GANDALF tease

[abake]

I'm very happy about this release.
I didn't get Faramir or those silly halflings, but Gandalf will surely stand proudly next to Aragorn, Legolas and Boromir.

 

[Rogue Trooper]

Excellant, i get to complete my LOTR line-up, GTG, aragorn and frodo.

 

[Karaduin]

Nice one Sideshow! Looking forward to this one. It was LotR 12 inch figs that got me into SS stuff so I'm glad to hear of another pre-order for this line.

Hat with wire in the fabric for ridigness and posability like the hoods on the jedi robes i reckon.

 

[Jen]

Yeah!!! All I can say is it's about time! Can't wait to get this figure.

 

[MaulFan]

I can't wait to see the head sculpt, with the success of Old Ben and the Palpatine pack, SSC is thriving with their old men figures.

 

[pixletwin]

Do we want to open guesses on who sculpted it? Matt, Trev, Tim, who?

 

[Isildur's bane]

Do we want to open guesses on who sculpted it? Matt, Trev, Tim, who?

Hmmm, I guess Matt

 

[Fritz]

I don't see a problem with them issuing two staffs with the figure. They do it with lightsabers all the time.

 

[pixletwin]

Oluf maybe?

 

[The Ringer]

I don't see a problem with them issuing two staffs with the figure. They do it with lightsabers all the time.

Good point. If we get both of Mace's sabers for AOTC and ROTS I don't see why we would not see 2 different staves of GTG.

 

[The Ringer]

Awsome!

 

[FlyAndFight]

Unless both staffs come with him you'll never get the other. Unless they go the barbie route and start offering dress accessories.

I agree. Both staffs should be included. Exclusive could be his pipe, like with Aragorn and how about that moth that visits him while trapped atop Orthanc. Tiny, you say? Yes, but so is the Lembas bread that Sam got.

 

[Captain Faramir]

There's no way Sideshow can get away with only one staff; if Mace can come with lightsabers he never even lit, how can they omit the staff with which he fought the FREAKIN' BALROG?!? I mean, we know Sideshow loves that scene, so why would the leave it incomplete in the 1:6 line? Not only that, we know they are keenly aware of the dual staves, as demonstrated in the LS bust. My heart tells me they're only going to include one robe, which is wretched enough for me, but to include only one staff? Why, they wouldn't dare.

Still, I have a hand-carved Moria staff that Cocoboloboy made for me which is made of real wood and will be just as good, if not better, than anything Sideshow can make, so at least I'll be covered. I just don't think that will be the case, as it's too crucial an accessory. I mean, it's monumentally crucial!

 

[MaulFan]

Do we want to open guesses on who sculpted it? Matt, Trev, Tim, who?

Given his comments, I have a feeling Trev's been pretty heftily used on the LFL licenses (Indy, Star Wars), given his recent Hobbit offering, I could see it being a Tim Miller. Certainly any artist can do it, but in a case like Gandalf the Grey, I think Tim or Trev's more rigid hair detailing would better suit Gandalf's beard.

 

[pixletwin]

Didn't Oluf sculpt Faramir's hair? Thats some pretty intricate sculpting believe it or not.

 

[Captain Faramir]

Given his comments, I have a feeling Trev's been pretty heftily used on the LFL licenses (Indy, Star Wars), given his recent Hobbit offering, I could see it being a Tim Miller. Certainly any artist can do it, but in a case like Gandalf the Grey, I think Tim or Trev's more rigid hair detailing would better suit Gandalf's beard.

Actually Oluf would be exceptional in that area too. His sculpt of Faramir's hair is outstanding; it flows and falls in perfect tresses that have body while still looking loose and natural. He can make fake hair fall like nobody's business. Once Les repainted mine, I was shocked by the perfection of the hair sculpt. I just hope Gandalf matches Faramir and Frodo's hair sculpts and isn't as static as Legolas, who sadly has the weakest hair in the line. Which is sad, since in LOTR hair is as important to the costuming as anything else, and his in particular should have appeared light and fine, rather than stiff and plastic.

 

[MaulFan]

Didn't Oluf sculpt Faramir's hair? Thats some pretty intricate sculpting believe it or not.

It's not the intricacy though, it's the detail like if you look at Old Ben or the T-1000 mini bust, or any Andy B. sculpt. Andy, Trev and Tim sculpt hair so fine it's almost like they do every strand of it. Just a personal taste, but I like that and I findi it makes sculpted hair more realistic looking. Like I said, no matter who does it we'll win, but if it were in my hands to choose someone, I'd go with one of those 3 guys because I think they're style would best represent the character, at least based on what I've seen from these sculptors. My SSC collecting is limited and it seems like Oluf's been with them for a while, so I'm not fully aware of his stuff enough to identify his work by sculpts traits, but the other guys I see a sculpt and pretty much can tell it was one of those 3.

 

[The Josh]

I'd be happy with any of the 4. You win with any of them so its a tough choice really. I'd kind of like see Matt's take on it because people where kind of hard on the Strider piece.

 

[Captain Faramir]

It's not the intricacy though, it's the detail like if you look at Old Ben or the T-1000 mini bust, or any Andy B. sculpt. Andy, Trev and Tim sculpt hair so fine it's almost like they do every strand of it. Just a personal taste, but I like that and I findi it makes sculpted hair more realistic looking. Like I said, no matter who does it we'll win, but if it were in my hands to choose someone, I'd go with one of those 3 guys because I think they're style would best represent the character, at least based on what I've seen from these sculptors. My SSC collecting is limited and it seems like Oluf's been with them for a while, so I'm not fully aware of his stuff enough to identify his work by sculpts traits, but the other guys I see a sculpt and pretty much can tell it was one of those 3.

Actually the detail is all there in Faramir's sculpt, more so than any other figure I've ever seen, even Ben. It's just the terrible paint job, all in one color with thich globs of paint, hides the detail. Oluf does the best long hair I've seen; he gets how to make it fall and look like there are layers instead of sculpting a mass of hair and just adding lines. I would hope whomever made this sculpt was as accurate as he was with Faramir. I don't care who sculpts it as long as it has that quality, especially with Gandalf who most needs that kind of style.

 

[Customikey]

I think the other staff would be too important to be an exclusive.
My guess is that it will be one of the fireworks he brought to The Shire.

Now that's a damned fine guess as to the exclusive. But I think the Smaug firework is better suited to being a Merry or Pippin exclusive.