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CORUSCANT CUSTOMS
Figure and Diorama by:
Blue Snaggletooth
![SoME_5.1.jpg (28299 bytes)](http://home.insightbb.com/~coruscantcustoms2/SoME_5.1_small.jpg) |
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You
have seen this piece at several other points in this ongoing update,
but here it is in its complete state. The actual building facing, you
saw in update #2, has now been adhered to our first super structure.
The wooden base was removed with a coping saw once all plastered areas
had hardened completely overnight. After the structure was fully
assembled it was finally painted and all final decos were then
applied. This extra large structure will actually lend itself to
become 4 separate mini dioramas – the entrance to the
“water-house”, the garage/office area for Mien Rumba (the
Sullustan landlord), the first of several vender market stands and a
Jawa/droid trading area. |
![SoME_5.2.jpg (29418 bytes)](http://home.insightbb.com/~coruscantcustoms2/SoME_5.2_small.jpg) |
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This
slab of diorama is so huge I needed to take a photo from the back side
as well, to show you the total package. Before I applied any of the
final decos, I lightly sanded the entire piece giving it that old
tethered appeal. Then the fun started for this piece! The final decos!
The towers moisture veined toppers were made from sculpy and metal
coat hangers that I baked and then painted after hardening. The
mechanical structure on top of the vending area was made mostly out of
LEGO spare pieces with the base coming from some old GIJoe playset
from the 80’s. The canopy itself was made from straws, toothpicks, a
velvet patch, tons of super glue and then finally painted. This is
just one of several vending areas that you will ultimately see, that
“the land” is owned by Mien Rumba. Mien charges his venders
outrageous rent for their lot, but this is by far the busiest trading
area in all of Mos Espa. So 65% take-home isn’t all that bad. |
![SoMe_5.3.jpg (31938 bytes)](http://home.insightbb.com/~coruscantcustoms2/SoMe_5.3_small.jpg) |
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Here
you see the first vending area. This particular booth is managed by
Jira, the old woman who headed the warning of sandstorm to little Ani
and his powerful new friends. As a matter of fact that is her sitting
under the canopy. She was made from an Aunt Beru POTF FF figure with
dreads and total lower body made from sculpy. She just needs to be
sanded down a little and painted to be finished. But she still looks
good enough to sell some goods. And “the goods” is something she
specializes in. All of these goodies were made from sculpy, with only
a few exceptions. Jira is known throughout the entire city for having
the freshest varieties of dessert fruits and vegetables. She also
specializes in grains and grasses for personal cultivation. At some
point everyone in Mos Espa has shopped from or stolen from Jira. |
![SoME_5.4.jpg (25760 bytes)](http://home.insightbb.com/~coruscantcustoms2/SoME_5.4_small.jpg) |
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Here
is Mien Rumba and his swoop speeder parked at his business office.
This is where Mien appears to run his land brokerage business as well
as his other illegal secret ventures. The vending mall business is
mainly a front. Mien’s
primary call of duty is as a black market precious minerals dealer,
which is highly illegal. Mien used to be the leader of the renegade
swoop gang, Gloom Star. Now he utilizes his old affiliates in Gloom
Star to run these precious minerals between Mos Eisley and Mos Espa,
or wherever needed, which is extremely profitable and dangerous. Most
of these minerals are imported from Coruscant and Mein has several
connections there as well. Among Miens higher regarded accounts on
Tatooine are the likes of Jabba the Hutt and Watto, just to name a
few. Mien occasionally goes on mineral runs to date, but mostly leaves
the running to Gloom Star’s new leader, Bobot K’cin
(force-sensitive Bith), and the rest of The Gloom Riders. There is
plenty of profit for everyone. |
![SoME_5.5.jpg (23069 bytes)](http://home.insightbb.com/~coruscantcustoms2/SoME_5.5_small.jpg) |
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This
last shot is a side view. The two Jawas were fashioned into sitting
positions by carefully removing their lower halves with a coping saw
and rebuilding their lower portions with sculpy/super sculpy. After
baking the bottoms and allowing proper cooling time, I then adhered
the upper bodies to their new counterparts with super-glue and finally
the new sitting Jawas were painted their appropriate colors. You can
never have enough Jawas for a set like this and I have a couple more
to play with myself. I have some exciting scenes in the works for this
diorama and I am currently building a display stand for this entire
piece, I will post picks soon, so keep checking back. Until next time,
may the force be with you and happy collecting. |
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