The Custom Gotham City Display at Mego Meet 2017

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One of the nicest attractions at this year’s Mego Meet was the beautifully made Gotham city display created by 9Arts. In this video, we caught up with Roberto Williams, creator of this display and it’s denizens for a chat about Mego, the creative process and of course, the Batman.

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[rodkeith]

Amazing work! I love the detail he puts not only into the dioramas, but the figures themselves (rather than just using the ones we all get). Everything looks incredible and part of a whole. Now that's a dedicated fan!

[Type3Toys]

What an awesome display. You can really see Roberto's love for Batman shine through in his work.

[mego maniac mark]

That is just stunning. What an amazing job. Just wow!

[darklord1967]

Thanks so much for the nice words fellas! I am so very gratified that you all like my work!

Truth be told, I was actually expecting everyone to be somewhat DISAPPOINTED with my work when they saw it at the MEET!

You see, I was so very very busy... for months on end... building that Gotham City Display... and I seriously underestimated how much time I would require to properly finish work on the custom figures themselves! The date to fly to Skokie for the MEET just snuck up on me! As a result, I went to Skokie with ALL figures unfinished, and with only 7 out of the intended 14 custom figures even remotely able to be shown.

During the Friday set up, I put out my Gotham City Dioramas displays, but kept the custom figures up in my hotel room to WORK ON THEM THROUGH THE NIGHT to finish them in time to open the show the next morning, Saturday.

The following day came in a FLASH. And with the show doors opening up at 9AM, I was still up in my room racing against the clock, making garments... painting heads... finishing off accessories... you name it!! And ALL on NO SLEEP!

By 11:00 AM Saturday, MEGO Museum Members were becoming worried about my absence down at the show. They began texting me to see If I was going to come down with my intended custom figures. I assured them I was coming, and continued working at a frantic pace.


When I finally appeared downstairs at the show, it was at 1:00 PM! As I posed the figures in the dioramas, I found myself thoroughly ASHAMED! I had simply run out of time. And as a result, I was unable the finish off the figures enough to even put pupils into their eyes!!

Items that were slightly damaged in transit were hastily repaired, or even worse, left as they were!

One of the eyelet grommets on Robin's red vest popped off while I was installing his yellow laces... the top wing on his right pixie boot actually tore in half while I removed his shoe to make an adjustment to his legs... his legs, cast in a resin that was far too pale to match the rest of his skin tone, had to be hastily painted in a thin wash of tan paint, because I did not even have the time to dye them in the appropriate tone as I intended.

The Batman's eye lenses ended up being installed slightly too far apart... The fastening to the bat cape came undone because I ran out of time to properly sew it closed...

I had no time to make adjustments to The Penguin's left arm to make it sturdy enough to even hold up his own opened umbrella (His arm kept flopping back down from the weight)...

The WIP Batmobile's front fender clip AND undercarriage chassis were BOTH severely damaged in shipping transit and required a rough and fast spot repair to even display them...


I was dying a THOUSAND DEATHS of compromise. And I really didn't think anyone would care much for my stuff. But miraculously, EVERYONE was very supportive and very understanding. They had nothing but wonderful things to say. They were so very kind.

And now, I intend to QUADRUPLE my efforts for the next two or three local toy shows where I intend to present my Gotham City display over the next 6 months. ! I am making it my MISSION to have a completed (or at least close to competed) '66 Batmobile on hand for MEGO MEET '18, along with the same seven characters I displayed this year (repaired, completed, and pristine), plus several new ones... AND at least one (possibly TWO) new dioramas to add to the sprawling Gotham City Display!


Here are some detailed pics of my display and the custom figures I showed during this year's MEGO MEET. I hope you enjoy them.

[darklord1967]

The central point of my display was the top two floors of the Gotham Warehouse & Storage Building I built (where my custom action figures of The Batman and Robin The Boy Wonder were to be posed)! The building measures 4 feet wide by 4 feet deep by 3-1/2 feet tall. It's got internal lighting for windows, detailed rooftop with internally lit skylight, smoke stacks, stone gargoyles, and a decrepit, old watertower! The tabletop building stood in front of an 8 foot x 8 foot Gotham skyline backdrop developed from original artwork graciously donated by the Mego Museum's own Robyn Scott Adams. The two tables flanking the central display were earmarked for featuring two smaller diorama "scenes" and the work-in-progress correctly-scaled 1966 Batmobile!

[darklord1967]

At the left side table, The "ASYLUM ESCAPE" diorama was featured. This depicted a scene where four of Gotham's most notorious psychotics have escaped from their cells at Arkham Asylum and gathered in the Shock Therapy Chamber of the facility as they set off a massive explosion to cover their daring breakout!

***REMINDER*** I was SO rushed and SO pressed for time trying to finish these figures for the meet I did not even have time to paint pupils into the eyes of the characters!! I will be doing that in the coming days!








THE JOKER creeped out quite a few people at the meet.




THE PENGUIN made it clear that he was NOT a villain to be trifled with, armed with his two deadly "bumbershoot" umbrellas!







TWO-FACE spent the day casually flipping his two-headed silver dollar, letting fate decide if he would do good or evil to the visitors of MEGO MEET!







With his flamboyant flair for theatricality, THE RIDDLER threatened many with his solid-brass walking cane while baffling visitors with his endless conundrums.

[darklord1967]

"SUMMONING THE HEROES"

With the terrible prison break at Arkham Asylum threatening the city, POLICE COMMISSIONER JAMES GORDON flashes the BATSIGNAL from the roof of police headquarters, soliciting the help of the Caped Crusaders!

[darklord1967]

"GOTHAM NIGHT WATCH"

Never ones to shirk responsibility, THE BATMAN & ROBIN THE BOY WONDER respond promptly to the Commissioner's call for help!! From the rooftop of Gotham Warehouse & Storage, they survey the chaos at distant Arkham Asylum and prepare to confront the oncoming threat!

[darklord1967]

The Works In Progress Batmobile table was another feature of my display area (on the far right table)!


I spent some time at the meet repairing some damage to the car caused in shipping transit.





But many parts of the kit were laid out for visitors to see and touch first hand!

[darklord1967]

Commissioned 9Art Custom Action Figures will include a HOST of goodies!!

[Starroid Raiders Dagon]

Beautiful display, and the figures are out of this world. You did an unbelievable job, and pictures capture that greatness.

[Goblin19]

Wow. Amazing work all around. I love the displays, but the figures are just as impressive.

[sprytel]

I completely understand the desire to want everything to be perfect before the reveal... but I also know how great your work in progress posts are. You could have just brought your stuff down to the table and worked on it there. I am sure people would have loved to see your process first hand.

[samurainoir]

You efforts were greatly appreciated by all who saw the final display, and I don't think you needed to worry... even if you felt they were incomplete, the level of craftsmanship involved was impressive to say the least. If this spectacular display is your idea of "winging it", then I can't wait to see the upgraded version 2.0 for MM 2018.