Welcome to the Asylum Project, a series of new custom figure showcase posts presenting the updated version of my Dalek customs collection. Several of these Daleks have been showcased on this blog before, however they have all changed greatly since then and new custom Daleks have been added to the collection.
Part I of the Destroyed New Series Dalek Asylum Inmates series will cover my collection of custom Time War Daleks in my Asylum collection that have been modified to appear destroyed or damaged beyond repair. One of the most common problems a long-time Dalek custom creator will encounter is an abundance of New Series Daleks that are missing their eyestalks, gunsticks and manipulator arms, mostly due to the fact these have a tendency to be lost, broken or taken to be sold on as spare parts in their own right. As a result, New Series Daleks appear often, and more often than not they are missing at least one of their appendages, if not more.
However, creating destroyed Dalek customs is always a viable option, and this presents itself as the most viable option for three important reasons. First, destroyed Dalek customs are relatively easy to make, and therefore they do not take up anywhere near as much time as a complete repaint or a delicate custom build requires. Secondly, making destroyed Daleks is a good way of disposing of broken or otherwise useless Daleks, which are a common sight among Dalek seller lots. Lastly, destroyed Daleks are a common sight not only in the Asylum but across Doctor Who media, so there is a lot of inspiration to draw from.
Nonetheless, without further ado, let’s begin the showcase with the first destroyed Time War Dalek Asylum inmate:
Headless Destroyed Time War Dalek
This simple custom was created using a standard bronze Dalek as the base, with the appendages removed. The incision to the top half of the Dalek was achieved using a hacksaw, and the inside is stuffed with papier-mâché painted over with black watercolours. Speaking of paint, the lower half of the Dalek was treated with a black wash which was concentrated nearer the top, giving the impression that the Dalek was destroyed by an explosion.
Destroyed Dalek casings like this were common within the Asylum, as the bronze Time War era Daleks made up the majority of the Asylum’s residents, and therefore made up the majority of the casualties of the constant infighting within the Asylum.
Obliterated Time War Dalek
This custom was created in a similar manner to the previous, with the top half being cut away using a hacksaw and the inside being filled with papier-mâché and painted over using black paint. This custom also features missing spheres, which were removed using a smaller hacksaw and smoothed off using sandpaper. Like the previous custom, this Dalek was treated with a light black wash to add a grime effect.
Some Daleks that were condemned to the Asylum found their stay there short-lived. This is certainly true of this Time War soldier, who was destroyed mere months after arriving. The remains of this Dalek now serve as one of many of the Asylum’s grim relics.
Old Destroyed Time War Dalek
This custom was created using a slightly more complex method than the previous two, as the inner workings of this Dalek were put together using scrap pieces of computer wire and hot glue. The outer casing had been previously treated with several layers of black spray paint, and was then dry-brushed with bronze paint to give it the weathered effect before the top was cut off with a hacksaw. The final custom was then given a black wash to add a consistent layer of grime.
Due to the temporally unstable nature of the Dalek race, certain residents of the Asylum were far, far older than others. This Time War era Dalek appears to have been in the Asylum for centuries, having been destroyed at some point by other Daleks in what must have been a fierce explosion.
Ancient Destroyed Time War Dalek
This custom was created by shearing off the top half of the Dalek with a hacksaw and filling the lower half using compacted tissue paper layered over with glue. As with the previous custom, before any alterations were made to this Dalek, it was spray painted black and dry-brushed with bronze paint to give it a weathered effect. Black paint was also concentrated on the destroyed remains of the upper half, and the base.
Even in it’s earliest years, the Asylum was host to several factions of infighting Daleks, including some from the Time War who had been thrown back in time. This unfortunate specimen was one of the first Time War Daleks to enter the Asylum, and was also one of the first to die there.
Destroyed Asylum Spider Host Dalek
And saving the most interesting custom until last, this one requires some explaining. In the Doctor Who episode Asylum of the Daleks, from which the entire idea of the Dalek Asylum originated, many of the Daleks in the Asylum appear to be covered in cobwebs. This made it clear to me that there must be some kind of spider-like creature living in the Asylum in order for these webs to have appeared. It would seem logical that such a creature would use the Daleks themselves either for food or as a means of facilitating reproduction, and this custom was designed to represent that by posing the idea that a Dalek is actually the creature responsible for the webs, albeit one that has mutated and adapted to have such a function. It’s former casing is now filled with disgusting spider eggs made using globs of hot glue, as the deranged spider-like form (a mutant taken from the Genesis of the Daleks set) guards its spawn.
In the darkness of the Asylum, a horrific creature stirs. It is shunned and hated by the Daleks in the Asylum, for this creature was once itself a Dalek. Having betrayed all that the Daleks stand for by merging with a native life form and mutating, a former Dalek Commander, now an insane mutated husk of its former self, guards its malformed spider eggs as it spins its webs throughout the caverns of its prison.
Next Post: Custom Destroyed New Series Dalek Asylum Inmates – Part II
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