Eric the Cavalier

The Dungeons and Dragons cartoon is my favorite cartoon and my favorite episode of it is "Day of the Dungeon Master". That episode has a lot to do with why I think Eric is my favorite character in the show.

Eric was supposed to be the complainer who is always wrong, in order to "teach" kids that you should follow the group. But kids are smart enough to figure out that Eric often had a point. He regularly calls out Dungeon Master for not being as helpful as he could be, while the other kids blindly follow what DM suggests.

As a kid, I definitely paid attention.

Eric was the comic relief character and portrayed as cowardly, but he always rushed into protect others. While some of the others were a little two dimensional, Eric had layers. I think that's why I like when he gets to be DM for a day. He gets a chance to show more of his character.

Finding a mini that had the armor and shield but no weapon was difficult. Even removing the weapon wouldn't work for many because the pose would be too aggressive. Eventually, I settled on the Human Cleric of Bahamut. I removed the pick and modified the shield a little. His right hand is a little awkward, but I like to think that's Eric trying to figure out how to make a fist.

Would He Stay or Would He Go?

Eric most definitely would take the portal back home the first chance he got but...I think he would regret it. He'd go back to school, go to college and start working in his dad's company and just be bored and miserable. But I like to think that DM would give him some way to come back to the Realm and Eric just might decide he missed the place.

-c

Sheila the Thief

Where Hank is the head of the Dungeons and Dragons gang, Sheila is the heart. And of all the characters in the show, she is the most out of place in the Realm.

While Sheila was kind of the team mom, and a bit overly emotional at times, she did her fair share of fighting as well. Instead of direct attacks, she used misdirection and tricks, which seems very thief-like.


The hard part about finding a mini that worked for Sheila is that a lot of thief type minis are armed or look way more lethal than I wanted. Or, they were in "sexy" armor that I also did not want.

Finally, I decided to modify a Heroclix Magdalena miniature I happened to have. I removed the weapons and added a skirt. She still looks tougher than the cartoon version, but not crazy.

I guess technically since her hood is up you shouldn't be able to see her, but you could have a big discussion about how exactly Sheila's cloak of invisibility works. Sometimes it seems to make her intangible, sometimes not. Or maybe she's just a fast runner.

Who knows?

Would She Stay or Would She Go?

Sheila would definitely go home. No question about that.

-c

Hank the Ranger

While G.I.Joe is my favorite property from my childhood, the Dungeons and Dragons cartoon comes a close second. In fact, if we just talk cartoons, the Dungeons and Dragons cartoon is my all time favorite cartoon.

I'm not sure what that says about me...

Hank was the leader of the gang trapped in the "realm" of Dungeons and Dragons and, let's face it, was kind of the boring leader guy. He's the Cyclops of the group.

It's also kind of interesting that for the oldest member of the group, Hank is the only character who doesn't have a love interest or at least have someone show interest in him during the cartoon's run. Even Eric had a queen almost marry him (although she *was* evil, so maybe that doesn't count.)

Anyway, for Hank, I modified a Heroclix Legolas, removing the quiver and adding Hank's collar thingy. I considered trying to make his awesome hair, but didn't think I could pull it off.

Would He Stay Or Would He Go?

Initially, the kids were all looking for the way home, but I think some might elect to stay in the Realm. Hank is a good fighter and has a strong urge to do good, but in the end, I think his sense of responsibility would make him return home.

-c

Jem - Lead Singer of the Holograms

If only I had this miniature ready a week or so ago so I could ride on the coattails of the Jem movie announcement.

Oh, well...

I think I've only ever seen one complete episode of Jem and the Holograms, but I've heard the theme song a billion times. I know when I was little, it came on after some other show I watched, and I always stuck around to hear the theme. It's a great song!

While I've never been a fan of the actual cartoon or dolls, I've always been a fan of the idea of Jem. Even as a boy, I felt like Jem was an improvement on the Barbie stereotypes and I can respect people who like it.

I didn't really set out to do a Jem miniature, but when I saw the Heroclix Dazzler based on her original disco look, I thought I could modify it for Jem. I tried to mod her skates into high heels and...well, let;s just say I tried and leave it at that.

Am I going to make the rest of the Holograms or the Misfits?

Anything is possible.

-c

Samus Aran - Bounty Hunter

In the original Metroid ending, Samus Aran removes her Power Suit and reveals that she is female and, for some reason, this is supposed to be considered a "surprise twist". I never really understood why though.

After all, I'd been reading and watching G.I.Joe for years and, thanks to characters like Scarlett, Lady Jaye, and the Baroness, I knew female characters could be tough, resourceful, and get the job done. The reveal that she was female was about as much of a shock as if the "twist" was that she had blue hair. I just thought it was cool and went on with my business.

Anyway, for Samus Aran, I used the Heroclix Omega Prime Sentinel figure and let me say: I think it's highly likely that Omega Prime Sentinel was directly influence by Samus Aran.

Which is weird because the name "Omega Prime Sentinel" sounds like an obvious Transformers riff.

Anyway, I opted to paint Samus Aran in a kind of hybrid look: part Power Suit, part Zero Suit.

Now, I just need to get some resin so I can make a Metroid...

-c

Karai - Shredder's Daughter

Or maybe I should call this entry "Miwa - Splinter's Daughter"?

Oh, spoilers, I guess...

I'm classifying Karai as a villain since she is still in the Foot Clan (so she's posed on the villain background) but I suspect that won't last forever.

I tried approximating her hair style on a Heroclix Scarab miniature, but you know what? Her hairstyle is kind of hard to do.

I know she normally only uses one sword, but hey, she a ninja. I bet she can use two just as well.

-c

Alpine - Mountain Trooper

Finally, the other half of one of the biggest Bromances in the G.I. Joe cartoon: Alpine and Bazooka.

When the figure came out, I would have never guessed that Alpine and Bazooka would become such prominent players in the G.I.Joe cartoon. I didn't think to much of the character when he first came out, but I think the cartoon helped me warm up to him.

Plus, he came with a sweet pick-axe that I bet saw way more action against Cobra than it did against a mountain.

For Alpine, I used the Star Wars Miniatures Antarian Ranger. He resembles Alpine pretty well and even has a gun that looks like Alpine's sub-machine gun.

The one thing I did skip though was Alpine's dorky goggles. Never liked that look.

-c