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Post by martingb on May 31, 2005 10:40:44 GMT -5
I am of the opinion that the old Penguin Aurora head is clearly inspired by Burgess Meredith and I recall this has been discussed previously. Does anybody here maybe know if anybody still sells resin replicas of this head which can then be 'hydrospanned' (I think that's what guys call it!) to fit a Mego body, or indeed a GI Joe size!. I know there were lots of guys who did resin repros a while back but then of course with the advent of Polar Lights many of these fellas gave up doing it.
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Post by BlackKnight on May 31, 2005 19:11:48 GMT -5
There is a head on the Andgor toys website. It's in 12" scale & is the most true likeness to Burgess Meredith that I have ever seen. If we could get our hands on it, I'm sure I know someone who could shrink it to mego scale for us. ;D However there is a problem. Everytime I try & order from those guy's, nothing..... I don't even know if they are in bussiness still or what going on. It's really frustrating knowing that head is out there. Come's complete with smoke & hat & eye piece. They also have a bad a$$ Christoper Reeves head. OOOHHH what I would give for those, with in reason of course. Thats all I know. andgortoys.com Check it out, head number 51 or 53 I think.  |
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Post by BlackKnight on May 31, 2005 19:13:09 GMT -5
Sorry, bro. The link doesn't work any more.  |
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Post by martingb on Jun 1, 2005 3:43:02 GMT -5
I saw that myself a while back. I agree it is incredible but if the guy is out of action it is back to square one I guess. Thanks for trying though. He did a Romero Joker too I think didn't he?
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Post by radioscooter on Jun 2, 2005 2:29:07 GMT -5
Guys -
1. AVOID and IGNORE Angor Toys like the plague. They've been ousted and chastized publicly on several websites for taking money and never sending stuff out. There have been dozens of slams on them on the Mego sites etc. for years.
2. The 12" villain heads they show that you are talking about were all also in my pictures of heads for sale from a couple weeks ago. The Gorshin, Romero and Meredith are all available in resin from Diver 4. Which is the same guy that offers that little Mego Cesar Romero head that Les just got. He's a friend of mine and a good guy. He also has the Chris Reeves head.
3. The Aurora Penguin head was definitely designed to look like Burgess. That's been documented. there is also a prototype of their unreleased Riddler that has shown up at a few shows that looks a lot like Gorshin. Also - the Aurora figures (other than the Batman) are all pretty much 1:8 scale and dead-on for Mego scale. I am sure a recast of the Aurora Penguin would go right on a Mego body no problem. There were a few people recasting that model. I'll see if I can find info on one.
-S
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Post by martingb on Jun 2, 2005 3:41:01 GMT -5
OK Bud! Thanks for the heads up. (Ouch!!) I really like the Meredith head and the Christopher Reeve head too. Are they availalable through your pal in Mego size or just larger? I remember seeing that Riddler Gorshin thing in the Aurora book I think. That would have been a cool kit! Thanks for the detective work mate keep us posted!!
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Post by Figuremaster Les on Jun 2, 2005 8:07:48 GMT -5
I want to second that AndGor comment!  I met with them at the Toy FX show in Orlando about 4 or so years back and had to personally go and pick up my ordered James Bond figure. In person! It was about four months behind being delevered to me and I was livid!!!! Jerks all around! The main guy I feel kinda sorry for because he has either had a stroke or a congenital defect, so he is not as healthy as he appears in the pics on their site. His is the face half the heads they sell are based on. The bearded fellow. However, they act like you should send them whatever money for these heads (Often $40 or more each!) and then they NEVER send you anything! Listen to Scooter: NEVER EVER ORDER FROM THESE GUYS! You do so at your peril  |
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Post by BlackKnight on Jun 2, 2005 18:48:57 GMT -5
Ya Andgor is horrible, just wanted to throw that head out there. I got acouple of Driver4"s heads a few months ago in the mail. Don't want to say which ones, give away the suprise, they were fantastic. A beautiful likeness of the characters indeed! I never new that the Chris, Ceaser & Burgess heads were his, thats ausome. I wouldn't mind having that Chris Reeves head & Burgess head as well! Hay Scoot, you know if he plans on shrinking those to mego scale as well?  |
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Post by Wild Willy on Jun 2, 2005 19:06:13 GMT -5
I have also heard some bad press on AndGor, No need to elaborate Scot said it best.
Jason I have a friend who does head shrinking. He has litterally mastered the technique and has even taken it a step further, He has 3D router technology where he can scan in 3D a head or any object into his computer then the router will literally carve the exact dulpicate out in any size larger or smaller then the original, which is totally unharmed in any way.
Will
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Post by radioscooter on Jun 2, 2005 21:52:14 GMT -5
Just to be clear - they are NOT Dale's heads Per se.  this is a very touchy subject with a lot of my sculptor friends. Here's the thing - Dale is a recaster of heads. There is a lot of gray area to me in this arena. For example - Dale sells a Chris Walken head that originally came on a Japanese only doll. The sculpt is great, but the one on the doll, IF you can find one, is painted horribly with bad toy industry paints. The sculptor has been paid. The toy is discontinued so recasting the head and reselling them - doesn't take any money or credit out of anyone's pocket. To me - Dale recasts it - I buy them and make them look really nice for my Walken doll. And that's OKAY. However, on the other side of the coin - Dale has a bunch of PRIVATELY commissioned heads that are still out there for sale by the original sculptors. Which means for every one of those Dale sells - it's taking money and credit away from one of us. A customizer. An artist who put time and effort into a piece of art only to have it hijacked and copied. Now - don't get me wrong - I'm not trying to preach so much as just state my code and opinion- I'm just as guilty as anyone else. I used to buy all the Terry Reynolds stuff that Dale sold, and others as well. But I don't and won't anymore. Unless I know where it came from and it's 'safe' by my standards - I don't buy or use recast heads anymore. That's just me and my code. I will tell you this though - I am now working with some 'real' sculptors who work for the toy companies and I spend time on their boards and to them - Diver 4 and others are the DEVIL. There is NO gray area to them. So if you are cavorting with them and buying from Dale - be super careful what you say to whom. Dale is a great guy and makes great quality stuff. But - he did not sculpt ANY of those heads himself and many (including the TV Bat Villains) are all private work that some people are extremely pissed that they were recast. As to those villain heads - go to the RTM Custom Gallery and look up the gallery of Pete Tassler (also a friend of mine) www.toymania.com/custom/Galleries/PeteT/petet.htmYou will see all those heads on the dolls they were originally commissioned for. Again - I still send people to Dale everyday. He is a good guy. He makes great stuff. But what you buy is your own deal and conscience. I've been round and round this topic with the artists and I am now at the point where if I want a great doll head - I pay to have one sculpted - use a few for my dolls and then sell some heads off later. Expensive? It depends on who you get but - yeah, kinda. But - it eventually pays for itself, I get exclusive, sculpted likenesses exactly how I want them for exactly what doll I want to use, I support the artists, and have an exclusive sculpted head. (Until someone else gets a hold of one!) That's just my take. Your mileage may vary. -S |
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Post by radioscooter on Jun 2, 2005 21:54:30 GMT -5
All that being said - Will - I would love to be in touch with your friend, the cad-based resizer. On my new sculpts, which are being done in 1:6 and 1:9 I would love to be able to pay to have them resized for other scales (if it's cheaper than getting a new sculpt) and since I am the owner of the art - it's all hunky dory!
-S
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Post by radioscooter on Jun 2, 2005 21:58:57 GMT -5
Just one last note about those villain heads. I don't know if any of you have seen them in person - the regular sized ones - not the shrunken ones. They are TOO big for regular accurate 1:6 scale Dragon/Joe etc bodies. They fit perfectly on the bigger, barrel chested vintage Mego 12" bodies (supes, bats, spidey etc)
I have the set of 3 villain heads but have not done anything with them because I don't like that larger size. I DO have an Adam West head that matches that scale though and may do the set of 4 to sell if I can grab up enough of those Mego bodies!
-S
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Post by Figuremaster Les on Jun 2, 2005 23:16:46 GMT -5
Being a 12" only kind of guy, I'd be interested in a set of all the TV Batman characters that I can get, from Batman on down, for my own set to make.
I hope I can get some. I only want the best ones though. Probably why I haven't started. Don't know where to get the best 12" scale ones.
Just a comment.
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this is a very touchy subject with a lot of my sculptor friends.