OVERVIEW
Essentially, my diorama is the combination of two hobbies - an interest in Sherlock Holmes and an obsession with collecting vintage Palitoy Action Man figures from the 1960's, 70's and 80's. I guess you could also throw in model-making as a third-related hobby!
Palitoy Action Man
When I was about six years old (circa 1977), I was introduced to the world of Action Man - a 1/6th scale action figure produced by Palitoy in the United Kingdom. Action Man was an off-shoot of the G.I.Joe action figure produced by Hasbro in the USA. Action Man was an extremely popular toy for its time - not only in the UK, but also in other countries including Australia and New Zealand. Variants of Action Man were also released in countries such as Germany, Spain and France. In addition to the action figures, one could purchase/collect a vast array of weapons, uniforms and even 1/6th scale vehicles. It was the perfect toy for a boy growing up in the 1970's. Below are some scans from original Action Man equipment manuals. As you can see, the figures/uniforms/accessories were quite realistic for their time.
When I was about six years old (circa 1977), I was introduced to the world of Action Man - a 1/6th scale action figure produced by Palitoy in the United Kingdom. Action Man was an off-shoot of the G.I.Joe action figure produced by Hasbro in the USA. Action Man was an extremely popular toy for its time - not only in the UK, but also in other countries including Australia and New Zealand. Variants of Action Man were also released in countries such as Germany, Spain and France. In addition to the action figures, one could purchase/collect a vast array of weapons, uniforms and even 1/6th scale vehicles. It was the perfect toy for a boy growing up in the 1970's. Below are some scans from original Action Man equipment manuals. As you can see, the figures/uniforms/accessories were quite realistic for their time.
As I grew out of childhood, my interest in Action Man naturally waned. However, in 2006 (and as an adult with pocket money to burn) I was reintroduced to the world of 'vintage' Action Man. Whilst surfing the internet, I discovered a forum catering to the Action Man collector - the UAMHQ (the Unofficial Action Man Headquarters). It came as something of a surprise to find that a vibrant collecting community existed and that vintage Action Man had become a sought-after collectible in its own right. I was hooked for a second time.
Since becoming reaquainted with Action Man in 2006, I've been lucky enough to collect over 30 vintage figures, which now take pride of place on display in my study.
Between 2006 and 2008, I spent much of my spare time 'kit-bashing' Action Man figures. For those unaware of the term, kit-bashing is essentially the process of 'kitting out' a 1/6th scale action figure with uniforms, weapons and accessories. Photographing the completed figure (and posting the results on the internet for other collectors to view) is also a component of kit-bashing. This hobby is not restricted to Action Man and has increased in popularity over recent years. For evidence of this, one only has to check out the quality of kit-bashed figures and dioramas posted on the One Sixth Warriors forum (see the LINKS page for the web address). Below are some photographs of the Action Man figures I have kit-bashed in the past. In addition to kit-bashing, I also designed and constructed my own 'hypothetical' retail packaging to compliment each figure.
Sherlock Holmes
As a teenager in the early 1980's, I remember watching (and enjoying) re-runs of the black & white Basil Rathbone movies. However, I wouldn't have regarded myself as an enthusiast. That all changed in the mid-eighties when I first watched the Granada-produced Sherlock Holmes TV series, starring Jeremy Brett. He played the role with such intensity - it was very easy to believe that he 'was' Holmes. In addition to his stellar performance (and that of Edward Hardwicke and David Burke), I was also very impressed by the realistic sets and locations used throughout filming - including the famous sitting-room at 221B Baker Street.
(Just as an aside - it was sad to hear of the recent passing of Edward Hardwicke in May 2011 at the age of 78. I thought he played his role as Watson to perfection.)
In the mid to late 1980's (and no doubt as a result of the TV series), I started reading with earnest the 56 short stories and 4 novels written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Having recently turned forty, I'm still a keen fan of the Canon and read them on a regular basis. I've recently completed reading Leslie Klinger's excellent three-volume work, 'The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes'. It's a great read and Klinger's annotations were particularly useful as I worked on my project. You can find a link regarding this publication on the LINKS page.
Combining Action Man & Sherlock Holmes
In April 2008, I had been kit-bashing vintage Action Man figures for about two years. Although a very enjoyable past-time, I was keen to try something a bit different. Designing and constructing some form of 1/6th scale diorama seemed like a natural progression. It didn't take long to realise that a 1/6th scale Sherlock Holmes based diorama would offer a real challenge. The sitting-room from 221B Baker Street appeared to be the ideal choice - it was a self-contained environment that could be filled with all manner of Holmes' paraphernalia.
Construction commenced in the same month. I posted updates and photographs of the project as it developed on the UAMHQ forum. You can find direct links to these updates on the LINKS page. The comments posted by UAMHQ forum members certainly helped to motivate me. Their interest in the project was (and still is) appreciated.
Although the project took me over three years to complete - there were long periods of inactivity when the diorama sat dormant under a sheet in the corner of my study. Motivation was a problem at times - I suspected on more than one occasion that I had taken on too much and that it would never be finished. However, I kept plugging away and slowly the light at the end of the tunnel became brighter. The diorama was (finally) completed in September 2011.
That's enough for an overview!
I've posted images/video of the project on the following pages:
PHOTO GALLERY - Photographs of the completed diorama.
WIP PHOTOS - Photographs of the project as a work-in-progress.
VIDEO - A short video of the completed diorama.
On the TRIVIA page, you'll find some statistics and information relating to the project.
On the LIST OF ITEMS page, you'll find a list of the Sherlock Holmes items I encorporated into the diorama.
I hope you enjoy the rest of the site!
Regards,
Craig.
