Icons X-Wing Pilots

The development of the Star Wars 1:1 scale X-Wing Filming Miniature Replica was an extraordinary task for Icons. Lucasfilm would not permit the molding of an original X-Wing preserved in the archives located at Skywalker Ranch (although photographs, paint reference and measuring etc. was permitted), so Icons had to track down an alternative source for X-Wing masters, which came from a crew member working for Richard Edlund's legendary Boss Films in Marina Del Ray, California. A fellow staffer at Boss had worked for Apogee Productions and ILM and had kept a clean set of masters from the first Star Wars film. These were loaned to Icons to create the masters for the replica.

As most Star Wars enthusiasts know, the X-Wing Miniature was originally fabricated utilizing various off-the-shelf model kits parts and custom styrene components. The X-Wing pilot was cast from a Dragster model kit. Icons wanted to use the exact same pilot utilized in the original X-Wing filming miniatures and a debate raged over this issue. Splitting factions between the founding partners. Lucasfilm was concerned with utilizing a model kit companies product component so it was deemed necessary to create a custom pilot. Which was sculpted from a Kenner Luke Skywalker action figure. To my knowledge, this is the first time this information has been revealed to the public/collectors.

See photo above, from left to right :

1) Dragster Model Kit Pilot Painted casting (same model as the original LFL one with similar paint scheme).
2) Custom Sculpted & Casted Paint Reference Master.
3) Custom Sculpted & Casted Paint Reference Master.

Once again to my knowledge, either number 2 or 3 were chosen as paint reference for production of the Icons X-Wing.

Icons detail painters were then challenged with creating their own individual paint schemes for these castings. And "1" was chosen.

Through Icons last years, famed detail painter Mireya Romo (Bowen) who went on to become a lead painter at Gentle Giant Studios after leaving Icons, would custom cast and produce small whimsical displays of X-Wing pilots with her future husband Rob Bowen (also of Gentle Giant) for Icons co-founder Jim Latta. Often to cheer him up during Icons final years (see photo below).

Icons Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade The Holy Grail Cup "Master"

"Choose wisely..."

"The Cup of a Carpenter..."

Yes....it's true. 25 years ago, in 1995, as Icons prepared in ultra-secrecy to pursue the first ever license issued by Lucasfilm Ltd. to produce 1:1 scale prop replicas from Star Wars, the company also prepped to secure the Indiana Jones license. It seemed a natural property to base Film replicas of historic icons on.

During Icons first historic trip to Skywalker Ranch in 1996 to conduct extensive product development in the famous Lucasfilm Archives warehouse, detailed photographs and video were taken not only of the props and miniatures utilized in the production of Star Wars, but also from the Indiana Jones Trilogy.

A decade ago, Icons maintained a worldwide network of sources for original prop, miniature and wardrobe reference material, which was rivaled only by the Planet Hollywood Restaurant Corporation, of which ironically, Icons consulted with and conducted restoration services for.

Icons utilized this network to track down the original mold and master for "The Holy Grail" used during the production of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade in the United Kingdom.

The Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade "Holy Grail" prop replica cup is a gorgeous, 1st generation casting, taken directly from a screen-used original, which was custom painted to appear as if a very ancient cup (with simulated oxidization) and hand applied gold-metal leaf, all fabricated under the direct supervision of Film and Television professional craftspeople. This "master" still has a permanent Icons tag on the bottom of the cup. Note : this is not a typical fan-produced copy. Nor your average 4th generation bootleg version ! This is a rare, un-seen, licensed manufacturers "master".

Also included here, are 4 advertising layouts (test compositions, only a few sets ever printed). The much heralded "You don't have to go through this..." marketing campaign, conceptualized and designed by James Latta and Daren Dochterman. The ads concept basically shows Indiana Jones in precarious situations in Raiders of the Lost Ark. And states "You don't have to go through this....or this....to get this". "The Treasures of Indiana Jones, now...they can be your treasures too". An early rendition of an Icons logo can be seen at the bottom of the Idol head portion of the advertising concept.

"Icons - Timeless Collectibles" Terminator 2 Endoskull, T-1000 Stabbing Finger and T-800 Brain Chip Prototype

Background on Icons / Timeless Collectibles :

Though Icons successfully shipped over 40,000 studio licensed, authorized and authenticated prop and miniature replicas over the coarse of its 5 years in business (1995-2000), following the sudden departure of the company’s original Senior Vice President of Manufacturing in the winter of 1997 and Icons original CEO / President in the Spring of 1998, the company was left with thousands of unfulfilled backordered products and millions of dollars in debt. Nevertheless, Icons remaining staff managed to fulfill thousands of backordered products and was able to successfully keep the company afloat for an additional 1 1/2 years. Though it was extremely difficult.

With the Dot.Com stock bubble bursting in 2000, and corrupt investment bankers, who only used the company as a mean to attempt to « pump and dump » stock, Icons collapsed into bankruptcy. With little options left, Icons last remaining co-founder was approached to consult on the development of a new Studio licensed, authorized and authenticated prop replica company, Timeless Collectibles.

The Timeless co-founders agreed to fulfill the small number (which was actually much, much less than rumored) of Icons remaining back-ordered products to its customers, provided the necessary Studio licenses could be procured. Timeless achieved much of this in just 60 days. Terminator 2 : Judgment Day being the first acquired. Timeless actually was sincere in their promises to Icons and many of key Icons executives and staff ended up joining the Timeless Collectibles team.

This small up-start company quickly established it’s name brand and placed the same high-standards of quality on their products that were utilized at Icons Authentic Replicas. But, unfortunately, Timeless Collectibles was unable to acquire the next level of funding necessary, in order to facilitate the company’s necessary capital requirements. In just 12 short months, Timeless, like Icons, was also gone….

Larry Taylor (on the right), who worked from the beginning till the end at Icons said that about the Endoskull :

« Boy that piece brings back memories. That was like one of my favorites too… that and the Endoskeleton arm.

Yes, I did have a good portion of time spent assembling these pieces, making sure they were QC for chrome plating, and my part was mostly the entire assembly including the electronics and making the teeth out of dental resin, epoxying them into place, screwing the jaw into position, and then applying epoxy to the pistons to connect to the jaw and the cheekbone.

It was quite a process, but nothing difficult…..and yes, Timeless did basically take over the exact piece that was the R&D by Icons. They might have cleaned it up a little bit and refined it somewhat….but yeah….. nonetheless a very, very cool piece. »

Al Z. who worked on both the Icons and Timeless skulls, did go back in and retool a lot of the detail on the Timeless skull. Mostly the detail line and replacing all of the Allen key screws on top to get them to cast better !!!

Icons Original Holiday Greeting Card

 

This is an original, glossy, Icons Holiday greetings photo-postcard from 1997. It depicts one of the key, original employees of Icons - Al Z., the head of Icons famed Molding & Casting Department, posing with a full size Icons Terminator 2 : Judgment Day Endoskeleton Cyborg / Robot, a full-size prototype Lost in Space B-9 Robot and a full-size Gort Robot, all of which Icons had the studio authorized licenses for. A first for any entertainment collectibles company.

In the background are huge Icons logo boxes. Custom made for either the T2 replica arm, or the Independence Day Alien Attacker miniature.

These were mailed out to Icons customers when the company's growth continued to expand at a rapid rate and Icons had become an internationally respected & branded company, which dominated the licensed 1:1 scale studio replica industry.

The Endoskeleton was molded off of "The Licensing Group's" original Endoskeleton used in the film. They represented the Terminator 2 property as a licensing agency and had an Endoskeleton displayed in their lobby after Carolco Pictures, the studio which produced and distributed T2 went into bankruptcy.

The B-9 Robot was one built by hobbyist and professional engineer and fabricator Michael Davis, who constructed it using parts originally cast from Greg Jein and Mike Moore, prior to Mike Moore co-founding Icons and Mike Davis consulting with Icons on the B-9 project. Some of the B-9 parts were also supplied by Mike Davis from Fred Barton.

The Gort was fabricated using design templates taken off of collector Bill Malone's original Gort (which Fred Barton obtained without Bill Malone's conscent to produce a replica Gort) and sold by Fred Barton (who had no licenses at the time).

This Holiday greeting card is legendary as being the impetus for the "Robot Wars" that followed between Icons and Barton.

 

 

Al Z. playing with the B-9 Robot during the photo session  :-)



Icons Predator Environment Helmet

EL DIABLO CAZADOR DE HOMBRES...

The first edition of the Icons Predator arsenal line. This awesome collector's piece is sure to drop jaws when friends visit your display room. Cast directly off of a Predator helmet created for the film. Constructed of fiberglass and custom airbrushed to match the weathered/battle-hardened look of the screen-used helmet. Boasts mirrored view lens and illuminated tri-laser sight. Comes with the Predatoresque custom wall mount trophy rack (sculpted by David Mosher), which shows you got the best of the Predator....this time !!!

There was "1" very early Predator Helmet that I think Mike Moore painted which was very strange. Solid silver. Like chrome. With an airbrushed crack on the top. That looked like a lightning bolt. I think it was Vince Odoni that perfected the final weathered look in the end. The standard version.

 

Those are concept drawings rendered by Icons Graphic Designer and Illustrator Daren Dochterman, I believe, for a design concept for the Icons Predator Helmet replica and its display rack.

 

Once that concept rack was sculpted, Icons CEOs said "NO". It just didn't have that feeling. That Predator armor spaceship vibe. it was supposed to as if the Predator's may have actually used the wall rack to hang up their helmets on, on their spacecraft. It was supposed to be ever cooler with hoses etc...but Icons had already lost $$$ on that first version, so the line had to be drawn to stop and complete the project. So the 2nd one was a re-design. Daren or Tone designed it.

Those pictures are the base sculpt by David Mosher.

 

R.I.P. STEVE HORCH

I have learned that Steve Horch passed away some weeks ago. 

He was one of the very first Icons artisans and a Hell of a propmaker.....A kind Gentleman, one I would have been proud to meet someday. 

He will be missed. My thoughts to his family and friends.

Fred

Icons Loki Mask Prototype

 

This is an original The Mask "Loki Mask" 1:1 scale prototype prop replica, produced by Icons Authentic Replicas in 1997, for prototype submittal to Newline Cinema, molded directly off of a screen-used original created for use in film production.

This is the first 1:1 scale, licensed authentic replica of the Loki Mask seen in Jim Carrey's blockbuster film, The Mask, ever produced.

If you've ever seen The Mask Loki masks sold on eBay, the odds are they are 3rd, 4th and 5th generation copies of what you see here.

This is an authentic first generation replica cast from a mold taken directly from one of the Hero prop masks used by production in the making of The Mask. Notice the incredible quality and detail of this casting. Nothing is lost from the original. 

Look at the sunken Loki mask emblem at the middle crown area of it. What you must know is the original screen-used masks were created with a sunken "L", and after dailies were seen (shots from the previous days filming), Chuck Russell, the Director, decided he couldn't see the "L" clear enough. So propmakers made a separate coin with a raised "L" and this was added to the masks. These were cast separately and then glued over the sunken "L" on the already cast and painted masks.

This prototype was molded and casted from that original mask with sunken "L".

Also, compare the quality of this replica's paint job. This is the precise paint finish as is seen on the original. There is no excessive amount of shiny clear coat but a very nice and professional matte finish. The quality of this replica is so exact in comparison to the original Hero prop, New Line Cinema, the studio that produced and distributed The Mask, could not tell the difference between the screen-used version and one of these licensed recreations.

Though 5,000 of this edition were intended to be made, less than 50 were shipped worldwide. Icons was provided with an original Hero mask for molding for a very short time before the screen-used prop was displayed at a Planet Hollywood location.

This unique and recognizable Hollywood artifact version of the licensed Loki Mask prototype is displayed in a rare Mask “hanging display” lucite-mount Plexiglas case which allows it to be viewed from various angles. The replica can be hung on a wall or sit on display on a bookshelf, fireplace mantle, or entertainment center. The custom fabricated all-metal un-numbered plaque depicts the New Line Cinema logo, the official movie logo for The Mask and an official Icons logo.

This is a one of a kind early prototype which is different from the final version released as the licensed edition by Icons Authentic Replicas seen just under.

Those, like the later screen-used masks, have the coin with the raised "L" added to the nose piece.