THE MEGO FANTASTIC FOUR
Decided to keep the four together on what page. They all have individual highlights, but really belong together.
The
distinguished Mego Reed Richards sports a very nice grey paintjob on the side of
his brilliant head. Once again, we have Marvel molded gloves, though these look
like those big rubber things toxic-waste cleanup guys wear...I like the Doctor
and his wife very much, and their characters seem especially suited for the
less-than skin-tight Mego jumper. Y'know how Kirby's FF always had great folds
and stretches in the cloth of their costumes? I think the Megos are particularily
Kirby-esque.
.
Here
we have the Mego Invisible Girl...yes, yes, I can see her too. You think you're the
first one to think of that?
Her head sure is big. Helluva jawline on this girl. Probably drinks scotch with the Mego Riddler in old man bars.
I
think the sculpting is especially great on the Mego Thing. Look at his face, it's
actually quite remeniscent of the original Kirby, particularily around the mouth.
This is one of those instances when the printed fabric really works to great
effect, as this Thing has the black graphic linework that distinguishes the
character. Though I like the new FF toys, this is a case where fabric costumes
are superior to molded plastic (I'd hate for those poor underpaid Chinese workers
to have to paint the black lines in by hand...).
On the other hand, some people say he looks like he's yawning. I quote Scott Rogers on this: "IT'S NAPPIN' TIME!"
I
have learned to love the Mego Human Torch. Robert Levy hates him, and his contempt
has led me to defend the hothead.
Robert's complaint is the suit. That it looks nothing like fire. Robert is right about that. The little yellow diamonds of flame and the black scorch mark lines are a weak interpretation of fire. It presents, rather, the IDEA of fire. It's conceptual. I think it is a pleasing graphic design. Perhaps a more complicated graphic would say "fire" more, but it also might line up or repeat poorly.
The suit is stretchy under the arms, there. I don't know if that's on purpose or not, but it helps with the whole engulfed in flames illusion.
The head is nice. Embosed fire, those weird little burn lines on the skin...
I think it is a charming solution to a difficult problem. Love your Torch, Robert. Carry it.
This Dandy Palitoy Mego UK Torch is a real toughy to find, courtesy of Raoulduke.
Mego Thing,Torch and Mister Fantastic are modelling the Pin Pin (France) cards that were blown away at a discount in US toy stores through to the 1980's. Mr Fantastic is courtesy of Scott Arendsen, fantastic in his own way.
In Italy, Harbert just placed an Italian language sticker over the US Mego cards and boxes until they eventually produced their own line of cards. (Brian's collection)
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