Commander Praji - Sideshow Exclusive 12"

[galactiboy]

Do SW fan's really think that they have that much power... Hasbro didn't seem to sink and they've released crap upon crap for years. You could hear the bellyaching... yet still when the umpteenth repackage of Vader hit the shelves they were buying.

I'd say if anything the sheep mentality of SW collectors will still lead to sell outs even if these "so called" fans don't like whats happening

 

[ProgMatinee]

Do SW fan's really think that they have that much power... Hasbro didn't seem to sink and they've released crap upon crap for years. You could hear the bellyaching... yet still when the umpteenth repackage of Vader hit the shelves they were buying.

I'd say if anything the sheep mentality of SW collectors will still lead to sell outs even if these "so called" fans don't like whats happening

Not so sure about that. In total Hasbro still has the SW reigns, but you obviously realize that the 12" license did up and move once before.

 

[MaulFan]

If SW customers whine and whine for Vader, wouldn't you agree making those customers happy is of interest to the company?

I wouldn't agree because they're having good success with what figures they have put out. If they had shelves full of their other figures that they couldn't move, I'd say it's time to listen to the comments of a few hundred web posters, but when you have success with the oddity figures, I think that gives you a freedom to work as much for yourself as a company as your customers. Sideshow cares about customers, and I think they care more about HOW they deliver Vader than WHEN, and I know if they rolled him out early to shut people up, it'd be subpar for SSC, fans would revolt and it'd be ugly. They know how important he is to fans and the company's line of figures, he's like the flagship of it all, and knowing that, they're going to work to make him the absolute best figure in their entire 1/6 Star Wars offering, and we've seen how long it takes to get what we get now, so to get Super Vader, it'll take longer.

 

[ProgMatinee]

I wouldn't agree because they're having good success with what figures they have put out. If they had shelves full of their other figures that they couldn't move, I'd say it's time to listen to the comments of a few hundred web posters, but when you have success with the oddity figures, I think that gives you a freedom to work as much for yourself as a company as your customers. Sideshow cares about customers, and I think they care more about HOW they deliver Vader than WHEN, and I know if they rolled him out early to shut people up, it'd be subpar for SSC, fans would revolt and it'd be ugly. They know how important he is to fans and the company's line of figures, he's like the flagship of it all, and knowing that, they're going to work to make him the absolute best figure in their entire 1/6 Star Wars offering, and we've seen how long it takes to get what we get now, so to get Super Vader, it'll take longer.

I'll agree with all that (and actually my position has always been to spread the major characters out of a long period).

That said, I was speaking more on the complaint that SSC should be keeping fanboys more informed, not so much that Vader needs to be released now.

 

[TheObsoleteMan]

I don't think the want for Vader has as much to do with impatience as it does with the shock of not actually having one after two years. For a Star Wars line, any Star Wars line, to not have a Vader by this point is unheard of. Hell, for any line period not to have it's flagship character after two years is bizarre. If the armor were especialy complicated, like a Stormtrooper, I could understand the long R&D process, but it's not. It's not much more involved than Boushh, and she turned out great. He doesn't need some brand new body either, because Vader was a stiff awkwardly moving cyborg, and the Buck can certainly pull that off.

 

[Darth Cruel]

I apologize for pulling this thread back on subject for a post or two, but...

I am really looking forward to getting a few of these as I already have plans to do a head swap with an extra Endor Rebel Infantryman I have to add a little variety to the troop-building.

I was thinking about leaving the heads of 2 of the Commanders that I get the same and calling them the Tonnika brothers. But this one is a specific character.

 

[ProgMatinee]

I don't think the want for Vader has as much to do with impatience as it does with the shock of not actually having one after two years. For a Star Wars line, any Star Wars line, to not have a Vader by this point is unheard of. Hell, for any line period not to have it's flagship character after two years is bizarre. If the armor were especialy complicated, like a Stormtrooper, I could understand the long R&D process, but it's not. It's not much more involved than Boushh, and she turned out great. He doesn't need some brand new body either, because Vader was a stiff awkwardly moving cyborg, and the Buck can certainly pull that off.

The major bad point of using the Buck for Vader is that the rather tight fitting jumper that he wears would look horrible on the emaciated thin arms.

Of course, this did not stop SSC from doing Bespin Han.

 

[MaulFan]

The major bad point of using the Buck for Vader is that the rather tight fitting jumper that he wears would look horrible on the emaciated thin arms.

Of course, this did not stop SSC from doing Bespin Han.

I think the Buck would look Ok in the arms, I actually find the scrawniness of the arms on the Medicom Vader to be one of the complaints I had with it.

As for Praji, I wish SSC would have taken a portrait shot to show the face a littler better, the hat casts light and shadow that interferes a bit.

 

[pixletwin]

Problem with Praji is that I doubt there are a whole of great reference pics for the guy.

 

[The Josh]

Problem with Praji is that I doubt there are a whole of great reference pics for the guy.

That would be my guess as well. The likeness is ok but honestly I look at him as more of a generic figure. Kind of like one of the three Endor figures.

 

[pixletwin]

That would be my guess as well. The likeness is ok but honestly I look at him as more of a generic figure. Kind of like one of the three Endor figures.

Exactly... I couldn't even tell you if the Nik Sant figure is a great likeness of the actual actor.

 

[The Josh]

Exactly... I couldn't even tell you if the Nik Sant figure is a great likeness of the actual actor.

Right cause like this we get one little screen cap of the guy.

 

[MaulFan]

Problem with Praji is that I doubt there are a whole of great reference pics for the guy.

Agreed, he was probably one of the many British extras, probably a stage actor without much publicity behind him. I only wanted to see the portrait more just to see how it looks, even just to see it the lighting with the hat obscures him a bit. I'm a details freak, that's why I like taking these figures out and photographing them, there's just so much going on in even just the head sculpt, it's fun to explore everythign that's gone into the piece.

 

[Darklord Dave]

Some of these posts make it sound like they think SSC is deliberately withholding Vader as some sort of cruel joke on the SW fans. Remember Vader was the 2nd PF they did and they took a lot of flack from people saying "this isn't right, this is messed up..." etc. So I imagine they're taking their time and getting Vader right. Of course there will still be complaints, but perhaps fewer than if they rushed him out.

 

[TheObsoleteMan]

The likeness is irrelevant because the character himself is irrelevant. It's all about the cool outfit.

 

[ProgMatinee]

The likeness is irrelevant because the character himself is irrelevant. It's all about the cool outfit.

+1,000,000!!!!!1ONE!!!


Tis a sweet outfit indeed.

 

[pixletwin]

The likeness is irrelevant because the character himself is irrelevant. It's all about the cool outfit.

Well put. Clean and simple.

 

[TheObsoleteMan]

Some of these posts make it sound like they think SSC is deliberately withholding Vader as some sort of cruel joke on the SW fans. Remember Vader was the 2nd PF they did and they took a lot of flack from people saying "this isn't right, this is messed up..." etc. So I imagine they're taking their time and getting Vader right. Of course there will still be complaints, but perhaps fewer than if they rushed him out.

I don't think they're deliberately holding out, but I do think that they are perhaps making a bigger production out of it than it needs to be. It's not going to be perfect no matter how long they take, and there will be complaints no matter what. There's a point where R&D becomes feet dragging. Just my opinion.

 

[ProgMatinee]

Hey, that said about the coolness of the outfit, I do think the figure in the photo was in desperate need of futzing. Hopefully the outfit is not unfutzable.

Its all about fit on some of these outfits. I have 2 of the Hasbro Imperial Officers and 1 of them I put on a Elite Brigade (basically a vintage GI Joe replica) and the fit compared to the CC Joe body is night and day.

 

[MaulFan]

I don't think they're deliberately holding out, but I do think that they are perhaps making a bigger production out of it than it needs to be. It's not going to be perfect no matter how long they take, and there will be complaints no matter what. There's a point where R&D becomes feet dragging. Just my opinion.

I think it goes beyond us when it comes to who SSC has to impress though, they have LFL, the license granter to appease, and I think everyone on the planet could agree that if you're going to produce a high end line of 1/6 Star Wars figures, Darth Vader is going to be the flagship of the entire line, and in front of LFL, despite whatever success Sideshow's had so far, if Vader comes up short enough, it could weigh in on LFL's feelings about Sideshow, especially when Medicom's is out there for comparison.