CUSTOMCON 33 ENTRY: THE DOCTOR IS IN

If hard pressed, I'd have to say that The Scarecrow is my favorite Batman villain. I love that, just like The Batman, Scarecrow uses fear, misdirection, and illusion as weapons, plus he's a brilliant doctor and professor who can go toe-to-toe intellectually with The Dark Knight. When creating Gotham's Most Wanted, I knew the line wouldn't be complete without him.

Produced in 2011, this piece actually pre-dates my Arkham-inspired Scarecrow, and was one of the first villains created for Gotham's Most Wanted. He is predominantly a GI Joe movie Storm Shadow and Cobra Commander legs, with the head from a godawful Mattel 5" Scarecrow figure from the Batman Begins line.

Since Gotham's Most Wanted is set in 1939, I went with a mad scientist-inspired design, like something out of the classic Universal Frankenstein film... just with a little bit of extra blood spatter. My take on the character is a twisted physician who experiments on his "patients" while they're still alive, in an effort to find the perfect fear toxin...

CUSTOMCON 33 ENTRY: THE MAN WHO LAUGHS

"1939. While the rest of the world is at war, Gotham City is engulfed in a bloody conflict of its own. Often ranked as the most corrupt city in America, it is a breeding ground for mobsters, serial killers, and costumed "freaks." The Batman fights the worst of the worst. They are GOTHAM'S MOST WANTED"... So begins my entry into CustomCon, which I had been wanting to enter since I first saw it online over a decade ago, probably at http://www.joeamaro.net. My work was showcased alongside amazing, professional toymakers like Josh Izzo, and complimented by my peers-- it was nothing short of a dream come true.

The Joker is one of my all-time favorite villains, so I've created a number of different incarnations over the years. This particular piece was created, easily, from a half dozen different toys, but the concept was very pure: use pieces I'd always thought would make a great, classic Joker. The head was Green Goblin, the vest piece from Mattel's godawful Infinite Heroes Joker (only usable part). The body was formerly a Microman figure, with the lower legs of Cobra Commander grafted on. To be honest, I went through so many different sets of hands that I don't remember where they were from originally.

I consider this Joker to be my take on the "classic" design-- drawing heavily from the character's first appearances, as well as actor Conrad Veidt, star of The Man Who Laughs and acknowledged inspiration for The Joker:

While this is my favorite rendition of the character I've done, it won't be the last. I'm currently wrapping up a piece for a friend, as well as takes on Ledger's chilling, unforgettable Joker from The Dark Knight, and maybe, just maybe one from the Arkham games... NEXT TIME: GOTHAM'S MOST WANTED CONTINUES...

BATMANIA DAY 5: GOTHAM'S MOST WANTED GOES LIVE!

Today is literally a dream come true: Strange Labs' entry Gotham's Most Wanted has gone live on the CustomCon site! I have been wanting to enter a CustomCon ever since I first saw it online over a decade ago! To view the entire entry and see the recipes, check out http://thefwoosh.com/2012/12/cc33-gothams-most-wanted-by-robert-strange

I WILL be posting up each individual rogue after CustomCon ends, so you can see Gotham's Most Wanted along with the rest of The Batman's enemies that have escaped from Strange Labs! In the meantime, please visit The Fwoosh and enjoy the con! http://thefwoosh.com/2012/12/customcon-33-day-three

BATMANIA DAY 4: "YOUR ANGEL OF DEATH AWAITS..."

Batman: The Animated Series is one of my favorite TV shows of all-time, and easily my number one cartoon. It premiered just before I hit junior high and I was completely obsessed, diligently VHS taping it every Saturday. More often than not, when I'm working on pieces, I have the DVDs on in the background. For whatever reason, the direct-to-video Batman movies don't get the credit they deserve, especially Batman: Mask of the Phantasm. The production is top-quality and Phantasm has one of the best costumes in Batman's rogues gallery-- what's not to love?

Produced in Winter 2012, Phantasm is primarily a super-poseable Darth Maul with an in-scale skull head from the Toy Graveyard and a removable kit bashed arm blade. While the colors remain largely intact, I took some liberties with the design-- I wanted more layered, ragged robes for a ghostly effect, topped off with a realistic skull. The metal skull mask design from the movie is amazing, but I felt it looked cheesy when I experimented with the look. I found a realistic-looking human skull would be genuinely terrifying and a believable first incarnation of the Phantasm costume.

I don't normally like real "soft goods" cloth at such a small scale, but when I walked past this figure in the store, I literally saw Phantasm in that little plastic bubble... I fell in love with the hyper-articulated Maul, and still feel it's the perfect base for the character. Ever since its construction, I've been wanting to use the same base for a very different hero...

BATMANIA DAY 3: "BANG. YOU'RE DEAD."

My first memory of Deadshot is as a kid. After coming back from a night on the town with my Dad that included a screening of Tim Burton's first Batman, my Mom gave me a little bedtime reading: a trade paperback of THE GREATEST BATMAN STORIES EVER TOLD. As the title suggests, it's filled with some of the best Batman stories ever, but I was fixated with Deadshot and that amazing design.

The hit man otherwise known as Floyd Lawton was produced in April of 2012 and consists mainly of 25th Anniversary Snake Eyes parts. The wrist-mounted machine guns were bits of weapons scrap from my workbench. His design is inspired by the look he's had for decades, as well as his appearance in Arkham City.

Now that I've completed Deadshot in his usual attire, I'm tempted to do my take on Lawton as he appeared in the Batman: Gotham Knight DVD movie: Dress suit with stylish hat, pencil-thin mustache, and high-tech sniper rifle.

"YOU'RE EITHER THE BRAVEST MAN I'VE EVER FACED, OR A COMPLETE FOOL, BATMAN!"

BATMANIA DAY 2: "WHEN IT COMES TO CLOCKS, I AM KING!"

Though the character has existed in various incarnations for over 50 years, my first exposure to The Clock King was his self-titled Batman: The Animated Series episode from the first season, where he became an immediate favorite.

Temple Fugate was once a top-earning efficiency and time-management expert in Gotham, until he got some advice that literally ruined his life. While on a packed subway car, Fugate is advised by well-meaning attorney Hamilton Hill to loosen up and deviate from his schedule, which sets off a chain of events that leads to Fugate being late for court and losing a huge settlement that ruins him. Fugate forever blames Hill and vows revenge as The Clock King.

Produced in June 2012, The Clock King was created from one of the scores of Men in Black III figures on clearance. Rather than go with the ugly brown-on-brown ensemble from his animated debut, I went with the more streamlined all-black look from later episodes.

Aside from his animated appearances, another major influence was Judge Doom from the 80s classic Who Framed Roger Rabbit. I specifically chose a smirking GI Joe head from the fodder Graveyard to add that extra bit of character and menace...

"I don't know what to tell you, Batman, except perhaps that the 9:15 is always six minutes early..."

NEXT TIME: "BANG. YOU'RE DEAD"... THE DEADSHOT RICOCHET...