Diorama/Playset Spotlight

[CHEWIE]

In an effort to start something new here, I am going to start up a weekly or bi-monthly custom diorama spotlight in this thread, showing a diorama made by a fellow customizer that I would someday like to emulate.

This week's spotlight is a Hoth playset that a customizer named Christopher Rogers made.  While this may not be film accurate, it's a great display piece of Echo Base, and reminds me of the vintage Micro Hoth World playset from the early 1980s.

Someday I would like to be able to make something similar to this.  Maybe a bit more film accurate; but nonetheless, this is outstanding work and I really am impressed with it.



 

[Famine]

CHEWIE asked me to host this. He will discuss this.

I'm digging that playset, but I would have added some sort of pull out ramp so droids and people could get up and down. Muftaks modular playsets blow me away too.

Kevin

[JediMAC]

CHEWIE asked me to host this. He will discuss this.

Yeah, we discussed this beauty here last year at some point, when it was up on eBay.  South American customizer, if I recall correctly.  Breathtaking work there.  Anyone recall what the thing ended at?

I really love that Hoth set too.  Film accurate or not, it's just fun to have some cool little mini settings to stash all your Hoth figures into.  It'd be cool if the set had a snow base to it though.  Perhaps it does, somewhere, but it's just not pictured.  A small add on to the side witht he Wampa cave (ala the Micro Collection set) would be really cool too...

Justin, if you've got some links to the backstories on how these things were built, and what they were made out of, that would be cool as well.  For example, on the Hoth set, is that the vintage Micro Collection Ion Cannon, or just a scaled up replica of it?  Looks identical.

[CHEWIE]

I believe he sold several of these over a 12 month period... I seem to remember them fetching over $1000.00 each.

I still can't believe how awesome that thing is... it's freaking unreal... Famine, you should make one for me.   

 

[JediMAC]

Question:  Did Kevin jump the gun by posting the Sail Barge already?  We haven't even discussed the Hoth set yet.  Or do we discuss multiple custom sets simulataneously...?  Cool with me either way, just curious how you want this to go Justin.

[CHEWIE]

I dunno... I kind of wanted to do 1-2 a week... really the schedule of it doesn't matter to me.

I did ask him to post the Sail Barge sometime - I don't know if I specified when to post it, but it doesn't matter to me anyway.  I'm glad that he did.

Personally I'd like to discuss these two for a bit (hopefully a few other Defenders will join in) and then myself or anyone else can post another pic.

Two Rules though -

(1) You can't post your own work

(2) You must credit the work to the creator (if you don't know, say you don't know whose it is, but tell where you found it)

I think those rules are fair enough.   

If you do post something of your own... it should be something that was inspired by one of the items shown here.

So, anyone can post whatever they want here... but hopefully people won't post something and just say "I chose this because it's cool" and that's all they say.  I'd rather we be constructive with it, say why we chose it, and how we would like to re-create it if we could, etc.

Some more personal thoughts on these customs -

Echo Base

I am wondering how in the heck this guy made this...is it made out wood?  Plastic?  Both?  ...I do think this was inspired by the vintage Micro Machine Hoth World playset.

This Sail Barge of the best customs I've ever seen made... I know it was actually done by a small independent company... I wonder why they quit making them?  Wonder if Lucasfilm got on their case about it... I wouldn't have the first clue as how to make something like this.

 

[CHEWIE]

CHEWIE asked me to host this. He will discuss this.

Justin, if you've got some links to the backstories on how these things were built, and what they were made out of, that would be cool as well.  For example, on the Hoth set, is that the vintage Micro Collection Ion Cannon, or just a scaled up replica of it?  Looks identical.

I have no backstory on this... but if I find one I'll definitely post it. 

As for the Ion Cannon, I think he made a different one.  Looks a bit differnent than the actual one -



 

[Darth Delicious]

Man...that Hoth Echo Base makes me drool. I look at that and I say to myself, "Why can't Hasbro do this?" Their playsets suck. This one is actually functional for play (for the kids) and display (for the collectors.) Set this baby next to Hasbro's Mustafar playset, and it's no contest...the big "H" gets blown out of the water.

The Sail Barge is incredible. I can't look at it any more. It fills me with avarice, and I must look away lest I turn into a pillar of salt. 

-DD

[CHEWIE]

You're right - Hasbro is totally a flop when it comes to playsets.  I can't believe how bad they miss the boat on them.  How freaking sad.

If someone were to go about making that Hoth playset, how would one go about doing it?

 

[CHEWIE]

Here's one that I found today... wow, I really like this!  Very creative!



I don't know who this customizer is... but here is his site -

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.suckadelic.com/images/page%2520elements/SW%2520elements/custom%2520img/Torture1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.suckadelic.com/StarwarCustom.html&h=431&w=488&sz=28&tbnid=fXIWNR1kf74J:&tbnh=112&tbnw=127&start=11&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcustom%2Bsandcrawler%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D

Looks like a bit of a crazy guy owns this site!   

Anyways, I had this damn playset, and sold it to a friend a few months ago.  Now I really do regret it.  I might see if I can fine one cheap somewhere and try to replicate this.

 

[CHEWIE]

Just wondering... anyone got one of these for sale cheap?  Don't need any piece to it other than the main hook/lever thing.

 

[Ryan]

That is pretty cool, someone smack me for asking this but where does that playset come from? I'm assuming it is vintage.

Just a though but we have a Photonovel child board, I think it'd be cool ifwe could get a Custom Diorama child board as well, if you fine mods get the chance.

[CHEWIE]

Yeah, it was a vintage playset.  First released around 1978-79 as the interior of the Sandcrawler, then in 1984-85 as Jabba's dungeon.



 

[CHEWIE]

This in my opinion is one of the best pieces of work I've ever seen... Owen D's Ewok Village!



Check out his site, www.owenscustoms.com for more great stuff.

See any other stuff there on his site that blows your socks off?

 

[Ryan]

I'll have to agree with you there. The level of realism and detail is astonishing. Evey little stick looks like it was a full size log. I remember seeing this on his site awhile back and it still never ceases to amaze me.