Multi-Purpose Street Scene Action Figure Display

[Lee Clifton]

I started designing action figure displays over 10 years ago. I had a friend that draws comic books ask me to contact a toy company that he was dealing with. They wanted three small displays for the New York Toy Show. After finishing them they didn't want to pay me for them but me furnish them for free and me pay for the shipping. Needless to say I kept them. I've reused two of them for other displays, but the last one had their company logo on the brick wall of a street scene. I decided to make it multi-purpose. I added a sheet of magnetic sign material to the back wall with the magnetic facing forward. Then I glued a brick wall texture print over it. Next I added another piece of magnetic with the magnet side to the first one with no glue. It was then "surfaced" with a printed graphic of a brick wall texture and my logo overlaid. Now I can use the display with or without my logo. The plain brick wall also acts as a test display that I can add props to with scrap magnetic material. Shown are the original, new version with logo, Superman Billboard version, and "Welcome to Central City" Flash Billboard version.
I just bought the TV action figure for FLASH, REVERSE FLASH, and GREEN ARROW. Soon as I can get the "speed force" semi-clear graphics done I'll post another photo with the new figures. I'm also designing a "flight rig" out of recycled clear plastic for SUPERMAN. Thinking about adding a paper model telephone booth for his display too.

 

[subnuke]

Hi Lee. I would love to see your work but your images do not come through for me. It would really help if you would just upload the images to your post, that way we can study them no matter what happens to some other server. In fact, this is such a wonderful and popular suggestion that it is actually Zealot policy. Can't wait to see your work.

 

[Lee Clifton]

I had inserted the photos using the URL link and forgot that you could upload photos directly.

 

[Gandolf50]

Great work!
"On a side note..you really have to be careful dealing with the toy companies, as you have found out, and hopefully you do not see your idea show up out there in the future!! They have a real bad habit of requesting a mock up/model then saying they are not interested and then your design shows up in a modified version later on!"

Even though I am nowadays a paper modeler, I would suggest that you create your phone booth in polystyrene sheet which you can get on line or from a decent hobby shop, a lot of the train guys are building their rolling stock from it as well as many other things. It's a little more difficult to work with but it will stand up and last a lot longer, and with a little creative design work can have working door and light etc! That would Really set things off!!

 

[subnuke]

Shazam! There we go. Looks great. Excellent idea, I think I'd like to make something similar for display purposes. Can also make a collection of bill boards to reflect the era of the picture. This would work nicely with car models.

 

[Lee Clifton]

Subnuke: I've got friends that run a local sign shop and give me free magnetic scraps. It works great for the back wall and billboards. You have to check the pieces to make sure the poles match just like a regular magnet.
Gandolf50: I have a plastic cabinet in my art studio that I do my photography on top of. The camera has a studio/museum setting and with the florescent overhead lights it works without flash. I have a sheet of white posterboard on the wall and under the object. Works pretty good and cheap. Most of my displays are recycled materials. These are recycled foamcore and gatorfoam sign boards. I'm currently working with corrugated cardboard to build my new displays.

 

[Gandolf50]

Subnuke: I've got friends that run a local sign shop and give me free magnetic scraps. It works great for the back wall and billboards. You have to check the pieces to make sure the poles match just like a regular magnet.
Gandolf50: I have a plastic cabinet in my art studio that I do my photography on top of. The camera has a studio/museum setting and with the florescent overhead lights it works without flash. I have a sheet of white posterboard on the wall and under the object. Works pretty good and cheap. Most of my displays are recycled materials. These are recycled foamcore and gatorfoam sign boards. I'm currently working with corrugated cardboard to build my new displays.

Got ya! Then in that case , since you are using recycled material, then the next best thing for the phone booth would be a good mat board or illustration board. Try a frame shop for scraps, and you could use the plastic from bubble packs as long as it's not all scratched up, for the glass, and use card stock for the mullions ( depending on the time period of course). A little paint and it would be ready for the next photo shoot!

 

[Lee Clifton]

Got ya! Then in that case , since you are using recycled material, then the next best thing for the phone booth would be a good mat board or illustration board. Try a frame shop for scraps, and you could use the plastic from bubble packs as long as it's not all scratched up, for the glass, and use card stock for the mullions ( depending on the time period of course). A little paint and it would be ready for the next photo shoot!

Sorry Gandolf50, you did say phone booth, not photo booth. I've been working in the the 90 plus degree weather too much painting a deck. I was thinking matte board and recycled blister pack plastic for the phone booth. The sign shop gives me these large blister packs that their poster printer inkjet cartridges come in. I've got a pile in the basement. Same thing would probably work for newpaper vending boxes too.

 

[Gandolf50]

Sorry Gandolf50, you did phone booth, not photo booth. I've been working in the the 90 plus degree weather too much painting a deck. I was thinking matte board and recycled blister pack plastic for the phone booth. The sign shop gives me these large blister packs that their poster printer inkjet cartridges come in. I've got a pile in the basement. Same thing would probably work for newpaper vending boxes too.

Yep that heat will get to ya! upper 90's here also an humidity in the 70's!
Sounds like you are right on track!! Newspaper boxes is another GREAT IDEA...and a Mail Drop could work also..but a newspaper with the headline and such would be fantastic!!

 

[Lee Clifton]

I was on a roll designing billboards about a month ago and made close to 20 different ones including several Daily Planet and Daily Bugle versions. I'm setting up some newspaper front pages now. I've got a mail drop box paper model. I created a garbage can paper model but it was too clean. I need to rework it and make it more rusted and grungy. Now I need a paper model of a fire hydrant. Several of these will work for my Ghost Rider Alley thats next on the list.

 

[zathros]

I can see many many uses for this. You could make a dead end alley way too, very nice indeed!!

 

[Lee Clifton]

I can see many many uses for this. You could make a dead end alley way too, very nice indeed!!

Thanks Zathros! I'm working on a Ghost Rider Alley too. I like the dead end alley idea. 1950s Superman display. I found a resin cast head of George Reeves for a 6 inch action figure. Maybe a city photo backdrop at the end of an alley for a night scene to park the Batmobile or Green Hornet's Black Beauty.

 

[Lee Clifton]

Since I mentioned Ghost Rider the new version will be on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. this fall. He drives a black 68 Dodge Charger in flat black with a big blower engine. The engine and wheels flame like the motorcycle does. I saw a Fast and Furious paper model online but could never find it available anywhere. It would look COOL an action figure display too.