Statue BLITZWAY- Enter the Dragon- Bruce Lee Tribute 1/3 scale Statue Ver. 2 spec

[Tyderium]

tyderium,if your gonna try and redo/repaint the cuts I'd be interested in seeing the final results.the top cut is about the right width,but the bottom 2 are too wide,none are thick enough and we know they are the wrong colour.myself I'm also bothered by the shoulder cuts they are way off but if they are also sculpted may be an issue to correct.(mine will be seen in the mirrored case) hence my concern.

Yes mate, I'll definitely show anything I do if I pick this up.
It's a big outlay for me so if I get this I will be making sure it is the best ETD display possible, hopefully now and in the future.
I am a perfectionist when it comes to detail and accuracy so that is why, for my personal taste, the cuts are just unacceptable.
That includes the chest, shoulder and face cuts. I'll be working out a way to re-do them all accurately.
I would also super detail the face and possibly accentuate the hair.

I think with the ab cuts, as I posted earlier, it feels to me flesh toning out the bottom cut and leaving the top 2 would be the most economical way to go.
The top 2 could then be added to in the right red colour and accentuated to be thicker in certain spots based on reference material from the film.
The middle cut could then be painted in between these two. What would become the bottom cut would need thickening up on the underside (moving toward the pants).

The spacing should end up more or less spot on then.

The fact these cuts are now revealed as permanent means some fiddly work but it's either a do it or don't scenario.
And a foregone conclusion that if I want the definitive ETD grail piece then I accept that the work will have to go into it.

 

[Tyderium]

I think they all have a lean to a certain degree mate. I just looked at mine and it also has a slight lean, although it doesn't look as extreme as yours in some of your pics. Sometimes it's hard to tell in pics though. When I look at mine in front of me, there is a slight lean from certain angles but it doesn't look abnormal or anything. It looks like it's supposed to be that way.

Actually looks like the peg coming out of the foot on nongshim's is at a slight angle... which I assumed was to get the foot on an angle...not sure if your peg is also angled? Or if it is something to do with the hole on nongshim's base being slightly off to induce the more exaggerated lean once the peg goes in.

You might get a kick out of this, found your shots being posted on this Italian? site... they seem pretty excited by them too

Blitzway: ISS - Enter the Dragon - Bruce Lee Tribute Statue Ver. 2 - page 15 - Blitzway

 

[nongshim]

Actually looks like the peg coming out of the foot on nongshim's is at a slight angle... which I assumed was to get the foot on an angle...not sure if your peg is also angled? Or if it is something to do with the hole on nongshim's base being slightly off to induce the more exaggerated lean once the peg goes in.

You might get a kick out of this, found your shots being posted on this Italian? site... they seem pretty excited by them too

Blitzway: ISS - Enter the Dragon - Bruce Lee Tribute Statue Ver. 2 - page 15 - Blitzway

Yep it's slightly angled. I never thought about the hole in the base having a problem either. But you might be on to something. I should email popcultcha and see what they say.

 

[xpl0sive]

Yeah shame about the neck seam. I guess in that regard it makes it look like a giant 1/6 hottoys figure

You were always going to see it on that side where his head is turned showing more neck. Hopefully displaying it strategically will hide it for the most part.

you 2 guys read my mind about pulling his pants up and hiding the bottom cut.in a way I'm glad I'm not the only one bothered by the cuts.
blitzway almost pulled of a great statue,only to let it down with sloppy finishing.i'm still not totally convinced on the hair,but that's another matter.
more great photos and comments xplosive,your showing this in a much better way with clear constant shots than it was originally shown..well done my friend.
regarding the lean,i picked up on that when the first photos/videos of this getting shown by owners. I also said the proto may have had a slight lean(forward)like bruce was doing ab crunches.from the above shot anyway.

Yep it's slightly angled. I never thought about the hole in the base having a problem either. But you might be on to something. I should email popcultcha and see what they say.

Hey Mate,

I just had a look at mine and the peg on mine is like yours. It's angled slightly at the foot. I did move Bruce around on the base and noticed his lean becomes more or less apparent depending on how he is turned, so perhaps move your statue around the base and see where he looks best. I suspect it's a case of inaccurate placement on the base rather than a defect, but I could be wrong. Have you asked SAB what his one is like?

 

[xpl0sive]

You might get a kick out of this, found your shots being posted on this Italian? site... they seem pretty excited by them too

Blitzway: ISS - Enter the Dragon - Bruce Lee Tribute Statue Ver. 2 - page 15 - Blitzway

haha, I've actually been following that site since pics of this statue first started emerging, and then once I found my first shot posted, I keep checking it after I post an image here to see how long it takes for it to end up on that forum LOL. I use Google Translator to see what they are saying and sometimes the translation is off and is quite hilarious lol.

I am glad they are enjoying the pics though.

 

[xpl0sive]

Yeah shame about the neck seam. I guess in that regard it makes it look like a giant 1/6 hottoys figure

You were always going to see it on that side where his head is turned showing more neck. Hopefully displaying it strategically will hide it for the most part.

To be honest, looking at it closely, it appears it's the fit of the head onto the neck that is throwing it off. On one side, the seem looks quite good and almost disappears entirely from a distance. Otherside, not so much, but the worst is where the chin meets the neck. Normally this wouldn't be an issue but it can actually be seen when viewing the statue from the side if viewing it from a low height. It's really starting to annoy me.

you 2 guys read my mind about pulling his pants up and hiding the bottom cut.in a way I'm glad I'm not the only one bothered by the cuts.
blitzway almost pulled of a great statue,only to let it down with sloppy finishing.i'm still not totally convinced on the hair,but that's another matter.
more great photos and comments xplosive,your showing this in a much better way with clear constant shots than it was originally shown..well done my friend.
regarding the lean,i picked up on that when the first photos/videos of this getting shown by owners. I also said the proto may have had a slight lean(forward)like bruce was doing ab crunches.from the above shot anyway.

Thanks man, I'm glad the photos and comments are of some help to you all. As for the cuts, it sounds like pulling the pants up and painting the centre cut may be the way to go, although you'd need to layer the paint on pretty thick to create a raised cut so it matches the sculpted ones. Pretty smart idea actually. If anyone wants to know how this would look, I'm happy to take a pic with his paints pulled up and Tyderium can use that to photoshop an extra cut on.

back before the production release I figured the neck seam couldn't be helped because of the two different materials and the head would probably be removable for shipping/replaceable parts... that not being the case why the heck couldn't they have taken 10 seconds to fill/spackle/puddy the neck seam? Another one of those no brainer aggravations like the cuts that should have been easy. Anybody repainting should definitely fill them.

The match of the 2 materials is actually pretty good as they have the same paint job finish for the most part. The difference is noticed mainly due to the sculpt being textured and the body not. Also, a seam would be fine if the fit was 100%. On mine it's not, so it looks off a bit.

 

[xpl0sive]

I thought I'd throw up some pics of the neck seam, so you guys can get a better idea of what I'm talking about. If you have a look under the chin, you'll see what I mean when I say the chin is not flush with the neck. Not sure if they all have this problem or not? I'm wondering if I should return to PopCultcha or not. I'm just worried that if I do, the replacement will also have a similar finish, or have other problems. The rest of my statue is fine.

nongshim or SAB, is your statue like this?

 

[FriendlySamurai]

I'm happy to take a pic with his paints pulled up and Tyderium can use that to photoshop an extra cut on.

this is getting interesting...

 

[nongshim]

I thought I'd throw up some pics of the neck seam, so you guys can get a better idea of what I'm talking about. If you have a look under the chin, you'll see what I mean when I say the chin is not flush with the neck. Not sure if they all have this problem or not? I'm wondering if I should return to PopCultcha or not. I'm just worried that if I do, the replacement will also have a similar finish, or have other problems. The rest of my statue is fine.

nongshim or SAB, is your statue like this?

Yeah the neck seam looks like that on my one too.

I'm glad to hear that your foot peg is the same as mine. After you the foot in the hole, are you able to sway Bruce side to side? Only slightly I mean. I can't get to a position where he is totally rigid.

I tried to copy my statue position off your photos using the ying/yang placement on the base as a reference point. When I put my statue in the same position as yours I get a lean towards the left. But if I rotate it very close to the edge ie. Bruce is only on the left side of the base, then it is ok. The only problem with that is that the whole right side of the base is empty, though I suppose the claw can fill up that space. I would have preferred if I could have Bruce right in the middle of the base.

 

[mrchris]

holy crap!! that join is awful..there is no excuse for that even the HD1002 had a better join than that.and I thought the cuts were bad.that's gonna be an eyesore on certain display angles.some filler/putty and a paint blend needed there...enterblitz has provided some shoddy finish there.if mine arrives like that,i wont be happy.not at this price level.to me that is most definatly a QC issue..that's bad really bad.
nongshim,is the hole too big for the peg?maybe wrap some electrical tape around the peg for a tighter fit..i don't think you want to drill another hole,although it's an option.

 

[mrchris]

Yes mate, I'll definitely show anything I do if I pick this up.
It's a big outlay for me so if I get this I will be making sure it is the best ETD display possible, hopefully now and in the future.
I am a perfectionist when it comes to detail and accuracy so that is why, for my personal taste, the cuts are just unacceptable.
That includes the chest, shoulder and face cuts. I'll be working out a way to re-do them all accurately.
I would also super detail the face and possibly accentuate the hair.

I think with the ab cuts, as I posted earlier, it feels to me flesh toning out the bottom cut and leaving the top 2 would be the most economical way to go.
The top 2 could then be added to in the right red colour and accentuated to be thicker in certain spots based on reference material from the film.
The middle cut could then be painted in between these two. What would become the bottom cut would need thickening up on the underside (moving toward the pants).

The spacing should end up more or less spot on then.

The fact these cuts are now revealed as permanent means some fiddly work but it's either a do it or don't scenario.
And a foregone conclusion that if I want the definitive ETD grail piece then I accept that the work will have to go into it.

yep totally with you on what you say,i suppose with flesh toning the lower,even if not perfect the pants will hide it anyway(I used wife's non acetone nail polish remover to take of the cuts on the DX-04 ETD)worked great,not sure if it would do this job though.the shoulder ones are way off,if your doing them,then they need to be 5to5 as you look at a clock,and lower down on his shoulder blade...fiddly work indeed mate,but I like you want the best/most accurate ETD out there,this is very good,but has too many little niggles.

 

[nongshim]

holy crap!! that join is awful..there is no excuse for that even the HD1002 had a better join than that.and I thought the cuts were bad.that's gonna be an eyesore on certain display angles.some filler/putty and a paint blend needed there...enterblitz has provided some shoddy finish there.if mine arrives like that,i wont be happy.not at this price level.to me that is most definatly a QC issue..that's bad really bad.
nongshim,is the hole too big for the peg?maybe wrap some electrical tape around the peg for a tighter fit..i don't think you want to drill another hole,although it's an option.

Hey mrchris, the hole seems to be the correct size for the peg. I compared the close up photos Xplosive took of his statue's feet and mine look the same after it has gone in the hole. I'm starting to think that the lean is meant to be there. At certain angles the statue looks fine to me. But at other angles it looks like Bruce is losing his balance. Although it could also be that this statue has captured Bruce in mid motion. So he's about to turn right so his body is leaning toward the right. This could be exactly how the statue is supposed to be and I'm making a fuss over nothing. I've been basing the straightness of the statue by his nipples, and since the right one hangs lower than the left it looks like a lean. I think I'm being overly critical because of the price of the statue.

 

[nongshim]

xplosive are you able to take photos of your statue and base from directly front on and one from the left side of Bruce?

 

[mrchris]

if you check out the youtube videos of this,there's no lean..,it looks upright,a slight lean back,but yours looks off balance mate,i'm not sure it's supposed to be like that..see if SAB has any issues with his.

 

[xpl0sive]

Yeah the neck seam looks like that on my one too.

I'm glad to hear that your foot peg is the same as mine. After you the foot in the hole, are you able to sway Bruce side to side? Only slightly I mean. I can't get to a position where he is totally rigid.

I tried to copy my statue position off your photos using the ying/yang placement on the base as a reference point. When I put my statue in the same position as yours I get a lean towards the left. But if I rotate it very close to the edge ie. Bruce is only on the left side of the base, then it is ok. The only problem with that is that the whole right side of the base is empty, though I suppose the claw can fill up that space. I would have preferred if I could have Bruce right in the middle of the base.

Hey mrchris, the hole seems to be the correct size for the peg. I compared the close up photos Xplosive took of his statue's feet and mine look the same after it has gone in the hole. I'm starting to think that the lean is meant to be there. At certain angles the statue looks fine to me. But at other angles it looks like Bruce is losing his balance. Although it could also be that this statue has captured Bruce in mid motion. So he's about to turn right so his body is leaning toward the right. This could be exactly how the statue is supposed to be and I'm making a fuss over nothing. I've been basing the straightness of the statue by his nipples, and since the right one hangs lower than the left it looks like a lean. I think I'm being overly critical because of the price of the statue.

xplosive are you able to take photos of your statue and base from directly front on and one from the left side of Bruce?

Hey mate,

So yours also has that bit under the chin where the chin doesn't sit flush with the neck? If you look at my pics you'll know what I mean. Trying to work out if this is a QC issue or if others have the same problem. I got until tomorrow to contact Pop Cultcha.

He doesn't sit rigid in the hole on mine either. There is some slight movement if you touch him, and yes, I can move him around once he's in the peg hole.

When I place mine centre there is a slight lean to the left also, but it always looked normal to me. Didn't really look off. The lean is slight, but Bruce also isn't standing dead centre (don't think it's possible). I remove Bruce from the base whenever I move the statue around for photos, due to the weight and the fact that he sits loosely in the peg hole, and I don't always put him back in the same position. I did notice some slight lean when I moved him around the base but never really paid too much attention to it because it didn't look off.

See this photo for reference. It's front on and fairly close to the middle. How does this look to you? close to yours?

 

[xpl0sive]

holy crap!! that join is awful..there is no excuse for that even the HD1002 had a better join than that.and I thought the cuts were bad.that's gonna be an eyesore on certain display angles.some filler/putty and a paint blend needed there...enterblitz has provided some shoddy finish there.if mine arrives like that,i wont be happy.not at this price level.to me that is most definatly a QC issue..that's bad really bad.
nongshim,is the hole too big for the peg?maybe wrap some electrical tape around the peg for a tighter fit..i don't think you want to drill another hole,although it's an option.

lol yeah it's pretty bad isn't it? When you guys were freaking out about the cuts, I was more worried about this. Realised I never put any close up shots of the seam, figured I probably should to let you guys know what it's like lol.

To be honest, the side shown in the first picture doesn't really look bad under normal lighting conditions. In fact, the seam practically disappears from a distance. It's not until you look really close that you notice it. Other side is very noticeable however, but the main issue is the chin. Depending on the height you're viewing this at, it can be noticeable like you see in the pics, and it's a real let down.

So you think I should return to Pop Cultcha? Might send them an email tomorrow as it's my last chance to contact them for a return, but nongshim reckons his is like that as well, so I'm thinking maybe they're all like that :/

 

[mrchris]

I wonder if his right leg being at a angle is giving it the ''lean'' look?,the torso looks pretty level on that(yet another great )shot.it's such a shame that the quality of some of the finish is letting this down,it truly could have been a masterpiece,but it will need work doing on it to raise it to how it should have been.
I would have preferred blitzway to spend more time on this,and get everything right,little niggles that end up being more of an issue than they should have been

 

[mrchris]

you could always contact them with your concerns,they could always check their stock to see if they all have this issue.if they find a good one...tell them to keep it for you.swap yours,it will be worth the hassle in returning it.

 

[xpl0sive]

I wonder if his right leg being at a angle is giving it the ''lean'' look?,the torso looks pretty level on that(yet another great )shot.it's such a shame that the quality of some of the finish is letting this down,it truly could have been a masterpiece,but it will need work doing on it to raise it to how it should have been.
I would have preferred blitzway to spend more time on this,and get everything right,little niggles that end up being more of an issue than they should have been

I think it's just an optical illusion, depending on how Bruce is rotated on the base, and what angle you're viewing from. I had a good look at nongshim's pics to see how he has his statue set up and compared to mine. It's different.

With mine, what I do is set up the base so that the peg hole is in the middle but towards the rear of the base, if that makes sense. I then Place bruce into the peg hole and to achieve the pose in that pic I have his right foot pointing towards the middle of that centre 'square' on the base (the border of the base that simulates the top of the mirrors). If I want Bruce more to his side, I just rotate Bruce to the right until I'm happy with the angle (to understand what I mean, look at my pic above, and just imagine rotating Bruce to the right of that photo until you are happy with his positioning). Doing this, it always looks normal to me, but after viewing nongshim's pics, I started rotating Bruce around and viewing him from various angles and it does look off depending what angle I'm viewing.

So yeah, I do think it has to do with correct placement of the statue. Nongshim, set up your Bruce exactly as I have described here, using my photo as reference, and let me know if it's still an issue.

Cheers for the compliments on the photo chris, that one was for Tyderium who requested that shot a couple of days ago and I forgot to post it lol sorry pal. It did come out quite nice.

You're right mate, it is a big shame indeed. This really is a beautiful piece and I honestly haven't been able to stop looking at it since I've got it. This weekend especially, having the chance to view it in natural light, it really is a beautiful piece to admire, it's just let down by a poor quality finish in certain areas, which take away the high-end, museum feel some-what.

you could always contact them with your concerns,they could always check their stock to see if they all have this issue.if they find a good one...tell them to keep it for you.swap yours,it will be worth the hassle in returning it.

I'm not sure if they would do that though as it'll mean opening up sealed boxes that they will no longer be able to sell as new. I guess it's worth a try though.

I'm just concerned if they don't allow me to do this and I basically have to swap it blind, I could end up with an even worse statue lol. I'll speak to them anyway and see what they say.

I do wish I knew some good local artists though. I would seriously just pay someone to fill up the neck seam altogether with putty, then match the paint an it'll be completely gone. Sweat and cuts I should be able to do myself, and then I'd have the perfect Bruce Lee piece.

 

[mrchris]

long shot could you try with putty yourself,then get some powder/paste that you can get,to blend in,may take a couple of pots to get the correct colour.
I tried (no laughing please) some of my wifes makeup foundation powder on some spare hands I had that were too light,and belive it or not it did a really good job,and it will come off when rubbed hard enough.you have a difficult choice with this.keep as is,return and hope they are not all the same(I can see this bugging me..lots!!) or try and ''touch up''.have you a local model shop?.they could possibly help.