Minimate Customs: The Rocketeer

At the top of my short list of dream custom projects is Dave Stevens' the Rocketeer.  I just love the character, and the comic, and I think the movie is probably the best translation of a comic to the big screen (not that it's necessarily the best comics movie, but the closest to the source material).  The only 1/6 scale figure I own is the Sideshow Rocketeer, and he's also one of the only Kubricks I've bought. Much as I like both those figures, though, they just don't fulfill my desire for either a 6" action figure, or a Minimate. While the action figure remains a Disney-shattered dream,  the Minimate is, of course, a different story.....

Presenting... the Rocketeer!

It's taken me a while to get him done, but he very suddenly came together.  I made a decal for him ages ago, using (as I so often do) a Cubeecraft template.  But, even with that decal, there were some hurdles to clear.  For one thing, I wanted to match the burgundy color for his jacket, which I was able to do with the recent release of Calico Jack.  His legs come from Chloe Frazer, meaning that, yes, he's wearing women's pants.  But wearing them well!

Classic pose!

But, even with his body done, and his decals made, that still left some big hurdles, namely his helmet and the rocket pack.  For these, I wasn't going to settle for anything less then perfection, particularly since I've got his wonderful Kubrick sitting here.  After looking around a bit, I ended up buying an old Rocketeer PVC figure in order to cut off the rocket pack.  It's slightly big, but I think it looks great.

The Cirrus X-3

The helmet was a little trickier.  I'd also bought a helmet pencil topper, with the hopes that it would be in scale; sadly, while it looks great, it's too big.  The PVC figure's head, while closer, was just a little too small to look right on a Minimate body.  So it was back to the decal.  While the PVC head was too small, I figured that the fin would be just right, so I grabbed a Spider-Man slip on mask, put on the decal, sliced the fin off, glued it to the mask, and painted the whole thing yellow.  And that's pretty much it... but I went a little nuts with the pictures so....

This one's my favorite.

I can't tell you how satisfying this is.

Blasting off!

Cliff Secord unmasked.

And that's that, but for the decals... here ya go, use them in good health:

This custom dedicated to the memory of Dave Stevens