Inspiration for the POTA mego line

[samurainoir]

It was old stock, trust me i know, Canada was riddled with it. My dad got the entire cancelled Sears Canada order for General Urko, he had him stacked high to the ceiling until at least 1979/80. We were putting them out with big red $0.99 stickers. I helped out because I hoped there was an Virdon and Burke in there. I had real trouble letting go of Planet of the Apes as a kid.

During that era if I got invited to a birthday party, you got a General Urko, an AJ and a suit, all thanks to my dad's inventory.

When I returned to Parkdale Novelty in the 80s, they still had apes and lots of them!

Your dad worked for Parkdale Novelty! Boy, that must have been awesome.

[palitoy]

Your dad worked for Parkdale Novelty! Boy, that must have been awesome.

No he owned Variety Product Sales, which supplied every MACs store in Ontario with toys, Parkdale was one of his suppliers.

It still was awesome.

[ScottA]

I only had 3 Apes as a kid (Zaius, Astronaut and Soldier Ape) but thanks to Mike J. and the Museum I love the Apes line and all their playsets. If you think about it Mego went all out on playsets for a line with such a short run.

Brian - did your Dad carry the playsets or just the figures?

[samurainoir]

No he owned Variety Product Sales, which supplied every MACs store in Ontario with toys, Parkdale was one of his suppliers.

It still was awesome.

Cool. I don't remember POTA Mego's in Mac's Milk, but it might have been a bit before my time. Did they have those Spiderman web shooters with the string and suction cup dart, and the cartoon/comic character parachute guys? I seem to have a vague memory of getting those at Mac's as a kid.

I still think that Cat with the Cap and the yellowy orange colour scheme Mac's had back in the day is way better than the owl and the blue they got now.

[piecemaker]

I think Mike J can verify this but honestly I think the Addar kits influenced a lot of colours for these toys.

I always wondered if the head sculpt for Mego's helmeted General Ursus/Urko was influenced by the Addar model,they are very similiar.

[Lynn TXP 0369]

Isn't there a model kit with Urko wearing the Purple and Tan outfit on the cover? Seems like the reference material for that figure at least had to have come from the cartoon.

Yes, it is actually Ursus though not Urko.
Planet of the Apes:General Ursus
Box art matches the MEGO version as well as the head.
Addar General Ursus - HobbyTalk

The Aldo model also has the same, or pretty dang close, head as the black headed Ursus.


The Aldo model box art also has the same color scheme as MEGO Urko
General Aldo Addar Model Kit

Lynn

[megoapesnut]

Apes Rule! They could of used Kirk's head sculpt and painted it brown and made him an ape and I would have loved it! OK...maybe not.

Still love the line. My favorite by far!

[Raydeen1]

For years I thought he WAS Aldo. He sure looks more like him than either Urko or Ursus. That kit rules. I need that one.

Yes, it is actually Ursus though not Urko.
Planet of the Apes:General Ursus
Box art matches the MEGO version as well as the head.
Addar General Ursus - HobbyTalk

The Aldo model also has the same, or pretty dang close, head as the black headed Ursus.

http://www.geminibuildupstudios.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/webassets/apealdo2.jpg

http://www.geminibuildupstudios.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/webassets/apealdo1.jpg

The Aldo model box art also has the same color scheme as MEGO Urko
General Aldo Addar Model Kit

Lynn

[megozilla13]

To the best of my knowledge, this is how it came to be. I'm not saying its 100% accurate as I've had to fill in the blanks with the recollections of people I've interviewed. If someone has any more exact dates etc... I'd love to hear it.
1973------ (June 15th) Battle for the Planet of the Apes is released
(summer/ fall) theatres start showing "Go Ape" marathons of all 5 films ( Marty
Abrams attends one and contacts 20th Century Fox, outbids AHI for the rights)
Addar releases model kits of Urko, Aldo, Zaius, and Cornelius
(fall/ winter) Mego produces prototypes of first 5 figures using heads from the
Addar kits for Cornelius, Zira, and Zaius. A unique head is sculpted for the soldier
ape, and the astronaut head is recycled from the original unused Don figure.
1974------- (winter) original head sculpts are finished for Zaius, Zira, and Cornelius
(winter) first 5 figures are shown to retailers at ToyFair
(summer) first 5 figures are available in stores
(summer) 20th Century Fox green lights Ape television show and goes into
production
(summer) Mego starts developing second series of 5 figures ( Urko is a reworked
sculpt from the Urko Addar model, outfit is based on the box art. Ursus is a
reworked sculpt from the Addar Aldo model, Virdon and Burke are original sculpts,
and Galen is a recycled Cornelius sculpt.) In promotional video Mego originally
calls Urko ( helmet head) Ursus, and calls Ursus (black face) "Urko the soldier
Ape". On the TV show, the original villian is named General Ursus but is changed
to Urko during production. Mego changes helmeted Ape to Urko on initial release
only to change it back later at copyright holder's request.
(September) TV show airs for the first time
(December) TV show is cancelled and goes off the air.
1975 ---------- Second series is shown to retailers at ToyFair
(Spring) 2nd series is available in stores
(Fall) Cartoon series airs on TV

So as far as the cartoon inspiring aspects of the figures, I'd say it would be impossible as it came to late, but it did inspire the Mexican Cipsa figures. As far as the inconsistency in the playsets. Like someone else said, they were rushed to market and in 74 just recycled existing playsets. By 75 they had more time to create playsets that were more consistent with the films.

mikej

[megozilla13]

If you hold up the Addar Aldo head up to the Mego Ursus head, the are undoubtedly the same head. I'm surprised Addar never sued them. The knife and ammo patches are almost exact copies also.

mikej

[Merlyn1976]

I always thought that Zaius' outfit was based on the Power Records LP/Book...

http://namtab.com/powerrecord/potaBATTLE01.gif

[almitysufx]

All I know is Christmas 74 was the year of the APES! What a great morning I had. WGSH are my fave as an adult but after Mego started putting out POTA I never got another superhero. From then on all I got was apes apes and more apes. What a wonderful time.

[Cmonster]

I think you ape fanatics are gonna dig my POTA "re-sculpts". Using the existing soldier ape head, I've generated a TV series Urko, Animated series Urko, and several movie and TV series gorilla soldier variants (Julius, Zilo, Aboro, Aldo,etc...) They all have slightly different features, because even though in some cases, they're actually the same prosthetic appliances, each actor kind of "wore" them differently and their individual expressions and performances, stood out to me.

Like the rest of you, I absolutely ADORE all my POTA megos and always will. They rule. But I do remember, even as a kid, looking at the Urko sculpt and being like "That doesn't look at all like him..." The POTA sculpts I've done were very cathartic and fun. They're much more accurate, but still really have that mego charm. I put a lot of time into them... Pics coming soon. Keep your eyes peeled in the customs section.

SC

[apes3978]

I always thought that Zaius' outfit was based on the Power Records LP/Book...

http://namtab.com/powerrecord/potaBATTLE01.gif

If you mean you thought the MEGO Zaius outfit was based on the POWER Records artwork, I sure don't see it... Virgil (as seen on the cover of the BATTLE cover photo you posted) is wearing the long orange jacket... Even on the cover of the BENEATH book/record which shows Zaius, he is wearing the long jacket with the leather lapels...

The design of the MEGO Zaius outfit is based on the "Manhunt" outfit Zaius is seen wearing toward the end of the PLANET film (although it is obviously the incorrect colors)... It's too bad they didn't design special hieroglyphic gloves for the figure...

[generic]

I never saw any POTA figures until I was an adult. I guess they just weren't available as much around here. The Super Heroes and Star Trek guys sure were all over the place and I remember Wizard of Oz, CHiPs and Dukes of Hazard, but no OMBC, Knights, Robin Hood, Pirates, Starsky and Hutch, Happy Days (except for Fonzie) or POTA. I was an adult before I saw any of those.