"Icons" Company history

[Rico]

For those that don't know, Icons was a company in the late 90's that started to produce prop and other replicas.  Mainly Star Wars items.  This was prior to Master Replicas.  The company had a lot of issues and people even lost money to them on products they ordered but never got (yes I was one of those people).  There has been some interesting reading over at the Rebelscum forums on them.  Mainly by a couple of members that have a lot of inside info.  I thought I'd share some of that here.  If you are a collector and know Icons this will be an interesting read for you.

Okay, I'll do my best.....

Icons has been a hobby of mine for 11 years. Since 1996 when they first appeared. I've spoken in great-depth to numerous x-Icons executives and employees, after the fall and visted them 10 times when they were in business. Including at the infamous "Robot Factory." Which did in fact ship "9" Full-size, working LIS B-9 Robots and "8" Full-size Endo Skeletons before closing. At a cost of well over 350k in R & D, mastering, tooling and molding. All of this R & D etc. was returned to the licensors and re-used by new companies.

Contrary to popular belief the Icons plaque department WAS very organized and secure ( Look at the quality of the Icons plaques). This area was watched very closely and under lock and key for 2 years, in a seperate area behind chain link, in 1998 and 1999. When most of the legendary resin/parts thefts occurred. Anyone who toured Icons saw the plaque department. Just ask.

ALL plaques were hand-logged out, into individual "Icons product plaque logs" by one employee from 1996 until 1999. ANY plaque that is damaged is not a valid Icons numbered plaque. And is not listed in the original plaque logs. All of the logs are in L.A. to this very day. I know people who have seen them. They are supposed to be posted someday on-line. Or so I have heard.

Icons original CEO/President Doug Conway ( 1995-1998) who left Icons in debt 2 million dollars when he jumped ship, was the one who held the first 200 plaques for products aside. Stating that they should be used later. This was promptly stopped when Conway resigned in the Spring of 1998.

* The Luke Saber was shipped in the area of 9,000 to 10,000 units.
* The Vader Saber was shipped in the area of 7400 units
* The Obi Wan Saber was in the area of 2800 units.
* Both James Earl Jones and Mark Hamill signature Saber editions sold-out. These constitute the final 1000 of each of the above mentioned editions.

* The Gold Luke Sabers were never intended to be products. they were made as gifts to Lucasfilm exectives for the 1997 20th anniversary of SW. Only "10" were made. Icons pulled these due to Lucasfilms sour relationship with Icons. By the way, Icons LFL licensing managers were fired in 2000 (A.L-M. and J.R.) as was LFL's CEO/President G.R. for the way they handled companies and SW licensing. Info fans don't usually hear about.

* The ROTJ Luke was in fact prototyped and is still with its maker.

* The Han Solo Blaster WAS in fact licensed. Only "3" A.P's were made @ Icons in 1998-99. "1" went to LFL, "1" went to Steve Sansweet, "1" to Icons co-founder Mike Rogers.

* An additional "75" Han A.P.s were made at a new shop in 2000, owned by one of Icons co-founders/investors after the company closed its doors in March 2000, with original Icons parts. So that he could recoup financially. LFL was aware of this.

* "25" Hans were bootlegged by a collector G.H. in Washington State with an Icons x-Employee B.B. They are NOT original. They were sold for 5k each in 2000.

* Icons WAS the master license holder on prop SW Lightsabers, Pistols and rifles and miniatures from 1995-1998. And was given access to the same materials as MR. Mostly Photos. Although a screen-used Luke ESB Lightsaber was examined in the main-house foyer at Skywalker Ranch and and a modified Darth Saber was examined by Icons in the LFL Archive.

* The Icons X-Wing masters came from Boss Films (Formally John Dykstra's Apogee FX.) And the Tie-Fighter masters from an X-ILM employee. Although both styles of miniatures were also studied at the LFL Archives. Most of the original SW ANH miniature molds were buried in ILMs parking lot as ground filler. Per George's instructions.

* Less then 100 BG Vipers were made and shipped. All Richard Hatch Signature style. Sales were very poor on thsi item. The Viper was molded directly off of collector Fuller French's screen-used original Viper. So it WAS 1:1 scale!

* No Icons Aliens Pulse Rifles were EVER released with "damage." If it is a damaged Icon? it didn't sell while Icons was in business. No "seconds." No damaged product. EVER! A sledge-hammer was stationed at the back door to destroy substandard product. I saw it happen.

* No Aliens smart weapon was ever promoted @ Icons or R & D.

* No "white" Endo Skull bases were ever made. Always black plexi.

* No "complaints came in about Icons Endo skulls scale." Icons re-cast the Skull when they were in R & D on the Endo Skeleton. Which was larger. No one ever complained. Both sizes were used in T-2.

* Icons T-2 molds and / or masters were used in EVERY incarnation of Endo product sold to this day on the market. Do you doubt this? Here is a clue...look at the base on the Sideshow or HG Endo Arm replica...That has been used from 2000 to 2007. That isn't the screen-used one like they thought. It was hand-made at Icons in 1996. Totally unique to Icons. Not the filmed one, like these people in denial thought. Oops!

* The MR Nautilus was R & D and proto'd at Icons. At a cost of $40,000.00. Plus the Disney license which cost $300,000.00 in private funding. Never before seen Photos were provided to Icons to scratch build this amazing miniature. Even if the box says MR? It still has Icons blood running through its veins.

* The MR ST classic Communicator, Phaser and Tricorders and TOS Klingon pistol and STNG Phaser ( by HMS) were all R & D, and mastered at Icons expense (private funding) in 1996 and 1997. Same Icons blood running through these prop replicas. Why? 'Cause HMS is owned by one of Icons co-founders Mike M. This has been a closely guarded secret for many years. As V.P of manuafacturing and a co-founder, Mike was in charge of making every Icons product from 1996 until the end of 1997.When Conway ousted him. Against JL's opinion.

* Icons R & D, molded and mastered over 30 Star Trek Prop replicas for the Star Trek Expierience in Las Vegas. That's where most of the MR and Roddenberry.com props came from. and upcoming ones? Yep. Icons too. Sorry. They were R & D, reverse-engineered and molded at Icons in 1996 by Icons staff, using Icons materials and equipment on Icons dime. Sorry....

Again follow the bouncing....

* I think it is very interesting that "Unobtaniums" MIB replicas and ST Enterprise miniature are now sold by MR. Similar pattern.

That's about it.....

[Tatooine_Todd]

That's an amazing read.  I had no idea so much Icons work was used by MR and others. 

I'd love to get a hold of on of the Vipers, probably my favorite piece of theirs, and one of their best.

[iceman]

So in otherwords these props cost master replicas vertually nothing,which gives them less excuses for poor workmanship.

[Tatooine_Todd]

So in otherwords these props cost master replicas vertually nothing,which gives them less excuses for poor workmanship.

Kills my R&D theory, that's for sure.