1/6 Hot Toys Romero Joker

[pixletwin]

That's not how it works.

That is how movie studios work. Have Elvis crank out a ton of teenage fodder films so they can finance "serious films".

Odd that toy companies don't follow that model. But you would know better than I do.

 

[holtrax]

I'm just glad other companies are starting to fill in the void left by hot toys. The 80's franchises are for me my bread and butter when it comes to collecting and i don't really have an interest in anything outside this time period. Definitely not a fan of marvel or star wars for that matter. DC comics is about the only thing i might have a passing interest in. So for me i guess hot toys in its present guise is pretty much a dead company in terms of producing anything worthwhile.

Thing is we all got hooked on hot toys when they came up with the goods a few years back and though it pains me to admit it they are still the best in the business in terms of their sculpts and accessories. Its just wishful thinking to hope they'll go back to the older licenses though including batman 66. I don't even think this Romero joker will see the light of day.

 

[DiFabio]

I don't even think this Romero joker will see the light of day.

I do. It'll be some random time, some quiet, rainy Friday morning. Maybe not this week, or next week, or this month, or even this year, but it will happen.

Not even sure why they bother showing **** so far in advance when they have no intention on putting it up for order anytime soon. Even stranger is JC Hong showing off his paint master for it when it's not even up for preorder.

 

[surforia]

I agree that it will get released - I don't think they wouldn't have shown all of the extra hands and accessories otherwise.

 

[GhostBeard]

I agree that it will get released - I don't think they wouldn't have shown all of the extra hands and accessories otherwise.

Let's hope so. A lot of detailed work went into this sculpt and figure. This isn't some generic figure like the Lone Ranger from way back when. I'm holding my water and hoping for the best here...

 

[Mike86]

Honestly I think it's lucky that we might even get this after how poorly the 66 figures seemed to sell. I'd love to get more rogues from the show but Batman and Robin were around for a long time and had to be discounted.

 

[karamazov80]

Literally anything other than Marvel, Star Wars and whatever the current Batman is.

I've always had trouble with the argument that we apparently need to be appreciative of Marvel and Star Wars that we ever get anything else at all. It speaks as though Hot Toys have had the Marvel and Star Wars licenses since their very inception as a company. They did not. It's sorta putting the cart before the horse in a way. Hot Toys built themselves on the classic Aliens and Robots licenses - Alien, Predator, Terminator and Robocop. The Marvel Cinematic Universe didn't even exist yet. The Star Wars license came even later than that. So..no I'm not gonna 'thank' Marvel or Star Wars for jack ***t.

While I won't go so far as to thank Hot Toys for anything (they should thank me for the thousands of dollars I've thrown at them for plastic dollies over the years!), it's pretty clear that Hot Toys' business model has changed substantially over time, in the pursuit of greater and greater profit. And that train is rumbling down the track, not looking backwards all that much. So in that sense, I am glad to get a Ripley or Marty McFly once in awhile, as clearly that isn't what Hot Toys prioritizes anymore. They aren't being selfless. I'm sure they are always hoping that one of those releases will be a sleeper, quick sellout, and they must be somewhat profitable. Further, they may have reached a saturation point with some of their more predictable releases, as you see Iron Men and Storm Troopers being discounted more and more. So there is a logic to their diversification. But we're never going to see them go full bore with a line of Aliens marines equivalent to what they'll give us for the next Star Wars spinoff. Maybe a Blitzway will step up and fill that gap at some point, though.

 

[chewblacca]

I hope this gets released! This would look sweet in my detolf next to Bats and Robin!

 

[Mike86]

Literally anything other than Marvel, Star Wars and whatever the current Batman is.

I've always had trouble with the argument that we apparently need to be appreciative of Marvel and Star Wars that we ever get anything else at all. It speaks as though Hot Toys have had the Marvel and Star Wars licenses since their very inception as a company. They did not. It's sorta putting the cart before the horse in a way. Hot Toys built themselves on the classic Aliens and Robots licenses - Alien, Predator, Terminator and Robocop. The Marvel Cinematic Universe didn't even exist yet. The Star Wars license came even later than that. So..no I'm not gonna 'thank' Marvel or Star Wars for jack ***t.

The thing is that bigger brands like Marvel and Star Wars are responsible for growing the company. Yeah they were around and doing decently with brands like Alien, Predator, Robocop, etc. but those are also much more niche lines. A brand like Marvel which is current and very popular and Star Wars which has been popular since its inception and continues to remain popular are what brought out more mass appeal.

I still say what I said in another thread holds true as well. Whenever Hot Toys does a classic figure that people claim to want so badly there's always a reason for said people who claimed to have wanted something to complain about. They've thrown a few classic bones towards collectors and they always seem to be the ones that sit forever and end up discounted in order to sell. So really the incentive to make a lot of classic characters probably isn't there as much.

Also as far as other companies go they all have one brand that's sort of the bread and butter. Star Ace has Harry Potter, QMX has Star Trek, Asmus has The Lord of the Rings. People seem to love to praise Blitzway lately but they've only released like four or five sixth scale figures to date (not counting the upcoming Ghostbusters figures). Three Zero branches out a bit more and doesn't necessarily have a defining brand other than the Bay Ninja Turtles (though I'm not sure if they're exactly huge sellers) and their tv lines.

Hot Toys just happens to have some of the bigger brands and let's be honest they probably make a huge portion of the company's overall income.

 

[a-dev]

I still say what I said in another thread holds true as well. Whenever Hot Toys does a classic figure that people claim to want so badly there's always a reason for said people who claimed to have wanted something to complain about. They've thrown a few classic bones towards collectors and they always seem to be the ones that sit forever and end up discounted in order to sell. So really the incentive to make a lot of classic characters probably isn't there as much.

What else is new? We're only doing what we've always done. Should we suspend honest opinions just because classics are becoming fewer and further between? Should we lower our standards and expectations of individual releases? I'm going to say no. I will look at figures on a case by case basis as I've always done. And sometimes there really is things worth complaining about.

The Batman Returns situation was ridiculous, the solitary figure we eventually got was a let down in many ways that it didn't need to be. The Ripley situation is pretty much as ridiculous again with delay after delay after delay for just one figure (while NECA has been pumping out Ripleys from across the various films PLUS other human characters and creatures). And after all that should we just keep quiet about the fact that the likeness is barely there and the cat doesn't even look like a cat?

I'll give credit where credit is due - I love the Marty Mcfly figure in its own right. The BD Robocop and Alex Murphy set was staggeringly good. The other Robocop stuff had some disappointments but overall, it was a great line - they made everything that was really important, probably the last time they did this for a non-Marvel/StarWars/DC line.

As regards my own Terminator preference - I supported that line to the hilt (anyone who knows what I have could corroborate that) and I did so even while criticising headsculpts and so on. I very much put my money where my mouth is there and it didn't garner a Kyle Reese, a T2 John or even a new chromed 1:6 Endoskeleton - which would have been massively popular by the way. Oh they'll make a Genisys Endoskeleton sure, which will only get half the buyers a classic Endo would. I dunno, should we just be quiet about that stupid decision on Hot Toys' part...a decision which will likely mean that a classic Endo now won't happen for years - if at all - due to perceived lack of interest and the mere fact that they won't put out two similar figures close together anymore unless it's an Iron Man.

I saw that post of yours in the other thread - about the only thing I'll concede is that we appear to take this so seriously. Admittedly it will certainly look that way with posts like this. Rest assured, I'm OK. I'll get by. If I lose sleep, it's not over this.

 

[batfan08]

For me, I don't think I'd mind Star Wars as much if they weren't so ****ing boring about it. For years, Howard was like a lovesick puppy, champing at the bit to get his hands on that license, and when he gets it? Stormtrooper after Stormtrooper after Stormtrooper after ****ing Stormtrooper. I'm not even that big of a Star Wars fan, but there's a lot of cool **** they could be doing that would, at least, be interesting to see, but, instead, Howard even sold out his own "passion," I guess, since, apparently, repainting the same **** over and over again is good for business.

 

[DiFabio]

What else is new? We're only doing what we've always done. Should we suspend honest opinions just because classics are becoming fewer and further between? Should we lower our standards and expectations of individual releases? I'm going to say no. I will look at figures on a case by case basis as I've always done. And sometimes there really is things worth complaining about.

The Batman Returns situation was ridiculous, the solitary figure we eventually got was a let down in many ways that it didn't need to be. The Ripley situation is pretty much as ridiculous again with delay after delay after delay for just one figure (while NECA has been pumping out Ripleys from across the various films PLUS other human characters and creatures). And after all that should we just keep quiet about the fact that the likeness is barely there and the cat doesn't even look like a cat?

I'll give credit where credit is due - I love the Marty Mcfly figure in its own right. The BD Robocop and Alex Murphy set was staggeringly good. The other Robocop stuff had some disappointments but overall, it was a great line - they made everything that was really important, probably the last time they did this for a non-Marvel/StarWars/DC line.

As regards my own Terminator preference - I supported that line to the hilt (anyone who knows what I have could corroborate that) and I did so even while criticising headsculpts and so on. I very much put my money where my mouth is there and it didn't garner a Kyle Reese, a T2 John or even a new chromed 1:6 Endoskeleton - which would have been massively popular by the way. Oh they'll make a Genisys Endoskeleton sure, which will only get half the buyers a classic Endo would. I dunno, should we just be quiet about that stupid decision on Hot Toys' part...a decision which will likely mean that a classic Endo now won't happen for years - if at all - due to perceived lack of interest and the mere fact that they won't put out two similar figures close together anymore unless it's an Iron Man.

I saw that post of yours in the other thread - about the only thing I'll concede is that we appear to take this so seriously. Admittedly it will certainly look that way with posts like this. Rest assured, I'm OK. I'll get by. If I lose sleep, it's not over this.

Amen.

 

[batfan08]

The Disney/Star Wars crossover we deserve:

 

[RIDDICK]

/thread

 

[GhostBeard]

Holy crap...is that porcelain stormtrooper real? That's an actual figure?!

If so, then I feel I'm entering an entirely new world of pissed off.

The Disney/Star Wars crossover we deserve:

 

[Mike86]

For me, I don't think I'd mind Star Wars as much if they weren't so ****ing boring about it. For years, Howard was like a lovesick puppy, champing at the bit to get his hands on that license, and when he gets it? Stormtrooper after Stormtrooper after Stormtrooper after ****ing Stormtrooper. I'm not even that big of a Star Wars fan, but there's a lot of cool **** they could be doing that would, at least, be interesting to see, but, instead, Howard even sold out his own "passion," I guess, since, apparently, repainting the same **** over and over again is good for business.

Yeah because you know they haven't done the cast of the first film or anything or Boba Fett or Yoda or any of the characters from The Force Awakens or Rogue One. I get the point about Trooper variants but it's not all they've done with the line.

 

[Mike86]

What else is new? We're only doing what we've always done. Should we suspend honest opinions just because classics are becoming fewer and further between? Should we lower our standards and expectations of individual releases? I'm going to say no. I will look at figures on a case by case basis as I've always done. And sometimes there really is things worth complaining about.

I'm not saying you need to lower expectations at all. I'm simply saying that it seems like there's a certain group of people on the boards who are so jaded because Hot Toys isn't making the figures they want anymore and find nitpicky reasons to complain about anything. Some things I'll concede to like making people wait long periods of time with the second Keaton Batman figure (although I think the figure came out good) or the fact that the cat with the Ripley figure doesn't look great but there's still good figures being produced. I'm a fan of the classic lines like a lot of you are believe it or not but I recognize why things are the way that they are. Simply put Marvel, Star Wars, and DC are what make them money. I'm willing to bet the smaller lines don't make much at all (again it seems like most wind up heavily discounted). They'll still throw out classic figures on occasion more than likely but if you're not satisfied by what they're putting out (even if it's not a lot) whatever.

 

[a-dev]

These debates are pointless ultimately, every time I take part in them I find myself regretting it, they always go the same way.

''I wish Hot Toys would make something different for a change, ********* why haven't they made x figure?''

They're a business, they make what sells the most, duh!

''...ohhh, thank you. That didn't occur to me at all and it fully alleviates my concerns. It puts to bed all of my interests. Watch me walking away a happy and fulfilled collector''

So why did I jump in again?......yes, I remember, the ''what is MMS400 thread?'' Another missed opportunity to capitalise on the 'prestige' of a 00 figure by having it be something that might actually need the extra sales encouragement, which Iron Man clearly ****ing does not. They would have made Iron Man Mark V 2.0 anyway and it would have sold well regardless. So I expressed my disdain for their choice in that thread. I didn't go to the particular figure thread to bash it.

Another thing that I've probably been set off by in the past is Hot Toys ignorance of anniversaries for classic films - while other companies acknowledge and commemorate them with new releases Hot Toys will choose to announce - you guessed it - another Iron Man or Star Wars character. Bravo. Way to capitalise on the occasion.

Or how about that Genisys Endoskeleton which still isn't even out yet - the movie came out in 2015! It is by now completely old news and poor word of mouth about the film has been firmly cemented. Way to maximise sales potential by delaying the figure so long. But y'know, Terminator doesn't sell, therefore lets not make anymore.

Lastly, as per this thread, sometimes I see people say things like ''Marvel and Star Wars fund the niche licenses, you should be glad they're doing this'' (and I've seen many people say that - often people whose own particular interests are currently being well served - a quirky correlation!) and well...back to my post on the previous page. MMS01 through 74. You're welcome Marvel, you're welcome Star Wars.

So this is me just explaining why I occasionally climb back into the ring.

edit - On the subject of this Romero Joker figure, as Difabio said, it will happen. They've shown it to this degree, I doubt they'll cancel it now. But again as Difabio said **** knows when it'll turn up. Could be in 2 weeks, could be in 2 years. It's not a priority. They don't mind making you wait.

 

[GhostBeard]

Interesting debate this oddball, yet fantastically realized, sculpt started. I wonder how much of this reaches the powers-that-be over at Hot Toys? I will still hope for the release one day...and maybe a Penguin too?

 

[spindrift]

It will come out as a Toyfairs exclusive...what year is the big question....