Super Collector Newsletter Discussion Thread

[monitor_ep]

For the American Mego collectors, the Walmart link in the newsletter will not let you order the Big Lots Megos.

[LonnieFisher]

My favorite email every week!

[palitoy]

Toink!

https://mailchi.mp/c97a06557f9c/mego-supercollector-newsletter

[TRDouble]

The newsletter was a much needed pick me up this morning... thank you!

I know FTC has had some really great sales lately, but this current one is the first one that makes me wonder if the Warner Media, or whatever they are called these days, license is up soon and one or both parties does not plan to pursue a renewal.

[palitoy]

Plop Polp fizz fizz
https://mailchi.mp/f786b3432d3d/mego...te-and-more?e=[UNIQID]

[monitor_ep]

I have never seen that Vickie's Halloween Costume Playset as Catwoman doll?

[LonnieFisher]

The Toy Fair video with Doc Mego is awesome. Way better than just the pictures that have been posted. Finally got confirmation for all the people that say the original Star Trek figures weren't based on the cartoon. I've had many "discussions" with people about that fact. They are from the animated series and not the original live series.

[sprytel]

The Toy Fair video with Doc Mego is awesome. Way better than just the pictures that have been posted. Finally got confirmation for all the people that say the original Star Trek figures weren't based on the cartoon. I've had many "discussions" with people about that fact. They are from the animated series and not the original live series.

While I'm on your side in this debate... Paul wasn't involved with the original Star Trek figures, so I'm not sure this counts as "confirmation". Plus, he directly contradicts that confirmation when he says the vintage Mego Andorian was the Romulan spy character in "Journey to Babel".

[TrekStar]

While I'm on your side in this debate... Paul wasn't involved with the original Star Trek figures, so I'm not sure this counts as "confirmation". Plus, he directly contradicts that confirmation when he says the vintage Mego Andorian was the Romulan spy character in "Journey to Babel".

This is correct, since the spy was actually an Orion and not a Romulan. But regardless Paul did a great job explaining what’s coming and it’s pretty terrific that all these figures are being made available to us.

[palitoy]

The Toy Fair video with Doc Mego is awesome. Way better than just the pictures that have been posted. Finally got confirmation for all the people that say the original Star Trek figures weren't based on the cartoon. I've had many "discussions" with people about that fact. They are from the animated series and not the original live series.

Absolutely not true, it's just Paul's belief and should not be taken as evidence. I've asked four people who actually worked on the line and they all denied that "fact." I'll take their words over Paul's or Marty's in fact, because he also admitted to me that he was "in the ivory tower" and didn't attend the design meetings. Neal Kublan straight up said "We licensed the original series" and said Paramount sent kinescopes of TOS episodes.

[TrekStar]

Absolutely not true, it's just Paul's belief and should not be taken as evidence. I've asked four people who actually worked on the line and they all denied that "fact." I'll take their words over Paul's or Marty's in fact, because he also admitted to me that he was "in the ivory tower" and didn't attend the design meetings. Neal Kublan straight up said "We licensed the original series" and said Paramount sent kinescopes of TOS episodes.

I heard at one time that the Star Trek Mego figures were created because of the popularity of TOS reruns at the time and likeness for the figures were based on the actual actors.

The animated series just happened to be in syndication at around the same time and the voices of the actual actors were used. I know some might be saying, what about the Klingon mego? he does come fairly close to the animated character likeness, but it was in fact molded after William Campbell.

[TrekStar]

Actually if you go to the Mego museum Star Trek gallery, right at the very beginning it says the following……Mego’s Star Trek line was “officially” based on the live action series in syndication in 1974, but the Mego designers (appear) to have referred repeatedly to the animated series for inspiration.

So I can understand why it can get so confusing, perhaps the designers used both for inspiration
since they do sort of have a bit of both mixtures in the likeness, of course this is jmo.

[palitoy]

Oh yeah, I'm not suggesting that the animated show didn't influence the toy line at all; there are a few citable references I'll surrender. It's just not the case that it was based on the animated series, I mean, everything from character selection to playsets/role-play items, loudly disagrees with the notion.

I mean, my goodness, the tricorder plays "The Menagerie."

[PNGwynne]

I think the reason, noted here in the past, that collectors cling to this theory is because of the simplified Mego Klingon design. Fair enough, it's plausible.

But the Klingon head slightly resembles Koloth, not Filmation. Likewise, the Mego Andorian suggests Thelev, not Thelin.

[scott metzger]

I don’t know what the original Mego sculptors intended, but I am used to breaking down facial features to see what Mego heads would work for particular characters, so that might be of help here.

https://i0.wp.com/www.tor.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/moretribblesmoretroubles4.jpg?w=740&type=vertical&quality=100&ssl=1

As far as the crew goes, Spock is much closer to actual Nimoy than animated Nimoy, mainly because of the jawline. The face also favors the actor over the drawing in features like the nose. The hairline pretty much the same in person and animation, so I’d say Spock is mostly live action. Kirk is a mix. The jawline is much closer to Shatner, whereas the nose and the eyes/eyebrows seem to tend more animated. The general face shape is Shatner, but a little wider like Filmation. The hairline is a bit closer to the Filmation style, but not far off from the real thing, either. The animated version captures Kirk pretty well, so there’s not huge differences to begin with. Bones and Scotty are a bit unique among Megos, as they have minimal detail in their hair, far less than most other Megos. That gives both of them a very animated look from the outset. Looking at Bones, the jawline, face shape, eyes/eyebrows, nose, even hairline all tend much more toward the actor than the animated. The eyes and brows are especially off from the Filmation design. Scotty, on the other hand, is much closer to Filmation than to Doohan. The jawline and nose are pretty much dead on to the animation, as are the eyebrows; the jaw is significantly wider/more square than Doohan’s, but right in line with Filmation. The hairline is the one thing that seems to come more from the actor than the drawing. Uhura is a bit harder, as the likeness to either is a little thinner, but the jaw/face shape and nose definitely don’t resemble the Filmation version. The eyes and eyebrows really don’t seem to capture either very much. The hair is closer to the cartoon, but could be a simplified version of the live action coiffure in some episodes. So what influences are actually there seem to come more from Nichols than the toon.

The aliens are mostly inspired by the classic show where they are inspired by anything other than wild imagination. The Klingon, though, is definitely based on the animated version of Koloth. The face is far too long and narrow to be based on the original actor. The hairline is also much closer to the Filmation version. The outfit is off-color from the toon, but the design is definitely there.

Koloth

The others all came in one form or another from the original show, at least in inspiration, if not appearance. None of the aliens appearing in the cartoon bore any resemblance to the figures. And there’s no arguing that Romulan head sculpt is Mark Lenard, as it’s probably the best likeness in the entire line.