LEGENDS OF GOTHAM CITY Exhibit at Brooklyn Comic Con ‘23!

[Nostalgiabuff]

that is just incredible.

[TrekStar]

I must say I’m speechless, just an amazing display.

[mego maniac mark]

Brilliant work. I imagine them animated like robot chicken, but way better!

[sprytel]

Your work is an inspiration. I am absolutely in awe of the scale of this project, and how perfect it all came out down to the tiniest detail-- the working smoke stack, the books on Barbara's bookshelf, Batman's boots, you name it. Beautiful, beautiful work.

[darklord1967]

Thank you so kindly for the warm response my friends!

Here is a video of the full exhibit shot at the con! For best picture quality, please set video playback to 720P before viewing.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xCG9cE9Jr4Q&pp=ygUWTGVnZW5kcyBvZiBHb3RoYW0gQ2l0eQ%3D%3D

[palitoy]

Dude, I wish we could have worked out Mego Meet for you. Our loss, this is amazing.

[darklord1967]

Dude, I wish we could have worked out Mego Meet for you. Our loss, this is amazing.

That’s okay, good buddy! Really! There will be future opportunities. And the exhibit will be even BIGGER at that time since I keep adding to it!!

[Vinny0026]

Great Work right there - really nailed all the little details - I'm sure it was a big hit at the con! also that must have took some work loading it up, bringing it there and also set up! I'm worn out just thinking about it! lol

[darklord1967]

Great Work right there - really nailed all the little details - I'm sure it was a big hit at the con! also that must have took some work loading it up, bringing it there and also set up! I'm worn out just thinking about it! lol

Brother Vinny, you have no idea!!!

I began updating / expanding this exhibit in July of 2022 (nearly ONE YEAR before this con).

I worked on it about 5 days per week, about 10 hours a day until February of 2023.

From that point, I INCREASED my work schedule on the display to 7 days per week, 13 hours a day. I updated clothing… head sculpts… final paints on the custom action figures. I vastly fortified, re-built, repaired, and/or expanded the dioramas. In late March, increased my efforts again when I decided to re-design, re-build, and upgrade the Arkham Asylum diorama to over 3 times it’s original size and with added flashing electronic lights.

I designed and ordered custom protective (double-walled) shipping containers for the entire exhibit. I spent a week carefully bubble wrapping the dioramas, and packing them into their brand new shipping boxes.

Even with the convention happening literally 6 blocks down the VERY SAME STREET where my home is located, I nevertheless had to hire HOUSE MOVERS to gently load the entire boxed exhibit into their truck, drive it the short distance to location, and then load it up into the venue.

On the Friday of load-in, I arrived at the venue with the movers at about 11:45AM. The crates were all loaded in to my designated 3rd floor exhibit space by 12:30PM.

The movers then left me all alone to set everything up.

it was 7:45PM when my wife arrived (from work) to help me set up. By then, my lower back was already terribly sore from lifting all of those heavy dioramas for 7 hours. I could barely stand up more than 2 minutes at a time.

The venue organizers were only going to allow vendor and exhibitor set ups until 8PM Friday night. But I barely had ONE diorama fully up and running. I was severely stressed. Fortunately, the show organizer told me to feel free to stay as long as I needed to set up.

My wife and I ended up staying until exactly 1:52AM Saturday morning!

We arrived back home just after 2AM. We ate a quick meal, and while wifey slept, I stayed up until 5AM running the additional electrical wiring to the new ARKHAM ASYLUM Diorama, and laying in the final nasty weathering to its walls and floor.

I caught some quick shut eye , and then woke up at 7:30 AM to finish the Arkham Asylum weathering, and sewing the neck clasp closed on custom Batman’s cape.

At 9AM, my wife and I headed back to the convention venue to put the Arkham Asylum diorama and all the custom figures in their places.

Doors opened to the public at 12PM moon.

For the next two days, I met with fans and friends, chatting about the exhibit and having a really good time… but I was barely able to stand up the entire time. My lower back was completely devoid of any muscular strength, and it felt like a hot blade was stabbed into it.

On Sunday evening, the show ended at 7PM. Everything was dismantled, packed, and loaded into the moving truck, and unloaded back into my basement in just under 4 hours.

I then pretty much slept for the next 3 days straight.

One week later and still not fully recovered, but definitely much farther along in my recovery. Will probably be back to 100% normal by mid week.

[scott metzger]

That is just unbelievable, a level all on it's own. I still remember you showing me all the details just in the Batsignal itself at Mego Meet. Just incredible stuff.

[battmasterson]

I just have to say that this thread is totally amazing. Everything on here is pure gold. Wonderful attention to detail. Nice job.

[C.H.O.A.M.]

unbelievably amazing!

those bricks, those books... did you make all of those books?
I made a bunch for a diorama, and enjoyed making them, but those are next level. and a lot more of them!
that batgirl is especially incredible!

but I have to ask... whatever became of your batmobile?
did I miss the finished product or..?

[darklord1967]

Thanks so kindly C.H.O.A.M.!

Yeah, I created the artwork for the book covers in Adobe Photoshop. Then I printed the covers of all those book as flat art.
Then I painstakingly cut them out and folded them into finished books (with about four blank pages inside each)!

The books were organized into identical volume cover groups… glued together in clusters… and then the book clusters were glued permanently into those bookshelves.

I’ve gotta say, NOT the most fun I’ve had in a custom project! I was really glad when the Gotham Public Library was finally finished!

As for the Custom BATMOBILE: stay tuned. You have not missed it. With a little luck, it will make its debut next year when I unveil the final diorama of the LEGENDS OF GOTHAM CITY Exhibit series: The comic book style BATCAVE: OVER 9 feet wide, 4-1/2 feet tall, and nearly 5 feet deep! Two levels of Sculpted rock cave walls with stalagmites and stalagtites… manual elevator between levels… winding rock stairwell up to Wayne Manor… custom designed and built working BATCOMPUTER MAINFRAME (featuring working computer screens with “Emergency Alert” animation… Giant Trophy Area (with Giant T-Rex, Giant Joker Card, and Giant Penny trophies, and lit display cases with Various Bat Suits… and of course, an electronic turntable for the finished Custom Batmobile…

It’s going to be the grand finale / crowning achievement of a custom 1:9 scale Batman-themed project that has run 25 years!

[C.H.O.A.M.]

thanks for the "recipe" on the books.
it may have been a pita but it looks fantastic and very appropriate.

as for the batcave... I'm literally drooling in anticipation!

[Bobbolink]

Absolutely incredible!