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Posted

On Christmas morning of 1975, a fledging action figure customizer was born!

 

That was the day when I, as a 7 year old little boy, found myself terribly disappointed with my brand new Batman and Robin Mego "dolls", the off-scale Batmobile, and the carboard Batcave Playset toys that were under my Chriatmas Tree.

 

I was grateful to have these toys, and I enjoyed playing with them, of course. But I also could not help but notice all the missing details and inaccuaracies in all of them.

 

To those of you that are too young to remember the 8 inch scale MEGO action figures from the 1970's here is a photo of what the bat- characters looked like back then:

 

MEGOBATCAVEGROUPPHOTO-1.jpg

 

 

Charming, cute, and maybe more than just a little bit silly looking. And thererin lies the problem. Everyone knows that in the twisted, garish world of Gotham City, "cute" is simply far too out of place!

 

30 years later, I took matters into my own hands. Here are my results so far...

Posted

I found substantial room for improvement over Mego's original 8 Inch action figure version of THE JOKER...

 

First off, I gave his face a bit of a make-over with a slightly more detailed paint scheme. I eliminated the silk-screened leotard that Mego provided and fashioned all-new SEPARATE garments (custom silk green shirt, flaming orange flannel vest, baggy "pleated" purple pants with fat black pinstripes and tall waistband. As for his zany purple blazer, I only added a wild orange satin lining to the tails to spruce them up. At this point, I added the decorative details to the figure like buttons, floppy black tie, bright red lapel flower, a pair of purple dress sox and, a pair of white spats draped over his standard brown Mego shoes. He also wears a dandy pair of CLOTH white dress gloves, which unfortunately did not photograph as well as I’d hoped…

 

I created a custom Mego-styled window box on computer for THE JOKER to sleep in and called him finished!

 

Custom Action Figure and photo by Roberto Williams

 

 

jokermail.jpg

 

jokerboxmail-1.jpg

Posted

A Custom MEGO Bat-Project would NOT be complete without THE RIDDLER

 

I've always had a preference for the prince of puzzlers' classic unitard outfit, so that's the version of the characrter that I've created (just as MEGO originally did).

 

This customization is still in progress, so some of the details in the photo below are created via photoshop (Re:purple gauntlets). The plan here is to provide much tighter, snugger fitting lycra-spandex tights with vinyl question mark transfers all over his uniform. The Riddler will have a brand-new custom head sculpt, a removable face mask, custom cloth gauntlets and a new larger waist band belt.

 

His custom-designed MEGO-styled window box has already been created.

 

Custom Action Figure and photo by Roberto Williams.

 

 

 

 

TheRiddler.jpg

 

 

 

riddlerboxmail.jpg

Posted

No Photos yet of my two MEGO custom action figure LADIES in Batman's life. I'm putting the final touches on them now.

 

But here now are both of their custom window box designs.

 

BATGIRL and CATWOMAN

 

 

batgirlbox.jpg

 

 

selenabox.jpg

Posted

“Rounding out” this rouge's gallery of Bat-villains is my customized action figure rendition of the nefarious Oswald Cobblepot!

 

MEGO'S original action figure version of THE PENGUIN required a complete and total make-over.

 

This figure has customized shorter and thicker legs to give him a 7 inch tall body height (to actually make him SHORTER than the other 8 inch tall characters). He has an all-new (more sinister) head sculpt with a removable top hat and monocle with lens (not molded onto the head sculpt like MEGO's original.) THE PENGUIN now wears brand new custom-made SEPARATE clothing garments: white shirt, silk bow-tie, silk orange cumberbundt, purple dress pants, sox, white spats on top of wing-tip shoes, buttons (unlike MEGO's original silk-screen printed leotard).

 

My customized PENGUIN action figure also wears white silk dress gloves with cuffs (instead of MEGO's simple "white hands"), and he has custom-made cigarette-holder and umbrella accessories (which MEGO never included with their original action figure!)

 

I also created a customized MEGO-styled window-box package for this action figure on computer in Adobe Photoshop.

 

Custom Action Figure and photo by Roberto Williams

 

 

 

Penguinmail.jpg

 

 

penguinboxmail.jpg

Posted

There are currently plans on my work bench for a WAYNE MANOR COLLECTION of custom MEGO action figures of Bruce Wayne , (young) Richard Grayson, and Alfred Pennyworth.

 

For now, these are the custom boxes that I designed...

 

 

butlerbox.jpg

 

 

GraysonBox.jpg

 

 

brucebox.jpg

Posted

Next up is my custom MEGO 8 inch action figure of Gotham City’s POLICE COMMISSIONER GORDON!

 

The Commissioner is pictured here during a particularly dangerous night in Gotham City as he summons the Caped Crusaders with the famed Bat-Signal (toy prop created by DC Direct Products)!

 

This custom COMMISSIONER GORDON action figure was a lot of fun, but very difficult to create. I developed his head sculpt from an existing MEGO sculpt which I re-worked and repainted extensively with a large mustache added. I also went through a VERY difficult time creating those tiny eye glasses (with lenses included!) and incorporating them seamlessly into Gordons hairline. Legendary MEGO customizer Charlee Flatt helped me out by providing Gordon's custom-made basic black business suit, a white shirt, a pair of black sox, and a tan rain-overcoat. I made a belt for his trousers easily enough, but I had a REALLY difficult time creating that silk neck-tie of his that I had to knot (windsor-style) with tweezers! Custom-made accessories for this figure (not pictured) include a GCPD badge, a service revolver, and a smoking pipe.

 

He also sleeps in a custom-made MEGO-styled window box package that I created for him on computer in Adobe Photoshop.

 

Custom Action Figure and photo by Roberto Williams

 

 

GordonMailing.jpg

 

 

 

gordonboxmail.jpg

Posted

My goal here was to create a "Classic Dynamic Duo" that reflected the darker tone of the comics, and accurately displayed the physical difference between man and BOY wonder.

 

To accomplish this goal I used the (shorter) 6 inch "boy" action figure body from MEGO's 1976 Our Gang Collection as the basis to create ROBIN The Boy Wonder. "Alfalfa" was used (for the main body) as was "Mickey" (for the head sculpt). I re-sculpted the Mickey head with a new Richard Grayson" hair style, and a boyish smirk, and then made a 5% smaller final casting with these new sculpted changes. With the exception of the green shorts and t-shirt sleeves (which were both borrowed and tailored from Mego’s original Robin action figure), ALL of the costume items had to be created from scratch. The biggest challenge was fashioning Robin’s gauntlets (bye-bye vinyl oven mitts!!! ) and "pixie" boots out of lime green fabric. Holy fashion statement!!!!

 

THE BATMAN began life as a standard nude MEGO 8 inch "type II" (muscular) body. I replaced the original MEGO arms with the bulkier upper arms found on LJN’s 8 inch SWAT action figure from the ‘1970’s. These new arms also have a "swivel" joint in the biceps which allow for much more posing.

 

I selected an existing MEGO head sculpt to double as "Bruce Wayne" , and with a quick hair re-sculpt and re-paint, he was done.

 

The creation of The Batman’s costume was a challange: He needed some tighter-fitting dark grey lycra spandex tights that improved upon Mego’s original "pajama-fit" costume. Here, Charlee Flatt came to my rescue by providing the excellent sewing chores. I created everything else. I attempted to make The Batman’s removable mask using Pez Candy Dispensers that I radically re-sculpted. After no less than 15 failed attempts (!!!), I finally got one to fit on the action figure’s head without cracking apart like an egg shell !! As an added bonus, the cowl is actually pretty strong and not at all fragile.

 

Accessories for both of these action figures (not pictured) include Bat-ropes, and two different folding "Bat-a-Rangs"

 

Both action figures sleep in MEGO-styled window-box packaging that I created for them on computer in Adobe Photoshop.

 

Custom Action Figures and photo by Roberto Williams

 

 

 

 

BatmanRobinMailing.jpg

 

 

BatmanBox.jpg

 

 

RobinBox.jpg

Posted

"TO THE BATMOBILE!!!"

 

After 5-1/2 years of sculpting and about $4,000 spent (God, I’m nuts!!), I have succeeded creating a very clean and smooth resin casting of my (correctly-scaled) BATMOBILE body sculpt for my custom MEGO action figures.

 

This body shell was developed as an amalgam of:

 

A) A tooled-up 1/25th scale Bat-converted Lincoln Futura Model kit,

 

B) My own original sculpting, and

 

C) The British AB models 1/8th scale Batmobile kit.

 

My custom BATMOBILE toy will be about 27 inches in length (as opposed to Mego's car which was just only 13 inches long)! It will feature: working "light-ups" (headlights, siren flasher, and rear Jet "after-burner" nozzle). The toy will have working doors, Steerable front wheels, a fully-detailed cockpit with light-up "closed-circuit TV monitor", Robin's radar scope, simulated black carpeting, vinyl upholstered "soft-plush"seats and door panels, and cloth seatbelts. And even a tiny mobile "Bat" phone! My BATMOBILE toy will roll on real rubber tires and chromed aluminum five-spoke styled wheels. Black cloth canvas parachute packs (non-deployable) will be installed in back of the car, and a trio of polished aluminum "rocket launch tubes" will sit prominently behind the back bubble windows. The front and rear grilles will be made of photo-etched metal. And the "Bat" emblems on the doors and wheels will be totally accurate and computer-printed as transfer labels.

 

I have already finished my Adobe Photoshop designs for the artwork on the box packaging for this one of a kind custom toy. The design is an homage to Mego’s original 1974 Batmobile artwork box design.

 

Photos by Roberto Williams.

 

 

 

batcar.jpg

 

 

 

 

batmobilepackagingmailing.jpg

Posted

DARKLORD1967!

 

This is some seriously amazing dedication to the art of customizing!

 

I love the work you have put into a series of figures that many people forget but I loved so much growing up! I was really young but still I was fortunate enough to have some of these from older cousins. :D

 

Excellent work... EXCELLENT! (Burns Voice)

Posted

Very cool, loving your Batmobile too!

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