Gubernator's Various Photos, Kitbashes, and Customs (new update 12 September 2024)

skywalkersaga wrote:Such an aesthetically pleasing assemblage of figures! I love the beautiful array of colours. And nicely posed as well.

Thank you very much, I'm glad you enjoyed them. Certainly a bit outside so much of our usual fare. There must be plenty of people collecting these -- and doing so more consistently and doing much more with them, but we don't see much in the way of showcasing that here, apart from the occasional in-hand photos of particular products.

Tanzenwolfe wrote:That’s a fantastic result from picking up “a few bits and pieces”…..!  The dark blue/red edged studded dragon affair looks especially amazing - sorry it no doubt has a proper name, but I’m not sure what?  The staging background works well and also love the colourfulness.  

Thank you very much, glad you liked them. The fully-amored soldier on left (Jin cavalry), the emperor (Ming Taizu, era name Hongwu), and the guy in the outfit you liked so much are actual sets I purchased. The rest are mix and match or partly reconstituted from parted-out sets. I'm glad you liked the makeshift background, imperfect as it is. The blue/red-edged studded dragon affair is a type of military garment, a sort of combination between what in Western Europe would have been a surcoat and a gambeson. The set came in two variants, I got the dark blue more mature one:
https://onesixthfigures.forumotion.com/t1156-new-productding-shengmo-play-x-poptoys-1-6-da-ming-bird-hand-moveable-doll-2-color-ds002?highlight=ming+dynasty

Chip wrote:That`s a cool and rather off beat collection of figures . Plenty there to create a story .

Thank you very much, I'm happy you liked them. Hard to keep from just a little bit of story-telling when setting them up as a group.

That is a nice collection of Asian figures! Very nice photos, too!

That is a cool collection of asian dresses. Always greart to see them in hand and in poses.

My favourite is the one on the last pic (I know he showed up mainly hidden on another pic) but that robe looks very cool 

Thanks for showing

Randam Hajile wrote:That is a nice collection of Asian figures! Very nice photos, too!

Thank you very much, Ralf, coming from you that's a huge compliment. It occurs to me that I'm still a little stuck in product review mode when photographing figures, but of course it's not as if I have the skill or ability to go for something quite as moody and realistic as what you and Simon have been able to achieve.

Valiarde wrote:That is a cool collection of Asian dresses. Always great to see them in hand and in poses.

My favourite is the one on the last pic (I know he showed up mainly hidden on another pic) but that robe looks very cool 

Thanks for showing

Thank you, Simon, glad you liked them. Like I've said, they are not a focus of collecting for me, but as you see I've been unable to resist picking up some (and there are a handful of others). Yes, that is the default robe the emperor comes with. The set also included the even more formal yellow robe which I used in most of the photos -- except I was lazy and didn't remove the off-white robe first (which is why he looks even heavier and more neck-less in the photos with the yellow robe on).

GubernatorFan wrote:

Randam Hajile wrote:That is a nice collection of Asian figures! Very nice photos, too!

Thank you very much, Ralf, coming from you that's a huge compliment. It occurs to me that I'm still a little stuck in product review mode when photographing figures, but of course it's not as if I have the skill or ability to go for something quite as moody and realistic as what you and Simon have been able to achieve.

I think that is an understatement of the quality of your pictures. You are doing excellent work with the camera in my eyes.

SWEET selection of figures!
and a nice spread of photos too, i very much approve

Great pictures. You seem to have a profound knowledge of Chinese history and clothing.

Randam Hajile wrote:
I think that is an understatement of the quality of your pictures. You are doing excellent work with the camera in my eyes.  

Thank you for the kind words. But I do sometimes wish I could break away from encylopedic reference-type imagery, and do something more artistic.

teamweapon wrote:SWEET selection of figures!
and a nice spread of photos too, i very much approve

Thank you very much, I'm glad you liked them.

ElBundy wrote:Great pictures. You seem to have a profound knowledge of Chinese history and clothing.

Thank you very much. I do have some knowledge of Chinese history, and some basic notion of the clothing -- and if I really want to make a point I try to look up the particulars. But I'm by no means an expert. Many of those beautiful ornate sets that are out there are over the top -- although they might in some cases replicate the costumes in films and TV shows.

GubernatorFan wrote:6. Some glimpses behind the wall of the Forbidden City

Nicely detailed outfits.
My first association is they are plotting something.

Visisonor wrote:

GubernatorFan wrote:6. Some glimpses behind the wall of the Forbidden City

Nicely detailed outfits.
My first association is they are plotting something.

Thank you, I'm glad you liked them.
And indeed, that's what I was going for. An intrigue between the concubine and the general she was favoring.

7. I think I'm in love.

Well, I broke down and ordered a deboxed HT Yelena set (MMS622). I haven't seen the film (though I did look up some YouTube excerpts that left me ambivalent), but I love the no-nonsense female warrior look and the excellent treatment of the head by HT's sculptors and painters, which is as impressive as it is beautiful. So I couldn't help snapping some photos, just for the fun of it.

Nice grab, Ian. She looks great.

Stryker2012 wrote:Nice grab, Ian. She looks great.

Thank you, I'm glad you liked her.

Nice pick-up! That head sculpt is extremely nice, particularly for a molded-hair type! The costume is fantastic, especially that grey vest!

I'm not familiar with this character at all, or even what franchise she's from, but I'm sure she will get up to some entertaining mischief in GubWorld.

davidd wrote:Nice pick-up! That head sculpt is extremely nice, particularly for a molded-hair type! The costume is fantastic, particularly that grey vest!

I'm not familiar with this character at all, or even what franchise she's from, but I'm sure she will get up to some entertaining mischief in GubWorld.

That’s Yelena from the Black Widow movie (I didn’t see it, but I got the impression she was also going to be in the Hawkeye Disney+ series, and in some of the future Marvel movies after she takes over the Black Widow mantle).

Really interesting coincidence that you got Yelena now, Ian. I was searching for a loose Yelena head for several weeks, and last week decided to get one of the remaining full sets from Onesixthkit. I have actually little interest in the character, but the sculpt and paintwork is really excellent  

davidd wrote:Nice pick-up! That head sculpt is extremely nice, particularly for a molded-hair type! The costume is fantastic, particularly that grey vest!

I'm not familiar with this character at all, or even what franchise she's from, but I'm sure she will get up to some entertaining mischief in GubWorld.

In this instance, I guess the molded hair is fully justifiable, given the tightly wound hairdo. She also comes with a headset and mic. The vest was apparently a bit of a thing in the movie. Black Widow kept admiring it and its many pockets (she didn't have one like that). The Youtube video I watched had supposedly every Yelena scene, out of context, but all that was under 17 minutes...
I thought she might make a cool agent in your and Dal's adventures.

Stryker2012 wrote:That’s Yelena from the Black Widow movie (I didn’t see it, but I got the impression she was also going to be in the Hawkeye Disney+ series, and in some of the future Marvel movies after she takes over the Black Widow mantle).

Indeed. More fully Yelena Belova. Actually it can be spelled Elena, but Russian pronounces initial E as Ye, and this spelling is phonetic. I think they are pitting her against Hawkeye (from what disjointed bits I saw on Youtube), but I'm sure it's a misunderstanding.

Randam Hajile wrote:Really interesting coincidence that you got Yelena now, Ian. I was searching for a loose Yelena head for several weeks, and last week decided to get one of the remaining full sets from Onesixthkit. I have actually little interest in the character, but the sculpt and paintwork is really excellent  

I know what you mean, but I think it is entirely understandable -- she is irresistible. I missed the heads in two of my usual part-out places, and despaired of getting her, so I ended up getting a deboxed but complete set (at least saving a little on shipping). Although HT's obsession with underpadding is as annoying as ever, I still like having the complete thing. I might have to get a matching set up for Black Widow. The day after I bought this, they parted out the head again, but it turned out to be $120 by itself, just under half the total price for the set.

I think the likeness is spot on.
Her "white widow" suit reminds me of Leia's Hoth outfit.
Great acquisition!

Visisonor wrote:I think the likeness is spot on.
Her "white widow" suit reminds me of Leia's Hoth outfit.
Great acquisition!

Thank you very much. I like her too... obviously. It does remind me of Hoth Leia, but also of your agents, and so I decided to kitbash a second one on the basis of this set, with a Black Widow head, to make her company.

GubernatorFan wrote:but also of your agents

Hm, I consider this an achievement. Thanks

GubernatorFan wrote:so I decided to kitbash a second one on the basis of this set, with a Black Widow head, to make her company.

Given that I've bought an extra "agent" figure to kitbash a Black Widow, it kind of went full circle.

Visisonor wrote:

GubernatorFan wrote:but also of your agents

Hm, I consider this an achievement. Thanks

Welcome!

GubernatorFan wrote:so I decided to kitbash a second one on the basis of this set, with a Black Widow head, to make her company.

Given that I've bought an extra "agent" figure to kitbash a Black Widow, it kind of went full circle.

In circles we go.

Didn't know you had that many Historic Eastern character figures,  they look beautiful. Should photograph them in front of some veil, the wall looks a bit sterile.

Also great pics and posing of the Widow, I think the way the shoulder pads are designed to make them appear broader is quite clever.

Ovy wrote:Didn't know you had that many Historic Eastern character figures,  they look beautiful. Should photograph them in front of some veil, the wall looks a bit sterile.

Also great pics and posing of the Widow, I think the way the shoulder pads are designed to make them appear broader is quite clever.

You know how often I admire them in the New Product section. I've mentioned that although they are not a focus of what I collect, I do sometimes give in to temptation. Those were a bunch of the examples. I agree about the wall -- besides there are better walls to serve as background -- but I should have invested in some of the screens or banners to superimpose. I suppose some silk scarves could work as a veil, although I think curtains and tapestries were a more European wall treatment solution.

Shoulder pads on a woman can look a little tacky (or too 80s), but I liked the way they worked on the figure -- even if their functionality as armor is a little questionable. In fact, I loved this figure in every respect except the standard Hot Toys underpadding, which makes posing and range a little more difficult.

Yelena looks great!! I twitch a little every time I see her head. Ridiculously beautiful. ^^

Diana wrote:Yelena looks great!! I twitch a little every time I see her head. Ridiculously beautiful. ^^

Indeed! Such an awesome heD. In fact i like the whole figure very much too

Diana wrote:Yelena looks great!! I twitch a little every time I see her head. Ridiculously beautiful. ^^

Valiarde wrote:

Diana wrote:Yelena looks great!! I twitch a little every time I see her head. Ridiculously beautiful. ^^

Indeed! Such an awesome heD. In fact i like the whole figure very much too

Glad I'm not alone in liking it so much. Actually I got the extra parts yesterday, so she is already joined by an analogous version of her big sister Natasha. But I have to take some photos.

8. A quiet hot summer evening in the mansion (or just testing out a new head modification).



Bonus points if you can identify the head sculpt.

Oh that is an interesting character. She looks not amused, so I'm not sure I would take a drink with her or better get tf out before she turns out to be dracula or sth.
Hair looks very good and I also like the pose

Nice pic and pose.
Is that a re-haired and repainted Lady Adler head?