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What do Space Truckers (and Marines) smoke?
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Author:  retrogarde [ Thu Oct 04, 2012 11:26 pm ]
Post subject:  What do Space Truckers (and Marines) smoke?
Balaji Imperials of course!

Image

Yup, I am recreating the foolishly obscure fake brand of cigarettes smoked by Lambert, Kane and the rest of the Nostromo crew. Check out this thread on Prop Summit for a discussion of the brand (scroll halfway down):

http://www.propsummit.com/viewtopic.php ... ca019a10f8

The name is a joking reference to Bolaji Balejo, so I made the tobacco Nigerian to boot. I built this up around a 20 pack of Dunhill cigarettes as the box seemed to be pretty similar in size.

The artwork is a painstaking attempt on my part to recreate the original woodcut image, both by hand and with PhotoShop. This is version 1.0 as I'm already seeing things I'd like to improve (such as blending the smoking man in with the background a bit more and repeating the text on the side of the box).

I'm also considering a 22nd century smoking warning for the back and an Iranistan tax stamp.

Thoughts?
Author:  retrogarde [ Fri Oct 05, 2012 2:28 pm ]
Post subject: 
Here's a closeup of the original prop on Lambert's console.

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And here's a quick shot of my Marine's essentials:
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Author:  Mole [ Fri Oct 05, 2012 2:30 pm ]
Post subject: 
Smoking is a disgusting habit but that looks great!
Author:  Osmotic [ Fri Oct 05, 2012 2:38 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: What do Space Truckers (and Marines) smoke?
Way cool.

Love it. You need to make the mug now. :D
Author:  retrogarde [ Fri Oct 05, 2012 3:07 pm ]
Post subject: 
Mole: I couldn't agree more! I've smoked exactly one cigarette in 35 years. But grunts and space truckers smoke like chimneys!

Osmotic: I'm sourcing a couple right now! They're just Tupperware plastic mugs from the 70's. The white ones seem to be harder to find so I may have to paint some yellow ones and just not drink out of them :(

My Aspen Beer can needs some stripes added to the top and bottom; I'll get on that tonight!
Author:  Hollis DZC [ Fri Oct 05, 2012 4:12 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: What do Space Truckers (and Marines) smoke?
That...is awesome!!
Author:  Dropshipbob [ Fri Oct 05, 2012 4:27 pm ]
Post subject: 
Man, I had plans to recreat this myself but could never find the artwork. Did you find it, or recreate that as well?

And the beer can, did you do that too?

One question, are you going to reproduce that cigs that go inside? I believe they were yellow in color?
Author:  mermear [ Fri Oct 05, 2012 5:10 pm ]
Post subject:  Re:
Dropshipbob wrote:
One question, are you going to reproduce that cigs that go inside? I believe they were yellow in color?


Oh, man! I was impressed before, but making the cigs would seriously blow my mind! Is there anything preexisting that would work? I'm so not a smoker so I have no clue what's "out there"...
Author:  retrogarde [ Fri Oct 05, 2012 5:52 pm ]
Post subject: 
Mermear: I had thought they were smoking Boyard's like in Blade Runner, but they are actually smoking Gitanes (you can see a pack in one shot next to Kane). Regardless they are yellow papered cigarettes. I'm not sure if these are still produced though and it might be easier just to color the paper yellow on the ones I've go since i don't plan to smoke them!

Dropshipbob: the man with the pipe is hand drawn (by me) following the screen grabs as closely as possible. The background behind him is pieced together from other woodcuts I found online, but I may go back and redraw the whole thing to make it more consistent. I matched the font and then tweaked it in PhotoShop as the bottom of the "J" was tricky to match.

The Aspen Beer can is a recycled "energy drink" can with a wide mouth. Once the tab is removed it looks a heck of a lot like an open 70's beer can. I painted it silver and then attached two Aspen Beer stickers I'd bought online that I carefully trimmed down to just the logo. I've printed out stripes just now and will add them to finish the can off. Ideally I'd like to make two or three of these, but the stickers were $5 each so it starts to become a bit foolish.
Author:  retrogarde [ Fri Oct 05, 2012 8:27 pm ]
Post subject: 
The new version:

Image

I made it a single printable sheet with fold guides and everything. The Arabic text on the sides is a smoking warning, and then the image of the cancerous lungs can be cut out and added as an additional label. Would folks be interested in this? Would it be really lame if I charged a couple bucks for it as a download? I'm not sure if I'm crossing over into murky territory with that last question, so I'll just wait for others to comment. 8)
Author:  Dropshipbob [ Fri Oct 05, 2012 9:28 pm ]
Post subject: 
Considering ho wmuch time is must have taken you to make this, I don't think asking a few dollars is too much at all.

And yes, I'd buy one.

In reguards to Mermers' question, I seem to recall there being some bubblegum cigarettes wrapped to actually look like real cigs. I suppose you could use those, perhaps color the white part yellow with a non-toxic marker.
Or make your own on your computer (if you have an art program and printer) but if the ink your printer isn't color fast, you might end up with ink bleeding onto your skin (if you plan on walking around with one in your mouth).

Retrogarde, this is really great, love the beer can too!
Author:  retrogarde [ Fri Oct 05, 2012 10:06 pm ]
Post subject: 
Look what I just found at Goodwill! I got a four pack of harvest colours, so I'll be busting out the white spraypaint later 8)


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balaji3.jpg
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Dropshipbob: PM inbound.
Author:  Dropshipbob [ Fri Oct 05, 2012 10:41 pm ]
Post subject: 
Personally, I kinda like the yellow color. :)

PM replied.
Author:  SgtEasterly [ Mon Oct 08, 2012 5:44 pm ]
Post subject: 
wait. when you got them from goodwill did they have the weyland logo on them already?
Author:  taj [ Mon Oct 08, 2012 6:20 pm ]
Post subject: 
Those look like the old tupperware coffee cups

http://compare.ebay.com/like/1907227193 ... s&var=sbar
Author:  retrogarde [ Tue Oct 09, 2012 3:24 am ]
Post subject: 
Taj nailed it, they're just 70's Tupperware. I printed out the logo and glued it on. I may have some more durable stickers made through CafePress or something at some point though.

I was rewatching Alien last night and I really can't tell if the cups have the logos on two sides or just one. I guess I'll just have to watch it again 8)
Author:  Eagleskull [ Tue Oct 09, 2012 4:48 am ]
Post subject: 
I saw the cup and I was like "this looks familiar" but i think my cup would be more of a shot glass then anything haha.
Image

But awesome work on the smokes, brother!
Author:  retrogarde [ Tue Oct 09, 2012 12:00 pm ]
Post subject: 
Good find Cpl.! I painted the brown and the orange cups and by far the brown looks better. The little bit of the original color that still shows through just makes the cup look worn. The orange is going to need a few more coats...
Author:  kane2122 [ Tue Oct 09, 2012 5:44 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Re:
[/img]
mermear wrote:
Dropshipbob wrote:
One question, are you going to reproduce that cigs that go inside? I believe they were yellow in color?


Oh, man! I was impressed before, but making the cigs would seriously blow my mind! Is there anything preexisting that would work? I'm so not a smoker so I have no clue what's "out there"...



The cigarettes used inside Lamberts Balaji pack were Gitane "Papier Mais" (corn paper) these were the same as kanes, these cigarettes were made with the same distinctive yellow corn paper like the thicker "Boyards" brand. This type of gitane has been out of production in france for some time due to new health legislation advice and worries over the said corn paper used. Production of these cigs moved elsewhere in the world, where less stringent health laws apply. It took two years to track down a vintage pack from the 1970's with all 20 cigarettes still intact.

A guy over on Propsummit.com use to make packs of Boyard's from a printed out card and gave the option to fill the pack with his hand made Boyard's using yellow food dye, he later found a supplier of yellow banana flavoured cigarette papers, unfortunately he vanished from the forum.

If you look on the web you can generally find these banana rolling papers and make your own.
........
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......

Attachments:
GITANES YELLOW2011-04-14 04-36-43.jpg
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Author:  retrogarde [ Tue Oct 09, 2012 6:08 pm ]
Post subject: 
Too funny! I just sent a friend of mine from France on a mission to buy me a pack of Gitanes, but it looks like that won't get me what I need. Great photo of what the cigs looked like though, I'll try to replicate them with the rolling paper.
Author:  kane2122 [ Tue Oct 09, 2012 6:35 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: What do Space Truckers (and Marines) smoke?
retrograde, your friend might be lucky if he try's the rural area's of France, "Papier Mais were the favourite brand of the french farmer and rural villager. The guy I bought mine from found quite a few vintage packs still being sold in rural tobacconists and small village shops, another place to try would be the tiny principality of Andorra, nestled down between the French and Spanish border, I found a website where they had packs to sell on a duty free basis, the only drawback was you could order them online but you had to pick them up in the country, not very convenient or easy to get to?

I will ask the guy I bought mine from to see if he has seen any more packets, and to keep an eye out for more if not.
Author:  Moosh89 [ Wed Jul 10, 2013 5:39 pm ]
Post subject: 
Many many thanks to retrograde for his amazing artwork for these! I got my download from him primed and ready! Just need some card stock so it isn't flimsy

In the meantime I took it a step further and started construction on the cigarettes themselves and designed new rolling papers based on the Gitanes.

retro, I hope it is OK that I borrowed your Balaji logo for them!

I will post them for people to download and I will make a small rundown of construction.

Here is a sample of the first 2 I made... 18 more to go! (but possibly 17 and 1 smoked version ;) )

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Balaji cigarettes 1.png
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Attachment:
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Balaji cigarettes 3.png
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And here are the rolling papers, 14 per sheet. print at 100%, although I did trim a small portion from each end of the tubes to keep ends flush after rolling/gluing

Attachment:
balaji rolling papers.png
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Author:  Russ Krook III [ Wed Jul 10, 2013 7:03 pm ]
Post subject: 
Looks good, thanks for sharing!
Author:  retrogarde [ Wed Jul 10, 2013 9:41 pm ]
Post subject: 
Now that's classy! Thanks for taking these even further Melissa, I think they look great!

Also, here's a link to the new and improved version. I received help sourcing the original clipart used in the film from none other than Tom Southwell, a designer on Blade Runner!

http://s346.photobucket.com/user/pagest ... 5347341864

As he helped me recreate this prop from the original materials I'm no longer selling mine, they are now free! So please do not sell these or reproduce them for profit in some other way. Note as well that there are four different versions as well as folding instructions, so scroll through to see them all.
Author:  ronin677 [ Sun Nov 08, 2020 6:07 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: What do Space Truckers (and Marines) smoke?
Sorry to bring up an old post but I am trying to get a template for the Balaji Imperial cigarette packs. None of the links I've found so far seem to work. Does anyone have a template?
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