Kolchak: The Night Stalker - His Gear

[FANATICO]

Went to the San Diego Comic Fest last weekend …..but only for a few hours on Sunday before closing. If you’ve never been, it was started by a couple of founders of the original comic-con. It’s a really small intimate setting at a hotel. If you didn’t stick around for panel presentation’s, you could cover the entire event in about 2hrs just walking around and looky looing.

I didn’t wear the Kolchak costume, I did wear the hat, shoes, and seersucker backpack with some of the pocket props inside (which didn’t see the light of the day)…… So, just wearing the hat wasn’t noticeable nor recognizable to attendees….. nothing like the attraction I got at WonderCon.

I was primarily on the hunt of any of Kolchak’s komics…. None to be found. None of the dealers even knew or probably cared it was the 50th Anniversary of the TV show when I mentioned it to them.

It was as if Kolchak was to old to be remembered or just fell through the cracks of time as being the original multi-monster Hunter and Killer…at least in my mind. Kolchak is a niche character. I’m a fan, and always will be. Perhaps I’ll live long enough to see his character reprised and given his due…for a duration longer than previously attempted.

Welp, Comic-Con is next up. I’ll have his getup on, on the days I go.

Still waiting on a couple of my Mojo Bag components.

Below is a picture from WonderCon with my little monster friend, who doesn’t want to kill me……

Peace

 

[drusselmeyer]

Richard Kiel only played the diablero and maybe one other monster. He said that he had only the one part.

 

[drusselmeyer]

Btw Darren McGavin was on the X Files specifically because of Kolchak.

 

[FANATICO]

Btw Darren McGavin was on the X Files specifically because of Kolchak.

Trivia

• Darren McGavin played Carl Kolchak on the short lived Kolchak: The Night Stalker show which lasted for 20 episodes on ABC. Kolchak: The Night Stalker was one of the biggest influences on The X-Files.
• Noted actor Darren McGavin appears as Arthur Dales. McGavin was requested for the part especially by Chris Carter

Peace

 

[FANATICO]

The Kolchak Ring

In the episode The Youth Killer…..Cathy Lee Crosby uses a ring she gives folks to suck the life out of them, so that she can renew her own life……..well as bad luck would have it Kolchak puts on the ring and the final person to die. He’s saved by a loophole rule in Greek mysticism and the ring falls off his finger….he lives to make another episode

Below is the ring……looking for a ring like this is fruitless. If your that fanatic about Kolchak, then based off the pictures below, you may, with $$$, get a custom ring maker / jeweler to make you one.

To my eye it has a single stone/crystal that is domed….clear over somewhat of a topaz color. The topaz color isn’t seen from the sides…..only when the stone is closer to facing you. The band and setting appears gold and to be designed like Molten Lava Flow leading from the stone. The lava flow etching itself appears to be gold. The lava stoning appears black perhaps over the gold.

I’ve seen gold nugget rings almost like this.

I certainly don’t have the $$$…. maybe yous do, to have a ring made to come close to what one might guess it actually looks like ….. you’ll die an old person searching eBay, Etsy, poshmark, etc.

Good Luck if anyone wants to make one.


Update….. to clarify top left pic is on the ring finger of a victim. Kolchak wore the ring on his pinky finger.

Peace

 

[Jintosh]

Is it possibly a GREEN tiger eye gemstone? The same stone being black from one angle and green from another suggests this.

 

[FANATICO]

Is it possibly a GREEN tiger eye gemstone? The same stone being black from one angle and green from another suggests this.

Quite possibly indeed…

Also below are some possible ring band ideas….for a close enough look. I’m sure others can be found perhaps even closer to match……just change out the stone. And black enamel (or whatever jewelers use for blackening over gold) over the flat gold spots on the band to create a lava flow effect.

Peace

 

[Jintosh]

Yep. It looks doable.

 

[drusselmeyer]

Looking good so far. Now it is time to move on to the car...

 

[The Goon]

Looking good so far. Now it is time to move on to the car...

That would be a 1966 Ford Mustang convertible with a three-speed manual transmission, a six-cylinder engine (no "289" badges to signify a V8), painted "Sunflower Yellow" with a black roof and black upholstery, and Illinois license plates reading "UG 8806". Oh, how I'd love to own one!

 

[FANATICO]

That would be a 1966 Ford Mustang convertible with a three-speed manual transmission, a six-cylinder engine (no "289" badges to signify a V8), painted "Sunflower Yellow" with a black roof and black upholstery, and Illinois license plates reading "UG 8806". Oh, how I'd love to own one!

Welp…..a real car is not going to happen for me…..but a diecast pocket car will.

I’ve searched for high and low for a diecast 1966 Mustang Convertible, any scale….it specifically had to have a sunflower/springtime yellow paint job with an all black interior. No such luck.

There are 1966 Mustang Convertible cars by the Danbury Mint…1/24 scale…..but not in the right colors. I personally don’t want to re-paint and new clearcoat, over metal, the exterior, and paint a black interior over gray plastic which would need to be sealed as well, otherwise it will chip, peel, etc.

Be careful…..as far as I have found, the Danbury Mint has not produced the Yellow version, although pictures on the www would have you think so. Make sure to verify the exterior paint color….

So…. I found and bought a HO 1/87 scale 1965 springtime yellow exterior and black interior Mustang Convertible. Yes, there are a couple of differences, but it’s close enough, see link….. How Can You Tell a 1965 Mustang From a 1966?

It’s easier and a trouble free small size to carry in my Kolchak jacket pocket. I was lucky to get the last one shown below at Trainz.com

Like I mentioned, the Danbury Mint 1/24 (found at eBay) is going to require a hobbyist’s time, extra $ and effort. If ya got skills, go for it.

I’ll stick to cheap and easy, shown below. The car below could probably be found at other places, for those interested in buying one.

Peace

 

[The Goon]

Welp…..a real car is not going to happen for me…..but a diecast pocket car will...

I went in a similar direction and picked up Monogram's '"64 Mustang" 1/24 scale model kit. There are some minor differences in the details--six spoke hub caps instead of the five spoke caps on the real car, for example--but otherwise it's close enough for me.

 

[FANATICO]

Well well….it turns out in 1979 a 1/60 scale BRITE yellow and black 1966 Mustang Convertible was manufactured by a company named Kidco. The hood had a hood scoop! The front hood didn’t open….. just the trunk.

It was poorly casted, painted, and devoid of basic detailing. Surprisingly it still shows up on EBay.

I guess one can consider it a painted yellow canvas……to add those missing details.

Peace

Update: Below ….here’s a color graphic of Kolchak’s Mustang license plate…..it can be cropped/scaled up or down/trimmed to cover over and adhere to a model/diecast car etc…license plate area.

Peace Again

 

[Probe Droid]

May 7, 1922: Darren McGavin is born William Lyle Richardson in Spokane, Washington.

100 years ago!

 

[FANATICO]

May 7, 1922: Darren McGavin is born William Lyle Richardson in Spokane, Washington.

View attachment 1573001

Happy Birth Anniversary wherever you are Darren (Billy)! ……. Perhaps Ghostbusting in Kolchak character?

Have a Good One…Peace

 

[ncchuck]

im trying to get all three of the cameras carl used i have the camera and the flash but i cant find that bracket its so big and thick.
does anyone know what type could have been used?

 

[Apollo]

^What kind of flash is that beast!^

 

[Probe Droid]

im trying to get all three of the cameras carl used i have the camera and the flash but i cant find that bracket its so big and thick.
does anyone know what type could have been used?

Cold shoe adaptor probably something like this:

 

[Probe Droid]

^What kind of flash is that beast!^

Looks like a Honeywell Strobonar 300.

 

[Probe Droid]

im trying to get all three of the cameras carl used i have the camera and the flash but i cant find that bracket its so big and thick.
does anyone know what type could have been used?

Misunderstood. The big thing on the bottom looks like a motor drive/battery pack. Look where his index finger is placed, it's not on the camera.