Mego Museum: 2021 Mego Corp Update Thread

[nubee]

He’s on a 8” body.

Thanks 😊. Alleviate my concern for this great figure. Van Helsing, like Dracula, is going on a Type S body.

[palitoy]

MegoMuseum 2021 Gallery update. Commander Will Riker from Star Trek: The Next Generation added.

http://www.megomuseum.com/megocorp/2021/07/09/star-trek-mego-will-riker/

[Spectator]

MegoMuseum 2021 Gallery update. Commander Will Riker from Star Trek: The Next Generation added.
http://www.megomuseum.com/megocorp/2...go-will-riker/

Hmm... is this a proto created at the same time as those for the first TNG figures? I presume this one is going to have the printed comm badge like those final production figures instead of the plastic item pictured here. It's a little frustrating seeing that (vastly superior, IMO) plastic badge show up again since the print it was replaced with is, I think, the least successful element of the TNG figures we've seen so far.

The headsculpt looks pretty good, though.

[Earth 2 Chris]

^Nope, they switched to that plastic badge, I believe.

Chris

[Spectator]

^Nope, they switched to that plastic badge, I believe.

Really?! Are they going to refresh Picard and Data with the plastic badge? I'd be in for them, if they did.

[palitoy]

Mego Museum Gallery Update:
14" Gorn from Wave 13 added with new photographs and information

http://www.megomuseum.com/megocorp/2021/07/12/mego-star-trek-14-gorn-mego-museum/

[palitoy]

The Only Good Human is a Dead Human!
General Ursus added to the Mego Museum 2021 Galleries

http://www.megomuseum.com/megocorp/2021/07/10/mego-planet-of-the-apes-general-ursus/

[palitoy]

Mego Robin added to the Wave 13 gallery at the MegoMuseum

http://www.megomuseum.com/megocorp/2021/07/13/dc-comics-mego-robin-mego-museum/

[Earth 2 Chris]

Great googly moogly that Robin figure is GORGEOUS. They even kept the texture from the original Mego Robin's belt, but made it comic accurate. Chef's kiss Mego team. PERFECT!!!

But my mind still boggles on this packaging. Now, it doesn't look bad, but even within this ridiculously stringent style guide ultimatum Mego's designer has to work under...that's not Dick Grayson's "R" symbol, and that's Tim Drake on the back! I know DC still uses the 1982 Style Guide art on other merchandise. It's tailor-made for this figure. Again, I know it's not anyone at Mego's fault. It's WB/DC. But they REALLY need to get someone in charge over there that actually knows one iteration of the characters from another. Hey, I could use a new job!


Chris

[palitoy]

Normally I keep mum but Chris I know you'll believe me and not try to pursue some biased narrative. I saw the WB style guide with my own eyes, Mego asked me to take a crack on the card layout for the DC heroes last year. My sub-par illustrator experience (I'm an InDesign guy) prevented my ability to assist but honestly? It was depressing how restrictive those guidelines were, it was boiled down to a "cut and paste-do it exactly like we say" job. Mego's original proposed card was glorious and full of '82 Style Guide art but the Licensor is the boss, you're playing with their characters...

[Earth 2 Chris]

Normally I keep mum but Chris I know you'll believe me and not try to pursue some biased narrative. I saw the WB style guide with my own eyes, Mego asked me to take a crack on the card layout for the DC heroes last year. My sub-par illustrator experience (I'm an InDesign guy) prevented my ability to assist but honestly? It was depressing how restrictive those guidelines were, it was boiled down to a "cut and paste-do it exactly like we say" job. Mego's original proposed card was glorious and full of '82 Style Guide art but the Licensor is the boss, you're playing with their characters...

I totally believe you of course, and I appreciate the insight. I have heard and read enough to know this is in no way anyone at Mego's decision or design choices. As a graphic designer and someone who works in marketing and branding, it just dumbfounds me that anyone at a large corporation like WB isn't aware of how confusing this is to the consumer, geeky aesthetics aside.

I don't mean to bang on about this, but Robin is such a gorgeous figure, it just jumped out at me again. I will muffle my graphic designer/branding side from here on out, because I don't want to take anything away from the wonderful work Mego is doing with these figures.

[palitoy]

I totally believe you of course, and I appreciate the insight. I have heard and read enough to know this is in no way anyone at Mego's decision or design choices. As a graphic designer and someone who works in marketing and branding, it just dumbfounds me that anyone at a large corporation like WB isn't aware of how confusing this is to the consumer, geeky aesthetics aside.

It's frustrating for sure, almost as much as people's lack of knowledge. My last attempt to civilly explain it resulted in a guy saying "Mego should speak to a higher-up and demand they make it right" like WB is a Starbucks. I can't begin to tell you how detrimental that would be for their relationship.

The worse thing is, I agree, this should have Dick Grayson on that card, on the front but alas, it is what it is and we got a fantastic figure.

[CrimsonGhost]

OMG! "Mego should speak to a higher-up and demand they make it right"

Yeah, that’s how it works… I’ve tried explaining as well, but it’s too hard for someone who has never done professional graphic design (or any professional art for that matter) to understand the restrictions involved.

[Earth 2 Chris]

Having beaten my head against the wall for over 20 years, designing for clients who often SHOULD know better, I totally get it. You do the best you can with the parameters you are given. And even in my insular neck of the woods, I occasionally get a "Why didn't you do THIS?" type of reaction. And the answer is usually "I did do that, but someone made me change it to THIS."

But man, that Robin figure is GORGEOUS. Just perfect.

Chris

[palitoy]

Just got word that someone is accusing me of spreading a false narrative on Instagram? I've worked for WB, I have a contract signed by me and Paul Levitz in my files behind me. I have not only the style guides I used for my Justice League products but the one Mego is using. I still work closely with someone who has both the Marvel and DC licenses to this day.

Mego whipped up an incredible prototype card for the DC heroes, it was gorgeous, a modern-day Palitoy green card with JGL (praise be his name) art.

I've seen it, heck I have the AI files on my laptop right now.

It is not mine to share but they were told to use the New 52 Style Guide, which is bland and restrictive. The elements are not my cup of tea.

Mego spent some time and money and Joel R confided to me (and I'm sure it's OK to share this) that he "really wanted to nail the DC hero packaging".

That's not misinformation, some of us just have more inside knowledge than others. Someday, hopefully, I'll be able to reveal what they had in store.

If you didn't like the card for "the Fly", yeah, I got nothing that's all Mego. Fire away.

However, licensing is something I worked in for ten years, and creativity ebbs and flows depending on who you are dealing with.

I found smaller brands easier to work with and bigger brands well, see examples below:

WB-STYLE-GUIDE.jpg

styleguide.jpg