Kirby Dark
2002
Milliput, wire, tin sheet, clear plastic, acrylic paint
2" tall

I made this as a combination Christmas and birthday present for my roommate. His most common online username is "Kirby Dark," and when I asked him, he explained the joke behind the name. Kirby evidently is this pink puffball Nintendo character. One of his special powers is that he can swallow opponents, and spit them back out. In doing so, he steals some of their powers and physical characteristics. The second half of the name was attributed to the Perfect Dark (also Nintendo) game. So, "Kirby Dark" is what Kirby would look like after he'd swallowed a Perfect Dark security goon.

This is the base Kirby figure. He started life as a tin-foil ball covered with milliput and sanded smooth. The limbs were similarly milliput over wire forms, which were then pinned and glued pre-drilled holes in the body. Then some primer, some paint, some sealant, and voilà! Kirby. Notice his right hand is formed to be able to hold a gun.

The helmet is quite a bit more complicated. The initial framework was made out of wire and strips cut from a tin can. The facemask was a sheet of clear plastic cut from a blister pack that little doodads are packaged in (like screws, or pins, or what have you).

An initial thin layer of milliput was used to fill in the helmet. What followed then was a cycle of sanding, followed by adding on forms using tin sheet or milliput, then more sanding, and so on, until the helmet's shape was complete. It was finished with priming, painting and sealing.

Here's Kirby Dark with his removable helmet. The gun was supplied from a toy kit.