THE RUMPH - Warrior Tankard

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Added by:
Verne Langdon
from Montecito-by-the-Sea, California on 03/27/2005

Added by:
Verne Langdon
from Montecito-by-the-Sea, California on 03/27/2005

Added by:
Verne Langdon
from Montecito-by-the-Sea, California on 03/27/2005

Added by:
Verne Langdon
from Montecito-by-the-Sea, California on 03/27/2005

Added by:
Verne Langdon
from Montecito-by-the-Sea, California on 03/27/2005

Added by:
Tombyturtle
from KY on 07/04/2008

Added by:
Tombyturtle
from KY on 07/04/2008

Added by:
Tombyturtle
from KY on 07/04/2008

Added by:
Mark Daley
from San Jose, Ca. on 10/23/2010

Added by:
Mark Daley
from San Jose, Ca. on 10/23/2010

Added by:
Mark Daley
from San Jose, Ca. on 10/23/2010

Added by:
Mark Daley
from San Jose, Ca. on 10/23/2010

Added by:
Mark Daley
from San Jose, Ca. on 12/05/2010

Warrior Tankard

This INCREDIBLY RARE RUMPH ORIGINAL (PERHAPS UNFINISHED!) "TEST" MUG was possibly NEVER completed OR offered for sale. There is no way to be certain, but this RUMPH "WARRIOR" MUG MIGHT even possibly be the ONLY "test" piece of this mug EVER MADE! Director WALTER HILL's controversial 1979 Paramount Pictures drama "THE WARRIORS" served as the inspiration, in some way, for this STUNNING RUMPH PROTOTYPE, quite possibly the ONLY ONE IN EXISTENCE?!! Was it something JIM RUMPH submitted to the studio for merchandising consideration, or was it actually commisioned by the production company, only to be aborted or abandoned? This was MORE-THAN-LIKELY a WORK IN PROGRESS never completed, depicting actor MICHAEL BECK as he appeared in the role of the quietly-seething gang leader Swan, featured dead-center on the WARRIORS FILM's poster! The word "WARRIOR", not the film title plural "WARRIORS", barely appears (almost sketched) into the BACK of the mug,but you need REALLY good eyesight to make out RUMPH'S signature and copyright, also ALMOST undecipherable on the BACK of the mug, directly underneath the 3/4 visible word "WARRIOR". ( A keen MAGNIFYING GLASS might help!) This mug was gifted to me by RUMPH around 1980. This rare RUMPH "WARRIOR" mug stands 7 3/4" tall, 4" wide, and 4" deep at base, and weighs between 1 - 2 pounds. A RUMPH item with NO signature or copyright notice inscribed on the bottom of the piece!

Produced: 1980
Rarity Ranking :

Added on: 03/27/2005
Added by: Verne Langdon (

email me!) from Montecito-by-the-Sea, California
Current Estimated Value in Excellent Condition: $800-$1,300

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It's great to see one of these still exists. This was a movie inspired piece by Rumph. A group of us went to see the controversial, and quickly banned movie "Colors" as soon as it came out. Rumph was inspired. He loved the movie and immediatley sculpted this piece on an all nighter. It was a buzz (the movie and sculpture) for several weeks around the Slyme factory. One piece is missing from this mug. In the warriors right hand should be a club. Jim had a difficult time trying to figure the logistics of putting the club on the mug for commercial use. It was too fragile and would break off easily. I had one for awhile which unfortunately broke. It was also an unstable mug being so tall. There may be no others in existance as Jim only made a few. He abandoned getting it on the market after the movie was pulled from the theatres due to gang fights around the theatres where it was shown.
Added by Mark Daley from San Jose, Ca. on 04/24/2005

I thought this warrior mug was broken, but it was the club that broke off. This one is one of the originals of the few he made; a test piece with the club. It was too fragile for commercial use which he was aiming for. He did try to get it out there, but that didn't happen. I vaguely remember it may have been with that mug he was threatened not to put it out there or sell it in anyway as it was not licensed by the movie producers.
That was usually an issue with the film companies after Star Wars. They were very protective of there properties and wanted to make the profit off of anything from their movies.
For Jim it became an issue of getting licensing for his products; Usually to expensive or with too many limitations.
Added by Mark Daley from San Jose, Ca. on 10/23/2010

Note on this one you can see where the club was (this was the original design), and broke off. He gave up immediately on that idea.
Interesting note on one of the warrior mugs posted, he added a handle. I seem to remember that not working out either as it wasn't very stable, being so narrow and tall.
Added by Mark Daley from San Jose, Ca. on 12/05/2010