7 replies to this topic

[Redshirt#7]

Is their any info, whether its a book or a website or even an article on how Playmates back in the 90s designed and made their figures? I have seen the prototypes on here a while back, but I was curious if anybody had any info.

Thanks

[BadBunnyMike]

That infor is probably pretty hard to come by, most toy companies don't like to give away trade secrets. some Customizers might have a better idea though. 

[Darth Duranium]

I read that the guys who formed Art Asylum designed Playmates' Star Trek: Alien Combat line when they were just a design house, but I'd suspect that the earlier 3-3/4" figures were produced by HFE (Hong Kong Far East Co.) who did many of the SW figs. Dunno for certain, though. But yeah, as Mike said, they keep that kind of info tightly under wraps.

[Jpatrik]

I'd love to know myself - even some info on exactly how the figures were selected.

Who decides what characters are action figure worthy?

[Redshirt#7]

I'd love to know myself - even some info on exactly how the figures were selected.

Who decides what characters are action figure worthy?

 

 

I mean, how did we get figures like Klingon BLT, or Mordok The Benzite, or Mutated Tom Paris when figures like Vorik or a proper Nog or so many others didn’t get made?

It would be interesting to find out, wouldn’t it? 

I can understand that security would be tightly wrapped, but as its been nearly 20 years I thought that some info might at least be "Declassified", if anything existed. I had read here ages ago that not much info was recorded. I was curious as a Engineer and as a product designer in training to see how they where designed. I have, excuse the bluntness, partly dismantled and reassembled a spare Data. Stupid I know but it appears all the wave one figures and any of there body reuses have the same joint arrangement, witch is the same joints the Borg arm attachments have. So in theory, you could attach the spare Borg arms to a Gowron or a Romulan, to "Borgify" them

[Jpatrik]

I just wanted a Commander Shelby.  She'd be easy to make.  Just slap a new head on Ensign Ro's body!  I would have been perfectly happy!

 

From what little I'm told, you gotta dig thru action figure magazines to find out behind the scenes stuff like this.  Remember these figures were produced in the ""pre-internet" days.

 

It's also possible that actors presented problems approving their likeness - I read somewhere that that is the reason why there are a couple of different Worf head sculpts.  Michael Dorn was unhappy and requested a new head sculpt in time for the TNG transporter wave.

[BadBunnyMike]

 

 

I mean, how did we get figures like Klingon BLT, or Mordok The Benzite, or Mutated Tom Paris when figures like Vorik or a proper Nog or so many others didn’t get made?

 

 

Okay well Mordock prolly came out because they wanted to showcase all types of different aliens, i mean they were targeting kids, Klingon BLT was because the figures came out for Voyager like the year or next after it was put on air, so they only had the first season or two of episodes to pull figures from and since she was a main character it made sense. 

 

As for mutated Tom, they prolly just needed another Voyager figure to be in that series and thought he would be an easy one. I mean I'm sure the creative directors tried their hardest to make cool variant figures other than the same old kirk and spock and had to go within their sculpting budget.

[Jpatrik]

I wish that Playmates had opted to do some 'updates' of characters.  Like when a character changed in appearance.

 

There was precedent - we had Season 6 Deanna Troi, bald headed Captain Sisko.

 

Would have loved an updated Janeway or Kira figure.