G1 Lord Chumley Action Figure

crasis · 08-30-2009, 03:45 AM

"Drat! Outsmarted by a lorry! I am disgraced! But no more! For months I sat in that deplorable and uncivilized Soviet cell. But fear not, dear chaps, for with the help of my ever-so-resourceful manservant, Dinsmoore, I made my dashing escape. And not a moment too soon, I dare say! My desire for tea knew no bounds. Ha ha! And now I shall plot my revenge on the one trophy that got away...the head of the Autobot Optimus Prime!"

Inspired by the classic G1 episode "Prime Target," here is a custom figure conceived during a chance, sleep-deprived trip to a 24-hour CVS pharmacy late one night for a carton of milk. A casual peek at the store's rather weak toy selection revealed this gem: a Chap Mei Toys' "Dino Valley" figure set, featuring everyone's favorite evil scientist and game hunter, Dr. Skinnybones McButt! I kid you not. That's the dude's name. It's right on the packaging.

Now while Dr McButt's title and back story were certainly enough to have me lean towards coughing up $5.99, the similarities I began to notice between this guy and my favorite human G1 villain were downright shocking! A few minutes later, I found myself driving home with McBut--err, Lord Chumley at my side.

I'll be honest - I have limited skill with a paintbrush, so my wife took over on the painting duties. I art directed the process and brainstormed the whole thing, but she's really the magician that brought this to life with her brushes.

"Chumley never had a monocle!" you say? Given his character traits, it seems to just fit somehow. In my little world, this is a more hardened Lord Chumley – a man driven by revenge after serving some time in a Russian prison. Of course, loyal Dinsmoore managed to bust him out of the joint ("and take all these wonderful pictures, sir"), and the hunt for the ultimate trophy continued on with a renewed sense of vigor.

But wait... could it be?

"A good hunt is like a fine cup of tea: with every taste, you discover something new and surprising. Ha ha! With my cunning, grace and years of tribal study, I managed to bag my greatest trophy. There he is, lads! Beautiful specimen isn't he? Ha ha! We sure gave him a good thrashing, eh Dinsmoore? Good show!"

TO BE CONTINUED. . .

EDIT - ALL PICS ATTACHED.