I made something pretty!

Horrified that the next Star Sapphire figure is going to be in that hideous costume, I searched about online and found the classic Star Sapphire action figure (which had ugly earrings, but those were a lot easier to cut off and paint over than fixing that dreadful costume).

When I took her out of the box the other night, I realized she was the same size as my Parallax/Hal figure.  Then I noticed that one of her hands was outstretched, with the fingers spread like she was reaching for someone.  And one of Hal's hands was open so that it could hold something, and that it fit perfectly to Carol's wrist.




About that time "Written in the Stars" from the Aida cast album hit my playlist. I got inspired.

I had to make a shadowbox. After testing out about five different background ideas, I settled on a picture from an old calender. For some reason, during the entire process my playlist was queuing up love songs. when I finally finished the whole thing (which involved searching for pieces from the base, and a lot more time that I thought it would) I was listening to a cover of "I Want You to Want Me."

Weird. Anyway, pictures:



And for some reason I'm fond of this one that didn't come out very well. It's kind of spooky and cool.


What do you think? Are they not just made for each other?

Quick Check-in

Soranik, Guy, and Kyle
Originally uploaded by Ragnell

Okay, I made one more resolution. I want to try to post daily because I leave this place for too long at a time. (I'm trying a "Watercolor A Day" calender as well, and the prospects for that one don't look any better. I'll give them both a try, though.)

I do have a post idea (I was going to explain which character I hated more than Jade and why) but my first resolution is cleaning my habitat so I'm too busy arranging a make-shift night stand with my shortboxes to do a detailed post. I just wanted to get one done before the day runs out. Here's a picture of my Soranik Natu mini-Barbie repaint (from back in August) instead. I threw in the Guy and Kyle figures for a vacation group photo feel.

Ugh!

Just when you thought it was safe to return to Green Lantern:

They're using that hideous porn costume in the Star Sapphire action figure!

And this is, of course, the only female figure in the new batch. There's no Soranik, there's no Iolande, there's no Arisia, there's no Laira, there's no Boodika, there's just an old Kingdom Come Jade figure (funny how they made a Jade figure only for the Elseworlds where she got a costume with a glowing boob window) and a Katma Tui animated figure that won't stand up because she's wearing fucking high heels!

I'm filing down the jewelry on Fairy Barbies to try and get R'amey Holl and they give us porn-costume Star Sapphire to play with.

Bastards.

I can't even have an action figure.

I ordered a set of toys. I wanted the DC Animated Universe Kyle Rayner, who came in a set that included an animated-style Katma Tui (which you all know I wanted the second I realized it existed) and an Arkkis Chummuck. I got the set in the mail and opened them to find that there was a small clear plastic stand with a peg and the DC logo imprinted on it.

A single display stand.

In a set of 3 figures.

Interestingly enough, my John Stewart, Kilowog, and Tomar Re set had not come with a stand at all.

Figuring the major character was the one to be displayed, I flipped Kyle over and looked at his feet. Neither left nor right had a hole for the display stand's peg. I picked up Arkkis, a character I never had much interest in, because he was closer and checked his feet. No hole. I found the hole in Katma's right foot.

It seems that the manufacturer (whatever mysterious division of Mattel and/or DC Comics is in charge of fucking up the female action figures, I don't keep track of such matters) felt that the only toy that needed help standing was Katma. So I tried and sure enough the only toy that will not stand on its own is Katma Tui.

Can anyone hazard a guess why that is?



Give up?



High. Fucking. Heels.

I suppose I wouldn't mind the high-heeled action figures if they could find a way to make them stand up with the high heels. But look there! They even filled in the plastic between the heel and the ball of the foot, and she still doesn't stand on her own. They know the toy can't stand with feet like that. That's why the stand is there. They prepared for the toy not to stand like that. But they didn't fix the design of the toy so that it doesn't need a fucking stand!

Would it fucking kill them to give her flat feet? What's the harm in giving a female action figure sensible boots? Wasn't in the original costume design? Its a toy, for fuck's sake! Its not like you're using a sharpie to put eyebrows on the Mona Lisa here. This is something to play with. Adding a little practicality would be a plus in this department.

Maybe this is not all in the heels. Maybe there's a way to redesign the body so she's poseable and has the high heels. You might have to make less spiky heels, thicker feet and legs, less of an hourglass figure, and an overall sturdier figure but it can be done.

But no, its more important that she look all pretty and feminine than be able to fucking stand up!

As it is, I now have to set up a little clay planet for all of them to stand in if I want to make a scene or a diorama (because that stand doesn't work unless everyone has one).

Bastards.

Oh, and as long as I'm talking about these figures -- why the hell can I make out the line over Kyle's belly-button? That's a strange detail to throw on an animated-style action figure. Was that muscle area visible in the cartoon?