These are custom figures I made based on the 33rd Super Sentai series, Samurai Sentai Shinkenger. Power Rangers ends this year (2009) and Bandai America, instead of creating figures based on Shinkenger for 2010, made toys based on the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. I still wanted Shinkenger figures, so I made my own!

I used figures from Power Rangers Jungle Fury's first wave, removed the electronics from the male figures, then sanded down the helmets to create the oval shape of the Shinkenger helmets. The visor details, along with the belts, gloves, and boots were made with Apoxie Sculpt. The figures were painted with acrylic paints from various brands. This is my first time working with acrylic paints and sculpting clay, so I'm happy with how they turned out.

You can check out more pictures, including advice on how to make your own, by going to Rangerboard, the Merchandise Forum, and reading the thread titled "In case BoA doesn't make Shinkenger figures, here's how I made my own."

On December 29, 2009, ToyArk (a toys news site) named these Shinkenger custom figures their "Custom of the Day!" I'm very honored since I'm a regular visitor at ToyArk. I hope these figures inspire others to give customizing a try! Even if you're new to customizing, you can have fun and create rewarding pieces as long as you put time and resources into it.

Thanks for looking!