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Dec 27, 2009, 2:35am

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Topic: Bonanza reproductions (Read 124 times)

Wesley McCue
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Bonanza reproductions
« Thread Started on Aug 7, 2009, 12:01am »

Here are some things I've made for the vintage Bonanza 'Full Action Men' by American Character. First, there's the repro head for the hard-to-find Outlaw figure:

[image]

Why a repro head for the Outlaw figure? Well, he is harder to come by than all three of the Cartwrights combined and when you can find him, a lot more expensive too! This way all you have to do is find a Ben doll- a much simpler proposition; they had the same molded body, hands, feet, hat -paint his body and his hat black and >zing< you've got an Outlaw. Or pretty darn close anyway!

While I was casting the Outlaw head anyway I thought, 'Wouldn't it be it a neat idea to take their 'generic' Outlaw a step further by adding a decidedly roguish handlebar moustache and goatee?' So I did. Now he looks like a smaller version of Marx' Sam Cobra:

[image]

I call it a 'variant' because seemingly random differences in modern figures are all the rage among 'serious collectors'. Funny, isn't it, how grown-ups take kid stuff so seriously?

Like the Marx figures, the Bonaza men are often found missing their little hands. These will work for Ben, the Outlaw and Little Joe. Joe actually has smaller hands but these still work with some adjustment to the wrist peg:

[image]

I've also made a mold for the boots. At first I thought these would fit any of the four figures- and they will with some adaptation of the peg -but it turns out Hoss and Joe had slightly different feet as well as hands!

[image]

I'll have Hoss' hands and a brand new Adam head before long so stay tuned for those!

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Wesley McCue
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Re: Bonanza reproductions
« Reply #1 on Aug 27, 2009, 12:13am »

Here's a little 'photo fun' with a Cartwright doll man family picture. As kids we all loved poring over the Sears Wishbook and similar catalogs, right? Window shopping for the toys we wished to have was almost as serious a pastime as playing with the toys we actually had.

With the first completed Bonanza Adam figure on the way to his new home, I took some time to cobble together a 'what mighta been' picture as if the Adam doll had actually been offered through those grainy black-and-white catalog pages:

[image]

Here's a look at the 'raw' casting of the Adam head along with the new Outlaw 'varaiant':

[image]

I think Adam compares favorably with his original Cartwright doll counterparts. I tried to carry through with the same 'cartoonish' style of painting so he would look like he belongs to the set:

[image]

Finally, here's the complete 'Full Action Man' Adam figure and one of the new Outlaw too. A bad, bad doll man; reminds me of Angel Eyes-meets-Sam Cobra in miniature!

[image]

Questions? Comments? email me classicplastick@aol.com

« Last Edit: Aug 27, 2009, 1:45am by Wesley McCue »

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Wesley McCue
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Joined: Jul 2006
Gender: Male

Posts: 449

Re: Bonanza reproductions
« Reply #2 on Sept 30, 2009, 8:14am »

And sometimes I'll doodle stuff like this Outlaw variation between real custom assignments. He reminds me of Richard Boone or Glenn Strange and a little of Victor French, Mr. Edwards of Little House On The Prairie.

[image]

Comments? Questions? email classicplastick@aol.com

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