There were twelve people on the floor, with Larry Fonacier kneeling at the middle of the court with his fingers pointed above. Philippines just beat Korea at the FIBA Asia Championship, and Gilas Pilipinas were on their way to the World Championships. “Nandito lang ako noon sa bahay, ubos na kasi yung ticket,” recalled 36-year-old Markdwin Cheng. He was in a middle of a toy project, one that is perhaps unprecedented. The just-finished game gave him more materials to work with: he froze iconic FIBA Asia Championship moments for his custom collection, complete with 3/4 of MOA Arena’s court, first spotted by this writer during the recent ToyCon. “Para meron tayong remembrance from the FIBA Asia,” said IT professional and basketball toy collector Cheng. The Gilas set is pricey, with a cost he couldn’t reveal. He started the project before the tournament kicked off, and finished it this June. But the product was worth the almost year-long work he and other contacts exerted. Each hand-painted figure is an almost-exact replica: from facial features to body built, choice of shoes to tattoos. Labels, names, and logos are water-slide decals. A player is kitbashed from 2-4 different NBA McFarlane figures. “Nagsisimula head sculpt… hahanap ako ng pinaka-kamukha niyang player. Kapag nakuha ko, ibibigay ko sa friend ko na sculptor,” said Ching. While the head is being worked on, he and other friends hunt for figures that match scenes from the FIBA Asia and the players’ trademark moves. His display at the ToyCon corner was an eye-catcher, despite being surrounded by Legos, Gundams, Star Wars, and other staple collectibles. “Tuwing nakikita nila si Pingris, natutuwa sila,” Ching recalled, with the 6’6 forward-center picked as crowd favorite by all ages during the convention. But other players are spot on, including Coach Chot. See it for yourself in these photos taken by Martin San Diego. Read more at: fullcourtfresh/2014/08/relive-gilas-fiba-asia-campaign-with-spot-on-toys-figures/
Posted on: Sun, 31 Aug 2014 06:56:14 +0000