This Week In Your Plastic Crack, Action Figures and Toy Collection 26 26

[fantastic_four]

Because I dumped on Hot Toys yesterday I'd like to clarify I LOVE that company.   I respect that they exist and the work they do, and whenever they release any new action figures I'm always interested in seeing them.  But I can't buy them due to the bad articulation and poor durability.

The Hot Toys figures I've been most on the fence about are the Ahsoka figures.  I debated buying those for months.  However, that rubbery material that they put over elbow and knee joints that are exposed which you can see on the Clone Wars Ahsoka below crack if you leave the figures in a bent-arm pose.  So whenever you see Hot Toys figures in poses flexing those joints hardcore Hot Toys collectors know not to leave them in that pose or the skin will crack.  Both figures are also squarely in the Uncanny Valley, although it's highly minimized with her alien look defined by her multi-colored montrals and lekku.

I love that Hot Toys is doing what they do in covering joints with skin because it really does improve the look of action figures...but it just isn't working.  I hope they eventually perfect it in a durable way.  

Edited September 14, 2023 by fantastic_four

[F For Fake]

I used to be all in on Hot Toys. I was an early adopter, my first figures being the Colonial Marines from Aliens. This was back when a brand new Hot Toys figure was about $80. They didn't have rights to the likenesses at that point, so they weren't totally screen accurate, but the attention to detail on the costume design was unreal. It was my first experience with hyper-detailed, high-end collectible "dolls" like that. In subsequent years, I picked up several more. I ended up selling them all off when my focus changed, and I wanted to fund the purchase of some vintage pieces.

As for the issues with the material, it is largely a case by case basis. There are definitely instances of figures with "rubbery" costumes exhibiting signs of "weeping". Not sure if that's due to uncured plastic or what. There are also sometimes issues with figures that have joints hidden by fleshy rubber cracking if they are held in certain positions.

However, I don't think it's the majority of figures. Many have held their shape for many years with no problems. I'd say just do some research on any particular figure you're interested in, in order to gauge whether or not there are concerns.

As for articulation, I don't really "play" with my toys, so however I pose them initially is how they're going to stay. And I also tend to keep them in a bland vanilla pose. So articulation isn't an issue for me.

As for Sabine Wren, I only know this character from the Ahsoka show, which we just started watching last week. I am familiar with Ahsoka from having watched Clone Wars all those many years ago, but I don't know any of these other new characters, who apparently were on another show or something and have a fan following. So, no interest in the character. I'm sure it'll be a nice likeness from HT.

[fantastic_four]

On 9/14/2023 at 8:23 AM, F For Fake said:

As for articulation, I don't really "play" with my toys, so however I pose them initially is how they're going to stay. And I also tend to keep them in a bland vanilla pose. So articulation isn't an issue for me.

A significant portion of collectors feel exactly this way, and I usually think it's a majority.  And that's totally fine and I used to be exactly like this for decades, but I always come back to the same question--why buy that figure with any articulation at all, then?  I would think that vanilla-oriented, pose once and forget it collectors would be much better served with statues.  Articulation cuts ALWAYS make figures look worse, so why buy figures with those cuts?  Statues look much better since they don't have them.

I was a statue collector up until I had kids.  Over their first two years I realized how unfortunate it was that they couldn't play with all of these cool-looking statues.  I had looked at action figures in the early to mid 2000s, but Toy Biz figures were SO much wonkier-looking than say Bowen statues that they had no appeal at all for me.  But once I looked at Marvel Legends circa 2018 and saw the quality improvement and realized that it can be fun to pose figures in different ways to vary up their look in a display I was hooked.  And I have consistently cycled my displays for years now.  Haven't gotten tired of it at all.

I can see myself fading back into a pose-once-and-forget collector in 5, 10, 20, or however many years.  Maybe I'll switch back to statues myself at that point.  

[fantastic_four]

There's one other issue with Hot Toys--they don't really do comic looks much.  Sometimes, but not much.  And I generally prefer Marvel comics looks over MCU looks.

And it's not like you can't do comic looks with fantastic articulation in sixth scale.  Hasbro made a line of about a dozen Marvel Legends in 12-inch scale a few years ago, and they're all really good and have better articulation than any Hot Toys figure ever does.  Their Wolverine pictured below in particular is amazing, and until the Haslab Sentinel and Galactus I thought it was the best action figure Hasbro had ever made.  It's just spectacular in every way, and the articulation is wonderful.  And you can leave him in any pose without worrying about degradation over time.

[fantastic_four]

Another look at the Marvel Legends 12-inch Wolverine next to the Marvel Legends 6-inch Wolverine.  The 12-inch is pretty much a scaled-up version of the 6-inch figure; I'm pretty sure they share the exact same 3D model.  Every part is identical (I've got bone claws on the 6-inch in this pic, but he also came with adamantium claws), except that the 12-inch has additional detailing sculpts on most parts--textured boots and gloves, scratches and bullet holes on the shoulder pads, extra hair and damage on the mask cowl, etc.

Again, the 12-inch version is one of the best action figures I've ever seen.  He's just wonderful.  If Hasbro had done hundreds of these 12-inch Marvel figures I'd probably be looking for a new, bigger house to display them in.  

Edited September 14, 2023 by fantastic_four

[F For Fake]

On 9/14/2023 at 8:31 AM, fantastic_four said:

A significant portion of collectors feel exactly this way, and I usually think it's a majority.  And that's totally fine and I used to be exactly like this for decades, but I always come back to the same question--why buy that figure with any articulation at all, then?  I would think that vanilla-oriented, pose once and forget it collectors would be much better served with statues.  Articulation cuts ALWAYS make figures look worse, so why buy figures with those cuts?  Statues look much better since they don't have them.

I was a statue collector up until I had kids.  Over their first two years I realized how unfortunate it was that they couldn't play with all of these cool-looking statues.  I had looked at action figures in the early to mid 2000s, but Toy Biz figures were SO much wonkier-looking than say Bowen statues that they had no appeal at all for me.  But once I looked at Marvel Legends circa 2018 and saw the quality improvement and realized that it can be fun to pose figures in different ways to vary up their look in a display I was hooked.  And I have consistently cycled my displays for years now.  Haven't gotten tired of it at all.

I can see myself fading back into a pose-once-and-forget collector in 5, 10, 20, or however many years.  Maybe I'll switch back to statues myself at that point.  

Very good and valid questions, and for me, it's a surprisingly simple answer: money and space. It's a lot easier to assemble complete teams, or story-specific displays, with 6/7" figures at $25 a pop, as opposed to statues, which take up significantly more space, and much more $$$. I was a Bowen guy for a long time. Love his stuff, but eventually I ran out of space, and there would also be characters I maybe didn't LOVE, but felt the need to purchase to complete a "set". And that could be a hard pill to swallow at $200+.

Now, if we're talking strictly comparing Hot Toys to Statues, I think you're pretty much right on, as the price and the size comparisons are very similar. You're looking at about $250+ for a 12"-ish piece no matter which side you choose. In those cases, it's more a matter of preference in sculpt and styling, I guess. Like I said, I'm out of the HT game, and don't buy many statues anymore either. Love all of that stuff, but there's still only so much shelf space and cash to go around.

I think it's great when I see figures that are articulated and "played with". I've always enjoyed seeing your pics! But for me, I don't have the patience to fiddle with them. ha I just sorta cram them all together in a little group, and boom, done! 

[F For Fake]

Speaking of fiddly little dudes, Todd's Knightfall Bats showed up yesterday. This is my preferred look for Batman, so I'm a sucker for this deco. For a $25 figure, I think it looks pretty sharp. I think I'd still give the edge to the DC Collectibles Essentials Knightfall Bats, as possibly the best Batman ever made, but for price and ease of availability, this is a solid choice.

[StingerMcK]

Oh we talking Hot Toys now?  Here is my latest:

I have been all in on HT and other 1/6 scale companies for years now.  I have way too many

[Dave2739]

On 9/14/2023 at 3:19 PM, StingerMcK said:

Oh we talking Hot Toys now?  Here is my latest:

I have been all in on HT and other 1/6 scale companies for years now.  I have way too many

I used to be into 1/6th in a big way. I'd be interested to see pics of your collection.

[B2D327]

Found on Reddit 

What action figures were meant for

https://reddit.com/r/ActionFigures/s/aAWKtC5Trq

[Cat]

On 9/14/2023 at 10:17 PM, F For Fake said:

I got a bundle from McFarlane's website, included these two and a "Gold Patina" Superboy, which I'll probably sell. At the time I placed the order, Catman and Riddler seemed to be sold out everywhere, so I probably ended up overpaying. Oh well. 

A friend pointed one out to me on Amazon. Only problem was it was just shy of $100 shipping to me here in Oz. So my friend got it shipped to him in the States, and he'll mail it to me with some other stuff of mine he's holding. I hope I get the opportunity to buy extras somehow! 

On 9/14/2023 at 10:23 PM, F For Fake said:

I used to be all in on Hot Toys. I was an early adopter, my first figures being the Colonial Marines from Aliens. This was back when a brand new Hot Toys figure was about $80. They didn't have rights to the likenesses at that point, so they weren't totally screen accurate, but the attention to detail on the costume design was unreal. It was my first experience with hyper-detailed, high-end collectible "dolls" like that. In subsequent years, I picked up several more. I ended up selling them all off when my focus changed, and I wanted to fund the purchase of some vintage pieces.

As for the issues with the material, it is largely a case by case basis. There are definitely instances of figures with "rubbery" costumes exhibiting signs of "weeping". Not sure if that's due to uncured plastic or what. There are also sometimes issues with figures that have joints hidden by fleshy rubber cracking if they are held in certain positions.

However, I don't think it's the majority of figures. Many have held their shape for many years with no problems. I'd say just do some research on any particular figure you're interested in, in order to gauge whether or not there are concerns.

As for articulation, I don't really "play" with my toys, so however I pose them initially is how they're going to stay. And I also tend to keep them in a bland vanilla pose. So articulation isn't an issue for me.

As for Sabine Wren, I only know this character from the Ahsoka show, which we just started watching last week. I am familiar with Ahsoka from having watched Clone Wars all those many years ago, but I don't know any of these other new characters, who apparently were on another show or something and have a fan following. So, no interest in the character. I'm sure it'll be a nice likeness from HT.

Sabine was in the Rebels animated show, and was a great character there as well, completely stole the show for me. So I was very excited when I found out about the live-action version of her (which happened when I was watching episode 1, I hadn't kept up to date with news on the show at all, so to have one of your favourite characters appearing is a wonderful surprise, and she's perfectly cast, and even better, played by an Aussie!), let alone the slow realisation that the first 4 episodes could have been named 'Sabine' and probably been a more appropriate fit. 

The Hot Toys Sabine figure doesn't look to have any material that will degrade, that I could see. Seems like basic fabric and plastic. @fantastic_fourdo you see anything concerning on her? I'm genuinely considering getting her. I mean, she's not out until December of next year, not like I don't have time to save for her! 

[fantastic_four]

On 9/15/2023 at 2:22 PM, Cat said:

The Hot Toys Sabine figure doesn't look to have any material that will degrade, that I could see. Seems like basic fabric and plastic. @fantastic_fourdo you see anything concerning on her? I'm genuinely considering getting her. I mean, she's not out until December of next year, not like I don't have time to save for her! 

No I don't.  She's wearing a full body Mandalorian suit so none of that rubbery stuff they use to hide joints.

[whisp]

I finally pulled the plug on my first Ultimate Super 7 but wanted to make sure I got something that most likely wouldn't be done elsewhere so got the Thundercats Panthro.  It was also a splurge as a self birthday gift.  I also got an oddball item of the Jumanji Elusive Jaguar but my reasoning is that it would be a great filler for my Drizzt Do'Urden figure I bought and showed previously as Guenhwyvar his panther.  It also fits in at the size vs 6" figures of what Guenhyvar would be.  I didn't like the Hasbro Pulse combo and think the legend of Drizzt figure with this panther is a better combo.  They made the cat too small in the Hasbro Pulse one in my opinion.  Finally I also got the Legend of Drizzt board game.

Edited September 15, 2023 by whisp

[Turnando]

On 9/15/2023 at 3:21 PM, whisp said:

Finally I also got the Legend of Drizzt board game.

Cool!  You made me want that Drizzt game.  I ordered it... arrives tomorrow.  

[fantastic_four]

On 9/15/2023 at 5:21 PM, whisp said:

I didn't like the Hasbro Pulse combo and think the legend of Drizzt figure with this panther is a better combo.  They made the cat too small in the Hasbro Pulse one in my opinion. 

That figure, the panther, and the effects that come with Drizzt in that set are all awesome.  Seems about the size of a real panther to me, and it's got the most articulation of any 1:12 animal I own.  I mostly use mine in Black Panther displays, and I use Drizzt's sword effects with Silver Samurai.

How is it too small?  Panthers are usually around 2 to 2.5 feet at the shoulder, and that's right about what this one looks to be.  They're significantly smaller than lions or tigers.  Below is a pic of Shuri next to Drizzt's panther along with Silver Samurai sporting Drizzt's sword effects.  The Drizzt figure is pretty awesome too, but I only use him in Asgardian displays with Thor.

 

Edited September 16, 2023 by fantastic_four

[whisp]

Guenhyvar isn't a standard panther.  They are from the astral plane and actually stand about 4 feet tall (up to a mans chest), 10-12 feet long and is 600lbs.  Lot of pictures show Drizzt laying against Guenhyvar and also shown up to his armpits.  Drizzt was aprox 5.24 feet.  There is different artwork though that show different sizes but according to the data she is a very big cat.  I also read the books though when I was younger and my understanding was that Guenhyvar was a lot larger then a standard panther.

https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Guenhwyvar

I also have these from from 1993 Menzoberranzan lead figure set and the Drizzt from the hero set and shows Guen being pretty big.  Next to that is the new plastic figures from the board game I just got.

I guess its a matter of opinion and just how you visualize her from the books.

As for the  Hasbro pulse Drizzt I didn't like the face sculpt or the design and again that is personal.  As for the effects technically only Icingdeath should have one since it was a frostbrand Scimitar.  Next is the hilts are both the same colour for the Hasbro pulse in which that isn't correct since Icingdeath had a black hilt.  This is why I went for the Golden Archive version although it came with the Crystal Shard (Crenshinibon) and would have liked that small panther statue to call fourth Guen from the Astral Plane.

Thus this is why I bought the Elusive Jaguar because I felt it represented better. Although it isn't as articulated it does make growl noises lol.  On top of that just for display.

Edited September 16, 2023 by whisp

[fantastic_four]

Wow, didn't realize Guenhyvar was a magical panther.  I guess my desire to use them outside of Dungeons and Dragons displays is the main reason I'm so satisfied with that Hasbro 2-pack!  

[D84]

Updated my Hot Toys Batman Begins figure with a custom cape and cowl.

[whisp]

That's the joy of collecting and toys.  You are using a D&D panther for a Marvel display, I am using a Jumanji Jaguar for my D&D character.  Its all about imagination.     The universe is yours to make.

[Yorick]

On 9/17/2023 at 7:22 AM, D84 said:

Updated my Hot Toys Batman Begins figure with a custom cape and cowl.

Looks like you'll need to add some "scallop" cuts to the bottom edge of his cape.  It's not Batman without that cape!