Webbed-Hand Aquaman: Search for Atlantis?

[imp]

They were burned in the incinerators at the Mego Warehouse,..once the proyects were flunked,..just like what they did with the already produced 10" Logan Run figures (set of 4).....Ray Flores

Hi Ray. Can you elaborate on this? Also, where did you gather this information? I interviewed several former Mego warehouse staffers (from Bohemia, NY as well as the original warehouse, in Southern California), and no one ever corroborated an actual incinerator in any Mego-operated buildings. In fact, I understand there was a third building in Bohemia, located directly behind the first building, that Mego used primarily for 'dead stock' (such as the woeful "Walton's Farm House") which was eventually sold at closeout to wholesalers. I always thought the whole 'incinerator' concept was simply a metaphor... not to be taken literally. As in: "Ah, we just burned it," meaning "trashed it."

I'm anxious for you to tell me more about your findings! Thanks in advance.

Imp I'm looking at the second page at the botton which is highlighted and they seem to be written altogether at the same time? I think it's odd as I don't think I've ever seen a comic in which Aquaman is shown with webbed hands? I have not been a long time comic fan of AM so maybe I missed it but don't think it was in his book and why pointy ears too? AM has a few odd things about him. I guess AM got alot attention at mego, he must of had a big fan who had some pull at mego.

You could be right! Both pages may well have been written during the same meeting, but I can't make that determination from Brian's interview. Perhaps Brian can shed some light on this for us?

Benjamin

[imp]

maybe they are in those kitchen sink cards that no one wants to open?

Well, Dan made a similar point, that at the end of the line, the warehouse unearthed boxes of leftover/unused pieces, utilizing them for the Kitchen Sink cards. Dan made a very good analogy on the phone to me, comparing it to the Bruce Wayne-headed Astronaut/Pilot figures that turned up after Mego closed. Bruce Wayne heads hadn't been used 'in production' for some eight years leading up to Mego's bankruptcy, and yet there they are!

I'm cracking up, because as soon as I read your post, I instinctively looked over at my yellow Superman-carded Aquaman, and — for a brief moment — actually considered opening it!

Then I thought better of it, choosing to just applaud your theory instead. Heh.

Benjamin

[dumbldor]

I know of a couple of those kitchen sink Aquamans off the card, and neither had web hands. Doesn't mean that all of them don't, though.

Mark Huckabone told me point blank that he checked all of his boxed AVGWS playsets (I think he had 4 at the time), and none of them had the webbed hands.

[imp]

I know of a couple of those kitchen sink Aquamans off the card, and neither had web hands. Doesn't mean that all of them don't, though.

I've heard that, too, but it's interesting to note that some of these Aquaman figures had Mad Monsters' glow-in-the-dark hands. Perhaps the factory ran out of 'human hands,' and starting digging through the parts room. Perhaps they found a box of glow hands and used those. Perhaps running out of those hands, they found yet another box of hands… with webbed fingers.

Perhaps…

Mark Huckabone told me point blank that he checked all of his boxed AVGWS playsets (I think he had 4 at the time), and none of them had the webbed hands.

Great point. I think Mark has become the barometer on this issue, since he has likely inspected more examples than anyone else.

I love this. They mystery just grows stronger and more interesting. The possibilities seem endless, and the explanations do not seem forthcoming. Frankly, I kind of prefer it that way. It's exciting that there are still questions that no one can answer.

Benjamin

[Brue]

Was there ever talk of Mego adding Creature of the Black lagoon to the monsters line?

[megoscott]

I've heard that, too, but it's interesting to note that some of these Aquaman figures had Mad Monsters' glow-in-the-dark hands. Perhaps the factory ran out of 'human hands,' and starting digging through the parts room. Perhaps they found a box of glow hands and used those. Perhaps running out of those hands, they found yet another box of hands… with webbed fingers.

Perhaps…

Yeah...perhaps, but, no...I'd buy the random parts bin grab bag theory if those hands showed up on some other figures as well? The fact that we see it in in the catalog is too relevant--we don't know what the intention was, but those hands ended up on him intentionally, not as a factory afterthought. IMO.

Where was Roberto's found? Anyone know?

[imp]

Was there ever talk of Mego adding Creature of the Black lagoon to the monsters line?

There is an indication this might have occurred. I brought this up a long time ago, but I will be posting a new blog about it in the coming days. Perhaps additional discussion on the subject will yield more ideas and cool theories, as this Aquaman thread has.

Yeah...perhaps, but, no...I'd buy the random parts bin grab bag theory if those hands showed up on some other figures as well? The fact that we see it in in the catalog is too relevant--we don't know what the intention was, but those hands ended up on him intentionally, not as a factory afterthought. IMO.

I'm inclined to agree, but you have to admit that Dan's analogy of the Bruce Wayne head showing up so many years later (on the Mysterious Astronaut) lends tremendous weight to such speculation.

Where was Roberto's found? Anyone know?

If I'm not mistaken, it was acquired in a random lot 'Berto won on eBay. Perhaps he will find this thread and confirm or deny.

Benjamin

[Meule]

Rather than a short production run of these hands going in a kiln, maybe the hands (or bodies with these hands) were salvaged and combined with Aquaman suits and heads and dumped cheaply ala the red-carded figures

Looking at the pics the hands look wider than regular hands because of the webbing. Getting the oven mitts on normal hands can already be a pain, imagine putting them on these webbed hands. But even if they did do that, the 30 year stress on the vinyl would surely have made that most of these gloves would be ripped by now, making it easy to identify the hands. I guess what I'm saying is, that if the gloves on these frankenfigures are still intact it probably means there are normal hands in it. And wouldn't webbed hands inside gloves be easy to spot because of the wider hands (in case the gloves were still intact)?

[dumbldor]

I doubt the web hands would fit inside the oven mitt gloves. Roberto?

[megozilla13]

still[/I] questions that no one can answer.

Benjamin

No disrespect meant to Mark's knowledge but I would not dismiss the strong possibility the web handed aquaman was made for, and came with, the sharkset based on him having checked 4 sets and not finding one. I don't think those boxes ever came taped shut but just the fact that he checked them, means the ones he had weren't sealed.



The shark was a toy that was meant to be played with in the water. The whole glove thing doesn't work well in water, as they would fill with water. The new design of a webbed hand makes sense.


mikej

[Action Martin]

I've heard that, too, but it's interesting to note that some of these Aquaman figures had Mad Monsters' glow-in-the-dark hands. Perhaps the factory ran out of 'human hands,' and starting digging through the parts room. Perhaps they found a box of glow hands and used those. Perhaps running out of those hands, they found yet another box of hands… with webbed fingers.

I know that I'm late to the game but I recall a childhood friend of mine, Michael Hanratty (he who owned every freaking toy ever made), owning a Mego with webbed-hands. I can't recall if it was Aquaman or another character. I always assumed it was just extra plastic that wasn't cut away from the fingers. I don't recall him owning the Great White Shark set. But your notion of running out of hands and using webbed fingers for those end run Megos sounds about right.

[imp]

No disrespect meant to Mark's knowledge but I would not dismiss the strong possibility the web handed aquaman was made for, and came with, the sharkset based on him having checked 4 sets and not finding one. I don't think those boxes ever came taped shut but just the fact that he checked them, means the ones he had weren't sealed.

That's a good point, Mike, and I don't think anyone is dismissing any possibilities. The relative 'score' (known playsets WITHOUT the hands: 4. Known playsets WITH the hands: 0), however, is noteworthy.

Here's another element I forgot to mention, which might also support the hands' development specifically for the Great White Shark: the illustrations on the back of the packaging depict Aquaman WITHOUT gloves (see below):



Hardly definitive, but yet another interesting fact to consider.

Benjamin

[Flynne]

That's a good point, Mike, and I don't think anyone is dismissing any possibilities. The relative 'score' (known playsets WITHOUT the hands: 4. Known playsets WITH the hands: 0), however, is noteworthy.

Here's another element I forgot to mention, which might also support the hands' development specifically for the Great White Shark: the illustrations on the back of the packaging depict Aquaman WITHOUT gloves (see below):

http://www.impstudios.com/images/worldsgreatesttoys/blog/uspto/atlantis/agws_back.jpg

Hardly definitive, but yet another interesting fact to consider.

Benjamin

Perhaps not definitive, but it does add to the evidence supporting the idea that this set came with a web handed figure. Mego's catalogs show the Web Handed Aquaman for the Great Shark set. The packaging depicts the same thing. The evidence against comes from decades later where it is entirely possible that tampering could have taken place. This is however not the case with the promotional materials made by Mego unless someone has a time machine. Personally I think that a reasonable explanation of why so few web handed figures have been found is that it did come in this set. So few Sharks and sets have survived it seems reasonable to guess the same for the web handed Aquaman, though we may never know for sure.

It's stuff like this that just absolutely fascinates me, and thanks again to Benjamin for giving us more evidence for the discussion

[dumbldor]

I doubt that the sets Mark owns or owned have changed owners much. The one I obtained from Mark and subsequently sold to Rudy Z did not have the webbed hands, and the way the figure was strapped in the package, I really really doubt that it had ever been removed or tampered with. Just my 2 cents.

The burden of proof is on those who want to believe the web-handed figure came with the AVGWS set to prove it by finding an example of one, not the other way around.

[Flynne]

There are some problems with either theory though.

The theory that they came with standard Aquamans is supported by the current existence of packaged examples. However, no complete line of provenance can be established between the factory and today which makes it likely but less than definitive. I agree with Dan and Mike that it is unlikely that there was any tampering with any of the extant pieces, and Dan's knowledge of the piece that has the figure strapped into the package is compelling, but the possibility of tampering remains and should be considered at least.

The theory that they came with web handed Aquamans is supported by the Mego catalogs and the packaging. But there are other examples of figures that show different prototypes in the catalogs and the packaging (The Super Knights come to mind here) making it less than definitive too. But there are also examples where the catalogs and packaging show variants that have eventually showed up at least in small numbers (The Ivanhoe Jousting Horse and the flesh colored Soldier Ape, for example). There is also Neal Kublan's assertion that Berto's piece was factory produced, and that Mego never made an order of less than 1000 units. Also interesting, but falls short of definitive.

Other than that I think it really just comes down to belief on either theory. Perhaps somewhere out there exists a picture of a Toy Fair or a store display that has enough resolution to show a factory shipped example. Maybe it even shipped with both the standard and web handed figures. Who knows? The mystery I think is one reason we are all so interested in it.