Toht 12-inch Figure

[Wor-Gar]

Melty head and the Ark!

To hell with the ark.... look at that head!

 

[MaulFan]

As cool as having the ark will be, the ark just swayed me as to Ex. or Regular, but the order is based on Toht, a very inclusive, and so far, well done figure, looking forward to him.

 

[CelticPredator]

Ditto. Was going for the reg, if the exclusive was lame.....but c'mon...its the Ark.

 

[Batty]

I wasn't paying attention--when did the exclusive sell out?

Good question. Anyone? I never pay attention.

 

[Deckard]

Good question. Anyone? I never pay attention.

Sometime between last night and this morning. They still had them last night bcuz I was showing a friend of mine pics on the site around 9 pm est.

 

[Mad Old Lu]

He he... Deckard answered Batty...

Yup, I think it was last night. I've been curious to see how long it would take him to sell out so I've been keeping tabs. Was he up on Nov 27? So it took about a week?

 

[Wor-Gar]

A week isn't bad for this line. How quick did the Ex Indy sell out? More than a week, wasn't it? I know they had much more units.

I'm happy Toht sold out. I hope SS notes this: villains sell well, especially when done right.

This bodes well for Mola Ram... perhaps more bad guys too.

 

[MaulFan]

I'm happy Toht sold out. I hope SS notes this: villains sell well, especially when done right.

I'll add to that, especially when they embody evil or have an appearance that pushes their look outside of the norm.

Belloq, while really a villain/nemesis in Indy, boils down in figure form to just a guy in a suit, there's nothing evil looking about him or anything.

Toht, with his garbs and the melty face is a great figure to represent villainy. Mola Ram is also a great choice, he truly looks evil.

One downside for Indy, Mola Ram and Toht are probably the only villains that strongly set themselves out as evil. Belloq and Donovan aren't much by way of appearance, and when it comes down to buying figures, villainy is about looking the part as much as your screen actions, what good would a Joker figure be if he looked like Ronald McDonald in figure form though he's a psycho on screen. Nazis will probably sell well too, even though they don't appear evil like Mola, they stand for evil and the implication is enough to make them alluring villains for an Indy figure collection.

 

[TheObsoleteMan]

I'll add to that, especially when they embody evil or have an appearance that pushes their look outside of the norm.

Belloq, while really a villain/nemesis in Indy, boils down in figure form to just a guy in a suit, there's nothing evil looking about him or anything.

Toht, with his garbs and the melty face is a great figure to represent villainy. Mola Ram is also a great choice, he truly looks evil.

One downside for Indy, Mola Ram and Toht are probably the only villains that strongly set themselves out as evil. Belloq and Donovan aren't much by way of appearance, and when it comes down to buying figures, villainy is about looking the part as much as your screen actions, what good would a Joker figure be if he looked like Ronald McDonald in figure form though he's a psycho on screen. Nazis will probably sell well too, even though they don't appear evil like Mola, they stand for evil and the implication is enough to make them alluring villains for an Indy figure collection.

Yeah, once you get past Toht and Mola Ram, the pool for visually interesting Indy villains gets shallow in a hurry. I think any baddies past those two, at these prices, are going to be a tough sell.

 

[Customikey]

I think it's interesting that we think Toht is visually compelling. He's just a little guy with glasses. Don't get me wrong: I wanted him too.

 

[MaulFan]

I think it's just psychological. Toht is pretty much all in black head to toe, but you look at him and the black gives this sense of villainy, but there is the addition of the burnt hand and melty had that adds to the visual appeal of the figure.

 

[The Mike]

Well I just got an Indy Exclusive from Joe so bring on Toht and Belloq...I'm back into this line 110%.

 

[Wor-Gar]

Villainy has everything to do with how the character is portrayed onscreen, not just that he looks ugly or has some sort of Bondian physical scar, mechanical arm or eyepatch. Hans Gruber is one of the most memorable villains ever and he has no distinguishing features beyond his attitude.

But the Death Heads sure do help. SS should make it a rule to have every following Indy villain come with an alterbate death head sculpt (where possible or interesting).

That would open the doors to "boring looking villains" like Dietrich (evaporated head), Donovan (decomposing head), Vogel (screaming bloodied head).

 

[MaulFan]

Well, villainy is absolutely defined by actions, but it seems like collectible appeal boils down often to how interesting the appearance is unless you're a die hard fan.

Belloq as my example, I don't really care to have him, I'd rather save the money not getting him and get something else. Toht holds a lot of appeal to me so I'm getting him.

Using your Hans example, I happen to really like the Die Hard series and I'd get him if made, but if I were more casual, I'd probably pass on a figure of him because with budgets and the type of figure he'd be, it wouldn't be worthwhile. Some villains make great characters but so-so collectibles.

 

[The Josh]

I think it all depends on the person. I'm getting Belloq because he's Indy's evil counterpart. What Indy might be if he gave in like they talk about in Cairo. He may not look like a villain in the ways Toht does but to me he's a more important villain.

 

[Deak Starkiller]

Villainy has everything to do with how the character is portrayed onscreen, not just that he looks ugly or has some sort of Bondian physical scar, mechanical arm or eyepatch. Hans Gruber is one of the most memorable villains ever and he has no distinguishing features beyond his attitude.

But the Death Heads sure do help. SS should make it a rule to have every following Indy villain come with an alterbate death head sculpt (where possible or interesting).

That would open the doors to "boring looking villains" like Dietrich (evaporated head), Donovan (decomposing head), Vogel (screaming bloodied head).

What about what's-her-face from KOTCS?

 

[MaulFan]

I think it all depends on the person. I'm getting Belloq because he's Indy's evil counterpart. What Indy might be if he gave in like they talk about in Cairo. He may not look like a villain in the ways Toht does but to me he's a more important villain.

You also really love Indy. I really like the Indy movies, but for the most part, my biggest fandom is Indy himself, and Marion and Short Round, Henry Sr. and Toht and Mola Ram. After that, characters becomes parts of the story but don't matter much to me. I'm somewhere between super fan and casual I think, so figure purchases boil down for me to how much I like the piece as a figure, character aside, which is why Belloq is an unappealing villain compared to Toht.

That's what I'm kinda driving at. In the discussion of villain figures helping a line, it has to be looked in a broad sense from causal to super fandom, and I just feel there are elements required for a figure to boost sales outside of the more super fandom level.

 

[Wor-Gar]

I think its pretty obvious that a MOLA RAM is the last great visual villain that would sell well in this line.

Dietrich and Vogel might garner some interest just for their uniforms and villainous association but not big sellers... bigger than a "guy in suit" like Donovan though.

Spalko might make an interesting figure. The outfit, the haircut, all suit a 1/6th version quite well, and she's a little more interesting than a guy in a suit. At least she has a unique uniform and a sword.

 

[MaulFan]

Spalko also has the selling power of giving a base sculpt for custom Galadriels.

 

[CelticPredator]

I would totally buy Spalko. She's pretty interesting.