- Year: 1979
- Size: 18 inches.
- Product Line: ALIEN. Produced by Kenner (General Mills).
One of the best examples of pre- release samples for the 1979 figure appears in the hands of a child playing with the figure in Kenner’s 1979 TV commercial promoting the toy. We get a great view of this particular item from many angles and it clearly differs from the toy when it was finally released, especially the painted details present on the upper sides of the head as visible beneath the dome.
Another excellent example is to be found on the sides of the box the figure was sold in. Depicted on the sides of the box are photographs of an earlier pre-release version of the toy, very similar to the one seen in the 1979 commercial. The most notable differences between it and the released toy are the translucency of the head carapace and the glow in the dark stenciled markings on the side of the head, possibly indicating it is a late production test sample.
It is obvious when the box art and retail version are directly compared. The item appearing on the side of the box is a previous, unreleased production sample – or ‘prototype’ – possibly a painted hard copy of the figure.
In regards to the box itself, unprinted samples of it are also known to exist. Such blank boxes were test samples used in engineering pilot runs before approval for full series production. The pilot sample packages were used to check functionality of the product’s packaging. Among other reasons, the product is test fitted into unprinted boxes prior to the packaging design for the figure is finalised. The box below is one of only 200 units produced during the action figure product’s pilot run. Most of the pilot ALIEN samples were destroyed during testing making this unit rare. Around 8 pilot sample boxes such as this are confirmed to be known and survive today.
Images courtesy of Jerry Buchanan.
Here’s another early 1979 engineering pilot sample from the same stage of the toy’s production run. The figure inside this box is of particular note. Looking closely at this figure, the unpainted head and face is discernible. Such early production pieces often differ from each other and this item is clearly an alternate sample from the one posted immediately above. These items are no doubt first shots from the production line Kenner ran in early 1979. Markings and scratches on the head trigger also differ slightly from production samples signifying more changes were yet to be made to the figure prior to full series production. Both hands have also been painted black gloss. The reason for the additional paint on the hands is unknown, possibly a paint test to assess variations in paint scheme.
Images courtesy of Steve Dwyer.
Actual early prototype samples of the original ALIEN action figure itself are few in number and those that are known to exist are largely fragmented and incomplete relics.
These fragments are from a wax sculpting of the figure. The wax figure would have been used to generate moulds from which hard copies, test shots or possibly even the final serial production figure would have been cast.
Images courtesy of Derek Ho.
The tail below is another typical example of incomplete in house production samples. This is a hard copy cast in a resin known as Repro10, a urethane material used by Kenner during this time. It was either tan, black or gray in color and very brittle. It’s heavy and sturdy but narrow castings such as this are easily broken. It is the lack of durability for the material that is responsible for the damage and the missing tail tip along with one of the ‘vertebral’ crests.
This hardcopy sample is also been snapped at the mid point. The clean break allows for the pieces to be rejoined without the use of glue for display purposes.
Images courtesy of Bruce White.
The fragmented tail sample below is a similar piece. It is also made from resin, snapped in half and lacks the tail tip. Its condition further asserts the fragile nature of these hard copy pieces.
Image courtesy of Derek Ho.
The 1979 Kenner ALIEN action figure possesses a unique action feature. Pressing the trigger found under the rear side of the head activates the multiple moving mouth parts including the opening of the hinged jaws and the protruding the figure’s ‘tongue’. Inside the head is a series of sliding levers, springs and gears to accomplish this action.
The piece appearing below is an engineering sample cast in translucent material for the purpose of testing, observing and assessing the functionality of this action feature. While other parts of the figure such as the head carapace, dorsal crest and tongue parts are frequently missing from the figure and lost; the trigger system is rarely damaged, making it a testimony as to how well Kenner engineered this internal mechanism.
Closer inspection of the internal system on this engineering sample reveals the internal gear and rack assembly is actually an improvisation kit bashed from a Spirograph geometric drawing kit. Cannibalism of such parts is common during early prototyping phases.
Image courtesy of Derek Ho.
The page below is from the Australian 1980 TOLTOYS retail catalog. TOLTOYS was the local licenced distributor for Kenner Toys in Australia. The catalog depicts a variety of games and toys from the late 1970’s that were destined for Australian retail toy stores.
The publication features a half page advertisement of the18 inch tall Kenner ALIEN action figure on page 21. Note that the ALIEN figure appearing in the advertisement reveals discernible differences when compared to the figure when finally released.
The lighter grey material the figure is made of displays a different sheen, possibly making it a painted hard copy. The black painted eye orbits, the different shapes of the glow in the dark highlight pattern on the top of the head and the teeth within the mouth also demonstrate differences. Also displaying variations are the ankle spurs and the figure’s tail tip – although, it is possible these 2 minor changes may be attributed to the trimming of the image during it’s inclusion in the catalog.
This particular figure is a prototype, similar to the one that appears on the side of the figure’s box. It differs from that prototype sample in many subtle ways making it a different figure entirely – possibly an earlier test sample of the figure as it demonstrates multiple differences not found on the item appearing on the sides of the box – see top of page.
Images courtesy of crucity2
