I'd clocked that they were a bit special,
by dint of them not being mentioned in the original 1978 supporting paperwork,
but I hadn't noticed the obvious differences, even when editing the images,
apart from the runner being complete.
A quick look at the figures first; reds are
a bugger to get right, photographically speaking, but a green background seems
to help, as do neutral beiges! I angled them slightly to get the semi-flat
nature of the sculpts across. And shot to match the order of the earlier issue
- which is chronological.
Not only were they absent from the original
competition paperwork and the collector's magazine review, turning up later on
the secondary market, but they have had a cavity-shuffle with regards to the
order in the injection-tool, and must have been sold in a different format as
they don't carry a flyer and haven't had their runner's end trimmed-off to fit
the original bag-sealer's setting.
As well as changing the order of the
figures, the short channel-runners leading from the main frame-runner to the
figures have been spaced more equidistant to each other and directed into the
undersides of the bases, rather than the offset 'kissing the rims' (Ooh! Matron!)
of the older tool's configuration.
Yet, the flattened terminal 'blob' where
the 'real' sprue came in, is the same on both samples, so the outer components
of the tool and the main frame-runner are unchanged.
One suspects they were actual National Army Museum stock and it seems
the obvious conclusion, but why they chose red for the re-issues is anyone's
guess as it's a bloody-odd choice? I suppose it's colourful - helping to
attract kids in the age of action-figures and movie promotional toys (1980's or
even 1990's? They've only turned-up on the secondary market this century),
sparking a bit of pester-power at the gift-shop's checkout tills perhaps?
Now we come to my bit of 'spanner in the
works'. Although they are clearly by different sculptors, it seems to me that
the less skillful sculptor on the NZNAM
figures had at the back of his mind (at least) the slightly more consummate
sculpts of original 'early-Airfix'
figures, the similarity of pillar-like statuesque, casual, upright poses, the
small 'penny' bases - I don't think it's accidental, and it's definitely food
for thought? Of course photographing all the reds together -rather [falsely?] reinforces
the idea!
Further - I think I'm right in recalling Lincoln (who made the NZNAM figures) used to issue Airfix kits in that part of the world -
there can't be that many tools of a Sunderland
Flying Boat? If Lincoln had a
relationship with Airfix, they might
have produced the set we saw this/last Monday, borrowing the mould before or
after Pierwood? More mind-food!
And if you don't like the idea of Lincoln being behind the earlier
figures, we learnt from Les Collier's article in Plastic Warrior (Issue 162, pp.22/23), that the head/founder of Lincoln was a chap called Les Tolmer . .
. of Toltoys . . . further sustenance
for the grey-matter?
I shall leave these three paragraphs
hanging here until more is dug-up and it all becomes clearer!
Finishing with another close-up, this is
the dismounted Mounted Rifleman from the South African campaign.
Many, many thanks to Glenn Sibbald for all
these figures (he sent the only pack with an original price label!), I can't
thank him enough, and I hope you've all enjoyed these three posts, along with the
early Airfix/Pierwood/whoever posts
on Monday, the finalising of the board game pop-stars and . . . .there's still an couple of Antipodean
posts to come, with an NZ-angle!
And if you want some - he's still got a few
on the runner, along with loose; sets and figures, contact me and I'll pass your
eMail on (maverickatlarge[at]hotmail[dot]com).
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