POTA Astronaut

[Action Martin]

While I know that Mego didn't have the license to use Charlton Heston's likeness for the Planet of the Apes line, was there any reason why Mego didn't clothe the Astronaut in a white uniform?

[ABMAC]

They probably had plenty of the blue fabric available, and they wouldn't have used the white fabric on licensed stuff because it was too translucent.

[apes3978]

They probably had plenty of the blue fabric available, and they wouldn't have used the white fabric on licensed stuff because it was too translucent.

While you're right that their white nylon stuff is/was "see thru", I would think that they could have found something white that was along the lines of what they used for the A/J jumpsuits?

[ABMAC]

They could have found something, but it would've cost them more.

[megozilla13]

I can't think of any AJ outfit that used the exact same fabric the astronaut jumpsuit was made of, so I wouldn't say it was something that was in stock and they used to save money. I would guess it had more to do with their decision to create an "astronaut" character to be used with the apes instead of paying for a licensed Heston character from the movie. Perhaps they anticipated that putting the figure in a movie accurate suit would bring on a lawsuit from Heston himself even if the head sculpt didn't have his likeness.
mikej

[ABMAC]

I can't think of any AJ outfit that used the exact same fabric the astronaut jumpsuit was made of, so I wouldn't say it was something that was in stock and they used to save money. I would guess it had more to do with their decision to create an "astronaut" character to be used with the apes instead of paying for a licensed Heston character from the movie. Perhaps they anticipated that putting the figure in a movie accurate suit would bring on a lawsuit from Heston himself even if the head sculpt didn't have his likeness.
mikej

You're forgetting Batman's cape. There's more to Mego than Apes and AJ.

[palitoy]

OK, that might actually answer my follow up question as to why Alan Carter is Red......

[megozilla13]

You're forgetting Batman's cape. There's more to Mego than Apes and AJ.

Sorry, I should have mentioned I was refering to the first astronaut suit. The material used for the suits of the first astronaut figures is not the same as the stiff nylon that was later used, and that is the same as the Batman cape. I say the "first" astronaut figures because I have only seen this suit on astronauts on first issue cards. I have never heard of, seen, or owned a batman with a "soft" cape the same hue of blue. Maybe Ben could correct me if I'm mistaken. For that reason I would have to say that it was not something Mego did to save money but for some other intentional reason.

But there are other reasons. The pota figures were marketed as "authentic replicas" of the actual movie characters. Based on the detail that went into the rest of the figures, I don't think they would have gotten the astronaut wrong to save money or by accident. I also don't think the white they were using for the AJ snow suit was not translucent enough for it to have factored in to the decision. In saying "it was too translucent for licensed stuff" doesn't follow since the astronaut was not a licensed character from the film. If the licensor would have had a problem with the translucency I would think they would have had a greater problem with it being the completely wrong color.

mikej

[palitoy]

I think the blue was there because the licensor probably wasn't involved. Mego most likely didn't have the rights to any human actors for the film series and just decided to make the figure completely theirs.

What kid would really remember what color Taylor's uniform was or the fact that he didn't even have a helmet?

Cheron/Mugato/Brown Gorn

[ABMAC]

Technically, the Astronaut character isn't licensed, but 20th C. Fox could control what was sold in Apes packaging. It's entirely possible that they told Mego to put the Astronaut in a blue outfit, just as they instructed other companies to make blue Zaiuses and brown-shirted Corneliuses.

OK, there might not have been a Batman cape made from the softer blue fabric, but the Air Force outfit made for the Italian AJ and the standard Italian AJ jumpsuit is made from that fabric. Mego's factory did have it in stock.