Hassihiliano Frezzato's T.M.N.T.

[Patraw]

Here's another character (an extremely obscure one) that, along with Roadkill Rodney, I had originally planned to make for Ectocooler's TMNT custom figure contest last year. Well, now that I've finally gotten around to making both of them, I can close that particular chapter in my mental book of characters I want to sculpt.





T.M.N.T.


(Above is "TMNT" written in the alphabet used in the fictional world Frezzato created.)



"There are many other models of Reader Robots,
such as the mysterious T.M.N.T."


- Kolony: The Essential Survival Guide
Heavy Metal Sci-Fi Special
Spring 1998



An extremely rare model of Reader Robot found in Hassihiliano Frezzato's The Keepers of The Maser graphic novels. Reader Robot types vary wildly in appearance and serve all sorts of helpful roles, including that of teacher, doctor, electrician, etc. Unfortunately, the exact function of the T.M.N.T. model is unclear and has become the subject of much speculation (a sampling of some of the professions hypothesized: self defense instructor, underground wastewater maintenance, and pizza pie nutritional analyzer). The cantankerous Dwarves of Kolony have been known to dismantle Reader Robots and use pieces of them as ornamentation/armor, indeed, a dwarf is seen wearing a T.M.N.T. head in Book 2, page 6, something C.I.R.O. immediately takes note of.


The T.M.N.T. represents an inside-joke/homage--Kevin Eastman, one of the two creators of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, owns Heavy Metal magazine, where Frezzato's The Keepers of The Maser series was published. Given that the robot's arm prongs resemble a pair of blades, and it sports straps across its chest, it's my belief that Frezzato's design is meant to suggest the original Mirage incarnation of Leonardo in particular.


Materials:
Newsprint, Kleenex, white paper, white/hot glue, wire twist ties, and acrylic paint.

Dimensions*:
(* The numbers given are approximations, as the dimensions of this figure can vary considerably depending on how the joints are positioned. Note that the value given for the highest point was measured from the bottom of the feet to the top of the head, not the tips of the arm prongs.)
4.0 cm/1.6 in. x 5.0 cm/2.0 in. (highest point x widest point)

Articulation:
Fourteen points total: Neck (2), shoulders(2), elbows (2), prongs (2), hips (2), knees (2), and ankles (2).

Time:
Roughly five days: August 13, 16-19, 2008.








For comparison purposes, below are some relevant artwork samples from The Keeper of The Maser series.

[notebook]

freakin supercool

[drasgow]

that's great! the maser series is fun too.

[METALHEAD]

farout.

[Patraw]

Edit: The artist's name is properly spelled Massimiliano Frezzato--his "M"s looked like "H"s to me when I looked at his signature in the graphic novels for the spelling.