This lot will be auctioned on Tuesday, November 9th. The auction will begin at 3:00pm GMT and lots are sold sequentially via live auctioneer; tune in to the live streaming broadcast on auction day to follow the pace. Note other lots in the auction may close on November 10th or November 11th.
A full-size ABC Warrior Robot with an animatronic remote-control head from Danny Cannon's sci-fi adventure Judge Dredd. Discovered in the possession of the arms dealer Geiger (Ian Dury) by the recently escaped Rico (Armand Assante), the ABC Warrior was programmed only to follow Rico's commands, and was used to devastating effect in his war against the Judges.
The robot features many scuffs and signs of battle damage that screen match it to the scene in which Rico used it to threaten Judge Griffin (Jürgen Prochnow), and to the moment Rico commanded it to wreak havoc on the streets of Mega-City One. It also screen matches the moment the droid dismembered Judge Griffin, and the final scenes in which it shot Fergie (Rob Schneider) and grabbed Judge Hershey (Diane Lane) by the throat.
The ABC Warriors comic series appeared alongside Judge Dredd in the British sci-fi anthology comic-book 2000 AD, making its debut in issue 119 in 1979. The leader of the ABC Warriors, Hammerstein, had been a running character in previous series Ro-Busters, which first appeared in weekly sci-fi comic magazine Starlord (1978) and again in 2000 AD later the same year. In 1995, series creator Pat Mills wrote a story for Judge Dredd entitled "Hammerstein". The introduction of the character to the Dredd universe sparked the idea for the addition of the unnamed ABC Warrior in the movie adaptation, using a design similar to the Hammerstein character.
The full-size ABC Warrior was engineered by a team consisting of Mike Dunleavy, Robert Malos, Brian Morrison, Paul Taylor, Robbie Scott, Peter White and Joss Williams. It has a manoeuverable metal internal structure surrounded by cables, rubber and metal tubing. Fibreglass armour plating covers the robot's frame, creating its menacing appearance. The armour, hands, head and feet have been painted with a metallic grey undercoat and a rust-coloured top coat, allowing the top coat to be scratched away to reveal metallic grey beneath, giving the impression of battle damage and age. The robot's neck, eyes and jaw are manipulated using a remote control, which features a handwritten label reading "Dread Neck", and the eyes light up orange, changing to red when the robot is in "War Mode". The controller comes with charging cables.
The robot is presented in an imposing stance, secured on a stand. It shows minor wear from production use and age, displaying signs of slight internal rust, repaired components on the hands and sympathetic restoration over the years since the production. Dimensions: 140 cm x 140 cm x 210 (55" x 55" 82½")
Contains electronics; see electronics notice in the Buyer's Guide.
This lot is oversized, and shipping charges will be significant, especially if the lot is shipping internationally. Crating and other special handling may be required depending on destination. Shipping charges are solely the buyer's responsibility; please ask any questions prior to bidding and see notice in the Buyer's Guide.
Estimate: £50,000 - 70,000 M
Clients without purchase history may need to meet additional registration requirements in order to bid on this lot; please inquire for details.