Opinions on accessory accuracy for Mego customs

[wyldpny]

Ok, so here is the question.
How picky and accurate should a custom of a Mego be?
While creating some customs, my wife brought up an interesting question.
How accurate should a custom be with the accessories like a Tricorder for example.
Mego made and used blue Tricorders, Phasers and communicators and yet to be truly "accurate" with some of our Mego customs, should we use at least black painted Tricorders, Phasers, etc or even make more accurate looking and detailed accessories?

I told her I felt that since Mego created and used these blue Tricorders and other accessories then we should as well, since we are after all making "Mego" style Trek custom figures sealed on Mego custom made backer cards and not just Trek custom figures in general. I told her I felt that since every actual Mego Kirk figure back in the 70's for example had these blue Phaser and Communicator accessories, that if we make a custom of Kirk, again he should have included the blue accessories just as it would have had "if" it had been made by Mego. Same with Spock, McCoy and Uhura with the blue Tricorder accessory.
If I was to paint say the Tricorders black, would I be then moving away from the "Mego" part of the figure and what a Mego collector would want and expect?
She thought that it was an interesting interpretation on making Mego customs so I thought who better to ask than those here on the MegoMuseum board.

Please let me know how you feel on this.

Thanks

Steve

[Dave Mc]

You need to create what you feel, IMO. Some customs call for a great level of detail, some feel more "right" done more simple, or "mego-style" as we sometimes call it. When James and I were doing Trek, we used to struggle with this. We wanted the figures to blend in with original Megos, that's why M113's suit looks kind of cheesy. Honestly, I couldn't have been more pleased with it that way. On the other hand, when we were doing the Klingons, we felt an improvement needed to be made, and we went with a more accurate Klingon suit, but not TOO accurate to not fit in with the gang.

It's all what you like. Some people wish Doc would have made the new EMCE Trek accessories more accurate or "improved". I personally am glad he went with classic Mego blue. I like how they blend seamlessly with the originals.

[SUP-Ronin]

With customs, I think there is no limit to what you can do. I have seen some painted repro phasers and tricorders, and they look sweet. Some people on here don't even like customs at all.
Others do strictly "What would mego do" Customs, sticking to the T1 or T2 body style and only megolike accessories, Others, (like many of mine), are mego-flavored, but have taken various improvements or changes or as I call them creative liberties. Still others have upgraded the bodies to be much more muscular, elaborate suit designs, and even hands and heads to go well beyond what mego ever did, however the theory sort of takes this approach...
"Here is something in the 1:9 scale, that may be what mego would be doing if they were still making figures." Clear as mud? It could be an interesting thread if it takes off.
It boils down to how much of a purist you are, and what your style is.

[ctc]

Hmmmm....

When I make my figures I try to be as accurate as possible while still being playable. I make them like toys, so they can stand up to some handling.

It can get tricky 'cos I make stuff from all sorts of sources: real people, cartoons, cartoony cartoons, realistic comics.... I'm alwayslooking for the best representation of the character as possible, that won't fall apart if played with. To that end I've even doctored up original Megos. (Captain America's suit needed fixing, and Conan's fuzzy shorts don't stay up so good without an elasticized belt.)

Don C.

[kryptosmaster]

Yes I agree with the points made. I would say if you are making a whole diorama/display with all custom figures then do what you think looks best. If you are making specific custom figures to put in a display with original Megos then I would try to make them match as close as possible so they didn't look out of place. Of course you could always retrofit the Megos with the "improved" accessories as you see fit if you think they look better.

Rich

[wyldpny]

The question is, from a "Mego" collectors point of view (setting aside the do you even like customs argument for now), would you as a Mego collector who is now reaching out for customs of Mego figures to fill in the holes of those figures Mego didn't get around to making, would you want and expect the accessories like the Tricorders to continue to be the same as the rest of the figures made before them? I say yes, my wife feels maybe that is being a little to literal.
I agree that if you are going to make "customs" that look and have the feel of the Mego figures you are making them to go along with, then they need to have the same look and feel as those that came before them. Detailing needs to be accurate whenever possible, but not so much so that it then looks above the quality and workmanship of being a toy and what Mego would have produced. With accessories, if the character is supposed to have a Phaser and Communicator or even a Tricorder, then using the blue Mego ones make sense especially as the figure would then better fit in with the other Megos before it.
Keep the opinions coming and thanks.

[kryptosmaster]

The question is, ...would you as a Mego collector who is now reaching out for customs of Mego figures to fill in the holes of those figures Mego didn't get around to making...want and expect the accessories like the Tricorders to continue to be the same as the rest of the figures made before them?

Yes.

That is why I would have no problem buying an emce Sulu & Chekov as they would "drop" right in and look like they came out in 1975 with the rest of the set.
Rich

[D-McMEGO]

As you stated \"from a \"Mego\" collectors point of view\" I\'d have to agree and say keep it simple.

[Meule]

Well, all collectors and customizers are different, so you'll get no straight answer to that question. Some customizers keep their work strictly Megolike, others go for more detail. Me, I'm somewhere in between, sometimes I keep 'em simple, sometimes I ad more details. There are no rules for this, it's what you think would make the figure look better.
As a collector of customs from other people I look at what I like, details and all. But whether a tricorder is blue or painted black would be of little importance to me, the details to the outfit, the sculpt, the paint job is more important. If all that is rather detailed I say paint the tricorder black. If the outfit and all look more Megolike keep it blue

[SUP-Ronin]

Yes.

That is why I would have no problem buying an emce Sulu & Chekov as they would "drop" right in and look like they came out in 1975 with the rest of the set.
Rich

Exactly. To fill in the gaps, I'd try to design them as close to the original mego look as possible, perhaps even useing original mego accessories instead of repro. Chekov and Sulu are great examples. IMO, You would want them to blend seamlessley with the others.

[Mego Milk]

Simple Mego Style.
Do what you like and what you think looks cool.

[brent 1701]

personally if doing a trek custom i stick with the blue weapons so thay look like mego made them i found disrupters i will use on my next klingon

[ddgaff1132]

Maybe what should be considered here by the customizer is are you a Trek fan making Mego customs or a Mego fan making Trek customs. If oyu first luv is the show go for than level of detail. But if its about the Mego. then remember it was about the TOY. Brite and colorfully made to entertain. Hey there might even be a way some industrous creative type can figure out to nail both styles