1/6 INART (Queen Studio) - The Dark Knight - Joker Collectible Figure

[sj2106]

Question. Why are the rooted versions more expensive? Obviously it takes more work, but HT doesn't increase $200 for rooted hair, like WW84's two different versions?

Proper rooted hair is always more time consuming and expensive. What Hot Toys call rooted hair is just very cheap doll hair you'd find on a Barbie or Halloween mask. Not comparable.

 

[bangooface]

Looks like the rooted version still for preorder at specs. Am I wrong? I thought it was 3 days only?

 

[TheBatman]

Saw this thread about a week ago and figured I'd wait 'til in-hand pics pop up and then the thread blew up to 170+ pages and . . . . missed the rooted hair version. Damn.

Never assume..Sorry for your loss

 

[R_R_X]

Spoiler

HOT TOYS PLEASE!!!!

 

[K1LLJOY]

Back in the day there was a reviewer ( if you can call him that) that was amongst the first ones to receive a figure. He didn't say a word, he just got close ups of the figure and accessories. I think he wore gloves, too. That was my favorite channel. No over hyped excited voices, jazz hands, and overly positive critiques. I can't remember what the channel was called or even if it still exists. I don't watch any reviewer channels nowadays.

Are you thinking of Kidulttoyshop?

 

[fiveainone]

Wow, had no idea between plugged vs rooted, I thought they were the same process. Obviously from the prototype pics it looks fantastic compared to the plugged hairs I've seen.

 

[Zurdo95D]

Spoiler

HOT TOYS PLEASE!!!!
View attachment 569057

That's a nice custom! Lol it's actually fitting since he constantly licked his prosthetics in the movie

 

[Phoenixblazes]

Looks like the rooted version still for preorder at specs. Am I wrong? I thought it was 3 days only?

He may have chosen to secure a particular amount of stock (using his own funds to pay down for deposits), in which case it might be perfectly fine. And then it’s up to him to sell the excess. Much like it is for them when they order a particular number of statues etc.

 

[TheFiend]

Oh dang I think I remember him! He got the DX11 Joker pretty early, right? The mention of a classroom unlocked a memory in my mind. I remember that was around the time people were debating what color his coat was - since it was showing up shockingly different from review to review.

Are you thinking of Kidulttoyshop?

^^ That's the guy! Thx.

I must have imagined the gloves.
Looks like he kept the reviews up until about a year ago. Same room - still quiet.

 

[Darren Carnall]

So I haven't been in this forum for a long, long time. And I don't even collect that many figures! (I only have one Iron Man for example, maybe ten 1/6 figures in total) a lot of my collection is prop replicas, Raiders golden Idol, Fifth Element multipass, genuine graflex lightsaber etc.

But I thankfully saw this figure advertised somewhere and looked it up. After reading all 174 pages of this thread I've now ordered the standard sculpted hair version and I am SO excited.

It's phenomenal!

I actually bought one of the first early (at the time really good) Joker figures from hot toys but never got to take it out the box, it had to be sold almost immediately to pay for our wedding or something (in 2008, was it out then?)

So to finally get the chance to have one of my favourite portrayals of any character ever, and such an incredible version has me so, SO excited

Those rooted photos literally look like Ledger photoshoot pics, but I didn't want two versions of the same character and couldn't even consider spending £800+ but even that sculpted version blows my mind.

From regular viewing distance (like arm length or something) he'll look simply stunning. The tailoring is something else.

 

[BeefEaster]

I've been busy the last few days and totally missed out on the news of this and was worried I'd missed my chance to get one but that onesixthkit place still had them.

I've never dealt with them before but I'm assuming(hoping) they're legit since there's a link to the store in the OP.

 

[SwedishHeat]

Proper rooted hair is always more time consuming and expensive. What Hot Toys call rooted hair is just very cheap doll hair you'd find on a Barbie or Halloween mask. Not comparable.

This is wrong.

Rooted hair means the hair is sewn into the head with a needle. 'Rooting' is the name of the process.

With most high-end customs, and figures like the Asmus Crown Gandalf, and presumably the InArt Joker, the hair is glued, not rooted. It would be impossible to root a custom head, as those heads are made of resin, and you can't puncture them with the needle used to root hair.

Hot Toys is the highest-end of rooted hair. Halloween masks at the local big box store would be the low end. To get better quality than Hot Toys, you need to move away from rooted hair, onto glued hair, which is what is happening.

Presumably, the English/Chinese translation of this process has led to InArt using the term 'rooted' incorrectly. You can tell just by looking at the head that the Joker's hair is not sewn into the head. If it was, you could see the puncture holes where the needle pierced the plastic head.

 

[Nine Inch Nails]

This is wrong.

Rooted hair means the hair is sewn into the head with a needle. 'Rooting' is the name of the process.

With most high-end customs, and figures like the Asmus Crown Gandalf, and presumable the InArt Joker, the hair is glued, not rooted. It would be impossible to root a custom head, as those heads are made of resin, and you can't puncture them with the needle used to root hair.

Hot Toys is the highest-end of rooted hair. Halloween masks at the local big box store would be the low end. To get better quality than Hot Toys, you need to move away from rooted hair, onto glued hair, which is what is happening.

Presumably, the English/Chinese translation of this process has led to InArt using the term 'rooted' incorrectly. You can tell just by looking at the head that the Joker's hair is not sewn into the head. If it was, you could see the puncture holes where the needle pierced the plastic head.

Should I be worried then? Were we misled?

 

[SwedishHeat]

Should I be worried then? Were we misled?

No.

I suppose my point is it would be wise for manufacturers to start differentiating between rooted and glued as a marketing bullet point, because they are two substantially different processes. However, in this instance InArt are limited to the Chinese market, and using the proper English term to market their products is probably unnecessary.

 

[TheFiend]

Swedish is right. I've been using the word "rooted" as well but as shorthand because that's what QS used. But this Joker won't be "rooted". I'm expecting the Asmus Gandalf level of hair quality and attachment - which is very, very good. That isn't what HT does though. And the hair that they use is poor, imo.

 

[Gipetto0812]

Also, I think the term “rooted hair” nowadays is synonymous in the collector community with “real hair on a figure,” rather than it being about the actual application or technique involved.

 

[Wor-Gar]

I've now ordered the standard sculpted hair version and I am SO excited.

So happy to see Darren Carnall around these parts after so many years!

 

[SwedishHeat]

Also, I think the term “rooted hair” nowadays is synonymous in the collector community with “real hair on a figure,” rather than it being about the actually application or technique involved.

Yes, I'm just now realizing that the term 'rooted' has been misused by the community at large. I just searched for a video on 'rooting a 1/6 scale head' and you get a bunch of results of people gluing the hair onto the head. It's bizarre. I don't know how long this has been going on, but .... it's freaking me out.

It's like if you wanted to learn how to chisel a statue, and all the instructional videos don't actually use a chisel, and people forgot that 'chisel' is an actual tool. It's like some freaky Twilight Zone.

But again, it's necessary to differentiate because glued hair is more realistic than rooted, and calling everything 'rooted' is like calling everything 'steak'. No, there's porterhouse, ribeye, filet mignon, chuck, etc. The irony is that InArt is calling their product 'tenderloin' and giving you 'filet mignon'

 

[Wor-Gar]

They call it a phone... yet its the last thing you actually do with your "phone".

 

[MGS_OldBoy57]

So happy to see Darren Carnall around these parts after so many years!

It’s a little trippy for me. I enjoy watching Darren’s videos on YT.