Ever since watching Flash Gordon at the cinema in 1980, I had wanted to own an accurate version of the Hawkman Rocket Cycle.
I made my own cardboard version of it when I was 7 years old and used a Luke Skywalker action figure as the pilot because he was the only blonde haired figure I owned. LOL.
Fast forward to 2011 and Bif Bang Pow released the awesome Alex Ross designed Flash figures. After holding on to see if they would release vehicles, the line was cancelled due to lack of interest so I commissioned my own version. Starting out as a sketch-up model, cross sections, plans and elevations were produced and printed out so a physical model could be made for it. We only had access to a handful of photos at the time (plus DVD and HD broadcast screen grabs).
It was a great project and I even got the opportunity to talk at length with Chris Foss (sci-fi illustrative artist who now resides on the island of Guernsey for most of his time). He was brought on board the 1980 movie project by Dino DeLaurentis to redesign the rocket cycle because Dino wasn't satisfied with what the art department had produced for it. Chris had some great memories about his time on the movie and recalls it being very fast track.
Here's my model from 2011. It was great for the time but the errors in size, proportions and detailing would continue to bug me.
A couple of years ago, I was lucky to get hold of a set of very rare, behind the scenes 10x8 photos of the full size rocket cycle prop in the art department workshop. Those images highlighted the errors in proportions and details that I mentioned and they have now been corrected for the new 3.75" scaled version that I'm working on. I've done some packaging artwork for it too (Inspired by the PALITOY Star Wars packaging from the original Star Wars figures and vehicles)
If PALITOY / Kenner had released the Flash Gordon figures and vehicles toys in 1980, my seven year old self would have loved to see these boxes on the shelves in the toy stores!
We've been photo-matching the details on the new one and the detailing stage has just been started.
This new computer model will be 3d printed at two different scales (1:10 and 1:18) to suit the 7 inch and 3.75 inch figures accordingly.
I made my own cardboard version of it when I was 7 years old and used a Luke Skywalker action figure as the pilot because he was the only blonde haired figure I owned. LOL.
Fast forward to 2011 and Bif Bang Pow released the awesome Alex Ross designed Flash figures. After holding on to see if they would release vehicles, the line was cancelled due to lack of interest so I commissioned my own version. Starting out as a sketch-up model, cross sections, plans and elevations were produced and printed out so a physical model could be made for it. We only had access to a handful of photos at the time (plus DVD and HD broadcast screen grabs).
It was a great project and I even got the opportunity to talk at length with Chris Foss (sci-fi illustrative artist who now resides on the island of Guernsey for most of his time). He was brought on board the 1980 movie project by Dino DeLaurentis to redesign the rocket cycle because Dino wasn't satisfied with what the art department had produced for it. Chris had some great memories about his time on the movie and recalls it being very fast track.
Here's my model from 2011. It was great for the time but the errors in size, proportions and detailing would continue to bug me.
A couple of years ago, I was lucky to get hold of a set of very rare, behind the scenes 10x8 photos of the full size rocket cycle prop in the art department workshop. Those images highlighted the errors in proportions and details that I mentioned and they have now been corrected for the new 3.75" scaled version that I'm working on. I've done some packaging artwork for it too (Inspired by the PALITOY Star Wars packaging from the original Star Wars figures and vehicles)
If PALITOY / Kenner had released the Flash Gordon figures and vehicles toys in 1980, my seven year old self would have loved to see these boxes on the shelves in the toy stores!
We've been photo-matching the details on the new one and the detailing stage has just been started.
This new computer model will be 3d printed at two different scales (1:10 and 1:18) to suit the 7 inch and 3.75 inch figures accordingly.
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