G.I.Joe Redemption Custom Project Recap

Bonus Day

Collect Them All!

15-Pack



All Joes



Redeemed



Skull Squad





Public Service Announcement






Our artist and filecard writer Sam also wanted to share some of the likenesses he used on the character illustrations.
Zandar - Tom Hardy
Storm Shadow - Beat Takeshi
Dusty - James Brolin
Headcase - Charlize Theron
Scarface - John Saxon
Lt. Clay Moore - Daniel Kaluuya

And here are a few of his sketches from our early planning phase.
Mercer Sketch


GR.1.NT, who would become ECHO


Early Zandar ideas



Major Bludd


Skull Squad Trooper


Early Rip-It sketch

PHX Customs Presents... Resurgence: Redemption



For the last three summers, we at PHXCustoms (bucky, Dusty79, Oreobuilder and more recently DanoftheDead) have presented our little Joe-verse that we call GI Joe: Resurgence. Since 2014, it has grown in scope to include not only custom figures and vehicles, but packaging mock-ups, artwork (thanks Sam!) and story lines recounted through the file cards. In 2016, we concluded our first trilogy with a massive battle at Cobra Mountain that saw Cobra Commander defeated and most of Cobra captured and fractured. Following the roll out of Resurgence 3, we felt like we needed a break. However, we could not resist coming back to our Joe-verse for a short story that would introduce the next chapter of the Resurgence saga coming in 2018.

Our previous Resurgence chapters have been structured around a mock product line. This time, we changed things up. We thought it would be fun to give the Club a nod by building this project around a mock convention set. Over the course of the next 10 days, we’ll show off what we came up with for a main 15 figure convention box set, 2-pack, 3-pack, parachute figure and even a special members exclusive 3-pack.
Welcome to GI Joe: Redemption!

The PHXCustoms gang


Day 1: The Leaders

Mercer by bucky






















From the desk of bucky:
Mercer at first proved to be a difficult build. I knew I wanted the head seen, but the rest kept going in a million different directions, as I kept making builds I just was not happy with. Once I had the new 86 vest from MTF, I felt a lot better about the figure as a whole and it came together a lot better.

Parts:
Head: HACKS figure (thanks dusty79)
Vest: MTF 86 with add ons
Arms: 50th Snake Eyes
Legs: Retaliation Firefly/City Strike Snake Eyes



Major Bludd by bucky


















From the desk of bucky:
I was eager to tackle Major Bludd, as the head was a shrink from Angry Nomad Customs from last summer.
I went back and forth on the gear for Bludd and Mercer, at one point Mercer had the gear Bludd is sporting for the custom seen. There's been a lot of Bludd customs using this Marauder vest, and for good reason, it just has the perfect updated Bludd look to it. This particular custom is my first ever knee swap.

Parts:
Head: Angry Nomad Sideshow Shrink
Torso: Retaliation trooper
Arm: Star Wars Clone Trooper
Legs: 50th Hawk Upper Legs/Zartan Lower
Vest: MTF



NEXT: The Consultants...

Day 2: The Consultants

Storm Shadow by DanoftheDead




















From the desk of DanoftheDead:
When we were brainstorming characters for the project, STORM SHADOW seemed like a good fit due to his back and forth loyalties in the comics and filecard stories. I didn’t have a very solid idea for him other than “maybe in a white suit,” I just knew I wanted to make a version of him that wasn’t a Ninja look. The Rogue One head seemed like a nice match for a STORM SHADOW who is a little bit older, and once I test fit that one a suit body I really thought I had something going.

Parts:
Cherriut Imwe - Head
Shipwreck - Torso
Cobra Commander - Legs
Ace- Arms
Pops Racer - Jacket
Marauder’s - Tactical Tablet



Dusty by DanoftheDead
















From the desk of DanoftheDead:
I didn’t know about Dusty’s past as a COBRA until the new sculpt era release of the figure that came with a CD with those episodes of the cartoon on it. My brother got it for my birthday, knowing Dusty had been my favorite as a kid. I really like the idea that even though it was an undercover operation, it all still weighs pretty heavy on Dusty’s conscious. He always seemed like one of the nicest guys, and the Joes just HATE him in those episodes because they think he’s gone traitor. I toyed with a lot of ideas for a more civilian look for him, and I’m a little bummed I didn’t find a way to get a Greendale Air Conditioning Repair School t-shirt into this design, but I was pretty happy with the look I did come up with.

Parts:
Steve Rogers - Head, Gloves, Belt
Recondo - Torso, Arms
Airtight - Vest
Tunnel Rat - Legs
Wild Bill - Buckle
Army of Darkness Ash - Shotgun, Holster
Lowlight - Satellite Phone








NEXT: The New Team Part 1...

Day 3: The New Team Part 1

Headcase by Dusty79


















From the desk of Dusty79:
This is my solitary contribution to this project. I volunteered to reimagine this character as I really wanted another female custom to add to my ranks. I tried to include some nods to her past life as a Crimson Guard with the weapon and the boots. She is a very cool character and I really like the way she turned out.


Parts:
MTF Valkyries-head, torso, arms, hands
50th Lady Jaye-webgear
Renegades Scarlett-hips and upper legs
Retaliation Crimson Guard-lower legs




Echo by DanoftheDead






















From the desk of DanoftheDead:
One of my early ideas for the team was a reprogrammed BAT. Sam/doe138 did some great sketches and had some good ideas for the character that really helped flesh out the concept. I rebuilt his torso a few times before settling on this design, and adding as many BAT elements as I could. His chest plate can, in theory, come off to reveal the standard BAT guts, but the paint and decal more or less sealed it into place. I tried a few different heads before I had the idea to turn the Marauder’s armored mask into a BAT helmet, and I think it came out pretty great!

Parts:
Data-Viper - Head
Terminator Salvation T-700 - Torso, Shoulders
BAT - Forearms, Chestplate
COBRA Shock Trooper - Legs
Captain America - Boots
Sidon Ithano - Gun
X-Men Commando - Ammo Belt
Neo-Viper - Inner Backpack
Viper-Commando - Outer Backpack



Siren by DanoftheDead


















From the desk of DanoftheDead:
I think Sam/doe138 suggested Mara on a list of potential characters. Initially, I had a much different idea for her, thinking I’d use an Avengers movie Scarlet Witch as a base for a more civilian look. When Guardians of the Galaxy 2 came out though, I remembered how much I liked Nebula’s character design (and actress Karen Gillan). A lavender HACKS blank was the perfect place to start, and I found some great wetsuit like parts in my fodder that came together almost seamlessly.

Parts:
HACKS Blank - Head, Arms, Lower Legs
Mara Jade - Torso
Scarlett - Hips, Upper Legs
Cad Bane - Gill Breather


NEXT: The New Team Part 2...

Day 4: The New Team Part 2

Discharge by DanoftheDead


















From the desk of DanoftheDead:
I’ve been playing with a Left4Dead/COBRA inspired diostory idea for YEARS, and had the original version of what would become DISCHARGE sitting in my WIP box for almost as long. I like the idea of a TOXO-VIPER with just the lower half of his gear on. When this project came up, he seemed like a good fit, but it wasn’t until I asked for some name suggestions and Bucky came up with DISCHARGE that it all came together. It was perfect, a little gross but also a great double meaning. I decided he was just about the most unlikable person ever, and is always getting kicked out of anything he joins. The chemical pack was a fun, lets just glue tanks and hoses together and see what happens project, and I added the purple scarf as a callback to his TOXO-VIPER history.

Parts:
Zartan - Head
Joe Colton - Torso, Arms
Star Wars Pilot - Gloves
Resolute Beachhead - Legs
Winter Soldier - Boots
Major Bludd - Scarf



Ghost Bear by bucky




















From the desk of bucky:
A perfect fit for the project, Ghost Bear was a fantastically easy custom to do. Combining matching greys from a Neo Viper, Renegades Firefly and Lowlight, I have a Ghost Bear that is 100% pose-able. The head proved a bit challenging to figure out, until I decided to just sculpt the hair.


Parts:
Low Light/Neo Viper
Renegads Firefly Forearms
VvV Dusty gear
Avengers Hawkeye staff and pack
Goggles: Star Wars Maz figure



Road Pig by bucky


















From the desk of bucky:
An odd choice for the Joe side, unless you have read the original Marvel Comics run. Donald has split personalities, thus the idea of having the more intelligent and subdued one being dominant gave the character a Green Hulk/Grey Hulk type of storyline. I adjust the hair a bit, sculpting lightly to give him less of a flat top look, and added brown.

Parts:
Road Pig upper half
Arctic Destro Coat
50th Bazooka Thighs
Road Pig lower legs


NEXT: The Enemy...

Day 5: The Enemy

Calavera by DanoftheDead




















From the desk of DanoftheDead:
I can’t remember if someone else suggested EVY from the DIC cartoons or if I came across her and thought she’d be a good addition. The figure came together very quickly, and I thought the Skull Squad color scheme looked excellent on her. Her codename was SCAVENGER for a bit until BUCKY remembered Resurgence already used that name. I decided on CALAVERA, the Day of the Dead ornamental skulls, to go along with her Range-Viper mask and the Skull Squad theme.

Parts:
Zanya - Head, Lower Arms
Snakebite - Torso, Upper Arms
Lady Jaye - Upper Legs
Range Viper - Helmet, Dagger
Alley-Viper - Boots
Scarf - Beachhead



Firefly by Oreobuilder




















From the desk of Oreobuilder:
While brainstorming ideas for which characters to include in our set, I was trying to think of Joes or Cobras that switched sides. Firefly is not an obvious choice, but he was a Joe in the first season of Sigma 6 so I started with his armored look. I only used his S6 figure for inspiration. I did not want to copy it, so I changed the armor, uniform and color distribution. I tried to keep the Sigma 6 vibe.

Head: Avatar The Last Airbender
Mask: 25th Wraith
Torso, arms: PoC Beachhead
Hands: PoC Shock Trooper
Upper legs: RoC Ripcord
Lower legs: 25th Crimson Guard
Backpack: 25th Barbecue
Flame Thrower: Marauder with added scope and shotgun attachments


NEXT: The Enemy Army...

Day 6: The Enemy Army

Skull Squad Trooper by Oreobuilder














From the desk of Oreobuilder:
The Skull Squad has been on my to-do list for a long time, but has never been a priority. When we decided to make Major Bludd our Big Bad for Resurgence: Redemption, I figured that this was my opportunity to make a cool team for the good major. I wanted to make something that struck similar chords to the Club’s Skull Squad, but not have it be an exact copy. The head and helmet are call backs to regular Cobra Troopers, since Bludd’s forces are recruited directly from that division of Cobra. The PoC Dusty torso offers the armored vest look that I was looking for. The hardest part was to find suitable legs. I toyed with using 25th IG Destro legs to have extra tall boots, but decided to go a bit more tactical after seeing what Bucky was cooking up for Major Bludd himself.

Parts:
Head: PoC Cobra Trooper
Torso, upper arms: PoC Dusty
Lower arms: RoC Elite Viper
Upper legs: 50th Lowlight
Lower legs: Retaliation Snake Eyes


Skull Vipers Members Exclusive 3-Pack by Oreobuilder


















From the desk of Oreobuilder:
While planning out our fake convention set for this project, we wanted to include some troop builders similar to how the Club does. The "regular" Skull Troopers were no-brainers, but I felt that the set could use some variety in the troops. Major Bludd's forces are an offshoot of Cobra, so they would have similar equipment, uniforms and weapons. I used the recipe for my standard Resurgence Viper and adapted it to the Skull Squad. It's pretty simple, but I like the combo of the Vipers and Troopers to make the Skull Squad.

Parts:
Head: 25th Viper
Backpack: PoC Firefly
Torso, arms: Renegades Cobra Trooper
Legs: Resolute Snake Eyes


NEXT: The GI Joe Special Forces 3-Pack...

Day 7: GI Joe Special Forces Convention 3-Pack

Wreckage by bucky
















From the desk of bucky:
Making a figure like Wreckage is fun because outside of a few stying cues, you get free reign to make whatever you like. I decided to add the com piece to separate him a bit from the firefly/Beach Head type look.

Parts:
Head: Beach Head
Torso: Danger from the Docks Flint
Legs: %0th Dusty, pouches added
Gear: Comm Piece from VvV figure., Firefly webgear



Sabre Tooth by bucky














From the desk of bucky:
This is the second time I've made this character using this body. I sent the original off to a friend, so making another has been on a to do list for a couple years now. I switched the color scheme up a bit from orange to a leather brown, and am very pleased with the way it all came out.

Parts:
Head: Alley Viper
Body: Retaliation Trooper
Gear: 50th Snake eyes
Goggles: MTF



Grey Hound by bucky
















From the desk of bucky:
I wanted to create new character for the 3 pack, and the result is Grey Hound. I purposely chose parts that are easy to come by in the future, in the event I decide to make more versions of him. I wanted to go with a younger, more tech savvy, state of the art armored up Merc to join the ranks of unaffiliated Joe Mercenaries.


Parts:
Head: Mtf
Gear: Retaliation Snake Eyes
Upper Arms: Poc Beach Head
Lower Arms: 50th Snake Eyes
Upper Torso: Steel Brigade
Lower Torso: 50th Low Light
Upper legs: 50th Low Light
Lower Legs: 50th IG


NEXT: The Weapons...

Day 8 The Weapons

Attendee Vehicle - GI Joe Sparrowhawk by Oreobuilder w. Raven by DanoftheDead






























From the desk of Oreobuilder:
I have had the idea, recipe and parts for this vehicle set aside since Resurgence 3. The Sparrowhawk a vehicle that did not make it into that project for lack of time (we also ended up with a lot of customs - well over 100 - for Resurgence 3, so there was no rush to finish it). When we needed an "Attendee Vehicle" for Redemption, I assembled the parts, made the necessary modifications and finished it up.

Parts:
Chassis, rear assembly: POC Ghost Hawk
Engines, canopy, skids, missiles: 50th Skyhawk
Propeller, side wings: Wal-Mart knock-off military helicopter


Raven by DanoftheDead














From the desk of DanoftheDead:
Another character from the cartoon that seemed like perfect fit for the team. I thought the Pirates Angelica head worked pretty well from the character, and the Black Widow body was a great starting base. We were torn on if we should leave her in the STRATO-VIPER red, or paint her to match the in the team’s green color. I did a quick photoshop color swap and decide it was worth it to repaint her, though I may make a classic red version for my collection at some point.

Parts:
Strato-Viper - Helmet, Chestpiece, Hands, Boots
Black Widow - Base Figure
Angelica - Head



Medium Vehicle - Skull Raider w. Lt Clay Moore by Oreobuilder






















From the desk of Oreobuilder:
We wanted to include an enemy vehicle in our project. The VAMP/Stinger felt like a no-brainer since Major Bludd would have access to Cobra’s motor pool to arm his forces. I wanted to make it intimidating, so I gave it a heavy weapon, a platform for the gunner, an armored windshield, a crash bar and a Skull Squad color scheme.

Parts:
Base: 50th VAMP
Crash Bar, windshield: Playmobil
Weapon, rear platform: 50th AWE Striker


Lt Clay Moore by Oreobuilder












From the desk of Oreobuilder:
I see our Resurgence universe as a great way of not only introducing new characters, but also bringing back more obscure existing ones as well. While we were brainstorming which characters to include in the project, Lt Clay Moore, from the Sunbow ''The Traitor'' 2-part episode, came up. We went back and forth on whether to include him with the Joes or with Major Bludd’s team. He was so loyal to Cobra Commander in the show that we figured he would never work with the Joes. For the custom, I stuck close to the Club’s recipe (from Tanks for the Memories), but changed the colors to reflect his new allegiance.

Parts:
Head: RoC Heavy Duty
Torso, upper arms: RoC Neo Viper
Lower arms, lower legs: Retaliation Alley Viper
Upper legs: 25th HISS Driver
Straps: 25th Duke + RoC Snake Eyes
Helmet: Resolute Cobra Trooper


NEXT: The Cobra Mercenaries 2-Pack...

Day 9 Cobra Mercenaries 2-Pack

Zandar by bucky














From the desk of bucky:
Zandar seems to always be portrayed as the forgotten sibling in the family, and that idea and theme is continued in our universe. I tried to keep with a somewhat classic color pattern, and made him somewhat of a bladed weapon/knife expert. I believe that idea originates in the Devils Due run.

Parts:
Hood- unknown cast
Head-Zandar
Torso-snake eyes
Lower arms-kamakura
Upper legs-lowlight
Lower legs- kamakura



Widowmaker by bucky














From the desk of bucky
The winter soldier head was lying in my fodder box, and though it was too small for most Joe bodies, it seemed to be passable as a female. The idea here is a female assasin for Cobra, that is not a ninja, more or a commando.

Parts:
Torso/arms-shooter
Gauntlets- marvel figure
Upper legs-baroness
Lower legs-agent helix
Head-winter soldier







NEXT: The Endgame...