Rocky the Eridian

Hailing from the high-pressure, ammonia-rich world of Erid, Rocky is one of the most gifted engineers of his people. With five dexterous limbs and an unmatched intuition for machinery, he is capable of designing and repairing technology far beyond human comprehension. Though alien in form and environment, Rocky’s loyalty and bravery transcend species. His unlikely friendship with a stranded human scientist becomes a testament to cooperation across the stars.

Rocky the Eridian was created as a birthday gift for my good friend and fellow geek, Robert Meyer Burnett. Rob is a huge fan of Andy Weir’s novel Project Hail Mary and is eagerly awaiting its upcoming movie adaptation. Knowing Rob’s love for both the book and his collectibles, I set out to see if any Rocky figures already existed. While I didn’t find official toys, I did discover a number of talented online creators who had designed 3D sculpts of the character. After choosing a sculpt by Sebastian Woszczyk, I had it printed and hand-painted, and I added a bandolier made from Cosmic Legions rifle belts. To complete the presentation, I packaged the figure in a custom container styled after one of the spacecraft described in the novel and added a magnetic display stand. Judging by his reaction, I’d say Rob was pretty thrilled with the finished piece!

• Figure and stand: 3D printed PLA filament. Rocky STL model by Sebastian Woszczyk

• Bandolier: 4H Cosmic Legions Zeerian Spyre

• Paints: Apple Barrel acrylics, Vallejo surface primer, Army Painter Speed Paints

• Completion Date: May 2025

Notes:

A huge "THANK YOU!" to my friends and colleagues at the Portland Community College Sylvania Campus Maker Lab. This project would not have been possible without their assistance and expertise!