Asmus Toys 1:6 - Saruman the White

[Jrobertson]

I am ready for this figure.

 

[pixletwin]

@ Last 2 posters. Not trolling you and you're are certainly entitled to your opinions. I just can't see how someone isn't wowed by how this turned out. Honest question here. Do you have so many figures in your collection that you're actually getting bored with collecting and you just don't get the same excitement out of collecting that you once did? I will say the head does seem to be sitting a bit high. I hope it's just not pushed down on the neck like Gandalf was. Other then that and the belt looking loose I think this looks outstanding. That's my opinion of course.

Canadian Brian, sucks that you had some quality issues with Aragorn. Scuffed paint, bent sword, loose body, but again I think the figure is outstanding. I don't really understand "cheap fabric"? Again I wonder if you just don't get the same excitement from the hobby that you once did.

I am going to be honest. While the clothes look great, I can't get over that damn head. I was really looking forward to this piece. I have been wanting Saruman since 2006. I even tried to spearhead a custom back in 2008. But I can't get over the giraffe like qualities of the head. I know some people are trying to optimistic and making comments like "maybe it just hasn't been pushed down" but for heaven's sake, if you are going to take a picture in an attempt to quell people's worries about a figure's appearance why on earth would you not push the head all the way down? In the follow up pictures of the production piece Asmus has since posted, this has not changed. Why? Because that is what you all are getting. A pencil necked Saruman. It's nearly as bad as the "stroke victim" Tauriel they put out. Disgraceful.

I understand why materials can change from prototype to factory. But why on earth did he go from looking proportioned to Mr. Stretchy McLongneck?

Sitting "a bit high"? This makes it looks as though Christopher Lee's neck was 10 inches long in real life.

Sorry, but this figure was going to be an awesome tribute to a beloved actor. For them to get such a visible aspect of his appearance SO WRONG is inexcusable. I am glad many of you are willing to overlook that or are willing to spend the extra dough/time/effort to cut the neck down to size, but every time I looked at the figure I would feel nothing but disappointment.

Done with Asmus.

(sorry for the negativity guys. I know how annoying it is. I'll shut up now.)

 

[batsheva]

I may not share the same opinion about Saruman with you, pixletwin.. but I completely agree that the "stroke victim" Tauriel is indeed disgraceful. I couldn't look at it, it's the only 12" figure that I put inside my container, waiting for Hot Toys to make a Wasp figure so I can kitbash a head for Tauriel and make her decent. When that happens, I'll burn that cr*ppy Asmus headsculpt.

 

[rjszar]

Two things that I notice about the second picture here. First, the hair isn't hanging close enough to the face. It starts to gap above the eyebrows. That combined with the long beard gives it a very pencil neck look. The cloak adds a lot of bulk to the shoulders, almost like a football player's shoulder pads thus making the head look even skinnier. I'm quite sure both of those things can be fixed with futzing. I also don't rule out that the head isn't pushed down quite as far as it should be. Yes, yes, I know, it's a horrible thing, almost apocalyptic. You might have to drill out the hole a little more. Not everything translates perfectly from proto to production. A tenth of a millimeter on something can make all the difference. I hate that the gloves on my Toys Era Magneto don't go all the way up to the connector and thus make the forearms look unusually long. If I sanded the arms a shade, gloves would probably slide all the way up. Do I consider it a major screw up on Toys Era part? It sucks a bit, but I understand it. It's not a glaring error like the Pangaea Greek General's helmet. Asmus is making great strides. They don't have the years under their belt like Hot Toys does. Everything is not going to be perfect. Some things they can control and seem to want to fix them. Some aren't their fault. I can give them a pass here and there if the problems are dealt with easily enough. BTW, I didn't mean to imply HT was perfect. Far from it. How many of their headsculpts recently have gone from over the moon at proto to "who is that' at production? Commando!!!! At least when Asmus bombs on a hs, they offer to do another.

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[batsheva]

At least when Asmus bombs on a hs, they offer to do another.

Still waiting for their move on that, for their mess up called "Tauriel".

 

[rjszar]

Still waiting for their move on that, for their mess up called "Tauriel".

Still waiting for GTW!!!!

 

[Wor-Gar]

I've had nothing but positive experience so far in the Asmus figures I've collected -- granted I did not buy any Hobbit figures.

HOWEVER -- and this is the disclaimer -- I love to customize.

I enjoy these Asmus figures because I get to "futz" them. They are generally "incomplete" out of the box. They need work. They need attention. And not just a little tweak here and there. They need a lot of work. But once you put the time in, then they really shine IMHO. These are honestly some of the best figures I have on my shelf.

I imagine that Saruman will be the same. With water treatment to stop the billowing fabric, some gel to weight the hair down, and some general futzing of the outfit, I expect this to be right up there with Aragorn and Nazgul on Steed.

 

[pixletwin]

I am definitely looking forward to what you can bring to him WG.

 

[Wor-Gar]

Thanks! I'm very eager to give it a go.


And I think Mouth of Sauron is on his way after this... TWO excellent villains, so I couldn't be happier.

 

[CanadianBrandon]

I've had nothing but positive experience so far in the Asmus figures I've collected -- granted I did not buy any Hobbit figures.

HOWEVER -- and this is the disclaimer -- I love to customize.

I enjoy these Asmus figures because I get to "futz" them. They are generally "incomplete" out of the box. They need work. They need attention. And not just a little tweak here and there. They need a lot of work. But once you put the time in, then they really shine IMHO. These are honestly some of the best figures I have on my shelf.

I imagine that Saruman will be the same. With water treatment to stop the billowing fabric, some gel to weight the hair down, and some general futzing of the outfit, I expect this to be right up there with Aragorn and Nazgul on Steed.

I think this is why there is a big divide between those who love it and those who don't. If you love working on these figures until they look right then Asmus is all for you. Personally when I spend hundreds of dollars on figures I want them to be as close to complete as possible with just a little futzing needed.

It's not that I don't get the same thrill of collecting anymore, in fact I spend every day sitting in front of my collection with a smile on my face.
However it's probably true that a combination between owning pieces that I consider to be near perfect has raised my expectations as well as running out of room to collect has probably caused me to be harsher towards what I collect.

Please keep in mind I am a LOTR fanatic. 18 figures in my collection are LOTR and my wife and I want to keep collecting every LOTR figure that is released. I'm just finding it harder to justify.

 

[Wor-Gar]

Personally when I spend hundreds of dollars on figures I want them to be as close to complete as possible with just a little futzing needed.

Yep, a lot of people feel that way.

Unfortunately, HT seems to be the only game in town that can pull that off... and even they are starting to get sloppy.

But then again, if this Saruman was HT, you'd be paying $240 easy with the pedestal and palantir rather than $189.

 

[batsheva]

Personally when I spend hundreds of dollars on figures I want them to be as close to complete as possible with just a little futzing needed.

Exactly. And not only Hot Toys can pull that off. DID, Enterbay, threeA and threezero can do that too. No reason for being bad.
Although I do agree with you as well, for the pricing, Wor Gar.
But you know what, I am willing to pay more to get a Tauriel with good likeness..

 

[Yorick]

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Don't you guys think it's possible that the shoulders are lowered in most photos ? Being possible to futz it a bit ? The neck doesn't seem so high in this picture. I would love to see a picture from the back with the hair pulled to the front.

 

[CanadianBrandon]

Yep, a lot of people feel that way.

Unfortunately, HT seems to be the only game in town that can pull that off... and even they are starting to get sloppy.

But then again, if this Saruman was HT, you'd be paying $240 easy with the pedestal and palantir rather than $189.

True. Everyone loves saving some money!
I understand HT is in a league of their own and still aren't without their problems. It's hard knowing I spent $315 AUD including shipping on Jack Sparrow DX who is immaculate and doesn't need to be futzed and I've spent more than that on Asmus Aragorn who isn't even close to the same league. I know that's probably not a fair comparison as the Aussie dollar was better when I bought Jack compared to where it is now but I can't help thinking about it. Again I payed less for ACI exclusive Aragorn and ACI exclusive Ringwraith which I consider to be museum quality and needed little to no futzing. The Asmus versions I cannot display without futzing them like crazy or they just look like toys.

I think I'm probably at a disadvantage compared to most people as the Australian dollar sucks and I end up paying at least $100 more than everyone else and with conversion rates it's not a fair analogy and I just have to suck it up. Living in paradise definitely has its pros and cons

Anyways maybe I just needed to vent my financial frustrations haha. Take it or leave it as it won't bother me.
I know some people can't stand "negative" discussion on these forums but I personally believe people should be allowed to share their views openly as long as they aren't rude towards others. I love open discussion and honest thoughts whether "positive" or "negative". I don't believe I'm right and others are wrong. I believe we can all have different opinions and don't have to agree, only be willing to hear why someone's opinion is shaped the way it is.

I'm still hoping I will be over the moon with this when it arrives. I'll shut up now

 

[hoodonit00]

True. Everyone loves saving some money!
I understand HT is in a league of their own and still aren't without their problems. It's hard knowing I spent $315 AUD including shipping on Jack Sparrow DX who is immaculate and doesn't need to be futzed and I've spent more than that on Asmus Aragorn who isn't even close to the same league. I know that's probably not a fair comparison as the Aussie dollar was better when I bought Jack compared to where it is now but I can't help thinking about it. Again I payed less for ACI exclusive Aragorn and ACI exclusive Ringwraith which I consider to be museum quality and needed little to no futzing. The Asmus versions I cannot display without futzing them like crazy or they just look like toys.

I think I'm probably at a disadvantage compared to most people as the Australian dollar sucks and I end up paying at least $100 more than everyone else and with conversion rates it's not a fair analogy and I just have to suck it up. Living in paradise definitely has its pros and cons

Anyways maybe I just needed to vent my financial frustrations haha. Take it or leave it as it won't bother me.
I know some people can't stand "negative" discussion on these forums but I personally believe people should be allowed to share their views openly as long as they aren't rude towards others. I love open discussion and honest thoughts whether "positive" or "negative". I don't believe I'm right and others are wrong. I believe we can all have different opinions and don't have to agree, only be willing to hear why someone's opinion is shaped the way it is.

I'm still hoping I will be over the moon with this when it arrives. I'll shut up now ��

I know I sound like a fan boy but I love a good debate. I don't expect you or pix to shut up. I just like to understand someone perspective on something. This hobby is funny in how we all picture things different. ACIs Aragorn looks outstanding to me from the neck down but I literally can't stand the head sculpt. When you guys say how great it is I wonder how I don't see it.

 

[Wor-Gar]

I personally believe people should be allowed to share their views openly as long as they aren't rude towards others.

Absolutely.

And as I implied, Asmus is not for everybody.

And not only Hot Toys can pull that off. DID, Enterbay, threeA and threezero can do that too.

Maybe they will do a Tauriel one day.

I have to say, not trying to be snide or anything though it may sound like it, I just don't understand the constant berating of Asmus because their Tauriel figure isn't to your standards. It's not a good figure, that's true. But at a certain point you need to either return it for your money back or move on.

 

[DioramaMaker]

Admittedly, I don't have an Asmus figure. That spot is reserved for Gandalf the Grey. That being said I've followed their products in anticipation for as long as I can remember hearing about their announcement for LOTR.

But with that said, aside from the neck length, which is strange but ultimately might just be that they used a neck that is too long, I think the difference from prototype to figure is phenomenally close. They did a really good job in those regards.

Of course the fabric won't lay perfect out of the box, on nearly every figure with dangling clothes it doesn't. I think that's a realization everyone has to have with this hobby, you HAVE to futz clothes whether it's HT or 3Z or Asmus. I knew that before I ever started collecting 1/6th. Heck you have to futz your own clothes in real life last time I checked.

Now I'm going to be completely honest, a lot of folks here chew into Asmus too hard, and you're going to do it until George doesn't come to talk anymore and then we have NO input. I would eventually quit if all I every got was negative feedback. That doesn't sound great, does it?

Are you right to point out an issue? Absolutely. I think it's fine to say that Saruman's neck is too long. But gnawing that to death with no regard that the figure looks pretty dang good otherwise? I don't think That's fair. That's not CONSTRUCTIVE criticism, which is what George comes to get.

Taurial was botched, and Asmus has already stated they are rectifying it. What more do people want? If you went into work and Todd in office 7 yelled at you that you forgot to fill the coffee two months ago, every day, what would that do for you? That would just piss you off. Asmus has a good track record of fixing their issues. Relegate Taurial talk to the thread so it's collected and can be referenced by George. Logical.

 

[CanadianBrandon]

Now I'm going to be completely honest, a lot of folks here chew into Asmus too hard, and you're going to do it until George doesn't come to talk anymore and then we have NO input. I would eventually quit if all I every got was negative feedback. That doesn't sound great, does it?

Very fair points.
It's not just us on this forum sharing our thoughts, we have the very rare opportunity to hear from Asmus and give input. However that shouldn't stop people from freely sharing their opinions (as long as it's more than "This sucks" as that isn't helpful).
I recently posted my opinion of Aragorn on the Aragorn thread and I believe it was quite fairly balanced. Things I didn't like as well as things I did. I didn't go into as much detail as I would have liked as I've been posting some very long responses lately (like this one will be).

I guess my thoughts with Saruman, which are very limited as I don't have him in hand yet, are that his robes seem very white (ironic complaint considering his name) when they should be more beige, not a big deal but after the sideshow pf was compared that's all I can see now, it looks like his mum just bleached his clothes, maybe it's just the harsh lighting it's under. The small details in the robes looks absolutely fantastic! The tiny detail work is incredible.
Water treatment should immediately fix the baggy robes. But I'd also like to disagree that not every figure needs the clothes futzed. I have many figures that haven't needed this, even those with more flowing clothes, in fact I'm pretty sure it's only the Asmus figures and the Sideshow Collectibles Gandalf that I've ever had to use water treatment on.

The paint apps seem to be great which I've noticed Asmus keeps improving on. I can imagine they will look even better in person.

My two biggest gripes would be the shape of the beard and the synthetic hair. The Saruman and Gandalf beard sculpts have always bothered me.
I would be very interested to see what others can do to the synthetic hair with a bit of product. It has always been my thought that it will need a bit of something in it to make it look right.
What was the expected release for this again? Another week or two?

 

[batsheva]

Absolutely.

And as I implied, Asmus is not for everybody.




Maybe they will do a Tauriel one day.

I have to say, not trying to be snide or anything though it may sound like it, I just don't understand the constant berating of Asmus because their Tauriel figure isn't to your standards. It's not a good figure, that's true. But at a certain point you need to either return it for your money back or move on.

Fingers crossed.

I don't think I'm the only one who feels that the Tauriel figure is bad. Maybe I complained a lot about it because I really love the character, and Evangeline Lilly, and that I had such high hopes. I can't return it to my supplier, they have a no return policy. I can sell it, but Asmus said, hold on to it because they will sort things out. But I haven't seen any follow up about that. So I'll just keep it, and wait for HT to make a Wasp figure so I can kitbash the head. That's my way to move on. And I will keep complaining till Asmus follows up with it and be fully responsible.

 

[Wor-Gar]

... you're going to do it until George doesn't come to talk anymore and then we have NO input.

Unfortunately, we've already inched that way since George announced that Asmus would be "closing the gap" between what they show us (renders) and delivery of their product. I thought it was a beautiful way to politely cut off our "participation".

But all companies learn this eventually with fans. Sideshow was very active on this site 10 years ago, until everyone just got nasty.