Friday, 3 January 2025

MY CUSTOM MATTEL SPACE 1999 ZYTHON FIGURE

 Continuing my project making my own custom versions of rare sci-fi toy figures, here's another one I've finished.

Zython.

To make Mattel's elusive Space 1999 alien I bought a cheap loose and green Monster High doll.


I then shrank her head but I'm unsure it worked. All her hair was removed and her tippy-toes clipped. I adjusted the head a little with some hot pinching and fimo, added long ears and a beard and painted it a similar lime. Finally the eyes and brows were drawn on.

The costume is from the Missus's felt stash with gold braid, all glued together. The cap is a plastic spoon. Shoes are trimmed Barbies. The trident is a marshmallow stick with Cootie legs on top.

Here it is complete.

Hope you like it.


Here's Mattel's original doll for comparison


Not perfect, by a long chalk, more of an impression really, my Zython - Mython! ha ha - will look even better once mounted on a recreation of the original Mattel backing blister card.

That particular piece of graphics wizardry is in the hands of Billy the Boxer!

Watch this Space .... 1999!

[you can read more about the original figure on the ever-informative Plaid Stallions https://plaidstallions.com/reboot/toy-ventures-zython-from-mattels/]

15 comments:

  1. Paul Adams from New Zealand1/03/2025 6:10 pm

    That is a stunning transformation. Well done. Totally out of my league.

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    1. Thanks Paul. You're a proper modeller. I'm just a bodger!

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  2. Amazing work, but I don't remember this alien in the show at all.
    Did it actually feature ?

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    1. Thanks a lot Mish. No, Mattel made Zython up!

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  3. Super inventive job - head shrinking indeed! Old Zython is an early exponent of what Lucas did with Star Wars marketing in the 90's - the 'Expanded Universe' idea, where figures 'just off camera' were produced to pad out the line. At this rate, you'll be your own toy company! Bill

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    1. Ha ha! Thanks Bill and I'm enjoying collaborating a lot. I've got more ideas now from my new Knockoffs Book by the ever brilliant folks at Plaid Stallions. So many fabulously rare cheapo figures I'll never own!

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  4. Wow! I'd never heard of this figure.
    A quick Google for the toy blog Plaidstallions turned up this useful info...

    "However, sales on Space:1999 merch weren’t strong enough to warrant a wide release and the Zython seems to have only been offered via this contest for a German comic book above (Thanks Eddy for the scan). It’s speculated that less than 300 of these were made, we’ll probably never know for sure but a few have trickled out of Deutschland over the years."

    It's a pity all your fossicking in Germany hasn't turned up an example, but your hand made version is a great alternative, well done!

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    1. Fossicking! Ha ha! Love that and thanks Looey. Oddly enough I got some Zack comics in Germany but none with Space 1999. There more chance of owning the Mexican version, Nocton, with it's Big Jim body.

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  5. Well done, Woodsy! The likeness is there, definitively so!

    Zython features also in German Mattel dealer catalogue of the time, but was not released beyond that Zack competition.

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    1. Thanks Arto! Is it a figure you have had your eyes on over the years? For some reason it has a Star Maiden vibe to it.

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    2. Have you got that catalogue Arto?

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    3. Got a loose figure and the German catalogue, the latter stashed somewhere.

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    4. Wow, now I'm gobsmacked. Youve got a Zython! How did you find one Arto?

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  6. It's the one pictured above.

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