Star Trek 'Potpourri' Spotlight- Custom Playmates Salt Vampire Figure

Figure Name: The Salt Vampire (AKA M-113 Creature, AKA Nancy Crater)
Made by customizer extraordinaire Matthew Hackley...



The Rundown: Before I get into how insane this custom is, a little back story- I have been thinking for a long time how awesome it would have been if Playmates had kept the Star Trek license for even just a few more years. Imagine the possible figures they would have produced if the line had gone on and become even half as expansive as, say, Hasbro's Star Wars stuff. I know it's a pipe dream, and even though Playmates is again producing Trek stuff, I know there's pretty much no chance we'll ever see a true continuation in size and style of their 90's stuff...

Well, one day I'm just browsing Star Trek stuff on eBay, and I come across some really sharp looking Playmates style customs. The figures were really, really well done. They looked pretty much exactly like how I would have envisioned Playmates would have made them. Needless to say, I jumped on them. I started talking to the guy who made them, a very talented customizer by the name Matthew Hackley. Turns out Matt liked Playmates Trek stuff just about as much as I did. He customized in the Playmates style because (much like myself) that's the style he likes. We started trading e-mails back and forth, hatching on a plan to 'continue' the Playmates Star Trek TOS lineup. I made up a list of like 65 characters that I would love to see, and Matt started working them out, trying to make them as close to Playmates styling as possible. Which leads to this beautiful lady right here...



When Matt told me he was working on the Salt Vampire, I was seriously giddy as a school girl. The Salt Vampire is one of the craziest looking creatures ever made! That mouth! Those crazy suction cup fingers! The weird fishing net dress thing! That design just begs to get the figure treatment. Art Asylum announced one way back when, which Diamond Select is now trying to get out there, but this is Playmates style baby! Matt pretty much sculpted this thing from head to toe, but it still moves like a Playmates figure...and the paint detailing knocked my socks off...



So here she is...the Salt Vampire as Playmates might have done her! A face only a mother (or Dr. Crater) could love...