Skeleton Joe

[MmM]

This is a Skeleton Joe action figure I made, based on a robot from the NES video game Mega Man 4.

Materials:
Kleenex, newsprint, thin cardboard from a cereal box, white/hot glue, wire twist ties, and acrylic paint.

Dimensions*:
(*The dimensions of this figure are variable, depending on how the articulated limbs are positioned. The numbers given below are for the figure posed standing as straight as possible with its arms hanging at its sides.)
14.7 cm/5.8 in. x 5.0 cm/2.0 in. (highest point x widest point)

Articulation:
Thirty-one points. There are three joints in the head/neck: The eye can move in any direction inside the head; and the neck can move in any direction where it connects to the skull and rotates where it joins the body. The body has two joints: The chest rotates where the spinal column enters it; and the vertebrae flex in any direction. The arms have nine joints each, for a total of eighteen points: The shoulders rotate in the socket and move in any direction from the shoulder joint itself; the elbows move in any direction; the wrist rotates and can move up and down; and each finger is individually articulated at the point where they enter the hand. The legs have four joints each, for a total of eight points: The hips rotate in the pelvis socket and move in any direction from the hip joint itself; the knees flex forwards and backwards and move side-to-side; and the ankles rotate and move side-to-side.

Action Feature:
Skeleton Joe comes apart into seven pieces, to simulate 'crumbling into a pile of bones' like the game character does in 'Mega Man 4' when struck by weapon fire.

Time:
Approximately five days. I began this figure on March 22, 2007 and finished it in the early afternoon on March 26, 2007. I made the head the first day, the upper body the next, the lower body on the third day, the arms and bone accessory on the fourth, and the legs on the fifth and final day of construction.

Completed figure:




(Please note that I did not make the Mega Man figure shown in some of the photos. That's a 'real' toy, made by the company Jazwares, that I bought.)

For comparison purposes, below is a screenshot of a Skeleton Joe tossing a bone, taken from the 'Mega Man 4' Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) video game:



Webpage with more information (materials used, dimensions, construction time, etc.):

http://kramwartap.fortunecity.com/skeleton_joe.html

[VileSlay]

nice. I never played megaman 4. I've played 1-3 and a couple of the x games. I love the fact that he has eye articulation and his body breaks apart.

[EarthQuake]

Man you are awesome.

So like after you create models after all the Megaman characters, you should like sell them on Ebay for millions of dollars. I mean, some freaks would kill for a one-of-a-kind collection like that.

Of course I'm just joking, but you could make some serious money off these.

[Vader]

Great stuff!
I loved Megaman although I've only played 1-3 on the Gameboy.
I wonder how you managed to get the figures limbs and so on to be completely moveable without it falling apart when standing still...
I also agree with Earthquake; you could seriously make money with this hobby ;)

[Glassyman]

Vader said:

you could seriously make money with this hobby

It's a good idea.

[Inferno]

Megaman 4 = Sweetness

Nice pics you posted. Vader's right tho, you can earn some cash selling these figures you make.

[Patrick]

Very Nice. I'd pay money for these.

[leileilol]

EarthQuake said:

Of course I'm just joking, but you could make some serious money off these.

profiting off fanwork is a no-no

[MmM]

Thanks for the positive comments everyone.

Leileilol is right; it's wrong, both legally and ethically, to profit from fan art. If I were to ever sell my video game figures, I'd do it legitimately by acquiring a licensing agreement from the copyright holder(s). I've thought about doing just that on several occasions, but I don't know if I'll ever follow up on it. I'd want to be able to mass produce them, on a small-scale mind you, and for that I'd have to get into making castings, which I've never done.

[Vader]

Well, personally I wasn't talking about fan-art directly, but just made-up figures for example... I don't understand much of this buisness, but there has to be some way to earn some bucks with your talent ;)

[MmM]

Original creations aren't a problem, as far as profiteering goes. I've considered that angle as well.

Oh yeah, by the way the Game Boy version of Mega Man 3 does have Skeleton Joes in it (GB MM3 is based on NES MM3 & MM4 and so contains elements of both).