Mastodawn

J. Steven York RESISTS May 16, 2025

I'm building a second "Minionmobile" prop for my "Minions at Work" photocomics which I'm doing for #PulphouseFictionMagazine these days. Almost finished. I just need to extend the roof supports to accommodate the larger figure (the golf cart I started with is about 1/10th scale, the figures 1/6th). Lots more info in the photo's alt text. Check it out.
#hobbies #minatures #actionfigures #minionsatwork #photocomics #toys #webcomic #hollowVolcano

Julien Lauber Mar 8, 2025

Yavé rien à faire :

Ready-homemade # 1 : Roman-canivo / Julien Lauber (2025) - 132 x 205 mm - colle.

Ready-homemade # 1 : Romansfield / Julien Lauber (2025) - 5.19 x 8,7in - clue.

#photocomics #romanphoto #decoupage #collageartwork #papercollage #collage #novella
#novellaslesbananas #blackandwhite #noiretblanc

J. Steven York Mar 6, 2025

I sometimes go to absurd and pointless effort making or modifying props for my "Minions at Work" action Figure photo comics. I enjoy it, and especially now (how about this failed timeline, huh?), I find it to be an anxiety reliever and mood booster.
I found this weird but interesting fashion doll sink (Maybe from the "Monster High" line? Just a guess...) in a thrift store. Originally the stand was black and the sink itself a dark pink. I gave the stand a weathered antique gold finish with acrylic paints, and tried to give the sink more of a natural sea-shell look. The drain was painted with metallic chrome and black brush markers (my first time using the, VERY nice!) and I also used the chrome marker to detail the faucet and valve handles.
Now it will go with the collection of set items for the evil steampunk submarine Naughtyless, belonging to supervillain Captain Rehab. Unlikely it will ever appear as more than a background piece, but maybe I'll think of something more prominent to do with it.

#MinionsAtWork #PulphouseFictionMagazine #actionfigures #fashiondolls #comics #photocomics #making #makers #minatures #dioramas #comics

J. Steven York RESISTS Feb 12, 2025

I'm late shooting another "Minions at Work" photo cartoon for Pulphouse Fiction Magazine, so I had to build this mad scientist lab this afternoon, and will be shooting tonight. These are some test and behind-the-scenes pictures.
#comics #photoComics #minionsAtWork #PulphouseFictionMagazine #actionFigures #MadScience #madScientist

J. Steven York RESISTS Dec 25, 2024

I love tiny tools to use as props for my "Minions at Work" photo comics. Imagine how thrilled I was to discover there are some REAL wrenches in useful sizes! The one on the leaf is a genuine vintage Sears Craftsman, made in USA! I've seen them called "ignition wrenches." Quarter and Minion Cat for scale. (The working slide caliper is a metal charm. Nice, but only detailed on the front side.)
#MinionsAtWork #diorama #actionFigures #tools #photoComics

J. Steven York Dec 16, 2024

Boy, I do some weird stuff for my art...
For close to 20 years now, I've been doing a photo comic using 12" action figures called "Minions at Work." Unlike a traditional cartoonist, when I want a new character, I don't get to just draw them, I have to BUILD them, or at least, kitbash them from existing components. This is easy if you just want a bunch of white guys. But women are MUCH harder, and women of color, or women with realistic figures and curves, are MUCH harder still than that.
For my purposes, I need (or at least want) realistic proportions, good poseability , durability (I've maintained some of these figures for the full 20 years), and hands that can actually HOLD stuff. Also low cost, because despite getting paid for my comics the last couple years, this is still, at best, a break-even operation.
Most Barbies are right out, though they have a limited "made to move" line that's pretty good for some things (hands are still bad). They also have a limited line with various figure types, though I don't know of any with both full figures and double jointed articulation. And BAD HANDS.
There are other various doll lines (some with oversized heads, but that's the easiest thing to swap out) that have some combination of the features I want. Articulation, durability, proportions, cost, skin-tones, but none are perfect. And while some have BETTER hands, almost none of them can easily be posed holding an object.
There are dolls and action figures that can be ordered from Asia that are highly (maybe over realistic, some would say) realistic, super articulated, with good hands available, if not included, (and if you're willing to order from sketchy Asian seller and wait a month or two for them to arrive, if they ever do) not that expensive. But most of them are HIGHLY sexualized, tiny waists, huge boobs, etc., etc. (Realistic nipples and genitals are NOT on my list of requirements.) Either that, or they're that creepy, anime, child-like waif thing (and the fact that many of these are ALSO anatomically correct totally creeps me out).
So I'm to the point of wanting a new female character or two. I'd like one a little older looking than the others, and with a realistic figure, maybe shorter as well (most all these dolls are on the tall side). And or one of color, also with a more realistically rounded figure, though not necessarily on the plump side (though could be). Two characters representing some combination of those characteristics, anyway. Got enough thin, youngish, white ladies for the moment.
And my frustration with this has brought me to the point of maybe Frankensteining together parts of various dolls and action figures to get what I want. So today, I found myself taking a Dremel with a cutting wheel to some doll type (thrift store finds, and I'm still tracking down the makers) with vary unrealistic torso proportions, but very well articulated, and plump, legs, and reasonably articulated arms. The hands are very realistic, but still can't hold things. But they're hard plastic, and I think I can heat-bend them to perhaps get a gripping hand.
So here I am, trying to split the torso open without damaging the arms and legs, in hopes of putting them in a more suitable torso, perhaps from the Barbie realistic body line. This is tricky, especially with no clues as to how the bodies are held together, and no idea what's inside. And here I am, splitting torsos open and prying them apart with CAREFUL brute force. There's a lot more engineering going on in here than I expected. This may be more challenging than I though. I might also be able to 3D print a new torso to order, but that requires a steep upgrade in my sculpting, and especially technical 3D design skills.
The adventure continues. But ladies (of color and not), I'm trying hard to give you some realistic representation in the forces of evil!

#dolls #FasionDolls #ActionFigures #actionFigurePhotography #MinionsAtWork #comics #PhotoComics #dioramas #makers #making #frankenstein #representation

J. Steven York RESISTS Dec 5, 2024

Detail from the newest "Minions at Work" photo cartoon that I just sent to Pulphouse Fiction Magazine. I've been doing this thing for 18 years now! Wow! The aesthetic of the comic walks a balance between janky toy crap, unnecessarily detail, and Easter eggs (That's regular super-villain character "Doctor Head-in-a-Jar lurking on the shelf behind the bar). Some details and thoughts in the thread...
(1/?)
#comics #photoComics #actionFigures #MinionsAtWork #Pulphouse #PulphouseFictionMagazine

Of Bookish Things Nov 27, 2024

#Dadaist_Fumetti (photo-comics)
#Dadaist #Fumetti #PhotoComics #Absurdist #AbsurdistTuesday #Dada #Dadaism #AbsurdistComicstrip #ComicStrip #Comics #BookIllustration #ComicIllustration

J. Steven York RESISTS Sep 29, 2024

Back at work shooting another "Minions at Work" photo cartoon for Pulphouse Fiction Magazine. Shooting on an improvised table in my shop/studio rather than the usual benchtop "mini-stage" in my office. I really need a bigger/better sky backdrop, but this was unplanned and I had to improvise.

#comics #photoComics #actionFigures #minatures #specialEffects #MinionsAtWork #PulphouseFictionMagazine