Prototype Rex Mars Target Game, by Marx

[dratomic]

This is the prototype for the Rex Mars Target Game, made by Marx in 1953. It features a hand-painted tin frame that closely resembles the final product. On the back are lots of fascinating details that help explain some of the toy's history.

The targets are also hand-painted, but even more exciting, they're hand-made using molds of the early concept sculpts. They differ dramatically from the final figures, which were cast from molds made from more refined and detailed sculpts.

Everything about this is a work of art and a tangible piece of space toy history, and I've been walking on air since I won it.

I've spent the last two weeks consulting with Toymemories (Mike). Using first the auction photos and later my own, he was able to provide some great information -- with, hopefully, more to come. For now, here are pics and the information we've put together. If anyone would like larger images, shoot me an email and I can send them too you.

First, the front of the piece. You can really see the precision of the Marx artists. If you compare this to the final version of the toy, you'll see it's pretty much the same -- though there's more detail in the lithographed version.

And here's the back.

MOD. 1977 is an internal company reference/catalog/part number used by Marx to identify the toy. It isn't the same as the model number assigned to the toy when it went on sale. GIRARD refers to the Marx factory in Girard, PA. According to Mike, this is the factory that handled a lot of the toy trains. More importantly for me, he says it's also where they made most of their toy guns, including space guns! DUPLICATE means that this was a second mock-up target set, and it was likely made for Toy Fair or some other industry presentation -- though it's tough to say for certain. 2-27-53 is the date when this duplicate was made (or when the frame was painted, perhaps), and it corresponds with the time of year that toys were being presented to store buyers for Christmas. (One of the reasons we think it'd have been displayed at Toy Fair.)

Check out this number in the left corner: DR/20. According to Mike, it means the prototype was stored in Drawer 20 at the Girard Plant. A tiny piece of data, for sure, but it's still part of the toy's history.

Next up, the figures!

[dratomic]

The figures differ from the final production pieces in many ways. Not only are they painted -- the originals were cast in metallic colors -- but they're made from a different type of plastic. Many of the sculpt details, like arm position, the gaps between legs, etc., are also different. I asked Mike if he had ever heard of the original prototype sculpts making an appearance today, and he didn't think so. If that's the case, these are the only examples of what those early sculpts might have looked like.

Mike was able to dig up the date of when the mold order was placed with a company called Ferriot, and it's about a month before the date on the back of this prototype. So he surmises that Marx sent the rough sculpts to Ferriot, who re-sculpted them to create mold masters. But (we think) before sending them, Marx made cheap plaster molds from the rough sculpts. The company used these to cast these duplicates for later prototypes/mock-ups.

You can see some imperfections in the figures from flaws in the plaster molds. And if you look closely, you'll notice the pieces on either side of the figures that help attach them to the spinner rod are glued into place. On the production targets, the figures and these little tubes were all cast in one solid piece of plastic. (The piece is broken on the red Devil alien -- you can see the original plastic color along the edge.)

On the back of the blue alien is a sticker with a number on it. According to Mike, this is a part/catalog number. Without having a little more info, it's tough to tell if it represents just that figure or all the targets as a set.

You can also see the large rods on the backs of the figures. These are weights to help balance the toys and control their rotation. They're glued into place, while again, on the production pieces, they were part of the molded figure.

That's pretty much it for now. Thanks a lot to Mike/Toymemories for helping me learn more about what I've got! I know Mike's still digging through his mountain of archive material, and hopefully he'll post any updates he uncovers. (And if I've gotten something wrong, or if he'd like to elaborate on any of the above details, I hope he'll speak up!)

[Tinman]

What an outstanding piece of toy history you have there Doc! I still need to add a production piece to my collection, they're hard to come by. Would make a great display at Botstock, perhaps ER&S could bring his for a side-by-side comparison...

[dratomic]

Thanks, Bill!

I planned on bringing it -- and all my other prototypes -- to Botstock this year. I like your idea, though... If ER&S wants to bring his target and gun, that'd be great. I think being able to see the two together would really help illustrate some of the process these toys go through before they end up (hopefully!) on our shelves.

What do you say, ER&S? :)

[robothut]

Very COOL ! And nice job on digging up the history info.

[Fineas J. Whoopie]

What an incredible treasure! This kind of scholarship helps to make this one of the best hobbies ever with so much out there still to find. Awesome work docatomic and Toymemories. Oh and uh...congrats doc!!!

[Electric Robot and Son]

Congratulations Brian! A really amazing piece of space toy history. This is one of my favorite space toys. The litho and aliens are great, and the little space rifle that shoots wooden bullets at the aliens is a really beautiful piece (beware you don't shoot your eye out). I think Mike/ToyMemories brought some original Marx drawings of the gun and the aliens to a previous Botstock.

I will bring my target and gun to Botstock. I can't wait to see yours in person.

[Dirk]

WHOOWHEEE !!! What an outstanding piece BRIAN!

Would love to hear more about it; if you can dig out some facts!

Looks like your great collection will end up in a museum one day!!!

[dratomic]

Thanks, guys. Glad you're all enjoying the photos and info. I've certainly had a lot of fun learning about this toy from Mike, and it's nice to be able to pass it on to the rest of the collecting community.

Dirk: Is there anything specific you'd like to know? Mike's already looking for whatever else he can find in his archives, but if you've got a particular question, maybe the answer lies in the prototype or background info for a different toy.

You know Dirk, if you come to Botstock this year you can see this and a bunch of other prototypes... Hint hint hint! :)

[dratomic]

Whoops... Double post.

[Dirk]

You know Dirk, if you come to Botstock this year you can see this and a bunch of

other prototypes... Hint hint hint! :)

I would love to do, but no chance sorry boys. Realy - You crossed my plans BRIAN ... I was hoping that this year BS could take place here in EU...

So maybe BS 11 in EU?? Botstock on the road thru Germany, Netherland and Belgium?? Gernot and me would love to work it out!

[ToyMemories]

Congratulations once again, Doc! Happy to have been of any assistance.

It really is a classic piece, and a perfect fit for you!

[steve]

Outstanding in all ways - great piece - great info - great history!!!

[robert]

Amazing! Love that you have learned so much about it. That adds so much to the enjoyment of owning such a unique piece.

[dratomic]

This is sort of interesting. It's a visitor's guide to The Toy Center for 1953. The Toy Center was located, until a few years ago, at 200 Broadway in New York City (I used to work right next to it). It's where they held Toy Fair, and, more significantly, where more than 400 manufacturers maintained a permanent showroom.

The significance of this item to this thread is that 1953 was likely the year my prototype Rex Mars game was on display. So if whoever previously owned this visitor's guide happened to visit the Marx showroom sometime after, let's say March... They'd have seen my game. Pretty neat!

The guide lists many familiar names: Marx, Ideal, Renwal, Pyro, Irwin, Lido, Daisy, Premier, Tigrett... It must have been a lot of fun wandering those hallways back in the day.

There's also an index in the back listing the companies by what sort of things they manufacture. Yep, there's a listing for Space Toys. Though it seems to ignore all the major players... Which is funny, because the company listings also include some of the things they make, and for Lido, for instance, it actually says "Captain Video Toys." Pyro includes "Space Toys" in its listing. Doesn't get any clearer than that! Still, it's nice to see Space Toys listed at all.

So that's pretty much all I've got on the history of this prototype and toy. Now's the time when I ask Obi-Wan Toymemories to add some of his own information and photos to the thread. I'd love to see this turn into a one-stop shop for the pre-production history of the Rex Mars Target Game!

C'mon Mike, make with the photos! :)