Interesting,

This is a beautiful work of art.
I love it!

Very original canvas, excellent in all ways, congrats, kudos.

Really cool!

Hey, I have to thank everyone for their feedback. I also love that there is discussion going on... but I think Batman has been misinterprated and unfairly attacked.
We on FR share our craft work of custom figures. Some of us art artist as well but well this is not an art forum it is a custom figure forum so we don't often see eachothers art.
You don't need to have a degree to comment on art. I have gotten more/better feedback from you guys here than I have on the art forums. If I can't make art that is accessable to everyone then it is rather pointless. So I do appreciate comments from everyone.

I think there is a difference between art and craft and there is a different function to the two. I see our custom figures as a craft and a legit one at that. This MightyMug I have used as a canvas for my art opposed to my craft like the hero rubber duckies I'v posted here. But I do not see myself or my work as better than you or yours. I am not a great customiser... a little lazy. But I am proud of this art work and I wanted to share it with you here. And I am very grateful for the comments and complemets I have recieved from you my peers.

See, toldja I'd get flamed! *grin*

For what it's worth, I don't see it as attack (mostly). I see it as debate, and I welcome it. No worries, and no hard feelings. Not upset with anyone here, just a spirited disagreement.

And for the record, I never said I had a degree. I said I had two years of art school (never finished), and it made me something of a art snob. I said that as a way of making fun of MYSELF (hence why I called myself "pretentious", not lording over everyone else. Sorry I didn't make that clearer. By no means do I see myself as superior. Quite the opposite, I feel a bit of a fool. Let's face it, is there anything more worthless than having an art history education? Because most employers these days don't think so!

original,cool,creative,unique and a bunch of other words(all good!) come to mind when I saw this,action figures are action figures no matter what they are based on,dreams,comics,food,its all good in the hood in my book!kudos for puttin it up here and great job on giving your dreams and imagination a life of its own!you should do a nightmare next,that would be a snazzy set

I agree, post what you want, just be prepared lol.

This is truly stunning. I don't feature my other art forms here. Simply because this is figure realm. as in action figure. So lets not forget that. There are so many talented artists here using and basing thier creations on, yes existing characters. But fantastic art in itself. So to you yahoos that think you have some negative outlook on this great and fantastic art form.... go to art realm or something. lol.

I knew someone would say it for me lol. I try not to get to "involved" with the politics, but yeah, this is FIGURE realm so please don't discredit the plastic pallette! Right on, Crazyhorse.

*smirk* I would LOVE someone to point out where I discredited action figures as art. By all means, I implore ANYONE to show me where I, or any other commenter, said the figures on this site weren't great art. Please, I beg you, show me a direct quote where we demonstrated a negative outlook towards custom figures.

Because I gotta say, I love good fiction as much as I love good custom figures and art.

Just post a God D@#m custom and keep it pushin. Like I said, "underlying premise" is BS. A pallette is a pallette. Did you hand craft that Mighty Mug also? Do graffiti artists make the spray cans, gas masks and buildings they use also? ACTION FIGURES ARE TOOLS/ Palletes. Hell, we se parts reused and reissued all the time by the biggest companies. Come on dude, yeah this is FIGURE REALM again, so why even try to over analyze this for what it is. People enjoying taking their action figures, talents and if ya real good wallets to new volumes! I have been to Art College and if I am going to critique something, I am gonna do it right. Yes this is a very pretty painting, very Alice in Wonderland to me, but the tone you set in your message is...."Iam super original for doing this, when everyone else is using someone elses ideas". That's what I get from your "contribution" to the Realm. I will now go to the BMW website and posts pics of my XBOX. lmao!

QUOTE: Just post a God D@#m custom and keep it pushin. Like I said, "underlying premise" is BS. A pallette is a pallette. Did you hand craft that Mighty Mug also? [...] The tone you set in your message is "I am super original for doing this, when everyone else is using someone elses ideas" That's what I get from your "contribution" to the Realm.

Whoa, whoa, wait a minute! Where did you get the idea that *I* felt super original? Why would *I* be hand-crafting the Mighty Mug? How is this figure *MY* contribution? In case you haven't been reading carefully (obviously), *I* didn't post this figure. It's not MY creation. I posted a RESPONSE to it, nothing more.

And I SPECIFICALLY included myself in the broader subset of people who DON'T make this kind of figure art. And I SPECIFICALLY said that the other figures on the realm are beautiful art. Just a very different KIND of art, with a substantially different motivation (desire to duplicate a character, desire to own a figure that you can't buy anywhere else, desire to sell at a profit). These motivations are FACT, you can't argue that they don't exist with most of the figures on this site, and there's nothing WRONG with that. I merely pointed out, this figure is very different and new because the sole motivation, and inspiration, is the creator's (Caenman, NOT me) own mind and imagination. Most folks here DON'T work from pure creativity (there are a few others, yes . . . LooseCollector, for example, makes a LOT of original characters), so I felt Caenman deserved special recognition.

I was complimenting a stand-out piece. I was NOT criticizing everyone ELSE. And I CERTAINLY wasn't tooting my OWN horn, because I didn't make it. *I* only make the same stuff almost everyone ELSE here makes, namely figures of other peoples' IPs.

Very awesome indeed!!

this is one of my favorite pieces on the realm for being in a representation of ones own art in a medium that many would not use, this is usually reserved for paper, canvas, etc. but the words of batman1016 and bakegirl display of comments/thoughts on this epic work, to the degree of how thought provoking and artistically masterful/wonderful only touch the surface, but are well deserved. I do not believe you can really critique art, only learn to appreciate it and this is a piece that stirs the soul and expands on what a custom truly is. I absolutely love this it is something I would not have invisioned, but glad to have seen it. It is mind expanding and worth high praise, I await more great art from you, I believe this is only scratching the surface.

hey, CFC, thank you I really appreciate the words and thoughts, and for just participating in a discussion that my work has provoked. Thanks

no problem love the site for customizing and come for the figs, dioramas, accessories and other inventive pieces and love the stuff that is in a category all its own (for talent, perspective, etc) or mindblowing as your piece is. I do agree with dbocustoms would love to see a nightmare), maybe reaccuring nightmare. I know your piece has sparked a debate, but this is a fig and a repaint, technically, but in a different artist way and not what we normally think of. Debate is also something that helps us all and allows us to see things that we do not normally see or think of ourself.

Refreshing 2 say the least! The Munny(?) is the perfect canvas while still makin' it an action fig! Did u start on this as soon as u woke? Aren't those gr8? Kudos 2 u!

Can someone get Batman1016 a drink please? I think you single handedly, thru your well thought out analysis, gobsmacked every single customizer on this site - starting with the very top of this heap and all the way down! You're absolutely right, all customizers do is make copies or tributes on pre-existing copyrighted characters. It's easier for us to appreciate and judge a custom on its quality and cool factor when there's a point of reference. But it's a whole different medium to actually set off and make something that's outside of that comfort zone. Yup, I have yet to see a work of art on this site that free flows from the mind as fluid and candidly as this particular one. This was brave, and done very poetically - in a visual way. Which makes it true art! Big props Caenman! Sure, there's been art done in this style before by other artists but I don't recall seeing them on this site. This is completely refreshing and might possibly be the breakthrough for a whole new way to interpret customizing! The contest idea is brilliant, but it would be near impossible to choose a winner due to the fact that most of us don't have an Art degree and would have difficulty navigating thru something abstract or purely interpretive. I mean, how does one judge something they can't understand? And as history has always shown, the genius is often misunderstood. But it would be a very interesting contest none the less - let's do it! No guts no glory, baby! cheers

hey Bakegirl thank you so much for taking the time to add your comments and thoughts on my work. I was not expecting this sort of responce though secretly did want it and it does warm my sole to see discussions like this taking place, so thank you

Hey bakegirl what makes you a judge? Have yet to see a custom from you. And the way you sound, you should not be on this site and get all irritated by the copycats here. Seriously put your money where your mouth is. Lets see what you got.

Crazyhorse I think you've misunderstood and you don't need to take offence to Bakegirl's comment. Peace and love

Sorry if I got abrasive. Great comments aroused by this piece though!

OMG Dude, The One With The Bridcage Is Awesome, Great Work My Friend!!!

Utterly beautiful.

I'm probably gonna get flamed for this, but whatever. Far be it for me to be a pretentious art snob (although I have two years of art school that says I AM), but I really feel this transcends the majority of what we see here on the Realm. Don't get me wrong, most of the customizers here are artists, many even highly skilled artists, but there's no question that what we produce is an extremely niche, geeky, obviously imitative (I hesitate to say "kitschy" but the shoe sorta fits), pop art genre that is only appreciated by a select few. We (myself included) generally make interpretations of copyrighted characters or existing people, oftentimes using pre-made base components where a good deal of the work was done for us in the existing sculpt of the figure. And while we put all the skill we have into our work, our hearts and souls, and what we create is very much art and beautiful in its own right, there's always that underlying premise. We make copies. We make tributes. Often, we're making a product, to be sold not to an art collector, but to a pop culture enthusiast. It's art for a premeditated, specific purpose, basically pop-art deco. Fanart indeed.

This . . . this is art for art's sake. The heart and mind running free on, for all intents and purposes, a blank canvas. Unfettered imagination. And I think it's marvelous.

Hey mods? We should make THIS a contest! Create a dream. Build an imagination, paint an idea, sculpt a free-flowing mind. I think it could be EPIC.

Batman, thankyou for sharing. I must say it does mean a lot to have feeback from my peers, and this is more than I could have hoped for. So, thank you

Ahha wow, omg I love it!

interesting. Nice paint.