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h3llfish

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Posts posted by h3llfish

  1. Yeah, I passed on this one... it's one ugly piece of plastic, and since the BAF is so lame, I wasn't forced to buy it. It seems like if they weren't going to fully articulate the figure, they could have at least given it a really good sculpt. I understand when compromises have to be made between sculpt and articulation, but when the figure fails in both areas, it's inexcusable.

  2. only kids like them.. because.. they're for kids.. only for kids.. collectors don't need action features..

    Yeah, and the kids love them so much that they're flying off the shelves... oh wait... they aren't! Hasbro has announced disappointing earnings from the Marvel license. So I don't know who these kids are who love the 5" figures so darn much. I don't know about your Walmart, but at my local Wally, there are literally dozens of cases worth of figures warming the pegs. The metallic ones alone take up an entire endcap. And this is after the DVD has been released, and the hype is really dying down. What hasn't sold by now may never move.

     

    My whole point, which you seem to have missed entirely, is that 5" figures with limited articulation take away peg space from the good figures. If there was enough peg room for Hasbro to release a 5" and 6" line at the same time (ideally just before the movie comes out), then of course I would have no problem with the 5" figures.

     

    Toybiz was able to make money on figures that were pleasing to both kids and collectors. Why can't Hasbro?

     

    And that Sandman BAF is lame... but not as lame as the Brood Queen! Hasbro sucks!

  3. I saw that scorpion at retail, and I agree, he looks pretty good.

     

    That said, I'm in the camp that doesn't like the 5" figures. Not because they inherently suck, but just because they're taking shelf space away from the potential bigger figures that could have been.

     

    I bought four of the 5" figures because for some odd reason my target put them on super discount right when they first came out. To me, they're a great value at 3.50 each or so. That's about what a happy meal toy is worth to me. It's not that I hate the actual 5" figure itself. They're sorta fun. But they are so far away from the Marvel Legends I love, and yet somehow they only cost a little less.

     

    Given the huge amounts of 5" FF and Spidey figures still on the pegs at all of the local toy stores, further discounting is probably to come. Walmart has already lowered the price by a buck or so - still not low enough for me to buy.

     

    So, if I'm lucky enough to find 5" Vulture, Black Cat, Mysterio, Shocker, or Scorpion at something like half off original retail, I'll snag them. But not before. And if I never find them at that price, I'll manage to carry on... somehow!

     

    What's going to stink is that I suspect that as prices fall, the few cool figures in this line will be snapped up right away, leaving us with hundreds of 5" action feature Spideys... I don't want those at any price!

  4. Pastwatch didn't say that they should do it right now - clearly, that would not be the best idea. But I do think it's a good idea, perhaps a year from now, or maybe even later, when the third FF movie comes out. Clearly, there's a demand for it - just not maybe a giant one.

     

    As to the past boxed sets not doing well, that seems to be a valid point. So, why not do a boxed set as a convention/internet exclusive, like they did with the Stan Lee and She-Hulk figures?

     

    That totally sidesteps the issue with the boxes taking up tons of space at retail. It also means that the fact that the box might have a somewhat more limited appeal is not as much of an issue.

     

    Plus, wouldn't Hasbro make more profit by cutting out the middleman (Walmart, etc)?

     

    Hasbro has pissed me off in so many ways, but one thing they have done right is making the figures available directly from them online. I begged for that many times over the years from Toybiz.

     

    Also, nearly every Toybiz box set featured at least one repaint. The Monsters box set had one - Dracula was basically Prof X, but with a new head, vest, and cape. In the House of M set, Hulk was a repaint for the most part (just a new head, I think). Young Avengers is the only one I can think of that was totally new.

     

    How about this - the FF in the black and blue costumes, with a new head for Johnny so he has a totally "flame off" thing going. Paint Ben in a somewhat less neon color scheme... something a bit darker and more rusty... just to be different from the other fig. And I like the idea of using a quicksilver body for Reid, but I wouldn't mind a stretchy Reid in the classic costume either. And then, throw in a Dragon Man repaint. Or maybe Doombot. Or maybe a Super Skrull? Doesn't matter, as long as it's a repaint of a hard to find figure.

     

    Sell the thing for 40 bucks (that should be possible since there are no BAF pieces this time), available at cons first, then online.

     

    And as a totally separate issue, could we please have the Mole monster from FF1 as a BAF at some point? He needs to be huge, too!

  5. There were a few things that ruined the movie Spidey that kicked off this line:

     

    - chest hinge didn't work (looks like this new figure doesn't even have one)

    - figure couldn't look up or down

    - ball jointed ankles made the figure hard to stand

    - big stupid useless base

    - high price (2 inches taller, twice the price... no thanks)

     

    The Goblin at least has a cool base. But no, I won't be buying these.

     

    Why does Hasbro just insist on putting out lame figures? How about that 6" movie Sandman?!? No ball jointed hips, no ankle hinge, lousy paint... horrible!

  6. Yeah, that is one sweet custom, bub. Very nice work indeed. The use of the bullseye head is the most impressive part to me. I see that darned head on so many customs, and every time I do, I say, hmm, looks like bullseye still. But not this one. It really works for Destro.

     

    Good eye, and good craftsmanship too. 10/10 in my ratings system.

  7. They already make this, pretty much. Take a look at Unleashed 360 Spiderman and tell me that he's not Sigma 6 style. He's 8". And more of those are coming - to warm pegs, it sounds like. Maybe the kids will like em.

     

    They actually cost a bit more than the Sigma 6, at 20 bucks instead of 10 or 15. He has double articulated elbows, but so do a few of the Sigma 6 guys.

     

    He doesn't come with a huge gun, but he has a big base.

     

    And like Sigma 6 guys, he can't look up! Super-articulated? Hardly! Maybe by 1997 standards...

     

    Also like Sigma 6, he features only basic paint apps, with no washes or drybrushing, which gives the figure a very flat animated quality.

     

    I know, he's not exactly Sigma 6. But real close.

  8. I would love to see Marvel Toys go after movie, tv, and music licenses that McFarlane used to have, but have since expired. There are several properties that are proven sellers that fall into this category: Kiss, Robocop, or Freddy Kruger come to mind.

     

    The difference being of course that these are super articulated ML-style figures, and so very different from the statues that McFarlane makes.

     

    And while we're on the subject of McFarlane, why not a Spawn? I know that he has a whole toy company of his own, but is it really any crazier than Marvel making a Savage Dragon figure? Todd McFarlane still loves to make money I assume, so why not license out a few characters? Again, the idea here is that this is the same familiar characters that have all been done, but now in a totally different style. And please, don't say "never happen"

  9. I hate the way that Hasbro has handled the Marvel license and I'm going to keep posting to that effect as long as I have a forum to do so. I thank the good people who provide this particular forum - I just hope the Bro is reading.

     

    To the people who say that Hasbro critics should be "silenced" - that's un-American, bud. One of the ideas that this country is based on is the notion that we all have a right to speak our minds. If you don't like it, move to China. They're very good at silencing dissidents over there (and they can make a fine action figure as well).

     

    So yeah - I don't agree with many choice Hasbro has made. I won't go over them all now because others have done so in this thread.

     

    I think that this is a very important time for fans of super articulated figures. Hasbro didn't totally switch over to the new style over night. Really, most of the figures that they've made so far have had almost as much articulation as the comparable Toybiz figures. I can overlook (but not forgive) the Hasbro elbow on the new Thor figure because the old Thors didn't have elbow artic that was much better. The elbow bent to 90 degrees, if that.

     

    But what's really troubling to me is the trend I'm seeing. They remove the toe joints here, and hand joints there, and it's not a huge deal. But then in the new 6" Black Costumer Spiderman prototypes, it looks like he's got a Hasbro elbow too. Now wait just a cotton pickin minute here - if there is one character in the Marvel Universe who needs his double elbows, isn't it Spidey? Thor and Hulk are not really acrobats. Spidey is. And characters like Black Bolt and Namor have sculpts that would allow for full articulation as well. So why on Earth not do them that way?

     

    The only answer that makes any sense to me is that Hasbro is trying to cut costs any way they can, and they're trying to slip it past us bit by bit so that we don't rise up and storm Castle Hasbro with pitchforks and torches.

     

    So to me, the tough part will be passing on a character that I really want, and really like the sculpt of, because I want to protest the reduced articulation. I want a green speedo Namor as bad as the next fanboy. I want my black costume Spidey (I wanted him when the movie opened). But I can't allow myself to shell out my hard-earned cheddar for a Spidey whose elbows only bend 90 degress. Because that's no Spidey at all!

     

    It will be easy to pass on some of the figures from that wave - it's not like the BAF is cool in any way!

     

    I will say that Venom and New Goblin look like winners to me. Why on earth not do all of the figures that way? I don't get it, Hasbro...

  10. Reissue these old ones:

     

    Deadpool

    Juggernaut (comic)

    Hulkbuster Iron Man

    Phoenix

     

    And I'd like to see these new ones:

     

    Civil War Iron Man

    Classic 70s armor Iron Man

    FA Dazzler (Disco outfit)

    FA Doc Ock (in the white lab coat)

    FA Storm

    Doc Sampson (and not with crappy Hasbro artic)

    J Jonah Jameson (one of the main Spidey Villains, he just doesn't have super powers)

    Classic look Venom

    House of M Doom

    House of M Indestructable Woman (to round out the Fearsome 4)

    Odin

     

    BAFs:

     

    Nimrod

    Classic Sentinel

  11. I had a lot of fun playsets as a kid for my GI Joe and MOTU figs. My brother had Castle Greyskull, and I had the bad guy equivalent, whatever that was called. It had a crazy voice changer microphone that added a wicked reverb to your voice.

     

    I'm pretty sure that 10 year old boys have not changed a great deal since the 80s, but it's clear that the retail world has.

     

    There are a few solutions to the dilemma. Customizing is a great way to go. There are always challenges. Some have no access to a hobby store, and lots have no spare time. But the way I see it, you have the entire rest of your life to complete these projects. Focus on making small amounts of progress with regularity, and you'll be pleased with how it goes. The great thing about this approach is that your collection becomes totally unique.

     

    But it would be nice if we could buy a cool playset once in a while. I think about a million people have asked for the playset version of a BAF (a BAD? or a BAP?). Why not a danger-room that consists of 8 different bases that fit together? Seems do-able to me.

     

    Or how about items that are made in somewhat smaller numbers, but are sold on the Hasbro site? We know Hasbro isn't too shy about selling directly to their customers, so why not have Internet exclusive items, expecially if these are items the major retailers have refused?

     

    Shawn

  12. I voted for weakened.

     

    The good points of Hasbro so far are:

     

    - Even case pack means that fewer figures are hard to find

     

    - No twist ties makes it easier to get the figure out

     

    - Slightly better quality. Especially, fewer figures with warped or stuck joints

     

    Bad things:

     

    - No comic. I really enjoyed them, especially for characters that I was unfamiliar with, or versions of characters that I didn't know about (like Maestro). I hadn't read the first appearance of Iron Man before, and I thought it was great. This was a good thing for Marvel, because it helped the toy business to feed the comic business.

     

    - Higher price. This one is really ridiculous, especially given the item above.

     

    - Crappy "Sigma 6" elbows. I just plain hate them.

     

    - Spiderman 3 line stinks so far. I know, there's a 6" wave coming, supposedly. But when we had Toy Biz WW making the figs, we had super articulated Spideys on the pegs before the movie came out. Now, the "collector" line is... coming, supposedly. When, on the 5th of Never? We haven't even seen pictures yet.

     

     

    The survey didn't restrict itself to Marvel Legends. So, I'm considered the movie lines as well before I cast my vote. If we were just talking ML, I'd say that it was a mild weakening, but not really a huge deal. But when you consider all Marvel properties, Hasbro has turned me off, big time.

     

    I buy more figures to use as custom fodder than I do to keep intact, and for my needs, the TNA line is the way to go. They make super articulated figures (not the whole line, but many) that are cheaper than the Hasbro figures, I'm buying a ton of them.

     

    Shawn

  13. Those two figures you mentioned for the base are pretty hard to find nowadays, so I would be more inclined to use movie punisher. He comes with a coat that should work pretty well, just cut the collar off and find a way to join it at the top. Also, his arms are too buff to be posed well in that jacket, and since arm posing is really important to the character, I'd maybe dremel the arms down a bit. The handgun that comes with him is pretty close to correct, but you might need to make the barrel longer, plus he needs two of them. For the other one, you might be able to start with the rifle, and cut bits off, and then scuplt something back.

     

    Then for the head, you'd have to change the face a little, although the face is actually fairly close. The cheeks are right, the nose is wrong. You'd have to sculpt a little bit of hair on.

     

    It's a cool movie and the custom should be just challenging enough that it will be hard, but not too hard.

     

    Shawn

  14. It really doesn't have to be a dremel, they just make the best ones. I also have a cheap no-name rotary tool, and it's ok for the small jobs, such as polishing, but for jobs that require more power, like intense grinding (removal of large amounts of hard plastic) the dremel is much better. Also, the dremel bits don't wear out nearly as fast as the cheap ones.

     

    Whichever tool you use, you'll need to do a lot of experimenting to see what bit works best for each type of plastic or epoxy.

     

    Shawn

  15. New sculpt versions of the Fridge and Sgt Slaughter, of course!

     

    Ok, but seriously, I'd love to see a decent new sculpt version of:

     

    Serpentor

    Zartan

    Firefly

    bad guys in general...

     

    And more articulation in the line, esp ankle hinges and wrist swivels.

     

    Shawn

  16. Just to throw my US$00.02 into the debate...

     

    I would not have bought any of the new Joes if they were done in ARAH big-head, short-leg style. Not a one. I already have ARAH versions of the Joes, so why buy more? The fact that my favorite old characters were redone in a more detailed, more realistic style was the whole ding-dong point, to me. The only thing I don't like about the new style is that they are not all more articulated, like the snake-eyes who had ankle hinges and wrist swivels. That's the best snake ever in my book, and number two isn't even close.

     

    Shawn

  17. The thing about Dafoe is, he probably wouldn't want the part. Actors are very concerned about getting typecast, and they or their agents usually try to make sure that they play a variety of different roles.

     

    For a part like this, they want someone who will generate buzz. With Dafoe, people might be inclined to think "I've seen that picture before".

     

    On the other hand, some of the names I've seen in this thread are just too "small" for this picture. Christian Slater? He's a has-been. He hasn't had a hit in forever, and execs would not count on him to bring people into the theater.

     

    Mark Hamill is an interesting choice - not a big star exactly, but a household name nonetheless. Would that casting generate buzz? Maybe, but mostly among the fanboy types who are going to see the picture anyhow.

     

    The casting of Jack Nicolson was big at the time because he brought credibility to a genre that a lot of people did not believe could sell tickets anymore. That of course is not the case today, as comic movies dominate. So I'm inclined to guess that movie execs will not want to open their wallets for a mega star of Nicolson's caliber. Nicolson got points on Batman (box office and video, as I recall). This meant that he in effect assumed some of the risk if the picture tanked. That in not much of a concern with Begins 2.

     

    So to me, it seems like the studio will want a young actor who has some real acting credibility, but does not demand a mega paycheck. People like Adrian Brody or Alan Cumming seem to fit the bill, with Jude Law being perhaps a bit too expensive.

     

    My choice would be Jude Law, because I think he'd bring some real sophistication to the role, although it sometimes bugs me when Brits do imperfect American accents.

     

    Shawn

  18. Hi there Jin, or anyone else who can offer some thoughts on this. I was wondering if you could tell me a bit more about Aves Apoxy Sculpt. How is it to work with compared to kneadatite? What makes Aves so much better? I like kneadatite best of the things that I've used so far, but I have a problem getting the surfaces smooth. They tend to end up a little bit lumpy and uneven. I grind them down with some tiny craft files that I have, and that works ok, but I just can't seem to get my stuff looking quite as proffessional as you or the other top customizers.

     

    Thanks for any thoughts you have.

     

    Shawn

  19. There are looking great so far. I like that you're able to do some sculpting - it's really looking good, especially your Cyclops. I really love the WIP shots myself, so thanks for having so many. I have a couple of questions for you:

     

    - Are you using Aves Apoxy Sculpt? If so, how do you like it compared to other stuff you've used? It looked like you were really able to get nice detail work.

     

    - What kind of primer is that? What makes you like it best?

     

    Thanks!

     

    Shawn

  20. One thing that helps the paint not to chip is to sand the figure down a little bit, and give the paint a rough surface to cling to. That's not always easy or even desireable (like in the case of repaints) but it seems to help.

     

    The other thing is, try to put on the thinnest coat that you can. If you really pile the paint on there, it seems to come off easier. If you do multiple really thin coats, it sticks better.

     

    Shawn

  21. I really love that Tpol figure. I'm not much of a fan of the show, but I thought that she was likeable character. And the sculpt is just awesome, probably my favorite female action figure of all time. She's poseable, has good gear, and the sculpt is just awesome. Lot's of people have questioned the durability of the rubber used, but I have not had problems with mine. I did have that talking yoda that was made a few years back (phantom menace era) and his eyelids were rubber, and they dried up and cracked within just a few months. That was very upsetting, and I think what people were concerned about with these figs.

     

    The MU Kirk is just not nearly as good of a figure. It's poseability is not good, and the bicep cut joint is mega ugly. The likeness of The Shat is just not the best I've seen. It's more like one of the old Playmates heads... you can sorta tell who it's supposed to be, but it's no Sideshow 18" Kirk. As much as I love that episode, this figure is a letdown.

     

    I also have a Gorn from wave three, and he's much better. But I think its a lot easier to sculpt and alien. If the head is a bit off, it's close enough, but a well known human face has to be accurate to the smallest detail.

     

    Shawn

  22. I think that one of the problems with Enterprise and the last few interations of Trek in general was that there was very little tension between the characters on the ship. If you look at the way that Farscape or the new Battlestar Galactica work, much of the drama of the show comes from conflicts between the characters. In Enterprise, they paid lip service to this notion, but it was so boring and predictable that no one cared. For instance, the love affair between Trip and the vulcan babe happened at a glacial pace, didn't offer any surprises, and didn't really make much sense. What it did do well was give us plenty of chances to see Jolene Blaylock in her undies, which I normally support 100 percent, but the fact that the storyline was such a failure in other areas made the whole thing seem like a cheap excuse to get some female flesh on the show - which it was.

     

    I agree that the idea of a federation ship exploring strange new worlds has been done, so how about a situation where the crew of a ship isn't part of the federation, and has been thrown together by circumstance? This was how Firefly worked as well - the characters all had a mysterious past, and most of them really didn't trust each other. That makes the situations that they get into much more interesting and unpredictable.

     

    Enterprise sucked donkey!

     

    Shawn

  23. I'll probably buy almost any TOS figure they make, except repaints, so I'm jazzed about the salt vampire and I hope it shows up. Borg Ferengi (or is it a Ferengi Borg?) is THE stupidest Trek figure ever, in my book. Let's stick to guys from the actual shows, shall we? That gives about 10 thousand characters to choose from, which ought to be plenty.

     

    Shawn

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