One Sixth Warriors Forum banner

Discussing the Universality of Heads & Necks (How Swappable?)

3K views 6 replies 4 participants last post by  Majicide 
#1 · (Edited)
I am going to be embarking on my first head sculpt swaps for some, and customizing/modding head sculpts for others. There are some pretty fantastic resources available on the net for building, customizing, and/or modifying head sculpts, but there doesn't appear to be many resources available that give info on swapping heads, especially for the multitude of differing production runs, materials, versions, manufacturers, brand/product lines, etc. There are, however, some other fairly related resources that give decent info in their own right. Nonetheless, is there a list or database that catalogs the above for the purposes of collectors and/or for modders & diorama folks (or even for folks looking to take their doll to the doctor)?

Here are a few resources that I found that are tangentially related (last link being the best):
Head meets neck question
Question: converting heads with neck to heads without neck
1:6 SCALE FIGURES TUTORIAL - JATMANStories | JATMANStories

I have been accruing a decent variety of head sculpts that will need bodies for very soon. It seems fairly obvious to me that I won't be able to stick any given head on any body I choose, so before I start blind-buying a variety of headless dolls and hemorrhaging money, I really, really need to know what bodies are compatible with any given head. For instance, I purchased four Richard Marchinko head sculpts (Blue Box - Elite Force). Which bodies are these heads compatible with (beyond itself and others identical to it)? I really need to know what my options are when choosing a body.

In general, are heads from companies that either have existed for a long time (i.e. Hasbro), and/or from companies that have large catalogs (i.e. Dragon, Hasbro, etc.), universal with itself or do eras, versions, production runs, et al., really make a difference? One example: would a head sculpt from a vintage G.I. Joe from the 1970s Adventure Team-era be compatible on a Joe body from 2002? Another example: Is Basic Marine G.I. Joe head and body swappable with G.I. Joe-Valor vs. Venom-Roadblock (and ilk) due to cross-compatibility?

Assuming there isn't a database or list, and without willingness to start popping heads off dolls, how do 1:6 scale heads generally connect to their necks/bodies, and what head are compatible with what body? I'm willing to go out a limb here and say that there should be zero discrimination regarding company or intended audience, and that I am asking in a serious "universal" sense by having information on other 1:6 scale dolls, like, say, Max Steel, or even Barbie.
 
See less See more
#3 ·
Greetings and welcome!

Personally, my passion is for the current Phicen / TBL seamless figures, for which it pains me that, when seeking Head Sculpts, there is an ever-present likelihood that such will not match with regard to skin tone, and / or that the Sculpt will simply not fit without some measure of modification. To this matter, I have started a Petition here to Phicen, that they will address this discrepancy and release individually-packaged Head Sculpts for their own figures.

In general, my own experience - albeit, admittedly, relatively limited - is that it is something of a blind gamble when attempting to match Heads Sculpts from one company with Bodies from another. In fact, I will say that there seems to exist such a wide variety of attachment types and skin tones that an exact match is terribly improbable. Some here have all but abandoned hope for such, and resort to all sorts of severe alterations just to make for an acceptable solution.

While I would imagine that there is some consistency within each individual line of production, I absolutely must warn you that crossovers and mix-and-matchings seldom satisfy.

You seem to be asking the proper questions, especially if you intend to avoid squandering.

I wish you luck and I hope that my input will be at least somewhat helpful to you. I would also invite you to add your name to our Petition - as it stands to benefit each of us by directly addressing the utter absurdity of this continuing issue.

Just say, "Aye!"

;)
 
#4 · (Edited)
Greetings and welcome!

Personally, my passion is for...

...I wish you luck and I hope that my input will be at least somewhat helpful to you. I would also invite you to add your name to our Petition - as it stands to benefit each of us by directly addressing the utter absurdity of this continuing issue.

Just say, "Aye!"
So I guess then my question boils down to: What choices do I have when picking compatible bodies for the Blue Box - Elite Force Legends Richard Marcinko? Is it only compatible with other contemporaneous Blue Box 1:6 bodies and/or specifically the Elite Force Legends line, or are there other options, and if so, what are they?

Where is this petition? Or do you literally want me to type acknowledgment here in this thread?
 
#6 ·
you should be able to remove the heads from their current neck posts and then use a more universal neck post. So, find a body you like and give it a go. I've been using the excellent MX02-A. I get them from eBay for $14.99 shipped. They come with plenty of hands and 2 different neck posts, one of which should work for your BBI heads. You might have to do some light modifications so beware.
 
#7 ·
I recently purchased a few MX02-A and received them today. Unfortunately, even with the extra body accessories, the BBI Richard Macinko head isn't compatible with the neck posts, so I'm currently waiting on a few neck post + coupler kits ( 1/6 Scale Head Carving Connector 9pcs Neck Joint F 12" Action Figure Toys U.S.A 713325727100 | eBay ) to arrive.

Out of curiosity, is there an optimal way to remove the screw covers from the MX02's body? I was going to use a pin, but figured I'd ask before I started literally poking around.

Also, for those that are interested in the greater discussion, I have found a few resources that may help:

Review- MALE Bodies Here
Getting Started 02 - How to match head sculpts with the right body - Kitbashes

If I come across any other info, I'll add it to this thread. If any of youse out there have a site or resource related to head sculpt/neck post compatibility, please share them here!

Hey admins, it would be extremely helpful to have a stickied page related to this topic for current and future kit bashers and diorama makers.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top