Were Mego Heads Hand-Painted?

[AJ-Paratrooper]

I've been toying around with the idea of making some new custom AJs...toying around...get it?!....

Sorry...anyway, my kids and I have been conducting a forensic examination of my modest collection of 4 used Ebay AJs and realized the heads must have been hand painted. They're all a little different. The lips are definitely all painted differently. Usually, all the hair behind AJ's ear isn't even fully painted...

We're speculating that some poor group of little ladies in Hong Kong must have sat in a sweatshop all day tediously hand-painting AJ's eyes, hair, etc.

Does this constitute a Mego Fact????

So, if I were to round up some really cheap distressed AJ heads on ebay, I could conceivably hand-paint, touch-up, repaint, etc. and they could be pretty close to looking 1972 new, right? One could even change hair color, huh?? Nobody seems to do a lot of custom AJs but I'm considering it. Thanks for any info!

[AAAAA]

It think it was just poor spray ops, I have one AJ where they got paint down his fore head.
it would be cool to see a graying AJ, Gotee etc...
and Captain Eagle (Post AJ knock OFF) with beard.
good luck

[AJ-Paratrooper]

It think it was just poor spray ops, I have one AJ where they got paint down his fore head.
it would be cool to see a graying AJ, Gotee etc...
and Captain Eagle (Post AJ knock OFF) with beard.
good luck

I am intrigued about how the heads were made in those days. Did they mask off everything but the hair part and spraypaint it? I'm having trouble envisioning how spraypaint would've been used in making them. (I'm still a newbie when it comes to figures)



Those heads have to be a handmade project, no?

[AAAAA]

paint face masks with different slits cut in to them for spraying different parts at different time,in production
first mask mounted on a pole held by hand or machine would have eye & lips slits and they would be sprayed first than the head would move to a dyer along the production line, than for the black hair AJ the pupils and brows would be painted
and then to another dryer and than a full face mask with no cuts would cover the face and the hair is done.{or half mask if breaded}than lips being last.
the blond and brown would have a extra paint and extra mask step because dealing with different colors scheme.than the brows and hair,and eyes. that why black haired AJ are so common.

[kryptosmaster]

They look to me like the must have some sort of jig set up where they'd put the head in and place a specific masking device for each color that was to be applied. I don't know if some details were brush painted or if everything was sprayed but you can definitely tell that some stuff was sprayed on due to overspray on some heads.
It must have been a pretty neat little set-up with all the different heads rolling down the line. Obviously there had to be several of the same "masks" for each head (so several workers could paint the same character which would explain the variances) as there would be no way they did just one at a time
Rich

[AAAAA]

They look to me like the must have some sort of jig set up where they'd put the head in and place a specific masking device for each color that was to be applied. I don't know if some details were brush painted or if everything was sprayed but you can definitely tell that some stuff was sprayed on due to overspray on some heads.
It must have been a pretty neat little set-up with all the different heads rolling down the line. Obviously there had to be several of the same "masks" for each head (so several workers could paint the same character which would explain the variances) as there would be no way they did just one at a time
Rich

with different cuts outs for different spray ops ,there doing hundreds in a day.

[AJ-Paratrooper]

Wow! That is too cool....

I really want to make some custom AJs...been talking about it for years but haven't done anything yet. My sad attempt at hand-sewing a grey jumpsuit for AJ a while back was pathetic.

I just re-read the section on mold-making & casting as well as painting. I know I can make the heads as I'm a semi-experienced model maker.

An AJ with a regulation haircut would be kinda cool. More in line with an authentic Military man. (AJ with a beard in the army or Air Force uniform...uh, he looks like a Russian or something!)

Things that SOMEBODY's got to do for 'ol AJ:

1. Make different colored custom jumpsuits like the ones on AJ's boxes.
2. Keep the shrimpy AJ T-0 & T-1 bodies...hey, that's an AJ trademark!
3. He needs to see what he'd look like without "mod styled hair"

Maybe that somebody is me... Unless you guys beat me to it first.

[AAAAA]

Yeah High and Tight hair AJ that would be cool!

[jwyblejr]

Black AJ needs a better Afro,I've always thought that.

[kryptosmaster]

Is there such thing as a Black AJ with a beard?
Rich

[AAAAA]

Is there such thing as a Black AJ with a beard?
Rich

no, to bad tho

[ctc]

>paint face masks with different slits cut in to them for spraying different parts at different time,in production

Yup. You can tell 'cos if you look at the hair you'll often see a fade effect, where the mask was a little off the head when spraying.

>I really want to make some custom AJs

Funny you mention that; since I've been trying to finish a set of semi-custom figures. I sewed a better jumpsuit form an original, and placed 'em on T2 bodies. (And if you've got extra heads to spare I need the black guy and the white guys without beard....)

As for new AJs.... is there a female member of the team? I always kinda figured Dinah was. (They share the same taste in jumpsuits anyhoo....)

Don C.

[kryptosmaster]

As for new AJs.... is there a female member of the team? I always kinda figured Dinah was. (They share the same taste in jumpsuits anyhoo....)

Don C.

I'm actually surprised they only made a Black Dinah and no other hair colors or "friends" for Dinah. Perhaps Dinah wasn't enough of a success to merit that? But then why did she have so many playsets and accessories?
Rich

[AJ-Paratrooper]

>paint face masks with different slits cut in to them for spraying different parts at different time,in production

Yup. You can tell 'cos if you look at the hair you'll often see a fade effect, where the mask was a little off the head when spraying.

>I really want to make some custom AJs

Funny you mention that; since I've been trying to finish a set of semi-custom figures. I sewed a better jumpsuit form an original, and placed 'em on T2 bodies. (And if you've got extra heads to spare I need the black guy and the white guys without beard....)

As for new AJs.... is there a female member of the team? I always kinda figured Dinah was. (They share the same taste in jumpsuits anyhoo....)

Don C.

Sewed a better jumpsuit....that's my concept, exactly.

I'd like to keep AJ as true to the original concept as possible but fix the flaws on the T1 bodies (legs spreading out, can't sit down, etc.)

I was thinking about doing some custom work like this:

1. Use the original shrimpy T1 chest on a T2 body with a custom AJ head. (In my opinion, AJ was meant to be a little guy so I'm keeping the chest. The T-2 should fix everything else)
2. Make some better than original jumpsuits and hair colors like the ones on the boxes. I was thinking about getting some 1/6 figure clothes and just tailoring them....in an effort to cut costs like Mego!!!

Ya know, AJ needs a brown jumpsuit, and a green one! Hey! It's on his box!

I'm really excited about making a repro AJ head...sounds fun!

[kryptosmaster]

I'd like to keep AJ as true to the original concept as possible but fix the flaws on the T1 bodies (legs spreading out, can't sit down, etc.)


1. Use the original shrimpy T1 chest on a T2 body with a custom AJ head. (In my opinion, AJ was meant to be a little guy so I'm keeping the chest. The T-2 should fix everything else)

On the Type 1 glued pelvis (not the early Type 0 which was made of the same plastic as the rest of the body) you can restring them and loop the elastic up over the pin in the pelvis before connecting between the legs and that helps a bit with the leg splay.

You can't mix Type 1 & Type 2 pelvis and torso as they don't fit together. The "round" part is molded on the torso on T2 and molded on the pelvis on T1's. You can probably mix T2 arms & legs on a T1 torso/pelvis combo, though.
I do agree with you on the chest (torso) problem on some T2 figures, though. I always felt they should've made a leaner torso for figures like Happy Days, Waltons, Trek.
I've considered swapping bodies on some of those just to see what they'd look like "correctly done".
Rich