Mego Bill Maxwell Prototype Found!

[wyatterb]

Could someone post the pic from the auction (IMO, it's a safe request)? I'm just curious what else was in lot and how easy or hard Bill was to pick out.

[megowgsh]

Another Home Run for the Mego Museum.

Awesome job!

Thanks for sharing.

[Captain]

Cool stuff. Amazing that after so many years this stuff still turns up!

I know its rare, but I really hope somebody can make a cast of this head?

[megoscott]

This is undoubtedly a fantastic find and we're grateful to have it here at the Museum. The owner is very lucky!

That said---I'm kind of surprised by this line. I disagree that this is a good likeness of Robert Culp or the character. Both this and the Ralph seem very undercooked to me and don't capture the personalities very well--not as well as other lines of the time like CHiPS or Dukes.

Why the white jacket when the character was nearly always in a rumpled grey FBI suit? Perhaps that was intended to change after prototypes and toyfair photos?

Part of it may be the paintjob or lack thereof--it looks like they sculpted Culp's weird gritted teeth smile but without toothpaint it doesn't come across...?

Looking at photos online today I was reminded what a funny show this was, especially Culp. The Jack Davis card art is right on, but the figures are oddly subdued.

Very interesting figure...

[Hulk]

Thanks for sharing yet another amazing Mego Discovery. Congrats to the buyer.

[apes3978]

This is not to knock anyone or anything... I'm asking this as a serious question:

If the GAH line had actually been produced rather than just a few odd prototypes floating around, who here would have actually bought the line? I'm sure a few of you would have, but something tells me if the GAH line were mass-produced at the time, we'd all be setting here saying they're in line with The Waltons, Happy Days, and Our Gang/Little Rascals... In other words just another MEGO line that most could live without...

[Raydeen1]

I never liked the show all that much and I would have had zero interest in the toys. However, it's still a great figue to have in one's collection for sure!

[NewForce]

amazing!...

[Earth 2 Chris]

I'd have been all over this line. Loved the show as a kid, and it really holds up now that I'm an adult and can appreciate it for more than just Ralph crashing every 5 minutes.

Not trying to be a downer, but if the guy doesn't want to be identified, let's just leave it be. I'd like to see more of these rarities come out of private collections for photographing on the museum. Who cares who owns it? We don't, and as long as they share, we benefit.

Chris

[megoscott]

I loved the show as a kid, but I might have been too old at that point for the dolls. But purely from a toy design standpoint I think it shows how weak Mego was creatively at the end. This is the kind of thing they should have knocked out of the park, it's right up their alley.

[toys2cool]

wow how cool is that?

[Marvelmania]

Congrats to the owner of this historic figure and a big thanks for sharing it! Only here at the MM do finds like this continue to come out of the woodwork.

[LOU]

Wow, this is indeed impressive! Great looking figure, love the CHiPs watch!

[megocrazy]

Truthfully these probably would have been a weak line if it was released. Logan's Run probably would have been similar. Very few things would have run with the Star Wars stuff at the time IMO. Kenner completely changed the course of toys with the smaller, molded body, figures. The market at the time took a drastic switch from singular figures to mass groups. SW had tons of figures, as did GI Joe. Both had their biggest heyday almost simultaneously. The 12 inch SW figures, which never had the selection that the smaller counterparts had, also never had the popularity. Even stuff like Barbie at the time, had tons of items available. Far more at the time than ever before was offered at once. Transformers was another. Lots of figures to collect. It really became a quantity not quality preference. How many kids had 20 or 30 GI Joe or SW figures? Almost everyone. Most parents probably would not have had 20 or 30 8 inch figures floating around, but the smaller size allowed for continuous purchases. TV also played a part in the success of toys at the time. Most of the popular lines had time slots on Saturday morning TV and were directed at the kids, while many of Mego's were prime time TV shows. I think there were a lot of factors that played into Mego's demise, but times were changing and they couldn't adapt fast enough. Even the lines that were released by Mego in the 3 3/4 inch size had limitations on the selection. Micronauts being the one exception. Though it never had the following that GI Joe or SW had. Even the CAH lines had far fewer offerings. Once you had em all there was no more to buy, while SW and Joe just kept rolling out any character they could find. Either way this is a tremendous find. I too would like to say Thanks to the owner for sharing this great find with the MM. Even all these years later new stuff keeps appearing and keeping it exciting.

[Mr Mego]

Wow, that's amazing found!!! Glad to have him in our Mego Museum.

I would like to have a clone one for me.

Congrats to the buyer and thanks for sharing!