NECA - Planet of the Apes

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Thanks PZ. They were the only 12" apes in town back in the day. I still remember seeing the ad in the old "Toy Shop" newspaper.
And yes, things have certainly changed since then.

Yeah, I finally threw out all of my past Toy Shop magazines just recently. I'm not sure why I was holding on to them. Ebay sort of put them out of business.
 
https://twitter.com/NECA_TOYS/status/415696662213189632

"The makings of an Ape. How a Gorilla Solider begins. The rough out. #damndirtyape #pota #classic "

BcTZ6WhIQAANm0_.jpg:large
 
The sculpt looks good but the legs are all wrong. He is standing way too upright the legs should be slightly bowed and shorter the legs are way too long for a gorilla.

If they ever get to Heston the gorilla will probably be too tall for it to scale well with humans.
 
There will be enough articulation in the legs to pose it like that.
 
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^ agreed. looks great, but I'm trying to only buy 1/6 scale.

It blows my mind. There are ape fans that will buy almost any scale, including 1:6. And thats great. Then there are the 1:6 ape fans that only buy 1:6 to accompany the plethora of figures already in their collections. So NECA makes them 6-7 inches and alienates a huge existing fan base. These won't even fit in with those with POTA collections from Mego.
NECA, your figures don't need to stand alone. They could have stood out from amongst the other 1:6.
What looked to be a godsend is nothing more than irritating.
 
I am still excited to see this line. I think this scale will work great with 1:6 scale when filming. These figures will totally be able to be hunched. The vest will be very soft to allow extra bend. After examining the Rocky figures, these are going to rock!
 
I'm sorry that you are so angry about this IM. I guess you can count me as one of the former in your groupings. I am, above all else in the world of collecting, a Planet of the Apes fan. Over the years, we have discussed our collections at great length... from Power Records to Addar Model Kits to 8" Mego figures to Topps trading cards to the Medicom Kubricks & vinyl figures. At one time, I've even owned a couple of Planet of the Apes white chocolate lollipops before my mom had me throw them out. I collect all things Apes... with the exception of the 6" Hasbro Signature Series line that came out around 1998. They were SO bad, it took Target to clearance them out at $2 each for me to finally buy Dr. Zaius...which for anyone who knows me is saying a lot.

I'm also looking forward to seeing the very first Planet of the Apes Hallmark Christmas Ornament this year. That is crazy!

Like many of you Ape fans who are my age, I saw all of this films in the theater originally... most of them on opening weekend. So I've had a front row seat on ALL things Apes that has come down the pike over the years.

However, no part of my collection has given me as much enjoyment as my 12" Ape figure collection. Being a Captain Action fan, I longed for Apes in 1:6 scale even during the Mego period. So when Sideshow announced that they were launching a 12" figure line I was in heaven. The wait for those figures (from February 2004 to September 2004) stands as the longest and most painful of this hobby. I even attended SDCC that summer for the first time for the sole purpose of seeing the prototypes at the Sideshow booth. And for a short, marvelous time, the promise of that line burned bright.

Yet, if I had to pick my favorite piece in my 12" Ape collection, it would be the Hot Toys General Ursus figure. In fact, Ursus is probably, hands down, my favorite figure in ALL of my collection... and that is again saying a lot considering my opinion of gorillas! It really saddens me that those three gorillas are all that we will probably ever get from Hot Toys.

Unfortunately, a lot of things have changed in the intervening years since those Hot Toys Gorillas. The price for 12" figures have escalated to such a degree, I have found myself unable to keep up. Paying $120 for each of those gorillas hurt financially back in 2009... however looking back they appear to have been QUITE the bargain.

I started this post by saying that I'm an Ape fan first and foremost. But to a slightly lesser degree, I have been an avid 12" collector for decades. Besides the Apes, I own 12" figures of Ash (Army of Darkness), Sweeney Todd, Buffy and Angel, Watchmen, Hellboy, Phantom of the Paradise, Michael Jackson, as well as having a significant array of figures in the Star Wars, Star Trek and Lord of the Rings lines. These figures come from all different manufactures: Sideshow, Medicom, Hot Toys, Hasbro and Toy Biz. Also with the help of my dad, I have the entire Firefly crew in 12" custom form. Rounding out my collection, I have also collected 12" prototypes/test shots of the 12" Hasbro Apes which were released in 1998, which became my namesake on these boards.

So why am I boring everyone with all of this... because I haven't pre-ordered a 12" figure since the Hot Toys Luke Skywalker in 2011. The escalating prices of these pieces have become so prohibitive financially, I've have to bow out of 12" collecting entirely. Long gone are the days of the $20 Hasbro 12" figure or when Sideshow offered affordable ($50-$100) figures. Case in point, I have been awaiting for Sideshow to release Hoth Luke and Hoth Han in the 1:6 scale ever since they announced they had the licence in 2005. And now that they are FINALLY here... and arriving with a hefty $200 price tag... it looks like I'm going to have to pass on them. And that goes double for the $350 Tauntauns as well. I cannot tell you how sad this makes me feel... knowing that these figures are not going to be a part of my collection.

Furthermore, Asmus has started up their Lord of the Rings line and I would SO love to add those to my already complete 12" Sideshow collection. But I just can't swing those prices. I even pre-ordered the Witch-King hoping I could scrape up the funds when the time came, but cancelled just before they started shipping. And with the ThreeZero announcement of the 12" Game of Thrones license (which is currently my VERY favorite show), I am in 12" figure hell. I want so desperately to have these figures but I can't start ANY of these collections and still provide for my family. They, of course, come first. Before Apes or figures.

Gee... I would hate to be a Batman or Marvel fan and a 12" figure collector now. So many GREAT items coming from Hot Toys at insane prices. That new 3 figure Batman Armory Set is amazing... but for $600? GADS! I would feel like my two interests were eating each other.

I don't think I'm the only one... to have been priced out of this hobby.

So here comes NECA. They are about to launch a detailed figure line of my favorite film series. So it's not going to be 1:6 scale, my favorite scale. But that also means that they are not going to be $200 either. I think I can actually afford to buy a $20 6" figure and not break into a cold sweat. And it looks like POTA couldn't be in better hands. NECA has made quite a name for themselves in the world of 6" figures (would that mean they are 1:12 scale?). Perhaps they have found a scale that many collectors are currently favoring. In fact, Hasbro has finally embraced the scale by starting the Star Wars 6" Black Series. That series has been wildly successful.

I know you really wanted them to produce something in 12" but perhaps they do not hold the rights to do so. I don't think they hold the master toy license for POTA that would allow them to entertain the idea. It would be interesting to find out exactly who DOES own the right to make 12" figures for Planet of the Apes. What if Hot Toys still owned the rights and was just sitting on them? That would be sad, indeed.

I think NECA is simply playing to their strengths by concentrating on the scale that has been so successful for them. You claim that there are 12" collectors that NECA is denying product for, yet what about the 6" figure collectors, that have been denied quality POTA product that NECA will be providing for?

It seems to me that there is another "huge existing fan base", the 6" figure collectors that will directly benefit from NECA new line.

I'm really curious to see how deep NECA is going to go into this line. We could see figures made in plastic that has NEVER been produced simply due to the fact that the smaller scale makes it more cost effective. Perhaps we might finally get a decent Julius figure... who is now, oddly enough, only available as a Kubrick (I own it)... or the entire Orangutan Tribunal from the first film! Or Dr. Zaius in his Armageddon Garb from Beneath... commericially available only as an Addar model kit!

So IM please don't be bitter with me for being excited for this new NECA line. At least be happy for me, your fellow Ape brethren, that I will finally be able to participate in this hobby that I love so much... figure collecting.

Sorry for the long post... I just had to get it off my chest.
 
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PZ, I agree with much of what you have said. But my point wasn't to NOT make 6". My point is they could have made 1:6 as well. NECA 1:6 don't sell for hundreds so it would have been perfect. The same goes for their Batman, Superman, Aliens, Predator....

I was prepared to buy multibles of the NECA apes, just based on the detail of their sculpts in other lines. That doesn't happen too often. Now, while I am a POTA fan and will enjoy seeing what they do, I will be buying nothing.
 
Again, I'm not as certain as you are that NECA could release figures in the 1:6 scale if they do not have the legal right to do so. Even if they wanted to produce figures in that scale, if they don't hold the rights... they can't.

I know that Hot Toys had to work jointly with Sideshow to produce the 12" Luke Skywalker because they own the rights to produce figures in that scale. BOTH names are on the figure's box.

Like I said before, it would be sad if Hot Toys or Sideshow still held the 1:6 scale rights to Planet of the Apes with no plans on producing any... preventing other companies, like NECA, from making them.
 
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There are always ways around that. Hot Toys skirted the issue with making figures from certain licenses by making them "models" instead. The Aliens and Predators have to be assembled by the buyer. I would have been more than happy to "snap" the figure together. And, a lot of times, clothed figures are a different thing than fully cast figures.
I'm sure it could have been done, but a moot point at the present time.
However, I will keep bringing it up to try and get NECA to concede. I ask other 1:6 enthusiasts to do the same. Its just like when I started this thread keep the 1:6 Sideshow apes alive. we didn't get more from Sideshow, but we did get Hot Toys. And that wound up being a big improvement.
If NECA doesn't want the $ from 1:6 collectors, maybe someone else does.
 
Nice Post! As a Godzilla collector I enjoy the variety of scale in my collection. I don't currently own any Planet of the Apes figures, but am excited for this line. I'll never forget seeing that image of the Statue of Liberty as a child. Very powerful.

Anyway, forgive me if this was posted earlier, but has NECA come out with a release date for wave 1 yet??
 
In one of NECA's earlier tweets, Randy mentioned they hopefully have something out around May/June time. Of course, more details will be revealed during the Toy Fair show in Feb.


UPDATE: Apparently Classics line around May, Current line around July.
 
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Off topic everyone and I hope someone here can help me.

I have given up trying to buy the Hot toys Planet of the Apes 1/6 scale figures. Too damn expensive!
Been trying to complate the rest of my Medicom Ultra Fine Detail apes. Can someone please tell me how many figures are there in the complete set? On the back of the packaging it says collect all 19, but I don't believe thats correct. I have 21 so far and I think theres one more left??? Please help:)
 
Sorry for the long post... I just had to get it off my chest.

Well said. I think a lot of us have been completely priced out of the licensed 1:6's. I don't really have a place for 6" stuff in my collection, and the older the get, the more I appreciate the scale of 1:6 stuff - but because of the economy of it, I'm at least happy that you guys can afford to collect, if not get euphorically excited about, the NECA stuff.
 
Great post PZ. I am with you regarding the outrageous prices 1:6 scale collecting now costs. I have been selling a lot of my figures and environments, ie. Jabba throne, Han in carbonite, etc. and am glad to be downsizing. I returned my Hot Toys Red Skull and Star Spangled Capt. America. My captain had bad stitching so he had to go back. I do have a few still on pre-order like Cobra Commander, Batman & Robin, but I am strongly considering cancelling these figures to as the value just isn't there. It scares me when I see 1:6 scale outfits that cost more than their 1:1 scale counterparts. Also being a kitbasher it saddens me when the outfits tear so easily or tiny plastic pieces just crumble in hand. I am very picky and hesitant with my 1:6 collecting now.

I will be getting these Neca figures and may stick solely with the classic line, as they will always be my favorite representation of POTA. I can't wait to see what is presented at February's toy fair. I have a feeling we will be seeing apes on horseback. :)
 
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