Durham Industries, Inc. No. 5758 Sidewinders Star Mission Robot - Zerak Knock-Off

Durham's Sidewinders Star Mission Robot - Zerak Knock-Off

Some time in the mid-70's (packaging has 1978) Durham produced two Zeroid Knock-offs. These had the basic shape of the robots copied but ran using a wind-up mechanism. As the Zeroid moves forward (there is no reverse) the head rotates left-to-right and back. The complex casting is dummied-down to something very simple with chest stickers (notice that the sitckers are reversed - the Zobor knock-off has the Zerak panel and the Zerak knock-off has the Zobor reel-to-reel tape panel) so the legs and torso are simplified, although for some reason the arms and hands resembled those of the actual Zeroids (though cast without any chrome). The heads are fairly decent copies of the Ideal heads only Zerak has lost the "V" part of the antenna. I should have used a better example of Zerak as the one I shot is missing the "V" part of the antenna, something I've found common to Zerak for some reason.

What I find interesting on these is the card background art - it's very much like the original Ideal art and features Zorr and a Zintar with "Wind-Up Walking Action" in a red splatter. As far as I know these were only molded to resemble Zobor and Zerak. Comparison shot below.

Durham's Sidewinders Star Mission Robot - Zerak Knock-Off Comparison

Durham Industries, Inc. No. 5758 Sidewinders Star Mission Robot - Zobor and Zerak Backs

 

 

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