Damaged/Restoration of “PEPSI” Darth Maul 1:1 Scale (1999 Promo)

[tekk89]

Hi all,

Yesterday I managed to secure a (shabby and damaged) 1999 Darth Maul 1:1 figure for $200 AUD. His left hand not attached. I managed to find most of one side of his dual saber in the same shed. He has overspray, dust, dirt, grime and in much if not all of the stand/base is rotted or water damaged foam. Oh and a small gouge in his lower back there is damage to the styrene/styrofoam.

Photos next just to give you all a reasonable picture in your mind’s eye.

Firstly I’m interested to know if anyone has any facts relating to the origins, quantity built or any provenance on these pretty awesome statues/full scale figurines (I’m not even certain what to call it?)

the meat of my question will now be around replacement, repairing, restoring and rebuilding him, but I’ve no experience in restorations of any kind so.. yeah..

1. When he is naked, he has exposed polystyrene which appears to be both amazingly almost perfectly intact and totally exposed. Is there a reason or if not, a good epoxy or resin or something that will harden without melting the foam? Recommendations and tips suuuppper welcome and appreciated.

2. Is there likely to be a Sewing Pattern avilable for his garments? Some panels are probably beyond salvage and will need to be replaced.
Other parts will need to be patched (only visible when it’s off but a potential spot for other damage, so I figured patch is a good option.
(2.~ Sideways question : will this stitching require an overlocker or not? I don’t know how to tell the difference?)

Is there something more suitable i can replace the rotted foam in the base with that won’t cause issues down the track?

Aaand the big one.

What does this statue’s original saber look like? Is it, if anyone knows, a true replica of the movie? If it is is there one that you’d recommend for me to buy? I don’t have an enormous budget but I can always squirrel away some weekly if it does turn out to cost in the higher end of 200+

I need to remove overspray from him somehow getting a face and foot full of 2-pack car paint however many years ago.

The obvious answer to paint removal is always thinners. Is there any known way to “gently” strip the dust coats without ruining what I think is a lacquer finish on his head and face?

Any other advice tips and methods I haven’t considered would also be muuuuuch appreciated.

P.S. this is my OG post so forgive me if I’m a posing my question in the not correct spot.

Cheers and thanks,

Liam & Kel

 

[joberg]

First, I would try a gentle soap + water to see the result of that action on the hard parts (face, hands, boots). Second, I would bring the robe's material to a dry-cleaner and see what they're going to say to you in terms of feasibility (some can be cleaned, some not so much and then, not at all). I'm sure others will chime in in terms of removal of some overspray and the likes. Good luck

 

[TazMan2000]

"1. When he is naked, he has exposed polystyrene which appears to be both amazingly almost perfectly intact and totally exposed. Is there a reason or if not, a good epoxy or resin or something that will harden without melting the foam? Recommendations and tips suuuppper welcome and appreciated."

Hopefully he's not anatomically correct.

First of all, I think this is a great score. You don't see these around often. With the base being covered in tape, I can't see the details very well. Is it smooth or is it a rocky base? If it's smooth, there is going to be a lot of work repairing, sculpting and sanding to reshape the base to original. If its not smooth, you might be able to use foam construction spray and cut away the excess and cover it with fiberglass to make it look like rock or something.

I'm assuming that since you can make the statue naked, this means that his wardrobe can come off and be washed. I would try handwashing to see if that improves the look. If not, you could possibly take the wardrobe to a tailor and they could replicate the garments.

TazMan2000

 

[tekk89]

Hopefully he's not anatomically correct.

I have officially made the decision that it would be rude not to incorporate an anatomically correct ‘easter egg’ so, while the answer is currently no. Thanks to your suggestion I think once I’m at the end of this restoration.

Secondly I just received this email from TICTOC in Texas.

Hi, Liam. Thank you for your email. It’s great to see that one of these characters has found its way to a caring home!



I have a few details, and hopefully they are helpful to you. We produced these for a special promotion back in 1999 timeframe, and none of that original team is still working for our company, but we have a few pieces of information!



Darth Maul, along with four other Star Wars characters, were produced specifically for PepsiCo (you are correct, the Pepsi cola brand) to coordinate with the launch of the Star Wars trilogy that released in May 1999 (Star Wars: Episode 1-The Phantom Menace). PepsiCo licensed the characters through Lucasfilm and in turn worked with our company to design and produce the life size versions.



They were for a special promotion whereby PepsiCo was trying to entice U.S. retailers to increase their purchase volume of case quantities of Pepsi products. If retailers purchased a certain threshold quantity, they could select one of the four Star Wars characters to include in store displays beginning opening weekend of the movie. The only photo we have is attached.



We produced a total of 5,000 characters among the four in the attached image. I don’t have an exact breakdown of quantity produced for each character, but total for all was 5,000.



One interesting story - we produced the characters overseas for delivery to PepsiCo U.S. distribution channels, who then shipped crated characters to stores for delivery the Tuesday of the week ahead of opening weekend for the movie. By that next day (Wednesday, 2 days before movie release), the characters were already showing up for sale on eBay for $1,500 or more. So it could be that the original owner purchased your Darth Maul through this channel.



For a few years, we had one each of these characters displayed in our office in Dallas, TX. And I can tell you from personal experience, walking into our dark office alone early or late hours, that Darth Maul character was particularly startling to see in your peripheral vision!



I hope your restoration work goes smoothly, and sorry that the only photo reference I can provide is attached. Hoping it will provide a bit of assistance!



Best regards,

A[redacted]

 

[TazMan2000]

If it were me, I'd redo the entire base with an oak box and fit the base into it, levelling it off perfectly with the stance of the boots and securing it so you can put a frame for a platform, like the hanger floor of Naboo. With an oak box, it would take punishment more than plastic covered foam. Maybe even mount some small cabinet wheels underneath to make it easier to move around.

TazMan2000

 

[Slave1]

What an exciting project. Look forward to the progress. I had wanted one of these for some time. And failing being able to get one, I had to start my own project. A ways to go yet, though.

 

[drusselmeyer]

Oooh. Somewhere out there is a 1:1 official Jar Jar!

 

[corpmechfl]

Hey I have one of these and need to repair his right arm. How does his shirt attach to his hands? Seems to be glued or attached to it.

 

[dproc]

I know it's not exclusive to the movie prop / memorabilia genre, but why is there an inordinate disposition towards leaving really expensive, highly sort after pop culture items out in the weather to rot for 30 years before someone finds them and restores them. At any point before they are ruined they could sell them for a lot of money surely. lol Have never understood that. Looking at you every single movie studio and crazy hoarder person.

 

[drusselmeyer]

"Crazy hoarder person" is not exactly a term that's welcome around here.