Okay, I got this Figure at a garage sale back in 05. I looked like a chew toy for a dog. Its hand and hair was chewed off. But I knew I'd model this after an independent wrestler that goes by "The Boat hand" Vinny Rattlocke. He wrestles for leagues in the midwest. He's apart of a stable called Team Action Figure. It is a group for wrestlers that follow Dr. Steel, another figure I've done.

The customizing was fun. The body was a whole repaint. Tulip paint was used for the hair, wristbands, pants accents, facial hair, and accents on the mask.
The mask was made with neon yellow pleather, and glued to the face.
the hardest part was to make the boat for his hand. I waited on this for almost a whole year. Finally I saw a toy at the dollar store that was perfect, but it was a jet. So, I hacked it up and added some Fixit Sculpt and attached it to the hand. Then, used a little more sculpt for the belt buckle, painted it yellow, and added the TAF icon.

Boom, there's vinny.

I have also added a little back story on his boat:

he toyboat:

It was 2003, Vinny had been booked for a show in Richmond, IN. He was to be in a hardcore match with two other fellas. One of them was carrying a chair, the other A metal ballbat covered in barbed-wire. Vinny didn't have a weapon.... Yet.

As Vinny ran around through the back of the locker room, He was trying to find anything he could use as a weapon. Nothing caught his eye. That's when he saw a small child outside playing. Vinny stepped outside.

"So, whatcha doing there, little fella?" Vinny felt talking to the kid would calm him down since he was gonna be the one legged guy in an bum-kicking contest.

"Oh, nuffin," the kid mumbles. He was playing with a couple vehicle toys. He would keep crashing them into each other making a explosive noise. The kid looks at Vinny. "You wanna try?"

"Really?", Vinny looks kinda surprised that the kid would think he'd like playing with these toys. Vinny smiles and grabs the toys."BOOM!" Vinny crashes them together.

"Oh, JESUS! What da wittle Vinny doowin!?!" Shouts one of the wrestlers he is supposed to face."Wanna have me fetch you some co-co?" The guy holds his barbedwire ballbat on his shoulder. "You need to play with the big boys!"

Vinny just ignores his calls, and eventually the man leaves into the locker room. Vinny stands up, smiles at the kid, but it fades as soon as he turns around to go into the locker room.

"Wait, Vinny!" Vinny turns to see the kid standing there holding out a toy speed boat. "You can have it." Vinny is taken back by the generosity of the child. Vinny walks up to the kid and grabs the boat.

"Thank you. But I have nothing for you." Vinny doesn't want to seem desparate for a weapon, but right now, he'll take anything he can get.

The child looks into his eyes and says,"Win." Vinny goes into the locker room.

As vinny is sitting there, he feels kind of bad for the kid. All the kid wants him to do is win. The kid probally doesn't know yet that the matches are scripted, and Vinny is to lose tonight. The other wrestlers seem to laugh at him for his choice of weaponry. Vinny studies his boat.

It is extremely hard, probably made from a PVC or somthing like that. He hits himself over the head with it, lightly. *THWACK!* It really rocked him. He starts to grow a really sinister grin. In 5 mins. his competitors would discover what he just did, but 10 fold.

Vinny is the last one out for the match. Everyone in the crowd sees his weapon. A lot of rolling eyes can be seen, but Vinny doesn't care. He'll show them all. The bell rings. *THUD!* Vinny is struck in his back with the barbedwire ballbat. He can feel everysingle little barb stick and rip into the flesh of his upperback. *PLAP!* A Steelchair came crashing down onto the front of Vinny's skull. Vinny drops to his knees, and he's filled with a fuzzy feeling of weightlessness. They weren't supposed to be swinging this hard. "We are taking you out for good." said one of the guys. Seems the Promoter in the back had something to do with this.

Vinny slowly rises up and with one solid motion, the boat connects to the face of one of his opponents. "Oh fudge!" the man screams. He was suprised by the hardness of Vinny's weapon. As he goes reelling back into the ropes, you can see the swelling start in his left cheekbone. *Thud!* Vinny's back is struck once more with the bat. But this time, The guy drags the barbs up to the back of Vinny's head. The blood starts to flow from Vinny's back and neck as the guy grinds it against Vinny's head.

Vinny looks at the kid in the seat. The kid looks sad. But not just sad. Vinny knows that look. That kid gave him the boat cause the kid believe Vinny wouldn't win without it. Now the kid is blaming himself for Vinny's agony. He can see the kid's eye well up, and Vinny's is, too.

The man Vinny cracked in the face is wobbling back to the locker room. But not before tossing the chair back into the ring, which catches Vinny in his stomache. Vinny is back on the ground. With his shirt turned to shreds of bloody fabric, Vinny recieves another kick to the face by bat boy. "What's wrong Vinny?", he asks,"Don't you wanna show me your little toy?"

The little boy's hands are on his face. He's crying. "Screw this!"says Vinny as he slowly stands up. Every inch he makes, the man slams tha ballbat harder and harder into Vinny's back. But Vinny is now standing strait up.

"What the fudge are you trying to pull? This is my match!", The man screams aloud. He drives the bat strait into the forehead of Vinny. *GOOOSH!*

Vinny doesn't even budge. "That went out the door when you pulled this bullshit." Vinny says calmly with a cold stare. Bat boy seems a little taken back by Vinny's look, but rushes at him full force. Vinny draws back.

*KRETCH!!!* Vinny blasts bat boy in the chin with the boat, knocking the barbed wire bat out of his hands. As Vinny climbs the ropes, he clears the blood from his eyes long enough to get a good target. Vinny takes flight.

The impact rocks the entire arena. Vinny was dead on. He drives the tip of the boat right into the chest of bat boy. Vinny stands back up and put a foot on the lifeless body. 1-2-3!!! Vinny looks over at the child. He is still in tears. But he is now laughing and clapping in excitement. Vinny bends down, pics up the ball bat, and leaves to the back.

He's only there long enough to grab his garment bag and take his $20. Funny thing, the promoter had left the show. One of the wrestlers in the back told Vinny he freaked out when he saw him win. Vinny didn't care. As vinny walked out he saw the child standing there. Vinny walked up to him.

"Hey, bro.",Vinny said, "thanks for this." Vinny holds the boat out to the kid, but the kid puts his hand up.

"You need it more." The kid just looks pleased at the job Vinny had done. But Vinny feels bad not getting the kid anything.

"Well, then take this as a souvenir." Vinny says as he holds out the blood soaked barbed-wire ball bat. The kids smailes, takes the bat and runs off. As vinny starts to turn he looks back to the kid,"You get that back to me when I need it, okay?"

"So, you'll be back?"

"Oh, I'll be back kid." Vinny says as he turns to leave, "No boats about that!"