Classic Dalek Customs – Sacred Icon

Custom Classic Series Daleks – Part 3

As Character Options are slowly releasing History of the Daleks figure double-packs in B&M that each contain two Daleks from each classic episode from The Daleks to The Daleks’ Master Plan, it is only a matter of time before all the Classic Dalek stories are represented in figure form, so there is no better time for me to showcase my collection of Custom Classic Daleks before they become completely superfluous. On the upside, having all these Classic Daleks out on the shelf does mean that the History of the Daleks sets can be kept mint in box. These Daleks have been customised to resemble Daleks from the classic stories Destiny of the Daleks and Revelation of the Daleks, and each one started out life as a more common classic Dalek figure before being modified and painted to stand in for rarer Dalek figures that are not commonly available at the moment.

Custom Destiny of the Daleks Drone 1

Although Destiny of the Daleks is far from being my favourite classic Dalek story, (it is in fact my least favourite classic Dalek story) the unique light-grey colour schemes of the Drones make customs inspired by Destiny of the Daleks particularly interesting. The oddly bright grey base coupled with the huge variety in detailing on each individual Dalek definitely makes ‘Destiny‘ Daleks stand out from the crowd, which is ironic given how shoddy the Dalek props looked in this story. By the time Destiny of the Daleks was filmed, most Dalek props owned by the BBC had been rotting away in a storage for years, and this coupled with some particularly poorly-made stand-in props makes the Daleks in this story look shoddier than one of my early customs, meaning that despite the occasional paint errors on these customs they actually look better than the Daleks they are based on.

Custom Destiny of the Daleks Drone 2

This Dalek showcases the variety in paint detailing on the original Destiny of the Daleks props, as the previous Dalek had black slats but this one has the slats, mesh between the slats, the front circle and the band around the midsection all painted black, perhaps because this Dalek is a higher rank (though the episode doesn’t bring attention to this). Citadel paint was used for the grey base, black detailing and white dry-brushing on the mesh, and the glossy effect on the hemispheres was achieved using a black Promarker pen. Unlike the previous custom, in which the dome lights are coloured orange with Sharpee, this Dalek has dome lights that are painted block orange, it is up to you which looks best. Unfortunately, due to the paint used for this custom, a degree of the articulation had to be sacrificed as the ball joints are painted over which locks them in place.

Custom Necros Dalek 1

Unlike Destiny of the Daleks, which had a combination of shoddy old props and poorly-made newer ones, Revelation of the Daleks was lucky in that the old Dalek props had been recently refurbished for the previous story, Resurrection of the Daleks, and several new props were made to represent Davros’ new faction of Daleks being built on Necros. They are essentially standard Daleks but with an Imperial Dalek colour scheme, and that is exactly what this custom is representing. White gloss paint was used for the base and gold, metallic Citadel paint was used for the detailing on the neck grille, slat meshes, gunstick, manipulator arm and hemispheres. This Dalek started out as an Emperor’s Guard, meaning it is actually a 1960s Dalek with the base replaced. Unfortunately, the dome lights and eyestalk rings are innaccurate to actual Necros Daleks. Some artistic licence that I took with this particular custom was that I painted the neck grille gold, whereas on actual Necros Daleks (including my other Necros customs) the grille is black. This Dalek could also double as one of Davros’ guards on Lethe from the Big Finish audio, The Juggernauts.

Custom Necros Dalek 2

Like the previous custom, this 1960s Dalek base has been heavily modified with spares in order to resemble the base of a Necros Dalek. The dome has been replaced so the dome lights are accurate this time, but unfortunately the eyestalk is still slightly innaccurate as 1960s Daleks have the rings pushed forward to just behind the eye, whereas later Dalek props from the 1970s onwards have the rings pushed back to be more in the middle of the eyestalk. Aside from that, this Necros Dalek is a bit more accurate that the previous one, and like the previous one it has been painted using white gloss for the body, gold metallic Citadel paint for the detailing and black paint for the base. One final finishing touch on both of these Daleks was the addition of the dot in the eye, as the 1960s Daleks lacked this feature. I applied this using a very precise, tiny ink applicator to ensure that the pupil was tiny and perfectly rounded.

Custom Classic Series Daleks – Part 2

Although Character Options are releasing Classic Dalek figures for each episode in order, it seems as though it will be years before we get the complete collection of Classic Dalek figures. As such, we have bolstered the ranks of our Classic Dalek figure collection with some custom figures, each of which have been created using Daleks from the Dalek Collectors’ Set #2, which was extremely common several years ago, and from which many Dalek spares and customs have been created from. This set included the Saucer Commander Dalek from The Dalek Invasion of Earth, the Emperor’s Guard Dalek from The Evil of the Daleks, and the Supreme Dalek from Day of the Daleks.

Custom Planet of the Daleks Drone

This first custom uses the Supreme Dalek from Day of the Daleks, which uses the same basic mould as many other Daleks from the 1970s era of the show. For this custom I used more matt colours compared to other Dalek figures released in this mould, in an attempt to emulate the matt grey colours of the Daleks from Planet of the Daleks. The Drones in this story take extra care to be stealthy, and as such it makes sense that the would use dark, matt colours. This figure was painted using Citadel paints and the detailing on the hemispheres was done using a Pro Marker pen. The glossy finish on the hemispheres makes an excellent contrast with the matt finish on the casing, and the metallic silver finish on the eyestalk and manipulator arm stand out on this figure.

Custom Planet of the Daleks Supreme

This custom is much more elaborate than the previous one, and was created using the pieces from several Daleks. The base of this Dalek is from a Drone from The Dalek Invasion of Earth, but the body is an Emperor’s Guard Dalek from The Evil of the Daleks, which I repainted with black paint and detailed with bright gold. The actual Supreme Dalek from Planet of the Daleks was created using mismatched Dalek prop parts from Terry Nation’s private collection, so this method of construction is surprisingly appropriate. The large light pieces are actually LEDs which have been painted pinkish-purple, and the eyestalk has been painted white with a red light to emulate the Supreme Dalek’s illuminated eyestalk. Hopefully this Dalek will be released as part of the History of the Daleks sets from B&M, but until then it is only available as a rare collectible from the elusive Dalek Collectors’ Set #1.

Custom Death to the Daleks Drone

This Dalek is another custom made from the Day of the Daleks Supreme, except this custom is far more detailed. The Gold and Black colour scheme has been replaced with the distinctive Silver and Black design of the Daleks from Death to the Daleks. In order to create this custom, a complete disassembly of the figure was required as each piece of the neck rings and the midsection had to be painted independently with Citadel paint. Each section of the Dalek required multiple coats of paint to ensure the silver coat had full consistency. The dome lights were coloured using orange Pro Marker, and the eyestalk and gunstick have been recoloured to resemble the unique colour scheme of the Death to the Daleks drones.

Custom Genesis of the Daleks Drone

Perhaps one of the most iconic Dalek designs of them all, the distinctive gunmetal-grey colour scheme of Genesis of the Daleks is not to be underestimated. This custom was created using the Day of the Daleks Supreme, painted over with a gunmetal grey paint from Citadel with the detailing painted over with silver. This Dalek is meant to resemble the one that exterminates Davros and assumes the role of Dalek Prime, or Dalek Supreme, at the conclusion of Genesis of the Daleks. The silver pieces between the slats on the midsection are the giveaway artistic licence on this figure, as the majority of the Daleks from this story have a completely monochrome design, but the silver slats helps differentiate this particular Dalek from its subordinates.

Custom Classic Series Daleks – Part 1

Welcome to this showcase of my custom Classic Series Dalek figures, all of which are hand-painted and depict various types of Dalek from several episodes of the Classic Series aired in the 1960s. These Daleks are custom repaints of common Dalek figures that are made to represent less common Dalek figures. The vast majority of these Classic Daleks were donated to me in a damaged state, with scuffed paint and often missing appendages. I was able to create a small number of intact Classic Daleks (as in, featuring all three main appendages) using spare eyestalks, gunsticks and plungers collected from all of the Classic Daleks I have acquired over time.

These Daleks are constantly being updated and amended as time goes on, but I have photographed them in their current state as they are all at least presentable in their current state, though there are some that I am quite happy with as they are and will likely not require much modification.

Custom The Dalek Invasion of Earth Drone

This figure was made using a standard The Dalek Invasion of Earth Saucer Pilot Dalek from the Dalek Collectors Set #2, a recurring source of Daleks for customs based on this episode. The figure was spray-painted silver, apart from the base which was spray-painted black, and the cyan colour scheme was added using Citadel paint and a fine brush. A permanent marker was also used for the detailing on the eyestalk and the manipulator arm. This cyan colour scheme is unique to Series 9, and is not present on the standard Dalek figure from The Dalek Invasion of Earth. However, the cyan on the midsection does help to break up the colour scheme a bit.

Custom The Dalek Invasion of Earth Supreme

Like the previous custom, this Dalek was a Saucer Pilot from the Collectors Set #2 only this time it has been customised to depict the Supreme Dalek from The Dalek Invasion of Earth. Ironically, the Saucer Pilot only exists due to the fact that the Supreme Dalek prop was not finished when the episode in which the Saucer Pilot appeared was due to air, but the partly-painted prop was included anyway, thus the Saucer Pilot rank was born. Ironically, in creating this Supreme Dalek custom using a Saucer Pilot, I completed the half-finished paint job that has been immortalised in figure form. The end result is particularly striking – Supreme Daleks are usually decorated with the best colour schemes and this one from The Dalek Invasion of Earth is no exceptional. It is no wonder this particular type of Dalek was chosen for inclusion in the recent History of the Daleks #2 Collectors Set.

Custom The Daleks’ Master Plan Supreme

This figure was originally an Emperor’s Guard Dalek from the Collectors Set #2, but it has been modified to resemble the Supreme Dalek from The Daleks’ Master Plan. Although this Dalek has been depicted as red in some sources, the prop has been confirmed to have been black, and presumably that is the colour it was intended to be. This custom has gone through several iterations, as although the darker blue hemispheres shown in these photos are the same as those on my other The Daleks’ Master Plan customs, I later decided that the hemispheres looked too deep a blue compared to the skirt, so I repainted them with a lighter cyan colour which contrasts with the skirt much better.

Custom The Chase Guard Dalek

This custom is a heavily modified Dalek Saucer Pilot, albeit with the chunky section of the base removed and the figure itself heavily modified with blue Citadel paint on the dome and hemispheres and gold Citadel paint on the midsection. A genuine version of this figure exists, though it is extremely rare, having only been released once as part of the SFX Daleks line. The paint applications are the same as that of a Dalek from the movie Doctor Who and The Daleks, although the ear lights and base are more in line with the Daleks from the Classic TV series. I used blue and gold Citadel paint for the detailing, though the blue paint is slightly darker than that of the Doctor Who and The Daleks Drones, and the gunstick is technically incorrect as this figure retains the gunstick used by the Daleks in The Dalek Invasion of Earth.

Custom Classic Series Movie Dalek Figures

Those who assumed that I would be skipping over the Peter Cushing Movie Daleks, think again – although I have not created customs of every Dalek from the Peter Cushing movies, I do have some Daleks in my collection that are heavily inspired by these iconic designs. As always, my customs are not necessarily screen-accurate remakes of these Daleks, and I have taken some creative license with their creation. For example, some may notice that my customs lack the distinctive ‘chunky’ ear lights that the Peter Cushing Movie Daleks were known for – however, I have chosen not to include these as a feature yet, partly because I need LEDs in order to do so.

As there are no modern Dalek figures based on the Peter Cushing Movies, I had to somewhat improvise when it came to creating these figures. Naturally I used the Dalek figure that most closely resembled the Movie Daleks, that being the 1960s The Dalek Invasion of Earth design, with just a few modifications. Interestingly, the Dalek Guard figure from The Chase is actually a depiction of a modified Movie Dalek, as the production team borrowed several props for use in the TV Series, but replaced their ear lights and base to make them look more consistent with the TV Series Daleks.

Custom Movie Dalek Drone

As they appeared very garish in the film, particularly due to the less advanced filming techniques of the time, the Dalek Drone design was always among my least favourite of the Peter Cushing Movie Daleks. However, when it came to making this custom, I decided to tweak the design slightly so suit my tastes. As such, this figure sports a darker colour scheme than its on-screen counterpart. I painted this Dalek using cyan Citadel paint for the dome, hemispheres and base, grey Citadel paint for the midsection and skirt, silver Citadel paint for the neck rings and bronze Citadel paint for the prominent midsection pieces.

Custom Movie Dalek Commander

One of the few explorations of a red and black colour scheme in on-screen Doctor Who, the red Movie Dalek has just enough gold to offset the black and red to create a garish and bright colour scheme. This figure is more screen-accurate than the last, as I used a bright shade of red Citadel paint for the dome, midsection and skirt, black Citadel paint for the hemispheres and gold Citadel paint for the neck rings, prominent midsection pieces and base. Some may notice that the Dalek is also missing its ‘middle’ base featured on the Dalek figures from The Dalek Invasion of Earth – that is because the Movie Daleks lack this thinner ‘interim’ base between the bottom of the skirt and the thick base.

Custom Movie Dalek Supreme

This distinctive black, silver and gold design has never been replicated since on Doctor Who, which is somewhat of a shame – the alternating hemisphere colours might look garish, but with the right combination of colours this design could work well on a modern Dalek Supreme. As a result of the intricacy of the colour scheme, this custom took more time and care than most Dalek customs, particularly considering the fact that multiple coats were needed. I painted this figure using black Citadel paint for the dome, midsection and skirt, silver Citadel paint for the neck rings, hemispheres and base, and gold Citadel paint for the other neck rings, the other hemispheres and the midsection.

Custom Movie-Inspired Dalek

Although this Dalek does not follow the same design as the previous few, with the thicker base that is a distinctive feature of Movie Daleks, this custom does sport a colour scheme that was inspired by the yellow Dalek Commander of the second Peter Cushing Dalek Movie. This colour scheme likely contributed to the inspiration for a Gold Supreme Dalek in TV stories like Day of the Daleks and Frontier in Space. I created this custom using an Emperor’s Guard Dalek from the Dalek Collectors Set #2, and painted it using yellow Citadel paint for the dome, midsection and skirt, black Citadel paint for the hemispheres and base and silver Citadel paint for the detailing on the slats.

Custom Classic Series Dalek Asylum Inmates – Part VI

Welcome to the Asylum Project, a series of new blog posts showcasing my collection of custom Dalek Asylum inmates, particularly the Classic Daleks in the Asylum. Classic Daleks are remarkably unique in that they would never pass for science fiction villains today, and yet they have made two distinct appearances on modern Doctor Who to date. Despite their minor roles, the Classic Daleks left quite an impression on fans who had either loved the designs since seeing them in the Classic Series or were seeing these designs for the first time. Whether the Classic Series Daleks should appear again in the New Series is a matter for debate, as although it is nice to have them back, the New Series should try to do new and dynamic things with the Daleks, forging a new path ahead rather than being tied down by its past.

I have tried to emulate this idea with the customs in this collection – although Classic Daleks are present, they are limited in number and are outnumbered by New Series and Paradigm Daleks by at least 5:1. However, the Classic Series customs that are present have been created using great care. 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 VI of the Classic Series Dalek Asylum Inmates series will cover my collection of custom Classic Daleks in my Asylum collection that have been modified to appear damaged, insane or deranged.

Custom Damaged Renegade Dalek Inmate

This Dalek, like so many other Asylum Dalek customs that use the 1970s-1980s figure as the base, started out as a Gold Dalek Supreme from Day of the Daleks, featured in the Dalek Collectors Set #2. However, I received this figure with all of the appendages missing, including the eyestalk and gunstick. I fashioned fakes using pieces of plastic, wire and the ball joint of another Dalek. Although the results are not convincing up-close, it at least gives the impression that this Dalek is functional. This Dalek is meant to resemble one of the early Renegade Daleks that serves under the Dalek Supreme in Resurrection of the Daleks. I painted this figure a Citadel grey, and the hemispheres and grille were painted using black Citadel paint.

Damaged during one of the many Dalek Civil Wars, this drone is now an inmate of the Asylum. Although it yearns to get back to the fight, this Dalek has been waiting for repairs to its casing for hundreds of years to no avail – although the mutant has spent that time learning about the Asylum’s ventilation network using the Pathweb.

Custom Damaged Kembel Survivor Dalek

Despite being lost to time, with only a few episodes remaining intact, The Daleks’ Master Plan remains one of the most ambitious Dalek projects of the early era of Doctor Who, and this custom is a tribute to that mostly-lost story, yet to be animated. This custom is a slight tweak of the standard late 1960s Dalek seen in The Daleks’ Master Plan that I created using an Emperor’s Guard Dalek from The Evil of the Daleks, again a figure from the Dalek Collectors Set #2, with the dome painted silver. The dome lights were coloured orange using permanent market, the midsection grille was painted using grey Citadel paint and the entire figure was given a black wash with black Citadel paint.

Having been abandoned on Kembel and losing its Time Machine, this drone was driven insane by isolation before being picked up by the Dalek Asylum. It is still in perfect working order despite millennia of destitution, and now this Kembel veteran stalks the Asylum on high alert.

Custom Asylum Special Weapons Dalek

Although not as visually exciting as the Special Weapons Dalek in the previous Classic Series Dalek Asylum Customs post, this Special Weapons Dalek is far more screen-accurate. This is a light repaint of the Special Weapons Dalek in the Remembrance of the Daleks figure set, designed to resemble the prop as it appeared in Asylum of the Daleks. As such, only a light black wash was applied to this figure, which was otherwise untouched apart from some light tweaking. I also made an effort to remove the shoddy factory paint job from the midsection, as the obvious streaks have always bothered me. Black Citadel paint was used for this custom, with some very light dry-brushing to the cannon with silver Citadel paint finishing the look.

Although catatonic due to the radioactive feedback of its oversized cannon, this static Special Weapons Dalek is still a striking sight in the chambers of the Asylum. Despite its inert state, other Daleks make a point of avoiding this ancient behemoth that they call ‘The Abomination’ – just in case it should ever awaken and seek revenge.

Custom Classic Series Dalek Asylum Inmates – Part V

Welcome to the Asylum Project, a series of new blog posts designed to showcase custom Dalek Asylum inmates that I have created, including Classic Daleks in the Asylum. 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. These Daleks are all strongly linked to several classic Dalek stories, building on the Classic Daleks that we see in the TV story Asylum of the Daleks. Part V of the Classic Series Dalek Asylum Inmates series will cover my collection of custom Classic Daleks in my Asylum collection that have been modified to appear damaged, insane or deranged.

Classic Series Dalek stories are all fun in their own way, and although I can definitely group them into tiers based on quality and my own personal opinion of them, there are no classic Dalek stories that I outright despise – even Destiny of the Daleks, my least favourite, has some strong redeeming qualities as a story. As such, I chose to make my Classic Series customs as diverse as possible, and I particularly focused on Classic Daleks that had not appeared in Asylum of the Daleks. However, the customs presented here in this post are all sourced from some of my all-time favourite Classic Series Dalek stories, and as such they are among my personal favourites of my Classic Series Asylum customs.

Custom Spiridon Survivor Dalek

This Dalek was created to resemble a damaged Dalek from Planet of the Daleks, though unlike many of my other customs based on this story, this Dalek lacks the characteristic ‘jungle’ decor that is present among other Spiridon customs as it is supposed to depict one of the Daleks that is trapped inside the bacteria room during the events of the episode. Spoilers, by the way, for an episode that aired in 1973. During Planet of the Daleks, the brave Spiridon native Weston sacrifices himself to prevent the Daleks from using a virus to destroy all life on the planet by releasing the bacteria into a single room that is then sealed forever with two Daleks trapped inside. This custom therefore only required a light wash of a few shades of grey Citadel paint. However, the striking look of this custom is due to a small detail of a layer of silver dry-brushing that I added over the top using a battered old brush.

After spending centuries trapped in an empty room with a rotting tank-full of bacteria, the skeleton of a Spiridon native and the remains of his former roommate, this Dalek had gone quite insane – by the time the Daleks finally returned to recover their frozen army, this Dalek was flung into the Asylum, in which it promptly found a small empty room to sit in.

Custom Weathered Vulcan Survivor Dalek

Although the original visuals are lost, the animated version of The Power of the Daleks that was released in 2013 have ensured that many fans can now enjoy this story in an accessible way that closely approximates the original viewing experience. This custom was created to resemble the animated Daleks specifically, as I found the contrast between the silver and blue in the colourised version of the animated episodes quite striking. This Dalek was originally an Emperor’s Guard Dalek, though I have repainted the dome, slats and hemispheres since then, and the entire figure has been given a black wash to add to the battered look. This Dalek also features a bright red Asylum stamp on the dome, which I added using red permanent marker.

Following the destruction of the Human colony on Vulcan, the few Dalek survivors called for help, only to be condemned to the Asylum. Mutants from critically damaged Vulcan-built casings were moved to newer casings and send to intensive care, whilst this drone was simply left to languish in the facility’s atrium.

Custom Time War Special Weapons Dalek

This Dalek is of course based on the Special Weapons Dalek seen in the 1988 story Remembrance of the Daleks, albeit with a Time War twist. This Dalek was originally a Remembrance Special Weapons Dalek that I have since painted with several coats of bronze paint with various shades to distinguish between the different sections. The cannon itself is slightly damaged, to give the impression that the Special Weapons Dalek has been firing its weapon a lot. The base came from a Davros figure, and it fit perfectly due to the newer sculpt of New Series Daleks matching that of Classic Series Daleks. This figure was very fun to make, and although it is not the only custom Special Weapons Dalek in my collection, it is by far one of the best additions to my Asylum collection.

A last-ditch effort to gain the upper hand in the Time War involved the resurrection of Davros’ long-dead Special Weapons Dalek project, which led to the creation of several of these in the Time War design. This particular specimen was sent to the Asylum after extended combat led to radiation leakage from its primary cannon sending the mutant insane.

Custom Classic Series Dalek Asylum Inmates – Part IV

Welcome to the Asylum Project, a series of new blog posts showcasing my collection of custom Dalek figures depicting insane inmates of the Dalek Asylum. 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. These Classic Daleks are all complete, with only repaints or additions being made – no serious damage. This is primarily due to the fact that, unless they already feature damage caused by other people, I am loathed to cause permanent damage to a classic figure. As such, many of the Classic Daleks in the Asylum are fully repainted yet complete figures.

Part IV of the Classic Series Dalek Asylum Inmates series will cover my collection of custom Classic Daleks in my Asylum collection that have been modified to appear damaged, insane or deranged. In the episode Asylum of the Daleks, many of the classic props were complete and could not be damaged – as such, many of the Classic Series Daleks seen in the actual episode lack the more serious damage that was done to some of the New Series Daleks.

Custom Damaged Grey Warrior Dalek

This figure was originally a Gold Dalek from Day of the Daleks – the entire figure was painted grey, and the details were then painted black to resemble a Warrior Dalek from the late 70s and 80s. The figure was also given a metallic finish using silver Citadel paint applied using dry-brushing. This figure could be a depiction of a Dalek from one of the 80s Dalek serials, however it appears more like the design that I imagine being used in the Big Finish audios of the same era. Despite the dull paint job of the Dalek Drones of this era, I designed this figure to stand out using the metallic scraping effects.

Despite their older casings, the Daleks of the First Dalek War era can last a long time with relatively little decay – this specimen has been in the Asylum for millennia and has taken little damage, despite taking part in hundreds of minor skirmishes between inmates. Despite this, it is constantly searching for new victims.

Custom Damaged Emperor’s Guard Dalek

This custom was created to accurately depict the Emperor’s Guard Dalek from The Evil of the Daleks, the only example of an Emperor’s Guard Dalek in the Asylum collection that is actually being used as an Emperor’s Guard Dalek. The Dalek in the episode appears to be completely delirious, spinning around in circles endlessly, though the physical prop itself features little damage other than cobwebs. As such, I only gave this custom some light modifications using a black wash that was late reinforced with grey detailing.

After taking part in the intense firefight between Humanised Daleks and Emperor’s Guards during the end of the First Skaro Era, many of the surviving Emperor’s Guards went insane due to the horrific damage caused to the Emperor. This Dalek spins on the spot in the depths of the Asylum endlessly, as means of penance.

Custom Flaming Silver Dalek

This custom was fun to make, and is meant to depict the remarkably flammable Daleks from the Third Doctor serial Death to the Daleks. Despite being attacked with sticks and rocks, the Daleks in this story inexplicably burst into flames. The flames themselves are actually the ragged sleeves of a Series 3 Carrionate figure from the episode The Shakespeare Code, turned upside-down and painted with orange, red and yellow paint. The figure itself was once a Dalek Emperor’s Guard, however the base has been replaced with a thicker 70s and 80s Dalek base and the eyestalk has been replaced with the later model. The gunstick has also been replaced with a fake one fashioned to resemble the crude machine-gun weapons that the Daleks use in this serial.

Although they are unusually flammable compared to other Daleks, this specimen seems unfazed by the fire that often consumes the outer part of its casing – this insane mutant sees the monsters of Exxilon wherever it goes, and feels pain with every waking second of its existence.

Custom Classic Series Dalek Asylum Inmates – Part III

Welcome to the Asylum Project, a series of new blog posts intended to showcase my collection of customised Dalek Asylum inmates, including Classic Daleks in the Asylum. 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. One of the most difficult aspects of managing the Asylum Project as an art installation first and a Dalek collection second is resisting the temptation to just make every Dalek a classic Dalek – after all, fans were disappointed with the under-use of the props in the original episode. However, the primary purpose of the Asylum Project is to expand on the concepts introduced in Asylum of the Daleks but in a way that pays tribute to the look and atmosphere of the Asylum in an authentic way. As such, Classic Daleks had to be kept to a minimum, and after a lot of deliberation and planning it was finally decided which ones would be included in the collection as complete figures.

Classic Daleks are certainly fun to customise, but unfortunately, they don’t appear that often, so I had to improvise with many of my Classic Daleks, many of which are repaints of Dalek figures from the Classic Dalek Collectors Set #2. Part III of the Classic Series Dalek Asylum Inmates series will cover the final group of intact Classic Daleks in my Asylum collection that have been modified to appear damaged, insane or deranged.

Custom Modified 1960s Guard Dalek

This custom is based off the ‘accidental’ Dead Planet Dalek Guard from the Series 9 episode The Witch’s Familiar – due to a prop mix-up on set, a Dead Planet Dalek can briefly be seen sporting a black dome in this story, which went on to create an entirely new subclass of Dalek by extension. Unlike the traditional Emperor’s Guard Daleks, this new design lacks the slats and sports the same cyan shoulder colour scheme as the newer Dead Planet Daleks from the same episode. I created this custom using a Saucer Pilot from The Dalek Invasion of Earth, and I decided to keep the chunky base to give this figure a distinct character separate from my other customs inspired by Series 9. I had to completely repaint the skirt and shoulder sections of this Dalek, and the entire figure was later given a black wash. The eystalk is fake, made using the remains of a jet lighter and held in place with hot glue.

Formerly a guard on the rebuilt Dalek City on Skaro, this drone was condemned to the Asylum for insanity after it witnessed the destruction of the City at the hands of the Doctor. Ironically, it was one of the few survivors of the cataclysm, but a chance encounter with the renegade Time Lady Missy changed the fate of this unfortunate Dalek forever.

Custom Damaged Renegade Dalek Inmate

Despite being one of the most prominent designs of Dalek throughout the 1980s, the Grey Renegade Dalek was sadly one of the most underused props in the original Asylum of the Daleks. As such, I took extra care making this custom stand out among the rest – not only is it sporting a prominent Asylum stamp on the dome, but this custom also features a green streak effect to give the impression that this Dalek was in combat in a jungle, forest or swamp before being transported to the Asylum. The figure originally started out as a Gold Dalek from Day of the Daleks, and it took several coats of grey Citadel paint to fully cover the gold beneath. The detailing was also done by Citadel paints both black and silver, and the figure was given a black wash with particular focus on the base of the skirt, to give a combat-worn appearance to this Dalek. Unfortunately, due to motion of the ball-jointed gunstick and manipulator arm, gold can still be seen beneath. However, with just a few touch-ups this could be made to resemble rust.

Though the Dalek Civil War ultimately ended in a stalemate, with both factions practically destroying each other, minor skirmishes between Imperial and Renedage Daleks still continue in the Asylum to this day, despite their dwindling numbers. Asylum systems have been overrun with damage reports, and it was eventually decided that Imperial and Renegade Daleks should be quarantined from each other – though this was only a temporary measure.

Custom Damaged Opening Skaro Dalek

This custom required a fair bit of reworking of the original Dead Planet Dalek design to accomodate for its most impactful feature – a mutant reveal. I achieved this by analysing how the standard mutant reveal Daleks keep their front panel in place whilst still allowing for it to be removed, and I was able to use sandpaper to whittle away the upper and lower tabs of the front panel until it could be slid into place easily. I created a housing for the mutant inside the Dalek using broken-up pieces of CD, and this creates an interesting effect that seems very 60s in its design, although I will likely make modifications to this in the future. The mutant itself was made using the head of a Dalek Sec Hybrid figure, albeit with the lower half removed and replaced with a mass of hot glue and wires to simulate tentacles. The mutant has a glossy green finish so that it reflects off the CD housing, and the entire figure was given a black wash to add a layer of grime. There are also fragments of green across this custom which is mostly hot glue that was left to dry and then coloured in with green marker pen.

Daleks that were built in the new City on Skaro resembled their distant ancestors in terms of appearance, but their casings were enhanced with all the features of modern Dalek soldiers, including modern optics, shield technology and increased power reserves. However, these enhancements didn’t stop this Dalek from going insane and being condemned to the Asylum for treason – exactly what crime this Dalek committed is unknown.

Next Post: Custom Classic Series Dalek Asylum Inmates – Part IV

Custom Destroyed Classic Series Dalek Asylum Inmates – Part III

Welcome to the Asylum Project, a series of new blog posts showcasing my collection of custom Dalek Asylum inmates, including Classic Daleks in the Asylum, many of which were immobile or destroyed. A fascinating thing about the Classic Series Dalek designs is that, despite the diverse variety in colour schemes and base designs, particularly when appearing alongside New Series Daleks, not a single one looks out of place. The figures in this collection are usually displayed as a unit, and it is striking how well each and every individual Dalek design looks when they are all massed together. 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 III of the Classic Series Dalek Asylum Inmates series will cover my collection of custom Classic Daleks in my Asylum collection that have been modified to appear destroyed or damaged beyond repair. Customising Classic Daleks is always a joy, and there are many Classic Daleks out there to be claimed – if you know where to look. Although I have tried my absolute best to ensure that as few Daleks end up in landfill as possible, the quest cannot end when I eventually stop collecting Daleks for customs. Not only are Dalek figures made of plastic, and would cause serious damage to the environment should they simply be thrown away, means that anyone with broken or unwanted Dalek figures should do their best to ensure that it ends up in the right hands.

These classic Daleks make up my collection of Asylum customs, so although many of them are missing most of the essential appendages, they live on as pieces of art, part of a collection that gives them purpose. Some of these Daleks are among the most interesting Daleks in the entire collection, and that is not just because they happen to be Classic Daleks.

Custom Dead Emperor’s Guard Dalek

This is a lot of justification for Emperor’s Guard Daleks being featured in the Asylum, as they are likely the Daleks that would have overheard many of the Emperor’s vile plans. As we know from the Big Finish audios, the Emperor is not above using other life forms for his schemes, plotting to utilise viruses and other diseases, and altering countless timelines. It would make sense that the Daleks that bear witness to this kind of development are more likely to end up in the Asylum. This Dalek was created using a standard Emperor’s Guard Dalek from the reliable Dalek Collector Set #2. The eyestalk, blaster and plunger were removed when I received this figure, though I have managed to replace the manipulator with a simple silver stick. The entire figure was given a grey wash to add to the grimy, Asylum effect.

Not all of the Emperor’s Guard went on to have illustrious positions as members of the Supreme Council – several ended up languishing in the Asylum for elaborating upon what they had witnessed during the Emperor’s many meetings. Even before the Time War, the Emperor had many dealings that sent several of his guard insane.

Custom Destroyed Necros/Lethe Dalek

Although the Necros Daleks are few in number in the TV story Revelation of the Daleks, the Big Finish audios have shown us that Davros made several attempts to create Imperial Daleks, including his soldiers that accompanied him on Lethe, who were themselves Necros survivors. This custom was created to resemble one of Davros’ Daleks from this era, either Necros or Lethe, who was picked up by the Asylum and later destroyed. The Dalek figure itself was originally a Gold Dalek from Day of the Daleks, once again featuring as part of the good old Dalek Collectors Set #2. The top half of this Dalek was cut off with a hacksaw and hot glue was used to hold pieces and plastic and part of the neck section of the Dalek in place to form the damaged wreckage at the top. The white paint was applied over a black spray-painted base, and gold paint was added for the detailing.

Abducted and placed in the Asylum for serving Davros, this Necros-style Dalek was created on Lethe and aided Davros during his Juggernauts project. However, it was later destroyed by other Daleks in the Asylum, and its remains lie as an enduring relic of the hubris of Davros’ plans.

Custom Destroyed Earth Invasion Dalek

Many customs are made with the base Dalek in mind, and this can definitely be said of this custom. However, this was not always a destroyed Dalek custom, though the top half of this Dalek had to be sacrificed to provide essential parts for another. What remains is essentially a destroyed Dalek custom from the invasion of Earth era, and this 1960s design looks excellent even with the head removed. It is always a privilege to customise Classic Daleks in any significant way, as it is fascinating to explore different ideas with this enduring design. This figure was designed with those philosophies in mind, and this Dalek was created to resemble the effect that was used for destroyed Daleks in the show at this time. The top half of the Dalek was cut off using a hacksaw and the entire figure was spray painted black, then dry-brushed with silver. The spheres were coloured blue using Pro-Marker.

Hit by a stray blast and left to rot in the Asylum, this Dalek was a front-line soldier during the Dalek’s conquest of Earth, though it has spent far more time in the Asylum as one of many empty shells as a result of Dalek infighting. Ironically, this Dalek might have survived the invasion of Earth – but it certainly did not survive its short time in the Asylum.

Custom Destroyed Skaro Dalek

Sometimes you can receive a Dalek figure that is so broken that custom options are limited. However, other times you can receive a Dalek figure that is so broken that custom options become available that would have otherwise never have presented themselves. That was certainly the case with this Dalek custom, which uses a rare Skaro model Dalek as the base, though this is actually a more common Dalek Saucer Pilot figure from the Dalek Collectors Set #2 with the base removed, the skirt repainted, and the dome painted silver. However, upon receiving this figure, I realised that the entire model was rusted. Every screw was brown and flaky, and the internal head rotation structure was ruined. However, I was able to save this figure by replacing the rotating head with a hinge, replicating the opening dome method used in the early Classic Series. The tentacles on the skirt were created using old computer parts, and this figure has had over a dozen washes of various colours of paint, ranging from black to grey to green.

Many of the experiments that Davros cast out of the Kaled Scientific Bunker survived for thousands of years, and later Skaro Daleks would fall prey to his foul devices. This Dalek was sent to Asylum after an encounter with one of the creatures of Davros, and it has since filled the nearby chambers of the Asylum with its screams.

Custom Classic Series Dalek Asylum Inmates – Part II

Welcome to the Asylum Project, a series of new blog posts showcasing my collection of custom Dalek Asylum inmates, including Classic Daleks in the Asylum. 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. Classic Daleks are cool, and custom Classic Daleks are even cooler. But vandalising rare and beloved Classic Dalek action figures that could have otherwise become the favourite toy of a young Doctor Who fan certainly isn’t cool. Thankfully, the universe aligned in such a way that B&M had a sale on dozens of unsold Dalek Collector’s Set #2 packs in the early 2010s and as such eBay bundles are flooded with broken Classic Dalek toys.

Because there are so many of these figures, and because they sell so cheap, it is easy to amass a collection of many in a short amount of time and eventually you will have enough eyestalks, plungers and gunsticks to have one or two intact Classic Daleks, with many more sporting missing parts and some having no appendages at all. These are the ones that are best used for Asylum customising, however, sometimes intact Classic Daleks are used for the Asylum as well = after all, due to the nature of the props used, many of the Classic Daleks seen in Asylum of the Daleks are intact.

Part II of this Classic Series Dalek Asylum Inmates series will cover my collection of custom Classic Daleks in my Asylum collection that have been modified to appear insane and damaged, sourced from a variety of different eras of the show’s history.

Custom Damaged Genesis-era Dalek

Though they were a common sight in Dalek stories in the Seventies and early Eighties, the generic grey Genesis-era Dalek was a rare sight in the Asylum. As such, there are only a few in the collection, and this is one of only a handful that are intact. This Dalek was customised to appear as if it had seen great conflict, I gave the figure several washes in different shades of grey in order to give it a layered, weathered look. Several of the spheres have been damaged with a hacksaw, and in several places the hacksaw also chipped the sides, adding to the damaged effect. The overall paint job on this Dalek is darker than that of standard Genesis-era Daleks, this is due to the fact that Citadel paints were used to emulate the colour scheme.

A relic of a Dalek conflict from early in its history, this damaged soldier was recovered from one of the first worlds the Daleks ever conquered. Though it usually sits catatonic with other Daleks in the upper chambers, this Dalek has been known to prowl around the corridors at night, muttering to itself about extermination…

Custom Damaged Imperial Dalek

One of my favourite designs of Dalek of all time is the white and gold Imperial Dalek. Remembrance of the Daleks was the first episode of Doctor Who that I remember seeing, and as such this striking colour scheme has been ingrained in my mind since my love of Doctor Who began. Unfortunately, the opportunity to do custom Imperial Daleks is few and far between – as some fans may have already noted, this is not an Imperial Dalek figure, it is in fact a regular Dalek figure painted white and gold, and the ear lights have been replaced with larger plastic computer parts – the severed ends of two capacitors – that have been painted gold. True Imperial Daleks have fewer slats and a distinctive triangular protrusion on the front that I was unable to replicate on this figure. As such, this Dalek represents a transitional period between the Necros Daleks and the standard Imperial Daleks.

One of Davros’ early soldiers from the Dalek Civil War, this Imperial Dalek is caught up in constant firefights in the Asylum with what remains of the Renegade faction. Although the Imperial numbers dwindle, several other Daleks have pledged themselves to the cause, meaning the fighting is likely to continue for many more millennia.

Custom Modified New Skaro Dalek

This distinctive design of Dalek is seen briefly in the Series 9 episode The Witch’s Familiar, during a section that was actually filmed using models. The scene depicts three Daleks in a corridor on Skaro, but one in particular is distinctive as it appears to be a standard 60s Classic Dalek but with a New Series Dalek base. The Dalek in question was actually a remote controlled toy that was used for the model shot, hence the differences – though this isn’t the first time that the production team used remote control Daleks for model shots. This Dalek was customised to resemble the Dalek from that scene, using a Classic Series Dalek but with a New Series base. To add to the Asylum effect, I decided to give this Dalek wires that circle its casing and have embedded themselves where the manipulator arm should be. The gunstick is also restrained, giving the impression that this Dalek is immensely trigger-happy. The entire model was also given a black wash with Citadel paint.

Even among the inmates of the Asylum, there are some Daleks that are too insane to be let loose. This Dalek was sent to the Asylum for the Dalek equivalent of a homicide, and has been trying to destroy Daleks ever since. The mechanisms that were put into place to restrain this Dalek are failing, however, and eventually it will resume its killing spree.