Project: Aliens - Colonial Marines

[Blacktron]

When I was a child, I was a huge fan of the second Alien Movie - Aliens. I spend many hours in creating a Powerloader, APC and a dropship with my Lego bricks. Also I did start with my first Lego figure customizations at this time period. A few weeks ago I found some of these old colonial marines from my childhood in a box and started to think about, if I should try to rebuild those custom figures with my materials and sculpting skills of today.

I started to sculpt a Lego style colonial marines helmet. If this would turn out to be okay, I would make molds of it, to duplicate it many times, for an entire platoon or army of marines. After a few trys, I had sculpted a marines helmet I liked.

So I started to build two differnt versions of the marines body armor. I sculpted this and used a Lego Icehockey protection armor as a base. One of my two prototype version turned out to look like this:

Right now I have a mold for the helmet and I'm in the process of making a mold of the second body armor version. Combined with a brickarms pulse rifle, this is how my prototype parts look right now.

Just let me know what you think about it. Suggestions and critisim are welcome.

[tedbeard]

Sorry all I can say is...WOW! As a big fan of the movie and having seen the gear in person @ the Seattle Sci-Fi Museum you have done an amazing job of rendering these in minifig scale. You have also done really well to make it just detailed enough to look good on a minifig without getting too crazy detailed. Hicks, Apone and the rest will be ready to go thanks to you.

Edited July 13, 2011 by tedbeard

[Hoboman]

This is a great job. I think you captured the essence of the armor and helm while keeping the Lego feel as well.

I am very much looking forward to seeing your platoon when you complete them.

Wish you luck with the molding.

[Blacktron]

Thanks very much for your comments.

The pics I've posted are only work in progress. The green tone of the helmet and armor is only the greenstuff material I've sculpted with. The final color of the copied parts will be darker with a camo pattern on it. Also there will be a neck protection on the back end of the helmet. I've decided to make this thing a seperate piece, because it would be impossible to turn the heads, if it was part of the helmet.

When the copied parts are ready I have to decide which basic lego body to use for the figures. I still have problem deciding if I should use tan, dark tan or maybe sand green? The camo pattern of the movie marines includes all these colors. Also I really have a hard time finding some dark skinned heads for Apone and Frost. Lego didn't produce many, especially there aren't any in the new style of the collectable minifigures. In 4 series of minifigures (64 in total!), why isn't there any black guy?

It seems the only choise for Apone might be a Lando Calrissian head in the older style.

[Darkdragon]

Lego didn't produce many, especially there aren't any in the new style of the collectable minifigures. In 4 series of minifigures (64 in total!), why isn't there any black guy?

It seems the only choise for Apone might be a Lando Calrissian head in the older style.

Because all non-licensed themes are done in only yellow. Look at the NBA heads (most are inexpensive) and there are a few other lines with brown heads.

[Blacktron]

Okay, time for a quick and dirty update. It's still work in progress. I've made casting molds for the front and backside of the armor and for the neck protector. The molds work fine. I've painted the first, newly made armor parts, just to see how they would look like. Please excuse the bad picture quality. The pics of the next update will be better.

Edited July 16, 2011 by Blacktron

[Artifex]

Wow, great work you got there!

I also spent hours and hours building APCs and dropships after watching Aliens!

I got to say your customs are just terrific!

From the smile, I guess that's Hudson, isn't it?

[Gryphon Ink]

Also I really have a hard time finding some dark skinned heads for Apone and Frost. Lego didn't produce many, especially there aren't any in the new style of the collectable minifigures. In 4 series of minifigures (64 in total!), why isn't there any black guy?

Pretty sure TLG's ideal is that yellow minifig skin represents all races, as we've had two Native Americans, Japanese Geisha, Mexican Mariachi Player and Inuit Fisherman all in yellow. The Disco Dude and Rapper are also probably black. So just go with yellow for everyone, and your Marines are totally TLG-approved.

Really nice work on these pieces. Just the right amount of detail.

[Blacktron]

Thanks very much for your comments.

I'm very exited about this custom project and your feedback gives me a good feeling, that I'm going in the right direction with them.

From the smile, I guess that's Hudson, isn't it?

Sure! I agree with you. This face really reminds me of Hudson, who always was my favorite marine.

Pretty sure TLG's ideal is that yellow minifig skin represents all races, as we've had two Native Americans, Japanese Geisha, Mexican Mariachi Player and Inuit Fisherman all in yellow. The Disco Dude and Rapper are also probably black. So just go with yellow for everyone, and your Marines are totally TLG-approved.

To be honest, I don't think every creative decision of TLG has been a clever one in the past. I would prefer a dark skinned Apone and Frost. Do you know in which Lego Line these two heads have been released? http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=3626bpb212 and http://www.bricklink.com/search.asp?colorID=91&itemID=48740 I like them, but it seems the one with beard is almost impossible to find in my country.

Just the right amount of detail.

I know what you mean. My intension was from beginning to avoid overloading the figures with smallest details. But I'm not sure if I can keep this balance. Right now I'm thinking about a shoulder lamp for the marines and I'm not sure if I can resist painting all those tiny details like the names and logos on their armors.

Edited July 16, 2011 by Blacktron

[Paladin Hicks]

Blacktron... you are my hero!

The armor and helment are excellent and spot on with the ones displayed in the movie!

I personally have spent much time trying to create a perfect marine and found it very difficult. Sure Brickarms carries the pulse rifle, but the armor and and helments of the marines are very important as well and hard to reproduce unless you actually make them yourself, like you. As a huge "Aliens" fan myself these pictures of the figures decked out U.S.C.M style made my day!

Keep up the great craftsmanship and work and I'm eagerly anticipating your final completed marines!

Stay Frosty

Edited July 24, 2011 by Paladin Hicks

[Hoboman]

So I am curious, how the project is going?

I am really looking forward to seeing this project when you are done, but I would also like to see shots of the variosu stages as you do them.

[Blacktron]

Thanks for your interest. Right now I'm in the process of making chest armors. Also I've made a shoulder lamp and the mentioned neck protector. I don't need much more time. I only need some basic figure parts from bricklink and then I can assemble and paint everything.

@Paladin Hicks: Thanks very much!

It's great to see, there are some people out there who love the Colonial marines as much as I do. Maybe I can help you when this wave of figures is complete. Right now I'm building about 20 colonial marines and if they turn out to be okay, I might make the half of them available. Thats why I've made molds for every part.

Edited July 25, 2011 by Blacktron

[Hoboman]

The shoulder lamp looks great. The neck flap also came out nice. Great work so far.

[Si-MOCs]

Wow fantastic work!

No matter how many iteration I see/read of space marines or space army guys or whatever, in my mind the Alien's Colonial Marines are the defacto gold standard of what they should be like.

And these pieces really do bring them justice

I hope that you do decide to quasi-mass produce these as I think me and many other people would be interested

[Blacktron]

Thanks very much for your feedback, guys. I'm wating for a bricklink order for the figure parts and I think in about a week I can post some pictures of the final figures.

[Paladin Hicks]

These are beautiful Blacktron!

I just noticed how you detailed the pulse rifles too. Great detail, just great detail!

Stunning job! And these will be amazing once finished. I cannot wait!

Stay Frosty!

[Blacktron]

Don't take a to close look at the pulse rifle details, Paladin Hicks.

I few days after I painted about 20 of them, I realized that the red counter display is on the wrong side of the gun. That means correcting all of them...

When I took a look at my private hudson yesterday, I asked myself: How far should I play this game of painting details on his chest armor and helmet? I sculpeted some helmets with a cover (you can see it on the latest picture, second marine from the right) As far as I can tell, Hudson, Frost and Dietrich had covers on their helmets. Thats okay to do with the lego figure. But when I take a close look at the orignal armor of Hudson, all those smallest details. The calendar at the top of his helmet, the eight ball on the back. "Contents under Pressure", "Louise" etc. I'ts almost impossible to paint this on the small lego custom. I really should stick to the motto of keeping it simple.

Edited July 27, 2011 by Blacktron

[Paladin Hicks]

Don't take a to close look at the pulse rifle details, Paladin Hicks.

I few days after I painted about 20 of them, I realized that the red counter display is on the wrong side of the gun. That means correcting all of them...

When I took a look at my private hudson yesterday, I asked myself: How far should I play this game of painting details on his chest armor and helmet? I sculpeted some helmets with a cover (you can see it on the latest picture, second marine from the right) As far as I can tell, Hudson, Frost and Dietrich had covers on their helmets. Thats okay to do with the lego figure. But when I take a close look at the orignal armor of Hudson, all those smallest details. The calendar at the top of his helmet, the eight ball on the back. "Contents under Pressure", "Louise" etc. I'ts almost impossible to paint this on the small lego custom. I really should stick to the motto of keeping it simple.

Well the situation with the pulse rifles is quite unfortunate. I'm sorrry that happened. For all my self beleif in being a colonial marines expert,I didn't even notice the incorrect ammo counter. I was probably too amazed with the other great details to even notice.

And yes the various details of all the marines would be ,indeed, hard to recreate. It would look good if done correctly, but also perhaps bad if not. Its really up to you the ammount of detail you wish to incorporate. Regardless, they would still be great looking figures with or without.

[Blacktron]

Okay guys, latest update. I have 14 of these guys now. Painted, with shoulder lamps and weapons. What's left to do is finishing all 20 and then personalizing them. The only one almost finished is Apone on the right.

Edited July 31, 2011 by Blacktron

[Blacktron]

I've made a small amount of 5 generic troopers for sale.

If anyone of you is interested, I've made a thread to offer them. http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=58464

[Hoboman]

I've made a small amount of 5 generic troopers for sale.

They look wonderful and the detail you have added is great. makes me with I had the money to be able to buy them. They are worth it.

[Blacktron]

More than a year ago, I abondoned this little project. It was very time- and moneyconsuming to build those marines. I had ideas for more weapons and figures, but simply didn't have the money to buy so many basic figures, sculpting materials, making molds and so on. Now, more than a year later it looks different. I've found some great people who support this project and love the colonial marines as much as I do. There will be new parts and new figures in time. I did some photos to show the current status of my marines.

Hicks and Hudson:

Apone and Frost:

Dietrich:

Hudson in rage:

Group shot:

You can see the marines got their personal markings on their armor. Also there are some helmets with soft covers (Hudson, Dietrich, Frost) in a different camo pattern. This helmet is a new part. By the way, sorry Frost isn't black, I didn't have the perfect head for him.

I think I will expand this project. Motion Tracker will be next. Than a flamethrower. After that I will see if I can build the smart gunners and Drop ship pilots.

Edited December 27, 2012 by Blacktron

[kelvgoh]

Hey buddy, I have received the 7 pieces and I would have to say that the details are absolutely amazing. I thank you so much for making my Christmas perfect. Looking forward to more purchases. Thanks again!

[Crownie]

I love this movie so much; your minifig versions of the marines are great! This is the first time I've come across this post, but my mind was wandering the other day, thinking that the Fishface character TLG designed for The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle line would be a great 'starting point' for a Xenomorph. Minifig bodies always seemed to upright to be feasible. Not sure if you're ever heading in that direction, but I thought I'd mention it.

Hopefully your project is able to continue moving ahead, and I look forward to seeing what you create!

[Blacktron]

Thanks very much for the feedback, Crownie.

I haven't thought about aliens/xenomorphs yet. As long as TLG is not willing to make this guy:

http://legozz.tumblr...french-designer (end of the page)

I would probably sculpt a few parts like head, tail and tubes from the backside of the upper body, that could be attached to a regular black minifigure body. But a regular minifigure body would not be the perfect choise, of course. Not sure about using fishface.

Edited December 30, 2012 by Blacktron