Icons Batman Forever Sonar-Batcowl Prototype

Here is a 1:1 scale authentic replica of the original Sonar Batcowl worn by actor Val Kilmer in the feature film Batman Forever.

This extraordinary display piece was produced by Icons Authentic Replicas in 1997. It was intended to be sold in Warner Brothers Gallery Stores before Icons closed their doors forever. Icons also produced, in conjunction with Warner Bros Gallery's, 1:1 scale replicas of the Batman's Batarang and Robin's Redbird, which were sold out not long after release.

What is amazing about this piece, besides its striking appearance, is unlike foam or latex which dries out and eventually disintegrates, this Batcowl was cast directly from the original Bat-shop studio mould in fibreglass. It will never rot or decay !!

It was prototyped by one of Icons talented fabricators (Jeff White), who is now a Walt Disney Imagineer. The paint finish is awe-inspiring. It appears like it is an automotive metal flake custom paint job. Very illustrious and sealed with a lacquer finish that makes it look like it was painted yesterday. If I remember correctly, the paint was a kind of "Luminescent black".

This piece drew many compliments while it was on display at Icons legendary memorabilia replica conference room from 1997 to 2000. It has been in Jim Latta's private collection for over 5 years. It resides now in a private collection in London, United Kingdom.

Icons "The Ten Commandments" Tablets Prototype (1996)

Here is my most prized possession... 

The Prototype #1 of only 1 set made... 

Here's an astounding, rarely photographed or ever seen, prototype from the pioneer in Film and Television Studio Licensed prop and miniature 1:1 scale replicas, Icons Authentic Replicas...a set of authentic "Moses Tablets" replica molded directly off of the production-used originals seen in the classic Biblical Epic The Ten Commandments starring Charlton Heston (Ben Hur, Planet of the Apes, Omega Man, Soylent Green...) who portrayed Moses and Directed by legendary Hollywood mogul Cecil B. DeMille. 

This amazing display piece, consists of "2" first-generation cast replicas of the prop Tablets actually used in the film. Icons had only 24 hours to conduct the molding process of the originals, as the Tablets were enroute to Christie's Auction House in New York City. 

Access to the screen-used originals was provided by the Cecil B. DeMille Foundation to Icons R&D and Prototype Fabrication Department. 

After molding, the originals were express-shipped to Christie's where they sold in excess of $68,000.00 USD at auction, a world-record at the time. 

The replica castings were prepped and then painted by an independent custom paint & finish artist, who had been utilized for various Television projects by Paramount Pictures (the Licensor of The Ten Commandments), including working on various incarnations of the Star Trek TV franchise. The simulated stone-like paint finish on the original prop Tablets and the engraved "Pre-Canaanite" lettering (which preceded Hebrew) was meticulously replicated on the Icons prop replicas with fine-art results. This was done on all surface areas of the Prop Tablets. 

A massive, custom-made, display case was then fabricated for The Ten Commandments Tablet prop replicas, with custom-made Plexiglas mounts which gently hold the Tablets in place, in the museum-quality display case. Which has an over-sized custom wall-mount hanging bracket. 

The displays all-metal, over-sized plaque features both the Icons Authentic Replicas logo and Paramount Studios logo and reads "The Ten Commandments", "PROTOTYPE". This was a proposed Icons licensed replica display that sadly was never realized by the visionary company. 

In Icons 5 years in business, only "1" of these "dream replica displays" was ever produced. And only "1" set of Tablets were ever cast, prepped and finished at Icons. 

This is the actual, legendary prop replica display which was on exhibit in Icons memorabilia adorned conference room from 1996 to 2000.

The Tablets at Icons in the conference / showroom....

Icons Indiana Jones IDOL "Study" Prototype

The Raiders of the lost Ark "Fertility Goddess Idol" prop replica is a gorgeous, unknown generation casting, taken directly from the screen-used original. This piece was finished and spray painted metallic gold as a study model and for discussion purposes with Lucasfilm Ltd. 

It was cast, prepped and painted in 1995 for submittal to the Studio, as possible licensed product by Icons Authentic Replicas. 

Icons was slated to assume all licensing rights to the Indiana Jones films in the Prop, Miniature replica category by LFL. 

 

Icons Lost In Space Jupiter 2 Prototype

For the first time, it was nearly possible to invest in a precise recreation of the legendary Jupiter 2 Miniature from the classic television series Lost in Space.

Accurately downsized from the 4ft. special effects beauty miniature utilized in the making of the series.
 

The officially-authorized Icons Authentic Replicas Jupiter 2 Miniature had fold-up landing gear, fully-illuminated alternating engine core lights, illuminated bubble dome and cockpit mock-up with windshield.
 

That miniature was researched, designed, hand-crafted and drafted by project director Jim Key (who was realizing a dream-come-true after several years !!). A friend of mine told me that if Jim Key could have climbed into the J-2 and flew away from Earth ?....he would have !! He treated the project as if he was a real rocket scientist at NASA :-)
 

The miniature was mostly made of resin, with white metal legs, some brass and vacu-formed polyvinyl butyrate. It had a hand painted and custom professional air-brushed paint job. The landing gear was retractable, the fusion core was removable and the ship had a complete cockpit. The display base was supposed to be detailed to replicate the landing area in the "Ghost Planet" episode of the television series.
 

The Icons Jupiter 2 prototype was nearly completed but needed a little bit more of work, to be fully finished.
 

This is the only prototype Jupiter 2 Icons ever made and it is the property of "Uncle Odie's Collectibles" in the U.S.A. You can read more about that replica on his website.

Icons Lab Coat

This is the Icons lab coat worn by Al Zequeira on all Icons photo session :-) 

A awesome piece painted by in-house Mireya Romo, now lead painter at Gentle Giant. Mireya had to do it FAST...
Jim Latta brought her an image of the Icons logo and she worked on it immediately.
Hand painted in maybe 2-3 hours...whew !!!

Al Z. during the photo session.



Icons Disneyland "TWA Moon Liner" Imagineering Study Model Maquette Replica Prototype (1998)

Huge Prototype #1 (of 2 made) of un-produced licensed Icons / Walt Disney Art Classics miniature. 

In 1997-98 Icons secured the master license to produce 1:1 scale authentic replicas based on Walt Disney Imagineering's Theme park attraction miniature study models and replicas based on props, wardrobe and miniatures seen in numerous Disney Feature Films, including : Mary Poppins, The Rocketeer, The Black Hole, Tron and 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea. 

Icons at this time was considered the world leader in the manufacture and distribution of authentic Film and Television Production artifact replicas. The company's Star Wars products were called "The Crown Jewels" of the Lucasfilm Ltd. licensing family. Over 40,000 replicas were manufactured in the pioneering company's Sun Valley & North Hollywood locations. The company's fall from grace is the stuff of business legend. 

The item showed here is the original manufacturers prototype of a staggering proposed product....a 1:1 scale authentic replica of a "TWA Moon Liner" miniature, utilized in the planning stages of the construction of the full size one, built for and operated at Disneyland. 

Icons was given unprecedented access to both Walt Disney Imagineering and the legendary Disney Archives, for research purposes including access to blueprints, drawings and photographs, etc...But like many of Icons outstanding products, Icons R&D staff also relied on their world-wide network of contacts to procure original reference material. 

Much of Icons staff were diehard Walt Disney enthusiasts. A retired Walt Disney Imagineer living in Arizona, USA, was tracked down and his personal copy of a casting of the original TWA Moon Liner miniature was procured. Photographs of Walt Disney holding a similar model to this one (primarily the main body area, though with less detail), was located and helped establish the authenticity of the miniature located in Arizona. 

The craftsmanship of this incredible replica is exquisite ! The casting itself is of great quality. The main body area is hollow at one end and mounts onto a clear plexiglas rod for added display strength. The 3 landing gear act as practical support mechanisms to the display. The landing gear is beautifully made, consisting of multiple parts, also handcrafted, including small metal rods that brace the assembly. 

Obviously the paint finish of the prototype is exquisite. Painted by an award-winning professional miniature painter (Larry Taylor). If you look closely, you can see the exceptional detail work including the hatch door and port windows. As well as the bold red accents to the entire piece. 

The TWA Moon Liner rests on a black melamine-board base, complete with the original Walt Disney / Icons all metal plaque, which states "Disneyland...Tomorrowland's..."Moon Liner"...1955-1966...Prototype". 

The center area beneath the Moon Liner consists of a cast, cylindrical object, which was machined and molded prior to casting. It is painted with a fine silver-metallic paint finish. 

And to sweeten the deal, the replica comes with the original plexiglas case, which covers the entire model top to bottom, that was fabricated by Icons internally. 

Measures 30" tall !!

 

Al Z. and Larry Taylor working on the piece !!!



Icons 1st Season "Stunt" 1:1 Scale Laser Prop Pistol Replica, "Brown-Handle Grip" Prototype (1996)

Here is an extremely rare prototype from one of Icons best selling 1:1 scale Studio licensed, authorized and authenticated prop replica product lines, a non-functioning 1st season laser pistol from the beloved and classic television series Lost in Space. 

Behind Star Wars and Terminator, Lost in Space was Icons best-selling product line. These stunning prop replicas were sold through quality retailers such as FAO Schwarz and The Sharper Image. Several hundred were sold & shipped to collectors all over the world. 

The original prop pistols used in the 1st season (and often 2nd season) seen on the popular T.V. series, Lost in Space, were originally created by 20th Century Fox Studios prop fabricators, who created them by molding a readily available Remco brand toy pistol, found at department stores in the early 1960's. These talented prop makers took the original toy and modified it by adding changes, such as a large simulated battery compartment, the simulated brass-colored target aims, a simulated battery-energy regulator light, the brass-colored cylindrical feature near the barrel and the red cone at the end of the pistol barrel (both solid and red translucent-clear for the illuminated "Hero" prop version). 

The cast and modified body of the Lost in Space prop pistol was painted solid black, which appeared visually stimulating on-screen combined with it's brass and deep red colored accents. 

Both "Hero" electronic, functioning illuminated prop pistols, as well as "Stunt" non-functioning versions, were constructed for production use on the Lost in Space television series. The illuminated versions interestingly assisted 20th Century Fox sound engineers with sound effect cues. And the illuminated "Hero" versions of the prop laser pistol also helped the actors during filming on set, feel like they were actually firing a futuristic laser weapon at some strange alien creature or huge space monster, like the dreaded Giant Cyclops.... 

Icons produced three (3) 1st season prop replica prototypes for approval by the Studio licensor on the Lost in Space property at the time, New Line Cinema who produced the much loathed and horrible Lost in Space big budget feature film released in 1997. 

1st one was painted solid black with 2 brown hand grips on either side of the prop pistol handle (as were occasionally seen on the Lost in Space T.V. series), the 2nd was painted solid black with black grips on either side of the prop pistol handle, as was the primary version seen on the T.V. program. And finally, the 3rd one, that one, a brown handled "Stunt" (non functioning) version of the 1st season Lost in Space laser pistol. 

This scarce, 24 year old, rarely seen, 1:1 scale, Studio licensed, authorized and authenticated Lost in Space 1st Season prop pistol replica is extremely well-made and gorgeous ! As you can see by the picture above. 

The 3 display plaques that are featured in the display case are very unique. They are the 1st (all metal cast & etched) Lost in Space celebrity signature plaques that were ever produced for this product line, plus a standard plaque bearing an AP number.