Pee Wee's Playhouse Scooter and Helmet

[killer3k]

I keep looking at the indian that I thought I had identified and comparing it to the one on Pee Wee's helmet. The one on Pee Wee's helmet seems like it's lifting it's leg into the air, whereas the one that I've found is only bending that leg. Is it just me???
Everything else seems to match up. I'm starting to wonder if they hacked up a couple of plastic indians to make customized ones out of. You know, like glue the torso of one indian to the legs of another in order to disguise it for copyright reasons. I dunno. Or maybe it's an optical illusion lol.

I continue to discover different manufacturers the more I search.
Here's an interesting option:
Timpo made cowboys and indians that have interchangeable body parts.
The indian on the far left has legs that match the indian on Pee Wee's helmet but the body is all wrong:

Here's an example of how their body parts are interchangeable:

I haven't had time to look at many indians by this manufacturer. I'll research more later.

If I can't find what I feel is a "perfect" match, I might just have to roll with the one that I've found and modify the leg if it's not right. It may be the right one though. It's hard to tell. But I do know that it's the closest I've seen yet and it's close enough to pass.

 

[lostcasket]

There is also the possibility that the art designer just got a random pile of toys from a garage sale or something. I think amusing that they are all the same brand is probable. But but more likely that the toys were just picked from different places. They had like noooo money for the first season. So the puppets and the props were made as cheaply as possible. In a preview of Wayne White's new Documentary he explains how he created some of the puppets. Like dirty dawg was part foam and oven mitt. But I do think you came up with some great alternatives. We could always just massacre some toys and Frankenstein it. But I think were so much closer then where we were three months ago with this thread. I think its just a matter of time.

As for the hobo clown without stand he is Two inches tall.

 

[nick daring]

WHat's funny is that the helmet doesn't appear until the second season.

Seems like some moms wrote some letters about Pee Wee's lack of safety equipment.

Nick

 

[lostcasket]

Yeah I noticed that while I was working On my bicycle build. Kinda Funny, but the helmet really brings it all together I think.

 

[killer3k]

I have a new theory about the bulldog heads.
It looks like they could be some sort of cheap knock-off of wall masks made by Bosson, starting in the 1960s I believe.

When I say "cheap knock-offs" I mean they look like they could have been made as some sort of Halloween decoration. I know this sounds a bit weird, but weirder things have been made. It's something to research.

 

[lostcasket]

Found one other photo of the scooter Ive never seen before. It's small though.

As for the bulldog head what size are those decorations?

 

[killer3k]

Upon a quick (and I mean quick) google search, I found that they vary in size. The sizes that I saw while having a glance ranged from 5" to 8" but I'm pretty sure they come in smaller and larger sizes too.
Last week I found a picture of a man holding one in his hand and it seemed to be just about the right size. That's what made me start wondering if this is what our bulldogs are or if they are perhaps based on this sort of thing.

 

[lostcasket]

I just purchased the cowboys and one of the Indians came in the pack. But not the mystery Indian we still haven't identified. While I was looking at the helmet I notice the pig coin purse has he same bow tie as one of the clowns.
Which makes me think its a cake topper or Frankenstein mash up.

Killer3k I was also curious if you purchased any of the other items. Like the track ball of your mystery dinosaurs? I'm suppose to get my mold making supplies in a few weeks. I'm gonna start making some cast of these toys.

Also another thing about the cowboys. They are positions very oddly. ill have to take some pictures but on my helmet they don't sit flush. I wonder if that's because if the back were sanded or of the glue just made it easier.

 

[killer3k]

I haven't bought anything yet.

It looks to me like they used expanding foam or a thick layer of epoxy or hot glue. Thick enough of a layer to just set the cowboys and other items into it, and then they painted it red to match the helmet. sort of like putting a blob of playdough on the table and pushing your toys into it. this would make them sit however u want them to be positioned.

 

[nick daring]

Better reference would really help some the searching I think.

I noticed the VHS boxset has a nice photo of the helmet. Were there any photo books or magazines that came out for the show?

 

[killer3k]

In support of my "thick epoxy" theory, I've drawn arrows that point to spots where thick blobs can easily be seen. At least that's what I think I'm looking at. Notice how those spots are red but they don't match the red sparkle of the helmet.
Also, notice our mystery indian can be partially seen (the picture is flipped the opposite way so the mystery indian is on your left instead of the right).

It looks like the dinosaur has been "swallowed" up by the epoxy a little bit more than some of the other items. At least that's how it looks to me.

 

[killer3k]

The indian with the gun looks like he could be our mystery indian if not for the fact that he's holding a gun instead of a bow.
Vintage Marx Western Play Set 60mm Indians and 54mm 7th Calvary | eBay

 

[killer3k]

Actually I think his arm is raised a little too high to be our mystery indian.

 

[lostcasket]

I didn't have the right paints. But here is the first cowboy. I'd suggest gloss enamel paint from Americana if anyone think of making these.

its only one sided. As i was painting him i realized his chaps were probably dremeled down.

 

[killer3k]

If we need to build the mystery indian from scratch or by making a "Frankenstein mash-up", here's a good bow to put in his hand
Plastic Toy Soldiers 7th Cavalry Indians Cowboys Marx Weapons Set 2 71 Pieces | eBay

 

[killer3k]

Just a suggestion based upon my observations (not trying to tell you how to paint your own cowboy), but it looks to me like they painted Pee Wee's cowboy like this so that the fringe on his pants blends into the helmet.

Here's a comparison:

So I think they either painted it this way or perhaps the cowboy is set into the epoxy far enough that it hides the fringe and then they painted the epoxy red. Or perhaps it's a combination of the two.

 

[lostcasket]

I see what your saying, and I get it. Its just hard to tell with these pictures. I didn't have all of the right paints so I was gonna re-paint part of it.

we need to figure out that stupid pig and the missing Indian. As for the Frankenstein mold Ive been considering that alot recently. might just have to for a temporary substitute

 

[killer3k]

Yeah, I've got O.C.D. lol.

I've been looking for the indian constantly, but the closest match I've found was the indian holding the shotgun and the knife. If I were going to make a frankenstein, I'd use that one. I'd put it in boiling water to soften the plastic and then bend it to be in the exact pose as Pee Wee's. This is assuming the boiling water trick works on this type of plastic. Then, I'd cut the current weapons off and use the bow from the weapons pack that I just posted.

If that indian isn't the right size, then I'd use the same indian that's on the other side of the helmet. I'd do all the same stuff to it that I mentioned above, and then I'd chop off the one arm and glue another one in it's place that's in the correct position.

As for the pig, I'll start looking again. Worse case scenario, it shouldn't be too hard to build from scratch.

I'm more worried about the duck(s) because it's such an important part of the helmet and it will be harder to recreate. I don't know if we'll ever find it but we should continue looking.

 

[killer3k]

I've been thinking about the pig and how you said that it seems to have the same bow tie as one of the clowns.
Here is a pic of them side by side.

I agree that there is a very strong resemblance. Both ties seem to have an indent on the knot in the center.
Upon closer inspection of Pee Wee's helmet, I noticed that two of the three clowns do not have their bases. This clown seems to be without his base (the base includes the bow tie).
This got me thinking that perhaps they used the clown's bow tie for the pig.
Another possibility is that the pig came with his own bow tie.

In either case, I think there's a good possibility that the pig itself could be a cake topper as you've suggested. If this is the case, then I should think it would also be a Wilton product. Especially -if- the pig came with his own bow tie and it looks just like the clown's.

The Wilton 1980 yearbook has a listing of all the cake toppers that were in production at the time including a picture of each item. A source from Wilton's online community said that these clown cake toppers were listed in the 1980 yearbook, so I would assume that if the pig is a cake topper, then it was probably in production around the same time as the clowns. IF the pig is a Wilton cake topper and if it was in production at the same time as the clowns, then it should be listed in the yearbook.
1980 Yearbook

Here's one on ebay for about $5. It's not mint condition but if anyone wants to buy the book in an effort to identify the pig, at least it's cheap. I'd buy it but I'm not in the US at this time.
Wilton Cake Decorating Yearbook 1980 | eBay

 

[killer3k]

Interesting...

Wilton made a Looney Tunes Porky pig candle.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Wil...2-Birthday-Cake-Candle-NIP-1979-/160746295441

It's not the pig we're looking for, but if they made this then I'd say there's a good chance that they also made Porky Pig cake toppers.