Call me JOKER!!!!

[pjam]

I spoke to soon...

That coat looks FANTASTIC! And I even like the new sculpt -- laughing!

Man, this is gonna be great!

Thanks WG! Tail coat is looking good. As is the sculpt.

 

[Wor-Gar]

I'm shocked by how tailored the coat looks. It's amazing. And I do like this sculpt even better than the ones we've seen -- a great Joker grin. I can hear Jack now....

 

[pjam]

Check out the last HS shot profile, looks MUCH more like Jack.

The Tailcoat makes the fig. I really don't care what v3 looks like, this is the one to get IMO.

 

[Wor-Gar]

The overcoat looks great -- not 100% film accurate, but so plush and fancy it just suits Joker and will look great on the shelf. It looks like it's made of the same felt material the original tailcoat is made of in v1. Looks great closed -- nicely fitted -- almost hate to have it opened on the figure. Collar, felt buttons and pocket flaps -- all look perfect.

This is definitely a huge improvement from v1. Of course, with a price hike. If it comes with everything the v1 came with, then it's worth the price.

 

[Cocoboloboy]

Thanks for the pics Wor-Gar! Joker looks great. Really diggin the new sculpt. When was this coming out?

 

[pjam]

The overcoat looks great -- not 100% film accurate, but so plush and fancy it just suits Joker and will look great on the shelf. It looks like it's made of the same felt material the original tailcoat is made of in v1. Looks great closed -- nicely fitted -- almost hate to have it opened on the figure. Collar, felt buttons and pocket flaps -- all look perfect.

This is definitely a huge improvement from v1. Of course, with a price hike. If it comes with everything the v1 came with, then it's worth the price.

Did you see all the stuff in the description for THAT V2? Both heads, short gun with flag, new couch, etc.

I wonder what they'll be including with the Toys2 offering. With the price hike I would think everything except the new couch. I think we should know in the next few days.

 

[wofford29]

Robin Kwok is the guy that supposedly stole all of Arnie Kim's Bruce Lee originals and made recasts.

 

[wofford29]

Here's the story minus the photos...
scroll down on this link to find the original story...
https://jaxting.blogspot.com/


Thursday, May 18, 2006
Project Dragon ~ The Art of a Toy Swindler

For any Arnie fans out there, perhaps you haven't heard the very unfortunate story about Arnie's dealings with Robin Kwok. Kwok, the owner of a San Francisco based toy shop called Art of Toy or Heroes Club. Who's swindled his way through Hong Kong's toy industry with 7 hand made Bruce Lee prototype figures by the ingenious Korean artist Arnie Kim, by re-casting and re-sculpting them (without Arnie's consent) into other unlicensed products are now appearing on the toy market in Hong Kong and elsewhere.

Arnie's seven original hand made Bruce Lee figures that were stolen by Robin Kwok of Heroes Club / Art of Club of San Francisco, CA

Original Art of Toy / Heroes Club advertisement:

Robin Kwok originally approached Arnie about producing a Bruce Lee action figure line code named: Project Dragon, Kwok swindled Arnie into sending him 7 of his hand made Bruce Lee original prototype figures as samples supposedly to show to investors and licensees. But Kwok failed in both ends and the project was cut. In the end Robin Kwok took Arnie's 7 handmade Bruce Lee figure samples and refused to return them to Arnie without any explanations whatsoever .

Two original Art of Toy / Heroes Club advertisement:


Later it turns out, Robin Kwok took Arnie's samples and dealt with Dragon Models https://www.dragon-models.com/ and re-molded and did some modification to Arnie's original sculptures and produced the Yipman and Jun Fan figure set.

As you can see in the prototype photo from Art of toy below.

Below, you can see the close ups of Dragon Models' original Jun Fan / Bruce Lee face sculpt below.

You can see after Dragon Models' poor attempt of Bruce Lee's likeness, they added a modified sculpt from Arnie's original creation, and it then became the new Jun Fan / Bruce Lee head sculpt.



The Yipman and original Jun Fan head sculpts are casted in vinyl and the new Bruce Lee head sculpt is casted in resin. Dragon ended up also included their old version of Bruce Lee / Jun Fan head sculpt and called it Chris Chan, Chris Chan is a Grandmaster in US Wing Chung Kung Fu Academy. Obviously Chris Chan looks nothing like Dragon's old Bruce head sculpt.

Here are some comparison photos of Art of Toy / Dragon Models' ripoff and Arnies original figure.


Robin Kwok, wherever you are..the truth has unfolded, and now it's your turn to repair this awful reputation which the world sees you have... you are a typical swindler... Now return what's left of those original hand made figure samples back to Arnie with a fair compensation along with a sincere public apology to Arnie, to sew up this ugliness which you've created... The world is an ugly place because of people like you!

 

[pjam]

Is this really necessary, drumming up old news/disputes just when we were starting to have fun about hopefully getting these figs?

According to Toys2 Robin isn't making these Jokers, Century is. It is not his project... and very few of us, if any, are buying the Expensive version with the couch from him.

 

[wofford29]

It's neccessary for those that don't want to support a criminal or anyone involved with said criminal and may not know anything about it.

 

[galactiboy]

Granted its good to keep others informed, but this is not being produced by AOT... merely sold through them. And hopefully their inflated price tag alone would keep people away

 

[wofford29]

Made by them or sold by them, your money is still going to support his business and I think anyone who stumbles across this thread and doesn't know might like to. It's not my intention to persuade someone from buying a great looking figure or not, I just know that I like to know who and what my money is going to before I do business with anyone and think some would like to know as well. Doesn't mean it's a bad figure at all.

 

[MadCow]

I've been on the list for this and I seriously can't wait. The improvements are HUGE!!! Anyone have a ballpark on what it's going to cost???

 

[galactiboy]

Made by them or sold by them, your money is still going to support his business

Just to be clear on my post, they are not the only ones selling these figures. Most of us (maybe all) are going through Toys2... hence avoiding the high costs.

And Madcow, we were told $180 through Toys2.

 

[Jediguy]

guys where and how do i place an order for this figure?

 

[pjam]

Hey Guys, I just noticed Joker had 2 different Tail Coats in the film. The Parade tail coat had a velvet neck collar , not lapels. The Belfry coat looks more like the one we're getting, all one fabric.

 

[Wor-Gar]

Hey Guys, I just noticed Joker had 2 different Tail Coats in the film. The Parade tail coat had a velvet neck collar , not lapels. The Belfry coat looks more like the one we're getting, all one fabric.

Belfry coat? I thought that was just his regular "Liberace" tuxedo jacket; short front with tails in back.

Certainly he didn't wear an overcoat, and a "Belfry coat and then his purple tux jacket as well?

 

[pjam]

No no, I thought that Belfry coat was another version of his overcoat (which was hung outside the belfry roof with the hat) Guess he removed it when he got up there but I don't remember him wearing the "parade" overcoat when he called for the JokerCopter so I was a little confused. The Joker overcoat, then, is not accurate but it looks great nonetheless.

I hope they include the original Joker head with V2, if so I will have it painted a Museum fleshtone.

 

[MadCow]

Well, V2 is a go:

https://www.toys2.net/product.php?productid=20415&cat=0&page=1

I bit the bullet and placed an order. Hopefully i'll be pleased with the final product...

This will be the most money I have ever paid for an action figure, EVER...

 

[pjam]

Just to be clear on my post, they are not the only ones selling these figures. Most of us (maybe all) are going through Toys2... hence avoiding the high costs.

And Madcow, we were told $180 through Toys2.

Price is 170.