Building your MARINES - CORRECTLY

[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! 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!

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.

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...

 

[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.

 

[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.

 

[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.

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!

 

[pjam]

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

https://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.

 

[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!

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.

 

[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!

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.

 

[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:

https://cgi.ebay.com/CUSTOM-LIFE-LI...ryZ27294QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

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!