Adam Hughes here.
OK, I guess I have to come out of the cave and answer a question or two.
Allison is correct with all her answers. Deadlines and the addition of two puppies who are putting on about 5 lbs of growth a week are really taking up time.
I stopped posting on the board because I found that when I posted, I had to post really long, detailed posts to make sure my points got across. Why? Because while posters and trollers like short posts, all you end up with is a bunch of people not understanding you, or reading into what you're trying to say. I found that I was losing entire afternoons or evenings posting, then reposting to clarify, or replying to clear up someone's misconception. Also, I found myself having to repeat myself over and over again because some people couldn't take the time to go back 5 pages and read what had already been written on certain subjects.
As for the comiquettes, I'll reiterate that Sideshow has a finite number of crafstmen & women who can create their protoypes. On the comiquette that is currently being worked on, the sculptor had to be pulled off it TWICE to go get something else done that was even more urgent. What could be more urgent?
Here's an example: you're a sculptor working on an AH! comiquette, which the fans are clamoring for. Sideshow just gets word back from Big Fantasy Film Licensor #1 that the likeness on the Premium Format figure of their Main Character isn't good enough, and it needs to be changed. Well, the Main Character PF figure was scheduled to be finished last week, and the guy who worked on that has moved on to another assignment. Who can we get to make the Big Fantasy Film Licensor changes? Hey, get the guy who's working on that AH! comiquette that isn't scheduled yet. "But it'll put the AH! Comiquette behind schedule, boss!" "Can't be helped, Drone Number 4."
I can't say this enough: quality takes time. And Sideshow does not have infinite resources in the talent department. They have to spread their talent pool around very carefully. For every time that there is a post here about 'where is the next comiquette?', there is a post in the LOTR forum asking "where is the next Premium Format figure?". Repeat that for every single license Sideshow has, and you'll get an idea of how much work it is to get all these great collectibles out there and in with some level of quality and craftmanship. When you've only got a handful of sculptors, painters, fabricators you can only get so much done. Add to that you have to answer to licensors, many of whom ask for ridiculous changes or will reject something for no reason you, I, or Sideshow can fathom; these things can set schedules back.
Even though Sideshow isn't going to be at ToyFair, we all know they will be making announcements all this weekend and next week. I'm going out to Sideshow next week to talk about comiquettes, and a lot more.
Please be patient; we're trying our best to do it all, and make sure none of it sucks.
-AH!