| Once
my 10" Giganta
figure was finished, I knew I wanted to make a "normal" sized
version, too. Of course, a normal sized Giganta is still taller
than everyone else. That meant all the usual female base figures
were unsuitable. True, there are many figures in larger scales
that might have fit, but none that had the Timm-esque elements.
The solution came in the form of fast food premiums from the Philippines.
Their Jollibee restaurants had their own line of Justice League
premiums, in a set of the original seven members as figures. As
a whole, the set is about what one would expect from such toys,
but they're larger than the average American offerings. Thus, the
Wonder Woman figure was perfect for Giganta, as she was taller
and had the basics of the Timm stylings.
(The Jollibee figures from the Philippines should not be confused
with the Jollibee figures from Australia. The sculpts are very
similar, but the Australian ones are more in scale with Mattel's
figures. Both sets are fun.)
The first hurdle
was Giganta's arms. The Wonder Woman base was fine for the body
and
head, but the arms were useless. I had to
swap them for another pair the right size. A few years ago, finding
arms in this scale might have been easy, but now that the 5"-5½" scale
is all but extinct, finding a match is a bit tough. I ended up
using some arms from a Street Fighter gal I had in the parts box.
The arms had to be reshaped, and in the end they're not perfect,
but they'll do. As a nice bonus, the Wonder Woman figure was easily
disassembled via screws, so attaching the new arms was easy.
Once the arms were settled, I removed the existing hair, and smoothed
over the various sculpted details on the body. Magic Sculpt and
Kneadatite were used to create Giganta's hair, skirt, belt, etc.
Vinyl strips make her necklace, and yellow paper makes her bracelets.
(I may swap these for single chain links, as I used on Phantom
Lady.)
Ultimately, I'm pleased. The height is perfect, and the unusual
arms make for some variety on the shelf.
Casimir
Spring 2006 |