QMX Star Trek General discussion thread

[darthkush]

See? Like this.

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[karamazov80]

Battle Damaged Kirk could be a decent option, but that's just regular Spock with a sash. If QmX wants to ensure the "collectibility" of their figures, they might tread carefully with straight up rereleases. But that hasn't stopped SSC, Hot Toys, and most other companies.

DST also did all THESE. I mean, I have friggin Ensign Ro! They went deep!

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Yes, but I'm talking of a case where they had limited release options (line wasn't nearly as popular generally as the larger articulated figures), and chose to go all in with the original series.

 

[ELVIS]

They must do another Kirk! My preference is for the green wrap around uniform. Maybe some 1/6 tribbles as an exclusive. I have the Captain's Chair, but missed out on Kirk. I'm surprised there hasn't been a reissue of Kirk/Spock considering the sell out.

 

[thecapn]

I agree with those who are saying the staining hurt Picard's sales. It definitely did. But there's more than that, I think. I have always had the impression that Picard was a bit rushed compared to Nanjin's other fantastic work.

We - at the Venn Diagram meeting of detail-oriented Trek fans and detail-oriented 1/6 fans - are going to judge things harshly. Everything has to be 100% or we'll vote with our pocketbook; it's simple.

So, here's a summary:

Kirk -
- Best likeness to the character/actor than has ever been seen in figures before. (MAYBE Mego gives them a run for their money, but he's cartoon-ish).
- Attention to detail on the clothing is rediculous. Pants have the cigarette pouch. Patches are insanely detailed for being so small.
- Tailoring/body perfectly captures Kirk's "ponch."
- Accessories are extremely accurate.
- Hands include just about everything you can think of for Kirk, including action poses and holding every accessory.
- The only negative I can even think of is that the magnets didn't hold so great. Can be fixed with some rare earth magnets and fabric tape, though.

Picard -
- Body doesn't seem right for Picard, and the tailoring feels off as well. Jacket is baggy, right?
- The staining, of course.
- Likeness is good, but Stewart seems to be easier to capture than Shatner, so we've had other good likenesses in the past. There's also the fact that Nanjin originally intended this to be an older, First Contact - era figure, so it's a bit older than TNG should be.
- The phaser is wrong for the era, as is the Tricorder and PADD (Again, they'd match First Contact, but not TNG).
- Hands include just about everything, although I still think the "Engage" fingers aren't quite right.
- Otherwise: Paint is great, color is great, detail is there. Packaging is definitely improved from TOS releases.

Now those thoughts are mine personally, but I feel they tend to reflect the general consensus on these two. Kirk was widely loved; Picard was...ok.

Don't get me wrong - I still love him. But I definitely feel there was a little more going on to rush him out the door than Kirk, and us very detail-oriented people picked up on that.

EDIT: And I would LOVE a green wraparound Kirk!

 

[thecapn]

DST also did all THESE. I mean, I have friggin Ensign Ro! They went deep!

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That's true, but remember that there was a *LOT* of reuse in that line. After the TNG core figures were released, nearly every figure from that point on was a new headsculpt on an existing body with new paint. Of the DS9 releases, I think only Odo was actually "new."

Ro, Jadzia, Kira, and Crusher all used the same body. Ezri, Ogawa, and Troi did the same (and they made at least 4 Trois, IIRC, some just repaints).

They also rereleased all the TOS figures multiple times, right? With minor changes? That said, I suppose the same thing could still be done at the 1/6 level. It's just a little more tolerable when you're spending $15/20 versus $200.

 

[Pauln6a]

That's true, but remember that there was a *LOT* of reuse in that line. After the TNG core figures were released, nearly every figure from that point on was a new headsculpt on an existing body with new paint. Of the DS9 releases, I think only Odo was actually "new."

Ro, Jadzia, Kira, and Crusher all used the same body. Ezri, Ogawa, and Troi did the same (and they made at least 4 Trois, IIRC, some just repaints).

They also rereleased all the TOS figures multiple times, right? With minor changes? That said, I suppose the same thing could still be done at the 1/6 level. It's just a little more tolerable when you're spending $15/20 versus $200.

They also stopped while Chapel, Rand, Green Kirk, and medical short sleeved McCoy were at prototype stage.

I think part of the success of a line depends on planning the releases and not lurching to the next release on the basis of your previous release.

 

[thecapn]

They also stopped while Chapel, Rand, Green Kirk, and medical short sleeved McCoy were at prototype stage.

I think part of the success of a line depends on planning the releases and not lurching to the next release on the basis of your previous release.

No, they released Green Kirk (GSK - as we used to call him on the old AA boards lol). He was in the first TOS Wave, back when Art Asylum was in charge. Though I can't recall if he was rereleased; I know Yellow Kirk (YSK) was re-released numerous times, with two different shirts I seem to recall. The first was an SDCC exclusive I believe.

The other figure you're thinking off that got to the prototype stage for that proposed 4th wave was the Salt Vampire, I believe.

EDIT: Wait, no I was wrong. It was FIRST SEASON GSK. My apologies. But the Salt Vampire was in there as a plan along the way too I think.

 

[FlyAndFight]

Thanks for the pics, GenerZodLives!

Looks like they are still using the overly buff body for Spock. They really need to come up with a much more slim body.

As far as the Star Trek figures go, QMX has really managed to provide decent figures for decent prices. That has really made me a fan of them. The figures are not perfect but are very good renditions of the characters.

QMX should have known from the beginning that these would be niche sales, not to be compared with the current flavor of the week Star Wars / Marvel / Iron man releases.

Finally, for anyone that passed on Picard due to the staining issues, you are missing out on a very good figure. The stains are easily hid by the high collar. I hope that lack of sales doesn't kill the TNG line. But while I can live with just having Picard, it would royally suck if we get a couple more figures and then the line is killed, leaving a HUGE gap. (Same goes for the OT line...)

 

[thecapn]

Thanks for the pics, GenerZodLives!

Looks like they are still using the overly buff body for Spock. They really need to come up with a much more slim body.

As far as the Star Trek figures go, QMX has really managed to provide decent figures for decent prices. That has really made me a fan of them. The figures are not perfect but are very good renditions of the characters.

QMX should have known from the beginning that these would be niche sales, not to be compared with the current flavor of the week Star Wars / Marvel / Iron man releases.

Finally, for anyone that passed on Picard due to the staining issues, you are missing out on a very good figure. The stains are easily hid by the high collar. I hope that lack of sales doesn't kill the TNG line. But while I can live with just having Picard, it would royally suck if we get a couple more figures and then the line is killed, leaving a HUGE gap. (Same goes for the OT line...)

Nanjin said (somewhere, may have been on Facebook) that the jacket for Spock was newly made from material provided to him that supposedly exactly matched the color/texture of the original, but that this was a prototype done in generic 1/6 scale and not tailored to a body yet. That's why it's a bit bulky.

 

[davejames]

Unfortunately, as much as I'd love to support the line, Scotty will be the first one I'll have to pass on. I love the character but the sculpt has always looked way too old and exaggerated for my taste.

I'm not really feeling the Sulu likeness either, but that one I could probably live with.

 

[Lee in MI]

Perhaps I wasn’t clear. Some of you guys are getting the impression that things are being cancelled....that’s simply not true. They have not cancelled any of the lines including Firefly. What they do want is some vehicle to promote it before releasing more figs. So an upcoming anniversary would/could be that conduit. Not necessarily a movie but that’ll do it too.

Dave said the TOS bridge crew is pretty much a lock but they are concerned with slowing sales due to Kirk and Spock being unavailable at retail and frankly hardly any on eBay right now. So they are considering ways to make them available to new onboarding fans, like me, who may not support buying the remaining bridge crew if the big two are impossible to obtain. That’s a fair assumption and they were looking for feedback at SDCC from the fans.

As far as TNG, those will continue as well but as I said, probably at a slower tick than they had hoped partially due to fans level of fervor, or lack thereof, in Picard’s release.

They clearly don’t want to produce partial teams but they are working on the right balance between what collectors want, production minimums and product availability.

By the way, ALL the Trek items look awesome in person. I hate I passed and am kicking myself for doing so (F U Mezco!) again, if anyone wants to get off the train now, I’d be interested in taking Kirk and Spock off your hands for a reasonable negotiated price.

 

[FlyAndFight]

Thanks for the info, Lee.

Nanjin said (somewhere, may have been on Facebook) that the jacket for Spock was newly made from material provided to him that supposedly exactly matched the color/texture of the original, but that this was a prototype done in generic 1/6 scale and not tailored to a body yet. That's why it's a bit bulky.

An, thank you, thecapn, as well. I don't do Facebook so I get my QMX Star Trek info from here.

 

[spindrift]

I'm not holding my breath for any more Trek figures...I don't see them making more if Picard was a bust and Khan didn't sell more as an exclusive and now regularly released

 

[thecapn]

Well, you have to find a way to release them without pissing off people who had them earlier. So they have to be different somehow.

Personally, I'd say you have three or four options:
1) A "slim" version that has less accessories/hands. Maybe there aren't the exclusives (phaser rifle, Lyre), get rid of a few hands. Kirk could lose the PADD and the hands that hold it, no first season belts, etc. This way the original one is still "the one to get" and holds value.
2) A version different enough that early adopters won't feel that they're being forced to double dip. Different outfits could work. Spock's a bit harder, but Kirk's green shirt is an easy answer to the problem.
3) A "deluxe" version with MORE stuff, but that stuff would also be available to original adopters as accessory packs. Maybe a deluxe set with "Mirror" alternate costumes, or "Where No Man Has Gone Before" alternates, etc. Or go the additional accessories route.
4) How about packaging a bare-bones Kirk along with the chair? And then you can do a bare-bones Spock with his science station, but also make the station itself a QMX limited exclusive so early buyers can still get it.

Asmus has done 1) and 3), and it "seems" to have gone well. The only problem they've had is lack of consistency, where different versions' quality/paint jobs don't match and some are clearly better than others. As long as you keep it consistent...meh.

 

[thedarkknight]

I think I've put my finger on what's off with the sculpt. The head is too wide, especially at the top. If they thin it out, it will be pretty close.

 

[davejames]

I think they really just need to start from scratch. It's nowhere near the level of the Spock sculpt and appears to be done by a completely different artist.

 

[Lee in MI]

I think the slim version is the way to go. No muss, no fuss. Everyone wins.

Now if the slims look better than the originals...tough titty said the kitty

 

[karamazov80]

Head and outfit kits with unpainted sculpts!

 

[DinoMan]

I will definitely get TOS Scotty and Sulu. Chekov too if they make him. Definitely getting any and all TNG main crew figures. The staingate issue was so minor, I think its ridiculous people turned-up their nose on such a great Picard 6th-scale. To heck with them, I'll get them all if they release them. Same with TWOK. After that we'll see. I'm strictly a TOS, TNG and original cast movie kind of guy. More power to these Star Trek lines!

 

[egel]

Head and outfit kits with unpainted sculpts!

Hmm, I don't think the average collector is interested in this.