Dude, why recreate the wheel?

I've been a toy collector for years but only recently rediscovered the joy of Shoguns/Jumbos, lost treasures of my youth.  As a child, I was content to pit the asian giants in epic confrontations with each other -  but how many times can you pretend that Daimos has been hijacked and is now piloted by a terrorist bent on world conquest? As an adult who has had the luxury of anime video stores and the internet, I've absorbed the back stories behind these humongous heroes and there evil adversaries - making my jones for true villains all the more palpable.  No surprise, I was floored by the discovery that Popy had produced a limited run of "Kikaiju", Jumbo Villains... then I saw them.

Now don't get me wrong - I can appreciate the awe Jumbo Villains inspire due to their individualized craftsmanship (I hear they are hand painted) and rarity.  They truly are beautiful pieces and I hope to get to see and handle one some day.  That said, their design still left me a bit flat.  I don't mind that they're made of vinyl and can get past the inaccuracies in the paint schemes (after all they were originally intended for store display only) but what gets me are their proportions.  Compared to the sleek, lean and mean look of their heroic counterparts, the Villains kinda look like chubby , big-headed little kids.I know, I know - you're thinking, "Bite your tongue, blasphemer!"  But this personal gripe coupled with the tremendous price tags would have insured that my Jumbos would never have a nemesis to beat up on... unless of course... no that's crazy...  but it could just work...  yes, I'll make my own customized Villains!

Garada K7 was the natural choice for a first attempt.  His design is awesome in its simplicity and if you are going to produce knock-offs of  "holly grail" figures you might as well start at the top.  Unlike the Popy or U-5  version, my Garada matches standard Jumbo height of about 24" and his sickles can be removed and placed in his right hand.  I also embellished the design a little and incorperated the shoulder mounted missile racks and missile firing hand just so Garada can hold his own in distance battles. 

The how to:

• Step one was to decide which existing Jumbos would make the best "base bodies" to build on. Mazinga and Dragun have plain features that are infinitely reworkable and luckily, I happened to have an extra Mazinga. 
•  Step two involves all the planning, drafting sketches of what the figure might look like, and scavenging my local plastic recycling bin for parts.
• Step three is creating and testing patterns for the pieces that will ultimately be cut from various plastic bottles and containers (the chest plate, sickles, face and head, decals). 
• Step four is the actual build up - which can go pretty quickly if step three is done right.
• Step five is the paint job.  I used a combination of spray paint (you got to use 3 to 4 good coats to avoid chipping) and water based acrylics.  Remember some parts are easier to paint prior to build up.
• Step six is the decal application.  I tried to match Garada's anime apearance and mimic the look and feel of the decals on other Jumbos.
• ... and on the seventh day he rested.

I had planned on starting a Doublas M2 custom right away (can you really have one without the other?) but may have to put that on hold, as I actually have a few folks who want me to create their own "limited edition" custom Garadas.  I'll keep you posted on Doublas status.  In the meantime feel free to email me with any questions: wharris_iv@hotmail.com