Muffit - Daggit of BSG

[Apollo]

Thanks Mike! :thumbsup

 

[steveo]

Hey, I scored an old Wostok 1 model, so now I have Muffit eyes. I'm happy that I'm finally on my way to a daggit. Thanks for the tips on the Wostok.

If I knew anything about casting, I'd make a few.

OMG...those pics are awesome Mike! Thanks a lot. With those awesome pics that Mike has provided, can any of the other parts be identified? Again, thanks for the excellent pics.

 

[moffeaton]

Did you get the right one? There was a Revell Vostok on eBay that ended recently, but it's 1/24th. You need the 1/25th Eastern European kit. Totally different parts. Also beware of a Russian 1/30th scaledown of the Euro version, as the parts are too small. This is the one you want:

http://www.ninfinger.org/~sven/models/kitplans/plasticart1518.html

Wrong one:

http://www.ninfinger.org/~sven/models/kitplans/revellh1844ssp.html

Also the wrong one (this is the 1/30th version... I just wanted it to build, LOL):

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140158601845

 

[steveo]

Pretty sure it's the first one, which would make it the right one. Yeah, I finally did something right. LOL. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[steveo]

Looking at the mouth/nose piece, I would say that those are not model pieces, but I could be totally wrong. the hole for the mouth and the tongue itself look to have been cut and not very great with the jagged edges. The lower jaw looks like it may be part of a model. The nose flap also looks like it's not part of a model as its been cut in the same manner as the opening for the tongue, but they could be model parts just cut down.

 

[spcglider@aol.com]

I think the whisker pieces are brass parts (see image) but I haven't compared them.

-Gordon

P.S. Whoops... guess not. Just compared them. The ones on Muffit's face look like either something that was machined for the suit or are wheel hubs turned face-down to accept the aluminum armature wire they used for the whiskers.

 

[GKvfx]

The Daggit auctioned off was authentic. I was able to see it before it was sold off. If the fur was changed from that seen in the publicity photos, it was done during the course of the show. And I'm not sure the auctioned suit was ever part of the Animal Show over at Universal. The post BSG owners were aware of it's heritage and didn't want to change anything with it. It still had all it's original servos and radio gear (including a really old Futaba RC transmitter, which was interesting to see in and of itself) and it still worked (not that we played with it that much).

I've got a picture of it at the Sci-Fi Museum where it was on display.

Gene

 

[spcglider@aol.com]

It is highly possible that the fur was changed after "Fire In Space" wherein Muffit was "badly burned", OR it may be that the fur was replaced for Galactica 1980 (Muffit clones were seen in one shot, but their fur was of different colors than Muffit).

Possible1: They screwed up the fur in Fire In Space and had to replace it. In doing so it was put on differently.
Possible2: They removed the original fur and put different colored fur on it for the shot in Galactica 1980. Afterwards the fur was replaced again with fur of the proper orangutan rust color.

Those are my potential answers to why it looks so different. I will put money on the probability that it's not the original fur. Carefully comparing to publicity photos and footage, it isn't just the fur texture that's different (which someone posited may be because they washed it after shooting), but the way that it's layed on the understructure. The pieces are actually cut differently.You can see where it is seamed together very clearly in the auction photos and they do not match the publicity shots.

So I guess what I'm saying is that sometime, somehow, someone replaced the fur on this suit. Maybe it was the production crew for Galactica, maybe it was the production crew of Galactica 1980, maybe it was "spiffed up" for display at Universal Studios after the show ended. Most anything could have happened in the 30 years since the show ended.

-Gordon

 

[steveo]

I was actually thinking of the "Fire in Space" scenario myself. I didn't realize that daggits were in Galactica 1980 (I try to forget about that series). But, as Gordon says, anything is possible in the 25+ years since its use.

 

[spcglider@aol.com]

I've been looking pretty hard at the close-up images from the museum and comparing to actual studio stills... and I want someone else to look with me.

Please examine the snout. In particular the slots at the top. Am I seeing differences or am I imagining?

Your thoughts?

I'm probably just staring too hard.

-Gordon

 

[steveo]

I believe you're right. they do look different. The actual prop slits don't look as precise as the musuem prop and they also look thicker/closer together than the musuem prop.

 

[GKvfx]

I'll try to get some more info about the SciFi Museum prop. I'm not sure how many they built for the show and which one this was. But I do know that it had the electronics package (which leads me to believe it was a hero version and not a stunt). And I also know that nobody touched it after it got out of Universal. Though the 'Fire in Space' damage might be as good an explanation as any.

Here's a pic I took when I was up in Seattle a couple of years ago.

Gene

 

[Vaderman]

You don't post often Mike but when you do, it seems to always be very helpful!

:thumbsup
:thumbsup
:thumbsup

 

[BlindSquirrel]

It's been a long time since I've seen that critter!

Funny how it didn't seem strange when I was a kid that a race that had been nearly wiped out by robots would build a robot dog for a traumatized child! rolleyes

 

[steveo]

Haha, Blind Squirrel. I never even thought about that.

 

[blufive]

Great photos Mike. Thanks for sharing!

:thumbsup

 

[spcglider@aol.com]

I'll try to get some more info about the SciFi Museum prop. I'm not sure how many they built for the show and which one this was. But I do know that it had the electronics package (which leads me to believe it was a hero version and not a stunt). And I also know that nobody touched it after it got out of Universal. Though the 'Fire in Space' damage might be as good an explanation as any.

Here's a pic I took when I was up in Seattle a couple of years ago.

Gene

I've heard tales of multiple suits and I'vebeen assured by others that there was only ever one suit. So it's very difficult to be certain about anything.

I mean, sometimes the stories coming from the costume and prop departments of Universal itself differ wildly. That's why I'm always hyper critical when it comes to simply taking what somebody says as straight up fact. Even Jean Pierre Dorleac, the costumer for Galactica, has given out completely contradictory information over the years about costumes and such. But that might be out of sheer spite and not failing memory.

That and I know exactly how the game of "telephone" works. I've had people completely twist stuff I've tried to relate as precisely as possible in the past. Not that they do it on purpose. Its just human phenomenon with oral descriptions. Probably why we developed writing in the first place! LOL!!!

Pharaoh: No, you idiots! I wanted the statue Seventy Two cubits high! Not Seven POINT Two cubits high!!! AAAAAARRRRRGHH!

So stories and "provenance" changes from hand to hand. Its always best to keep critical and examine closely.

That having been said, I'm NOT accusing, calling out, impugning or maliciously questioning the folks who bought, sold or handled this daggit suit. I'm trying to satisfy myself as to the veracity of all that's been said about it from all quarters and trying as hard as possible to sift through what might or might not be accurate and piece together the most likely sequence of events that brought this prop/suit to where it is today.

Beacuse I'm a geek.

-Gordon

P.S. Soon I'm going to start a whole new thread about building my second Muffit 2!

 

[steveo]

Totally understand. can't wait for your new thread.

 

[steveo]

Any new finds?

 

[spcglider@aol.com]

Not in the past two days or so.

-G