#lair — Public Fediverse posts

On my workbench: A long delayed project for my "Minions at Work" photo comic for Pulphouse Fiction Magazine. The original "Minionmobile" (the white one on the left) was made probably a decade ago from a toy golf cart I found in a thrift store.
The concept was inspired by the similar carts, used by the nameless flunkies in the hollow volcano lair, seen the the James Bond film "You Only Live Twice." The figures used in "Minions at Work" are 1/6th scale (about a foot tall), but original toy is closer to 1/8th scale (where a 6-foot person would scale to only 9 inches tall). To make them fit, I needed to raise the seat and seat back (they're attached separately) using stacks of 2x4 stud Legos as spacers and then cut and extend the metal bars support the roof. The smaller scale works better in my tiny table-top sets, and cramming these big guys into the Evil Lair version of a clown car is just inherently hilarious to me.
I also painted the upper body parts of the vehicle flat white, to make it look less 18th hole, and more industrial/scientific. Some time later I found a second thrift store golf cart, and it's been sitting around for years awaiting conversion. But I wanted to do something DIFFERENT this time, and I couldn't figure out what.
The inspiration hit me a month or so back on a road-trip, when I found myself following a truck with two similar (but full-sized) golf carts in the back. Both had a second, rear facing seat in the rear, with a small platform for the passengers to put their feet on.
That's my plan for this one. I'll probably fabricate the platform and railings conventionally, but I plan to design the seat bench and back in Blender and then 3D print them. My Blender skills are pretty limited, but I think I know how to import the horizontal outlines of the original cushions, extrude them for depth, and bevel the top edges to create rounded cushions. At the very least, it will be good practice for me.
I also need to extend those roof supports again (I spent an afternoon fabricating half a dozen metal parts, only to figure out an easier, quicker, and more attractive way to cut and splice the poles that doesn't use them), and then disassemble the whole thing and sand it for painting. Minionmobile 2 will be a pale, safety green rather than white. Pictures when I get it done.

#minionsatwork #photocomic #webcomic #pulphousefictionmagazine #pulphousemagazine #sciencefiction #minatures #propbuilding #lair #supervillians #minions #henchmen