I was going through my parts pile today and found some more AHI's that I thought I had sold. Then I looked over at my collection AHI's and realized I have many more of them than I should, but the idea of selling any of them makes me wince. I found a Mego Frankenstein head and noted that the head is the same as the head on the Mego I have in my collection, but all the AHI's are a little different.... even beyond the sculpt differences, there are drastic paint and costume variations that make all of them unique. I took some face pictures of my Franks and Dracs and here they are...
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2398/2177100178_7b996bed28_o.jpg)
From top left across the top:
Green hands facing forward AHI Frank
Jointed Wrist/Hairy body AHI Frank - head looks slightly different
Green hands facing side AHI Frank - This one came carded from Japan and the card came loose in the mail. Bright shirt!
From bottom left across bottom:
Green hands facing forward AHI Frank - Folk Singer Outfit
Flesh hands facing side AHI Frank - totally different head
Flesh hands facing side AHI Frank - This one was mine when I was a kid and I still have it!
And the Dracs...
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2182/2176308011_87d3b3e0c6_o.jpg)
Top row are all jointed wrist/hairy body figures.
Bottom row are a 1st issue and a 2nd type/red body.
There are so many different types of AHI, it's almost like they made each one by hand, and I guess they did paint them that way... anyone know why there were so many changes to the bodies, heads, hands, and costumes?
Fantastic images Bobby. You always come up with thought provoking posts not to mention visually entertaining. Your efforts certainly don't go unnoticed. As for your question, it's anybodys guess why so many variations took place. I know Marty Abrams downplayed the science of it all and pretty much left it up to whatever extra materials were hanging around at least for the costumes. Intentional design changes ( if there were any ) is anybodys guess. No idea why the sculpts would be changed though. You can clearly see where they have too. Maybe Ray or Andy can shed some light on this for us?
Thanks Bob :)
The materials thing for the costumes makes sense, but the body changes, the head sculpts, the 3 different styles of hands, the Draculas with hairy bodies don't even fit the clothes and shoes of the regular ones.. it's endlessly complicated....
It's like a web site for celebrity mug shots. Where's Nick Nolte?
I briefly flirted with the idea of building a collection of AHI Frankenstein variations awhile back, and after a few months I gave it up for two good reasons:
1) I was going broke fighting for them on eBay
2) darn near every AHI Frank I saw was some sort of variation of the others
If I had to pick only one to own now, I'd probably go with the jointed-wrist variation. I like the big ears on that one ;)
George
I love all those little sweeties! Each one has its own personality. No two AHIs are exactly alike.
Bobby, you have "intrigued" me (as Terry likes to say) with that lower middle Frankie. I have never seen that head before. Very slender and Karloffian, much more so than any other AHI Frank head I've seen.
There aren't as many different head sculpts with AHI as most people think. The different plastics and the different quality mold materials produced different pulls. I am convinced of this. There were certainly chnages, no doubt, but not as many as most people think.
The different head shapes and plastic styles stems mainly form the fact, I believe, that AHI were cheapskates and probably changed their suppliers several times over. Plus there was a petroleum shortage in the 70s which affected plastics for toys. Marty Abrahms and Neal Kublan stated as much as the reason behind the inferior quality of the "Chips" heads and foriegn editions of the Fantastic Four. I imagine it was something similar with AHI. Spray painting the heads is done by creating a series of copper maks that fit over the heads. to mask off the areas to not be painted. My guess is when these wore out, they made new ones, and hence the paint schemes changed subtly.
Beast witches,
Matt Jaycox
UMA medic
I have spoken to Mr. Azrak and Mr. Hamway on the phone (seriously, no joke). Both conversations lasted about 30 seconds before they told me to get lost and basically hung up in my face. I think one of them DID hang up in my face. This was about two years ago. So I've tried to get information straight from the horses' mouths, only to have the horses kick me.
Well, he wasn't dubbed Baron Karza for nothing. Anyone who was that big of a rip-off artist (I love em, but let's face it, those guys were rip off artists) is bound to not be that nice of a person.
Matt
Quote from: raycastile on January 07, 2008, 11:27:03 PM
I have spoken to Mr. Azrak and Mr. Hamway on the phone (seriously, no joke). Both conversations lasted about 30 seconds before they told me to get lost and basically hung up in my face. I think one of them DID hang up in my face. This was about two years ago. So I've tried to get information straight from the horses' mouths, only to have the horses kick me.
There are 2 different Frankenstein head sculpts there, and 3 different Drac head sculpts. I looked at them very closely and examined different unique areas like a bump in the hair or the shape of a scar. I thought there were at least 3 Franks there, but only 2. That narrow head is just that, a narrow head, but the same sculpt. I used a caliper on it and it's the same height, but definitely thinner overall. The jointed wrist version in the top center is the same head as the other 3 on the middle and right, but it has considerably more fine detail than the others and was probably made earlier. Very interesting...
Quote from: raycastile on January 07, 2008, 11:24:23 PM
I love all those little sweeties! Each one has its own personality. No two AHIs are exactly alike.
Bobby, you have "intrigued" me (as Terry likes to say) with that lower middle Frankie. I have never seen that head before. Very slender and Karloffian, much more so than any other AHI Frank head I've seen.
I had that particular variation a few years back. Mine was painted a translucent pale green and came on a flesh-colored body. I think I got it from a seller in England.
George
That's too bad, Raymond. Seems like they could have given you a few minutes of their time without putting themselves out to do it.
There are certainly a lot of subtle variations on almost every AHI you find. I was working on collecting all the major variations...here's an interesting Frankenstein:
(http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd71/actionplus/monstertoys144_edited.jpg)
I've seen this particular head several times. It is on a version "A" body with rivet joints, green forearms and hands, palms down.
Andy, the more I look at that head and compare it to the top/center head in the photo I posted above, it looks like the same sculpt. Things like the small dimple next to his mouth, the ears, folds under the eyes, etc. are the same. There is a lot more detail in that one than in the top/center head or the other 3 heads from the same sculpt, but there is less detail all over, from the wrinkles in the face to the hair, etc. It looks to me like the mold just lost detail over time, and that is a very early one out.
I noticed a couple other things about the top/right Frank, which is the one that was carded and came loose from the card as it made it's way from Japan... the shirt is light green/metallic, the sleeves of the jacket are cut at the bottom to make it look ragged, and the side-facing hands are not the only green thing about that body, the entire body is green....
Maybe they switched factories/suppliers a lot.
Quote from: poseablemonster on January 08, 2008, 07:55:40 AM
There are certainly a lot of subtle variations on almost every AHI you find. I was working on collecting all the major variations...here's an interesting Frankenstein:
(http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd71/actionplus/monstertoys144_edited.jpg)
I've seen this particular head several times. It is on a version "A" body with rivet joints, green forearms and hands, palms down.
Andy
I like that version.Is that the one they consider the "Asian " version
Quote from: IC4CHAMBERS on January 08, 2008, 01:06:33 PM
Andy
I like that version.Is that the one they consider the "Asian " version
Yes, that is the one.
Here is my AHI Frank page from the Gallery of Monster Toys.
http://thegalleryofmonstertoys.com/70swing/ahifrankenstein.html (http://thegalleryofmonstertoys.com/70swing/ahifrankenstein.html)
Here are the Franks on that page:
(http://thegalleryofmonstertoys.com/70swing/ahifrank.jpg)
(http://thegalleryofmonstertoys.com/70swing/ahifrnk2.jpg)
(http://thegalleryofmonstertoys.com/70swing/ahifrank3.jpg)
(http://thegalleryofmonstertoys.com/70swing/ahifrank4.jpg)
(http://thegalleryofmonstertoys.com/70swing/ahisternfrank.jpg)
(http://thegalleryofmonstertoys.com/70swing/ahifrbak.jpg)
Okay, this is so cool. Like Don Post, it sems thtathese dealers were not concerned with the minutia and figured NOBODY would notice. LOL
They didn't realize that they were "infecting" us with a monster bug that would last 30 plus years!
I concur that they moved form factory to factory and supplier to supplier, probalbly in an effort to run out on payments. (unlike Don Post)
Based on Ray's brief conversation, I would guess that these guys were figuring he was pretending to be a "collector" when they thought he was a bill collector!
Surely these guys were rip off artists who had very little concerns for legality. Generally someone is Shifty in all aspects of thier lives, not just one!
Of course it's all conjecture!
QuoteSurely these guys were rip off artists who had very little concerns for legality. Generally someone is Shifty in all aspects of thier lives, not just one!
They ripped off a lot of ideas by the looks of things but from what I have heard the folks at AHI were good business people. The Azraks do good business to this day with children's pajamas and all sorts of things like tissue holders.
Like others, I'm intrigued by the endless variations amongst AHI Franks. In fact, I keep buying these great little guys because every one of them I have has been a little bit different:
(http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii98/roheimiana/ahi002Large-1.jpg)
I'm sure that different production runs, a slap-dash painting method, the amount of play-wear et cetera accounts for most of these variations. In addition, I think the two Type "B"s shown here are especially instructive. The head on the guy second from the left is absolutely larger (not just taller) than the one on the right which makes me suspect that either different molds or different degrees of shrinkage in the manufacturing process were involved. Note also how minor variations (one chin which bends to the left and the other to the right) give them a different character.
Those of you who collect masks know that thin pours can appear very different depending on how they are worn or stuffed. I think the same thing is true of AHIs, except in this case the difference is permanent. Vive la difference!
The Frank second from the left appears to have a Mego body. The jacket and boots do not appear to be AHI.
Right. That Frank has a hybrid body... bits and pieces from everywhere. Sorry if this distracted you -- my focus was on the heads.
This is interesting stuff. I never knew there were so many variations on AHI figures. I really like the smaller head sculpt that appears to be completely different than the Aurora sculpt they obviously used for most heads.
Quote from: Mego73 on January 10, 2008, 06:13:42 PM
This is interesting stuff. I never knew there were so many variations on AHI figures. I really like the smaller head sculpt that appears to be completely different than the Aurora sculpt they obviously used for most heads.
That's the fun of collecting AHI, the dfferent variants. So many to choose. It may break a wallet. lOl
Check this out-I saw this at a flea market recently. It was a bronze box. Looks like the artist pushed an AHI Frankie's face into it to make it.
I didn't ask how much it was because everything this seller has had in the past was really expensive.
(http://i853.photobucket.com/albums/ab97/monolith_06/IMG_3826.jpg)
Nice catch. That's a face you don't forget.
Quote from: raycastile on January 07, 2008, 11:24:23 PM
I love all those little sweeties! Each one has its own personality. No two AHIs are exactly alike.
Bobby, you have "intrigued" me (as Terry likes to say) with that lower middle Frankie. I have never seen that head before. Very slender and Karloffian, much more so than any other AHI Frank head I've seen.
I have never seen that sculpt before, but it is one of the best I have ever seen.
AHI images are everywhere. That bronze box is extremely WEIRD, different and fantasic.
It's not everyday a person comes across a Frankenstein image on a bronz box.
Quote from: roheimiana on January 10, 2008, 07:40:40 AM
Like others, I'm intrigued by the endless variations amongst AHI Franks. In fact, I keep buying these great little guys because every one of them I have has been a little bit different:
(http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii98/roheimiana/ahi002Large-1.jpg)
I'm sure that different production runs, a slap-dash painting method, the amount of play-wear et cetera accounts for most of these variations. In addition, I think the two Type "B"s shown here are especially instructive. The head on the guy second from the left is absolutely larger (not just taller) than the one on the right which makes me suspect that either different molds or different degrees of shrinkage in the manufacturing process were involved. Note also how minor variations (one chin which bends to the left and the other to the right) give them a different character.
Those of you who collect masks know that thin pours can appear very different depending on how they are worn or stuffed. I think the same thing is true of AHIs, except in this case the difference is permanent. Vive la difference!
sweet!
I've always thought that the subtler differences in plastic and rubber casts was likely due to less exacting quality control. A lot of the minor differences could simply be due to not maintaining a constant temperature from batch to batch. It would affect overall shape and sharpness of details in all the figures.
This is more clearly evident in re-pops of items such as plastic gumball charms, Marx monsters, Mold-A-Rama figures, masks, etc.
It would account for some items looking oh so close, but not quite the same.
Hello all, speaking of AHI figures; I wasn't sure if I should put this in "Weekly Finds", or here. But I settled for here. I recently picked up this Wolf Man, and it must be either an AHI or a Lincoln. I believe it is a later AHI, as the body is basically "flesh"-colored rather than the brown.
(http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h87/littlesalem/AHIWolfMan.jpg)
Wasn't it the earlier AHIs that were brown, with the hairy chest?
(http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h87/littlesalem/AHIWolfmanCU.jpg)
Here is his back, it only reads "HONG KONG". I thought it had AHI and a date somewhere on the back, but they must not have?
(http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h87/littlesalem/AHIWolfmanBack.jpg)
And here is my AHI collection thus far
(http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h87/littlesalem/AHICollection.jpg)
I love these guys!
Mark
Nice Wolfman
Beautiful AHI collection!!
That Wolfman is from what was probably the final release of the AHI monsters (though the cupped-hand versions might have come afterward). No one is really sure. But that final series, on what I call "style C" cards, did not have an AHI copyright. Not on the package or the toy. They were obviously made using AHI molds and printing plates. But did AHI put them out? Did some other company get hold of the molds? Who knows.
Betcha they're "under-the-table," but by AHI. Legit companies have sneaked grey market stuff out the back door before.
Or, you could be right that the Chinese manufacturer cranked out a "midnight run" for some other jobber.
Quote from: raycastile on November 20, 2011, 11:21:06 PM
That Wolfman is from what was probably the final release of the AHI monsters (though the cupped-hand versions might have come afterward). No one is really sure. But that final series, on what I call "style C" cards, did not have an AHI copyright. Not on the package or the toy. They were obviously made using AHI molds and printing plates. But did AHI put them out? Did some other company get hold of the molds? Who knows.
Great info Ray, thank you! So did I guess correctly then; the earlier "legit" AHIs did have the dark brown body, hairy chest and more printing on the back? (Does anyone have a brown one that they'd trade for, or sell, btw?)
And thanks everyone, for the compliments!
Not necessarily; there were several distinctly different body types used on the AHI figures. The one you mention is an earlier body type, but not the only legitimate AHI body type.
A lot of AHI stuff seems to have been copied either after or during production, my friend collects the superhero items and he has a dozen or more of the aftermarket parachute dolls that clearly aren't licensed. Some of them are from the late 1980s.
Quote from: Toy Ranch on January 07, 2008, 10:13:17 PM
I was going through my parts pile today and found some more AHI's that I thought I had sold. Then I looked over at my collection AHI's and realized I have many more of them than I should, but the idea of selling any of them makes me wince. I found a Mego Frankenstein head and noted that the head is the same as the head on the Mego I have in my collection, but all the AHI's are a little different.... even beyond the sculpt differences, there are drastic paint and costume variations that make all of them unique. I took some face pictures of my Franks and Dracs and here they are...
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2398/2177100178_7b996bed28_o.jpg)
From top left across the top:
Green hands facing forward AHI Frank
Jointed Wrist/Hairy body AHI Frank - head looks slightly different
Green hands facing side AHI Frank - This one came carded from Japan and the card came loose in the mail. Bright shirt!
From bottom left across bottom:
Green hands facing forward AHI Frank - Folk Singer Outfit
Flesh hands facing side AHI Frank - totally different head
Flesh hands facing side AHI Frank - This one was mine when I was a kid and I still have it!
And the Dracs...
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2182/2176308011_87d3b3e0c6_o.jpg)
Top row are all jointed wrist/hairy body figures.
Bottom row are a 1st issue and a 2nd type/red body.
There are so many different types of AHI, it's almost like they made each one by hand, and I guess they did paint them that way... anyone know why there were so many changes to the bodies, heads, hands, and costumes?
These photos help. I have Frankie, top row, left.