Statue Legolas Maquette

[Red]

These maquettes are supposed to be the "ultimate version", capturing the essence of each character. There were alot of characteristics Gimli possessed....grace wasn't one of them.

You obviously never saw him after his twentieth jug of ale now that was grace personified.

 

[KingMan_1972]

That's true ! And with his total lack of grace in mind, the sketch sure is showing Gimli in his most prominent roll. Hot tempered and furious !

 

[woodsy]

For those that don't have the fellowship, then yeah, I can see this as being a good way to go (with the maybe minor issue of not knowing exactly what it's all going to be like, but then again, that's why SS are pre-ordering so fast), tho I'm not really expecting 'today's quality' to be that much different, not from a production point of view anyway.
I've got 3 of the LOTR dio's and while very good, they are not leaps and bounds ahead of the old Weta statues.The way I see it, is that only likeness and maybe pose, etc can be improved, but for me, that really only applies to a couple of statues.
Legolas and Gimli on Arod covers both of those perfectly and as a steed statue, goes very well with Aragorn at the black gates (which I still say is a perfectly OK likeness for 'king' Aragorn.
There is nothing wrong with the Boromir statue and Gandalf the Grey doesn't doesn't get much more iconic.
Merry is great and you don't get much more fantastic then Sam and Bill.
So really, all that's left is Frodo and Pippin, but then I'm not sure I'd want to really mix and match SSW and SS lines within such a defined group. So likely all or nothing from either line would be the best way to go. Apart from fill in for more sideline characters.

I'd say from everything we've seen so far "today's quality" is not only different, it's completely destroying the quality of yesterday.The complexity of the sculpt itself, the addition of a detailed base, and the amazing likeness clearly signal a significant upgrade in quality. Now in fairness to SSW, their 1/6 scale "human" statues were quite good for what they were, namely mid-ranged in price and mid-ranged in quality. Seeing as SS's maquette line are significantly more expensive, I would expect them to be significantly better in terms of quality as well. Clearly from what we've seen so far that is most certainly the case where Aragorn is concerned.

I would also say comparing the quality of a 1/9 scale dio. to that of a 1/6 statue is like comparing an apple to a banana. There is nothing that effects the detailing of a statue more than scale, and as any sculptor will tell you, the smaller the scale, to more difficult it is to achieve detail. Your example of Legolas/Gimli clearly demonstrates that point. Likeness-wise Legolas is actually quite good, but the face is also quite lacking in detail. That is not the fault of the sculptor, merely the result of working with such a small scale.

 

[Mesa]

hmmm.... maybe time to sell off more of my SSW collection.

Looks like this maquette line hay have some legs, and I don't think I need representations of any character more than once.

I've narrowed down my SSW collection to only the pieces I really like, which includes Gimli, but if SS is going to make a Gimli, I think I'd rather have that one than the SSW one.

hmmmm......

 

[theguru1]

I'd say from everything we've seen far "today's quality" is not only different, it's completely destroying the quality of yesterday.The complexity of the sculpt itself, the addition of a detailed base, and the amazing likeness clearly signal a significant upgrade in quality. Now in fairness to SSW, their 1/6 scale statues were quite good for what they were, namely mid-ranged in price and mid-ranged in quality. Seeing as SS's maquette line are significantly more expensive, I would expect them to be significantly better in terms of quality as well. Clearly from what we've seen so far that is most certainly the case where Aragorn is concerned.

Not sure I can entirely agree with you there woodsy:

Or even the total level of detail in Legolas/Gimli or Aragorn at the Black Gates or all the armour, etc on Elrond, the pipe sitting in Gandalf's staff in his Grey statue, etc. The one thing I think has been improved (tho that remains to be seen in production) is the paint work on the face, they have done more work there compared to the more generally simple tones, etc on the Weta items.

 

[theguru1]

hmmm.... maybe time to sell off more of my SSW collection.

Got a cheap Galadhrim Archer statue you want to get rid of

 

[The Josh]

The thing is a lot of the pieces in the SSW had lots of great quality as well. Some of them maybe lacked the detail of Aragorn but many had it as well. Is Aragorn from the maquette line looking like it will for sure be better than the Aragorn from the SSW line? Yeah, it sure does look that way. However, I think a collection that includes both will be the true winner.

 

[woodsy]

Not sure I can entirely agree with you there woodsy:

Or even the total level of detail in Legolas/Gimli or Aragorn at the Black Gates or all the armour, etc on Elrond, the pipe sitting in Gandalf's staff in his Grey statue, etc. The one thing I think has been improved (tho that remains to be seen in production) is the paint work on the face, they have done more work there compared to the more generally simple tones, etc on the Weta items.

I'm not saying a high level of detailing can't be achieved at 1/6 scale, I'm simply saying the amount of detailing achievable will never be as high on a 1/9 or 1/12 scale figure as it would be on a 1/6 or 1/4 scale figure. Don't take my word for it, simply ask any sculptor if they think the amount of detailing they can achieve is the same regardless of the scale. I would no more compare a 1/9 scale dio. to a 1/6 scale statue than I would a 1/9 scale dio. to a 1/12 scale statue [if and when Weta ever starts producing that line]...they just aren't fair comparisons.

 

[FrodoEyes]

I'd say from everything we've seen so far "today's quality" is not only different, it's completely destroying the quality of yesterday.

I'd completely disagree with that. Look at the dioramas first - the Gandalf on the Treachery dio is quite plain and clean, Grima on his dio isn't as good as the Weta statue, Gandy on the balrog dio is probably too small to criticise fairly but is also too clean and cartoony-looking. Both Aragorn and the KOTD on their diorama look too clean again and both look like animated versions of the characters. The beserker on the Helms Deep dio is not as good as the SSW version.
The LSB's - The Witch King. Nuff said.
PF's - Barbie doll Galadriel and the quite frankly awful GTW. The Moria orc isn't as good as the SSW ones. Bigger yes, but not better.

There are instances where Sideshow is better - Aragorn PF, the maquettes.... but it's certainly not 'destroying' the quality of 'yesterday.

 

[woodsy]

For those that don't have the fellowship, then yeah, I can see this as being a good way to go (with the maybe minor issue of not knowing exactly what it's all going to be like, but then again, that's why SS are pre-ordering so fast), tho I'm not really expecting 'today's quality' to be that much different, not from a production point of view anyway.

I'd say from everything we've seen so far "today's quality" is not only different, it's completely destroying the quality of yesterday.The complexity of the sculpt itself, the addition of a detailed base, and the amazing likeness clearly signal a significant upgrade in quality. Now in fairness to SSW, their 1/6 scale "human" statues were quite good for what they were, namely mid-ranged in price and mid-ranged in quality. Seeing as SS's maquette line are significantly more expensive, I would expect them to be significantly better in terms of quality as well. Clearly from what we've seen so far that is most certainly the case where Aragorn is concerned.

I would also say comparing the quality of a 1/9 scale dio. to that of a 1/6 statue is like comparing an apple to a banana. There is nothing that effects the detailing of a statue more than scale, and as any sculptor will tell you, the smaller the scale, to more difficult it is to achieve detail. Your example of Legolas/Gimli clearly demonstrates that point. Likeness-wise Legolas is actually quite good, but the face is also quite lacking in detail. That is not the fault of the sculptor, merely the result of working with such a small scale.

I'd completely disagree with that. Look at the dioramas first - the Gandalf on the Treachery dio is quite plain and clean, Grima on his dio isn't as good as the Weta statue, Gandy on the balrog dio is probably too small to criticise fairly but is also too clean and cartoony-looking. Both Aragorn and the KOTD on their diorama look too clean again and both look like animated versions of the characters. The beserker on the Helms Deep dio is not as good as the SSW version.
The LSB's - The Witch King. Nuff said.
PF's - Barbie doll Galadriel and the quite frankly awful GTW. The Moria orc isn't as good as the SSW ones. Bigger yes, but not better.

There are instances where Sideshow is better - Aragorn PF, the maquettes.... but it's certainly not 'destroying' the quality of 'yesterday.

Guru's "I'm not really expecting 'today's quality' to be that much different" comment was in direct reference to the new maquette line. My comment was a direct response to his and referred only to the maquette line.

I think it safe to say people who are paying almost double the price for these new maquette's are going to expect the overall quality of the statues to be better than that of the former SSW 1/6 scale line which were significantly cheaper. Clearly in the instance of the Aragorn maquette vs the SSW Aragorn statue this is exactly what has happened. In instances [and it's bound to happen] where the SS maquettes are not as good as their SSW counterparts or merely on par with them do you really think people are going to pay the kind of money SS is asking? If, for example, SS Arwen maquette looks no better than the so-so SSW version who in their right mind is going to pay $200+ for it when they can buy the SSW version in the $100 range? Do I think think the overall qaulity of SS's new maquette line will be an upgrade to the previous SSW line....from what I've seen so far, absolutely. And for SS's sake it better be.

And like I said before, comparing statues of a significantly different scale is pointless. There is no way a sculptor, even one as good as Trevor, can do as much [detail-wise] with a 1/9 scale statue as he can with a 1/6 scale statue. That doesn't necessarily mean a statue of larger scale will always turn out better, nor did I ever say it would. Obviously if the sculptor fails to capture the likeness of the character in question, all the additional detailing in the world isn't going to help. In the cases of the Galadriel and GTW PF's I would absolutely agree with you that bigger is not necessarily better. In the case of the Moria Orc, that is where we part ways. I actually own all three and the intricate detailing of the PF is superior IMO, to that of the SSW versions. And I am not referring to the horrific red pleather, I am specifically referring to the quality of the sculpt itself.

 

[figurefan]

I think it safe to say people who are paying almost double the price for these new maquette's are going to expect the overall quality of the statues to be better than that of the former SSW 1/6 scale line which were significantly cheaper. Clearly in the instance of the Aragorn maquette vs the SSW Aragorn statue this is exactly what has happened. In instances [and it's bound to happen] where the SS maquettes are not as good as their SSW counterparts or merely on par with them do you really think people are going to pay the kind of money SS is asking? If, for example, SS Arwen maquette looks no better than the so-so SSW version who in their right mind is going to pay $200+ for it when they can buy the SSW version in the $100 range? Do I think think the overall qaulity of SS's new maquette line will be an upgrade to the previous SSW line....from what I've seen so far, absolutely. And for SS's sake it better be.

Though you bring up a good point, the question remains largely moot. Most of the major characters from the early Weta line are unattainable for any decent price. I'm not suggesting every single Sideshow piece will be superior, I'm saying I can think of only 3 Weta pieces which truly CAN'T be done better. One costs $2000. The others are Bilbo and Sauron. I AM hoping the Sideshow Aragorn price won't relate to every character, the casting and assembly looks more advanced than most with all his gear, but even if it is, the quality is there. I'm sure not all the pieces will be homeruns, but the ones that are will easily be worth the money. Besides, the great thing about the scale is they're interchangable. No need to "replace" the entire Weta line if you like the Weta sculpt of a certain character better, but this'll be one hell of a gap filler.

 

[theguru1]

See, in my case, I sold off all but 2 or 3 of my Weta pieces (the select few I had, which included some of the fellowship), so i'm quite excited about this line, as I can pick up these characters i love in this format again, but with today's quality.

Guru's "I'm not really expecting 'today's quality' to be that much different" comment was in direct reference to the new maquette line. My comment was a direct response to his and referred only to the maquette line.

And like I said before, comparing statues of a significantly different scale is pointless. There is no way a sculptor, even one as good as Trevor, can do as much [detail-wise] with a 1/9 scale statue as he can with a 1/6 scale statue. That doesn't necessarily mean a statue of larger scale will always turn out better, nor did I ever say it would. Obviously if the sculptor fails to capture the likeness of the character in question, all the additional detailing in the world isn't going to help. In the cases of the Galadriel and GTW PF's I would absolutely agree with you that bigger is not necessarily better. In the case of the Moria Orc, that is where we part ways. I actually own all three and the intricate detailing of the PF is superior IMO, to that of the SSW versions. And I am not referring to the horrific red pleather, I am specifically referring to the quality of the sculpt itself.

The main point of my comment was in relation to Anubis about 'todays quality' and then of course yours woodsy with "I'd say from everything we've seen far "today's quality" is not only different, it's completely destroying the quality of yesterday."

Now sure, comparing 1/9th to 1/6th isn't fair, but from a shipping LOTR pure polystone statue point of view, that's all we have from SS at this point.
Now while the new Aragorn maquette does look very good, 'completely destroying the quality of yesterday' just isn't the case. I had a closer look at my SSW statues this morning in a bright sunlit room and frankly, many of them are pretty darn good. The fine detail in Gandalf the Grey's beard and even the face overall (sure the hair and paint is then a bit thick, nothings perfect), but then you have the detail on his belt, the strap of his bag, etc.
The likeness and detail of Gimli's face, not to mention the general clothing, weapons, etc of both Gimli and Legolas. I then had a closer look at my Aragorn at the Black Gates, and yes, the face is very nicely done, fine detail in the beard, tones of paint in the face and I still say it's not a half bad likeness. Then of course you have Sam & Bill, well, enough said, no matter what, SS aren't going to top that.

As such, while I'm sure you can get some improvements in various area's, be it likeness or just a better pose, for stuff that is all still mass produced in china, completely destroying yesterday quality just isn't going to happen and in fact, given past QC issues of various types, SS is going to have to keep a close eye on it all.

My main hope for the maquette line is to get characters we didn't get or major improvements on the ones we did (yes, Arwen would be a prime candidate), but other then that, I guess I'm just saying lets not throw out the baby with the bath water and just write past Weta piece's off just because SS are starting a new 1/6th scale poly line that has promise.

On a minor side note, I wouldn't say there is no way you can get as much detail at smaller scales. Now, as an owner of the QMx Serenity replica, the detail on that is just amazing, I go cross-eye trying to focus up close on some of the detail that looking at it from a foot away, you just can't see. But yes, totally different ballpark from a price and production point of view, I'm just saying, it is possible

 

[Vince]

I don't see how this lien can replace pieces like Sauron, Cave Troll, both Moria Orcs, Saruman, Uruk-Hai Scout Swordsman.
These pieces will stay in my collection no matter what this new line brings ...

 

[woodsy]

Though you bring up a good point, the question remains largely moot. Most of the major characters from the early Weta line are unattainable for any decent price. I'm not suggesting every single Sideshow piece will be superior, I'm saying I can think of only 3 Weta pieces which truly CAN'T be done better. One costs $2000. The others are Bilbo and Sauron. I AM hoping the Sideshow Aragorn price won't relate to every character, the casting and assembly looks more advanced than most with all his gear, but even if it is, the quality is there. I'm sure not all the pieces will be homeruns, but the ones that are will easily be worth the money. Besides, the great thing about the scale is they're interchangable. No need to "replace" the entire Weta line if you like the Weta sculpt of a certain character better, but this'll be one hell of a gap filler.

I have fired off a question to SS in regard to what exactly they are permitted to produce within their maquette licencing agreement. From what I have read/seen so far I am lead to believe this line cover's 1/6 scale characters in the 12" range. If this is the case you can forget about a Balrog, Cave troll, or even Sauron from ever being done, at least where the maquette line is concerned. From that point of view there are only 4 characters [Aragorn, Sam and Bill, Merry, and Bilbo] I can think of at the moment that are priced higher than what we will be able to purchase them for from SS. Bilbo and Grima are the two non-fellowship members I believe will be the hardest for SS to top in regard to likeness. With Merry and perhaps Gimli being to two hardest fellowship members. However, after seeing what Trevor has been able to accomplish with Aragorn and Legolas I'll stick with the "never say never" philosophy for the moment. That's not to say I think Trevor will be doing every maquette, he will not. The Gandalf and Gimli maquettes were done by other SS sculptors.

I absolutely agree SS isn't going to hit homers every time, but on the occasions they do, they will absolutely be worth every penny SS charges. And no, I have no intention of replacing any of my SSW pieces with SS equivalents if I believe SSW has done a better job on that particular character. I'm not even remotely interested in exclusively collecting LOTR statues/bust from any one company. I simply want the absolute best represenatations of each and every LOTR character, and I'll go wherever I have to to get them.

 

[Seaward]

It has been interesting to read about people replacing/supplementing their previous SSW collection with this new line. I had a totally different experience with the SSW line, as I sold it to buy an engagement ring for my wife (I sold a lot of my years of collecting the last few years - not just that stuff). The new line is an opportunity to re-collect the pieces that I sold (and I had almost everything - I was missing the Gandalf Bronze and a few medallions only) and to have a chance to have a nice addition to the Premium Format figures that I collect now.

I am really liking the variety and scale of the line, and it would be great if they could include some of the creatures and orcs that were also included in the SSW line. Some of the original line were amazing, like daddy balrog and the cave troll, and I hope that some of these get mixed into the PF and maquette line as well. It really doesn't feel like one is superior over the other, but the choice being presented is great!

 

[wesker]

I know its still early but I'm loving the sculpt so far. One of the few collectibles that actually looks like Legolas.

I just hope the final product turns out as good.

 

[FrodoEyes]

Guru's "I'm not really expecting 'today's quality' to be that much different" comment was in direct reference to the new maquette line. My comment was a direct response to his and referred only to the maquette line.

Aha, i see now. When i read it i thought you were saying todays sculpting of all SS LOTR products were blowing everything else out of the water, so i apologise

As to all your other points, i agree completely, apart from the Moria orc thing True, i don't own it myself, but from what i've seen i don't think it looks as movie accurate or as good. This is where you're going to tell me i'm a Weta-nut but in the case of the creatrures i think Weta are obviously the masters because they sculpted and created them for the movies, so you can't get any more authentic than that. I claim a win here purely because you thought the Wiki LSB was good I look forward to seeing if SS do orcs, uruks etc but i don't think they'll be any more authentic. They might look cool and have great action poses, but we'll have to see.
As for the characters, i agree SS are masters of getting likeness right, and if they nail all the characters i'd have to really think about upgrading the Weta versions, that's if i want to sell off my near-complete Weta line, which as you might have seen from my photos, do look good all together!
But there may be some characters Weta done that look better than any version SS might do - Boromir, Theoden, Grima, Saruman, GTG, Gimli are all spot on to me, and can't be changed drastically appearance wise apart from Gondor Boromir, but then it comes down to what you prefer - him in Fellowship or Gondor garb.

 

[Gruson]

Did they announce a Boromir from this line? Any pics?

I only saw GTG, Aragorn, and now Legolas.

 

[DinoDB1975]

Did they announce a Boromir from this line? Any pics?

I only saw GTG, Aragorn, and now Legolas.

They haven't officially "announced" a Boromir maquette, but concept art has been shown, and we have seen in some shape or form four of the characters' concept art made into polystone (Aragorn, Gandalf the Grey, Legoas and Gimli) so that pretty much bodes well for Boromir...

 

[The Craw]

hope they don't forget the horn of gondor. Boromir's horn is as much a part of his character as gandalf's staff IMO.