WHAT IS PUNISHER MAX?

MAX is Marvel Comics’ mature comics arm. MAX allows creators to re-interpret famous Marvel characters without worrying about the ratings board or appealing to kids. It produced one of the greatest comic runs in history: Garth Ennis’ The Punisher (2004-2008). Over 60 issues, Ennis takes the basic Punisher idea WAY beyond its simple vigilante origins. It deftly weaves in commentary on Iran Contra, corporate greed, human trafficking, Vietnam, Russian warrior mentality, Afghanistan, and more. Yet it all feels like a natural extension of the Punisher story and still remains a gruesome, lurid pulp fiction tale. Highly recommended.

CHARACTER:

Presented here is my take on Barracuda (aka ‘Cuda), the Punisher’s most fearsome enemy throughout the series. Barracuda’s fun-loving exterior masks an utterly ruthless and cunning personality. Abandoned at an early age by an abusive father, ‘Cuda fought his way through juvenile facilities and eventually joined the US army during the Vietnam War. There, the military (and later CIA) found a use for his savage talents and he spent the next 2 decades fighting in clandestine operations all over the world. Upon leaving the military, ‘Cuda found success as a contractor/assassin/man who gets dirty jobs done until meeting The Punisher, Frank Castle. Their first meeting leaves Cuda blind in one eye, missing a few fingers and obsessed with revenge. This sets the two men on a collision course that leads to a bloody, brutal conclusion.

FIGURE:

I was going for an extremely cartoony look with this figure. I wanted cartoony, bulky proportions. In the end, the skin detailing on the arms was a little more realistic that I intended, but live and learn. Initially, I gave him short legs and a huge torso like the comic, but it just didn’t look right in 3D, so I made him taller.

I have to admit that I finished most of this figure in 2010-11, then abandoned it for years. Once I finished the interesting parts (ie, things I’ve never done before) like the custom muscle bod and large clothing, I lost interest. Over time, I tweaked things like extending the legs for better proportions and improved the paint finish, but it wasn’t until this year that I really resolved to finish and photograph it. You can see its companion figure, The Punisher, that I posted a few years ago here.

Head: WWE wrestler, recast and de-haired.
Body: Combination of DC Deluxe, Marvel arms, BBI legs, and recast forearms from wrestlers. The elbows are Spiderman’s knees!
Jeans: 1:6 farmers overalls that I turned into regular baggy jeans.
Boots: BBI reshaped & repainted
M60: Some undersized gashapon piece of crap, but it was the only M60 I found that didn’t break apart upon the slightest touch (Hot Toys, I’m looking at you)

Height comparison with DID first generation body (which is taller than most bodies):