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Okay, technically this is not a customized figure, but please hear me out. While Mego has provided original series Star Trek fans with a wide range of aliens from the show, one creature has been conspicuously absent: the Horta from the episode "Devil in the Dark." And while I cannot sew (which limits my ability to make customs), I do know how to sculpt, mold, cast, and paint latex masks, a skill I picked up as part of my Halloween obsession. When I thought about making a Horta companion for my Mego Star Trek figures, that approach seemed to make the most sense.
The Horta costume designed and worn by Janos Prohaska in the episode was essentially a blanket draped over him while he scrambled around on the floor. So I sized my sculpt based on this idea.
After giving the Klingon the boot, I start sculpting in WED (Walt E Disney) water-based clay. I used the Star Trek Fotonovel as reference to try to make it reasonably screen-accurate. I discovered crumpled up aluminum foil worked for creating the rock texture.
Once the sculpt was done, I molded it using Ultracal 30, a very dense, hard plaster.
To cast the Horta, I fill the mold full of casting/mask latex (a thicker formula than the liquid latex used for prosthetics). I let the latex dwell (sit in the mold) for longer than usual so I get a thick, sturdy result that can "stand" on its own.
It took me three castings to get a good enough result to paint. Here's the second casting, which suffered from some air bubbles. Because I hate to waste the latex, I'll try to fill those air bubble holes and paint this one up, too.
I used a mix of paint specially formulated for latex masks (the paint flexes with the mask) and regular acrylic craft paint, and sealed everything with a flexible spray varnish. But if you want to see the finished, painted result, go here:
http://megomuseum.com/community/show...t-the-Horta!-!
The Horta costume designed and worn by Janos Prohaska in the episode was essentially a blanket draped over him while he scrambled around on the floor. So I sized my sculpt based on this idea.
After giving the Klingon the boot, I start sculpting in WED (Walt E Disney) water-based clay. I used the Star Trek Fotonovel as reference to try to make it reasonably screen-accurate. I discovered crumpled up aluminum foil worked for creating the rock texture.
Once the sculpt was done, I molded it using Ultracal 30, a very dense, hard plaster.
To cast the Horta, I fill the mold full of casting/mask latex (a thicker formula than the liquid latex used for prosthetics). I let the latex dwell (sit in the mold) for longer than usual so I get a thick, sturdy result that can "stand" on its own.
It took me three castings to get a good enough result to paint. Here's the second casting, which suffered from some air bubbles. Because I hate to waste the latex, I'll try to fill those air bubble holes and paint this one up, too.
I used a mix of paint specially formulated for latex masks (the paint flexes with the mask) and regular acrylic craft paint, and sealed everything with a flexible spray varnish. But if you want to see the finished, painted result, go here:
http://megomuseum.com/community/show...t-the-Horta!-!
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