Doctor Who 3D Print & Painted Kandyman from The Happiness Patrol (1988)
- Mephitsu
- 4 hours ago
- 5 min read
"I am a Kandyman of my word, but now our bargain is over. It's time to kill you."
I've been a massive fan of Doctor Who for as long as I can remember, but was introduced to the Whoniverse initially through the Target novelisations at a time (the 1980s) when there was no access to classic Who apart from rare re-runs. One of the first seasons I can relate to and recal watching as it aired was Season 25 and I have fond memories and has left me with a deep love of the Imperial Daleks, the Silver Nemesis Cybermen, and the wierd and wonderful inhabitants of Terra Alpha.
I have also been a collector of the Character Toys Doctor Who series since its launch in 2005, with a love of the Classic Doctors and Monsters. And while I've scratched that Season 25 itch thanks to the Character releases for Remembrance and Silver Nemesis, the more obscure characters are not on the radar... and one of my favourites is further complicated due to a certain sweet company. My son, a fellow collector, growing up would often pass car journeys quizzing me on dream waves or box sets of Doctor Who figures and it became a running joke to include the Kandyman in these conversations.
At the back end of 2025, I decided to finally scratch the Kandyman itch through the ever expanding and improving 3D printed market and purchased a solid kit from eBay (user 3DPrints123). In a weird twist of fate, I was also gifted a different Kandyman print after purchasing a Sea Devil kit for my son. This version was a little rougher around the edges and needed much more work, as well as needing to source new hands as his were missing.
While I did paint miniatures in my youth, age has not been kind to my hands for painting intricate detail. Ahead of starting work, I spent quit ea bit of time reviewing source material and choosing colours as well as choosing where some of the more complex patterns seen on screen might be pared back. The output, therefore, aims to be moreof a representation of how the Character might release the Kandyman rather than a full and faithful recreation.
Both models were given a clean and a flat white spray undercoat before work started. Painting for the two models took close to three months on and off. In the main colours were chosen from the Army Painter system, including their very useful Speed Painting paints, which I used on Kandyman's blue sweet textured head.
The more basic model has less sculpted detail, so it was given more flat painted panels, whereas the heavier model included printed icing oozing from the chest and arm panels, as well as stripes and spirals built into panels on the arms and legs. It also helpfully created a relief spiral on the black eyes, making them much easier to pick out in silver paint than the attempt I managed on the flat versions of the more basic model.
Hands were sourced from 3D printed Star Wars figures, notably a pair of hands for Boba Fett as these had a similar padding to the Kandyman's actual hands. The hands on both figures were about the most intricate parts to paint with multiple colours across each of the fingers and thumbs. I am happy with how these look, but they are still not overly accurate to the prop where the gloves were much more detailed as well as being asymetrical and therefore different finishes between the right and left hand.
The heavier model comes in five parts and is assembled with a slot in motion. While these could be used as articulation, the fit is tight and it needs some sanding to get them connected. Once assembled there is a bit of play in the arms, as well as some ability to rotate the head. The legs are locked.
The other model has been designed to have some level of articulation with pinned joints at the elbows and knees. As my free print was so rough at these edges, I made the decision to glue it all into place as a fixed model.
As both parts came in parts, this made painting easier and allowed me to focus on one set of parts at a time. Once assembled, the paintwork was sealed with a semi-gloss coat, which then enhanced the painted colours further, giving them both a glossy shine as we saw on the actual costume.
Both kits scale well with the Doctor Who figures from Character and look particularly great alongside the 7th Doctor from Season 25. Even without the articulation, they look great on display once you've worked through the pain of painting, and the lack of movement is not an overly noticeable issue. The kit I purchased is now gracing my shelves along with one of the beige-coated 7th Doctors. The other kit was gifted to my son for his display.
This was my first 3D-printed Doctor Who figure, and I have certainly caught the bug. While I won't be going overboard, there are some wonderfully talented artists in the market for other characters that we would never see commercially, and I have my eyes on a Foamasi, a Quark, the White Robot and (for my son) a Vervoid.
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About Me : As a child of the '70s and '80s I grew up in a golden age for action figures and in my youth bought and sold myself through collections of Star Wars, G.I. Joe (Action Force), and M.A.S.K. while also dabbling in He-Man, Transformers and Ghostbusters. Roll forward and I am now reliving that Youth with the action figures of today and am a collector and fan of the larger 6-8 inch figures from my favourite movie and TV licenses - including the ones mentioned above, but also the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Who, and the Aliens. I launched The Mephitsu Archives in 2015 with a view of creating a UK-focused site or these figures where fans can pick up the latest action figure news, read reviews and get information on where to buy their figures and what is currently on store shelves. I hope I am delivering that to you guys...