Today is May 25, making today the 39th Anniversary of the release of ALIEN in US cinemas.  As far as I am concerned today is the real ALIEN Day – it carries a lot more significance than that 4/26 silliness, fun as it is.  Let’s celebrate this fine occasion with something truly unique; nothing short of a set of valuable relics from those bygone days when our multi jawed friend first started terrorising innocent audience members.  Those poor souls who thought ALIEN was just going to be another light hearted space adventure like Star Wars, which was released exactly 2 years earlier.  …but I digress.

What we see here is a set of wax dorsal appendages (and tail) from an early sculpt of the original 1979 Kenner ALIEN action figure.  These parts – along with a handful of others – are all that survive of this unique version of the figure.  From these wax sculpts, moulds would have been generated from which the final figure would have eventually been cast.  Yeah.  They’re kind of important when you realise you are looking at the earliest known stage of the figure’s 3D development.

This image is just one of several that have been added to the page dedicated to prototype items associated with the old 1979 Kenner ALIEN toy.

Thank you Derek Ho for sharing these images, right on time to celebrate the movie’s 39th Anniversary.

-Windebieste.

Today, for your entertainment, we have a set of fresh images of the head of Kenner’s 1993 Arachnid Alien.  This squat little critter’s rotating rubber head could squirt water.  It also has a switch on the figure’s back to operate its legs and arms.

You can find a couple more images of this curious prototype head on its very own gallery page dedicated to this item right here.

Thank you, Cesar AV Rarámuri, for the kind permission to post these images on our gallery.

-Windebieste.

Sometimes, really interesting stuff emerges from nowhere.  Like the style guide for Kenner’s OPERATION: ALIENS tie in merchandise.  A range of toys suitable for children AGES 4 AND UP, yet based on an R-rated movie.  This time Kenner did it right.

Images of the style guide – and an explanation of what it actually is – has taken up permanent residency on our Prototype Figures pages.  Well worth a peek into an obscure and little known process of movie tie-in merchandise development.

All images courtesy of Derek Ho.  Thanks for sharing with us all.

-Windebieste.

What’s more terrifying than a screeching 20 foot tall Alien matriarch that picks up ‘your plastic pal who’s fun to be with’ and then unceremoniously tears him apart?  How about one that has enormous, terrifying wings that can swoop down on it’s prey and then perform the grisly attack mid air?

That’s what Kenner Products released in 1992.  A winged Queen Alien action figure.  You can see exploded/disassembled prototype samples of the toy right here.  These things are fantastic!

Special thanks to Derek Ho and Steve Dwyer for permission to use these images.

-Windebieste.

It’s a box.  With nothing on it.  So?  So what..?   What’s the big deal with that, then?

That’s what makes it so special.  Such blank unprinted boxes were made in 1979 for testing purposes by Kenner.  About 8 of these blank boxes are known to have survived.  Considering the action figure can sell for upwards of $400 when present in a normal retail box and they are easy to acquire the absolute scarcity of this blank package and its relationship to the figure prior to it being released to retail makes this item special.

It’s now been added to the page dedicated to prototypes of Kenner’s original 1979 ALIEN action figure.  Go check it out – that page is growing nicely.

I’d like to thank Jerry Buchanan for his first contribution to a growing list of people who have helped to flesh out the ALIEN Prototype Gallery on this site, which now holds no less than 25 different prototype ALIEN/S characters, many of them represented multiple times.  Thank you, Jerry!

-Windebieste.

Today we explore a very special item in the history of Kenner’s ALIEN production heritage of action figures.  Presenting the little known 1990 3.75 inch Alien Warrior.

Find out why this unproduced action figure can be regarded as Kenner’s very own ‘missing link’ in their history of ALIEN toy production.  Over a dozen images featuring 3 different samples of this obscure prototype along with other rare associated materials can be found on its gallery page.

Thank you Derek Ho and Steve Dwyer for sharing and contributing images and information regarding this amazing, little figure that unfortunately never saw production.

-Windebieste.

Enough fun and games with Super7’s faux ALIENS goodies.  Let’s look at some real ALIENS prototype figures, shall we?  We’re constantly adding new content to this area of HIDEOUS PLASTIC dedicated to a visual documentation of Kenner ALIEN prototypes of all kinds, shapes and sizes.  Let’s move onto the latest ones, then.

Here’s a pair of prototype Queen Alien figures from Kenner’s Action Masters line up of die cast metal miniatures; and they’ve been added to the page dedicated to this figure.  As this particular page keeps growing, the addition of these 2 hard copies makes this figure one of the best represented of all the ALIEN prototypes we have documented here to date.  Especially from multiple contributors

Go check em both out.  These new images were provided by Scott Morrissey.  Thanks Scott!

-Windebieste.

Yet another sample of Kenner’s 1998 Hive Wars Acid Alien has made its appearance and been added to the page dedicated to this particular prototype.   Thank you Steve Dwyer for this very welcome contribution to the Gallery page for this item.

-Windebieste.

The Killer Crab Alien action figure was one of the more outlandish and extreme figures made in Kenner’s  ALIENS series from the 1990’s.  This gallery of prototypes documents various developmental stages and presents a general set of landmark production samples in sequential order.

From the initial improvised concept of the figure through its various stages to the near finished final item ready for series production. This is an amazing peak into the progressive development of Kenner ALIENS from the 1990’s.

Thank you Derek Ho for images and additional information.

-Windebieste.

The surge in interest and contributions to the Prototype Gallery continues unabated and today we celebrate with three Kenner production samples freshly added to the gallery. 

Now part of the gallery are these new wonders:

• 1997 Signature series Aquatic Alien.
• 1992 Space Marine Drake’s paint mask for his right leg.
• Mid 1990s unproduced pod/egg Alien variant.

Credit for images appearing in these contributions goes to Scott Morrissey and Derek Ho.  Thanks, Guys!

-Windebieste.

I’m always excited to receive any content relating to the original Kenner ALIEN action figure released in 1979.  Which means having a new item added to the Prototype Gallery section of the site is a big deal, as far as I am concerned.

This image of a transparent engineering sample of the figure’s head was created by Kenner’s design team to evaluate the internal trigger operated mechanism that manipulates the mouth parts.  It’s been added to the already extant page for this figure.  What exactly does a Spirograph kit have to do with it, though?  Go visit the updated page dedicated to prototypes for this figure and find out.

Image of this outstanding sample was provided by Derek Ho.  Thanks Derek for your contribution – you totally made my day with this one!

-Windebieste.

Yet another injection of content into what’s becoming a popular feature of this site, we present photos of a Kenner (Hasbro) 1997 Signature Series prototype ALIEN Resurrection Warrior figure.

It’s based on the creatures seen in the 4rth movie and while it lacks a few features, such as the absence of dorsal appendages and the tail is missing, its presence in the gallery is welcome!

Images courtesy of Scott Morrissey.  Thank you again, Scott, for this terrific contribution!

-Windebieste.

The latest and final Space Marine to join the current ranks of the growing Prototype Gallery is Corp Hicks.  The good corporal is accompanied by his exact duplicate making this entry into the gallery a double header.  They’re very difficult items to distinguish from each other but, yes. There’s definitely a pair of Corporals to be found in this section.

You can check out both Corporal Hicks prototypes on their gallery page.

I’d like to thank Scott Morrissey for his kind permission to use these images.

-Windebieste.

For today’s never ending update to the Prototype Gallery, it’s Private Drake, one of two Smartgunners of the ill fated rescue mission to LV-426.  The Kenner Drake figure is somewhat more accurate to his screen presence than some of his Space Marine companions and it shows in this hand painted hard copy prototype of the character.

Check out this prototype Drake figure in his surly glory right here!

Thank you, Scott Morrissey for this contribution.

-Windebieste.