Lord of the Rings Premium Format - Finish the Fellowship

[Seaward]

Woodsy,

You're right, the poll results are not what I imagined when starting the thread, and the interest in the hobbits is smaller than that of the other characters. That being said, a smaller edition size for these characters is certainly feasible, and I would think that people that would waffle on some other characters may be buoyed by the complete Fellowship being a selling point on this line. I still hope that the pat answer we get from time to time that message board traffic is a small sample of the buying populace, and Sideshow can get a sense of numbers that would be more appropriate. This thread is also buried in here, away from a lot of the LOTR traffic...I know I tend to haunt that part of the board and post very little elsewhere. Maybe a move to the LOTR section might be a help?

 

[woodsy]

Woodsy,

You're right, the poll results are not what I imagined when starting the thread, and the interest in the hobbits is smaller than that of the other characters. That being said, a smaller edition size for these characters is certainly feasible, and I would think that people that would waffle on some other characters may be buoyed by the complete Fellowship being a selling point on this line. I still hope that the pat answer we get from time to time that message board traffic is a small sample of the buying populace, and Sideshow can get a sense of numbers that would be more appropriate. This thread is also buried in here, away from a lot of the LOTR traffic...I know I tend to haunt that part of the board and post very little elsewhere. Maybe a move to the LOTR section might be a help??

Hopefully that would serve two purposes : 1]. give the poll more exposure to LOTR collectors and 2]. keep those who don't collect LOTR from participating.

 

[thenammagazine]

Hopefully that would serve two purposes : 1]. give the poll more exposure to LOTR collectors and 2]. keep those who don't collect LOTR from participating.

More exposure to freaks, but less to Sideshow. I think it'd just get lost in the monotony in that board where it'd likely just be merged with the several other "Sideshow finish the Fellowship in PF" threads.

 

[Seaward]

Time again for the weekly pitch to Sideshow regarding any news on the LOTR Premium Format complete Fellowship:

Sam:
Hi Sideshow, I was wondering if Samwise Gamgee might be an upcoming character for the Lord of the Rings Premium Format line! The line could certainly use some more hero characters, and they don't come much more heroic than Samwise Gamgee!

Merry and Pippin:
Hi Sideshow, I was hoping we might see some news on the Lord of the Rings Premium Format line, and was wondering if you might ever consider releasing some of the smaller characters as either two figures on a single base or with some additional diorama style elements. Merry and Pippin might not seem like much on their own, but I would imagine that a Hobbit two-pack would be a sure-fire hit!

Gimli:
Hi Sideshow, given the large role that dwarves play in the upcoming Hobibit film, I was wondering if you might try to connect the LOTR and Hobbit Premium Format lines together with Gimli as a Premium Format to whet people's appetites for dwarves and Bilbo with the Hobbit!

Boromir:
Hi Sideshow, I was hoping that with the next two Premium Format LOTR characters announced being villians, we might see a return to some of the Fellowship characters in the near future. Any chance that Boromir is on the horizon?

Eowyn:
Hi Sideshow, the Lord of the Rings Premium Format line is certainly lacking some additional strong female characters. Eowyn would be a great addition from any part of the films, and I hope that she gets considered as a possible LOTR PF.

Theoden:
Hi Sideshow, the Lord of the Rings Premium Format line is missing some of the most iconic characters, such as the king of the Rohirrim, Theoden! He would be a great Premium Format either in his armor or his kingly robes.

I will see what I can do to move this thread to the LOTR section, andI would be open to any suggestions for additional characters to suggest for next week!

 

[Seaward]

I don't want to miss the chance to Ask Sideshow about finishing up the Fellowship in the Premium Format line this week, even with the busy holiday rush:

Samwise Gamgee:
The Gandalf Lord of the Rings Premium Format is a gorgeous statue and the highlight of any collection. The lighting element is such a cool feature, and I was wondering if you might considering adding a similar feature to Samwise Gamgee in the Premium Format line. He could have Sting drawn and hold the Phial of Galadriel, ready to defend Frodo to the death!

Merry and Pippin:
Hi Sideshow, my birthday is on Christmas day, and all my life I get combined gifts. This has always been nice to get a gift at all, but a great combined gift would be to see Merry and Pippin combined into a single Premium Format offering. These two heroic hobbits could be combined in a scene from Weathertop, Balin's tomb, or Fangorn Forest! Any chance you can make this birthday/christmas wish come true?


Boromir:
One of the features I love about the Premium Format line are the varied and distinct bases for each figure. One element that hasn't been featured yet has been snow, and I've loved the snow elements we've seen in some of your other offerings. Boromir travelling over the mountain pass of Caradhras would be so cool, and he could feature his shield and fur-lined cloak, as well as a possible alternative hand that features him holding the ring up in his moment of temptation!

Gimli:
The premium format line has offered some decent diversity with the villians with Lurtz, the Moria Orc, the Berserker and the upcoming Witchking (I can't wait to get him!!!) but we haven't seen the same with heroes. One race from Middle Earth is strangely absent. Gimli was a favorite for many in the books and films, and I am sure that a Gimli Premium Format would be equally treasured. Do you know when we might see him in Premium Format line?


Aragorn as Elessar:
We have seen Gandalf the White and Gandalf the Grey now for the Premium Format line. Any chance that we might see some other Lord of the Rings characters evolve in a similar way? Aragorn is so well-represented in his Strider gear already, but I I would love to see Aragorn in his more regal aspect, either in his armor that he wears at the Black Gates or his ceremonial armor as he is crowned King!

King of the Dead:
The different monsters offered in the Lord of the Rings line have all been top-notch, and it would be great to see the Kind of the Dead offered as a Premium Format. His skeletal armor could be an amazing sculpture, his ratty robes would be great fabric elements, and he could have two portraits, one with more of his rotted flesh, and one with his more skeletal, angry portrait. Any chance we'll see him in this line?

Happy Holidays everyone, and let me know if there is someone that you would like me to suggest with my weekly requests to Sideshow! Maybe one other tool to use is to rate the LOTR Premium Format asnwered questions at Sideshow's site highly, and provide a little feedback that way. I am a little embarrassed to say, but I haven't noticed that feature until today!

 

[Valarauko]

This is something that possibly deserves its own thread-and in the LOTR forum but I figured it might be best to place this here first, in case there is a response from SS.

Last night, I was reading through a thread in the "Ultimate Collectors Forum", which focuses on United Cutlery and similar companies that produce swords, shields, etc. I have a number of UC LOTR swords in my collection. United Cutlery has stated that they are not going forward with the LOTR line. When people speculated about possible companies to take up the baton, a Mr. Kit Rae, who was involved in taking the LOTR products from prop to mass-produced replica, stated that New Line/Warners have announced that NO LOTR licenses will be renewed. Everything going forward is to be "The Hobbit". The 2 year delay of getting the green light has really mucked everthing up, thus the delay that will occur between the end of LOTR and the beginning of The Hobbit merchandising.

I have no idea when SS's license is scheduled to expire; maybe there will even be some kind of extension to bridge the gap. The Hobbit's release could possibly trigger a surge in Tolkien-mania and thus a rebirth of LOTR. It appears for now however, that the hope of a steady stream of LOTR characters is in doubt.

 

[Seaward]

NO LOTR licenses will be renewed?!? While I don't doubt Kit Rae, I would wonder what the Sideshow take/relationship to the license is, as I think that they have stated they will be pursuing products from the Hobbit. If they (and others) lose the LOTR license I would be really bummed out!

Valarauko, have you started a thread in the LOTR section yet?

 

[woodsy]

NO LOTR licenses will be renewed?!? While I don't doubt Kit Rae, I would wonder what the Sideshow take/relationship to the license is, as I think that they have stated they will be pursuing products from the Hobbit. If they (and others) lose the LOTR license I would be really bummed out!

Valarauko, have you started a thread in the LOTR section yet?

I certainly didn't get any impression the LOTR licence was in any danger in an email I received from SS's prod. manager recently. If anything, it looks like we are going to see a boost in LOTR production once "Hobbit" fever takes hold.

Another thing to consider is the length of SS's LOTR licences. If for example SS signed an 8 year agreement to produce 1/6 scale maquettes starting in 2010 , then I don't think we really have much to worry about at the moment......

 

[Valarauko]

Oh man, I certainly hope that we can expect an on-going flow of LOTR characters! There are still so many that deserve both MQ and PF treatment (the possibility of a High Elven Warrior statue would make my decade!). I'm definately keeping my fingers crossed.

 

[woodsy]

Oh man, I certainly hope that we can expect an on-going flow of LOTR characters! There are still so many that deserve both MQ and PF treatment (the possibility of a High Elven Warrior statue would make my decade!). I'm definately keeping my fingers crossed.

Based on that conceptual drawing sneak peek in the back of the 2011 calendar you might just get your wish.

 

[Vince]

I certainly didn't get any impression the LOTR licence was in any danger in an email I received from SS's prod. manager recently. If anything, it looks like we are going to see a boost in LOTR production once "Hobbit" fever takes hold.

Once the Hobbit fever starts Sideshow might boost the LOTR license, but maybe not in a good way.
I guess they will produce Hobbit related stuff and forget a bit about LOTR itself.

So maybe they will never produce Gimli and Boromir PF's.

I feel my PF lin eis incomplete without Gimli.
He is such an essential character.
And Legolas and Aragorn are lost without him ...

 

[woodsy]

Once the Hobbit fever starts Sideshow might boost the LOTR license, but maybe not in a good way.
I guess they will produce Hobbit related stuff and forget a bit about LOTR itself.

So maybe they will never produce Gimli and Boromir PF's.

I feel my PF lin eis incomplete without Gimli.
He is such an essential character.
And Legolas and Aragorn are lost without him ...

SS does not even have a Hobbit-related licence, and there is no guarantee they will get one. Even if they do, it is not going to effect the PF line. SS has already stated Gimli and Boromir will be done.....eventually.

 

[Vince]

SS does not even have a Hobbit-related licence, and there is no guarantee they will get one. Even if they do, it is not going to effect the PF line. SS has already stated Gimli and Boromir will be done.....eventually.

I really hope so

 

[Seaward]

While we might get some Sneak Previews this week or next during the 12 days of Sideshow, I will still be asking weekly until we get some solid information on the rest of the Fellowship. I am so glad that Woodsy was able to express the concern directly to some of the folks at Sideshow about a complete Fellowship, and how that might impact the success of a line too! Thanks again, and if you want to show Sideshow your desire for the complete Fellowship, please use the Ask Sideshow feature on their site to drum up support!

Boromir
I am really looking forward to seeing more of the core heroes in the Lord of the Rings Premium Format line, and I was wondering if Boromir was in the works? His outfit from the Fellowship would make for an amazing Premium Format!

Gimli
I know that Gimli would present many design challenges for Sideshow as a Premium format (Hair, Leather, Chainmail) but you guys are more than up to the task! When might we see this hearty dwarf as a Premium Format figure?

Merry and Pippin
The hobbit characters play a huge role in the books and films, yet are sorely under-represented in the Lord of the Rings Premium Format line. Any chance we could see two of these shorter stature characters be offered at once? Merry and Pippin would be great to get as a two-fer!

Sam
One of the biggest heroes in the whole of the Lord of the Rings is also one of the smallest. Do you have plans to bring Samwise Gamgee to the Premium Format line any time soon?

Bilbo (Ian Holm)
I hope that Sideshow develops some plans to work with the Tolkien Universe some more with the upcoming Hobbit film, but until then what are the odds that we might see Bilbo Baggins as he looked when his adventuring days were done? A Bilbo Premium Format that had an Ian Holm likeness would be out of this world, especially if we were to eventually get one of Martin Freeman in the role as well!

Happy holidays everyone!

 

[Seaward]

It's a New Year and time for a new set of questions for Sideshow to let them know how important it is to finish the Fellowship! I hope that one of Sideshow's New Years Resolutions is to answer the Q&A section a little more frequently!

Samwise Gamgee PF:
With the upcoming release of the Gollum Premium Format, I can't think of a better way to set up a display with Frodo and Gollum than to include Samwise Gamgee! These three characters spend a huge portion of the story together, and Sam would really round out any LOTR Premium Format Display. Do you know when we might see Sam on our shelves?

Merry and Pippin PF:
Sideshow has been incredibly inventive with their Premium Format characters, and I think a great opportunity flex your creative muscles would be to combine Merry and Pippin from Lord of the Rings into one Premium Format offering. The hobbit characters may not seem as visually exciting or heroic, but these characters are vital to the story and would make a great addition to a true LOTR fan's collection! Any chance that we could see Merry and Pippin offered as one Premium Format?

Boromir PF:
I can't wait for my Witchking Premium Format to ship soon, but with Gollum being the only LOTR Premium Format on order after this month, I hope that Sideshow can drum up some huge excitement by offering Boromir as a Premium Format figure soon! His outfit from the Fellowship is a must, as we have seen that the Gondorian Captain version is likely coming as part of the maquette line. Any chance we'll see Boromir in the Premium Format line soon?

Gimli PF:
I want to say thank you to the Sideshow team for the sneak peek at some of the Lord of the Rings Maquettes to be offered in the near future. The Gimli maquette has a lot of people talking, and I hope that he makes an apperance this year, so that you have a chance to focus on making a Gimli for the Premium Format line for next year. Any chance we might get Gimli in 2012 as a Premium Format?

Ringwraith on Steed:
With some heavy hints dropped by Sideshow, a lot of people were expecting to see some news on this "horse of a different color" that will make an appearance in the Lord of the Rings Premium Format Line. If Sideshow is truly planning such a massive undertaking, can you please let us know so we can start saving for such an amazing offering now? A Ringwraith on Steed Premium Format would be amazing, and I hope that the clues coming from Sideshow are correct, but I hope we get enough advance notice to pay for it!!!


Cave Troll:
It is rumored that we are getting an oversized offering in the Lord of the Rings Premium Format line this year, and the hints suggest it will be a Ringwraith on Steed. Any chance Sideshow might develop some other oversized characters too? The Cave Troll would be a great figure in the Premium Format line, and he would be huge!!


I will keep asking questions throughout the New Year, and I hope that if you want to see the Fellowship made as Premium Format figures, you take a chance to Ask Sideshow for the Premium Format Fellowship too!

 

[Seaward]

Sideshow has finally responded to some questions yesterday, but most importantly they addressed how they might like us to show our support for the Lord of the Rings Premium Format line to complete the Fellowship. All kidding aside, they asked that we support a letter writing campaign and we are spitballing ideas in a couple of the LOTR threads. Once things coalesce a little bit, I will see what a I can do to organize the letter and help develop a presentation that can be sent to Sideshow, either individually or as a signed petition (preferably both) that we can show them our desire for the Hobbits as Premium Formats! Let's Finish the Fellowship!!!!

 

[Twilight Wraith]

Not sure if this is the right place to post this, but I had a bit of time yesterday and drew this up. What are your thoughts? Would love sideshow to make a Boromir PF.

 

[xjamiex]

I'm digging it, the left arm would be a cool switch out.