As I reported here last month, my current toy project is a mock knock-off of the rare Lone Star Tarzan set.
I missed out on this similar Hong Kong Jungle Set in Germany going for a song, which contained a whole four - that's most! - of the necessary parts and is a set I would be willing to open up.
.webp)
So, not wishing to wait for another Jungle Set to turn up, I've begun to try to get hold of individual parts, replacements and lookalikes.
I've bought an old Hong Kong Tarzan - the linchpin of the set in terms of character and sizing - and he's en route from Germany. He was the cheapest one on Ebay at the time but as is always the way a much cheaper one swung by in the UK a week later! The law of the jungle! ha ha
I've a plastic Hong Kong Zulu Warrior en route to Moonbase too, but he will need remodelling.
Safe arrivals already are a Lego seated monkey, which I fear will be far too small and two cheap Hong Kong Lions, which may need remodelling and repainting to look right.
Still missing is the elusive running Jungle boy [who is he?], which I will have to think out of the box about as its the hardest replacement to find anything similar for. He does look like a little Wonder Woman though!
I've currently spent more dosh on this project than any other I've made so far, but its nothing to what you could spend on the actual items itself or indeed the individual parts, either original plastic or metal like these truly gorgeous and original cast metal Lone Star pieces from the amazing Herald Toys and Models [images borrowed from their site]:
an fabulous and original Lone Star cast lion
You are on a very strange and beautiful journey, recreating these lost and obscure toys, and i for one applaud it. SFZ
ReplyDeleteI like that SF! A strange and beautiful journey! Thank you.
DeleteAnother great project. I had one of those Tarzan figures, but I think mine might have had a red loincloth ? Not sure after all these years.
ReplyDeleteIn the 1960s Roy Ely TV version of Tarzan, the boy was called Jai.
Yes, the Tarzan figure seems to pop up allover the place Paul, a staple design. Thanks so much for the Jai name! Yes, at last I have a name for the running boy!
DeleteBravo! I think you've coined a new term, Woodsy -Mock-Off maker!
ReplyDeleteI'll be very interested to see what you do with the backing art. My unfinished Avengers gift set with a Lotus Europa and Rolls Royce Silver Ghost features backing art collaged from various Annual covers!
I'm sorry to say that given the expense this artwork has required to date-
("This project has been the most costly yet designed by man")
....what you are really going to need is a vacuum formed blister pack to do justice to all your carefully sourced figures!
Luckily as this is meant to be a cheap Hong Kong piece of tat, if your efforts have a few webs or defects, they'll go unnoticed (we're not talking about Mattel grade packaging here!)
Send me an email if you want to discuss how you (or I) could do it!
Hi Looey, re. the backing art, we'll stick to the original as that is at the heart of our project, to recreate the essence of the originals, so in that sense they're not true customs I guess. As for a blister, I do have an idea for one, as the original appears to be a rectangle of plastic, rather than a complex blister. I'll drop you a line mate.
DeleteWhile I don't have any Lone Star toys, there for a few years I had a slight fascination with jungle themed toys. I had (and sold) some Corgi Daktari stuff, Mexican MPC Jungle repops, an original Marx Jungle Jim tin-litho Trading Post, and some others. That said, I got a few MPC ringhand Jungle figures last year that were part of a job lot.
ReplyDeleteFascinating Ed, you're collecting passion and breadth always amazes me! That's a lot of Jungle stuff you've had. Send us a snap of your ringhands please!
DeleteThe photo showing a 'white hunter' facing a lion looks like a figure from Lone Star's ANZAC figures. I have lots of the Paratrooper and Royal Navy figures of the same vintage most of which are extremely brittle, not at all the 'will last forever unbreakable plastic' that they were sold as rather than being metal figures. The diecast armoured cars, trucks, jeeps and mobile guns etc in my collection have survived well.
ReplyDeleteFascinating Terran. Looks like Lone Star recycled their designs then. Its unusual how they mixed plastic and metal in their range. I never had many metal figures as a kid, mostly plastic. Have you got your figures and jeeps etc on display?
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