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Leatherneck - I've made a few different versions of Leatherneck, but until now I haven't tried to nail his classic look. Here is my attempt...



Parts: Head (25th Anniversary Gung-Ho), Torso & arms (RoC Sgt Stone), Legs (RoC Beachhead), Web gear (Comic pack Ripper), M16A2/M203 (Marauder, Inc.), Rucksack (RoC Benchpress).

So, essentially all that I had to do here was replace the Sgt Stone legs with the new ones and pop Gung-Ho's head onto the body. All the rest was the tiny little details that took what seemed like forever! The knuckleguard on the knife molded to the webgear was trimmed away and the remaining knife was painted to look like an M7 bayonet in it's scabbard. The hand grenades were carefully removed from the backpack of a 25th Anniversary Viper, painted and then super glued to the figure's chest. I always liked the color scheme of Leatherneck's uniform, so I tried to color match as closely as possible. His hair was painted using a very light drybrush technique so that it looked like the light stubble that a Marine Gunnery Sergeant would actually have, rather than the shaggy head of hair the original figure had. The mustache was repainted to be a bit thicker, which is not in keeping with regulations, but it did serve to put a little space between my various Gung-Ho and Leatherneck figures. The Eagle, Globe and Anchor on his cover and the 1st Marine Recon Battalion patch on his shirtsleeve was painted using a very fine brush, and in some cases, the tip of a safety pin. The colors for everything on the rucksack were matched to those of my old USMC ruck. The M16A2/M203 was painted according to what they actually look like (easy to find a reference since I have about a thousand pcitures of myself with them). When everything was done to my satisfaction, I gave him a light application of Testors Dull-Cote.



This version of Leatherneck was also done for my upcoming desert diorama. Since I already had the desert AWE Striker version of Leatherneck, he was an obvious choice to be included in it.



Parts: Head (Leatherneck), Body (Leatherneck), Hands (bbi Elite Force), Load Bearing Equipment (UBP Short-Fuze), Ammunition Pouches (bbi Elite Force), M16/M203 (Leatherneck), Rifle Magazine (Marauder, Inc.).

When I first saw the G.I. Joe team uniforms from G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, I have to admit that I was a bit skeptical. Since then, they've grown on me and I really like them. The thing is, I can't bring myself to display my RoC characters with their classic (or Resolute) counterparts! It just seems wrong. So, I've embarked on a mission to create a few of my all-time favorite Joes (Gung-Ho, Leatherneck and Airborne) in the RoC-themed uniforms so that they might be happily displayed with Hasbro's offerings. I immediately found that Hasbro's RollBar figure is nothing more than an RoC-themed repaint of Airborne, so I am pretty sure he'll fit the bill with no modification at all. The recent RoC/Resolute version of Gung-ho comes very close to what I'm looking for, so I'll end up modifying one of those. Unfortunately, the RoC version of Leatherneck (packaged with the Tiger Paw ATV) leaves quite a bit to be desired (IMO). This is my take on what I think he should have looked like...



Parts: Head (25th Anniversary Gung-Ho), Body (ROC Sgt Stone), Tactical Vest (ROC Pit Commando), M4 / M203 Rifle (Marauder, Inc.), backpack (ROC Copperhead).

Lately, I've been focusing on trying to fill in my 25th Anniversary collection with all of my childhood favorites so I had to get to this eventually...



Parts: Head, Torso, Upper Arms, Hands & A.L.I.C.E. pack (Comic Pack Gung Ho v19), Lower Arms (RoC Tunnel Rat v11), Legs & Vest (25th Anniversary Gung Ho v18), XM-79 Grenade Launcher (ARAH Gung Ho v1).

Essentially what I did here was take the legs from the zombie version and throw them on the non-zombie version. Then, I just needed to paint-match the pelvis area of the figure's trousers to the legs. This is an idea that I borrowed from several different customizers here at HissTank. I also swapped the lower arms for a set that didn't have the silly-looking armbands. It always bothered me that the new, modern era sculpt had load bearing straps sculpted onto his vest (as if he were wearing webgear over the vest) but they never bothered to paint it properly. I took care of that here. I painted the Marine Corps utility cover OD green and then painted the Eagle, Globe & Anchor insignia with black. I also gave him a better mustache (which I have done exactly the same with every Gung Ho figure I own). I really like the M-79 that came with all the 25th Anniversary versions of Gung Ho, but I chose to arm him with his original 1983 weapon because I thought it was more appropriate for my purposes. The 40mm HE rounds on his left thigh were painted to match a reference photo of what they actually look like. The loops holding the rounds in place were painted green, to simulate a nylon bandolier-type thigh rig. The A.L.I.C.E. pack was detailed with several different shades of green and the frame was painted black - again, because this is what one actually looks like.



I really like Hasbro's recent RoC version of Gung-ho, but in my mind he's Resolute Gung-Ho. I wanted to make a GH with the same RoC camo scheme as many of my other figures, so he he is...



Parts: Head (25th Anniversary Gung-Ho), Body (RoC Hawk), Tactical Vest (RoC Pit Commando), SAW pouch (bbi Elite Force Marine), M4 Rifle (Marauder, Inc.), Tactical Pistol (Marauder, Inc.), Holster & Belt (RoC Hawk), Machete (RoC Crimson NeoViper).

This one was inspired by my kids. They're always asking me to play Joes with them, but they want me to use my own figures. Well, most of my figures are the "for display only" variety. So, I decided to make one that I could use to play with them and not worry about it getting dinged up. My little ones are 5 and 6 years old, so they don't really know much about the classic Joes. Most of their figures are of the newer RoC style. So I decided to make a "Jungle Assault" Gung-Ho to fit in with the upcoming Pursuit of Cobra themes...



Parts: Entire figure (Comic Pack Gung-Ho), Lower Arms (RoC Tunnel Rat), Tactical Vest (RoC Pit Commando), M16/M203 (Marauder, Inc.), Rucksack (Comic Pack Gung-Ho).

The base figure was not modified in any significant way. I did swap the lower arms for a set that didn't have the silly-looking sweatbands (or whatever those are supposed to be). Aside from that, this whole "custom" figure basically amounts to a new camouflage pattern on the cover and trousers and some new accessories.

Jungle Assault Gung-Ho recently aided my son's Tiger Force Duke in defeating Cobra forces at the Battle of the Wooden Block Fortress.

This figure is strictly a repaint. It was painted to match the other figures I've done for my upcoming desert battle diorama.



Yep, another version of Gung Ho! I don't seem to get tired of making this guy. This one was based on his appearance as part of Lt Falcon's reconnaissance team which infiltrated Cobra Island during the Cobra Civil War (see G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero issues #73 through #76).




Parts: Head, Upper Torso, Lower Torso & Upper Arms (Comic Pack Gung Ho), Lower Arms (RoC Tunnel Rat), Legs (RoC Sgt Stone), Vest (Comic Pack Gung Ho), M16A2 (Marauder, Inc.), ALICE pack (Comic Pack Gung Ho).

The base figure was not modified in any significant way, other than the swapping of the legs and the lower arms. The entire figure was then repainted according to the references.

Note: I deviated just a bit from the reference pictures in that I went with a tiger stripe pattern rather than a blotchy type pattern. I kept the colors the same.

Once the figure was painted, I gave him a light application of Testors Dull-Cote to seal the paint. The last detail I needed was the two ammo & grenade pouches worn on the front of his LBE (or what we Marines used to call a "War Belt"). I found one in my parts box that was an exact match (I got it in a trade as part of a big batch of fodder, but I think it came from a Platoon movie figure). I needed to have two of them, so I made a press mold of the pouch using a block of Super Sculpey. After curing the mold, I made several casts of the pouch (you never know when you might need more). I painted two of them and super glued them in place. They are actually attached to the bottom edge of the vest so that they appear to be on his War Belt right where the suspender straps connect, which would obviously be the proper placement for these type of pouches.

I loved the way Gung-Ho was portrayed in Resolute. The subsequent figure was good, but not quite where I wanted it to be...



The mustache was repainted to match what was seen on-screen. To give Gung-Ho some bigger arms, as well as the T-shirt he wore in Resolute, I simply swapped his upper arms with the ones from a comic pack GH. I used the X-acto knife to very gently score the lines where the T-shirt sleeve ended. Then, I painted the area to match. I also used the X-acto knife to cut a slit between his trigger finger and te remaining digits so that the finger would fit into the trigger guard. That's the entire modification to the figure.



The rifle was chopped and super glued together from a few different things. The base rifle came from 25th Anniversary Baroness. The stock was cut off and replaced with one that I took from a bbi Elite Force MP5. The scope is a drastically shaved down AN/PVS-4 night vision scope that came with my modular M4's from Marauder, Inc. The ammunition drum was trimmed from one of the many weapons that came with the RoC Pit Commando. The grenade launcher was taken from some really cheap piece of junk that was lying in the bottom of my spare weapons box. Finally, the flash suppressor was a small bit of the thin black hose that is common among Joe figures.



While I usually just have one definitive version of each character in my collection, there is something about this character allows me to just keep cranking them out. This is Gung Ho wearing modern USMC-issue MARPAT camouflage. He's carrying an M32 Multi-shot Grenade Launcher, introduced into the Marine Corps around 2006. He has a trusty old CAR-15 (a commando-sized version of the M16 that was a precursor to the modern M4) slung around his body. The pouch on his left hip is the carrier for his M40 Gas Mask.

This was basically a rainy-day project when I had no better ideas. The Beachhead figure from the RoC Snarler Cycle set was cool, but I wanted him to fit in better with the "blue camo" appearance of my other RoC figures. So, a new pair of legs and a bit of repainting...



Parts: Head, Torso & Arms (RoC Beachhead), Legs (RoC Sgt Stone), Helmet & Gasmask (PoC Beachhead), Assault Rifle, Ammunition Bag & Spare Magazine (25th Anniversary Beachhead), Vest (???).

I've never owned a Big Ben figure before and since he's such a cool character, it was inevitable that I'd get around to making one. Big Ben is a member of Britain's Special Air Service, the most elite of all the Queen's armed forces. My one big complaint about all the existing Big Ben figures is that every single one had him wearing a cold weather hat and jacket - as if the SAS never operates outside of the chillier climates. I decided that my version of Big Ben would be a more variable-climate representation. Since I was straying from the original design anyway, I decided to give him a bit of a modern upgrade, as well.



Although I was upgrading him, I wanted to keep the original color scheme so that he'd be recognizable. The trousers were painted to match the color of the trousers on Big Ben v1. The torso and arms were dyed a very dark green using RIT fabric dye. If you look closely, the camouflage pattern from the original figure is still visible. The armor pieces (chest, back, thigh and knee) were all painted Pine Needle green and the cloth material under the armor pieces were all painted the same tan color so that it appears as if all of his armor is of similar construction.

Parts: Head (Golden Compass Lord Asrial), Torso & Arms (RoC Jungle Assault Ripcord), Legs (PoC Recondo), Beret (RoC Sgt Stone), Hands (25th Anniversary Wild Bill), Ammunition Bandoliers (25th Anniversary Rock & Roll), M240 Machinegun (ARAH Big Ben v1), Pistol Belt (RoC Reactive Armor Duke).

This is another figure that I made for my son, Adam. He needed someone to fight the RoC Ice-Viper he recently picked up!



Parts: Head (Garvin Dreis from the Star Wars Scramble on Yavin Battle Pack), Body (RoC Arctic Threat Shipwreck), Uzi Submachinegun, Helmet, Skis &, Backpack (ARAH Blizzard), Goggles (25th Anniversary Para-Viper), Snowshoes & Ice Cleats (RoC Arctic Threat Shipwreck).

The only real change to the original figure was swapping the head and trimming the hood. The head required a little bit of Super Sculpey inside so that it would fit the neck post properly. The hood was trimmed down using the X-acto knife. I wanted to keep the hood, it just needed to be a bit smaller so that the helmet would fit properly. Once that was done, I set about making the vintage accessories compatible. I trimmed the existing peg from the backpack and replaced it with a little length of plastrux rod so that it would fit the back hole on the figure. I have not yet been brave enough to try modifying the foot pegs on the skis. They would need significant modification to fit the figure's feet. It is possible to do so, but the skis would no longer attach to the backpack to make a nifty E&E (escape and evasion) sled. I may address the skis again, at some point. The goggles were cut and glued to the helmet. The barrel, front sight and handgrip of the Uzi were painted black. The rest of the weapon is sculpted to look like it was wrapped in white cloth for camouflage purposes, so I left it white. I also have the white pistol that came with the vintage Blizzard figure, but lacking a working holster that it would fit into, I decided to leave it out for now. Last, but not least, the entire figure was given a light application of Testors Dull-Cote to seal the paint and reduce glare.

I have had the head and torso for this figure lying around for a couple years. Finally found the right arms and legs...



I've always thought that Bombstrike had one of the better sculpts as far as female heads were concerned, so it was no huge leap for me to decide to put one of my many Bombstrike heads on a RoC female body.



Parts: Head (Bombstrike), Body (RoC Cover Girl), Rifle (25A Baroness).

Captain Claymore is yet another character that was released after my G.I. Joe hey-day. This wasn't a particularly inspired custom, because I basically assembled the same parts used for the 2011 JoeCon Exclusive Claymore figure. I went with a bit different color scheme, though...

This figure was created specifically for the Pimp Daddy Destro My Ride Contest over at HissTank. The contest's Vehicle Category involves making a dedicated vehicle for a character that never had one before and the Figure Category involves a new character to be the driver for a vehicle that didn't come with one. For the Figure Category, I decided to create a driver for the G.I. Joe Badger vehicle. The character is loosely based on my 7-year old son (in the respect that he wanted it to be him and helped me decide on the background). I had a lot of fun working on this! Hope you dig it!





BADGER DRIVER
Code Name: CHEESEHEAD
File Name: Maue, Adam T.
SN: 073-16-AB02
Primary Military Specialty: Infantry
Secondary Military Specialty: Motor Transport
Birthplace: Sun Prairie, WI
Grade: E-4 (Corporal)

Cheesehead has the typical Midwesterner’s temperament – he takes things as they come and not a whole lot gets him upset. He was born and raised just outside of the Wisconsin state capitol and grew up rooting for the UW Badgers and the Green Bay Packers. Upon reporting for his Greenshirt assignment to the Joe team Motor Pool, Clutch immediately began calling him “Cheesehead” in an attempt to get under his skin. Instead of getting upset, Cheesehead just accepted it. No one was more surprised than Clutch, when Cheesehead elected to keep his unofficial nickname after his final selection to the main element of the Joe team. He requested and was assigned as a Badger Driver. It didn’t take him long to upgrade the armament and put his own personal flair on his vehicle!

"Cheesehead is easy-going and affable – until the shooting starts. The last place you want to be then, is in his gunsights. The guy just doesn’t know the meaning overkill!"

Tracker is a character that I had never heard of until 2010. He was released in the A Real American Hero line during 1991, well after I had stopped collecting Joes. I had a few extra RoC Deep-Six figures, and decided to flesh out the rest of the G.I. Joe Team's Diver and/or SEAL characters. Tracker is the first of these.



Parts: Head (RoC Pit Commando), Torso & Arms (PoC Jungle Assault Duke), Legs (25th Anniversary SRO Torpedo), MP-5 Submachinegun (bbi Elite Force), Pistol Harness (RoC Copperhead), Dive Knife, Pistol, Fins, Mask & Airpack (25th Anniversary SRO Lt Torpedo).