SHOW OFF THREAD: SD Studios Masudaya Metropolis Maria

Although this could have been posted in the General Modeling Forum, I'm posting it here in the Prop Forum because I acquired this item specifically to display with and enhance two prop replicas in my collection.

Not long ago, I saw in the Junkyard that SD Studios was selling a long out-of-production Masudaya Metropolis Maria model. This is the articulated vinyl kit that includes a base with two LEDs built in for a dramatic lighting effect. Steve had built and finished the kit himself.

Some years earlier, I had managed to find one of these kits in the box and purchased it to display with my C-3PO heads. The figure displays nicely even unfinished, so I put it out on a display shelf. But in time I realized that I'd probably never paint it. So when Steve's finished version appeared in the JY, I was interested. If I ever did paint my Maria, it wouldn't come out as nicely as Steve's.

I resisted the impulse for a couple of weeks, thinking someone would buy it. But every time I checked the JY, the figure was still there... tempting me... taunting me...

Oh, yeah, I'm a sucker for a well-built robot.

When the figure arrived, I was surprised and delighted. In his sale text, Steve had simply written, "built and painted by me." He hadn't mentioned the care and subtlety with which he had layered the colors, or that he had upgraded the base extensively.

Here's a shot of my unpainted Maria on the left, and Steve's finished Maria on the right:




A comparison of the unfinished base on the left and Steve's upgraded version on the right. Note the rivets that Steve added to the circumference -- they go all the way around -- as well as the length of painted string (it looks like steel cable!) he used to cover the gap between the plastic base and the rubber mat that sits atop it:




The two LEDs built into the base give a very dramatic light and shadow effect to the figure, reminiscent of the film. You'll notice that the lighting on the painted figure seems much less pronounced than that on the unpainted figure. This is a phenomenon of the paint rather than of the LEDs. I tried swapping the figures and bases, and the painted figure photographed like this regardless of which base it was on.




Here's Maria on display between the two C-3PO heads. The head on the left is the McQuarrie Concept C-3PO by kookoo. The one on the right is an unknown ANH C-3PO head I got off of eBay. (If anyone recognizes this head, please let me know!) I thought Maria would make a nice companion piece for them, highlighting the lineage of our favorite fuddy-duddy droid. The black rectangle near the base of the ANH head is the top of the rangefinder of the Boba Fett helmet on the shelf below.






Thanks for a great addition to my collection, Steve! :love




Thanks, Pilot. :thumbsup

Ave Maria! :eek

Thanks for the kind words. I am glad you like the paintjob. I painted it like 12 years ago, so it isn't my best work, but it is passable

FYI: The cable on the base IS steel, not painted string.

STRING?

yuck.

Thanks for clearing that up. And here I thought you could make a piece of string look like steel! :lol

Looking at it more closely -- even in the photograph I posted -- it does look a lot more uniform than most pieces of string. :$

It's a very nicely finished piece all around. Thanks again, Steve! :thumbsup

That's Awesome thumbsup:thumbsup

That's why we call Steve, "The Man of String". :sleep

That's a very nice sculpt of the robotmench. Very well finished as well.