Hello everyone. :) It's been a while. Unfortunately, I have been out of commission for several months, following a pretty nasty car accident. As in "had to re-learn how to type" bad. (Head trauma, not hand trauma.) Needless to say, I haven't had the motor skills to make action figures for a while, but I was actually rather busy for several months before my accident, and as part of my "getting back into my old life" recovery, I thought I'd post some of the pieces I finished.

So . . . I'm sure every TMNT fan out there is familiar with the PHENOMENAL work NECA has done with their convention exclusives over the past several years. I am a very proud owner of the SDCC 2017 "1987 Cartoon" collector's set with carrying case. Of course, it is easily the best TMNT boxed set (and arguably one of the best action figure sets, PERIOD) ever made, but one (very minor) drawback is that the set only comes with the four turtles, Shredder, some foot soldiers, and Krang in his bubble walker. And certainly, one can understand why: NECA already had the molds for almost all of these figures (or, at least, VERY close approximations needing minimal retools), so it was a perfect opportunity to get a spectacular set out on the market on the cheap.
Still, it's a shame that no other major characters made the cut. No Bebop, Rocksteady, Krang Android, Baxter Stockman, Splinter . . . or April O'Neil.

(At least, not yet. Word is, NECA is now releasing these same figures to Targets across America in 2-packs, as well as 16 additional figures to complete the line. Bebop and Rocksteady are already announced and prototyped, and it's pretty much unthinkable that we won't at least get an April and Splinter.)

Well, I decided to correct the oversight by building my own complementary '87 cartoon cast, and April O'Neil was first on my list!

The goal here was slavish accuracy to the cartoon model, and I'm pretty proud to say that I nailed it! Every line on the jumpsuit, every belt loop and clasp and pocket, every tuft of hair, I got her just about spot-on perfect! I am especially pleased with the head. Hasbro's first ML Wasp has the best faint smirk and wide eyes, and I took extra care sculpting all her little layers and cowlicks in her iconic poofy hairdo. My memory is, ah . . . not the best since the accident, but I'm pretty sure it took hours. *LOL*

As for the body recipe, April is surprisingly simple. ML Human Torch boots (Ronan the Accuser series), ML Hellcat legs and body, LCBH Ann O'Brien jacket and arms, gripping hands from a ML Valkyrie (Hulkbuster series) and open hands from a ML Enchantress. Most of the parts are already the right color!

The accessories all came from a classic Playmates April figure (1992 "5th Anniversary" purple stripes version) with one exception: the iconic clamshell . . . er, I mean turtle-shell "makeup compact" Turtle Communicator. This piece, I also sculpted entirely by hand, one of the most intricate and delicate sculpt and paint jobs I've ever undertaken. I even built it using an old ToyBiz ML "hinged fingers" hand, so it actually has a tiny hinge that allows it to open and close! I LOVE this thing!! Less than half an inch in diameter, with a little turtle painted on the inside screen . . . I barely remember building it, and I DO NOT have the fine finger control needed to reproduce it right now, so anyone who might be interested . . . ask me in 6 months! *LMAO*

I can honestly say that this April O'Neil figure is probably the best work I've ever produced, and she looks perfect with my NECA '87 Cartoon TMNT. When NECA DOES release their version . . . well, I'll undoubtedly pick it up, but she's gonna have a HARD time living up to my version! Just hope it's not the last good figure I ever make! *LOL*

TURTLE POWER!!