Real Online Heroes™
My holiday 2022 stunt was the synthesis of my skills in 3D modeling and printing, coupled with the desire to make a collectible product. I wanted to challenge my ability as a craftsman. I chose to produce action figures, recreating character models from Activision’s Call of Duty: Warzone, a favorite game of my friends and I throughout the pandemic. The project grew in scope to encompass an entire “influencer” box full of branded goodies and inside jokes.
After acquiring models from the game, I did extensive modification to make these high-resolution models suitable for 3D printing. I added joints and other components not included with the original 3D files.
After 3D printing, I carefully painted each figure. This was my first time “mini painting.” Waterslide decals, flocking, felt and other specialty materials were used.
I vacuum formed both the exterior figure bubbles and an interior cradle to secure the figure and accessories. This process destroyed the unfinished forming bucks, so duplicate models for every component were necessary.
The project was heavily inspired by G.I. Joe 3.75” action figures from the 80s and 90s. Even the project namesake “Real Online Heroes” was borrowed from the G.I. Joe tagline: A Real American Hero. “Spider Boiz” is the name of our online faction, of which there are four members. Each figure’s card back identifies the “operator’s” personality. All included accessories allude to real world preferences and memories from time spent playing together.
I developed a hot sauce recipe aptly named Hot Drop (referring to a common in-game scenario) and label branding, as well as personalized t-shirts to accompany the figures.
The entire package included some other video game-adjacent goodies. Other design elements include a multi-layered, die-cut tagline on the box interior, and a menacing spider inlay on the exterior lid of the box.