Sideshow 12" Stormtrooper PICTURE THREAD

[pixletwin]

I feel your pain.

 

[FQRizzo]

Ohhhh, I didn't quite read it like that. I guess it is an unfair comp....but stilll for my poor stormies

If you bought them from Sideshow, you can send them back if the QC isn't up to your standards.

For all the complaining about Sideshow's QC that goes on around here, no one mentions the stellar customer service they have, which is second to none.

 

[thenammagazine]

Ohhhh, I didn't quite read it like that. I guess it is an unfair comp....but stilll for my poor stormies

Have you tried stripping off the armor and body suit and tightening the screws? JustinLuck brought that to everyone's attention and did that to his and said it was "almost perfect" afterward and I don't think I've ever heard him use those words to describe a Sideshow product.

 

[Lee in MI]

If you bought them from Sideshow, you can send them back if the QC isn't up to your standards.

For all the complaining about Sideshow's QC that goes on around here, no one mentions the stellar customer service they have, which is second to none.

Oh I am the first to say they are the best in the biz:chew. Don't get me wrong, I am seriously contemplating on returning at least one, if not both.

I spend extra cash with SSC just for the great CS!! I love em for that...and in that realm, they have NOOOOOOOOOO challenger!:chew:chew:chew

 

[thenammagazine]

This is pure speculation on my part, but I wonder if the loose joints have something to do with hot/cold expansion and contraction. Since I believe the figures are produced completely overseas, I wonder if the screws are tight aka plastic expanded because of a heated warehouse and/or the production process, then, get cold during shipping and the joints loosen due to natural heat/cold expansion and contraction while making the voyage via cargo ship across the Pacific. That might explain the reason some are tight while others aren't.

And before someone says, "well Sideshow should tighten them then," it actually makes sense not to. It wold require unboxing, undressing, tightening, redressing, and reboxing 7.5k's worth of Stormtrooper joints. Not only does that completely lengthen production time, but potential for breakage, missing items, etc, would be compounded. Additionally, that doesn't help the Asian markets who're drop-shipped theirs.

 

[Lee in MI]

Have you tried stripping off the armor and body suit and tightening the screws? JustinLuck brought that to everyone's attention and did that to his and said it was "almost perfect" afterward and I don't think I've ever heard him use those words to describe a Sideshow product.

I am going to do that this weekend. Thanks for the heads up though! That's why I haven't committed to returning them yet. Such a hassle for SSC I'm sure and for me.

I'll see if I can get it working.

 

[RichAlot]

Looks GREAT! Say, where'd you get the gun Han is holding?

It's from an Ultimate Soldier MG-34 set that comes with 2 of the guns and some extras. Try searching Toy Anxiety or Monkey Depot and you can get them relatively inexpensively (under $7).

 

[onethousandmasks]

This is pure speculation on my part, but I wonder if the loose joints have something to do with hot/cold expansion and contraction. Since I believe the figures are produced completely overseas, I wonder if the screws are tight aka plastic expanded because of a heated warehouse and/or the production process, then, get cold during shipping and the joints loosen due to natural heat/cold expansion and contraction while making the voyage via cargo ship across the Pacific. That might explain the reason some are tight while others aren't.

And before someone says, "well Sideshow should tighten them then," it actually makes sense not to. It wold require unboxing, undressing, tightening, redressing, and reboxing 7.5k's worth of Stormtrooper joints. Not only does that completely lengthen production time, but potential for breakage, missing items, etc, would be compounded. Additionally, that doesn't help the Asian markets who're drop-shipped theirs.

I think you might have something there. That would explain why some collectors here claim that they noticed Clonobi's limbs seemed tighter (with time) after their initial handling of him.

 

[Darklord Dave]

I've skimmed the thread but didn't a definitive answer on how to bring in the sides on the chest armor. My single problem with my Troopers (all 5 of them) is the chest armor not hugging the chest as it should. I've tried a hair dryer, boiling water, sitting on it - nothing can remold this tough plastic.

Anything definitive?

 

[MaulFan]

More and more I am getting the feeling that when Sideshow does ROTJ Vader he will not be a reveal but will be three different head sculpts with pieces of his mask as accessories. Which is ok.. but there is a magic to a reveal that nothing else can compensate for.

Even for troopers. They are just cooler, to me, if I know there is someone's head under the helmet.

I disagree. I think in instances where SSC sees validity to a wearable helmet, they'll do so.

For Han and Luke as Stormies, there's no sense to making the helmet available really. It's not like Hasbro figures where the intent is somewhat for the figures to be played with. The majority of folks buying a Luke and Han as Stormtrooper will want Luke and Han's head on display, otherwise they'd just get Stormtroopers, so the helmet doesn't need to be wearable, sure it's a nice feature, but it's not necessary, and designing the Stormie helmet as is to not need a head inside makes things easier.

For Vader reveal, the whole point is the unveiling of pieces, and really, to look it's best, you'd want the Anakin head loose inside the pieces so sculpting 3 heads doesn't make too much sense, in a way it's much more work. I think functioning reveal is likely.

As far as Clones, I expect that'll be the same as Stormtroopers. Logically, Commander Cody is the only Clone really worth doing helmetless because he's the only named Clone to see screen time without it. Regardless of the "neat" factor for collectors, as the maker, it's smarter to design the helmets like the Stormtrooper's been done. Cody is a unique helmet anyway, so I'm sure his will be designed to allow for his head. Good chance it'd be like Boussh, but where he doesn't have the ammount of hair to fit in like Leia, it's not like the portrait would have to be sculpting in an unflattering manner to get it under a helmet.

 

[pixletwin]

For Vader reveal, the whole point is the unveiling of pieces, and really, to look it's best, you'd want the Anakin head loose inside the pieces so sculpting 3 heads doesn't make too much sense, in a way it's much more work. I think functioning reveal is likely.

You know I hope you are right.

 

[MaulFan]

This is pure speculation on my part, but I wonder if the loose joints have something to do with hot/cold expansion and contraction. Since I believe the figures are produced completely overseas, I wonder if the screws are tight aka plastic expanded because of a heated warehouse and/or the production process, then, get cold during shipping and the joints loosen due to natural heat/cold expansion and contraction while making the voyage via cargo ship across the Pacific. That might explain the reason some are tight while others aren't.

And before someone says, "well Sideshow should tighten them then," it actually makes sense not to. It wold require unboxing, undressing, tightening, redressing, and reboxing 7.5k's worth of Stormtrooper joints. Not only does that completely lengthen production time, but potential for breakage, missing items, etc, would be compounded. Additionally, that doesn't help the Asian markets who're drop-shipped theirs.

Except by that logic, Hot Toys figures would equally suffer and don't, so even if that's the case, Hot Toys is still doing something different that works.

I'm sure SSC will figure it out. Stormie for me is already and improvement over my two Clonobi's. Fortunately next Trooper is Utapau and next Pro for SW is Piett. Hopefully by the time big name guys like Lando come around, all the bugs will be ironed out.

 

[thenammagazine]

Except by that logic, Hot Toys figures would equally suffer and don't, so even if that's the case, Hot Toys is still doing something different that works.

I'm sure SSC will figure it out. Stormie for me is already and improvement over my two Clonobi's. Fortunately next Trooper is Utapau and next Pro for SW is Piett. Hopefully by the time big name guys like Lando come around, all the bugs will be ironed out.

I thought about that too. I guess that would depend on whether or not HotToys sends by boat or by plane. I don't see them having big enough U.S. edition sizes to warrant a cargo ship. Then there's the question, like Medicom, does HotToys glue the screws?

But here, we're back to a redundant statement anyways. HT has had YEARS to perfect their TrueType design. Additionally, they only do one size of it, don't produce that many figures in comparison and every male human figure comes on the same basic body. Sideshow's had less than a year with their new bodies, are expected to produce multiple sizes of said bodies, in considerably bigger quantities and the bodies have to span their large library of releases at 2/3 the price of HT, meanwhile everyone's still comparing them to HT...

Off Topic: But did anyone notice how HT made their "Prince William" figure taller? They pulled a Hasbro and slapped on a ridiculously long neck rather than size-up the body.

 

[MaulFan]

I thought about that too. I guess that would depend on whether or not HotToys sends by boat or by plane. I don't see them having big enough U.S. edition sizes to warrant a cargo ship. Then there's the question, like Medicom, does HotToys glue the screws?

I would guess boat, at least when Sideshow gets them, and I get HT through Sideshow and Toys2 and in both cases, body quality is always the same.

I'm sure a number of factors contribute, composition of the plastic, screws, environmental conditions.

Like I said, each new release on each body, even if marginal, is a step better than the one before, so there's hope. There was much uncertainty when Indy, Clonobi and the Hobbits all came out with issues. Now 2 out of 3 bodies have been released again and are better than the first go around, so improvement's possible, now it's how far will it go before we see what the standard quality is.

 

[arnax161]

The Han/Luke in armor are FREAKING AMAZING!!!! I gotta get a loose ANH HAN from Monkey Depot one day and do this!!!

 

[The Josh]

For Vader reveal, the whole point is the unveiling of pieces, and really, to look it's best, you'd want the Anakin head loose inside the pieces so sculpting 3 heads doesn't make too much sense, in a way it's much more work. I think functioning reveal is likely.

As far as Clones, I expect that'll be the same as Stormtroopers. Logically, Commander Cody is the only Clone really worth doing helmetless because he's the only named Clone to see screen time without it. Regardless of the "neat" factor for collectors, as the maker, it's smarter to design the helmets like the Stormtrooper's been done. Cody is a unique helmet anyway, so I'm sure his will be designed to allow for his head. Good chance it'd be like Boussh, but where he doesn't have the ammount of hair to fit in like Leia, it's not like the portrait would have to be sculpting in an unflattering manner to get it under a helmet.

If they do a Vader reveal I hope its seperate heads. That way if you don't want to have to deal with parts snapping together you don't have too. The same with Cody really. Just switch out the Jango Head for the Clone Helm.

 

[MaulFan]

If they do a Vader reveal I hope its seperate heads. That way if you don't want to have to deal with parts snapping together you don't have too. The same with Cody really. Just switch out the Jango Head for the Clone Helm.

If it's made right, what harm would a helmet that comes apart be? Medicom's isn't great because there's a faint nub that hooks the dome into the top of the mask and it can slip easily, but I'm confident SSC could find a way to make a functioning reveal that isn't a paint to take apart but doesn't come apart easily either.

I don't see much point in making or owning a ROTJ Vader unless you're going to add the reveal effect. To just have a non-ANH Vader masked, ESB's perfect, but ROTJ is all about getting the revelation and mimicking the prop function's the way to go.

 

[VOTR_Ed]

Thats actually MaulFan's photo.

Ah, thanks. I love his work, too!

 

[Dally]

If it's made right, what harm would a helmet that comes apart be? Medicom's isn't great because there's a faint nub that hooks the dome into the top of the mask and it can slip easily, but I'm confident SSC could find a way to make a functioning reveal that isn't a paint to take apart but doesn't come apart easily either.

I don't see much point in making or owning a ROTJ Vader unless you're going to add the reveal effect. To just have a non-ANH Vader masked, ESB's perfect, but ROTJ is all about getting the revelation and mimicking the prop function's the way to go.

Maybe they would give us a helmeted head and then a non helmet head with the pieces of the helmet. That way if you wanted to reenact the reveal you could do so by putting pieces on the unhelmeted head and if you wanted to display him with the helmet you could do so without worrying about it staying together.

 

[galactiboy]

I've skimmed the thread but didn't a definitive answer on how to bring in the sides on the chest armor. My single problem with my Troopers (all 5 of them) is the chest armor not hugging the chest as it should. I've tried a hair dryer, boiling water, sitting on it - nothing can remold this tough plastic.

Anything definitive?

Basically I've heard people have success with both... but the water is going to take longer than if you were just popping a resin head. Or if you use the hairdryer you want to heat just that area on a lower setting for a longer period of time. I think if you aren't careful its possible to warp the shoulder straps.