I need to nail so I can finish my Hudson.

[Darren Carnall]

yup.... eyes are a b*tch alright. not just getting them round, and looking straight ahead so the person doesnt look crosseyed... but then choosing the emotion you wanna portray... and where you want them looking.

it's a bugger alright.

[Reinhardt]

Apologies for asking a question that has probably been asked before, but I'm totally confused!

What Hot Toys figure does the HT Stoner head come from? I was always under the impression that it came from the Hudson figure. And the HT Stoner head is the best head for Hicks right?

Thanks!

[bwayne]

Apologies for asking a question that has probably been asked before, but I'm totally confused!

What Hot Toys figure does the HT Stoner head come from? I was always under the impression that it came from the Hudson figure. And the HT Stoner head is the best head for Hicks right?

Thanks!

I think it is simply called the Stoner Gunner. It is by Hot Toys. There are two types of "Stoner" figure: one with a beard and the other is without. Here is s link to the figure on Toy Anxiety's website.

http://www.toys2.net/product.php?productid=19622&cat=0&page=1

If you don't want to buy the whole figure, there is a seller on ebay that has been selling just the head for about $15 shipped. Each auction has increased his selling price.

[Reinhardt]

Thanks Bro! Is this one it?

http://cgi.ebay.com/1-6-Scale-Hot-Toys-Vietnam-Seal-Stoner-Headsculpt_W0QQitemZ260125048736QQihZ016QQcategory Z27294QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem

I think it is simply called the Stoner Gunner. It is by Hot Toys. There are two types of "Stoner" figure: one with a beard and the other is without. Here is s link to the figure on Toy Anxiety's website.

http://www.toys2.net/product.php?productid=19622&cat=0&page=1

If you don't want to buy the whole figure, there is a seller on ebay that has been selling just the head for about $15 shipped. Each auction has increased his selling price.

[bwayne]

No. The seller goes by the name yoshiishi. He doesn't have any for sale now, but every time I have searched lately, he seems to have another for sale. although, that looks like the sculpt, but it has been repainted. It might work though.

[bwayne]

Thanks Bro! Is this one it?

http://cgi.ebay.com/1-6-Scale-Hot-Toys-Vietnam-Seal-Stoner-Headsculpt_W0QQitemZ260125048736QQihZ016QQcategory Z27294QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem


Now that I think about it, that is a repaint of the Hudson head.

[Reinhardt]

and he's selling it as a Stoner head? brutal!!

looks like i'm on the prowl for a stoner head now...

thanks for your help man. :D

[Mudshark]

A "pin vice" ambac? I'm sorry I'm not familiar with that tool. I'm not a big "tool" person anyway. I was gonna give my father-in-law's power drill a shot using a very small drill bit. But, at the same time, I don't want to "trash" my Hicks's armor in any way either. Let me know what that "pin vice" looks like, and describe it for me if you don't mind doing that. Thanks! :D

Since brother ambac seems to be away at the moment, a pin vice is a small hand tool, generally about as long as your finger, that has a small chuck on the end. Some even have two. They hold much smaller drill bits than your father's power drill. You need to go to a hobby or model shop and look for the miniature drill bits. They ought to have pin vices there as well. Find a bit about the same size as the hole in Hicks' armour (or a little smaller) and you're good to go. All you need do is center the hole with the tip of a very sharp pin, ice pick, whatever, then turn the pin vice slowly with your fingers to drill the hole. Doesn't take much pressure at all, especially with a new bit. You could clean up the hole a little if you want by wrapping a small piece of very fine sandpaper around a toothpick, just be careful not to overdo it. Hope this helps you.

[Mudshark]

Apologies for asking a question that has probably been asked before, but I'm totally confused!

What Hot Toys figure does the HT Stoner head come from? I was always under the impression that it came from the Hudson figure. And the HT Stoner head is the best head for Hicks right?

Thanks!

Reiny, I don't know if your question has been answered yet or not, but I have both of the figs from HT that bwayne was talking about. They're both Navy SEALs from the Vietnam War era. The bearded one has the HT muscular body and sports an M79 grenade launcher and an M60 MG w/short barrel, and is usually referred to as "Shorty". He doesn't look anything like any of the marines, so you can forget about him for now. The other one is armed with an M63 Stoner MG, and is therefore called "Stoner". He's got a MGS Snake "zombie" style camo face paint pattern, but it's Michael Biehn under the paint! So that is the one you want. You could also use the head that comes stock on Hudson, which also looks like MB with a repaint, but Stoner is arguably the better choice. Here's a pic of the Stoner SEAL for reference. Hope this helps.

http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w245/Mudshark_Album/NamSEALStoner1.jpg

http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w245/Mudshark_Album/NamSEALStoner4.jpg

http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w245/Mudshark_Album/NamSEALStoner4-1.jpg

[MaulFan]

Now that I think about it, that is a repaint of the Hudson head.

I wish I had caught that sooner, I just bought one of those :( oh well, it looks good so it'll do.

[Reinhardt]

Thanks a lot Mud. That's very helpful.

Now finding one!!

Does anyone have side by side comparisons of the Hudson head and the Stoner head?

[Mudshark]

Thanks a lot Mud. That's very helpful.

Now finding one!!

Does anyone have side by side comparisons of the Hudson head and the Stoner head?

If you skim back several pages in FML's customs thread you ought to find some pics of several versions of Michael Biehn repaints side by side. I'm pretty sure the HT Reese, Hudson/Hicks, and Stoner/Hicks heads were all there. (Sorry, I don't remember which page, but I think it was only about a week ago...)

I did some digging and found this for ya... Hope it helps.
Here's a comparison between the Stoner repaint (Josh) and the Hudson repaint (Les)
http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k203/DarkArtist81/Customs/DSCN2066.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a10/angremien/DeksCM001.jpg

As you can see the Stoner hairline is just a bit more receded in the temples. Hick's hair was combed back in some scenes but very spikey in other shots. I think with the sweat it gave him a slick, combed back look but at other times it was messy and spikey. Still, I will take either of these to the Reese/Hicks sculpt that came with Hicks hands down. The likeness to Biehn in the face is dead-solid perfect.

[Reinhardt]

Mud you rock! Thanks so much! Both those heads are great. With a good repaint, the Hudson head looks fantastic as Hicks, even though the Stoner one is slighty better.

Think I'll stick to Hudson (as i have it)

:D

[JediMike71]

I've got both the HT Hudson head, and got the Stoner on the way to me. I've played around with repainting the HT Hudson as Hicks last night. Looks good, but I am really looking forward to repainting the Stoner. Every time I've seen what you guys have done to repaint it as Hicks, it really does look more like Michael Biehn than any other head out there! I may add some Super Sculpey to the top of the Stoner head at the front to give it that "spikey" hairdo I prefer for Hicks. I like that hair style much more than the slicked back look for him. :D

[DarkArtist81]

Best and easiest way to tell the Stoner from the Hudson is the material it's made out of. If it's squishy, it's a Hudson. If it's solid, it's Stoner. For some reason HT used a soft material to make the HT Hudson figure, so you can tell right away. Stoner is the best, by far. :rock

And to answer the faded BDU question Stendec... best solution in my experience is to mix up a very very watered down off white wash and soak them in it for a minute or so.... wring it out and let it dry. Repeat if necessary. It stains the clothing lighter, as if it were worn for a long time and faded. Or you can always use the Rit Whitewash, I think that fades things pretty well... but I have yet to try it out on something.

[MaulFan]

A little warning to everyone customizing a Hicks, the paint used on the back of this replica isn't entirely film accurrate. I'm in the process of gathering reference images to touch up and weather my Hicks armor, and I've just come accross a still that I can post later, which shows the "lifer" text to be in white, I'll see if I can find a frame regarding the graffiti. Just wanted to share the heads up.

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k203/DarkArtist81/TE_Hicks_Back.jpg

Ok, so, not having any lucky getting a clear shot of the back artwork, but I did get a clear enough shot to see what the composition is on the back of the armor. It appears like the replica characters are correct, just larger than in the film, and I don't know where the DANGER section came from, but you can see it's no on Hick's armor, just the red characters and the white lifer text.

http://www.swmmedia.com/SSC/aliens_screen1.jpg

[JediMike71]

Hi Maulfan. What scene is that from the movie showing the back of Hicks' armor? I don't recall seeing that shot, but I'm sure it happens very quickly. I wish I knew how to do screengrabs from DVDs. How do you do it? Let me know. What do you mean by "DANGER"? Did someone think that Hicks had the word DANGER written on the back of his armor? You say in your previous post: "but you can see it's no on Hick's armor". Do you mean that the word DANGER is NOT written on the back of his armor? I just want to be sure because I want to paint my Hicks armor as accurately as I can to how it looked in the movie. Since I am using Hudson's armor, I am repainting it all to look like Hicks' armor did. Thanks! :D

[JediMike71]

Since brother ambac seems to be away at the moment, a pin vice is a small hand tool, generally about as long as your finger, that has a small chuck on the end. Some even have two. They hold much smaller drill bits than your father's power drill. You need to go to a hobby or model shop and look for the miniature drill bits. They ought to have pin vices there as well. Find a bit about the same size as the hole in Hicks' armour (or a little smaller) and you're good to go. All you need do is center the hole with the tip of a very sharp pin, ice pick, whatever, then turn the pin vice slowly with your fingers to drill the hole. Doesn't take much pressure at all, especially with a new bit. You could clean up the hole a little if you want by wrapping a small piece of very fine sandpaper around a toothpick, just be careful not to overdo it. Hope this helps you.


Thanks Mudshark! I'll take a look for a pin vice tomorrow at my local Hobby Lobby. Maybe they'll have one. I'll give it a try if I find one. Thanks again. :D

[MaulFan]

Hi Maulfan. What scene is that from the movie showing the back of Hicks' armor? I don't recall seeing that shot, but I'm sure it happens very quickly. I wish I knew how to do screengrabs from DVDs. How do you do it? Let me know. What do you mean by "DANGER"? Did someone think that Hicks had the word DANGER written on the back of his armor? You say in your previous post: "but you can see it's no on Hick's armor". Do you mean that the word DANGER is NOT written on the back of his armor? I just want to be sure because I want to paint my Hicks armor as accurately as I can to how it looked in the movie. Since I am using Hudson's armor, I am repainting it all to look like Hicks' armor did. Thanks! :D

Mike, I use software called SnapNDrag, but I'm on Macintosh and I don't know what options there are for PCs, which I'm guessing you're on. As for what scene the snapshot's from, it's just as Hicks grabs Burke to kill him for letting the face huggers loose and then the Aliens cut the power and break in. All of the back armor shots are fast and split second, I got 2 moderately clear shots, including the one I posted, so I'll proably either skip the red decoration or fudge it. As for the Danger, if you look between the oriental graphics and the LIFER text on the back of the replica armor I reposted a picture of, there's a rectangle in red with the word danger inside it with an electric bolt on either side of the word, but based on the screen grabs I could get of the back, only the graphics and Lifer are present, the danger block doesn't appear to be on the armor.

[JediMike71]

Thanks Maulfan. I'm not sure what DVD screen grabbing software or tools for Windows-based PCs are out there. I'll have to look into it. I know some other member has posted some screen grabs in another thread with details of Hudson's armor and helmet graffiti from the movie. I forgot who it was who posted those screens.

I'll take note of what you've said about that graffiti on the back of Hicks' armor. I'll do what I can to replicate the stuff on the back of his armor. I'm hoping to find a "pin vice" to put the hole in his armor on his left shoulder and write "born again" around the hole in silver...possibly a silver Sharpie pen.

[ambac]

Thanks Maulfan. I'm not sure what DVD screen grabbing software or tools for Windows-based PCs are out there. I'll have to look into it. I know some other member has posted some screen grabs in another thread with details of Hudson's armor and helmet graffiti from the movie. I forgot who it was who posted those screens.

I'll take note of what you've said about that graffiti on the back of Hicks' armor. I'll do what I can to replicate the stuff on the back of his armor. I'm hoping to find a "pin vice" to put the hole in his armor on his left shoulder and write "born again" around the hole in silver...possibly a silver Sharpie pen.

Hey Jedimike, Mudshark seems to have answered your pinvise question, so that's good. It's what I used to drill out the hole in my Hicks armor and it's actually a useful hobbytool to have around. Any craft or hobby store should be able to set you up with one. Here's an image;
http://www.blackbearcc.com/pic_tools/pinvise_o.jpg

[JediMike71]

Thanks ambac for that picture of the pin vise! That will really help me out in finding one. :D

[Mudshark]

Nice detective work, MF. Your screen grab shows everything we need, imo. It doesn't look like "DANGER" is there at all, and "LIFER" is clearly white, as you say. The Japanese character "AI" (for LOVE) looks smaller and more correct in the screen grab. It's still hard to see if it has any strokes missing, but I'm guessing that it's written correctly. (The repro isn't, btw, and the spacing looks a little off, too.) I'll try to post a pic of the correct character for comparison, so check back a little later.

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k203/DarkArtist81/TE_Hicks_Back.jpg
http://www.swmmedia.com/SSC/aliens_screen1.jpg

[MaulFan]

Nice detective work, MF. Your screen grab shows everything we need, imo. It doesn't look like "DANGER" is there at all, and "LIFER" is clearly white, as you say. The Japanese character "AI" (for LOVE) looks smaller and more correct in the screen grab. It's still hard to see if it has any strokes missing, but I'm guessing that it's written correctly. (The repro isn't, btw, and the spacing looks a little off, too.) I'll try to post a pic of the correct character for comparison, so check back a little later.

Definitely will be keeping an eye out for that text image if you can get it. It is smaller in the film for sure, but the blurred strokes even look different than the repro. I'm curious what that repro was painted based off of.

[Stendec]

I've been eyeballing the movie paying close attention to the detail on the back of Hicks armor and Maulfan is absolutely right.

The word LIFER is written in white dead center between the two lower mounting brackets.

There is no DANGER motif at all as far as I can see.

The red Japanese symbols are clearly threre but they are blurred and grainy throughout. Hopefully Mudshark can sort that one out for us :)

Maulfan, if you can take grabs of the following shots it should help clear things up.

* Right after Ripley sets off the fire alarm in Medical, Hicks leans over the console to see whats going on. In the first few frames you can clearly see the lower back of his armor - LIFER in white, no DANGER motif, Japanese symbols though hard to make out.

* Hicks grabbing Burke as you mentioned.

*When Hicks wedges his rifle into the airshaft mechansim to grab Newt, a quick overhead shot shows his back armor

* After Newt falls down the air shaft, there is a quick glimpses as Hicks and Ripley run down the stairwell.

*A few blurry glimpses as Hicks and Ripley head for the elevator after Newt is grabbed by Alien.

All these shots show the Lifer in white and the Japanese symbols, but no Danger motif at all. I would take screengrabs of these shots myself but I dont have dedicated software.

[MaulFan]

I've been eyeballing the movie paying close attention to the detail on the back of Hicks armor and Maulfan is absolutely right.

The word LIFER is written in white dead center between the two lower mounting brackets.

There is no DANGER motif at all as far as I can see.

The red Japanese symbols are clearly threre but they are blurred and grainy throughout. Hopefully Mudshark can sort that one out for us :)

Maulfan, if you can take grabs of the following shots it should help clear things up.

* Right after Ripley sets off the fire alarm in Medical, Hicks leans over the console to see whats going on. In the first few frames you can clearly see the lower back of his armor - LIFER in white, no DANGER motif, Japanese symbols though hard to make out.

* Hicks grabbing Burke as you mentioned.

*When Hicks wedges his rifle into the airshaft mechansim to grab Newt, a quick overhead shot shows his back armor

* After Newt falls down the air shaft, there is a quick glimpses as Hicks and Ripley run down the stairwell.

*A few blurry glimpses as Hicks and Ripley head for the elevator after Newt is grabbed by Alien.

All these shots show the Lifer in white and the Japanese symbols, but no Danger motif at all. I would take screengrabs of these shots myself but I dont have dedicated software.

I actually have the console shot you mention already, before the alarm goes off. I went frame by frame through Hicks dragging Ripley to the elevator, none of those frames were in focus enough to be worthwhile. I'll have to check those gun jam in the shaft with New moments for something, but I went through the whole film last night and took about 30 screen grabs to get various views of the armor even for weathering, and the already posted shot and console shot were the 2 clearest I found of the back of the armor. As far as weathering, I went for matching location and style from the film in some areas, and in others just made it up and I'm really happy with how it came out, I'll try to get some good photos of it later. What I like most is the metallic paint I used would go on thin in some areas, so it gives the illusing that the camo is only mildly warn away in some areas and in others looks completely warn away. It's painstaking to add all the weathering, but it was fun too. The most tedious part I found was weathering all of the hard edges because with anything, those are the areas where fading occurs most. I hope I can get his footgear and cod weathering done tonight, but I won't be home until later so I'm not sure.

[Mudshark]

Sorry I'm late, but I've got something that will hopefully solve the Japanese (or Chinese) character issue... Btw, I'd like to point out that it is supposed to be just one character (the word love). The way it was copied onto the repro armour kinda makes it look like several small ones.

This was done in some haste, but it should give you something solid to go by. The actual character on Hicks' armour may not have looked exactly like this, meaning the brush strokes may not have been this thick, but as long as all the strokes are there and it looks like one character, then you've got it! Anyway, hope this helps. :D
http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w245/Mudshark_Album/P1010377.jpg

And here's something out of my Japanese kanji dictionary...
http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w245/Mudshark_Album/P1010375-1.jpg

[MaulFan]

Thanks Mudshark. Knowing the definition of what a best guess of the symbol on his armor is, makes me think that probably is the correct symbol. Having bright red LOVE on the back and the bright red heart on the front would seem a fitting relationship.

[Mudshark]

Thanks Mudshark. Knowing the definition of what a best guess of the symbol on his armor is, makes me think that probably is the correct symbol. Having bright red LOVE on the back and the bright red heart on the front would seem a fitting relationship.

I would certainly agree. Besides that, there's really very little else it could be, based on what's painted on the repro armour. Nothing else comes close to it. I'd (almost) be willing to bet my Ancient Pred that this is the correct character.:lol

[MaulFan]

I would certainly agree. Besides that, there's really very little else it could be, based on what's painted on the repro armour. Nothing else comes close to it. I'd (almost) be willing to bet my Ancient Pred that this is the correct character.:lol

Well the more investigating I do, the less and less credible that repro becomes. Lifer is the wrong color, danger is on there for no apparent reason, and the character is poorly written.

[customizerwannabe]

A little warning to everyone customizing a Hicks, the paint used on the back of this replica isn't entirely film accurrate. I'm in the process of gathering reference images to touch up and weather my Hicks armor, and I've just come accross a still that I can post later, which shows the "lifer" text to be in white, I'll see if I can find a frame regarding the graffiti. Just wanted to share the heads up.

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k203/DarkArtist81/TE_Hicks_Back.jpg

Ok, so, not having any lucky getting a clear shot of the back artwork, but I did get a clear enough shot to see what the composition is on the back of the armor. It appears like the replica characters are correct, just larger than in the film, and I don't know where the DANGER section came from, but you can see it's no on Hick's armor, just the red characters and the white lifer text.

http://www.swmmedia.com/SSC/aliens_screen1.jpg


I contacted Terry English who made this Hicks armor and the original for the movie. I wanted a set. He makes them out of aluminum. A thinker at 5K.

[JediMike71]

WOW! Customizerwannabe, you were able to contact the ALIENS armor creator, designer Terry English! Very cool! We should pick his brain for all the armor details we can get from him to help improve our armor painting to get it as accurate as we can. :D

After looking at my extra Hudson armor that I'm using for Hicks that space on the back to fit the word "LIFER" is VERY small! I'm wondering how I am going to get that word in that space? Any ideas? :confused:

[MaulFan]

I like the Apple Barrel color paints too. I use them. I prefer them more than the Folk Art paints. Folk Art seems to come out of the tubes really lumpy to me! I'll get that pure silver color you're using. I"ll get a fine, maybe a "O" brush for the LIFER on the back of Hicks' armor. I'm having trouble finding a "pin vise" to create the hole in the Hicks armor on the left front shoulder pad. I want to put that hole there, and write "born again" around it to get it to look like his did in the movie. Since I'm using an extra set of Hudson armor for my Hicks, I'm having to paint all of Hicks' armor graffiti on it. I got the padlock and metal clasp superglued now over the red heart on the front of Hicks' armor. I got the clasp and lock from Chris at EVA and it looks great.

So, Maulfan, are you hitting all the corners, edges, and "high points" or raises in the armor to give it a more "aged" look? Let me know some tips on how you are painting the armor with that silver color to look more worn out on your Hicks. Thanks!

Just trying to keep the figure construction stuff in here since we have this thread too. I started with adding silver to areas like you mention because that's just where fading occurs with any object, on the edges. I then added some areas going off of film stills to get some wear in areas that showed on screen, and then added some subtle spots in areas where I felt a little wear and tear would make the armor look more real. I'll probably touch up with a second coat in areas because the first coat is transparent out of the light, which I kinda like a little of because it give an illusion that the camo is only somewhat faded away, but I do want spots where it looks permanently gone.

[JediMike71]

Thanks Maulfan for the painting tips about the armor. I plan on doing that like you are doing now with my Hicks, Hudson, and Apone armor. I'll take what you've said and apply it to my painting. I still have to get some of that "pure silver" acrylic paint for the wear on the armor. Check out a picture of my "kitbash" Hicks. I made him using pretty much all of Hudson's armor, and on the Hot Toys Kyle Reese body with the bare hands. I preferred to use a figure with bare hands since Hicks never wore any gloves in the movie like some of the other marines did. I also used a custom-made resin clasp and padlock from Chris C. at EVA Models to go over the red heart on Hicks' armor. I wrote HICKS above the heart in fine point black Sharpie pen. Yeah, it doesn't look as nice as the smaller "stenciled" type for the names that Hot Toys did, but it works for me. I put the repainted Hudson for Hicks head on him now. I will switch the head out with the much better famous "Stoner" head after I get it in the mail any day now. Check out my pictures and let me know what you think of my Hicks so far. Thanks! :D

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z104/JediMike71/Hicksandthemarines.jpg

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z104/JediMike71/100_5155.jpg

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z104/JediMike71/100_5140.jpg

The following picture has Hicks with an extra Hudson body with the gloved hands before I got in the Kyle Reese body today with the bare hands. I also put on "Cpl. HICKS" on an extra Hudson stand for my Hicks using press-on letters. I think it looks decent enough.

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z104/JediMike71/100_5144.jpg

[Stendec]

Nice work Mike, your Hicks looks great!!

It must have been difficult to remove Hudsons graffiti without removing the camo paint underneath as well. How did you go about doing that, it looks superb. The heart and clasp looks perfect, just like on the production Hicks figure.

I would suggest you put the gerber knife on the other side of the bandolier and attach it by wrapping it in black electrical tape. That what I did with my Hicks figure and looks alittle more screen accurate.

http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s217/eifion_evans/hicks_knife.jpg

[MaulFan]

Coming along well Mike, I'd recommend repainting the skin and eyes on the Hudson head though, the HT painted mustache on Hudson throws off the head for any person, but especially the Hicks conversion, same for the eyes, but if you're happy with it that's what counts.

[JediMike71]

Hi guys. Thanks for your many kinds words about my Hicks. Oh man, I put the Gerber knife on the wrong side? Yeah, and I superglued it on his harness right above where all the hand grenades go in. I hope I can get it off of there safely without harming the armor that much! :confused: Do you have any suggestions for removing the superglued knife from Hicks' armor? Please let me know here. Thanks.

Well, the Hudson for Hicks head is just there until I get in my awesome "Stoner" head, that I'll repaint as Hicks. I should get it in at any time now. As for removing Hudson's armor graffiti, I used a very fine sandpaper and then came in with some colors after that to try to match the camo. I didn't get it perfect, believe me! I may even go over some areas again in the camo paint colors. But next, I'll "age" the armor with some pure silver paint on the edges and high parts of the armor to make it look more wore down and realistic as it did in the movie.

I may end up using the original HT Hudson head for Pvt. Weirzbowski (his name spelling? I never can get it right!). I have 2 Hudson heads, one with the original HT paint job on it now, and this one I repainted some for Hicks. I remember Weirzbowski had dark hair and Pvt. Crowe had blonde hair. So, I may end up using an extra Dragon head I have for Pvt. Crowe. I'm getting in an extra Ripley body that I'll use for female marine, Pvt. Deitrich. The fun part there will be finding an existing HT, Dragon, or BBi female head with a "buzz" cut haircut like Deitrich had in the movie!

Thanks again guys. I'll make that adjustment with the knife. I'm also going to put one of the Gerber knives I got from Chris at EVA on my Hudson's armor and one one Drake and Vasquez's legs close to their boots. Let me know if you have any ides on how to remove the knife I have on Hicks' armor now since I superglued it on. Thanks again! :D

[JediMike71]

Okay, I just removed the Gerber knife from my Hicks' armor with an X-Acto knife. It came off pretty easily since I only used one drop of superglue. I'll get some black electrical tape soon, and put the knife on the left side, the "correct" side of Hicks' armor. Thanks again for the tip STENDEC! Thanks for your help as always too Maulfan! :D


I'm still trying to find that X-Acto brand "pin vise" to drill the hole that the words "born again" go around on my Hicks' armor. No luck finding it down here at Hobby Lobby! They didn't have any idea of what I was talking about?! Even with a picture of it in my hand to show them. Wow. That's disappointing. Maybe Wal-Mart or some other crafts store may have it? Let me know. Thanks again.

[JediMike71]

I got in the awesome "Stoner" head yesterday and started painting it last night. Yeah, Michael Biehn's likeness is definitley under all that camo face paint! I'll post some pictures of the head soon. It's really coming along well. I know it'll look great like the ones I've seen from you other guys that use the Stoner head for your Hicks! :D


I'm still having trouble finding that "pin vise" for making the "born again" hole in Hicks' armor. I may try carefully drilling the hole with my smaller drillbit with my power drill. I hope it works!

[customizerwannabe]

You can get the pin vise from Hobby Lobby if you have one in your area. Any decent hobby shop should have it.

[JediMike71]

I tried Hobby Lobby first. I came over there with the color printout of the pin vise in a closeup for them to see it. They didn't have it. I went to Home Depot and they didn't have it either. I went to Wal-Mart tonight, and they didn't have it. I'll try to find another local hobby shop around here and hope that they have it.

[ambac]

I tried Hobby Lobby first. I came over there with the color printout of the pin vise in a closeup for them to see it. They didn't have it. I went to Home Depot and they didn't have it either. I went to Wal-Mart tonight, and they didn't have it. I'll try to find another local hobby shop around here and hope that they have it.

I don't know what part of the US you'r in, but if you have them in your area try Micheal's, a chain of craft stores that sells all sorts of stuff.

[JediMike71]

Hi ambac. I'm in Slidell, Louisiana. A small city about 30 miles of New Orleans. I think there is a Michael's in a nearby city called Covington. I'll check for one. Thanks for the tip. I appreciate it. :D

[Mudshark]

Hey Mike, have you tried looking for one online at all? There are lots of hobby and model supply shops that ought to have a pin vice... why don't you give these folks a try? (I just searched "pin vice" on google, and presto!) I'm sure there are plenty of other places you can try, tho. It's a fairly common item if you look in the right places. Hope this helps.
http://www.hillcity-comics.com/role_play/gw/66-05.htm

[customizerwannabe]

I'm going to hobby lobby today Mike. If they have one I'll pick it up for you.

[JediMike71]

Thanks customizerwannabe. I don't have a Michael's around here. Plus the employees at my Hobby Lobby were clueless about the pin vise, even after I showed them the picture of it. Let me know if you get one for me. Please PM me, and we can work something out. I appreciate it! :D

Here's a few pictures of my repainted "Stoner" head for Hicks. I think it's turning out great! Michael Biehn's likenesses truly is under all that camo paint! I still need to add some details, like a little bit of that "five-o-clock" beard shadowing. Let me know what you think of him so far. Thanks!

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z104/JediMike71/HicksStonercloseup2.jpg

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z104/JediMike71/HicksStonercloseup1.jpg

[JediMike71]

Here's a few shots of my Stoner Hicks head with the "5 'o clock" beard going on. I think it makes him look a little older than the first shots I did of him that were clean-shaven. I still have a little detailing work to do on his lips and then do the final gloss on the eyes, and matte coat spray on the rest of the head. What do you guys think?

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z104/JediMike71/Hicksbeardedrightside.jpg

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z104/JediMike71/Hicksbeardedleftside.jpg

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z104/JediMike71/Hicksbeardedheadon.jpg

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z104/JediMike71/Hicksbeardedbelowshot.jpg

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z104/JediMike71/Hicksbeardedfrontview.jpg

By the way guys...how can I get this head on the Hot Toys neck post? I removed the original Hot Toys Hudson head from this Hudson body I am using for my custom Hicks. But it's really hard getting this Stoner head on to the Hot Toys neck post! How can I get it on there? I've tried pushing it on the neck post REALLY hard, and it won't fit on it! Please give me any tips and help that you can so I can get my Stoner Hicks head on the neck post! Thank you! :D

[Mudshark]

Please give me any tips and help that you can so I can get my Stoner Hicks head on the neck post! Thank you! :D

Hairdryer! Set it hot, work around the neck opening in the Stoner head till it softens, then the head should pop on easily. Some people like to use very hot water, which will also do the trick, but a hairdryer is fast and easy. :D

[Stendec]

Wow, teriffic work Mike!

Your Stoner repaint turned out great. Michael Biehns likeness really shows through making for one truely awesome Hicks figure. The hard work you put into the Hudson conversion really paid off man, you got the skills and bags of enthusiasm, makes me want to get off my backside and finish my figs too :)

[figuremasterles]

GREAT JOB MIKE!
To get this bad boy on your headpost asap...
Get a coffee cup. Microwave it on high for 1 1/2 minutes. Dip head, neck down, only up to the chin, and hold in for about 30 seconds. Lift out, dry quickly, twist onto post. DONE!

Great work dude!

I posted a pic of mine in my thread, but looks like I was too late. You did your shadow anyway. Good work bro! :rock

[pjam]

Way to go Mike! :D

[DarkArtist81]

Great work Mike!! And the first official Hudson to Hicks makeover yet. Very cool to see how far you've come, and I really like how your paint work is progressing. You're getting a lot better than you were at first. Keep it up and great things are not far off. :rock

[JediMike71]

WOW THANKS GUYS! I really appreciate your positive reviews of my Hudson to Hicks "kitbash". I will take the tips you guys gave me for mounting the head on to the neck post and do it later tonight. I have to mount my custom Frost head (I used the existing HT Sgt. Apone head for Frost) on to a body too. It'll be a Dragon body, but still a good one. He'll be my next custom. I then hope to make Pvt. Deitrich from an extra HT Ripley body, and then Pvt. Crowe (using the original HT Hudson head and Body), and finally Pvt. Weirzbowski. I figured what the heck...if I'm gonna get the marines, I'm gonna buy those that HT made plus make the ones they didn't.

Yeah, I'd love to make a custom dropship female pilot Ferro, and her co-pilot *****meyer. Then the useless Lt. Gorman, and maybe even the slimeball Carter Burke! Finally there's little Newt. I really want to make her alot like Les made his. She turned out so great! Where again did you get the head you used for your Newt Les? Please let me know. I've found a few, cheap loose male Mego bodies on eBay last night that I could use for Newt's body like you did. Thanks again! :D

Hey, customizerwannabe, did you find a "pin vise" for me at your local Hobby Lobby? Please let me know here. I still need it to drill the hole in my Hicks' armor for the words "born again" to go around it. Thanks again for you help!

Here's another of my updates on my Hicks. Les, I did what you said with heating up a coffee mug of water in my microwave for 1 1/2 minutes and dipping the head up to about the chin to open up the hole for the neck. I had a bear of a time trying to get it on the neck post, but finally got it on! I didn't dry the neck as fast as I should after dipping it in the water, so some of my paintjob on the neck came off. But I repainted it and it looks okay now. I also did the wearing down paint job on Hicks' armor with some silver acrylic paint. I think the armor looks even better like it did in the movie. I'll post some pictures soon after I get Hicks back together.

[Stendec]

Looking forward to see more pics of your Hicks buddy!

Something I've been working on for my Hicks figure is the black cigarette lighter pouch he wore on the right side of his armor.

http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s217/eifion_evans/th_hicks_lighterpouch.jpg (http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s217/eifion_evans/hicks_lighterpouch.jpg)

Sorry for the poor pic, I'l take a better one tomorrow if the weathers better :)

I made it by cutting and sanding some plastic into size and shape then gluing pieces of leather onto the plastic, forming the pouch and flap. I also added small metal loops and a stud to finish it off. I alos used pics from this link for reference

http://www.onebadmutha.com/main2.htm

Its not really accurate but looks pretty cool I think and adds a little detail to the figure. In all the dozens of times I have seen the movie, I hadnt noticed he wore this piece untill recently, right about the time I became obsessive about detailing my figures lol

[customizerwannabe]

My hobby lobby was out. I checked Lowes too. When I find one I'll pick it up dude. Sorry.

[MaulFan]

Got my head from the questionable eBay auction today, and based on Josh's soft = Hudson, hard = Stoner, it is indeed the stoner head, and the hairline looks to be correct as well. It appears like the seller stripped the HT paint off and then painted it to look like Biehn, not so great a paint job, but when I start my repaint it'll be easier to paint flesh on flesh than camo paint.

[figuremasterles]

STENDEC, thanks for posting that definitave knife/lighter arrangement shot on your figure. Helps me a lot. I have been unsure what to do with my Hicks knife. I know it needs moving, but I have been unable to work up the nerve to do it.
He doesn't have many grenades on that side either, does he? How about where he keeps his location finder? Anyone got the lowdown on that?
All I have, are Hudson, who is about caught up, Hicks, who is almost done, short this knife, lighter thing, and Vas, who needs the entire armsleeve, repaint treatment, plus full BDU/armor weathering....
Need a nice laptop for my Bishop too. Where do those come from?

That'll cover me. Until the Powerloader shows....

[Mudshark]

I have been unsure what to do with my Hicks knife. I know it needs moving, but I have been unable to work up the nerve to do it.
He doesn't have many grenades on that side either, does he? How about where he keeps his location finder? Anyone got the lowdown on that?


Just go for it Les! The knife on Hicks is a lot easier to remove than it looks, at least it was on mine. Just unclip the buckle at the top and slip the sheath off the strap. If it has been sewn in place you should only have to cut the threads with an Xacto or needle nose scissors, and maybe re-sew the grenade strap. I went a little further and shortened the length of the straps on both sides, then re-sewed them. They look a lot better that way, imo. Since the combat knife he wore in the film was taped onto his left grenade harness, it doesn't appear he carried any grenades there, so you could use one free loop on the right harness for the locator and maybe stick one or two grenades in the remaining loops, according to your own tastes. That's what I did, anyway. Hope this helps. :D

[MaulFan]

Ok, kinda late, but amped up so here goes. I finished my repainted head and weathered the BDU.

Shouts outs:

Les - Tip on painting eyes that aren't pure white.

DA Josh - Tip on weathering the BDU.

Pjam - Tip on switching the knife from right to left.

Thanks to you guys this was possible.

http://www.swmmedia.com/CUSTOMS/HICKS1.jpg

http://www.swmmedia.com/CUSTOMS/HICKS2.jpg

http://www.swmmedia.com/CUSTOMS/HICKS3.jpg

http://www.swmmedia.com/CUSTOMS/HICKS4.jpg

http://www.swmmedia.com/CUSTOMS/HICKS5.jpg

http://www.swmmedia.com/CUSTOMS/HICKS6.jpg

http://www.swmmedia.com/CUSTOMS/HICKS7.jpg

[JediMike71]

Your Hicks repaint looks great Maulfan! I'll post mine on here soon. I just want to get that "born again" hole drilled and paint on the graffiti on the back of Hicks' torso armor. I may weather my BDUs, but I'll do that later on for Hicks, Hudson, and maybe also Apone, Drake and Vasquez.

I did get some pure silver acrylic paint and weathered the armor for Hicks. I think it looks much better now.

I still hope to post my next custom marine, Pvt. Ricco Frost someday soon. But I want to get a black HT or Dragon body for him, and still have to get another set of HT marine armor, helmet and at least a flamethrower for him. So that may take a little while. I'll do my "magnificient seven" pictures of my Hicks, Hudson, Ripley, Drake, Apone, Vasquez, and Bishop soon! :D

[figuremasterles]

Nice work Maulfan!
That looks much better. I know you are happier with him now.
Can't wait to see the action shots that are sure to come. :D

[Stendec]

This evening I took the plunge and bore out the "born again" frag hole into my Hicks armor. Hey Mike, I read you were about to do this so heres how I did mine, turned out great :)

First thing I did was wedge some blue tac inbetween the two shoulder pieces to stop the epaulette from sliding over the area I was working on and possibly scratching it.

Then I made a small pilot hole by slowly turning and pressing a fine point needle file into the centre of the fake hole decal.

Next I bore out the hole slightly with a Dremel engraving tool turning at the slowest RPM speed, very carefully lol. Note I didn't attempt to go right through the plastic with the Dremel.

Once again I pressed and turned a needle file into the hole untill it went right through the plastic. It should be noted that the plastic in this area is quite thick, at least 2 milimeters so dont try to force it too much, go slow.

Once I had a hole going right through, I just worked my way outwards with needle files of varying shapes untill I was finished.

The hoile in Hicks' armor was not perfectly round so by using different shapes files you can define more detail.

Heres a quick pic of how it turned out.

http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s217/eifion_evans/th_born_again_hole.jpg (http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s217/eifion_evans/born_again_hole.jpg)

[JediMike71]

Thanks Stendec for your help! I still haven't got a "pin vise" yet. So I may try to get my small power drill and slowly drill the small hole. I am waiting to hear back from customizerwannabe. He said he'd try to find a pin vise for me. I looked again at a Michael's when I was in Houston this weekend, and still couldn't find it. Did you get one customizerwannabe? Please let me know. Thanks. :D

Customizerwannabe came through for me, and found the pin vise online. I'll try to get it when I can. I'm very tempted to go ahead and try to drill the small hole with my electric power drill. I want to get my Hicks suited up now that I got the Stoner head painted and on the body now.

[pjam]

Anyone have any trouble connecting Drake's lower back harness piece... mine won't fit around his back unless I separate the velcro pieces and reattach/readjust it with an extended exposed piece underneath but even then it barely fits.

Also did anyone notice Drake's pads fit completely diferently than the HT proto shots? There is very little padding under the chest plate and much more on the back behind the harness straps than the proto pics and box pics.

[MaulFan]

Mike, sorry I didn't get back to you about weathering the BDUs. I did mine by putting like a nickel sized dab of brown paint into about a shot glass sized paper cup full of water and mixed in the paint to make dirty water, then I brushed the BDU soaked with the water, then I added a dab of black to some more water (I used up all the water the first pass), again a full cup, and then I soaked the clothes with the dirty water and then I put it onto a spare figure stand I had around and let it dry over a few hours. Even when the main clothing feels dry, you'll find the pockets aren't so test them to see if it's all dry. The pictures of my completed Hicks feature the weathered BDU, it ultimately muted and darkened the colors in the camo pattern to look less factory perfect and more real world worn in. Hope that helps. Also, for Hicks' BDU, I recommend, if you're comfy with it, cutting the shirt to be sleeveless, it's the best way to have his arms film-accurrate in the armor, but this is only if you plan to always have him armored or have a backup, which is what I did, I have a spare factory BDU for the future.

[pjam]

Hey P, awesome Hudson you got there, the ultimate badass!!

Regarding the helmet cover, what I did to make it look less bulky was to place tiny pieces of blu-tac (dont know what you call that stuff in the states, its the adhesive putty you use to mount posters on the wall etc) on the helmet in strategic places, then place the cover on top and press it down untill its tight and flush against the helmet. Worked out great on mine.

http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s217/eifion_evans/th_short_bursts.jpg (http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s217/eifion_evans/short_bursts.jpg)

Boy, it sure does look great. I just don't know how to do that. Was it easy to remove the camo cover?

[figuremasterles]

I just now clicked on stendec's small link pic there. I kept seeing it in posts, and due to the nature of the photo and how they looked in it, I thought it was a shot of real guys! Great photo S!

[Stendec]

Thanks Les, that is my favourite pic that I have taken of my marines so far. I still have a long way to go before Im finished customsing them so there are plenty of pics to come lol.

I used blu-tac to hold down my helmet cover because it can easily be removed if need be. I also feared that epoxy or superglue would be permament and it might seep through the material and ruin it. The trick with using blue-tac is to use as little as possibe, otherwise it will just bulk up the cover even more.

Im getting to the point where I'l be ready to start weathering the armor pretty soon and Im looking for pointers on the best silver paint to use. I did buy a pot of Humbrol Enamel Aluminium paint but when its dried it looks quite dull and I dont think it would contrast well with the armor.

Pjams Hudson armor looks perfect and I love how the metal damage contrasts with the dark armor camo, really giving a sense that the metal has been revealed from beneath the paint.

[Johnny Utah]

Hi guys!I just won a Hudson figure off ebay,and was just wondering could anyone please post a full list of all the changes necessary to his figure,like detailing and changes to make it more movie-accurate?Cheers lads!

[JediMike71]

OK guys. I'm getting pretty close to finishing my "kitbash" custom Hicks. I am working with Chris at EVA to try and get the "leather" like shotgun sheath and shotgun. The padlock and clasp also came from Chris at EVA Models. I painted the heart on the armor under the clasp and lock. I still have to paint on Hicks' social security number tatoo on his left arm, and mount one of Chris' Gerber knives on his torso armor. But I have finished weathering his armor using some pure silver acrylic paint. I also put the graffiti on the back of the armor, but I want to redo the word "LIFER" on the back. It is really tough trying to fit it where it's supposed to go! I haven't darkened my Hicks' BDUs yet. I'll try that for him and Hudson sometime soon. I used most all of Hudson's armor and weapons for him, and used a HT Kyle Reese body, some old WW2 black combat boots, and the infamous "Stoner" head. I think he's turned out great so far! I am very happy with him. I want to try and redo his name on his figure stand and try to get the lettering smaller like the other ones that HT makes. So...what do you think? Here's some pictures. Oh yeah, I drilled a small hole using my power drill into the left shoulder for that "born again" hole. I painted "BORN AGAIN" in silver around the hole, but I may go back and paint the words in white paint. Okay...now for the pics for you to see him!

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z104/JediMike71/100_5345.jpg

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z104/JediMike71/100_5340.jpg

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z104/JediMike71/100_5348.jpg

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z104/JediMike71/100_5350.jpg

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z104/JediMike71/100_5337.jpg

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z104/JediMike71/100_5329.jpg

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z104/JediMike71/100_5339.jpg

I have worked REALLY hard on him. It has been a lot of work, and a lot of fun at the same time. Prett cool huh? :cool: :D

[Cocoboloboy]

Way to go Mike! Nice job on your Hicks.

[Reinhardt]

that IS hicks!! nice job mike!

on the padlock, i'd drybrush some metallic silver on there. looks a little flat right now.

[JediMike71]

Thanks for the tip Reinhardt. I'll try that drybrush technique. Yeah, I meant for the padlock to look flat, and the clasp to look more glossy or shiny. Thanks for the good review Adam! I appreciate all of your help and advice guys! :D

[Eagle]

Excellent thread - very useful for mine (when I get the chance to upgrade)...

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y102/pbr/Hot-Toys-Hicks.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y102/pbr/PRDisplay-5.jpg

[JediMike71]

Wow, Eagle! I love your ALIENS weapons! Where did you get your M41-A pulse rifle and the two pistols? I'd love to get those! I have always wanted a pulse rifle after first seeing the one made by ICONS years ago. Please let me know where you got yours. Awesome setup. I like how you have all of the weapons, and grenades, and Hicks and the alien together. Very nice! :D

[Darren Carnall]

damn that's a nice set up!!

And that's always the size and height I thought the Aliens were when compared to humans. The pics I've seen of the Hot Toys ones make them look too tall and spindley..... or is it just because that one is crouching that it looks shorter?

anyway.... amazing collection there!

[Reinhardt]

awesome!!! yes, where did you get those "wonderful toys"?

[Johnny Utah]

That motion tracker rocks.

[Eagle]

awesome!!! yes, where did you get those "wonderful toys"?
The PR is by Matsucorp™ - latest gen. :cool:

[JediMike71]

Okay, Eagle. Thanks for the name of the gun. But where can we get one if we are interested in buying one? Do you have a website URL for us? Please post it here if you do. Thanks! :D

[Eagle]

Matsucorp on Google (http://www.google.co.uk/search?num=100&hl=en&newwindow=1&safe=off&q=matsucorp&meta=)

Matsucorp on MSN Search/Windows Live (http://search.live.com/results.aspx?q=matsucorp&mkt=en-gb&FORM=LIVSOP&go.x=19&go.y=4)

http://www.eagletransporter.com/otherreplinks/pulseriflelink.jpg

Matsucorp™ - Good for you. ;)

Try also http://forum.alienslegacy.com/ for PR info. :)

[JediMike71]

Thank you Eagle! I'll check it out! The pulse rifle looks absolutely incredible! I want one now! I just wish I coudl afford it. I gotta save up for this one! It looks just like the real ones used in the movie guys! Check them out! :monkey5 :D

[figuremasterles]

At last, I have finished my spikey haired Hicks variant head. It is available to anyone painted or unpainted.

It is an altered Stoner head, where I worked in more worry lines and slightly altered subtle details in his face, around his mouth mostly, and of course, added the hair. I had to work it over time, and test fitted my Hicks helmet to it as I worked. When the helmet is on, it sits just a tad forward from where it would with the smooth headed Stoner, due to the hair in front, but it's not bad. Just casts a little more shadow over his eye area than before. Point is, it fits! Better than the "Reese" head supplied with the figure did. Way better.

Anyway, the head...

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a10/angremien/SHHicks3.jpg

I changed out my own Stoner repaint for this one on my Hicks figure. I may even make an acid injured variant soon.

I painted this particular one dirtier than I have before, so he is more late movie Hicks.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a10/angremien/SHHicks4.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a10/angremien/SHHicks5.jpg

PM or email me about it if interested. I am making these more affordable for Hicks collectors, as I know he runs high as a figure. This shouldn't be all that expensive an upgrade even painted.

[Wor-Gar]

That looks fantastic, Les! Love it!

Great new Hicks!!!

[Stendec]

Incredible work Les . . Im am speechless!!!!

The hair looks great and the paintjob looks unbelieveably lifelike, a perfect likeness. This headsculpt should look cool with my headset :)

[Reefer Shark]

Wow~ awesome man!!! I would love to upgrade my HT hicks with this head, PM comin' your way!

[Eagle]

Brilliant! - Can you PM me the costs of one painted? Cheers. :)

[voncougar]

Oh...my...goodness. That sculpt is sweet, but that paintjob! THAT PAINTJOB!
PM time :)



As for correct marines, I'm not sure if I saw it as I scanned through the thread or not, but have we talked about the pulse rifle strap? While there are a bunch of problems here and there on these figures, I've found that the strap made me the angriest right away :o The material is...bah. The stuff they use for the belts are of a much better material. Even so, it's the bit of padding that really irks me. I finally took off one today to see if it makes a difference, and it does. Now to just find something better.
And watch the movie to figure out who doesn't have a strap.

[JediMike71]

Hi Les. Awesome work on the "spikey hair" Hicks! I sent you a PM about him tonight. Thanks! :D

[wookster]

Wow, Les that is very cool, great job!

[Reinhardt]

that looks FANTASTIC Les!!! Best Biehn likeness, and best Hicks likeness period!!!!!!!!

[Rogue Trooper]

Going to star assembling my marines soon and with this thread my marines are going to be amazing.

[Reefer Shark]

Sweet!!! The wheels are in motion, and my Hicks will actually look like Hicks!

Thanks a million Les! :rock2

[figuremasterles]

Regarding the newly revised Spikey Haired Hicks heads...
Due to the overwhelming response to this one, and huge turnout of requests and orders for them, I am putting a temporary hold on further orders for this one until I get all these I now have done, and shipped, then I will let you guys know that more can be ordered.

Thanks SO MUCH, and I hope my work with them will make them rock your collections out even further for you all.

Working hard on them now.
Please bear with me as these and other commission work is at hand...I will update as I can. Thanks all!


More to come soon.

[lerath666]

Ok, SO I know this isn't EXACTLY the same as what this thread is for, but I figured I'd ask here, as I was directed to :)

The drake figure, I really can't stand his muscled arms. Is there a hot toys body with the same sort of neck attachment that I can use, that his hands and everything else will fit on? Preferably one that's pale so I don't need to repaint it as well:rolleyes: The exposed joints are not something that bothers me. I dislike the lack of poseability more.

[lerath666]

Somebody, Anybody. Soe assistance please?

[pjam]

You might try the HT New Gen Life body and switch out the heads. Seems like the NGL neck will work with the Drake head. Don't know if that's a confirmed solution but it seems to be. Get the Asian version if you do...

[lerath666]

From what I've seen though the wrists are different and not cmpatable. the neck adapter might work though

[thundergod]

I fancy replacing the boots on my Drake and Hudson , does anyone know where I could find the type like the earlier Marines are issued with ?

[Stendec]

Yeah the boots that came with Hicks and Apone look much nicer than the ones supplied with Hudson and Drake, which look way to small in my opinion.

I bought a pair of ACE cloth Jungle boots from monkeydepot.com which look great and are similar in size to Hicks's boots, they just need to be weatherd up abit.


The ACE boots on Hudson on the left, Hicks botts on the right.

http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s217/eifion_evans/boots.jpg

[lerath666]

Ok, I think I'll get that one then. Anyone got any suggestions on where i can get the Asian New generation life body?

[thundergod]

Thanks Stendec, I'll chase down some of those boots . I'm in the home straight with my marines , just a few details need refining now . ( I was de-railed slightly when I decided the team needed a Bishop! ) . Saying that ,I'm pretty interested in Hurricanes working lamps , so it could still be a while before they're ready for battle . DOH!!:rolleyes:
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g55/thundergod_photos/USCM006.jpg
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g55/thundergod_photos/USCM017.jpg
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g55/thundergod_photos/USCM015.jpg

[Stendec]

Damn! Your squad is looking awesome Thunder! Your custom Bishop looks perfect too!

Another modification I did and thought Id mention is to the grenades. Really simple to do and makes them more screen accurate.

http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s217/eifion_evans/grenades.jpg

Screen used grenade prop http://www.harryharris.com/grens.htm

1.Sanded the rounded tip of the grenades flat.
2.Painted the end of the grenade red.
3.Cut a thin strip of white electrical tape with a hobby knife and wrapped it around. I tried painting the white band first but its impossible to get it looking tidy. The tape does this perfectly :)

I also removed the fifth grenade loop from the bandolier, just pick at the thread with something pointy till it comes loose. Cut off the excess loop elastic and singe the end to stop fraying.

[lerath666]

Wow those look GREAT

[lerath666]

Hey thundergod, question for you, where did you get the gloves for your Hudson?

[Stendec]

The black gloves come with the Hudson figure out of the box. A shame really because he didnt even wear gloves in the movie and finding replacement light skin hands to fit the HT body is nigh on impossible :(

[Reinhardt]

outstanding work STENDEC!! love those grenades. i think i'm going to have to do the same now. :D

[thundergod]

The black gloves come with the Hudson figure out of the box. A shame really because he didnt even wear gloves in the movie and finding replacement light skin hands to fit the HT body is nigh on impossible :(
That's right Stendec , I've yet to find loose H.T hands that are suitable . Like the tip about the grenades , think I'm going to have to nick that idea! Thanks for the comments , still need to work on Bishop . First time I painted him I made him look "too human", so this is my second attempt . Also thinking of swapping the head to a D.M.L body , but I'm a bit worried about the head looking too big . ( He already suffers from the infamous Sideshow melon-head syndrome ).
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g55/thundergod_photos/USCM009.jpg

[pjam]

Damn! Your squad is looking awesome Thunder! Your custom Bishop looks perfect too!

Another modification I did and thought Id mention is to the grenades. Really simple to do and makes them more screen accurate.

http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s217/eifion_evans/grenades.jpg

Screen used grenade prop http://www.harryharris.com/grens.htm

1.Sanded the rounded tip of the grenades flat.
2.Painted the end of the grenade red.
3.Cut a thin strip of white electrical tape with a hobby knife and wrapped it around. I tried painting the white band first but its impossible to get it looking tidy. The tape does this perfectly :)

I also removed the fifth grenade loop from the bandolier, just pick at the thread with something pointy till it comes loose. Cut off the excess loop elastic and singe the end to stop fraying.

Lovin' this Sten, very nice Bro! Just another thing for me to do now that I'm running out of things to do for my guys. :lol :D

[Stendec]

Thanks guys. Yeah I like finding little details to change and add, especially if they are simple to do. I am bordering on the obsessive about accurizing my marines lol Next on my list is finding some suitable rubber trim material to line the neck of the torso armor :lol I also need to fade the BDUs and weather the body armor. I hope to be done soon though or else Il drive myself insane lol

Regarding the grenades, I know that the marines used different coloured ones to denote different grenade types (frag, incendiary etc) but Im not sure what exact colours where used. Besides I know that Hicks only had the red explosive types. Suprisingly, Hudson didn't wear any grenades at all on his armor.

[Wor-Gar]

Thanks guys. Yeah I like finding little details to change and add, especially if they are simple to do. I am bordering on the obsessive about accurizing my marines lol Next on my list is finding some suitable rubber trim material to line the neck of the torso armor :lol I also need to fade the BDUs and weather the body armor. I hope to be done soon though or else Il drive myself insane lol

Regarding the grenades, I know that the marines used different coloured ones to denote different grenade types (frag, incendiary etc) but Im not sure what exact colours where used. Besides I know that Hicks only had the red explosive types. Suprisingly, Hudson didn't wear any grenades at all on his armor.

Stendec, you really are getting your details just right at every level. I love it.

You should post detailed pix of your marines so we can all follow your lead as to accuracy. Even maybe photoshop text to point out what you've changed. It might be easier for people to SEE rather than READ that long list in the first post.

I know I'd like it anyway. :)

[Stendec]

Stendec, you really are getting your details just right at every level. I love it.

You should post detailed pix of your marines so we can all follow your lead as to accuracy. Even maybe photoshop text to point out what you've changed. It might be easier for people to SEE rather than READ that long list in the first post.

I know I'd like it anyway. :)

Wow, thanks Wor-Gar, I'm honoured :)

As soon as Im finished tweaking my figures I'd me more than happy to post some pics with a breakdown of the changes I made. I only have Hudson and Hicks though but Id like to add Vasquez at some point.

[Wor-Gar]

Wow, thanks Wor-Gar, I'm honoured :)

As soon as Im finished tweaking my figures I'd me more than happy to post some pics with a breakdown of the changes I made. I only have Hudson and Hicks though but Id like to add Vasquez at some point.

Excellent. Can't wait. I think your pics and details will be very popular and allow people, like me, to really get their marines in tip-top shape.

I'm entertaining the idea of posing my Vaz without her smart-gun. But I noticed in the movie that she had a black chest-holder for her pistol. Anyone got any ideas where the heck I can get a chest-holster? I know I've seen one before on a Dragon/BBI figure.

[Stendec]

I'm entertaining the idea of posing my Vaz without her smart-gun. But I noticed in the movie that she had a black chest-holder for her pistol. Anyone got any ideas where the heck I can get a chest-holster? I know I've seen one before on a Dragon/BBI figure.

Yeah I'd like a Vasquez to display without her smart gun since I'm looking to display my figures like they were in the final confrontation in Ops. I might try to custom bash Vas since it would be a shame to buy the HT figure and not display her fully geared up.

I think you could make her chest holster by canibalising some webbing and a generic holster. Her sidearm was a Smith & Wesson M39 not a Vp-70 though.

This is a long shot but does anyone have any leads on a Vas headsculpt?

[thundergod]

To be honest Standec , I think you'd be hard pressed to beat the H.T headsculpt . Although the paint job does it's best to obscure it ( like Drake's), it's a pretty good likeness . Does anyone have a pic of the holster in question?

[Wor-Gar]

Does anyone have a pic of the holster in question?

Best, and only, I could find:

http://www.insidepulse.com/columnImages2006/image31522.jpg

BTW, thanks for the info, Stendec!

[thundergod]

That looks pretty straightforward . I should have something pretty close .( It should be easy enough to fabricate the straps), Stendec , let me know if you need the holster .
Oops, sorry Wor-Gor mis-read the post , it's you looking to bash the holster ! Same applies .

[Wor-Gar]

That looks pretty straightforward . I should have something pretty close .( It should be easy enough to fabricate the straps), Stendec , let me know if you need the holster .
Oops, sorry Wor-Gor mis-read the post , it's you looking to bash the holster ! Same applies .

I would like the holster -- where do you get one?

I've seen it on a Dragon figure I think, maybe a German officer or something.

[JediMike71]

I'm displaying my Vasquez, at the moment, without her smartgunner armor and smartgun right now too. I want to get that black leather chest holster too! I am going to hunt for that S & W M39 pistol for her too. Anyone seen one of those pistols anywhere online? Let me know? The holster? Yeah, maybe there's a current or past Dragon or BBI figure that had one. I'll go hunting for the pistol and the holster.....

Any help would be great! Thanks! :D

[Rogue Trooper]

Just started getting my hicks corrected, removed the knife and got a new british commando on of ebay so far.
I guess i got to remove the sardine can opener, how easy is this?

[ambac]

Just started getting my hicks corrected, removed the knife and got a new british commando on of ebay so far.
I guess i got to remove the sardine can opener, how easy is this?

It's actually fairly easy, just go carefully with it. I found the best thing was to pry it loose with a tiny flat head screwdiver.

[Stendec]

Yeah the sardine key comes off pretty easy. The problem is painting the silver thats revealed underneath to match the camo paint. Some clever weathering should hide that though :)

[thundergod]

Did that very thing just yesterday! Prised off one completely and had to fill the small holes left behind before I could re-paint . The second one , I used my exacto knife to cut the part off . This worked better as it did away with the need to fill . Painting was a doddle , used Tamiya Dark Green with a touch of black for the dark colour and added a spot of Olive for the lighter tone . The same principle applies for removing the clasp on Apones chest armour .
P.s Wor-Gar , that holster was the one from the BBI Elite Force Greg Simcox figure . It wasn't as good quality as I remembered it being and it may be a little large . ( Hard to tell as I'm not familiar with he pistol you're going to be using ). But if you have trouble locating something suitable , you'd be welcome to it . I'll post pics at some point in the next couple of days .

[Wor-Gar]

P.s Wor-Gar , that holster was the one from the BBI Elite Force Greg Simcox figure . It wasn't as good quality as I remembered it being and it may be a little large . ( Hard to tell as I'm not familiar with he pistol you're going to be using ). But if you have trouble locating something suitable , you'd be welcome to it . I'll post pics at some point in the next couple of days .

Cool, thanks. I'll try to find a picture online too.

UPDATE: OK, I can't find anything on BBI Elite Force Greg Simcox so I am at the mercy of your pictures, Thundergod.

[Stendec]

Anyone know of a online source for quality decal printing paper? I have a few graphics Id like to make into decals for my marines that I wouldnt attempt at painting lol Ive been in touch with Dboz but since I want to make a few decals in the future I thought Id get some decal paper of my own to try.

If its any use to anyone I made this graphic a while back of Hicks Japanese Love symbol to go on the back of his armor. Many thanks to Maulfan and Mudshark for researching this symbol.

http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s217/eifion_evans/hicks_symbol_mod.png

[Stendec]

Can someone share info on Hicks left arm tatoo and does anyone have that promo photo of Biehn that shows the tatoo pretty well.

How did you guys write this onto his arm, with paint or a pen? Im sure I read about some people melting it into the plastic with a hot needle :cool:

Thanks :)

[Stendec]

I searched the net just now and I found this pic. Useful for anyone wants to put the tatoo on Hicks.

USCM
527.19.5251

http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s217/eifion_evans/armtatoo.jpg

[hurricane]

I apologise if this is already here somewhere, but this is hudson screen used armor.......http://www.aqpa87.dsl.pipex.com/scifihelmets/alienhudson.htm

[pjam]

I apologise if this is already here somewhere, but this is hudson screen used armor.......http://www.aqpa87.dsl.pipex.com/scifihelmets/alienhudson.htm

Cool... speaking of Hurricane, my 'Cane lamps are coming very soon so I may do a bit more detailing before they arrive.

Note: The mic arms are silver, the mics are black with silver end, this is an easy thing to do with black and silver sharpies

[Stuntman Mike]

I don't know if this has been touched on, but modifying your HT marines may actually diminish their value. For those of you that have no intention of ever re-selling your figures, knock yourselves out.

For those of you who may feel that they might sell these in the future, I would refrain from changing anything. I personally would not want to buy one that has been messed with, even if the intention was good.

This was just a thought that occurred to me. Feel free to disagree, but do not flame me. Thanks.

[Wor-Gar]

I don't know if this has been touched on, but modifying your HT marines may actually diminish their value. For those of you that have no intention of ever re-selling your figures, knock yourselves out.

For those of you who may feel that they might sell these in the future, I would refrain from changing anything. I personally would not want to buy one that has been messed with, even if the intention was good.

This was just a thought that occurred to me. Feel free to disagree, but do not flame me. Thanks.


I've considered this myself. There's nothing like a pristine original for most buyers...and down the line some of these might be quite valuable. That is, however long the whole 1/6th market remains of interest.

There's a fever now, so high prices for Hicks and Apone reflect only the fact that people are collecting this active line. When the line ends, prices will jump again... but in time they will fade and even out as demand wanes.

However, for re-sale in the future, once the figure is out of the box and displayed, you lose a considerable amount of value right there. But perhaps the added "value" of a working lamp and extra detail may interest some buyers. Customs -- really good and accurate customs -- always seem to sell for very high prices, much more than say a Hicks is worth right now MIB.

[Stendec]

Thats a very fair and valid point Mike. I have some collectibles which I consider much more of an investment and would never customize. I just dont regard my HT figures as a cash investment, just an investment in fun and a kick *** display item lol

The thing is, some people might preffer a mint in box, untouched figure. At the same time another person might be looking for a moddified/accurized version of the same figure and be prepared to pay good money on it, depending on how bad they want it and how much work was put into the customisation.

I guess it just comes down to personal choice and preference and thats always a good thing :)

I don't know if this has been touched on, but modifying your HT marines may actually diminish their value. For those of you that have no intention of ever re-selling your figures, knock yourselves out.

For those of you who may feel that they might sell these in the future, I would refrain from changing anything. I personally would not want to buy one that has been messed with, even if the intention was good.

This was just a thought that occurred to me. Feel free to disagree, but do not flame me. Thanks.

[lerath666]

Hurricane Vader went on Ebay recently for more than 400$ http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290160969114

Medicom vaders Frequenly go for 120-200 MIB

Just my opinion, but I think people are mor e motivated to buy a figure that looks awesome on their sheilf, as opposed to one that's perfect in the box. Or Mint out of the box.

Case in point which one would you rather have on your shelf?
This one?
http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s217/eifion_evans/hicks_knife.jpg

or this one?
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a10/angremien/SHHicks4.jpg

TO quote the big man himself

"I find your lack of faith Disturbing"

[Stendec]

Excellent example there lerath666 . . .that Vader is amazing and is easily worht that price IMO, a whole lot more than a MIB figure.

The demand for custmosized figures is certainly out there. If not then this thread wouldnt even exist right? I believ that the major factor in determining the re-sale value of a tinkered figure is the quality of the artistry and attention to detail.

This is my Hicks so far and I think he looks a hell of alot better than he did assembled fresh from the box, I dont care how much it affected its value :rock

http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s217/eifion_evans/hicks_allan.jpg

[Wor-Gar]

Hey Stendec, where'd you get the headset for Hicks? Been looking for one of those myself.

[thundergod]

I think if there is a difference between 1/6 enthusiasts and more "general" action figure collectors , it's that a lot of them (like myself), come from a modelling background and see a figure as a "starting point" , rather than a stand alone "collectible". As far as the Colonial Marine figures are concerned , they lend themselves to customisation so much ,that this itself far outweighs any concerns of the figures losing "value" . Also , many modellers are far more used to paying (relatively) high prices for their kits, paints etc, so the initial outlay ( for a figure) is not quite that traumatic !
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g55/thundergod_photos/Hudson004.jpg

[Stendec]

Im in the middle of scratchbuilding the headsets, one for myself and one for Les because he's painting up a Spikey Hicks for me. Heres a better pic.

http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s217/eifion_evans/les_headset.jpg

Im making them with some plastic, wire from a shoulder lamp, paper clips and some modeling putty.

[Stendec]

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g55/thundergod_photos/Hudson004.jpg


Lovin that Hudson Thunder . . .the "D" on the magazine butt is a great touch :cool:

[thundergod]

Cheers Stendec , love the headset ! One question , what do you connect the wire/cable to ? The thing the Marine figures lack is an obvious coms set-up . ( Not counting that in the helmet ).:confused:

[Stendec]

Like in the move, I just tucked it under the collar of the torso amror. So you'd just assume that some sort of comms system is built into the armor or carried in a pouch or whatever.

[Stendec]

Hey Thunder, after you asked about getting different boots for Hudson I'd taken these pics to better show how they look.

http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s217/eifion_evans/th_ace_boots.jpg (http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s217/eifion_evans/ace_boots.jpg) http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s217/eifion_evans/th_hudson_boots.jpg (http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s217/eifion_evans/hudson_boots.jpg)

He doesnt look like he has pixie feet anymore lol and with the awesome work you've been doing on your figure I think you should definately get a pair. They seem to be sold out at monkeydepot now but Im sure they pop up on ebay now and again . seartch for ACE jungle boots.

[thundergod]

Yup , I checked out MonkeyDepot as soon as you posted about them and yup, they are sold out ! They do look spot on though , so thanks , I at least know what to look for now . I can't understand why H.T decided to cut corners with Hudson and Drake because it's glaringly obvious the boots are sub-standard compared to the earlier releases . ( Thanks for the comments , by the way !)
P.s, what are those hands you've got on your Hudson ?
P.p.s, just found them at BlackOps ( the Boots , that is !)

[Stendec]

The hands are from a DML Neo body which I just attached to the HT body. The wrists dont look too pretty but the sweat band and watch cover it up perfectly. Luckily the skin colour matched perfectly.

For the feet I actually hacked the molded boots to form the shape of a foot without ruining the ankle connector hole. Now the original boots slip into my newer boots . . . if you know what I mean lol Works a treat too because he stands perfectly well without the stand and I can still articulate the ankle joint. The DML body I bought was meant for Hudson but its just to skinny and limp for my liking, the stock HT body is much better.

Edit: P.p.s, just found them at BlackOps ( the Boots , that is !)

Nice one, they really are the mutts nuts when it comes to boots, laces and all :rock

[PROWL]

I don't know if this has been touched on, but modifying your HT marines may actually diminish their value. For those of you that have no intention of ever re-selling your figures, knock yourselves out.

For those of you who may feel that they might sell these in the future, I would refrain from changing anything. I personally would not want to buy one that has been messed with, even if the intention was good.

This was just a thought that occurred to me. Feel free to disagree, but do not flame me. Thanks.


this is something that I have taken in to considertion myself, however, I see no reason why you cant make minor changes that do not require physical modification to the figuer.

Head swaps or changing out the knife can be reverse with little effort were as weathering and other painted on details are more or less permanant.

[thundergod]

Found that Greg Simcox holster and it's a piece of crap! Much worse than I remembered . Wor-Gar , if you're after a holster you could do much worse than OneSixthDepot .
http://onesixthdepot.com/cart/index.php?cPath=133_170

[JediMike71]

this is something that I have taken in to considertion myself, however, I see no reason why you cant make minor changes that do not require physical modification to the figuer.

Head swaps or changing out the knife can be reverse with little effort were as weathering and other painted on details are more or less permanant.

Hey, that's okay with me. I didn't work really hard on customizing them just so I can sell them. I am doing all of my custom work on them to make them the best that they can be. I have NO intention of reselling my marines or Ripley...ever! I am finally getting together the ultimate set of the U.S. Colonial Marines I've always wanted along with Ripley, and my custom Bishop and Newt. These will always be with me! :D

[Rob]

Hey Mike, did you ever finish customizing that Hudson into Hicks a few months back?

[JediMike71]

Yeah, he's coming along nicely. I got that great "Chronohead" Hudson head from Les Walker, and painted it. Now I have two heads for my Hudson. The one from Chris at EVA Models, and Les's head. I may end up using the original HT Hudson head for a custom Weirzbowski. I am also working on a custom Cpl. Deitrich (using a Dragon "Jennifer" for her). Here's some pictures of my WIP (work in progress) and Deitrich.

Here's a picture of Cpl. Deitrich in the movie...

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z104/JediMike71/ALIENSDeitrichthumbnailiconpicture.jpg

...and here's a picture of my "WIP" Deitrich with Hicks' helmet on....

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z104/JediMike71/100_5675.jpg

and some more shots of her...

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z104/JediMike71/100_5680.jpg

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z104/JediMike71/100_5679.jpg

I painted her boots black. This Dragon "Jennifer" had light brown colored boots since she's based on female soldiers serving in the Middle East right now.

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z104/JediMike71/100_5678.jpg

I also toned down her lipstick. It was really red in person. I gave her a more natural look since I know Deitrich wore very little, if any make up at all in ALIENS.

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z104/JediMike71/100_5677.jpg

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z104/JediMike71/100_5676.jpg

I am using an extra set of Hudson's BDU for my custom Deitrich. I have also added some Super Sculpey now to the front of her hair to give it that more "butch" short military haircut. I'll post some pictures of her head soon after I paint the hair. I'll post some of my "Chronohead" Hudson soon too. I just gotta upload my pics of him to Photobucket so that I can post them here. :D

Oh by the way, Jedi Knight Rob...great signature picture! I'm looking forward to AVP2 aka Alien VS Predator Requiem too! I really hope it is a lot better than AVP was!

[Rob]

Nice! Has Angelina Jolie lips, but it looks pretty good! WAY better than anything I could cook up. Les does pretty damn good job, the way he painted the 'Chrono' Hudson and HT's 'Hudson'(Really Hicks) was excellent! I'm thinking when I get a Hicks and find a HTs 'Hudson' head, I'll probably send it to him.

Thanks. Yeah, I can't wait AVP:R too! Supposedly, Fangoria Magazine's Oct. 23 issue is going to have a big article along with some new pics of the movie. Sounds pretty sweet to me.

[JediMike71]

Thanks. Yeah, I tried toning down at least the lip color on that Dragon Jennifer figure for my custom Deitrich. I'll check out that new Fangoria magazine too! I used to look at them alot growing up the '80s. Cool magazine about horror movie makeup and special effects. I found out about it when I was collecting Starlog sci-fi magazine back then.

[ONEYE]

Deitrich was supposed to be named Butch.

[Stendec]

Butch? lol That would have been hilarious.

They should have called Wierzbowski or Crowe something like Private Redshirt :lol

[JediMike71]

Yeah, really! Crowe and Weirzbowski didn't even have one line of dialogue between them in the movie. I saw on www.imdb.com, that the actor that played Crowe, Tip Tipping, was killed in a parachuting accident in 1993 while filming a reenactment for a BBC TV show. Here's the link:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0864150/bio

He was also an ex British Royal Marine commando, and S.A.S. (Special Air Service) soldier with the British Army.

The other actor, Trevor Steedman, who played Pvt. Weirzbowski, is still alive and has been working alot doing stunt work in movies and TV shows to this day. It looks like ALIENS was one of, if not his only acting role. Here's his link on www.imdb.com.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0824365/

It woulda been cool to hear these two guys say at least one line! At least in Star Trek some of the "red shirt" guys get a few lines before they're killed off.

[Rogue Trooper]

Has anybody got any good images of Apone, im starting to assemble him but i cant really find any good shots of him so i can get him correct.

[Stendec]

To me it looks like Apone is the figure that requires the least amount of work to make screen accurate.

Get the Lonnie headsculpt, pop off the sardine key and padlock clasp off his armor and you're done.

[Rogue Trooper]

Got my first marine assembled, Apone, i think i got everything right from following the advice here.
http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb142/ian1138/apone2.jpghttp://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb142/ian1138/apone1.jpg

Im missing a extra ammo clip he's meant to have as only have one spare for hicks.
I think i noticed from watching the movie that he has some sort of cord across his chest and he has a pouch that hangs down on his right, below the one you can see between his arm. Also need to add a digital watch the same as Hicks.
Dont think he has any grenades aswell.

"On the ready line Marines"

[Reinhardt]

great pics!! he looks awesome!! i should have my Apone assembled soon as well... damn i love the marines.

[thundergod]

If I could just give you one piece of advice regarding Apone , it's to get Lonnie's headsculpt !
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g55/thundergod_photos/USCM008.jpg

[JediMike71]

I agree to get the Lonnie Hale head sculpt for your Apone. I got it for mine and I love it! The Hot Toys head is just flat wrong. Apone didn't look like the HT head, and he did not have a goatee. He did have a black moustache, but not a goatee.

Just FYI - Yes, I have removed the "dreaded" white dots in his eyes now per advice from Les and Josh. He looks much better without those dots. I'll take more pictures of him again soon.

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z104/JediMike71/Aponenohelmetflamekneesupnice.jpg

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z104/JediMike71/Aponehelmetonnice.jpg

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z104/JediMike71/Aponefrontnohelmet.jpg

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z104/JediMike71/Aponefacenohelmet.jpg

:D

[Rob]

Man, all these customs are great! Apone is my second favorite Hot Toys USCM with the first being Hicks(Let's face it, the shotgun/holster pretty much seals the deal!).

BTW, I also found a site that may have(It said it sill had it for preorder with it shipping Sept. 2006) had Hicks in stock for $85 plus shipping, so I snatched it up, I lost the link to it though. I'll see if I can find it again so I can help a few of you out.;)

[superdoug]

Please let me know if it's legit for Hicks. I've been trying to find him for a while although I found some sites that had him listed as in stock but when I asked them they said he was all gone.

[PROWL]

Yeah, really! Crowe and Weirzbowski didn't even have one line of dialogue between them in the movie. I saw on www.imdb.com, that the actor that played Crowe, Tip Tipping, was killed in a parachuting accident in 1993 while filming a reenactment for a BBC TV show. Here's the link:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0864150/bio

He was also an ex British Royal Marine commando, and S.A.S. (Special Air Service) soldier with the British Army.

The other actor, Trevor Steedman, who played Pvt. Weirzbowski, is still alive and has been working alot doing stunt work in movies and TV shows to this day. It looks like ALIENS was one of, if not his only acting role. Here's his link on www.imdb.com.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0824365/

It woulda been cool to hear these two guys say at least one line! At least in Star Trek some of the "red shirt" guys get a few lines before they're killed off.

in on draft of the screen play (the frist I think) Weirzbowski did in fact have a few lines, at one point he even scares the **** out of Ripley.

[JediMike71]

Wow, that woulda been cool to hear Weirzbowski, and even Crowe speak! Too bad that they didn't!

[fat hobbitss]

I just got the Marines itch and got myself a couple of Hudson. One of them I'd like to turn it into a Hicks. I alrady got the H T Stoner body, and I know that I'll have to repaint the armor and the helm has no canvas cover... no prob.

What worries me now is where to get the Ithaca shotgun (I know a solid resin sheat can be bought from EVA). Also.. do you have the chest armour padlock locker from Chris? is it movie accurate? Is there anything else I'm missing?


Thanks for your help in advance!

[PROWL]

The 21c toys "Police Shotgun" set has a model that is at least similer to the one Hicks uses and can be found at wal-mart ( in the toy car isle)



Wow, that woulda been cool to hear Weirzbowski, and even Crowe speak! Too bad that they didn't!

yeah it is, guess they didn't have enough money for everyone to have a line:lol

[JediMike71]

I got the padlock set for my custom Hicks (I made from the Hot Toys Hudson) from Chris at EVA. I think it is very "movie-accurate"! Also he makes great one piece Gerber boot knives in the black sheaths. I got some of those from him too. Chris is a great guy, and very willing to help us ALIENS fans out!

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z104/JediMike71/100_5349.jpg

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z104/JediMike71/100_5345.jpg

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z104/JediMike71/100_5340.jpg

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z104/JediMike71/100_5339.jpg

I found a loose "Stoner" head and repainted it and I think it turned out great! I also found one of the loose pump pistol grip shotguns from that 21st Century Toys police shotgun set for my Hicks on eBay too. I hope to get Chris to make me a "leather" sheath for it someday soon.

Check with Chris about all of your needs for the HT ALIENS marines! What a great guy! I can't say enough great things about him and all of his help! :D

[Reinhardt]

awesome Hicks bro!! Great repaint! if you get a chance, you should paint his arms too. then he'd be PERFECT.

:D

[JediMike71]

Paint his arms Reinhardt? Should I paint them darker? I've already wrote the USCM and his social security number tatoo on his upper left arm as seen in the movie. Tell me what you mean....should I go darker or lighter on the arms? Thanks! :D