BUILD THREAD: Twilight Zone "Invader" Figure

[Mr. Nagata]

"The Invaders" is my favorite episode of The Twilight Zone. I have one of the Sideshow figures that came out several years ago. It's pretty good, but there are a few things that bother me about it like the visor and I don't think it's metallic enough. So rather than alter the figure and destroy its collectible value, I decided to sculpt a new one. I'll either cast it in resin or possibly flexible urethane foam with a wire armature.

Here's a WIP shot. I just roughed out the form with foil, then covered it in plaster gauze. After this dries, I'll smooth the whole thing out with body filler, then start sculpting the details with milliput.



As far as I can tell from the screen captures I've examined, there were at least two versions of the puppet. There's a thick-legged and thin-legged version. Since the Sideshow one is based on the thinner legged version, I opted to do the thick legs.

[Mr. Nagata]

Applied body filler to the plaster base, sanded, then applied a thinner detail layer. It's starting to take shape. It went from looking like a little mummy to looking like a little mud monster.

[phase pistol]

Central Control...come in Central Control. Do you read me? Gresham is dead! Repeat, Gresham is dead! The ship's destroyed. Incredible race of giants here. Race of giants. No, Central Control. No counterattack. Repeat, no counterattack. Too much for us. Too powerful. Stay away. Gresham and I...we're finished! Finished! Stay away. Stay away...



k

[IEDBOUNTYHUNTER]

Cool thats a favorite of mine too, are you going to cast a few copies. would love one.


Al

[eltee]

I have a Sideshow version. I bought some metal mini grid material to improve the antenna on top but have not gotten around to to it it yet. There was a thread here a while back on this figure with alot of pics and screencaps that may help you. Very interested in your project.

[phase pistol]

http://www.therpf.com/f9/twilight-zo...-thread-41161/

[Mr. Nagata]

Thanks for the screen caps, Karl! The first picture is ol' chubby legs. That's the one I'm doing. The third picture is skinny legs (the one the Sideshow toy is based on).

When I'm done with the sculpt, I'll see if anyone is interested in casts, maybe in resin, of possibly flexible with an armature.

[Dr Talyn]

yeah from that old thread you can see this is something ive really wanted to do for a while but never got to. Hope yours goes good!

[exetor999]

I don't remember from the episode, but did that antenna on top rotate?

[Mr. Nagata]

There's a few shots where the antenna rotates.

[apollo]

Great episode.

Always fun watching Agnes Moorehead kick some...

[nick daring]

It'd be cool to see someone make a full sized costume of this.

Would be a fun visual twist to see the astronauts at the "proper" scale.

Nick

[Bizarro Lois]

I've subscribed to this thread and will be eagerly awaiting progress pics. If this turns out well, I'd be interested in a cast, depending on price.

[Mr. Nagata]

Thanks, Lois. If it doesn't turn out well, I probably won't post it .

I spot puttied and primered the body. Still needs some finishing work, but from here on in, all the work will be sculpted with milliput:

[Lost in Trek]

Kinda looks like Shmoo with arms.

Really though, looks great. I love the Twilight Zone and this is a great episode.

[phase pistol]

Originally Posted by nick daring

It'd be cool to see someone make a full sized costume of this.

Well now that you mention it...



(seriously tho if anybody has this Sunshine spacesuit maquette and wants to get rid of it, like, let me know kthxbai. )

K

[Mr. Nagata]

Another update. I sculpted the first set of rings on the suit. The neck ring is higher and thicker than the Sideshow version, but more accurate to the screen used puppet. The shoulder rings will eventually be a double ring, but I figured it would be easier to sculpt them one at a time and let them cure in between.

[Mr. Nagata]

Finished sculpting the rings on the spacesuit. They need to be sanded and shaped a little more and a bit more finishing work is needed. Still need to sculpt the thumbs (not quite sure what position I want to put them in yet), build the visor and oxygen tanks, and etch the lines on the suit:

[Bizarro Lois]

Will the position of the hands allow the little weapons to be switched out, or will they be permanently attached?

[Bizarro Lois]

Originally Posted by Mr. Nagata

I just had to add that this picture reminds me of those blank Dunny vinyl figures you can buy and customize

[terryhimself]

You know......Looking at this in my usuall warped state of mind, I think the same basic figure thinned out looks kinda like the Earth vs The Flying Saucers alien suit.

[Mr. Nagata]

Thought the exact same thing!

Originally Posted by Bizarro Lois

I just had to add that this picture reminds me of those blank Dunny vinyl figures you can buy and customize

[Mr. Nagata]

I'm going to give him two devices since the guys in the episode were all holding two. The Sideshow figure only has one. One is the radiation weapon and I'm just going to assume the other is a flashlight since it's permanently lit and we know they have flashlights because of that one scene where Agnes Moorehead is holding an axe over the open hole and they're shining flashlights through it.

I think I will sculpt it so they can slide in and out of his hands. But unless I make it out of some flexible material, they may be a little loose and have to be secured with something.

Originally Posted by Bizarro Lois

Will the position of the hands allow the little weapons to be switched out, or will they be permanently attached?

[Contec]

Originally Posted by Mr. Nagata

I think I will sculpt it so they can slide in and out of his hands. But unless I make it out of some flexible material, they may be a little loose and have to be secured with something.

Tiny strong magnets inside the hand or the flashlight /weapon and in the other part (hand or weapon) put a bit of metal.

[Mr. Nagata]

Thanks for the tip. I might just do that!

I did a little more finishing work and gave him a heavy coat of primer so the etched lines will have some depth to them:



I have a question for you all. The screen-used puppet has some lines running down the front of it. They look sort of like mold seams, but it's a very odd place for them:



The Sideshow version incorporates these lines, albeit way too thick and pronounced. What do you guys think? Should I leave them off? If they're seams from the mold, I'd leave them off, but it they are intentional design elements, I'll include them.