Asmus Toys 1:6 - Saruman the White

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i agree his robe is too white, the robes in the film are a little weathered looking while still looking intact. but aside from that i think the figure has turned out rather decent, especially for the price.
 
I'm not sure if my question about his shoulders being low sounded as a new nitpick, it wasn't. From some angles, it seems to me that the problem with the figure's neck might seem smaller than we think, might be a shoulders' position issue. Specially on the side picture.

Aside from the neck thing, this figure seems excellent, IMO. I'm really considering picking it up.
 
I'm not sure if my question about his shoulders being low sounded as a new nitpick, it wasn't. From some angles, it seems to me that the problem with the figure's neck might seem smaller than we think, might be a shoulders' position issue. Specially on the side picture.

Aside from the neck thing, this figure seems excellent, IMO. I'm really considering picking it up.

I understood you the first time. It didn't sound like a nitpick. Until the robes are water treated and hanging correctly I don't think we will really know to be honest. But I look forwarded to finding out! Also really want to see some photos of the stand and palantir!
 
Actually some inhand pictures surfaced yesterday on FB. Credits to Kay Cheoung.

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Does anyone know if there is a way to tone down the SHINY in the hair? I mean...they probably didn't have LOREAL back in Middle-earth...right?
 
Does anyone know if there is a way to tone down the SHINY in the hair? I mean...they probably didn't have LOREAL back in Middle-earth...right?

Its pretty easy to weather a figure, its harder to make it look cleaner. Just remove the head from the figure, get some acrylic paint and water, and give him a shampooing in paint, be careful not to let it slide over his skin, the right way to do it , would be upside down, after the hair is dyed a little, then you could use a mix of white glue and water to make it stay in a decent shape , like hair gel
 
but wouldnt powder just fly off after a few days?..............

the hair is way too shiny, but yeah considering those new pics are awful poses lol..............he actually looks good in them. i think the figure will turn out well i look forward to getting him.
 
I've been rooting for Asmus since the beginning. I'm a huge LOTR fan and 1/6th scale figure collector. I've been involved in several custom LOTR figure projects (Thanks again, Pix!) and it was a dream come true to have a company pick up the LOTR license and offer 1/6 scale figures after Sideshow flew the coop. I knew that they were fairly new to the 1/6th market and honestly did not expect to see perfection from the beginning. Each release showed promise but was hampered with some type of issue(s) that kept me from ordering. I was patient. I figured that with time, they would learn from their mistakes and bump up the level of their products. In many ways, that has happened. In some ways, not so.

Since the first Asmus LOTR release, I have voted with my wallet. If they had been priced lower, I would have taken the plunge, knowing that there was work (and funds) required in order to get them to "my" expected levels of presentation. Unfortunately, the pricing has been at Hot Toys levels but the quality has fallen well short, in particular with the head sculpts, which to me are the most important aspect of any figure. So as of today, I have yet to purchase a complete figure, opting to instead pick up loose parts, here and there, to update my current collection.

What I find funny in a sad way (if true) is that apparently Asmus / King-George? is supposedly bothered by the "negativity" on the board directed at his products and has insinuated(?) that he may no longer participate in the forum. If that be the case, then so be it. I haven't seen any company or product "bashing" but rather, honest opinions from collectors disappointed in different aspects of different figures. Are honest negative critiques now frowned upon because it might alienate participation of a company spokesperson in the forums?!

The products' quality and pricing sell themselves, not a spokesperson sharing photos in a forum. Perhaps if the figures were offered at a lower price point, the collectors would show some understanding with some of the issues. If the figures were better designed, the collectors would definitely be praising them up. Paying over $200 a figure in order to then have to work on them to correct issues (with no guarantees that it will work) is personally not my idea of a fun and satisfying hobby. It appears that many others feel the same way.

I was REALLY looking forward to the Saruman figure. It was going to be my first figure purchase from Asmus. Now, I'm not sure. It does have potential (outfit design and detailing looks amazing) but the head sculpt doesn't immediately "wow" me. Certainly not the way the prototype pics did. Perhaps better in-hand photos will win me over and I'll end up ordering it. I wish Asmus all the best, but if they are going to charge Hot Toys prices, they better be providing Hot Toys quality, throughout. And for the record, I wouldn't blink an eye in paying more for a Hot Toys "Saruman" figure if the quality was there throughout. I've done it with my Star Wars collection. And we've seen the backlash that Sideshow has received for charging HT prices and not providing HT quality... (X-wing Luke, Tie Fighter, C3PO, etc...)

That's my take. I'm off the soapbox now. Have a pleasant day, everyone. :wink1:
 
I see the issue there with the hair -- a bit thin -- but I also how that wonderful detail in the collar.

Anyway, I think it looks great, especially with the pedestal. I can work with it.
 
I expected the rooting to be like that, there is no way a full head of hair would work
 
You know what, give the robes some water treatment and I'm a happy man.
That back of the head is uuuuugly so I'll have to pose him somewhere you can't walk behind him but overall I think I'll be very satisfied.
Might sound odd but I think the hands look great! I've never liked Asmus's hand sculpts, they've always looked too cartoony, especially Guritz and Aragorn, but these hands look great! Can't wait for him to arrive. When does he ship direct from Asmus again?
 
looks great! except when that back of the head. Definitely needed extra futz power.
 
I expected the rooting to be like that, there is no way a full head of hair would work
Yeah, complete coverage would have made the hair much too full, but that is a little scary. You'd almost have to try and separate each strand to get it to cover.
 
Completely inverts the problem with the ACi Aragorn hair being too thick. As i see it, the problem is they didn't do layering when they rooted the hair. And regarding the height, i think they just made the neck longer, or maybe they stuck something in the headsculpt so that the peg would not connect through the end? Correct me if I'm wrong.
 
The back of the head with no hair is an approach we came up with many tests,
besides the fact Saruman was make-up to a be an elderly with very thin hair,
it is a research we did to figure out how to make a root hair figure less like a Barbie,
and the conclusion can be cleared explained as the following picture in HT's Black Widow.


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At moment we are testing on Gandalf the Grey,
it seems he has a better volume of hair,
which we can grow some more on the back of his,
but as for Saruman, unfortunately it is the best way.

I would suggest some thing can be done it that use a double-side tape on the back of the head
to "stick" some hair to the skin. it would really help .

Unfortunately we cannot do that in production, because most of the response can already be imaged if we do so...
 
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