# Someone that can custom make 3 figures for me



## Mike Toney (Feb 25, 2009)

I am searching for someone that can make 3 specific figures for me. The figures are Emmet and Ma Otter and Doc Bullfrog from the Jim Henson movie Emmet Otters Jug Band Christmas. I am wanting to model the riverfront village/houses from the movie. In time and depending on price, there are other figures that would be of interest such as the hooligans in the hot rod from Riverbottom. Thanks Mike


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## Mike Toney (Feb 25, 2009)

Here are a couple pics, I would like to have Emmet and Ma otter rowing in thier row boat and Doc Bullfrog standing so I can put him on the dock at his Riverside Rest. Mike


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## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

Mike,

I would contact Rick at Scale Humans. Might be pricey, but well worth it!

http://scalehumans.com/contact


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Probably should ask the Hensons for permission for the Professional to make copies....
Scalehumans will want to print those figures, the files could be copy right liability.

Just a thought.
John


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## rkapuaala (Jan 3, 2008)

Gary thanks for the referral. I don't think this would be an affordable project for me to undertake. There is very little resale value in many of the projects that I do, but I do them so that I can have a figure of my choosing. 
I wouldn't be interested in muppets and I definitely could not sell them if I were to reproduce them in resin. So that would make my hourly rate $40 an hour which would include the cost of materials for sculpting the prototype, the cost of making a silicon mold and the cost of one casting. 
Just so you know it takes me usually 80 hours to make a moderately good figure and another 15 hours to create the mold. The shortest period of time would be 95 hours. If I needed approval on each prototype and changes were required that can easily multiply that by 2 or more. So let us say around 3600 a figure on the low end and 6200 and up on the high end.


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## rkapuaala (Jan 3, 2008)

John, 
As far as I know you don't need copyright permission for a one off piece of art. You would however need it if you were reproducing the figure for re sell. That being said, if you were to create a figure similar to the Hansen muppets and not call them by the same name you could get away with selling them. 
They would not be accurate reproductions of the character and since they did not bear the same names they would not be violating the copyrights. However these facsimiles would not sell very well without the copyrighted names.


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Rick,
I was thinking they could be scanned into a 3-D print file, I think I've heard of multiple picture angles being reworked into a 3d rendering.
I wasn't concerned with a one-off as much as the file created could lead to a new liability. New medias get new regs as needed.
This new Replicator technology leads to new thoughts...
Thanks for the reply.
John


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## catherine yronwode (Oct 9, 2013)

From the standpoint of actual copyright law, making one copy is as illegal as making ten and selling them -- but most copyright owners will consider it too expensive to waste time in legal wrangling on a lawsuit for one copy.

Read a simple guide to copyright here: http://luckymojo.com/copyright.com

That having been said, creating an homage is generally considered fine and nobody will send lawyers. 

Speaking of 3-D printing -- if there were ever any character figures from this movie IN ANY SCALE, that would be the place to start. I don't think there were, because this movie was made early in Jim Henson's career.

Thanks for turning me on to this movie, by the way. It is very charming, and would make a great scenic and character theme for a garden railway.

cat
ET&WNC RR
East Tennessee and Western Northern California Railroad
"Ride the Glory Line to Lobelia-Land"


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## rkapuaala (Jan 3, 2008)

Thanks for the clarification Cat, that was the word I meant to use on homage. BTW, all the 3D printing companies I know of do not allow you to reproduce copyrighted characters or files unless you can produce the proper licenses. 
And the technology you are talking about that scans photos needs very specific photos for scanning that are taken from the necessary angles.
BTW, aren't these Beatrice Potter characters anyway, surely they have those figures out there somewhere.


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## JimB (Jan 25, 2013)

Mike you have a PM. Jim


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## catherine yronwode (Oct 9, 2013)

Hi, Rick -- well, i guess you could say that are Jim Henson's homage to Beatrix Potter and to Arthur Rackham's illustrations to Kenneth Graeme's "Wind in the Willows" -- there is an entire English school of art based around naturalistic, portly, small clothed herbivorous animals that this movie draws upon, and it is one of the few American movies to do so. See also the Royal Doulton Pottery company's extensive line of Bunnykins figurines, which are also an homage to Potter, without naming her or using her named characters. 

Ma Otter does seem to be Henson's visual homage to Potter's Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle (a hedgehog). 



















I happen to collect in these areas and so this genre is quite familiar to me. I am really excited to see what Mike will do with the concept, which is unique in model railroading circles, as far as i know. 

cat
ET&WNC
East Tennessee and Western Northern California Railroad
"The Rural Acoustic Route"


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## Scottychaos (Jan 2, 2008)

Mike,
you can always buy some sculpey and start working on them yourself! 
it would take some practice to make decent looking figures, but learning a new skill always takes time and practice:

http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/mikereilley/Figure Class/Figure_Class_Ch1.pdf

http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/mikereilley/Figure Class/Chapter 2 Refiing the Basics.pdf

http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/mikereilley/Figure Class/Chapter 3 Various.pdf

Scot


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## Mike Toney (Feb 25, 2009)

I dont have the time or patience to get the figures up to what I would want in quality. On a side note, I have been struggling with what train to use, obviously my Euro LGB stuff doesnt really fit the theme. Engine of interest are the LGB SRRL Forney, Hartland 4-4-0 woodburner, Hartland Big John or one of thier Interurbans. Ma Otter definalty has the looks of Mrs Tiggy Winkle, even the ceramic figures on ebay look like Ma Otter. Toad Wind from the Wind in the Willows has the look of Doc Bullfrog a bit as well. I think once I have a few key figures custom made, I could use some of the figures from those other series to supliment them around the riverfront and at the resturant. Mike


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