12.22.2012

Color Mechanicals: Buildman

The Buildman Gendrone design is probably one of the stranger things to have popped up in the Glyos System since we started. With its asymmetrical limbs and backpack parts, this odd duck was the first figure to really embrace the "buidling" aspect of line. Buildman was truly the first sculpt specifically created to be as interchangeable as possible at the time, with the fit function appearing in many new locations. In contrast, Pheyden was originally engineered for just the most basic of parts swapping, focusing more on looks than functionality.

Buildman's entry into the range signaled an overall shift to more customizable figures, with clearer attention being paid to the pure building potential within each specific piece. These developments kept things moving towards an increasingly modular design aesthetic.

When Marc and I were getting ready to make the color mechanical guide for this character, we ran into a small timing issue, and were subsequently saved by the razor sharp talents of Banimon's creator, Boris Savic. Boris took my original line drawing and converted it into a completely swappable, fully realized AI file.  Marcus then pushed the elements to completion and another set was ready to use.

The above Buildman Gendrone mechanical has a extra special place over here because of the contributions Boris made to the file.

Speaking of Boris, he has a brand new selection of his Banimon figures on track to be released tonight, December 22nd, at 9:30 PM EST over in his store. The new colors look awesome and really capture the vibe of his comics and heritage.

Thanks again for saving our butts all those years back, Boris! Long live Banimon!

GlyosMechanical-Buildman.pdf




Posted by Matt at 2:50 PM
Tags: , , , , ,

5 comments:

  1. rockettubesDecember 22, 2012 at 9:45 PM

    Are the Ranics made of the same material as the original Founders? I hadn't used mine in some time and had dug them out after having fully disassembled them and found the sockets nigh-impossible to reassemble... I should try a hair dryer or something.

    Got my Armovor in, love the gold and black. It reminds me of the Hero Factory exclusive Space Gliders we did at Palisades (one of the few series 1 figures that were not mostly screwed up by the factory manager's scam). :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. MattDecember 23, 2012 at 11:25 PM

      Those first Buildman figures definitely had a higher durometer, as well as slightly smaller female fit functions. It took a bit to get the balance just right (I'm still tweaking that mold).

      The Hero Factory Space Glider came with the card set, right? It's still one of my favorite things that you guys did. I look at the Palisades stuff I have all the time. It's so crazy that any of it exists! Even with the quality control issues, I love all of them and consider each piece very special.

      Delete
    2. rockettubesDecember 29, 2012 at 3:00 AM

      Interesting bit of history in those parts then! :D I really liked the initial release as a building set, too.

      Yes, that is the one! He came out pretty nicely (somehow!), although my own bias favors the series 1.5 "Commander" Glider with the comic-inspired colors. :D

      Thanks, I wish it could have been without those issues, but it was still a blast and I feel the same way!

      Delete
  2. VisualocityDecember 23, 2012 at 12:13 AM

    Kudos to Boris! I know from too much experience the sometimes tedious work involved in turning hand drawn or CAD lines into vector AI files.

    I picked up two of each in my first Banimon drop participation tonight. Can't wait to get them in my hands!

    ReplyDelete
  3. PjDecember 23, 2012 at 2:43 AM

    Long Live Tesla!

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)