[Joe Moore]

The Dark Knight Rises - Catwoman Figure by Soap Studio

[dukefett]

Actually looks pretty good but never cared too much about this incarnation.

[webz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dukefett

Actually looks pretty good but never cared too much about this incarnation.

Same. She's cute, but like all the "Nolanverse" just really a crappy adaptation of deep character.

[Comedian]

I like it, but how many companies have done this scale? I mean we have Mattel, the hot toys 6 inch scale, mafex, sh figuarts and soap box. Then those 8 inch figures, the 3.75 and the 12” scale.

There seems to be a nostalgic mood of late for Tim burton and the Schumacher films. Mezco tapped in to it a bit, and as much as I hate pops...and I mean hate....they just showed of the villain characters for Batman 1989, Batman returns, Batman forever and Batman and robin. Why can no company other than funko pick up on that and try something different?

End rant.

[Alucard1138]

From the waist up this looks pretty great, the legs though. Not sure how much tighter they could make the fabric hug the legs (as they should) without completely killing articulation. But, the bottom half really kills the look.

[webz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Comedian

I like it, but how many companies have done this scale? I mean we have Mattel, the hot toys 6 inch scale, mafex, sh figuarts and soap box. Then those 8 inch figures, the 3.75 and the 12” scale.

There seems to be a nostalgic mood of late for Tim burton and the Schumacher films. Mezco tapped in to it a bit, and as much as I hate pops...and I mean hate....they just showed of the villain characters for Batman 1989, Batman returns, Batman forever and Batman and robin. Why can no company other than funko pick up on that and try something different?

End rant.

Reason is licensing. The Batman villains in the 90's were mostly all big name actors. POPs don't need to worry about likeness rights. I've heard that Nicholson doesn't allow likenesses on products. That's why there are no Shining figures or 1989 Joker figures that are licensed. You gotta go underground or custom for them. I heard that DeVito got paid a pretty penny for his sign off on the Mattel movie figure.

Would LOVE to see an action figure of Jeff Goldblum as Scarecrow for the unmade sequel to Batman & Robin. I once saw sketches of proposed costumes before production was halted. Fans would have been pissed. It was more "Wizard of Oz"ish than the comics.

[Joe Moore]

Funko Pops are also a lot less expensive to produce that any scale action figure. Like Webz said, no need to worry about any likenesses is a major cost and time saver. But the overall production on a Pop is low cost, and solid profit per unit. That is why they hit every license they can, no matter how poorly they sell in the end. The ones that do sell well, easily cover the costs of any that don't.

Funko can acquire a license and have product on shelf within 6 to 9 weeks as well (via their prospectus when they went public). No other company can really do that.

[Comedian]

Understood on money. But pay it, charge more for the figure. Arnold can’t be that tough, neca has made about 50 figures of him. Uma Thurman was made as well for kill bill. Hot toys released 2 Jack Nicholson joker figures. They were $50 more than the average hot toys at the time. I and many others gladly paid it. Now he is on eBay for $700 plus. It can be done. Companies need to show us great likenesses and great sculpting and we will pay it.

[Joe Moore]

Hot Toys can hide the cost of an expensive likeness in a $300 collectible. Mezco can mostly justify the cost by bumping an $80 figure up to $110 or so. You can't hide a high cost like that in a $20 to $30 figure. It's not always about paying either. Some talent simply refuse to work with companies anymore, or simply want so much that there's no way to make it feasible.

[dukefett]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Comedian

Understood on money. But pay it, charge more for the figure. Arnold can’t be that tough, neca has made about 50 figures of him. Uma Thurman was made as well for kill bill. Hot toys released 2 Jack Nicholson joker figures. They were $50 more than the average hot toys at the time. I and many others gladly paid it. Now he is on eBay for $700 plus. It can be done. Companies need to show us great likenesses and great sculpting and we will pay it.

Hot Toys must have paid a boatload for Nicholson's likeness, they're literally the only licensed figure of him that I know of. Same for Peter Weller, I heard he charges out the ass but they paid up.

[webz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Comedian

Understood on money. But pay it, charge more for the figure. Arnold can’t be that tough, neca has made about 50 figures of him. Uma Thurman was made as well for kill bill. Hot toys released 2 Jack Nicholson joker figures. They were $50 more than the average hot toys at the time. I and many others gladly paid it. Now he is on eBay for $700 plus. It can be done. Companies need to show us great likenesses and great sculpting and we will pay it.

I know NECA really wanted to do a 1989 Joker and likeness costs were astronomical. It wasn't Neca, but similar issue with Shining figures. Shining I'm fuzzy on remembering. I know some toy company was going for it, but Jack flat out said no... They had the ok from the rest of the cast, but scrapped the project coz no Jack was a no bueno. I saw the hand-made prototypes. A collectibles shop I used to frequent had the prototypes on display for a few months.

Asking $80 for a Mezco One:12 is borderline extortion for many. The $110 for Batman 1989 received lots of saber rattling. Even NECA gets a ton of flack if they DARE release a figure for a MSRP of $30 instead of $24.

While you might be willing to pay the premium, it seems many toy makers don't see the cost outweighing the benefits.

[Joe Moore]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dukefett

Hot Toys must have paid a boatload for Nicholson's likeness, they're literally the only licensed figure of him that I know of. Same for Peter Weller, I heard he charges out the ass but they paid up.

Peter Weller, I can't imagine the total they paid. He literally refuses all attempts at Robocop involvement. He's refused NECA's offers multiple times, and the guys making the Robocop Documentary (RoboDoc) have basically held up the entire process for over a year trying to get him involved. Weller is pretty much the only living person involved with Robocop who won't be interviewed for that documentary (they are using archive footage).

Carl Weathers is another example. His likeness was included in the Rocky franchise (everyone was except for Hogan I believe). But Predator didn't include any likenesses, and NECA has failed at every attempt to get a Dillon figure made.

[Comedian]

Crazy isn’t it. You see where 3-d printers are going to be the future.

Any way, joe I’m trying to find out what other soap box figures actually saw release. I want to see what the final toy looked like. All I keep getting anywhere is the ras and Bruce 2-pack.

[dukefett]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe Moore

Peter Weller, I can't imagine the total they paid. He literally refuses all attempts at Robocop involvement. He's refused NECA's offers multiple times, and the guys making the Robocop Documentary (RoboDoc) have basically held up the entire process for over a year trying to get him involved. Weller is pretty much the only living person involved with Robocop who won't be interviewed for that documentary (they are using archive footage).

Carl Weathers is another example. His likeness was included in the Rocky franchise (everyone was except for Hogan I believe). But Predator didn't include any likenesses, and NECA has failed at every attempt to get a Dillon figure made.

That sucks for Weathers/Predator, I have been hoping for a Grief figure from Mandalorian. It doesn't make sense sometimes, Nicholson's got millions in the bank, I'm sure Weathers wouldn't mind some extra cash.

[notoriouslyhigh]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Comedian

Crazy isn’t it. You see where 3-d printers are going to be the future.

Any way, joe I’m trying to find out what other soap box figures actually saw release. I want to see what the final toy looked like. All I keep getting anywhere is the ras and Bruce 2-pack.

Soap Studios have done Flash from the CW show as well as Reverse Flash and they did Arrow from that same universe. They have a Joker from the opening scene of TDK and I believe the only other one they've released so far was the Newt guy from that Fantastic Beasts. Plus the 2-pack you already mentioned.

Totally forgot they made Harvey Dent/Two-Face from TDK also

[negamegatron]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dukefett

That sucks for Weathers/Predator, I have been hoping for a Grief figure from Mandalorian. It doesn't make sense sometimes, Nicholson's got millions in the bank, I'm sure Weathers wouldn't mind some extra cash.

Didn't they show pics of a Carl Weathers figure, along with Werner Herzog?
Or did I dream that? Either is possible....

[webz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by negamegatron

Didn't they show pics of a Carl Weathers figure, along with Werner Herzog?
Or did I dream that? Either is possible....

Probably. I didn't follow the figures of that show, so dunno. But since it's Disney AND Starwars, who are known to work likeness rights into their contracts BEFORE they merged (doesn't matter how big or little of an actor you are), I'm pretty sure we'll see those figures in the next year or so.

[dukefett]

Quote:

Originally Posted by negamegatron

Didn't they show pics of a Carl Weathers figure, along with Werner Herzog?
Or did I dream that? Either is possible....

I haven't seen either of those characters in figure form, except maybe Pops.

[Joe Moore]

Star Wars, and any modern film/TV contract, include likeness rights. Getting to do a Carl Weathers figure for Star Wars doesn’t grant likeness rights for other properties.

[Cyclopswc]

Look at how stiff she looks even in the promo photos. They don't even try to pose her in any action pose. I bet that fabric restricts her movement like crazy.

[Dolemite]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Comedian

There seems to be a nostalgic mood of late for Tim burton and the Schumacher films.

Not me. I still kinda like the first Burton film, but otherwise Batman Returns and the Schumacher flicks are super-runny diarrhea.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe Moore

Funko Pops are also a lot less expensive to produce that any scale action figure. Like Webz said, no need to worry about any likenesses is a major cost and time saver. But the overall production on a Pop is low cost, and solid profit per unit. That is why they hit every license they can, no matter how poorly they sell in the end. The ones that do sell well, easily cover the costs of any that don't.

Funko can acquire a license and have product on shelf within 6 to 9 weeks as well (via their prospectus when they went public). No other company can really do that.

Wow, interesting. I didn't know a lot of that info, especially the turnaround time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Comedian

Understood on money. But pay it, charge more for the figure. Arnold can’t be that tough, neca has made about 50 figures of him.

From what I've read, I believe that Arnold was the most that NECA ever has or ever would splash out for a likeness, mostly because it can be used for multiple properties and they know it'll sell no matter what they use it for. I mean, it's fucking Arnold. Meanwhile if you give Carl Weathers an island full of cocaine and hookers for a Dillon likeness, you get just one figure out of it. Not worth it, as much as we'd all love a Dillon figure.

That's provided that I was correct about NECA's Arnold deal. Not 100% sure if they have the general rights to his likeness to use for whatever they want or if they have to set it up by movie. It sure seems like they just have overall rights considering where his likeness keeps popping up, like the Kenner homages and videogame figures.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe Moore

Peter Weller, I can't imagine the total they paid. He literally refuses all attempts at Robocop involvement. He's refused NECA's offers multiple times, and the guys making the Robocop Documentary (RoboDoc) have basically held up the entire process for over a year trying to get him involved. Weller is pretty much the only living person involved with Robocop who won't be interviewed for that documentary (they are using archive footage).

I'd really like to know what Weller's deal is. I know he's supposed to be a rather weird and unhinged guy in real life (I mean, the guy has a PhD in Italian Renaissance Art History), but I've seen videos of him talking about Robocop at conventions so I don't know what his problem is with being involved with retrospective stuff on the movie, especially since it basically made his career.

Quote:

Carl Weathers is another example. His likeness was included in the Rocky franchise (everyone was except for Hogan I believe). But Predator didn't include any likenesses, and NECA has failed at every attempt to get a Dillon figure made.

He's another odd duck (I love that term, lol). He keeps feigning interest, then drops out of discussions cold.

Seriously, it's easy enough to make a near-perfect Dillon custom with a NECA Apollo Creed figure, a Dutch figure, the right accessories, and a wee bit of paint.