12" Aragorn Image Thread

[LOTRFan]

I have no idea what Lucas would demand. For all I know he cuold have demanded a little darker hair on Obi-Wan. What I'm saying is that NL could have asked for changes to be made on Aragorn. Not that they did but could have and that could be the reason. You can roll your eyes all you want but it is a possiblity.

Of course it's possible, but probable!? I don't think so. Again Josh, what is the more likely and simplest explanation, that NL cared enough to demand that the sculpt be made into "Facelift-a-Gorn," or that the changes as we have seen with just about every 12" figure are due to prototype to production issues?

 

[pixletwin]

...that NL cared enough to demand that the sculpt be made into "Facelift-a-Gorn," or that the changes as we have seen with just about every 12" figure are due to prototype to production issues?

My vote goes to the latter.

 

[galactiboy]

Hmmm. I recognize those DiD photos from somewhere...

I repainted the Toy-Biz figure a while back. It actually turned out to be not a bad sculpt. Not better than SSC, of course. Can't wait to get him!!

Sorry, reviews on MWCToys always seem to be fair game

 

[Khev]

Zoolander jokes aside, I think this figure looks fantastic. I see Viggo in the sculpt, the clothing looks great and I see only minor nitpicks with the blending (or lackthereof) of weathering on the coat and the darkness of the beard. All in all just a great looking Aragorn.

Then enter the forum quality committee mercilessly revealing how wrong I was to like this figure.

I was a quality specialist at a tech support call center at my last job and I had a team of agents whom I'd monitor, evaluate, and coach. All in all the team scored pretty favorably. Sometimes I'd discuss a call with an agent's team manager and one of us would recognize "flaws" the other missed, but for the most part we pretty much agreed straight across the board.

But once a month we'd have a "calibration" session via conference call with the quality specialists, operations managers, and other team managers at a center in another state to make sure we all evaluated consistently. The calls we'd listen to as a committee would be absolutely BUTCHERED. Great calls where customers were getting EXACTLY what they wanted would be nitpicked to death on some ridiculous technicality by some manager on a power trip, swaying the group into marking the score down and failing the call. It got to the point that we'd go months before an expert agent would actually pass an evaluation in a calibration session, much less exceed (much to my chagrine.)

I see that same principle in action here. Not always, some criticism is often warranted (coughAnakinslipscough), but not on the level that we see here month in and month out. If any of us were to secretly evaluate these figures without the "mob" I think we'd appreciate them a lot more.

 

[noelleon69]

i can notice the difference in the fringe but that was shown to be just the positioning of the hair part on the head. i can also see the difference in the weathering of the figure seen at SDCC.

inspite of the comments about the painting and other dislikes etc... i am still happy because so far this is the best figure representation there is in the market. so i'm fine with it since there isn't any other one that comes close.

 

[Radagaster]

If you're comparing facial sculpts, take a look at this 12" Toybiz Rotocast figure and tell me this face doesn't look better? And this is a $5 figure! Granted the costume is not as good . . .but c'mon. If I'm gonna pay $65 . . .I'd like the face to be close!

The other beef I have has already been stated: The leather jacket can use some crinkling and weathering. As it is, it looks stiff.

 

[The Josh]

Of course it's possible, but probable!? I don't think so. Again Josh, what is the more likely and simplest explanation, that NL cared enough to demand that the sculpt be made into "Facelift-a-Gorn," or that the changes as we have seen with just about every 12" figure are due to prototype to production issues?

Well, I'm just saying some of the changes "could" be addressed to NL. I don't have a hard time believing that they asked for some changes. Don't know if it happened on this piece but it's a possiblity I would like everyone to consider before damning SS.

 

[wofford29]

The paint job and lighting in those pics makes him look like he has pancake lips.

with all that dark hair around them I was thinking something a little nastier!

 

[Darklord Dave]

Khev, I think you hit it on the head.

The sculpt has not changed. The pics from SDCC are of the prototype and the production figure, as always, doesn't have as detailed a paint application as the prototype. The vast majority of people that receive this figure will appreciate it and think it's great. Unless of course they come here and read all the bellyachin'.

 

[The Josh]

The vast majority of people that receive this figure will appreciate it and think it's great. Unless of course they come here and read all the bellyachin'.

I'll second that Dave.

Edited: To be more clear

 

[LOTRFan]

I'll second that Dave.

Second what? Weren't you the one making the case for NL causing the changes? Now you are saying that the changes are due to the production of the figure?

I just want to be clear, I am not really much of a 12" collector, so alot of this is somewhat new to me. I am not used to collecting things that require "repaints," "kit-bashing," etc. The SW and LOTR lines have been eye-opening for me, in what a lot of people tend to do with these figures. No matter how perfect a figure some people will always add their own flair to it, I guess that is what they do. There are some issues with these first few shots of Aragorn, namely things that are quite understandable due to production. I can't fault SS for being unable to reproduce the exact weathering we saw in San Diego, that figure was amazing. I think this is a nice representation, but it is really hard when you get your hopes set so high. Having collected mostly SSW and PFs, production gaffs usually weren't an issue.

 

[Darth Caedus]

If you're comparing facial sculpts, take a look at this 12" Toybiz Rotocast figure and tell me this face doesn't look better? And this is a $5 figure! Granted the costume is not as good . . .but c'mon. If I'm gonna pay $65 . . .I'd like the face to be close!

The other beef I have has already been stated: The leather jacket can use some crinkling and weathering. As it is, it looks stiff.

Sadly, I agree with you Radagaster, the facial sculpt on that $5 figure is better IMHO then the SS 12" Aragorn. I will still get the SS version, but I don't know what it is, his facial sculpt just doesn't scream aragorn to me like the boromir scults screams boromir....

 

[The Josh]

Second what? Weren't you the one making the case for NL causing the changes? Now you are saying that the changes are due to the production of the figure?

Sorry, I was seconding that it will still be a well liked figure.

 

[Darklord Dave]

I don't think he meant the face was better on the rotocast, that would be crazy.

I don't have the time, but it would interesting to see all the representations of Aragorn that have been sculpted side by side - except for GG's new bust, I don't think any will be as good as the one on this 12" figure.

 

[Buttmunch]

I think the sculpt is fine on Sideshow's figure. It is just the paint of the beard that bothers me. He had a stubbly beard, not a full Obi-Wan beard like it appears to be in the crappy prodcution photos. That to me is just not right. If toybiz can mass prodcuce good looking stuble beard paint jobs on their Aragrons, why can't Sideshow?

 

[pixletwin]

I think the sculpt is fine on Sideshow's figure. It is just the paint of the beard that bothers me. He had a stubbly beard, not a full Obi-Wan beard like it appears to be in the crappy prodcution photos. That to me is just not right. If toybiz can mass prodcuce good looking stuble beard paint jobs on their Aragrons, why can't Sideshow?

That is an excellent point. Sideshow really does have problems (IMO) with the QC in China...

 

[Buttmunch]

Normally my philosphy is that if I can't do any better I don't have the right to complain. However, if a mass producing company like Toybiz can do better than Sideshow's paint, that is a different story. I will reserve my final judgement when I have the figure in hand though.

 

[Darren Carnall]

I just wish everyone else would do the same....

With all this "SS Aragorn looks rubbish and IS much worse than xx company's", you'd think some of you actually had the item in hand.

What, you dont? well QUIT whingeing then!

 

[Zoomaround]

In my case, ignorance is bliss.

The Sideshow 12" figures are the only 12" figures I have ever owned. I had NEVER considered collecting 12" figures -- not until Sideshow came out with the LOTR & SW lines.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and I have thoroughly enjoyed reading everyone's opinion (except for the personal bashing). I've learned a great deal -- especially from the customizers . I will wait until I have my figure(s) in hand to make a decision whether or not I like, love or hate it.

In the meantime, I'll continue to lurk on this thead and learn all I can.

Thanks, guys.

 

[pjam]

In my case, ignorance is bliss.

The Sideshow 12" figures are the only 12" figures I have ever owned. I had NEVER considered collecting 12" figures -- not until Sideshow came out with the LOTR & SW lines.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and I have thoroughly enjoyed reading everyone's opinion (except for the personal bashing). I've learned a great deal -- especially from the customizers . I will wait until I have my figure(s) in hand to make a decision whether or not I like, love or hate it.

In the meantime, I'll continue to lurk on this thead and learn all I can.

Thanks, guys.

Well, we'll all find out soon, the 3-5 day notices have been sent.