Smaug the Golden - Faux Bronze - NOW AVAILABLE

[theguru1]

So it's not just down here then.

Really, Weta's biggest mistake was showing and using a solid wood base for the prototype in the first place, as basically, it was never going to happen for production.

 

[Blu Falcon]

Smaug the Golden #15 has found permanent residence in Blu Falcon's lair.

 

[FrodoEyes]

niiiice. The base looks darker. But then, so does the statue?

 

[Blu Falcon]

niiiice. The base looks darker. But then, so does the statue?

I think this will answer your question, Jon. I posted this over at S&F, but I think it's relevant here as well...

Awesome pics Blu, tho that does look somewhat darker then most others. Does it really look like that or just darker photo's.


PS. Sideshow called, they want their apple back......

This photo is very color accurate and looks almost exactly like this in person...

The color temp of the very first image I posted is somewhat cooler than the rest, but that is the correct shade of wood. Keep in mind that with many of the in-hand images we've seen posted so far, a direct flash (or perhaps even sunlight?) was used on the subject. When you flood a subject with that much light the subject itself appears lighter (and in Smaug's case more red) than it should.

PS. Sideshow called, they want their apple back......

Understand, Anthony, I would use this Apple from a desire to do good. But through me, it would wield a power too great and terrible to imagine!

 

[theguru1]

hmmm, think I've been Ghost Quoted

 

[Blu Falcon]

Regarding Smaug, your miles may vary. The key thing to remember is that your collectibles will only look as good as the conditions in which they are set. To illustrate my point I took these photos this morning. I opened up all the windows and turned on every light (basically flooding the room with light). This was the result of a handheld shot as seen from above...

24mm 1/25 sec @ f/4.0, ISO 3200 (NR)

As you can see, because of the lighting conditions I set, the wood veneer and statue both look significantly lighter. When I took the shots last night there was no natural light entering the room and the room was illuminated with tungsten lighting. What you see is the result of how this statue appears under those conditions. Here is another shot of the statue from a different angle, same lighting conditions...

24mm 1/50 sec @ f/4, ISO 1600 (NR)

No photo editing was done other than applying a little NR and a little cropping.

 

[FrodoEyes]

Still looks darker, and better. I like it

 

[FrodoEyes]

I'd just like to post Tim's reply over on the Weta forums about the bases:

Hi Everyone

Sorry, I have not been on the forum much for the last few weeks. Things have been rather hectic with Comic Con, followed by a fun 2 day TV shoot in NZ (which will be on US TV in Nov), and then a week in China setting up our Exhibition in Shanghai.

I'd like to provide a bit more background on the wooden base if you don't mind, as follows:
The original prototype was made in NZ, using a natural wood base (NZ timber)
We then re-produced the statue and base in China, as we do with many of our sculptures
I decided to use the processed wood (MDF) base with veneer for the following reasons :
Natural wood bases are likely to warp or cup over time, as they dry out. In China, it is easy to source cheap natural wood, however we felt this would be risky, as you don't know what will happen once it dries out over time.
Natural wood bases are inconsistent in colour and grain. So even if we use the same stain on each base, the colour will come out different (and we understand how much our collectors want consistency) on each base
It is more complicated to import natural wood products (especially from China) into the markets where our customers are living. The regulations for importation of natural wood do vary from country to country. We did not want to create problems for our customers getting their order through their country’s customs departments.
So I opted for the processed wood with veneer, because I felt it would not warp/cup over time, it would be consistent in colour and presentation, and would not cause problems for importation

However having said that, I did not of course expect to be sending out a deformed base, as we have done for one of our customers. This is being replaced for him. Our sincere apologies for this.

I also take on board feedback from some of you on the forums, that we should have communicated this better. I did openly explain it to the S&F Moot at Comic Con, but should have also put it on the product page. This is entirely my fault, and I apologise for any misunderstandings caused.

We will update the product page to make this clearer. I was thinking something like :

"The wooden base is made from processed wood (MDF) with a veneer cover, to ensure a consistent shape and colour."

I would welcome any further thoughts and feedback you may have on this

And thank you again to all of you who have purchased John Howe's Smaug the Golden. We are delighted to see all the beautiful photos on the forum. I will forward this thread to John to admire your photography skills.

Kind regards

Tim

 

[gfdill]

I'm pretty sure I eat fruit from California all the time, so I don't think taking produce across state lines is illegal. Crossing international borders is where the questions start getting asked.

California has very strict rules, particularly as regards produce, about crossing the border from other states. They confiscate most things brought in by anything other than commercial means. Even commercially transported fruits and vegetables come under extremely close scrutiny. Sneaking such items across the border is an excellent way to wind up under arrest. State line inspectors definitely have no sense of humor when it comes to this kind of thing :emperor

 

[FrodoEyes]

New update:

Hi Everyone

Sorry to keep you waiting. I understand you are all keen to get answers as soon as possible. I just needed to make sure we had all the facts at hand, so that we could give you clear and reasoned answers.

Also, thank you very much for all the e-mails sent into us. We appreciate all the feedback, both good and bad.

Here is the latest situation as follows :

We have completed our inspections of the pieces remaining in our warehouses. The incidence of "bubbling" veneers is much worse than we had been led to believe. And the feedback from many of you tells us the bubbling is getting worse over time.

Therefore we will be replacing the veneer bases and statues at our cost. The bases are simply not working as they were supposed to.

As I have already said, we are very disappointed for letting you all down with this quality issue. We take full responsibility for this. Our sincere apologies for your inconvenience.

We are currently researching what material to use for the base for the replacements. So I can not confirm the answer just yet. We obviously do not want to rush ahead and choose another material, without firstly ensuring the quality.

However we would appreciate your suggestions on your preferred bases ?

As soon as we have confirmed the new material for the bases, we will then be able to offer you some alternatives to choose from.

Thank you once again for your patience. I will keep you updated on this thread.

Kind regards

Tim

Fantastic customer service again from Weta

Especially in giving the fans an option as to what base they want. Brilliant stuff!

 

[Darknight]

Great to see Weta following up on this. Excellent customer service and follow-up. A class act by Weta..I doubt you'll ever see SS issuing a recall on their cost.

 

[fool_of_a_took!]

Now thats what Took talkin' about!!!!

Bravo Weta!!!

What a damn breath of fresh air!!!

 

[LOTRFan]

Sad that it came to this, but kudos to Weta for forseably making this right.



I am still debating what I think would be a satisfactory base material, I really like the wood concept as it is organic and doesn't take from the sculpt itself.

 

[Blu Falcon]

New update:

Hi Everyone

Sorry to keep you waiting. I understand you are all keen to get answers as soon as possible. I just needed to make sure we had all the facts at hand, so that we could give you clear and reasoned answers.

Also, thank you very much for all the e-mails sent into us. We appreciate all the feedback, both good and bad.

Here is the latest situation as follows :

We have completed our inspections of the pieces remaining in our warehouses. The incidence of "bubbling" veneers is much worse than we had been led to believe. And the feedback from many of you tells us the bubbling is getting worse over time.

Therefore we will be replacing the veneer bases and statues at our cost. The bases are simply not working as they were supposed to.

As I have already said, we are very disappointed for letting you all down with this quality issue. We take full responsibility for this. Our sincere apologies for your inconvenience.

We are currently researching what material to use for the base for the replacements. So I can not confirm the answer just yet. We obviously do not want to rush ahead and choose another material, without firstly ensuring the quality.

However we would appreciate your suggestions on your preferred bases ?

As soon as we have confirmed the new material for the bases, we will then be able to offer you some alternatives to choose from.

Thank you once again for your patience. I will keep you updated on this thread.

Kind regards

Tim

Fantastic customer service again from Weta

Especially in giving the fans an option as to what base they want. Brilliant stuff!

There was never any doubt in my mind Weta would make this right. They've proven once again they're willing to go above and beyond to do right by their fans, so much respect due for that. And much more respect is due for acknowledging the issue and taking full responsibility for the foul up. Other collectible companies can a learn a thing or two from this.

 

[Fritz]

I'm strongly considering getting this with the money I didn't use on the Sideshow Iron Man Maquette. What to do, what to do...

 

[carbo-fation]

I'm strongly considering getting this with the money I didn't use on the Sideshow Iron Man Maquette. What to do, what to do...

Do it! This is an absolute masterpiece. A true work of art. Once Weta figures out the base issue and gets newer material, this will be the centerpiece of any Tolkien collection.

 

[theguru1]

I'm strongly considering getting this with the money I didn't use on the Sideshow Iron Man Maquette. What to do, what to do...

Not a single owner or person that has seen it live, has had a single bad thing to say about the sculpt or paint apps on Smaug himself.

The only issue has ever been the veneer base, which will be sorted out. So really, it's just a matter of time, as such, nothing stopping you from placing an order now, not like you'll get charged till it ships and that could be some time away.

 

[Blu Falcon]

Not a single owner or person that has seen it live, has had a single bad thing to say about the sculpt or paint apps on Smaug himself.

The only issue has ever been the veneer base, which will be sorted out. So really, it's just a matter of time, as such, nothing stopping you from placing an order now, not like you'll get charged till it ships and that could be some time away.

Sound logic. And Anthony's absolutely right. Base issues aside, the Smaug sculpture itself is a masterpiece and the faux bronze paint apps is the best I've seen on any comparable FB piece.

 

[Stampe]

I received this mail today:

Hi J,

Regarding your Smaug Faux Bronze order, ##### …

Unfortunately, as you may be aware, we have had an issue with the production of wooden veneer bases for the Smaug Faux Bronze.

It has come to our attention that some of the pieces have had the veneer peel away from the base. Because we are unable to tell whether or not this will happen to the other pieces, we have decided to replace the stock with new bases.

We are currently in the process of determining what material to use for the new base. We want to make sure we do this right, so it will take some time, and we anticipate it will be at least a few months before we receive the new stock and can process your order and send you a Smaug.

We will notify you of the new base material (with photos), so that you have at least 2 weeks to consider if you still wish to proceed with your order.

If you do wish to proceed, we will send you a Smaug with the new base when they are ready (timing to be confirmed).

Thank you in advance for your patience, J.

As always, if you have any questions, please e-mail me and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.

Kind regards,
D"

 

[Jen]

I received a slightly different email - since I already have my Smaug. I'm going with the second option - to get a replacement - though it will not be easy smashing my original one - such a beautiful piece.