Astra's actionfigures in Action

That was a long wait, he was supposed to arrive in Summer already but they pushed him back for a better paint job and it was totally worth the wait. He's awesome! I can't wait to start playing properly, with better lighting.

See many detailed pictures under the cut!

( Many pictures under the cut )

I've posted some bits of this before, but never the whole process from start to finish. Especially for bloodsong13t who asked. Here is how I created Jack Harkness from a Max Steel figure. Thanks to a friend who found him and said the face looks similar. For years I had searched for a figure. We now will also get an official Jack by Big Chief Studios (picture here) but he is not even on pre-order yet so that will take a while. In the meantime, here is my version! More pictures under the cut.

( More pictures under the cut )

The TARDIS has landed and it's beautiful. I'm very happy I got it even though the box is huge and I have not decided yet how to display or store it exactly.

Have many many pictures under the cut, to show it in all details!

( Many pictures under the cut )

Yeah, basically. This is one of the things of my flail post and what I am waiting to pre-order. And then it will take at least another half year to actually get.

I've avoided posting pictures of Jack so far (these are from a convention last November) as some of us felt that the face was a bit off. I have to agree, I don't see quite John Barrowman in there yet, and the reason is that they usually go for a neutral expression with their figures, so they can be used for more scenes. Just a little smirk would do wonders to him. They also said though that they are still working on the head though and it was barely ready for the con. So I am confident that by the time it is finished, we will be blown away as usual. Also the actors are always hugely involved and it is only done with their approval.

Aside from all this, what also threw me, how young he looks! But of course it has been ten years already and unfortunately John is not a never aging immortal (although you wouldn't believe he is approaching 50 either)

From day one, when I ordered that first Eleventh Doctor, it was my biggest wish to get a Jack and I actually wrote it into the comments section.

More pictures of other planned figures (War Doctor, Eight Doctor, Rose, Ninth Doctor, Clara, Tenth Doctor in pyjama) here: Upcoming Big Chief Studios Figures

I feel it is time for another flail post. So much going on this year that a fan can look forward to. Where to begin?

Star Trek:

- I have preordered and paid the new 1:6 scale QMX Kirk and Spock. Now I just need to wait for them to arrive in July. The story behind those is wonderful. In 50 years of Star Trek no company ever made 1:6 scale high end collectors figures. The ones that were out there were rather toys, and the faces and clothes just did not look good. So a fan took it up himself during the past years, making the best figures ever, and now they are officially sold by Quantum Mechanix and he's got a new job with them. Sometimes dreams come true!

- Equally I look forward to the Mezco figures. Those are 1:12 scale, but with real clothes and also lots of accessories, in Spock’s case even a head for changing. I am super excited for these, as that picture shows a bridge setting so I hope to get a full bridge one day. They already teased pictures of working on the Captain's chair. Already up for order are Spock, Kirk and Sulu. I hope good ol’ Bones will be next!

- If you had told me one year ago that I would be looking forward to the new Star Trek movie at the end of the year, I would’ve called you crazy ;) Funny how an attitude can change. I hope I can find a cinema with English language. When the trailer leaked at first it was only the German version and it just isn’t the same without Karl Urban’s original voice.

- I’m also looking quite forward to Fedcon, where hopefully William Shatner will be, if they don’t really un-invite him again. But I am also looking forward to Vic Mignogna, the Captain Kirk of Star Trek Continues. The sixth episode will have its pre-premiere at Fedcon, before it will be officially released at the end of May. To see it on the big screen and with a room full of people instead alone at the computer will surely be awesome. I won’t miss that!

Doctor Who:

- In May my Big Chief Studios tenth Doctor’s TARDIS will arrive. The eleventh Doctor’s TARDIS is shipping to fans right now, and their enjoyment is palpable. That thing is huge! 11 kilogram they say. I kinda regret having changed the shipping address to my work place (it was necessary as Fedex did not give it to a neighbor)

- The Ninth Doctor figure supposed to ship in October.

- Still waiting for the Jack Harkness figure going up for pre-order. I guess it will take till the end of the year, they’ll do Rose and the War Doctor first. Just as well, my purse can use a break.

John Barrowman:

- The official DC Malcolm Merlyn Comic that John and his sister Carole have written, is coming out every two weeks digitally and in July as a book

- John will also be in an episode of Reign, where he is another bad guy and uses his Scottish accent. I think that is a first in a TV role? I’m super excited for that one. Somewhere in Summer I guess. For some odd reason episode 17 isn’t listed on IMDB.

- They are also still working on The 49th key and bringing Hollow Earth to the screen but these things take time to develop I guess. It’s hard to be patient though.

Matt Bomer:

- Walking Out has filmed in December, if you haven’t read the short story, you can read it here
It is a movie for film students, I hope we’ll get to see it in a way!

- He’s hopefully also still working on Monty, the movie about Montgomery Clift. I can’t wait to see that one. It’s time that our Matt gets a main role!

- There will be also soon The Nice Guys and The Magnificent Seven coming out, but it sounds as if his role in these will be rather small. I bet he’s dying again. He seems to do that a lot…

Did I forget anything? What are you flailing about this year? Tell me!

sgamadison has an interesting question on her site: Name your captain and tell me why! This was my reply. I guess you can call that meta. I never did anything like that before, but there is a first time for everything! (seems alumfelga is rubbing off on me)

As it turns out, my three favorite hero leader guys Captain James Kirk, Captain Jack Harkness and also Colonel Jack O’Neill have a lot in common. And not only that their names all start with J. Hope you like it!

I certainly seem to have a type! The hero leader type.

All three are good looking great leaders. They have sworn to protect the country / Earth / universe, and they would rather let themselves get tortured to death than to betray that. They are larger than life. When they come into a room, they get all the attention without doing anything. They just ARE. They also protect their team on all costs, put themselves forward and to the front, do whatever is necessary to draw the attention of the bad guys towards them. Classic line: “Do with me what you want but let my team go!” Who wouldn’t swoon at that? I mean, seriously. I would trust each of them blindly and go wherever they lead me.

And their leading comes natural. They don’t need to enforce it usually, they easily get the respect they deserve. They lead with a smile on their face and much leeway. They allow their teams to think for themselves, and listen to their opinions and occasionally even change their mind if they are good. But if they have reason to reprimand you, out comes the steel! Then they can be hard and cold and sharp and unrelenting. You would not want to be on their bad side! But they are fair. They give you a second chance, to put things right.

Once in a while they are forced to make the bad decisions, and their teams / friends might hate them for it. Still, as Jack O’Neill once put it, “this is what they pay them the big bucks for”. Sometimes they need to decide between the fate of one human and the whole universe, and they are able to make that decision for the greater good, no matter the cost to themselves. They refuse to talk about it afterwards and rather crack a joke to not let see anyone what they really feel. That they have emotions at all. It gets all bottled up inside but sometimes it becomes too much to bear. Nobody knows much about their personal life anyway, and usually there is not much to talk about either. They are married to their ship / their work. They are the first in the morning and the last in the evening, and stay all night and go for days without sleep if necessary. Even if they are hurt, in pain; they stay on their post as long as necessary to get out of this alive. They always care more for others than for themselves. They think they screw up any relationship because of the mad working hours, long time away from home or the military secrets they need to keep.

But, and that is the beauty, each one of them has someone they can confide in, someone to trust, someone where they don’t feel the need to play a role and are able to open up, show their true self. For the two military leaders, that would be their CMO – outside their chain of command, equal in rank and a good friend for many years. Dr. McCoy for Kirk, Dr. Fraiser for O’Neill. Someone who has seen them in their darkest hours, hurt, in pain, who knows about the nightmares, every single secret, every broken bone. Someone who never would betray the trust put into them and who are able to give their valid input when needed and asked for. Or just a glass of Saurian Brandy. Who also know when they need to enforce that they are even higher in the chain of command and can overrule the captain / colonel for their own good, and when better let him be. A thing both Jack and Jim have in common – they try to get out of the infirmary / sickbay as soon as possible. They surely make life for their doctors not easy. They hate that place and all the prodding and probing with a passion. Probably because they spend so much time there… another Jack O’Neill quote: “Aliens are always poking me full of holes!” (and isn’t that true of Kirk also!). They don’t want anyone to see them weak. It goes against their pride.

Obviously, this is a bit different with Jack Harkness, but he also has someone who is always close when needed, Ianto. And just because he can’t really die doesn’t mean that dying isn’t still hurting. So he has his fair share of nightmares also, just different ones.

So, I can’t choose between those three alpha males. I just wish they would all meet and team up. The universe might not survive it though.

I've talked about "Star Trek Continues" before here: http://dieastra.livejournal.com/153103.html

In the meantime the fifth episode came out and I am seriously addicted to this show. The light, the sets, the camera work, the costumes, the special effects - everything is as close to the original as possible. And Vic is a very convincing Kirk. Sometimes he looks and sounds like William Shatner.

Can't wait for the next episode. If you are a "Star Trek" fan and don't know this yet, watch it! (just don't start with number one which is the weakest in my opinion)

While I was scrolling through pictures on the STC Facebook page I suddenly saw a familiar face. John Barrowman kissing Vic Mignogna. That happened in 2014 in Orlando. So, this picture has two captains, Captain Kirk and Captain Harkness!

Would be cool if John's phone number was now in Vic's book for a possible role in a future episode... ♥ *dreams*

I’ve ordered the Ninth Doctor at the Big Chief Studios page. The first 500 come with an extra smiling Tennant head. First 400 are gone alrady apparently.

Together with the pyjamas and slippers that come with the Tenth Doctor’s TARDIS, as well as the gown and tangerine we will also get, we will be able to create another Tenth Doctor. It will be my third, I already own the first version in brown suit and have the second version in blue suit (with different face sculpt) on pre-order.

If you want one too, goo here:

http://bigchiefstudios.co.uk/

A beautiful video from Big Chief Studios, showing all the stages of making figure heads in 1:6 scale. From sculpting to making a cast to painting. I like especially the time-lapse of the sculpting - showing how many stages it goes through until it is seen as a perfect capture of the actor. Big Chief is the only distributor I buy from, they make "Doctor Who" and "Sherlock" figures, and the faces are so real and wonderful.

I can't even start to imagine how to sculpt something like that. I had a hard time already with the Hamlet naked feet - whenever the top looked good the bottom looked awful, and when I had corrected that, the top was totally out of order again... I went through a few rounds of that. But it looks like they harden the face first before adding the hair? That would help I guess. Still, needs a lot of patience - and a steady hand.


Check their stuff out here: http://bigchiefstudios.co.uk/

Both the fourth and the original (brown suit) Tenth Doctor are sold out now, but a new Ten in blue suit is in the works and can be preordered.

Nice music in the video as well and very fitting. I'm glad I was able to watch it - last time they posted a video of how the figures get assemlbed in China German GEMA had blocked it because of the use of music.

Video link in case the embedding doesn't work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wY4Z0YbgV8

I thought it was supposed to be bigger on the inside - but while I was in London recently I found two that were smaller on the outside. And only now looking at the picture I noticed the "Bad Wolf" LOL