66 Batman Ideal Playset Recreation WIP

Costume making, prop building and other '66 Bat-related arts and crafts.

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rsaffle
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66 Batman Ideal Playset Recreation WIP

Post by rsaffle »

I’ve had this idea for a while now to take one of my favorite toys from my childhood, the 1978 Ideal Batman & Robin Vinyl Playset, and recreate a version dedicated to the ‘66 TV show. I started this project today and thought I would share my progress along the way. I hope by doing this it will help to keep up my enthusiasm as I fit this into my schedule as I’m quickly realizing this is quite an undertaking. I don’t have it all figured out yet, but I do have a good start. I took measurements from my toy and recreated the template and have placeholder areas sectioned off for the graphics.

I’m now looking into the best way to construct the case. The original was a vinyl clad cardstock with heated seems. I don’t know a way to do that so I’m approaching it thinking of using thin mylar or cardstock with digitally printed vinyl film graphics applied to each side. I work for a large sign company, and we get digitally printed signs regularly so I may look into getting a company to print the graphics directly onto my material or just apply stickers and then cover the whole case with clear vinyl or possible lamination. I will have to experiment. I’m a new owner of a Cricut cutting machine and they make cutting and scoring tools I could get, or I will just do it all by hand, but I do plan on going the Cricut rout so all of the figure cuts will be smooth and precise. Maybe use a magnet to keep it closed instead of a snap.

One of my big decisions will be how to design the graphics. Do I use a cartoon style that matches the original toy graphics or make more realistic ones or just use real photos? The real photos have advantages and disadvantages since it would speed me up but make matching the characters backs to the front very difficult. If I go that route, I will probably just flip the images and have two face sides without a back and I would still have to reverse costume elements in Photoshop that would be backwards. I’m leaning toward the realistic drawing approach that would take more effort. LOL

What do you guys think???

Other thoughts…The case handle and all of the stands will be 3D printed. I will probably match the number of characters and props from the original set but change a few of them to match the show and not the comic book versions. Example, the Batplane becomes the Batcopter and the Batgyro becomes the Batcopter. Other thoughts are about changing some characters out like replacing Chief O’Hara (sorry Chief) to get another villain into the set. Change the Art Gallery area into an actual set from the show. I’m not locked in yet.

Set characters & props:

BATMAN
ROBIN
BRUCE WAYNE
DICK GRAYSON
BATGIRL
ALFRED

JOKER
RIDDLER
PENGUIN
MR FREEZE
CATWOMAN

GORDON
CHIEF O'HARA ( another Criminal.. King Tut?)

GREEK URN
CROWN JEWELS CHEST

BATPHONE
BATMOBILE
BATPLANE becomes BATBOAT
BATGYRO becomes BATCOPTER
BATCYCLE

Rooms in set...
Art Gallery
Cave
Wayne Manor

What substitutions would you do?

If this works out maybe I could design a Green Hornet version too.
Here are pictures of what I have going so far.

A blog post from a few years ago on the website “13th Dimension” really summed up my feelings and love for this toy and I included the link below.
https://13thdimension.com/the-1973-idea ... -toy-ever/



.
Attachments
IDEAL VIEW.jpg
IDEAL VIEW.jpg (65.18 KiB) Viewed 3675 times
IDEAL PLAYSET INTERIOR WALLS.jpg
IDEAL PLAYSET INTERIOR WALL.jpg
IDEAL PLAYSET COVER.jpg
*See more 3D printed props @ https://www.instagram.com/saffledesigns/
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Ben Bentley
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Re: 66 Batman Ideal Playset Recreation WIP

Post by Ben Bentley »

This is going to be fantastic! What a cool idea.

I'd personally lean towards a TV style graphic likeness, like you said, that is definitely more work but I feel like the characters need to fit the style of illustration that you draw the interiors of the playset. Just my two cents.
BiffPow
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Re: 66 Batman Ideal Playset Recreation WIP

Post by BiffPow »

Ben Bentley wrote: Fri Jan 06, 2023 2:19 pm This is going to be fantastic! What a cool idea.

I'd personally lean towards a TV style graphic likeness, like you said, that is definitely more work but I feel like the characters need to fit the style of illustration that you draw the interiors of the playset. Just my two cents.
Agree with Ben. In fact, I was just saying yesterday to a friend of mine that I wished The Toyroom 1966 DisplaySets were more realistic instead of cartoon/comic art. With your skills, it should turn out fantastic!
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Larry A.
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Re: 66 Batman Ideal Playset Recreation WIP

Post by Larry A. »

BiffPow wrote: Fri Jan 06, 2023 2:46 pm
Ben Bentley wrote: Fri Jan 06, 2023 2:19 pm This is going to be fantastic! What a cool idea.

I'd personally lean towards a TV style graphic likeness, like you said, that is definitely more work but I feel like the characters need to fit the style of illustration that you draw the interiors of the playset. Just my two cents.
Agree with Ben. In fact, I was just saying yesterday to a friend of mine that I wished The Toyroom 1966 DisplaySets were more realistic instead of cartoon/comic art. With your skills, it should turn out fantastic!
I\m going to have to get an "I agree with Ben" button as well! DEFINITELY the "66" style cave!
Larry
eewdoc
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Re: 66 Batman Ideal Playset Recreation WIP

Post by eewdoc »

Look at how Figures Toy Company transformed the Mego Batcave into the 66 Batman Batcave. They even added a second Batpole and a Atomic Pile backdrop.
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AndyFish
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Re: 66 Batman Ideal Playset Recreation WIP

Post by AndyFish »

I think this might be the single greatest idea in human history.
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Lou Szabo
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Re: 66 Batman Ideal Playset Recreation WIP

Post by Lou Szabo »

What a fun project! You might make both versions just to have the original ‘78, and a ‘66 version. Even original figures and ‘66 figures
Some days you just can't get rid of a ... SHARK!
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AndyFish
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Re: 66 Batman Ideal Playset Recreation WIP

Post by AndyFish »

I think I'd rather a cartoon version-- to fully homage the Ideal set. My two cents, but this was a fun toy.
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Mike Mulitsch
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Re: 66 Batman Ideal Playset Recreation WIP

Post by Mike Mulitsch »

I have this toy, one of my favorites for the low tech-ness of it and huge imagination aspect of it, I know there is a Superman and Spider-Man too, and I vote for cartoon style
Lounge lizard
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Re: 66 Batman Ideal Playset Recreation WIP

Post by Lounge lizard »

Great idea. Just a suggestion the Batman 66 comics would be a good template to work with and that included several issues with the Green Hornet.
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Jimmy L. 66
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Re: 66 Batman Ideal Playset Recreation WIP

Post by Jimmy L. 66 »

What a great idea! I also agree with Ben, but there is no button. I am looking forward to seeing your progress.
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SprangFan
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Re: 66 Batman Ideal Playset Recreation WIP

Post by SprangFan »

This is a genius-level idea, and I look forward to progress pics.

The Superman playset was one of my favorite toys as a kid, with a cover image by Murphy Anderson that may well be my favorite Superman image, ever. Sadly it's all been lost to time, but I still haunt eBay now and then and toy with the idea of replacing it (though it never seems to show up complete or at a price I'd be willing to pay).

Anyway, I think you're right to go with line art over photos. I'm imagining something in the style of Dusty Abell's Batman '66 drawings from a few years back.

Image
"You were right again, Batman. We might have been killed."
"Or worse. Let's go..."
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AndyFish
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Re: 66 Batman Ideal Playset Recreation WIP

Post by AndyFish »

Yes 1000% with Dusty Abell. He nailed the looks of the comic versions of the TV Characters.
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rsaffle
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Re: 66 Batman Ideal Playset Recreation WIP

Post by rsaffle »

I appreciate everyone's ideas and enthusiasm. Abell's art is fantastic. I will give it my best shot.

I have always been able to draw and grew up drawing comic art, but I never felt like I got my own style figured out. I'm jealous of the Abell's and Fish out there. It's my own fault though because I just didn't commit and put in the work to get there. I do feel comfortable enough to imitate a style I see so the Abell art will help. I tried to break into comics in the 90's, but I read a Jim Lee comment that summed it all up for me. Jim claims he did over 2000 pages of art before he ever tried going pro and I was at conventions showing my first 30. The guys that can focus in on something and let it become them are the ones that reach those levels.


I'm a fan of these illustrations. One by Martin Ansin and the other by the Silva Brothers.
Attachments
silva.jpg
rsz_h800_37_91.jpg
*See more 3D printed props @ https://www.instagram.com/saffledesigns/
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Ben Bentley
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Re: 66 Batman Ideal Playset Recreation WIP

Post by Ben Bentley »

I love the Martin Ansin artwork, I actually have a framed print of it i'm looking at as I type this.
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