Garlador
Super Freak
- Joined
- Feb 18, 2022
- Messages
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I'm one of the very select brand of comic fans out there who really likes DC's Azrael. Don't know how it happened, but I guess I was just in the right place at the right time to love this crazed, unstable religious zealot who utterly failed at being Batman, but whose mental issues, struggle with religion, and constant struggle to do the right thing despite his mistakes resonated with me... heck, Moon Knight leaned in hard on those same traits years later, and I love him for the same reasons.
My boy is getting a weird but appreciated resurgence right now, 20 years after his last solo run, and his co-created Denny O'Neil's recent passing had me revisit his issues, and that's gotten me eager to start building out a custom for him. I'm extremely talented as an artist, 3D modeler, painter, and even have some sewing and costume-creation under my belt (usually custom wired capes and cloaks). But making Azrael would be the biggest challenge for me yet, as I've never done 1/6 scale before (only stuff for 6" hard plastic figures). Thankfully, while it's not going to be EASY, per se, the basics of Azrael aren't incredibly complicated in isolation. So I'm breaking it down and seeing what advice or help I can get.
So let's start with the general overview, starting with the actual COSTUME and body:
Azrael has had a LOT of varying looks over the years, and these aren't even remotely all of them. But I do know I want to harken to his classic look as designed by Joe Quesada. That's what I grew up with. However, there are many elements I really like that they added to other incarnations of him, particularly from The White Knight/Legends of the Dark Knight stories, and his modern, upcoming solo series is a near perfect fusion of his iconic features with modern designs and flourish. My goal is to basically create a fusion of the best elements of the character. Azrael is typically presented as a very big dude; he's usually a size or two larger than Batman is, and in White Knight is like 6'7" or so, so finding a big, muscular figure base will be important.
The biggest thing to nail at a glance will be the colors. The crimson and scarlet hues are utterly striking against the gold trim and accessories, and figuring out the right shades is paramount. I'm looking at materials that are dark, but with lighter highlights and shimmer. The big question is whether to get a complete red full-body suit or "cheat" by painting a custom 1/6 body to match the skin-tight physique of the comics. Regardless, layering his cloak and robes with varying shades of red should do much to provide visual interest as well as create bulk, size, and hide blemishes or articulation points.
The next biggest challenge is going to be the head.
The comics are inconsistent on whether Azrael's mask is cloth or a rigid faceplate. For best results, I'm going with a helmet/faceplate. Thankfully, full-face helmet masks like Red Hood's are perfect fodder to work with and customize. Sometimes his head is presented as completely black, but I'll probably go with a very deep, dark red as the base. Azrael's trademark mouth-piece has changed over the years, and I'll probably go with his original design. That will require either some sculpting or 3D printing, followed by ensuring I can get the paint shades right. The hardest part will be getting the hood right. Hoods are notoriously difficult (and even Hot Toys is opting for rigid plastic for Moon Knight). Ensuring I can get the right "reaper" look will be some trial and error, but hopefully will look professional and not sad, saggy, and sloppy.
Probably the biggest hurdle will be the gauntlets, and I may have to do some serious compromising here.
Azrael's original Quesada gauntlets are, frankly, ridiculous. There's nothing quite like them, making kitbashing extremely difficult. They're full of all the pockets and overdesigned elements that defined the 90s. Even the fingers are a unique four-fingered glove with the middle and ring finger sharing a glove spot. Why? I don't know. The 90s. And many of them have that really crazy telescopic flaming blade. It was like Wolverine's claws, but on FIRE. Because, again, the 90s. More recent endeavors have either streamlined the gloves, or eliminated his gauntlet blades entirely. I would like to find a healthy compromise that keeps as many elements as I can, but without resorting to a substantial amount of custom printing, sculpting, or sacrificing articulation. This is the area I'm least confident in my abilities.
Lastly, his cape. His crazy tassel cape.
McFarlane toys I felt did an amazing job solving this problem, wiring only part of the tassels and ensuring they jutted into the air before falling behind the figure. Sometimes his cloak is tattered and long. Sometimes it's short. Sometimes he has no cape, only the tassels. I'll probably do my best to find a happy medium.
The rest seems very attainable. Belts, straps, and various design elements won't be too difficult to manage. I may need to get some decent shoulder and chest armor for him, but much of it will be hidden by the cloak.
As this is my first big figure custom at this scale, help on optimizing this would definitely be appreciated, or pointing me into a more accessible direction. The last thing I want is for it to look amateurish, even as I know I lack the resources to make a truly Hot Toys-caliber figure. But getting something created that can stand alongside my other figures is the goal. I don't expect any figure maker out there to make this, so it's all up to me.
Appreciate any feedback and suggestions, and I'll definitely keep this updated as the actual process commences and progresses.
My boy is getting a weird but appreciated resurgence right now, 20 years after his last solo run, and his co-created Denny O'Neil's recent passing had me revisit his issues, and that's gotten me eager to start building out a custom for him. I'm extremely talented as an artist, 3D modeler, painter, and even have some sewing and costume-creation under my belt (usually custom wired capes and cloaks). But making Azrael would be the biggest challenge for me yet, as I've never done 1/6 scale before (only stuff for 6" hard plastic figures). Thankfully, while it's not going to be EASY, per se, the basics of Azrael aren't incredibly complicated in isolation. So I'm breaking it down and seeing what advice or help I can get.
So let's start with the general overview, starting with the actual COSTUME and body:
Azrael has had a LOT of varying looks over the years, and these aren't even remotely all of them. But I do know I want to harken to his classic look as designed by Joe Quesada. That's what I grew up with. However, there are many elements I really like that they added to other incarnations of him, particularly from The White Knight/Legends of the Dark Knight stories, and his modern, upcoming solo series is a near perfect fusion of his iconic features with modern designs and flourish. My goal is to basically create a fusion of the best elements of the character. Azrael is typically presented as a very big dude; he's usually a size or two larger than Batman is, and in White Knight is like 6'7" or so, so finding a big, muscular figure base will be important.
The biggest thing to nail at a glance will be the colors. The crimson and scarlet hues are utterly striking against the gold trim and accessories, and figuring out the right shades is paramount. I'm looking at materials that are dark, but with lighter highlights and shimmer. The big question is whether to get a complete red full-body suit or "cheat" by painting a custom 1/6 body to match the skin-tight physique of the comics. Regardless, layering his cloak and robes with varying shades of red should do much to provide visual interest as well as create bulk, size, and hide blemishes or articulation points.
The next biggest challenge is going to be the head.
The comics are inconsistent on whether Azrael's mask is cloth or a rigid faceplate. For best results, I'm going with a helmet/faceplate. Thankfully, full-face helmet masks like Red Hood's are perfect fodder to work with and customize. Sometimes his head is presented as completely black, but I'll probably go with a very deep, dark red as the base. Azrael's trademark mouth-piece has changed over the years, and I'll probably go with his original design. That will require either some sculpting or 3D printing, followed by ensuring I can get the paint shades right. The hardest part will be getting the hood right. Hoods are notoriously difficult (and even Hot Toys is opting for rigid plastic for Moon Knight). Ensuring I can get the right "reaper" look will be some trial and error, but hopefully will look professional and not sad, saggy, and sloppy.
Probably the biggest hurdle will be the gauntlets, and I may have to do some serious compromising here.
Azrael's original Quesada gauntlets are, frankly, ridiculous. There's nothing quite like them, making kitbashing extremely difficult. They're full of all the pockets and overdesigned elements that defined the 90s. Even the fingers are a unique four-fingered glove with the middle and ring finger sharing a glove spot. Why? I don't know. The 90s. And many of them have that really crazy telescopic flaming blade. It was like Wolverine's claws, but on FIRE. Because, again, the 90s. More recent endeavors have either streamlined the gloves, or eliminated his gauntlet blades entirely. I would like to find a healthy compromise that keeps as many elements as I can, but without resorting to a substantial amount of custom printing, sculpting, or sacrificing articulation. This is the area I'm least confident in my abilities.
Lastly, his cape. His crazy tassel cape.
McFarlane toys I felt did an amazing job solving this problem, wiring only part of the tassels and ensuring they jutted into the air before falling behind the figure. Sometimes his cloak is tattered and long. Sometimes it's short. Sometimes he has no cape, only the tassels. I'll probably do my best to find a happy medium.
The rest seems very attainable. Belts, straps, and various design elements won't be too difficult to manage. I may need to get some decent shoulder and chest armor for him, but much of it will be hidden by the cloak.
As this is my first big figure custom at this scale, help on optimizing this would definitely be appreciated, or pointing me into a more accessible direction. The last thing I want is for it to look amateurish, even as I know I lack the resources to make a truly Hot Toys-caliber figure. But getting something created that can stand alongside my other figures is the goal. I don't expect any figure maker out there to make this, so it's all up to me.
Appreciate any feedback and suggestions, and I'll definitely keep this updated as the actual process commences and progresses.
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