Custom McFarlane: Jim Leonhard figures

I have a customer who is a HUGE fan of Jim Leonhard. How can you blame? Leonhard is a highly underrated player and just a great guy. A true footballer. This batch is go along with Wisconsin Badgers version I did a while back.

These figures represent Leonhard's professional career thus far; his rookie & sophomore season with the Buffalo Bills, his 1-year stint with the Ravens and his current role with the New York Jets. Leonhard is now a free-agent so we may see yet another figure in the future.

(Click image to enlarge)

 

Custom McFarlane: Percy Harvin • Florida Gators figure

My first Gator! I've always wanted to work on a Gator figure so I was excited to get this commission. This represents Harvin's freshman year - the year he wore #1 rather than #8.

Welcome to 4Star Customs

Welcome! I specialize in creating custom football figures that capture any player, any pose & any moment.

What is a custom football figure? McFarlane Toys began producing football SportsPicks figures (see here) in 2001. Each year about two dozen players from the past and present are featured in McFarlane's lineups. Big name players and popular players in big markets are showcased. But what about the semi-stars or stars in smaller markets that may never get a figure? That is where Customizers come in.

Using a McFarlane SportsPick figure (see here) as a base, the figure is then stripped down, reprimed and repainted.

(click to enlarge)

A few customizers, like myself enjoy going beyond the repaint. Additional sculpting, part swaps and some ingenuity help create something truly unique to add to your collection.

(click to enlarge)

Are you ready to add to your collection or give that perfect gift for your sports fan? Email me at 4StarCustoms@gmail.com with your idea and I'll get back to you with a quote. Thanks for looking!

DISCLAIMER: Sports Customs are created for indivdual display and ownership. Mass production or replication of pieces is refused when requested by the customer. Every custom created is an individual and has its own inherent design attributes. These items are created and sold as specialized art pieces and not mass produced for retail sale. This blog serves as an online display portfolio and none of the items on this site are for sale. All items are made to order by request. All the logos and trademarks are property of their respective owners. 4Star Customs is not affiliated with McFarlane SportsPicks or McFarlane Toys.

Coach Ditka sends Walter Payton onto the field.

As a Packer fan, this project was VERY tough to work on. I grew up just despising Coach Ditka but fortunately I also grew up admiring Walter Payton. Never one to back down from a challenge, I thought this commission would both push my talents as well as provide a great piece for someone's collection.

So, here are my custom Walter Payton and coach Mike Ditka McFarlane figures.

(click image to enlarge)

 

 

Are you ready to add to your collection or give that perfect gift for your sports fan? Email me at 4StarCustoms@gmail.com with your idea and I'll get back to you with a quote. Thanks for looking!

GO PACK GO! Undefeated Edition!

The Green Bay Packers are currently undefeated at 11-0 and I couldn't be happier. To celebrate, here are Aaron Rodgers and Clay Matthews doing their marquee celebrations.

First up is a custom Aaron Rodgers McFarlane Sportspick figure "putting on the championship belt" (or doing the "discount double check").

(click image to enlarge)

 

Next up is a custom Clay Matthews McFarlane Sportspick figure down in the "Predator" stance. I worked on this figure for MONTHS to get it right. Lot's of sculpting and scratch-building. The helmet was even sculpted to match Clay's revo-speed helmet that he wears.

 

Are you ready to add to your collection or give that perfect gift for your sports fan? Email me at 4StarCustoms@gmail.com with your idea and I'll get back to you with a quote. Thanks for looking!

Collegiate Stars: Custom Jim Leonhard & Desmond Howard McFarlane Sportspick figures

Leonhard was a walk-on football player at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, having received no Division 1-A scholarship offers out of high school. Noted for his speed, leaping ability, and sure tackling, he totaled 21 interceptions (tied for the most in school history) and made 281 tackles. He was regarded as one of the best collegiate punt returners in the nation and held the Big Ten Conference career punt return yardage record with 1,347 yards until 2006.

Jim was an undrafted free-agent with the Bills, later played for Baltimore and currently plays for the Jets.

This figure will be 1 in a series of 4 highlighting his career.

(click image to enlarge)

 Next up is Heisman trophy winner Desmond Howard. This is my second Howard figure.

 

Are you ready to add to your collection or give that perfect gift for your sports fan? Email me at 4StarCustoms@gmail.com with your idea and I'll get back to you with a quote. Thanks for looking!

Go Pack Go Part II: Custom Green Bay Packer McFarlane Figures

I recently finished a large batch of Custom McFarlane Green Bay Packers.

Clarke Hinkle • Fullback (1932-41)

Clarke Hinkle was one of the most versatile players in league history, playing fullback, linebacker, punter & place-kicker.

In 1940 and '41, Hinkle led the NFL in field goals made, hitting 9-of-14 and 6-of-14, respectively.

Hinkle was a fierce linebacker, gaining a reputation as one of the few players powerful enough to bring down Chicago Bears great Bronko Nagurski.In fact, Hinkle so won his rival's respect that Nagurski delivered his induction speech at Canton in 1964.

Hinkle was named to the NFL's All-Time Two-Way Team in 1994.




































































Tramon Williams • CB (current)

Tramon had 6 interceptions in the regular season but it was his three on road during the Playoffs that inspired the first custom. Tramon ended the Eagles comeback by intercepting Michael Vick in the end zone to secure the Packers a win in the Wild Card playoff game.

In the Packers' second playoff game in Atlanta against the Atlanta Falcons Williams had two interceptions in the first half. The first of these was a touchdown-saving interception in the Packers' own end-zone, the second was an interception just before halftime which Williams returned 70 yards for a touchdown.






















































































































































































B.J. Raji • Nose Tackle (current)

Nicknamed "The Freezer", Raji was a first round draft pick by the Pack in 2009 and soon became a fan favorite. On January 23, 2011, in the fourth quarter of the NFC Championship Game at Soldier Field, Raji intercepted a pass from Bears third-string quarterback Caleb Hanie and returned it 18 yards to the end zone, marking Raji's first career interception and touchdown. It also broke William Perry's NFL record for the heaviest player to score a post-season touchdown at 337 pounds.

Custom McFarlane: Jason Taylor • Dolpins, Jets Redskins

Jason Taylor is just a spectacular player and athlete so I was excited to get this commission. Here is Taylor in Dolphin's orange, Jets and Redskins jerseys.

Ideamine Still At It

I apologize for all this Ideamine nonsense. Ever since I pointed out his plagiarism on eBay, he's been insistent on attacking me. This man has launched a twitter, facebook and blog campaign against me as well as sent veiled threats at me via the comments on this blog.

Please note that despite the blogs he's set up, I in NO WAY endorse this person. This man has stolen images from talented and legitimate customizers and passed them off as his own.

He's never denied this nor tried to dispute it.

Instead, he puts all his efforts into attacking those who have tried to bring light to the subject. Please note that we have been working with authorities who are looking into these threats and plagiarist acts and we can only hope there is resolution soon so that we can all just go back to enjoying customs.

I apologize for the inconvenience. Let's just get back to making great custom works of art!

I thank all of you have supported me with emails and PMs!

Custom McFarlane: Chuck Bednarik KOs Frank Gifford

Charlie Conerly, hit Gifford out of the backfield over the middle and Bednarik slammed into him 15 yards downfield, hitting him in the ribs. Gifford's head hit the ground and he immediately lost conciousness.

Chuck Bednarik then stands over a prone Frank Gifford, his right arm high in the air in celebration, a 1960 version of a fist pump. It is was a perfectly legal hit, even by today's far more stringent standards -- a blow to the ribs that was so hard that it knocked Gifford's head to the ground, causing a concussion.

What caused the biggest ruckus was the picture of Bednarik, the Mack Truck, giving the impression, particularly in New York, that he was celebrating the unconscious state of his rival's star player. Celebration. Yes, because Bednarik's teammate Chuck Weber had recovered the ball to clinch the game. Celebrating the injury? No way, says Bednarik.

"I was thinking 'this f---in game is over,'' Bednarik says. "It appears from the picture that I was gloating over him. I wasn't gloating over him. I had no idea he was there.''

This is probably my new favorite custom to date - it was by far the toughest one I've made! I scoured the internet to find as many reference photos as I could to get every detail as close as possible. Chuck's facemask was completely scratchbuilt from wire. I hope you enjoy seeing it as much as I enjoyed making it!

What to look for in a Customizer

Finding the right customizer can be really tough. As this hobby grows, new artists pop up every day. Some are excited at merger of sports and art and others may just be trying to make a quick buck. If you don't choose me as your customizer, I hope you find the one that's the perfect fit for you. Here are some things to look for:

• 1. A Picture is Worth 1000 Words

Take a close look at the pictures the artist provides you. How well can you see the details? If the work is good, the artist won't be afraid to show the item in all it's glory with a few close-ups thrown in. Poor customizers will purposely shoot their items from a far distance and/or shoot at only certain angles to hide flaws and poor quality. Don't be afraid to ask for better pictures.

• 2. You Get What You Pay For
  

Price is a tricky factor. Every artist is going to put a value on their work as well as a value on their time. A customizer with a lot of free time may put a lower value on their time than a family man. Generally, the more expensive the custom, the more detailed it's going to be. Straight repaints of existing figures are the least expensive options but you'll be limited to the equipment details of that base figure. Custom poses definitely cost more but will allow the customizer to add every last detail you are looking for. Also, expect to pay a down payment.

• 3. Turn Around Time

Turn around time can be hard to predict. It could be 2 weeks or it could be 3 months. Don't be afraid to ask how long it will take but understand the wait can be long. Most customizers have several customs in the works for different customers at any given time. Where you are in the queue will affect the finish time. There are very few full-time customizers so the amount of time that can be spent on the craft will effect turn-around. The biggest key is open communication, be sure you can find a customizer that will keep up to date on where the project is at.

• 4. eBay

eBay can actually be a good place to find customs at a low price but see point 1. I know some great customizers that sell their works on eBay and I know some complete hacks that sell on there as well. Why would a good customizer sell on eBay? The answer to that is freedom. My work is 100% commissions so the figures I make are dictated by the customer. A lot of artists don't want to be bound to that, they want to make stuff that really excites them. eBay allows them an outlet to sell their work when it's finished. The artist knows that if you really like the work, you might make a request for one later. A lot of customizers build quite the customer base from eBay. But, for every artist truly excited about their craft, there is one out there just trying to make a quick buck. Let the pictures be your judge and don't bid on anything that seems questionable.

BUYER BEWARE: Ideamine at prosportsfigures.com

*I hate having to put up a post like this but I want everyone to beware of a customizer that goes by the name Ideamine at http://www.prosportsfigures.com and on eBay at http://myworld.ebay.ca/ideamine

Ideamine is stealing images of other customizers work and passing it off as his own on eBay.

Below is the image that Ideamine is using in an auction. He is claiming that he is the artist who made these. I personally like how he tried to photoshop his fingers into the photo.

















Here are the original photos below. Look familar? Ideamine stole these images from www.bluechipcustoms.com from the artist Matt aka Jamf79. Matt is a long-time customizer and I consider him a friend. Matt has always gone out of his way to help me become the customizer that I am today. He is a true artist and does not deserve this. The sports customizing community is a very close group and we watch out for each other.















This is not the first time Ideamine has stolen another artists photos. Ideamine did the same thing a few months ago with a similar Cowboys custom. Ideamine stole the photos from another great customizer AND veteran Erick aka ect22. Stealing from another artist and passing off the work as your own is the lowest you can go if you claim to be an artist.

My guess is that he has multiple eBay accounts or possibly friends who then bid on it, "win it" and then leave him glowing reviews in an effort to try to make him look more reputable. He has been reported multiple times to eBay but still continues to do this.

Ideamine has been selling "customs" on eBay for years now. They usually consist of just taking one or two existing figures and slapping brown & green paint on them for mud and grass stains.

He has also been known to purchase other customs from REAL artists and then pass them off as his own in later auctions. When he tries to actually attempt a real custom and change numbers/names on figures they are done poorly with paint (rather than decals) and then photographed in a way as to hide the poor execution.

Ideamine has a unique style all his own. This post is not to bash the work that is truly his own. But when you look at the stuff he produces, you can clearly see it's the work in the auction.

A year or two ago he took the head from a Tomlinson Series 16 figure and put it on the body of a Tomlinson series 12 figure. He then tried passing this off as a "rare factory error" and a "one of a kind" figure on eBay. It took a cease and desist letter from McFarlane to get the auction pulled.

The deception does not stop there. His website is full of very questionable testimonials. Does this sound legit...

“In this day and age, it’s hard to find a company you can trust. PROSPORTSFIGURES.COM was recommended to me by a friend, and now I know why – the quality of sports figures and custom design sports figures I received was outstanding. Keep up the good work!”

Mike Taylor

My personal favorite is the guestbook entry by none other than Todd McFarlane (creator of McFarlane NFL sportspick figures) himself, yeah right.

Todd McFarlane: Owner of spawn.com & mcfarlane.com & everything Mcfarlane makes in the sports industry. said on May 10, 2011 6:38 PM

I notice that people on my spawn.com forums talk about the way you do custom figures & I just want you to know to just keep on doing what you do, & you will continue to get better at what you do with practice. I want you to know also as a designer that the things people say negative will make you better. I like the ideas you have with the figures & to me your work is cool dude. People use to think my work was crazy but you see I prove them wrong. Keep up the good creations!

I had NO PROBLEM with this person when he was just making poor customs for eBay. We all have different skill levels. But I will not let him steal the work of customizers whom I respect and admire and let him try to pass them off as his own.


****** NOTE *********


At the request of IDEAMINE, I've removed the photos of his "customs" from this blog. I believe he received his "cease and desist" notice from his hosting company for using my logo/banner on his website.

What this man fails to understand is what misrepresentation is. I put his photos on here and gave him FULL CREDIT FOR THEM. I did not say they were mine. Ideamine on the other hand, posts OTHER peoples work and takes credit for them. Ideamine takes pictures of other peoples work and tries to make money off them on eBay! That's the difference, he's a fraud.