BFTB Exclusive - Bob Brechin Q&A!

[Dark Horse]

Derp derp

Is Red Laser a ninja?

[Quickfire]

Do you still consult on toy design and production?

If not, what would tempt you back?

[The Baron]

[atomicjay]

Was there a reason that Baron Ironblood's head is molded after the 12" Action Man head? Perhaps some revenge for the toy line being shrunk down in size?

[Thundershot]

Was Ned Kelly's helmet the inspiration for Baron Ironbloods mask
& did you ever consider making his head sculpt a non removable helmet ?

A selection of Star Wars figures, weapons & vehicle parts were used not only to create the Action Force prototypes but also on the finished items...e.g. Baron Ironblood with Han Solo's blaster & the hatch of the Sea-lion... did you have to seek permission from Kenner for using them?

Did the Palitoy re-paints, of the Hasbro figures & vehicles (e.g. S.A.S.Panther), come from the same factories (& tooling's) that produced the American G.I.Joe toys?

What was the language used (or inspired by) in The Black Major's code-book & Enemy vehicle signage?

Was the majority of the design work, for Action Force, carried out 'in house' by Palitoy or was it mainly outsourced &, if so ,how closely did you work with these companies?

If Action-Man hadn't of been discontinued, would we of seen 12" versions of Action Force characters & uniforms?

Did Palitoy keep a close eye on the I.P.C. Action Force comic such as demanding story changes or suggesting story lines?

[Chopper]

Nice questions, Ed. Especially on the 12" VAM AF's.

[Thundershot]

What were the design processes for individual Action Force figures...did you work from concept drawings & did the artists sculpt at a larger scale, for detail reasons, than the final product?

The head & weapons were superb reproductions of the Action-Man originals, were they direct copies reduced in size?

The Action-Man (& Action Force) 'Special Team' bullpup rifle's a pretty accurate copy of the real weapon:

em2.jpg (15.31 KiB) Viewed 7062 times

Did you have anything to do with creating this accessory & if so can you remember anything about it..such as if you would of had access to the real thing or would of worked from reference photographs?

[/color]

[Thundershot]

Did you guys, in Palitoy's design dept, feel in any way constrained by having to create many Action Force charactors with the limited library of body sculpts & large use of repaints involved?

[Thundershot]

A lot of Action-Man collectors seem to blame Action Force's success for the demise of their hero, what are your feelings towards the subject?

Were you & the Palitoy company caught by surprise at just how successful, & large a slice of the toy market, Action Force achieved in it's first year?

Before the plug was pulled, how far advanced were the companies plans for 1985's Action Force range?
Were any designs finalised, or concept models, produced for the ranges continuation?

In the past Hasbro took a couple of Palitoys design innovations (Flock hair & gripping hands) to the Action-Man & used them for thier own G.I.Joe figures...how close was the working relationship between both companies & did this continue with Action Force in any way?

Did Hasbro send you any early 3 3/4" G.I.Joe toys or prototypes, before they were released @ retail, for evaluation by Palitoy for incorporation into the Action Force line?

In the early 80's the famous Airfix brand was part of the Palitoy company, were you involved with the classic model company in any way?

What's your personal favorite toy, of any kind, you've worked on in your career?

[Squad Leader]

How did you and other colleagues feel when Hasbro took over and pretty much ended the original Action Force line?


Where would BFTB stand on creating an exclusive Palitoy re-release figures for it's own conventions?