uscmhicks
Super Freak
I've still not got my catwoman and haven't had a reply from 2 seperate emails.
Catwoman Bootleg Coming (Returns not Halle)
- Thread starter Deckard
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abake
Rex Tremendae Majestatis
I've ordered a few times from Store-rooms and only had a problem once when after a long time my items never materialized. After a couple of emails they responded very politely and re-sent the items free of charge.
Well, after raising a claim with PP, Store-rooms has emailed me apologising for their staff making a mistake and asking if they can still send me the order, and replied to my responses, not once but THREE times.... within 20 minutes! (funny that) + a tracking number for EMS.
They assured me i will have it by the end of the week.
I told them i will withdraw the claim IF i recieve the order by end of the week AND in undamaged condition.
See how it goes i guess!
Just goes to show the language barrier really is not that bad, and that they DO have time to reply to emails.
Just have to know how to get their attention i suppose. (ie. Claims!)
Nice work Darth Con!
FOUR replies from them in 25 minutes!
Must be some kind of record!!
EVILFACE
Insufferable S.O.B.
Got reply about my crushed box!!
galactiboy
OT Preferist
I'm surprised the box mine came in wasn't crushed. It was basically just bubble wrapped and covered in butchers paper.
haytil
Super Freak
Ok, here's my comparison of the bootleg Catwoman versus my custom Sean Dabbs custom Catwoman.
First, sorry about the picture quality - lighting around here has been pretty lousy lately, the black shiny material makes using the flash impossible, and I ended up being in a bit of a rush. I'll probably take more pictures to share later - certainly some with a better comparison of the headsculpts.
Note that I've got the Takara Catwoman hands on the custom. I was in the process of crafting some of my own hands, but with the new custom claws being worked on, I will hold off and see how those turn out.
Here are the two, side-by-side:
<img src="https://i842.photobucket.com/albums/zz344/frakkingoff1/Catwomen/Catwomen003.jpg">
The one on the left is the custom, the one on the right is the bootleg.
The boots are quite different. The custom is just a flat black, while the bootleg has two lines of eyes little eyes and lacing, granting it much more accuracy to the likeness of the movie. The laces are a bit long, but they can be trimmed - however, I recommend waiting until you feel the boots are exactly as you want them before trimming the laces, as I will explain later on.
Also, the difference in body type is quite apparent in this pic. This is primarily due to the corset - the underlying bodies may actually be identical, in fact. But the corset is much tighter and more shapely in the custom than it is in the bootleg.
<img src="https://i842.photobucket.com/albums/zz344/frakkingoff1/Catwomen/Catwomen005.jpg">
A closeup of the mid-section and corset. The bootleg's corset gives Catwoman's body a bit of a chunky appearance, with a thick trunk, while the custom remains lean. In "Batman Returns," Catwoman is simultaneously quite lean and voloptuous. Remember, Pfeiffer's suit was vacuum-sealed, so the corset should really hug her body as tightly as possible.
Thankfully, the breasts aren't extreme in either (as found in many other depictions and action figure renderings of Catwoman), but the lean corset of the custom makes her pair more attractive than the bootleg's.
I also like the boning in the corset of the custom better, as it makes it seem much more realistic - though I'm not sure which is more movie-accurate.
Nevertheless, the difference in the mid-body and corset is really what sets the two apart in my eyes. The custom remains sexy, like the character in the film, while the bootleg looks like they just couldn't get the 1/6 scale corset and mid-body to work out right, and the look of the figure really suffers for it. I noticed this when the first prototype pics were released, and hoped it would be resolved by the time the figure itself was released, but it looks like that didn't happen.
Though each figure has advantages and accuracies that the other does not, it's this difference that sticks out the most to me.
Finally, this picture lets you see that the custom's white stitching is probably a fair bit more accurate. First, there are more lines of stitching in the custom that aren't present in the bootleg (one example: the extra lines and branches coming down over Catwoman's right shoulder, which is present on the left figure but absent on the right). I checked with the movie, and these extra lines of stitching make the custom more movie-accurate than the bootleg.
Also, the stitching is more dense in the custom - there are fewer stitches per line in the bootleg, which makes it less accurate. No doubt this was because the more you stitch, the longer and more painstaking the process. For those who don't know, the stitching on the right is "good enough" - but not as movie accurate as it could (or should) be, as the one on the left demonstrates. I'm not sure if the custom is 1:1 as far as the stitching goes, but it is a lot closer to the movie than the bootleg.
<img src="https://i842.photobucket.com/albums/zz344/frakkingoff1/Catwomen/Catwomen018.jpg">
Close-ups on the two headsculpts. The custom has a pale, white skin stone, which is consistent with the visual aesthetic of the movie - Pfeiffer's Catwoman had a white, powdered face. The bootleg has a darker, flesh tone, for a more realistic look.
As far as the likeness to the actress - I don't really see Pfeiffer in the bootleg. The custom, however, is very much Pfeiffer, with a very unique smirk that she showcases one or two times in the film. It's hard to see in this pic, thanks to extreme light reflection, so I'll probably post a better pic when I get the chance to take some more.
One thing that the bootleg has over my custom is the stitching in the headsculpt. On the custom, it's just paint. But on the bootleg, the mask's stitching is raised, as a part of the sculpt, rather than just being painted on.
Note the neck and collar, and keep it in mind as we move on to...
<img src="https://i842.photobucket.com/albums/zz344/frakkingoff1/Catwomen/Catwomen014.jpg">
The figures in profile. See the neck again? The custom has a bit of a loose collar, as it's just a bit too wide around her neck. But the bootleg's collar goes way too high, giving her a bit of a turtle-neck look. The result is a bit restricting on the chin, which should have been left more exposed to keep the figure more accurate.
The profile view also gives another angle on the body, showcasing once again how the custom has a much more accurate, sexier, and all around better body shape than the bootleg, thanks to the difference in the corset.
<img src="https://i842.photobucket.com/albums/zz344/frakkingoff1/Catwomen/Catwomen017.jpg">
The figures from behind. Once again, the costume of the custom is much tighter than the bootleg. The corset isn't the only example - you can see here that the back of the thighs and knees on the bootleg are a bit "baggy," as they don't hug the legs as they should.
However, the eyes and lacing on the corset for the bootleg are much more accurate than the custom, which lacks any lacing whatsoever.
Both of the figures have advantages over the other one. In the end, though, the body shape of the custom puts it above the bootleg in my mind. I look forward to giving the custom a pair of the new claws, if they turn out well (if not, I'll probably give her the bootleg's hands, for accuracy's sake).
I'll also see if the custom's boots are easily removed - if so, I'll probably swap the boots, to make the custom that much more accurate.
You may have noticed in the picture that the bootleg Catwoman's left leg is a bit off - that's because I was having issues with the boot, which didn't seem to have been put on her leg properly, so she wasn't standing up straight.
Since taking the pic, I unlaced the boot and pulled it off. When I tried to put it back on, to reposition it correctly, I couldn't get the foot all the way to the bottom - the toes of the feet only went halfway down the sole, rather than down to the toes of the boot.
I reached in and, at the bottom of the boot, I felt some kind of soft, plushy material, like there was too much fabric in the lining or bottom of the boot (which itself has a tongue, which is quite nice). Eventually I pulled it out and realized it was a sock!
Most of you probably haven't realized this, but apparently the bootleg comes with socks too. When I pulled the boot off, all I saw was the naked foot, so it didn't occur to me that she'd have a sock. Apparently the sock got pulled off her foot when I pulled the foot out of the boot, and remained, bunched up, at the bottom, making repositioning an impossible effort.
I put the sock back on, then slipped the foot back in, without problems. Lacing it up was a slow process, but it all worked out in the end.
Hence, my two warnings to you:
-Make sure you account for the socks, if taking the boot off. If the sock gets stuck, you can probably reach in with some needle-nose pliars or something and pull it out, to avoid having to unlace the boots.
-Make sure you're fine with the boots before trimming the laces. If you decide to reposition the boots, you may have to unlace it first - and re-lacing it is much easier when the laces are still quite long!
First, sorry about the picture quality - lighting around here has been pretty lousy lately, the black shiny material makes using the flash impossible, and I ended up being in a bit of a rush. I'll probably take more pictures to share later - certainly some with a better comparison of the headsculpts.
Note that I've got the Takara Catwoman hands on the custom. I was in the process of crafting some of my own hands, but with the new custom claws being worked on, I will hold off and see how those turn out.
Here are the two, side-by-side:
<img src="https://i842.photobucket.com/albums/zz344/frakkingoff1/Catwomen/Catwomen003.jpg">
The one on the left is the custom, the one on the right is the bootleg.
The boots are quite different. The custom is just a flat black, while the bootleg has two lines of eyes little eyes and lacing, granting it much more accuracy to the likeness of the movie. The laces are a bit long, but they can be trimmed - however, I recommend waiting until you feel the boots are exactly as you want them before trimming the laces, as I will explain later on.
Also, the difference in body type is quite apparent in this pic. This is primarily due to the corset - the underlying bodies may actually be identical, in fact. But the corset is much tighter and more shapely in the custom than it is in the bootleg.
<img src="https://i842.photobucket.com/albums/zz344/frakkingoff1/Catwomen/Catwomen005.jpg">
A closeup of the mid-section and corset. The bootleg's corset gives Catwoman's body a bit of a chunky appearance, with a thick trunk, while the custom remains lean. In "Batman Returns," Catwoman is simultaneously quite lean and voloptuous. Remember, Pfeiffer's suit was vacuum-sealed, so the corset should really hug her body as tightly as possible.
Thankfully, the breasts aren't extreme in either (as found in many other depictions and action figure renderings of Catwoman), but the lean corset of the custom makes her pair more attractive than the bootleg's.
I also like the boning in the corset of the custom better, as it makes it seem much more realistic - though I'm not sure which is more movie-accurate.
Nevertheless, the difference in the mid-body and corset is really what sets the two apart in my eyes. The custom remains sexy, like the character in the film, while the bootleg looks like they just couldn't get the 1/6 scale corset and mid-body to work out right, and the look of the figure really suffers for it. I noticed this when the first prototype pics were released, and hoped it would be resolved by the time the figure itself was released, but it looks like that didn't happen.
Though each figure has advantages and accuracies that the other does not, it's this difference that sticks out the most to me.
Finally, this picture lets you see that the custom's white stitching is probably a fair bit more accurate. First, there are more lines of stitching in the custom that aren't present in the bootleg (one example: the extra lines and branches coming down over Catwoman's right shoulder, which is present on the left figure but absent on the right). I checked with the movie, and these extra lines of stitching make the custom more movie-accurate than the bootleg.
Also, the stitching is more dense in the custom - there are fewer stitches per line in the bootleg, which makes it less accurate. No doubt this was because the more you stitch, the longer and more painstaking the process. For those who don't know, the stitching on the right is "good enough" - but not as movie accurate as it could (or should) be, as the one on the left demonstrates. I'm not sure if the custom is 1:1 as far as the stitching goes, but it is a lot closer to the movie than the bootleg.
<img src="https://i842.photobucket.com/albums/zz344/frakkingoff1/Catwomen/Catwomen018.jpg">
Close-ups on the two headsculpts. The custom has a pale, white skin stone, which is consistent with the visual aesthetic of the movie - Pfeiffer's Catwoman had a white, powdered face. The bootleg has a darker, flesh tone, for a more realistic look.
As far as the likeness to the actress - I don't really see Pfeiffer in the bootleg. The custom, however, is very much Pfeiffer, with a very unique smirk that she showcases one or two times in the film. It's hard to see in this pic, thanks to extreme light reflection, so I'll probably post a better pic when I get the chance to take some more.
One thing that the bootleg has over my custom is the stitching in the headsculpt. On the custom, it's just paint. But on the bootleg, the mask's stitching is raised, as a part of the sculpt, rather than just being painted on.
Note the neck and collar, and keep it in mind as we move on to...
<img src="https://i842.photobucket.com/albums/zz344/frakkingoff1/Catwomen/Catwomen014.jpg">
The figures in profile. See the neck again? The custom has a bit of a loose collar, as it's just a bit too wide around her neck. But the bootleg's collar goes way too high, giving her a bit of a turtle-neck look. The result is a bit restricting on the chin, which should have been left more exposed to keep the figure more accurate.
The profile view also gives another angle on the body, showcasing once again how the custom has a much more accurate, sexier, and all around better body shape than the bootleg, thanks to the difference in the corset.
<img src="https://i842.photobucket.com/albums/zz344/frakkingoff1/Catwomen/Catwomen017.jpg">
The figures from behind. Once again, the costume of the custom is much tighter than the bootleg. The corset isn't the only example - you can see here that the back of the thighs and knees on the bootleg are a bit "baggy," as they don't hug the legs as they should.
However, the eyes and lacing on the corset for the bootleg are much more accurate than the custom, which lacks any lacing whatsoever.
Both of the figures have advantages over the other one. In the end, though, the body shape of the custom puts it above the bootleg in my mind. I look forward to giving the custom a pair of the new claws, if they turn out well (if not, I'll probably give her the bootleg's hands, for accuracy's sake).
I'll also see if the custom's boots are easily removed - if so, I'll probably swap the boots, to make the custom that much more accurate.
You may have noticed in the picture that the bootleg Catwoman's left leg is a bit off - that's because I was having issues with the boot, which didn't seem to have been put on her leg properly, so she wasn't standing up straight.
Since taking the pic, I unlaced the boot and pulled it off. When I tried to put it back on, to reposition it correctly, I couldn't get the foot all the way to the bottom - the toes of the feet only went halfway down the sole, rather than down to the toes of the boot.
I reached in and, at the bottom of the boot, I felt some kind of soft, plushy material, like there was too much fabric in the lining or bottom of the boot (which itself has a tongue, which is quite nice). Eventually I pulled it out and realized it was a sock!
Most of you probably haven't realized this, but apparently the bootleg comes with socks too. When I pulled the boot off, all I saw was the naked foot, so it didn't occur to me that she'd have a sock. Apparently the sock got pulled off her foot when I pulled the foot out of the boot, and remained, bunched up, at the bottom, making repositioning an impossible effort.
I put the sock back on, then slipped the foot back in, without problems. Lacing it up was a slow process, but it all worked out in the end.
Hence, my two warnings to you:
-Make sure you account for the socks, if taking the boot off. If the sock gets stuck, you can probably reach in with some needle-nose pliars or something and pull it out, to avoid having to unlace the boots.
-Make sure you're fine with the boots before trimming the laces. If you decide to reposition the boots, you may have to unlace it first - and re-lacing it is much easier when the laces are still quite long!
1) To many words to read at work. Will read when I get home.
2) At a glance I almost like the custom more.
3) My laces on the bootleg were the perfect length. I couldn't even figure out what you were talking about until I saw these pics.
2) At a glance I almost like the custom more.
3) My laces on the bootleg were the perfect length. I couldn't even figure out what you were talking about until I saw these pics.
EVILFACE
Insufferable S.O.B.
Custom does look far better. I like the sculpt and paint and the corset on it.
But it pointless to compare a custom to a mass produced item.
But it pointless to compare a custom to a mass produced item.
haytil
Super Freak
True. You tend to get a lot more attention to detail and love for the character and design in a custom than in a mass-produced item. I only posted the comparison since Maglor requested it earlier (it was in a different thread, but I figured it belonged here more).
Though I do believe that the bootleg could've done a better job with the corset and making it tighter. Some cutting of corners, like the stitching, I understand, but I don't think it would've been much harder for them to come up with a different shape to the corset. Especially since they did such a great job with the back of it (i.e., the lacing).
haytil
Super Freak
Seems like it might not be that hard to modify the corset on the bootleg...
That's actually a good idea. If you can figure out a way to get it to pinch inwards at the sides (and maybe even the front), it'd look a lot better.
Won't be perfect, since you'll have too much material (so you'll probably end up with some wrinkles or something), but it's better than leaving it how it is.
The question is, how do you get it to pinch inwards without anything noticeable on the outside surface? The black shiny material might make some additional sewing difficult to conceal. But it's worth a try.
Hehe...it looks like there's no such thing as a Batman figure that this community can't figure out a necessary mod for...
EVILFACE
Insufferable S.O.B.
couple shots
abake
Rex Tremendae Majestatis
Wow.
Simply wow!
Simply wow!
EVILFACE
Insufferable S.O.B.
A second Catwoman showed up today 
uncrushed box and her bewbs were wrapped in plastic bubble, so no nipple rubs!!
uncrushed box and her bewbs were wrapped in plastic bubble, so no nipple rubs!!
uscmhicks
Super Freak
Still not got my figure but I did get a reply with a tracking number.
Not sure what site to use to check where the item is though so it's pointless. I've asked them where I can check.
For free because of the first ones box or did you buy two ?.
By the way the decals you made me showed up a few days ago. Awesome as always.
Not sure what site to use to check where the item is though so it's pointless. I've asked them where I can check.
A second Catwoman showed up today
For free because of the first ones box or did you buy two ?.
By the way the decals you made me showed up a few days ago. Awesome as always.
EVILFACE
Insufferable S.O.B.
Well I didn't order or pay for a second. I bet they shipped it when I originally asked when the first order shipped. Going to box up the old one in the crushed box and send her back.
on the decal. you should be getting your woman soon!
on the decal. you should be getting your woman soon!
bloodgear
Super Freak
Still not got my figure but I did get a reply with a tracking number.
Not sure what site to use to check where the item is though so it's pointless. I've asked them where I can check.
For free because of the first ones box or did you buy two ?.
By the way the decals you made me showed up a few days ago. Awesome as always.
Hong Kong Post
Well I didn't order or pay for a second. I bet they shipped it when I originally asked when the first order shipped. Going to box up the old one in the crushed box and send her back.
Very honest of you to do that, very commendable.
I did the same when I ordered a Hot Toy and the seller sent me also an Iron man Statue. Very tempting but I called the seller and sent it back.
uscmhicks
Super Freak
Well I didn't order or pay for a second. I bet they shipped it when I originally asked when the first order shipped. Going to box up the old one in the crushed box and send her back.
I'd have kept it. They had the cheek to steal half of what should have been in my taxi driver figure and they've done it to quite a few people on here. Send them a message saying you're holding it ransom and will send it back when we all get our stuff.
Cheers pal , left hong kong on the 9th apparently. Hope it hasn't gone missing.
EdwardNashton1
Super Freak
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A second Catwoman showed up today
uncrushed box and her bewbs were wrapped in plastic bubble, so no nipple rubs!!
What is that figure to the right and behind them?
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