The Origin of the MEL Inc. Bust

The MEL Inc. part 3 bust is a spectacular sculpt, probably one of the top three or four Jason busts out there. There does seem to be some mystery around its origin, with some collectors having said it comes from the original part 3 molds (albeit with a retooling), though it seems to have more than a few anomalies when compared to the movie appliances on a point-for-point inspection.

For example:

There is some evidence that it may not be a movie mold piece at all, but a ground-up sculpt by a veteran FX artist named Todd Rex, who sculpted the piece for MEL Inc. back in 2012 or earlier. Rex stated as much on his Facebook page.

 Rex (center) can be seen showcasing his sculpt at a convention back in April 2012:

A fan and painter named Jackson Rupert (who asked to be named publicly) reached out to Rex on Facebook, who said the sculpt does not descend from any movie mold:

I have never spoken to anyone at MEL Inc. so I don't know if they have ever claimed that it is a movie mold piece, but I thought this was interesting since that's what some collectors seem to think. I can only present evidence that I have been shown, and let you decide for yourself.