Creating customs with Ithorian Chronicler
For many of us, such a big part of growing up with Star Wars was the hours of fun spent recreating the movies, or our own stories, with action figures of our favourite characters. Growing up I remember having endless fun with my Original Trilogy action figures, like Luke, Vader and Boba Fett, and later picking up some prequel trilogy characters like Darth Maul on his speeder bike. But what do you do if your favourite characters don’t have action figures?
I think most people would probably cross their fingers for a figure in the future, and take what you’re given in the meantime, but not the Ithorian Chronicler. Part of the creative custom figure hobby, he’s taken things into his own hands! I really enjoyed chatting to Ithorian about his Star Wars journey and hobby.
Ithorian grew up collecting a bunch of Star Wars figures from the 90’s, with early memories of sitting in a cardboard box ‘theatre’ with his cousins watching The Phantom Menace. A love for the outdoors and nature inspired a vivid dream of swimming to Otoh Gunga, which in-turn inspired a strong desire to get into the whole Star Wars saga.
In a retrospectively regrettable turn of events (familiar to many collectors!), Ithorian sold his figure collection as a teen, via yard sale. Mostly Prequel figures, and some Original Trilogy favourites like Luke, Vader and Leia. Not to forget Momaw Nadon, aka ‘Hammerhead’, from Ithorian’s namesake species and the Cantina on Tatooine. Now returning to collecting with a vengeance to rebuild his collection, Ithorian has two main focuses; the Jedi, being a light side fan; and of course…Ithorians, building from the legacy of Momaw! But, there’s a twist.
A fan of characters from wider media, and lesser known content that we’re unlikely to see in the movies or on TV, Ithorian didn’t want to settle for the figures that can be bought off the shelf - although he accepts these are great. He’s got the bug for customs, and bringing to life some of the huge number of cool characters that don’t yet have figures, or maybe never will. Including the satisfaction of building characters of his own design and imagination.
So where do you start? Well ‘kitbashing’ is the art of starting with parts from existing figures in your collection, and/or buying figures with specific parts you want, mixing and matching until you have what you need for a project. For example, Ithorian is working on a ‘Sha Koon’ build, Plo Koon’s niece, which involves starting with a Plo Koon head and Padme Amidala body.
There’s a bit more to it than this, with a bit of ‘boil and pop’. This is a method of dipping a figure into freshly boiled water to loosen up joints you need to separate. After about half a minute in the water, or more for bigger parts, the figure can be more easily gripped and pulled apart. Word to the wise, and shout out with an R.I.P to Yaddle, pull parts straight apart - not at an angle - to avoid breakage!
An exacto knife and dremel are then invaluable tools to shape parts to fit their new joints. The alternative is glue, but this restricts movement and so isn’t a method of choice for Ithorian. Once a build is assembled, a fresh paint job can be a big part of the process and can make all the difference. Model paints, like those used for Warhammer do the job, and can turn an Episode 1 Obi Wan into a Pantoran Jedi apprentice in no time.
I can imagine custom figures command a bit more sentimental value than your typical off the shelf figure, and Ithorian finds it hard to pick a favourite. His Gran Jedi Master, and Cin Drallig (head of the Jedi Temple Guard, Clone Wars and Revenge of the Sith), are some of his favourites but the fun he’s has doing everything so far is clear. Finding the time, unlocking the creativity, and committing to the process of creating a character must make the end product rewarding.
The limit is more or less your imagination, and Ithorian doesn’t plan on slowing down. His goal is to continue expanding his collection with some cool, quirky and unique projects, characteristic of his style. An Old Republic Ithorian Jedi, a Max Reebo Jedi (yep you read that right!), and Serra Keto (Cin Drallig’s Padawan). I’d recommend a gander at Ithorian’s Instagram page, I’ve learned a lot about customs and about some characters in Star Wars I didn’t know existed. Plus its always great to connect with somebody who has similar memories of growing up with Star Wars.
MTFBWY
