Aborted Syd Mead / Mego project

[ging]

Does anyone have any information on this project ? Syd Mead of 'Blade Runner' designed a toy range in the early 80's and I am trying to find out more about it.

Thanks

[megoscott]

Interesting, I've never heard of anything.

[palitoy]

Yeah, that's news to me. I can ask some questions though.

[ging]

I got some info from the guys over at Syd Mead Official Website, and this link confirmed it. It's out by 2 years as everything I have is dated 1980

http://pages.interlog.com/~rvs1111/h...5/sydtime.html

I have copies of drawing's / sketches of things called ' Solan Vehicle's' and "Megorian Vehicles". Dated and signed Syd Mead March 1980.

I'm trying to find out what they are as I bought them as being drawings for the aborted remake of Solaris by Jim Cameron, which they diffently are not.

[megoscott]

Sounds like Micronauts to me, but it's out of my range. Where's Ray?

[ging]

It's not micronauts. Just sorting out some pictures....here you go

[megoscott]

Syd Mead is so incredible. Amazing to think he'd done work at Mego. John McNett was the design boss back then. He'd be the person to ask.

[ctc]

Hmmmm....

Those look REALLY familiar to me; but I can't place where....

Don C.

[ging]

Hmmmm....

Those look REALLY familiar to me; but I can't place where....

Don C.

I know what you mean. The guys over at the official syd mead site are saying they are the mego toys project based on the solarian and mergovian design names. They had not seen the design sketches.

The thing I can't get right is the date. These are all dated 1980 which is when Syd was working on Dark Days which became Blade Runner. The toy project was 1978.

[ctc]

>The toy project was 1978

Do you know if it was an entirely new concept; or if it was a series of toys based on something else like a book or cartoon. I ask 'cos I'm SURE I saw that thing at the top, and the guy in the padded suit somewhere before....

Don C.

[PCofmisfittoys]

great website. I knew he was involved with TRON and blade runner but he has done tons of things. And even has stuff on EBAY..lol need to get his graph.

[Captain]

The drawings remind me a bit of Coleco Toys Starcom line....especially the space suit.

[PCofmisfittoys]

oddly enough i didn't know he was till alive but emailed to get his address so I could send something from my tron colection to get signed . they hwere real nice in the reply and sent me their addy.

[ging]

>The toy project was 1978

Do you know if it was an entirely new concept; or if it was a series of toys based on something else like a book or cartoon. I ask 'cos I'm SURE I saw that thing at the top, and the guy in the padded suit somewhere before....

Don C.

No idea, I'm only going on info from Syd's Official site...this was their comments.

"There was a toy project back in the late 70's which included SOLARIAN (Good guys) and MEGORIAN (Bad guys) but it was not a completed project and we do not have a complete job history, so there is little else we can provide in reference to the photocopies you have."

"We think it was a toy company in New YORK by the name of MEGO TOYS or some name like that.
Sorry we can't be of more assistance. When projects get aborted, the details get lost as there's no job numbers to use as reference."

[AcroRay]

I haven't heard anything about Mead working on Micronauts.

One could speculate that its possible Mead drew up some concepts and pitched them to Mego, but that Mego turned them down. Ron Cobb provided Mego with a couple of Micronaut designs around that time that became Iguanos and Equestron. The two men worked together a lot around that time. Maybe Cobb tried to help get Mead into Mego's door?

Of course, that's all just speculation on my part. I've tried to contact Cobb about his Mego work, but never got any response. (I think he lives in Australia now.)