奪われた刻印
Super-Deformed Monsters
Figure Assortment
Here are six interchangeable super-deformed mini action figures, based on monsters from Konami's 2008 Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia Nintendo DS video game (original Japanese title: 悪魔城ドラキュラ 奪われた刻印, which romanizes as Akumajou Dorakyura Ubawareta Kokuin, and that translates to "Demon Castle Dracula: The Stolen Seal"). They're all made from the same basic "blank" body, which was then customized into each unique creature.
Below are a bunch of quick concept sketches, from my notebook, that I drew up, prior to, and during, the modeling process. Design-wise, I was shooting for a fairly simplistic body type, similar to a papercraft or collectible vinyl figurine, that could be made, over-and-over again, relatively quickly. I looked at a variety of commercial products (Funko, Minimates, Gregory Horror Show, etc.), as well as the work of other artists, for inspiration.
This is what the six creatures look like, in sprite form, from the game (left-to-right, Axe Knight, Chosen Une, Draculina, Ghoul, Grave Digger, and Ladycat):
Here are some shots of the construction process. Alas, I forgot to take a photo of the unpainted Grave Digger.
And, finally, here's the finished product. I made six toys total because that's a common number for a wave of action figures to have, plus it provides enough part variety to make the mix-and-match feature worthwhile.
Materials:
Lined white paper, newsprint, cardboard, white glue, acrylic paint, ink, colored pencil, fishing line (Ladycat's whiskers only), and carpet fibers (Draculina's hair only).
Dimensions:
While they all started out with the same measurements, the individual figures' widths and heights vary, largely due to projecting structures like the Ghoul's horn and Draculina's bat wings, so, rather than listing them all individually, I'll just give you the numbers for the "base" figure, before any alterations are made: 3.2 cm (1.3") wide x 3.7 cm (1.5") tall.
Articulation:
Each figure has three rotating peg-and-hole joints, at the neck and shoulders, and Ladycat's tail also rotates where it joins her body.
Time:
Five days total: July 20, 21, 22, 24, and 28 (2014). Things started off with the construction of the Axe Knight on the 20th and 21st, Chosen Une came second, also on the 21st, Ladycat was modeled on the 21st and 22nd, followed by Draculina on the 22nd and 24th, and Grave Digger was also done on the 24th. After that whirlwind of activity, I took a break for a few days before finally returning to complete the project with the sixth, and final, figure, Ghoul, on the 28th.
September 19th, 2014 Addendum:
This project was made specifically as an entry for a Stash Buster challenge at Craftster. The object of said contest was to create something using only the materials/tools that you already had on hand, "stashed" in your home. That just happens to be the way that I typically make things (I seldom buy new art supplies, and, due to the small scale at which I usually work, the materials I do have generally last me a long time), so, the contest's parameters didn't pose any special difficulties for me, as I had lots of paper, cardboard, glue, paint, etc. already lying around to use. Heck, even the carpet I got the fibers from for Draculina's hair is almost as old as I am!
I was fortunate enough to be awarded first place in said challenge, as decided by a voting poll open to all of Craftster's forum members (thanks everybody!). The winners of Craftster's monthly challenges usually get to select any one item from their online shops as a prize. After some consideration, I decided on a copy of Faythe Levine's 2009 Handmade Nation: The RISE of DIY, Art, Craft, and Design documentary, but the virtual stores also carry a variety of other items including clothing, mugs, tote bags, etc. My prize package arrived in the mail on 9/18/14, and this is what it contained:
In addition to the DVD and its case, I also received a personal congratulatory card from Craftster staff member "kittykill" and a bonus Craftster flash drive, which, aside from looking cool, is something I needed, as the last thumb drive I bought went kaput on me several months ago and I never got around to replacing it. And, while most people would probably just throw it away, the newspaper that my goodies came wrapped up in, to protect them from damage in transit, will eventually get recycled into more papier mache figures!
Here are my Castlevania critters readings kittykill's note:
Ladycat is admiring the graphics on the other side of the flash drive (the gray tab swivels out so that you can plug it into a USB slot). It's a very professional looking item, and much more useful than a typical business card!
And this is what the interior of the DVD case, and the disc, look like:
The documentary itself, which runs 65 minutes, is quite good. It presents a diverse assortment of artists, working in a variety of creative disciplines, and touches on many aspects of the Do-It-Yourself industry/movement. If you have any interest at all in the American crafting scene, I'd definitely recommend it!
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Any and all copyrighted imagery, terminology, etc., depicted on this page belongs to its respective holders/owners, namely Konami.
The repeating purple background graphic is an effect from the final battle with Dracula in Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia.
The midi music playing is the "An Empty Tomb" theme from Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia.