New Buffy Line Discussion

[grphyx1]

Anya most definitely. and I could see them doing Illyria

I'm not going to get into this more, because I am not a fan of arguing. I am not saying a Tara statue wouldn't garner sales. I'm saying that an Anya statue would probably garner MORE sales than Tara.

You don't have to agree with me, just as I don't agree with you. See, works both ways.

 

[Something Sexy]

You guys can all call me out on this if it happens but I doubt an Angel line will ever happy.

Ok, theoretical question if they offered a Buffy LSF for $2k, who would buy one?

 

[binky]

Not me. I don't get the whole bust thing. I find life-sized portraits of actual people creepy and life-sized portraits of comic book characters inane.

A Tara or Anya statue seems so far beyond the realm of possibility, neither crossed my mind. Specifically with Tara, there is no way you could pair her with the Willow they’ve released unless they bizarro her up, too. Oz would make a better companion piece, and that is from someone who also writes Tara-Willow fanfic. But it’s all moot, since Angel looks like an ATS statue, so quite possibly the Buffy line is done. I also would not be at all surprised if Angel is the last statue in this line, period. It took awhile for Spike EX to sell out despite the fairly good prototype because of the large ES—more proof that SS is out of touch with Whedonville.

Think of it this way:

Those little bits of overlap is where most of us are. Some of us are figure collectors, some of us are statue collectors, some of us are both. You can also put this in motion with a time variable. The recession made the collectors circles recede. They seem to be getting a bit bloated again as the economy recovers, but a lot of us have learned to become very particular about where our discretionary income goes. For me, that means no more Star Wars PFs or 12” except for OT core figures, no more LOTR, Indiana Jones, etc. I was a real comic book geek and Uncanny X-Men was my favorite book in the 80s before the Jim Shooter era destroyed pretty much all the Marvel titles with the rampant capitalist testosterone, so I’ve gotten all the Jim Lee X-Men PFs up to Rogue. Looking at Rogue, I see it was yet another mistake and now don’t regret passing on Psylocke, maybe will pass on Colossus. My Sideshow purchases have gone down to 1 to 3 a year (not counting Hot Toys, though I buy most of those through etailers). Angel should be just in time to get the last of my rewards points, then I think I could very well be done with Sideshow except for the Hot Toys exclusives.

Just trying to be realistic. I don’t mind admitting I’m an Amber Benson fan, despite that awful thing she did for Syfy a few years ago. I have to admit, I’m a bit of a culture snob—I studied pop culture in graduate school for a few years, actually. I really deeply admire entertainers who aren’t one-note particularly if they are writers as well as performers. It’s why of the Buffy ensemble, my favorite actors are ASH, James Marsters, and Benson, because they’re multi-talented, even though they might not be my favorite characters in the show. I obviously am a Tara fan, but I doubt they’d sell 100 pieces of a $250 Tara statue unless it was one of her macking on Willow, but then possibly 85 of those would be sold to creepy *****-****/nudie statue collectors rather than Buffy fans.

OTOH, the old 12” Art S Buck boxsets are affordable still, so I will continue to customize figures to fill out my 12” lineup. I hope that means a Tara and Anya eventually. It’s a lot more satisfying (more bang-for-the-buck) and so much more hands-on than a $250 display statue that just sits on the shelf behind glass. Also, I have to say that many of the statues Sideshow makes in-house are, in my honest opinion as an aging old-guard sci-fi geek but still left-leaning member of the lower middle class, borderline embarrassing to display in normal company (due to the pumped up or pimped out aesthetic). I am dismayed that mindset started to infiltrate the women of Buffy statues, especially Willow’s. At least the men of Buffy/Angel seem to have gotten by without the steroid infusion.

Anyway, mj, I welcome a fellow Tara fan and Buffy fanficcer to the board. I wonder if I’ve read any of your stuff?

binky

 

[Chapter 2099]

You guys can all call me out on this if it happens but I doubt an Angel line will ever happy.

Ok, theoretical question if they offered a Buffy LSF for $2k, who would buy one?

For about a quarter of that price, probably, but even then, the likeness better be 95% perfect.

 

[Something Sexy]

Not me. I don't get the whole bust thing. I find life-sized portraits of actual people creepy and life-sized portraits of comic book characters inane.

I was referring to the Legendary Scale Figure, 1/2 scale full statue.

 

[BuffyGirl]

I would absolutely NOT buy one of the LSF.

 

[binky]

OK. No, I don't think I'd buy a 1/2 scale for any franchise. First of all, due to the pricetag - that is 4-5 months of my gas/elec bill. Second of all, I still think that would be a goofy thing to have in your living space.

I guess the question is, is there any $2000 single-piece Buffy collectible I would buy, and the answer for me is, honestly, no. Not a chance.

 

[Chapter 2099]

The prices on those things are getting way out of hand, IMO. They may sell very well, but I just can't reason that kind of price tag. If they sell well for SSC, then more power to them.

 

[melkorjunior]

There seems to be this idea that Tara can't look sexy, while Anya can. I find it befuddling because Anya's character was the opposite of sexy. It also befuddles me because I remember plenty of episodes in which Tara dressed in fairly sexy attire. Not risque--just sexy, according to her own style. I tried to attach a picture and here's hoping it works. Assuming it did, check it out. I think this Tara would look perfect in the statue line and would also fit in well with Willow.

I have no idea why this attached as a clickable thumbnail but if you click on it, you'll see what I mean.

 

[melkorjunior]

Oh, and I would never buy anything in Legendary scale. It really would be too goofy to have in my house. Even the Buffy PF is a bit too big for comfort. This current statue line fits on my bookshelves and looks good. The Buffy PF needed its own coffee table and looked...out of place. But at least they got her hair color right.

By the way, if anyone wants to post a pic of Anya to try to convince me I'm wrong about Tara fitting better into the statue line (Anyanka doesn't count, as monster characters are a separate argument) feel free to try to turn me around. I'm not some intractable Willow/Tara shipper and I have nothing against Anya particularly.

 

[BuffyGirl]

I guess multiple posts from multiple people who are pro Anya over Tara wont do.

I don't find Tara sexy in that photo...

 

[Chapter 2099]

Hi--first time poster. I own both the Buffy and Willow statues from the current line and have ordered Faith. I have no interest in Spike (not a fan) or Angel (I'm a guy and I don't need to spend $250 for a statue of David Boreanaz), but I of course have my own favorites as far as characters that should be attempted after Angel. I also have my own ideas about which characters might be most economically feasible for Sideshow.

Firstly, I would politely dispute BuffyGirl's initial post--I think Xander is an immediate line-killer and I don't think Anya has anywhere near enough of a following to be likely. And we need to not only think of the relative popularity of characters but also the style of this statue line. While I think they overdid the sexiness with Willow, I think it's obvious Sideshow is going for "edgy" here--not just because of Buffy and Willow's outfits but also the posing and facial expressions (Buffy on her throne looking at you like a cat eyeing a mouse; Willow nearly striking a cheerleader pose; Faith looking simultaneously smoking hot and like someone you definitely wouldn't want to meet ina dark alley; Angel looking arrogantly confident.) Compared to the lifeless PF Buffy line I think these statues, warts and all (the Buffy likeness isn't quite there and her hair color is a mess) are a step up. But again, we have to consider the edgy aesthetic Sideshow has been going for.

I don't think Xander fits that aesthetic. I also don't think very many men would pick him up, which leaves mostly the female audience base, and how many of them are huge fans of Xander? (I write Buffy fanfic and 95% of my audience is female and let me tell you, I get a lot of e-mail thanking me for killing Xander off.) If we need an original Scooby Gang member, Giles should be next. As for branching out beyond them, I think Tara needs to be taken more seriously as a candidate. Her popularity is far greater with the fans than Anya's and her character was far more important to the show. No one is clambering for Anya to be resurrected but a vocal group of people have wanted Tara back for years. Also Tara would look neat standing beside Willow on a shelf. Another thing--after two straight releases of male characters, I'm betting Sidesow wants a female next. Assuming we don't get an Illyria until Sideshow launches an Angel line, who are our contenders?

Well, the list goes like this, but not all of them are viable candidates:
Joyce
Dawn
Cordy
Harmony
Jenny
Tara
Anya
Dru
Darla
Glory

Joyce is a no-go; no one is buying that statue. I'd personally love a Dawn statue but she divided the fanbase and also Sideshow might be leery of including a younger character in this line, judging by the sexiness on display so far. Cordy works, but she's risky because she's second tier and not often discussed and I'd prefer her in an Angel line. Harmony makes no sense unless the line is so wildly successful that Sideshow puts out 25 statues. Jenny makes no sense for the same reason, unless Sideshow was to give us a Giles/Jenny diorama in the same scale. I would argue that Tara is the most popular "good guy" female outside of the core four, and also that she's more popular than Xander. Dru is a nice choice because she's such a striking visual, she fits this line's aesthetic perfectly, she'd go well with Angel and Spike, and I think this line needs an outright villain. Darla is a notch less interesting than Dru. Glory is two notches less interesting than Darla.

So my picks for likely female figures: Tara and Drusilla, with Dru getting a slight edge because she's an official bad guy and the line needs one of those. I also think a brand new Buffy or Willow is just as likely, but unless they're extremely interesing (The Wish Buffy? Vamp Willow?) they could exhaust collectors' patience with the line.

As for likely male candidates? Giles is really the only non-bad guy I can think of, unless we want to trot out Wesley, but I don't know if he's part of the Angel license and besides, Giles has a better shot of selling out since we already have Buffy and Willow to join him. Wesley will work better when we get an Illyria. The Mayor would be wonderful to go with Faith, especially since we've never gotten anything for him--no action figures, no statues, nothing. But how popular is he really? Would 700 people out there be willing to shell out the bucks for him? I certainly would, but that's just me.

Sideshow has a problem with this license--it's hard for them to know which characters are popular enough to support a statue after Buffy/Willow/Faith/Spike/Angel. In fact it's a real roll of the dice. So maybe Sideshow will get creative, assuming this line is their last hurrah with the Buffy license, and give us a character that would look great as a statue and has enough of a following among fans to (maybe) sell if executed properly. Maybe they roll the dice and instead of giving us the "core five" followed by a series of repaints, they branch out and go with a character they honestly would have fun sculpting, someone we haven't seen a lot of, someone with lots of eye appeal; in that case I think both Tara and Dru get another nod.

One last point (I see you all nodding off, wake up!): I think we also need to consider character combinations. I have no desire at all for a Wesley, but if Sidehsow gives us an Illyria I'd consider buying a Wesley. Dru might not have worked early in the line but with Spike and Angel on the way she suddenly looks a lot better on the shelf. And Tara would be wonderful with Willow, and if Sideshow really did Tara justice I bet ebay sales of the Willow statue would really pick up. Collectors like to buy thing in sets, they like things to look good next to each other on the shelf. Think of the DC Comics fan who hates Aquaman but picks up a statue of him anyway just to complete his Justice League line. Tara, in a way, "completes" Willow, just as Drusilla "completes" Spike and the Mayor "completes" Faith.

So, after all that preamble, my picks, in no particular order:

most likely: Tara, Giles, Buffy re-do
most wanted by me: Drusilla, Tara, the Mayor

Anyway, that's my long-winded opinion. Thanks for listening!

--Mark

Hi and welcome!! It's nice to see some new posters in Whedonville!

For me personally, I'd like to see Giles, Oz, and Xander come to life in polystone form. Of those three, I think Giles is the most realistic in terms of a marketing perspective. Would he be the biggest seller compared to Angel and Spike? Probably not. But I think with the right ES (approx. 500 for both regular and Ex.) and price (approx. $200-$225), he could sell out. There's still enough of a fan base and completists out there to make that kind of a sale.

As for what I think makes most sense for Sideshow based on the fanbase and what we've seen thus far in the line, I think Cordelia should be next, with Anya and Giles a close second. That character has the popularity and the looks to make it worthy of 'polystone immortalization.' Not only that, but we've never really seen an honest effort from any company to tackle something like that. Fans of Buffy would be interested, as would fans of Angel. Even if you didn't like her in one series (or bother to watch,) chances are you saw her in the other. Some might even argue that Cordy is one of the most recognizable characters in the Whedonverse because of that reason.

I mentioned Giles above, but as far as Anya goes, I think she had enough crazy quarks and memorable moments during her Buffy run that the fans would surely 'bite.' Eli mentioned it a little bit, but a sassy Anya sculpt with a bunny-themed Exclusive could be a homerun, and next to Cordy, I think she has the most potential for the 'ladies.' UNLESS of course, Sideshow wants to re-release another Buffy piece, which would be a 'smart move.' In which case, I think that would take precedence above all, even Giles.

Dru is definitely an 'honorable mention.' I think she would turn out great and visually would look fantastic, but I'm not convinced that the sales would be there, especially with characters like Cordy and Giles waiting in line.

And as far as Tara goes, I just don't see it happening. Whenever I think of Tara, I think of Willow. But then I tend to reminisce about Willow's 'most memorable moments' more so than I do Tara's. Tara was a great character, no doubt about it. But when you compare her time on the show to others, I think there are some, like those mentioned above, who are more universally known and better candidates for Sideshow's Buffy line.

 

[GoZombieGo]

Anya most definitely. and I could see them doing Illyria

I'd be all over an Illyria, if they did it. I have one of the little 6" Illyria figures, and it's one of my favs - would love to have a BIG one to gawk at on a daily basis.

I think she'd have the potential for other not-specifically-Whedon-fans to be interested in her, too, because she's just got a badass character design, and SSC statue collectors like them some badass character designs.

So she might even sell better than an Anya (or Giles or Xander, but maybe not a Cordy). I think she'd probably sell much better than a Tara would, in any case - look how easy it is to pick up the Gentle Giant OMWF Tara bust as compared to its Willow counterpart, for example.

 

[Chapter 2099]

Like I said, Angel is the last one for now. There are no plans as of right now to make any more. Which leads me to believe that will be that.

Maybe I misinterpreted it, but I thought SilentSurfer and you unofficially acknowledged a piece after Angel?

*on the verge of tears*

 

[Cuttersky]

Oh, and I would never buy anything in Legendary scale. It really would be too goofy to have in my house. Even the Buffy PF is a bit too big for comfort. This current statue line fits on my bookshelves and looks good. The Buffy PF needed its own coffee table and looked...out of place. But at least they got her hair color right.

By the way, if anyone wants to post a pic of Anya to try to convince me I'm wrong about Tara fitting better into the statue line (Anyanka doesn't count, as monster characters are a separate argument) feel free to try to turn me around. I'm not some intractable Willow/Tara shipper and I have nothing against Anya particularly.

In this picture Anya has the "sexier" outfit.

View attachment 40191

Tara never wore very sexy outfits...Now SSC could force Tara into a sexy outfit but then we would feel offended all over again; like with Willow.

Anya would be perfect in this outfit and still fit the "sexy" look they've put the ladies in...

View attachment 40192

 

[Something Sexy]

There seems to be this idea that Tara can't look sexy, while Anya can. I find it befuddling because Anya's character was the opposite of sexy. It also befuddles me because I remember plenty of episodes in which Tara dressed in fairly sexy attire. Not risque--just sexy, according to her own style. I tried to attach a picture and here's hoping it works. Assuming it did, check it out. I think this Tara would look perfect in the statue line and would also fit in well with Willow.

I have no idea why this attached as a clickable thumbnail but if you click on it, you'll see what I mean.

That does nothing for me and it isn't because she is attractive, cause she is but her characters personality turns me off and...nevermind. I don't even her attractive either.

 

[BuffyGirl]

Maybe I misinterpreted it, but I thought SilentSurfer and you unofficially acknowledged a piece after Angel?

*on the verge of tears*

This was actually during Spike's release in reference to Angel. Sorry Chap. I wish I had better news.

 

[Something Sexy]

Seems premature for them to not have any plans, unless they really think this lined failed. Basically we really got a Willow and Faith out of this line since we already have the other three in statue form.

 

[happybunny]

I also agree with BG, I don't think there will be anything after Angel, at least for some time.
Sales are just not that large, when compared with other franchises that Sideshow holds.

As to Tara, she and Amber Benson hold a special place in my heart. Willow and Tara as the first lesbian couple on major TV show that was handled with respect and dignity, and not just titillation. It helped my youngest daughter at a very difficult point in her life.

But that of course that is just me, from a business point of view a Tara statue would not sell in enough numbers. But I doubt that any of the minor characters would, even my choice Giles.

 

[Anzik]

BuffyGirl, just be honest and admit you don't like gay chicks.