Action Figure Customs Blog

In the most anticipated movie of 2007, CREG Customs' recreates the Transformers Movie version of Optimus Prime in the most detailed, realistic custom I have seen to date. Through advances in CGI, Optimus Prime was able to exhibit emotion in the movie with various facial and mechanical expressions. To achieve emotion, the eyes and mouth are typically manipulated so that human emotions are mimicked, giving Optimus a persona that the 1980's cartoon could never achieve. That is one thing to capture that emotion for a multi million dollar movie but it is equally as difficult to capture feelings through sculpting a toy. Not only does this figure have amazing detail, CREG captures the raw emotions of Optimus with two types of custom heads: one with a mouth guard and one without. The head without the guard, really does a great job at capturing various looks of Optimus and, depending what angle you look at him, the figure will appear to exibit different emotions.

Bid on CREG's Custom Transformers Leader Class Optimus Prime today for your chance to own one of the best Prime's I have seen!

Labels: Autobot, Creg Customs, Custom Optimus Prime, Custom Transformers, Custom Transformers Movie Figures, leader class, optimus prime, Transformers

Chih is heating up the Transformers category with his Custom Megatron Transformers Movie figure. I don't know if this is a coincidence or not but I have seen a decrease in Transformers customs with the introduction of the Premium Series Transformers. I must say, the Premium Series is a slight improvement to the figure line but they do not hold a candle to the talent, craftsmanship, and artistic ability of the customizers out there and Chih ranks very high on my list of people that consitantly create quality pieces for the fans out there.

For toy companies, it would seem like a simple task: Create a figure that comes close to their movie likeness. I guess that was what they were trying to achieve with the Premium Series line but they have to realize that they need to up the quality of the figures if they are to compete. Fans are growing tired of repaints and poor quality figures and that is where customizers fill the gap. Chih's Custom Megatron is a great example of Megatron was supposed to look. A very nice silver with bronze accents gives this figure that war torn battled look that the original toys were lacking. Chih's Custom Transformers Movie Leader Class Megatron figure is available on eBay so head over and place your bid now!

Labels: chih, Custom Megatron, Custom Transformers, Custom Transformers Movie Figures, leader class, megatron, Transformers

l.designs is showing his diverse talent with his Custom Transformers Leader Class Brawl Movie figure. One of things I really like about this Brawl is the depth that this figure has with l.design's paint ap technique. The camo art is very well done and the tank looks down and dirty. The blackwashing on the figure gives it a realistic feel and the mud on the tank treads makes it look like Brawl has traveled a long way to open a can of whoop ass on some unsuspecting Autobots. Let's get some more insight on how this Brawl was made:

"A lot of time and attention to detail went into making this as accurate as possible to available reference material I could dig up, but of course has my spin on it as usual. I started out in tank mode and took the approach of a real war worn tank. After creating a factory finish paint job from top to bottom I weathered this sucker as accurate as possible. The wheels were rusted a bit, then shined back up where it would naturally rub and thus be polished from use. Finally touches of mud were caked on top of that. The tracks themselves have dirt in the crevices, but then the exposed portion that would be rolling along several types of terrain have been scratched into a slightly polished look. All hinges and areas around hatches and edges and what not have a weathered metal look as the paint would be worn from these areas as well. There is soot stain across the paint job from years of battle and use as well as scratch marks here and there. The robot mode has had much the same treatment, with several types of metallic paint to give real depth to the metal areas."

Bid on this Custom Transformers Leader Class Brawl Movie figure by l.designs today on eBay!

Labels: brawl, Custom Transformers, Custom Transformers Movie Figures, leader class, Transformers

Labels: Custom Transformers, Custom Transformers Movie Figures, frenzy.rumble, G1, Generation 1, leader class, optimus prime, Transformers, Ultra Magnus

From the creative mind and hands of frenzy.rumble comes his one of a kind Custom Transformers Ultra Magnus. Taking a Leader Class Optimus Prime as the base of this figure, frenzy.rumble has created a truley unique custom and is in a class by itself. To be honest, I was speachless when I saw this custom you will see why in the coming photos and description. To kick it off, I will let frenzy.rumble do the honors:

"This auction is for the leader class Autobot Ultra Magnus, which stands about 12" tall in robot mode. Created entirely from my imagination. Every single wire, detail, screw and millimeter has been carefully and perfectly detailed."

Every aspect of this custom is amazing and from what frenzy.rumble has disclosed about the paint aps it must be bullet proof (8 layers + 3 coats of lacquer). I will first start off by commenting on the 'Magnus' robot, which is blue and white (pictured above). This is one of the best looking metallic paint jobs I have come accross and the blues and whites really pop, creating a cohesive looking color scheme for the base of Ultra Magnus. In truck mode, I love the huge silver Autobot symbol screams louder than a semi's horn and is a great addition to the base Magnus figure. In his own words, he describes how the base is made:

"I built this custom starting with a leader class Optimus Prime, which I completely took apart, removed any factory paint, and primed with plastic primer, which provides a very durable protective under paint. All paint you see is 100% enamel. It's harder, and more durable than the customs you'll see painted in acrylic. Also, enamel paints are 'color-fast' meaning they will retain their original color for 10+ years, where-as acrylics typically fade after 2-3 years. The white paint used here is 8 layers thick including 3 layers of lacquer (clear coats) producing an INCREDIBLE shine (it's even waxable with car polish). The first robot you see (in only blue/white) is called "Magnus." The silver metal robot parts on him were painted in 6 shades of silver, to give the ultimate metallic look. This was done for the blue areas also."

To turn Magnus into Ultra Magnus, frenzy.rumble has outfitted this Autobot with custom armor and has armed him to the teeth! Anyone could have stopped at this point and called it good with an Optimus repaint but frenzy.rumble has taken it to the next level.

The custom head sculpt and armor are what makes this custom unique and why this should be the Ultra Magnus to add to your collection. By donning the armor and head, the former Magnus figure takes on a totally new look and a bad ass persona. This is one of my favorite customs to date and to let us in on more detail, here is frenzy.rumble:

"Armored Ultra Magnus: This mother is armed to the teeth. There's enough firepower on him to melt the decepticon army in a few blasts. All armor seen, was created using spare and extra parts from other transformers and action figures. The armor actually snaps or is magnetically attached to the base figure. His smokestacks were actually made from a woman's make-up applicator! The gun (shown in one of the last photos) actually winds up moves. The custom head was made from spare ZOIDS parts and a knock-off Transformer, and sits magnetically on the neck base."

He leave us with teaser that only the winning bidder with get to enjoy so head over to eBay and secure your spot in the running to own this Custom Transformers Ultra Magnus figure:

"To make Magnus into Ultra Magnus, you'd need to actually perform a 3rd one-of-a-kind transformation (which I will provide to the winner)."

Labels: Custom Transformers, Custom Transformers Movie Figures, frenzy.rumble, G1, Generation 1, leader class, optimus prime, Transformers, Ultra Magnus

Ever since I saw Chih's Custom Nemsis Prime the first time, I have always been meaning to write about it. One thing that draws me to Chih's Customs is his mastery skill at the paint aps and the gobs of weapons he makes for each one, which reminds me of one of my favorite lines from the 2007 Transformers Movie when Simmons says, "Big guys with big guns." Chih is not afraid to arm his customs to the teeth with weapons galore that look like they really belong with the figure. The guns are really well made and crafted with intricate details that set them apart from each other.

Besides a great paint job on the figure, I really like the smaller details that are missing from some Nemesis Prime customs. For example, I dig the Decepticon mudflaps! If you are looking quickly at this figure you will miss them but I had to do a double take but it is this kind of attention to detail that makes Chih's customs special. The combination Prime/Decepticon Symbol is a nice touch as well and completes the tanker, which, again, is missing from most Nemesis Prime customs.

Be sure to bid early on this one as I am sure there will be much competition for chih's Custom Leader Class Nemesis Prime!

Labels: chih, Chih's Custom Transformer Workshop, Custom Transformers, Custom Transformers Movie Figures, leader class, Nemesis Prime, optimus prime, Transformers

boskoestoys went above and beyond the call of duty and really delivered something out of this world with thier Custom Transformers Movie Blackout Leader Class Ultimate Edition! They informed me that they had one in the works a few weeks ago and I have been waiting for this day. First off, the scale is huge! Check out the regular Blackout next to this one and you will soon see exactly how large this Transformers is. Hasbro take notes! Second, the Movie accurate paint job is another reason to be the sole owner of this one of a kind custom, which, will not be reproduced again so you will be getting a 1/1 steller custom from boskoestoys. A couple other noteworth features includes the original headsculpt, which is very accurate to the movie and the super poseability of the figure allows you to pose Blackout in several natural positions.

Head over to eBay and check out more pictures of boskoestoys Custom Transformers Movie Blackout Leader Class Ultimate Edition and I would also suggest adding this customizer to your favorite sellers as he does amazing work! I have highlighted some of the details from the auciton, which you can find below. Two months of work was poured into this amazing piece of work! boskoestoys goes on to explain:

Conception of the idea
We waited, and waited to do this figure thinking Hasbro might come out with one, especially after the late arrival of a "Leader class Brawl". But with the movie buzz dyin' down, and Hasbro halting production on Transformer movie toys, it looked like it was up to us.In our opinion not makin' a Leader Class BLACKOUT was one of the biggest oversights in toy makin' history, and to us just shows how outta touch big toy companies are with their fan base.

Enter Boskoes Toys "exclusive", custom LEADER CLASS BLACKOUT Transformers movie figure. First we'll get to his size. He's actually more like an "ULTIMATE CLASS", measuring 2 FEET long in helicopter mode, and almost 13 inches tall in robot mode (not including propeller attachment, which makes him even bigger)

From Conception to Reality: Features of this Custom Blackout

• Ultra realistic "movie accurate" pant job
• We did have to simplify his Transformation process a bit, but there's still plenty of transformation happening here. His legs spin backward, and filled up underneath him. His legs are very articulated, and bend several places, including swivel at the hips allowing some cool "dynamic" poses
• The tail piece of the copter detaches using a very sturdy "click in" system. The tail piece also holds a hidden sound FX (lasers, and copter sound)
  His arms which fold back and act as his side bars in Helicopter Mode, fold down, and have a wide range of motion
• Sidebar covers fold out in Robot Mode to reveal large missile
• Large Propeller from Helicopter detaches, and can be attached to BLACKOUTS back in robot mode
• Top turret can be swapped with included BLUE LED search light
• Blackouts head, which is an original "more accurate sculpt" is removed while in Helicopter mode (whirls on a sturdy ball and socket system), and can be stored in a small custom Transformers case
• Blackout comes with three different exchangeable weapons (rifle, propeller gun, and claw missile launcher)
• Back propeller can be removed and popped into the front of BLACKOUT large gun to create to propeller gun
• BLACKOUTS hands are articulated and can be opened and closed
• BLACKOUT comes with 3 Army soldiers and cargo gear (two fit inside the cockpit)
• Revoltech G1 Optimus prime is included incase you wanna create a "trick scale" for display
• We use the Gold standard in paints and Apoxy, Aves, Testors, and Reaper
• Our figures are super sturdy, and the paint is very durable

Labels: Blackout, boskoestoys, Custom Transformers Action Figures, Custom Transformers Movie Figures, leader class, Transformers

chih has come back this week with a force and brings us a very unique Custom Transformer that he has called Menasor. I was lucky enough to chat with chih and he explained the inspiration for creating a warrior figure, which came from movies like Gladiator, Lord of the Rings, and 300. He goes on to explain, "Menasor has tremendous strength, his armor is nearly impervious to all but the most powerful artillery, so why not add more armor & weapons to make it look like a Gladiator style Super Warrior. I added the shield & the battering ram from GJ Joe-Law Enforcement "LOCKDOWN." I added 1 more gun and put it on the back of the shoulder, the gun is from GI Joe-COBRA Weapons Expert "CRIME BOSS DESTRO." I Love to use weapons from GI Joe on the Leader Class Transformers, a perfect fit and looks really cool."

Labels: chih, Custom Figure Reviews, Custom Transformers, Custom Transformers Action Figures, leader class, ooak Transformers, Transformers

zildjian brings us a one of a kind Leader Class Custom Nemesis Prime with a slick black paint job and some extras I wish the Hasbro version came with! The first thing that would strike anyone looking at this figure are the long, chrome smoke stacks that tower over this evil one. Although I do feel the smoke stakes are a bit too long, this would be a very nice addition to the Leader Class Optimus Prime that Hasbro produces. The figure is complimented by chrome and silver accents and the finishing touches are put in by piercing red eyes. This is one of the best Nemesis Prime customs I have seen in a very long time. The paint quality seems flawless and smooth and you can also see some light reflecting off of the hood in some of pictures. Let's hear how zildjian describes his process for creating his custom Nemesis Prime:

Labels: Custom Optimus Prime, Custom Transformers, Custom Transformers Action Figures, Custom Transformers Movie Figures, leader class, Nemesis Prime, optimus prime, Transformers

Transformers customs are definitely on fire on eBay! I would speculate more so due to the superb attention to detail by the talented customizers out there and the general lack of supply of the toys themselves in stores.

sainte_786's latest custom is a Transformers Movie Optimus Prime and there are some very special additions to this figure. First, he added a "real toy miniaturized metal bullets ammo belt" which adds an additional level of detail missing from most Custom Optimus Primes on eBay. Second, the power sword is a weapon that Prime uses to destroy Bonecrusher in an epic battle that spans a long stretch of freeway by delivering the final blow between the chest and the neck. He goes on to say, "The flames were hand painted on the inner sides of the legs...the plasma sword is actually a translucent orange and I made the fist cover to hold it in place which snaps over Prime's fist like a glove and the sword goes in the space and fits very tightly.

My favorite addition to this custom has to be the ammo belt and if you look at the picture above, there is a bullet at Prime's feet. Take a closer look at the level of detail on the ammo belt:
This Prime ranks very high on my list of must have customs. Bid on sainte_786's Custom Optimus Prime on eBay or if you would like to find other custom Transformers, please check out my ActionFigureCustoms.com website.

Labels: Custom Optimus Prime, Custom Transformers, Custom Transformers Movie Figures, leader class, optimus prime, Transformers, Transformers Movie, Transformers the Movie

In Transformers the Movie, Megatron appears as a Cybertronian jet. Like all characters in the film, Megatron was heavily redesigned for purposes of realism and focus on an alien aspect of the Transformer race. He appears very bio-mechanical and after crash landing on earth and being frozen in the Arctic Circle for a couple thousand years, aadsmith has captured the carbon-scored look that is lacking from most custom Megatron Movie figures. If you think about it, the re-entry to earth would have been murder on his metal.

What I like about this custom is that the color is not a uniform silver but a blend of five different colors to achieve the just had an Allspark Cube set off in my chest look. As aadsmith stated in his listing:

"A lot of folks are going for a unified silver paint scheme on Megatron. I, instead, opted to use a broader brush for the drybrushing and used gold, bronze, red and brown for details to break up the drybrushed silver.

The bottom coat is Krylon Fusion black gloss, the drybrushed silver is Tamaya silver, the gold is Tamaya gold, the bronze is Testors' and the brown and red are Games Workshop colors. The entire thing is covered with Krylon standard dullcoat. A VERY TINY amount of flaking occurs during transformation, but it's mostly the extra black paint in the joints falling out - none of the exterior details are damaged by transformation. He has been transformed 4 times in total to test this.

The wing-folding-during-transformation gimmick still works, although the left wing does not fold out as fully as the right wing does. HOWEVER, with a gentle push, both wings will settle in to place in vehicle mode. Other than that, he transforms just like the original toy. To be honest, I'm really proud of how this guy turned out."

He should be extremely pleased with how this Megatron turned out. This figure would make a great addition to any collection (even if you already own a Custom Megatron since the coloring is quite different. You can bid on more Custom Transformers on eBay!

Labels: Custom Megatron, Custom Transformers, Custom Transformers Movie Figures, leader class, megatron, Transformers, Transformers Movie, transformers movie customs, Transformers the Movie

Labels: brawl, Custom Figure Reviews, Custom Transformers, Custom Transformers Action Figures, Custom Transformers Movie Figures, leader class, Transformers, transformers movie customs

One of the iconic and classic Transformers of the last 20 years, Optimus Prime is the heroic leader of the Autobots. Although not like the original truck and trailer from the cartoon, Optimus has been reborn into a Peterbilt Semi with some attitude.

Jin Saotome, one of the most talented customizers I have seen, has take this Leaderclass Prime to a level many dream of. In his own words, he describes how he has customized this legend:

"This custom has been painted with an exceptional level of detail, and with paint that’s not going to rub or flake off. Handle it, pose it, just don’t give it to your little brother to play outside with. You’ll find that my custom figure designs are durable and look great as well. Now you can have the best of both worlds. You asked for it, you emailed me, you pleaded, and eventually I had to give in. Your Leader Class Prime is finished! It took a long time opening him up and taking out the gears, springs, and other parts to get inside his head. But it was worth the rewiring and now his eyes LIGHT UP BLUE! This was my #1 goal for the figure because his eyes are blue in the movie, however the store-bought toy featured yellow ones. So a high-powered blue LED was painstakingly installed just for you, the scrutinizing collector. But wait.. what’s Prime without his sword? Fold his hand back and attach the nearly six-inch long sword, powerful rare-earth magnets hold it firmly in place! The magnets are buried out of sight in the base of his hand and you can practically lift the figure up by the sword, they’re so strong! Do not get his right hand near your monitor, hard drive, or any other device that can be disrupted by high powered magnets.

Prime has been carefully repainted with various metalics, washes, highlights, and realistic details that bring out his robotic and vehicle form to their fullest. Screw holes have been filled and sanded smooth for a uniform look. Speaking of details you simply must check out Prime’s face! Not only are the inner sections of his eye painted but also you can see the Cybertronian hieroglyphics on his cheeks. All of Prime’s robot parts have various weathering and detailing done to make them look like real metal. In truck mode each of Prime’s blue lights have been detailed, the grille, rims, and whatever else needed to be painted in order to mimic the onscreen look of the vehicle. Prime has real metal smokestacks!! They can be removed for robot form and are slanted at the tip. Be careful you don’t put your hand down on them because they’re fairly pointy and will punch a hole in you. Now we know why Hasbro gives Prime short stacks each time, heh.."

If you want to own a piece of art, don't let this one pass you by. You can find this custom and others on eBay!

Labels: Custom Optimus Prime, Custom Transformers, Custom Transformers Action Figures, Custom Transformers Movie Figures, Jin Saotome, leader class, optimus prime, Transformers

As an avid Transformers toy collector from the 1980's, I was highly anticipating the release of the live action blockbuster, Transformers produced by Michael Bay. Although there have been several versions of the Transformers toys over the past 20 years, it was exciting to see how the movie would transform our beloved heroes and villains into a live action movie. The first time I saw the movie, I was blown away by the level of detail and the creative flexibility that was given for the movie. After leaving the theatre, I was off to buy the toys...

Given the artistic nature and gritty look and feel of the Autobots and Decepticons in the movie, I was expecting nothing less from the toys. Boy was I wrong! I was very unimpressed by the level of detail for the Transformers Movie toys. The paint schemes were very much off and contained very little detail from the movie. Oftentimes, they were just plain inaccurate. This lack of detail gave some promising opportunity for customizers of toys and did they ever take advantage of this.

Enter the world of Transformers Movie Customs
Taking advantage of the lack luster movie toys hitting stores, customizers have taken the Transformers toys to a level only imagined by the movie. Creating detailed and accurate paint schemes from the movie, these customizers have created almost a new art form and fans are paying top dollar to have an accurate piece of the movie. Megatron, for example, was the most inaccurate figure produced to date. As you can see in the Hasbro produced toy does not match the movie version by any stretch. This has paved the way for some very talented and creative people who have capitalized on Hasbro's inability to give fans what they want by creating almost perfect replicas of the movie version.

There are many talented people selling thier customs on eBay so I created a website where you can view and purchase these customs: http://actionfigurecustoms.com/

Labels: Custom Megatron, Custom Transformers, Custom Transformers Action Figures, Custom Transformers Movie Figures, leader class, megatron, Transformers