Beating Kenner at its own game...

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Posted by Aaron from usr1-modem126.runestone.net on May 19, 1998 at 19:45:39:

Two days ago I was struck by something I'm usually not struck by: inspiration. I'm a Star Wars figure collector [hey, I like James Bond stuff too, but my heart still belongs to the Indy Trilogy!]. I happened to glance over at a loose Power of the Force 2 Han Solo in Carbonite Block. I looked, and looked, and looked some moor, and then inspiration struck.

I though to myself "Why not make an Indy figure from existing odds and ends? If Kenner won't make Indy figures, I'll make my own!"

You can skip this next portion and go straight to the inventory list, if you like~it's the same stuff.

And so it began. At first, as all dreams do, it seemed a perfect idea. I take the Han figure~it has a white v-neck shirt that loosely matches Indy's, pants that are way different, high-topped boots, and of course, Harry Ford's head. I take Batman Returns' Catwoman figure's black rubber whip [I know what you're thinking, and it ain't funny! :) ]. I take Mario Bros. plumbers' belts, Jurassic Park's Alan Grant's white fedora, some tan and some brown paints, and a little leather-looking thin cloth. The Webley, among, other things, still has me guessing! I'll describe the process to you from the head down. The fedora needed to be shaved down to the correct size and hollowed out, and then painted the correct brown collor. The jacket is what the leather-looking cloth is for. The belts I may or may not use~I cut off the little bags on the sides and use them as plain belts [one diagonally across the chest and one as a belt~maybe]. The legs should be painted tan, all the way down to the ankles, making it appear he's wearing just shoes. The whip is, well, the whip.

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Inventory List: [YMMV~Your materials may vary~just use whatever you have laying around, that's the whole point of this!]

-1 Han Solo in Carbonite Block figure
-1 Catwoman's whip [or piece of string that looks good enough]
-2 Mario Bros. rubber belts, or fake leather cloth strips
-1 JP's Alan Grant's white fedora, slimmed down, hollowed out, painted brown [for altenates on this one you're on your own!]
-Enough fake leather cloth to make a jacket [this and the fedora will be the hardest parts!]
-Some brown and tan paints

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Optional:

Tan cloth for more realistic pants, make your own satchel.

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Please Note:

This is for an "all around" Indy figure. If you're going for a Temple of Doom look:

1] Paint [his] right sleeve a flesh tone.
2] Find him a machete
3] Lightly brush him with a bit of red paint

For a Last Crusade Look:

1] Find blue cloth for a tie!

Of course, there's always "Professor Indy", and "Map Room Indy", but for stuff like that, you're on your own!

I'm thinking of carving a little wooden base for him to stand on, as well...

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You're right, I have way to much time on my hands...either that or I'm dreaming too much... :)

I'll provide you with a sort of daily log of what I do for the figure each day [hence the term "daily" :) ]. Daily log posts will be titled something like "Indy Figure~[Date]"~see the follow up to this message.

Anyone that wants to try this out, too, I wouldn't mind your input on figure ideas.

"I dunno, I'm making this up as I go..."

~Aaron

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