View Full Version : reduced-scale pod & chariot?
trekkist 07-01-2009, 08:55 AM The upcoming 1/350 Seaview...presumably a reduction of the 1/128 "hero" sub...has me, for one, hankering for 1/48 versions of the space pod and chariot. These could be boxed together for greater appeal, and make "dual use" of the existing masters (though not of course tooling).
Can I get some "amens"?
Paulbo 07-01-2009, 09:05 AM Personally I'd rather have them in 1/35 scale to match the upcoming J2.
Other than that difference ... "Amen"
trekkist 07-01-2009, 09:47 AM I didn't cite 1/35 for 3 reasons:
1)Likely already planned as a J-2 match
2)Lunar Models' 1/35's still turn up on Ebay
3)1/48's a direct one-half reduction, perhaps easier to engineer
djnick66 07-01-2009, 10:40 AM I'd go 1/35 as well.... plus the Lunar stuff is junk... I had both... You would be better off carving them from a block of soap. On the Chariot the plastic top turned dark yellow!
mrdean 07-01-2009, 11:12 AM Here we go again! :beatdeadhorse:
I would rather see a Seaview Thumb Drive! :woohoo:
Evan at a higher price than regular devices I would get a few!!
Mark Dean
rondenning 07-02-2009, 07:20 PM I also hope for a Pod, and Chariot to go with the upcoming J2 !!
:devil:Ron:devil:
enterprise_fan 07-03-2009, 11:18 AM It would look a lot better than the Johnny Lightning die cast did with the 12 inch PL J2.
:beatdeadhorse: I'm not beating it, I'm chasing away the flies.
Ron Gross 07-03-2009, 12:10 PM I also hope for a Pod, and Chariot to go with the upcoming J2 !!
:devil:Ron:devil:
Back in 2007, at the point when I first met Frank and pitched the idea for a new J2 kit in the first place, I also presented this same idea to him. Please don't take this as any kind of guarantee, as I have no control over these decisions, and it's way too early anyway. But there is hope, and I'm glad to see that several of you also see the logic in this type of product.
As a matter of fact, it almost happened with the the PL J2, way back when. In early 2001, Jerry Gustafson from Polar Lights approached me about designing an in-scale "J2 Acccessory" kit, which would have included the Chariot, Pod, drilling rig, and a few other goodies. I actually went to the extent of hand drawing plans for everything, as part of an intended presentation to him at Wonderfest that year. But as some may recall, that was the year of the big shakeup at PL, and when I arrived, I soon found out that Jerry was not even with the company any longer.
Maybe we'll get another chance, but again, I am no position to promise anything.
Ron G.
Dave Metzner 07-03-2009, 02:34 PM That was the year that Jerry went on vacation......Ron went to Wonderfest expecting to talk to Jerry and found me standing behind the Polar Lights table instead!
toyroy 07-03-2009, 02:56 PM I really like the idea of a chariot in scale with the new J2. :thumbsup:
toyroy 07-03-2009, 03:19 PM How about a third kit: one of the complete Robinson party- with alternate parts to allow for different poses? This way, one could buy one such kit to man the J2, and another to man the chariot, and even more to create Lost in Space dioramas.
Ron Gross 07-03-2009, 03:57 PM That was the year that Jerry went on vacation......Ron went to Wonderfest expecting to talk to Jerry and found me standing behind the Polar Lights table instead!
So Dave, what exactly did happen at that point? Jerry made a point of telling me that this was an important project to Tom Lowe. One, in fact, in which he had taken a "personal interest." Even after Jerry left, I was surprised that nothing ever happened.
Richard Baker 07-03-2009, 07:56 PM I also would love a separate kit with the Space Pod, Chariot an some accessories in matching scale to the new J-2. I think figures may be more problematic as you are reproducing likenesses (?) of Actors which could get complicated.
PerfesserCoffee 07-03-2009, 08:15 PM I'd like to see a 1/35th "Lost in Space" diorama kit: pod, chariot, robot, figures, and a few camp accessories like the hydroponics garden, the above-mentioned drill rig and the like. The detailing on the pod and chariot could be a lot simpler at 1/35th scale. The chariot, for example, wouldn't need movable tracks and the pod wouldn't need a very detailed interior.
The separate components of the above kit could come with ground pieces that allow stand-alone display of the pod or of the chariot, or of the family and robot and of the drill rig and hydroponics garden. Or, they could all snap together into a single diorama.
The figures could come as space suited standing or regular clothes sitting (for chariot) or perhaps with separate leg parts that allow posing in different ways. Such types of kits have been done in the past with WWII armor and the like.
Steve H 07-03-2009, 09:25 PM And because 1/35th scale is so small, and facial features would be generic at best, I strongly feel this gets around any additional licensing and royalty issues, as surely "the Robinson Family and Stowaway" are part of the LIS license.
And a campsite diorama kit could easily sell on its own, sans Jupiter 2 or Chariot. Then a deluxe bundle (J2, Campsite, Chariot, Pod) could be sold at a special price as a holiday gift set. Happens all the time in Japan. Heck, design the three boxes to butt together in the same space at the J2 box and you shrink them back to back, with a sticker banner announcing the special set. See, then you're able to make the gift sets from existing stock, or you can break them down after for individual sale.
Yeah, done some marketing and promotion work in the past. :)
gojira61 07-03-2009, 10:25 PM And because 1/35th scale is so small, and facial features would be generic at best, I strongly feel this gets around any additional licensing and royalty issues, as surely "the Robinson Family and Stowaway" are part of the LIS license.
You would be surprised what you don’t get with a license. I’m with a company that works with the studios daily, generally you get only what you ask and pay for. A license can be separated into a great many parts, all those parts separate fees or addendum's.
I can’t speak for what was or was not included in the Moebius license but it wouldn’t surprise me at all if the Robinson Family had not been just included in the LIS license.
Steve H 07-03-2009, 10:37 PM You would be surprised what you don’t get with a license. I’m with a company that works with the studios daily, generally you get only what you ask and pay for. A license can be separated into a great many parts, all those parts separate fees or addendum's.
I can’t speak for what was or was not included in the Moebius license but it wouldn’t surprise me at all if the Robinson Family had not been just included in the LIS license.
Oh, I would not be at all surprised on how fractioned a license could be. "you can make a children's book but you cannot do a making-of book" "you can make wargaming figures but you cannot make toys or action figures", and so on. While I've not dealt with Hollywood Studios, I HAVE dealt with some licensing issues.
Still, who knows. Fairly generic figures in a diorama setting might qualify (as it did for Aurora back with the Cyclops kit) but actual 'figural' kits, statues like the Iron Man kits or the Universal Monsters might be right out without additional fees to cover residuals to the actors.
Not to take away from the outstanding work that has been done to date by 'aftermarket' people, of course. But as I said somewhere, I'm just a lazy, and cheap hobbyist. I want figures in styrene plastic because I know how to work with that best. :)
Paulbo 07-03-2009, 10:47 PM Part of it might be a separate license to the actors/actresses for use of their image. Moebius has run into that with the Viper - apparently they can only include a generic pilot.
toyroy 07-04-2009, 06:18 AM I'm not breaking any news here, but Tamiya's been selling 1:35 figure kits for decades. A Robinson figure kit, if sufficiently "flexible"(alternate pose parts,) oughtta be a real winner. Of course, there will be the demand generated by the J2 kit. But, it will also have a strong stand-alone value, to both modellers and collectors(who haven't had anything like it.) And, whoever makes them, there will be additional goodies, like a chariot, space pod, and other 1/35 Lost in Space accessories- all of which will enhance demand for Robinson figures.
Someone is going to do this figure kit; we all know it. Moebius is in a position to do it best, at the best price point- and get the word out.
Steve H 07-04-2009, 09:58 AM If I may...
One of my other hobbies, or obsessions if you will, is Japanese Animation, or 'anime'. One particular show is called 'Mobile Suit Gundam', a future war story (well, series of stories set over a long time...nevermind) with giant robots. It's been a strong, huge moneymaker for Bandai since the '80s, and they're always releasing new model kits. One line they started a couple of years ago is the 'U. C. Hard Graph' line, which...well, let me quote Hobbylink Japan here:
"Bandai's U.C. Hard Graph series combines elements of the Gundam universe with 1/35 military modeling, creating a new genre that appeals to fans of both types of modeling."
And some cool stuff has been done, check this out:
http://www.hlj.com/product/BAN948085
See? I know that I'm firmly on the crazy train, but MAN I'd love to see something done like that for the Robinsons and the Jupiter 2.
j2man 07-06-2009, 03:42 PM Me too! Me too! and finally, me too!
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