CAVE NEEDLE
Subterranean, bipedal, wasp-like enemies that can be found in Sega's 1988 Altered Beast [original Japanese title: Jyuuouki (Beast King's Chronicle)] arcade video game (it was also ported to many popular home systems soon afterwards, including the Genesis, Famicom, Master System, PC Engine, and several computer formats--more recently, it has also appeared as a selection on various Sega compilation discs and as a virtual download).
These arthropods can only be encountered in the third level, The Cavern of Souls. Cave Needles sprint through the rocky tunnels of said locale in large numbers, impaling unfortunate trespassers on their poison stingers. Their vestigial wings are too small to allow flight. A single punch or kick, regardless of how powered-up the player currently is, will destroy these chitinous critters, or, if you've collected enough orbs to morph into the Bear form, you can petrify them with an exhalation of your breath (after which you can opt to leave them as-is, frozen in stone forever, or shatter the insect statue to pieces).
Materials:
Newsprint, Kleenex, white glue, hot glue, wire twist ties, transparent plastic from a toy package, gloss nail polish, and acrylic paint.
Dimensions:
[NOTE: Due to the articulation, these values will vary depending on how the joints are positioned;
the numbers given assume a neutral standing pose.]
4.5 cm/1.8 in. x 6.0 cm/2.4 in. (widest point x highest point)
Articulation:
Twenty-three points: Antennae (4); mandibles (2); neck(2); wings (2); forelimbs (4); torso (2); stinger; hips (2); knees (2); and ankles (2).
Time:
Ten days; January 15-25, 2010--with no work performed on the 23rd.
More info at my web page for this figure:
http://kramwartap.fortunecity.com/cave_needle.html
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CATHODE MINER
(I made this guy as an entry for a Steampunk custom figure contest, near the end of November, but, due to circumstances outside my control, wasn't able to submit it before deadline.)
Ever since you were a child, the mines fascinated you. Father frightened you with bedtime tales of gigantic, light-shy spiders (and worse) that preyed on those that strayed too far from the protection of their hydrogen lanterns. Uncle Neb whispered warnings of the incurable cancers and illnesses that infect those that toil too close to the steam pumps that drive the great augers. Your schoolmates were quite sincere in their descriptions of the secret society of mishappen mutants that inhabit the forgotten tunnels. It was all garbage. Nothing exciting or strange ever happens down here. Sure, there's the occasional accident, but you can get run down by a carriage topside too if you're not paying attention. Day-after-day, week-after-week, you scrape away at the rock walls, and the mine slowly erodes you in its own subtler fashion, whittling away your life until you grow old, weak, and retire to your pension. No gold watches anymore either, they're all brass now since the Alchemist Guild's colossal boondoggle in '23 that permanently transmuted every atom of the stuff on the planet into lead. You should have gone into crystal farming, like your brother, Tommy . . .
I used a 12" G.I.JOE Valor vs. Venom Voice FX Duke as the base body. The shirt, pants, and two of the knee pads are also from that figure. The aqua lung, boots, halligan (fireman's multi-function tool), goggles, and another pair of knee pads are from various Power Team Elite 12" military/police figures. The satchel is from the 12" rotocast Green Goblin. The lantern was made from a transparent screwdriver handle, the bubble from a miniature gumball machine, and a shoe lace--it doesn't light up, that's just a lens flare effect I added in an art program. There's also an assortment of small metal pieces attached to the figure's outfit/gear in various spots, those are mostly parts of tools like screwdriver heads. I made the cigarette out of paper--because Voice FX Duke's mouth actually opens and closes realistically, you can get a pretty good 'chomping on the butt' expression with him.
