Superhero Times: a service of Action Online
Click here for part 1 of the interview!
Just as trading card publishers have no intention of going back to the “pizza board” paper stock used in decades past, Toy Biz intends to use tons of articulation in all future waves of its “Marvel Legends” line. According to Product Manager Jesse Falcon, “For right now, that’s how we’re working. The only reason we would cut back on articulation for ‘Marvel Legends’ would be because we were having engineering problems with it, because there were small parts that weren’t working properly, or the way they were manufactured, something had a low tolerance rate (and would break). At this point, that hasn’t been a problem. That’s the only conceivable way that I would think we’d take take articulation out of that line. Our challenge is to make that line as appealing to kids as possible. We know we have the collectors in there. We want to get more kids in there. Next year will be an interesting year. The whole market will be interesting.”
Sculptors have lamented that it’s difficult to build articulation into figures of women because it disrupts the natural, soft curves of a feminine body. Falcon says, “The most difficult part about doing a female action figure is the hips because if you put ball joins in, it looks like something mechanical, and if you don’t, it doesn’t move like an action figure, like the way we want these figures to work. We’ve done it three different ways. The first was with Elektra; The body was reused for The Black Cat for the (“Spider-Man Vs. The Sinister 6”) box set. Then we made true ball joints, which was for the Phoenix (sculpt). I think the way that it worked the best was for the Invisible Woman (included with the “Fantastic Four” box set). They made a different type of joint that gives the motion and movement of a ball joint, but it looks like a T-crotch, so it has the form and the shape of a woman’s hips in the front. I think that’s probably how we will stick to doing female hips, the way that the Invisible Woman is done.”
Fans of The X-Men will be glad to know that Falcon confirmed that the Storm action figure in Assortment 8 will incorporate this feature, with a variant sculpt offering Storm with a mohawk haircut.
The “Fantastic Four” box set is based upon the drawing style of contemporary comic book artist Mike Wieringo, rather than an earlier penciler, like Jack Kirby or John Byrne. Asked how he decides which artist to use as a jumping off point for a “Marvel Legends” product, Falcon says that for the “Fantastic Four” set, “All four of those likenesses were taken from a cover that Mike Wieringo had done on his current run with Mark Waid on the ‘F.F.’ book. We actually have that poster on the inside of that box set. It’s even got that Johnny Storm (likeness) that is half on fire. That’s the one piece of reference that we used to say, ‘That’s what they should all look like, the four members of the Fantastic Four and (the Richards’ son) Franklin.
“We looked at a bunch of different (“Fantastic Four”) stuff. We looked at Jack Kirby, we looked at John Byrne, and I think Wieringo’s stuff stuck out the most. We had a bunch of covers of all four of ‘em and everybody that looked at it picked his style. He really interpreted the characters incredibly well. The sculptor was really excited about digging his teeth into doing that style, so it was a group opinion. I know a lot of collectors are really into specific eras. If you look at ‘Marvel Legends,’ the majority of the characters don’t tap into a specific art style. They try to be more photorealistic rather than, ‘This is Herb Trimpe’s version of Magneto.’ It can be very limiting if you do stuff like that. It’s fun in certain cases, but you wouldn’t want the whole ‘Marvel Legends’ line to look like one guy’s style.”
A sculpt of Wesley Snipes as Blade appears in Series 5, and a rendering of Tom Jane as The Punisher is featured in Assortment 6. Will this mixture comic book and film likenesses be the pattern for “Marvel Legends” in the future?
“Yeah, it will be. The reason being... we’re a mass market company. A direct market company could probably make money doing an entire line (based on) a Rated R movie. A mass market company can’t. We can’t. We’re still trying to sell ‘Blade 1’ movie toys. Really, the only character that people will want at the numbers we are producing them is the title character. So, while we would like to do a whole line of Punisher characters from the movie, the smart thing would be for us to do just one and incorporate it into ‘Marvel Legends.’”
This philosophy also determined the breakdown of the “Spider-Man 2” action figure assortment, which focuses on Spidey and his enemy, the mechanical genius Doctor Octopus but ignores secondary characters.
“We learned a big lesson with (the first) ‘Spider-Man’ movie (line). We did Harry Osbourne, J. Jonah Jameson, Mary Jane, Peter Parker, and you can still find those at retail... The problem is we sold so much product. Even at one per case, for, like J. Jonah Jameson, if you have eleven (figures of) Spider-Man and one J. Jonah Jameson (per case), we were moving so many at retail stores that you had a wall of J. Jonah Jameson (figures left unsold), and no kid really wants a toy of a mean boss. It’s not the fun thing to play with. The fun thing to play with is Spider-Man. So, we won’t do that again with Spider-Man.”
A Man Thing figure is included with “Marvel Legends” Assortment 8, however it is not based upon the monster’s appearance in the upcoming “Man Thing” film. “It’s the classic likeness,” Falcon confirms. Don’t expect a “Man Thing” line to follow. “We’re not doing anything with Man Thing toys. We’re really gonna wait. The way that we look at the Rated R stuff is that if the movie comes out and it’s a great big hit, we’ve got all the time in the world to go back and do it. If you look at Rated R properties for collectors, when was the last time they made a new ‘Hellraiser’ movie? It’s like ‘Friday the 13th’ product is perpetual. Horror licenses are perpetual. At this point, we’re just doing (one) Man Thing that’ll come out as the same time as the movie.”
by Claude Flowers
Is there any chance for a limited edition fan favorite in future series of Marvel Legends? Something collectors could vote on. You seem to mass market t okids but how about throwing a bone to the more loyal audience?
Posted by: Stephone at May 17, 2004 02:23 PMI'm sure I'm not the only one who wants to see a Classic Style Night Crawler in Marvel Legends at some point. Is there any chance we'll see one instead of another Iron Man or Captain America (work on making unseen charcters before ya re-do characters that we've already seen)?
Posted by: Jordan Siron at May 17, 2004 04:20 PMI would like to see more classic X-men or Avengers and have them stop doing so many Wolverines or Iron Mans. For example, a Sunfire, Thunderbird or Nightcrawler, instead of 2 different Wolverine unmasked, a couple of different tigerstripe wolverines and the soon to be Weapon X wolverine. 1 of each costume is sufficient. Stop with all the Iron Mans and lets see Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, Wonderman, Black Panther, Falcon, or just something new.
Posted by: Brett Bartels at May 17, 2004 06:46 PMSince you've already done a Captain America and a Red Skull, is there any chance of seeing a Bucky figure in Marvel Legends?
Posted by: Tony Franco at May 17, 2004 07:19 PMThere you have it collectors, this line is meant for kids. Thank you Toy Biz for considering us, the collectors, the ones who buy at least two of each figure you make. After all, money is more important than anything.
Posted by: Hector at May 17, 2004 07:32 PMcrap why cant storm just come with a interchangeable head instead of having a varient
does anyone know when series eight will come out because in another interview falcon said three series will come out this year and other web sites say the last series will be series sevan for this year
enough with all the X figures, i thought that was what X-Men classic was for. my dream figures are : Doctor Srange, Scarlet Witch, Loki, Ultron, Wonderman, Black Panther, a green speedo Namor, Bullseye, and Thanos
Posted by: SB at May 17, 2004 08:37 PMHey what happened to the X-men classic lineup? I was hoping for it to continue, please pick it back up! I agree with everyone else lets see some different faces we haven't seen before. One that I would like to see an improvement on is a new fully articulated Toad. Make mine Marvel
Posted by: Mickey at May 17, 2004 09:39 PMMan, what the hell is that supposed to mean. If they are targeting kids not collectors, what the f*** is the point in me buying anything from these people. That was pure arrogance saying that we know we have the collectors in there, so we're going to focus on the kids now. If you focus on the kids and not collectors, see how long this line will last. If you think anyone is going to buy 50 different Wolverines, or another beutifully sculpted figure ruined by an "action" feature, think again. The figure market isn't doing to well and it's because of BS like this why. When you walk in a toy store the first thing you see is 20 different BatMan figures and no Joker figures. Or 30 different Hulk figures from the movie that have now collected dust. Go ahead and try to incorporate kids into the line now that "you know that you have the collectors in." See how long the line will last then you pompous ***. Sorry if I offended anyone, but that sounds like something Hasbro would say, not Toy Biz.
Posted by: Darth Jiggy at May 17, 2004 09:51 PMJesse, if you guys continue to do only the same characters you will kill this line!! Just like the OTHER LINES - thousands of Wolverines, Cables and the like will destroy fan interest. There are hundreds of true legends like Black Panther, Falcon, Iron Fist, Shang Chi, Power Man, Moon Knight, Sunfire, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, Wonder Man, Thunderbird I, Capt. Marvel I, Thanos and Adam Warlock.
Posted by: Tony K at May 17, 2004 10:56 PM
Hi Jesse! Good to know you take the collector market for granted same way you take, say, Kirby & Ditko for granted! Yeah, stop throwing collectors bones...throw 'em fractions of bones from now (care for a Howard the Duck with your dozen Wolverine variants?) and focus on the idiot kiddie market. And Weiringo's definitely the comic book genius, Kirby was the flavor-of-the-month shmuck. And screw Ditko's version of Sinister Six, since lame characters like Black Cat and Venom are so "kewl", right? Forgot Mysterio and Sandman and Vuture...throw in that first decent Green Goblin you ever produced into the box to gouge collectors even further. You rock, Jesse! ...when it comes to giving collectors and fans the short end of the stick.
Posted by: Bemular Buoy at May 17, 2004 11:49 PMa message to all who've posted negative comments: STOP COMPLAINING. please. it doesnt make you happy at all that toybiz has made dozens of super articulated figures we've dreamed of while companies like mattel have given us almost nothing in comparison? whether you like it or not kids are a big part of toybiz's market and yes, i HAVE seen children buy marvel legends and i have seen tons of marvel legends left behind in stores because there simply arent enough collectors to keep the line going. the number of elektras i've seen lately is astounding, and a larger case ratio simply does not solve the problem. remember: toybiz is a toy company. A TOY COMPANY. who are toys usually made for? kids. and remember: retailers have the ultimate say in toy lines that get made. x men classics got cancelled because retailers didnt want them. so blame it on them if you wanna voice your complaints. and be a little nicer to all toy companies, they really struggle to please you guys.
Posted by: john at May 18, 2004 12:11 AMDo not defend him. He is saying that they are doing things for collectors, well they are not and now they will concentrate on kids; what is next action features, I even hated those as a kid just imagine how much I hate them now. Let him speak, which he won't. The generation of comics has gone down, we are the generation of comics, we are the ones who really know the characters, that is why we buy them, and because most of the figures are cool but not all. So pay a little attention to us collectors, not too much, just a little. Yes, they are a toy company, and yes WE ARE the BUYERS.
Posted by: Hector at May 18, 2004 12:38 AMJesus, you people are rude as heck. He says, and I paraphrase here- "Hey, we know the collectors are into these things, but we're trying to get kids on board too" and you all jump down his throat like he's saying "Well, collectors were into it, but screw them, we're just going for the kids." That's not what he's saying at all. It's a toy-line. They're clearly interested in keeping collectors buying them, and they've shown again and again that they're keeping us in mind. The lack of action features? The move away from chase figures? The move towards more and better articulation? The inclusion of obscure figures like Red Skull and Namor? Kids don't know those two- collectors do. They're not abandoning us, they're just recognizing and making it clear that for the line to be successful, it takes more than just collectors- they need to sell huge quantities of these things, and that means appealing to both collectors and kids. You want to see what it's like to screw collectors over completely? Go look at the MOTU line. That was a line that gave collecters the shaft. The ML has gone above and beyond what any mass market line has done before to try to make collectors happy. You're getting wave after wave of really cool, high-quality figures. You're getting the best mass market figures I've ever seen- look at Hawkeye, look at Juggernaut- tell me they're not brilliant. And all you can do is complain? Who's taking whom for granted here?
Posted by: Samael at May 18, 2004 01:39 AMUh I think this is the greatest time of all and I seriously cannot wait for the future offerings. To even compare what TB is doing with this line to Mattel and He-man is just so reactionary out there it's beyond my means to comprehend.
Jesse keep up the good work!
Posted by: pablolobo at May 18, 2004 01:49 AMah..shaddup u engrates.
Posted by: ksjfsk at May 18, 2004 02:01 AMJK! cant wait for the boxsets
Posted by: ksjfsk at May 18, 2004 02:02 AMIf you remember correctly, aiming for the kid market killed the Spiderman line. The Spiderman classics were good sculpts, the beging of the ML. When they went for the kid market the sculpts look like high school kids made them. Then came Hulk classics, X-men classics, both failed. Don't let that happen to Legends. The collectors have carried this line this far.
Posted by: jpiraino at May 18, 2004 09:30 AMI definately hope they keep their "action features" away from this line. The sculpts are fantastic, and MOST of the characters they've chosen to immortalize this way are great. I just hope they'll do many more X-Men, characters like Psylocke, Nightcrawler, and Angel. I saw an Archangel figure not long ago, but he was jacked-up with some kind of device on his back for god knows what. Very disappointing. I'm also going to agree with the comment someone made earlier: yes, kids are generally the ones who buy toys, but these ones are from comics that the COLLECTORS grew up on. All kids care about nowadays are Yugioh and Extreme Sports. No one loves super heroes and good 'ol fashioned violence anymore. This nation is getting pussied-up... before we know it they'll outlaw hockey.
Posted by: Agonistes at May 18, 2004 11:22 AMWhere are the villians? Need more villians.
Posted by: GOLDYN at May 18, 2004 12:47 PMKilled the spiderman line? You mean the one that still routinely comes out with new figures? The one that had a great daredevil figure? The one that's got Lizard, Rhino, Black-costume Spidey, and the best darn Scorpian figure I've ever seen coming out soon? That spiderman line? Some of the figures in that line don't appeal to me- no doubt about it, but that line is far from dead.
I just don't understand this mentality- The future line-up looks fantastic. We're getting guys like a classic Hawkeye, Vision, Pheonix and Dark Pheonix, Man Thing, a good Doctor Octopus, and Black Widow. Do we have a few Wolvie variants in there? Sure. They're legitimate variations though- One Tiger-Stripe, one Brown, and one Weapon X. That's three Wolvies, plus the chase. Big deal. Get over it. We've got two Caps- regular, and Ultimate. There are lots of us who happen to like the Ultimates, and I'm really looking forward to Ultimate Cap personally- Look at the pics of him, and tell me he isn't awesome. He looks amazing. And yet, so many of you are "Whine whine whine." They've given you a fan-boys wetdream, and you're complaining about it. Un-fricking-believable.
I just wish that they would 1) put out an Invisible Woman in the regular line. 2) make more villains that what they are. 3) concentrate more on characters that need to be made instead of variants, like silver Iron Man instead of War Machine.
Posted by: JP at May 18, 2004 01:53 PMI remember when people used to say that Mcfarlane toys couldn't be beat. They were supposed to be the best. Not anymore.
MAKE A CLASSIC NIGHTCRAWLER AND MYSTIQUE!!!!!!
Marvel Legends TOYS are great!! Toy Biz makes some of the best american toys.Would any of you collectors be into this if it werent for one of the MAIN CHARACTERS acting as your gateway? Thats what J.Falcon is reffering to...main characters in every wave==kids and retailers==many more waves full of great toys to come.
Posted by: J.G. at May 18, 2004 03:46 PMPLEASE CHECK OUT THE FIGURES CUSTOMIZERS ARE MAKING WITH EXSISTING ML FIGURES AS BASES.
toymania.com
2dtoys.com
coolcollecting.com
PLEASE CHECK OUT CUSTOMIZER GALLERIES ON TOYMANIA.COM THEY ARE DOING GREAT WORK!
Jesse, I just want to say your doing great. This IS the best figure line out there...no other company makes this many characters and enemies. The new lines that're coming out look like the best of them so far. Can't wait for those box-sets.
Posted by: Brian Van Dyken at May 18, 2004 05:54 PMI agree that there have been a tad bit too many Wolverine figures, but I understand why. Wolverine is a very popular character. But the line is great. The figures are extra poseable, what more can you ask for. But I understand the complaints fully. But, I'm a girl, so for future figures, I would love to see more females, like Psylocke, Mystique, Scarlet Witch, Spider-Woman, Jubilee, Shadowcat, Classic Jean Grey, or Marvel Girl. I mean the list goes on, there have been numerous important female characters in the Marvel Universe. And I think that the Storm figure coming out in Novemeber should have a fabric cape. All the current pictures of her show her without a cape at all. And I'm not hatin on the guys, I love the male figures.
Posted by: QtipChiCa at May 18, 2004 07:40 PMWhat the Marvel Legends line is doing right now to the toy industry is revolutionary because not only is it doing an absolutely fantastic job of articulation and detail on each figure, but it is also making other toy companies realize that toys better have articulation and detail. It stands to reason that out there right now someone is stabbing or trying to use black magic on a Marvel Legend action figure because their toy line just isn't going to be able to compete.
Personally, I think there is a broad appeal for what is in assortments 5, 6, 7, and 8. I hope that maybe in some of the future assortments that characters such as a classic Nightcrawler, Psylocke, Jubilee, Mystyque, Pyro, Blob, Avalanche, Professor X, Pyro, Havok, Omega Red, Bishop, Forge, more poseable Toad, Dr. Strange, Black Panther, Falcon, Ultron, Wonder Man, and Adam Warlock. Also, seeing some 18" Sentinels with as much articulation as the rumored Galacticus figure would be a very good thing.
The big thing I see happening right now is that kids either see a collector in the toy aisle shopping for Marvel Legends and want to do the same, a collector who buying Marvel Legends for themselves, or a parent who is buying themselves and there children the whole sets. Thus, making the sales numbers go off the chart, which can be directly linked back to the collector. So in short right now every one is liking Marvel Legends so capitalize on it while you can Toybiz.
Posted by: Christopher Nesbitt at May 18, 2004 08:23 PMAlso, seeing more playsets such as a Danger Room or put together buildings of some sort for all of our Marvel Legends, Spiderman figures, X-Men, Avengers, and Hulk figures. That way collectors can make unreal dioramas if desired and kids can play to there hearts content with their favorite figures in epic play battles.
Posted by: Christopher Nesbitt at May 18, 2004 08:36 PMWOW!! You guys are Dicks!
Heres You = WAAAAAAA!!!! I hate yu for not valadating my existance!!!! your a jerk @$$ Monkey corprate boy! but Make the C class character that gave me first homoboner when I was 7 or else i'll verbably assault you more.!!! WWWAAAAA!!!!!!
Have fun taking what ever they give you.
Posted by: David Sparks at May 19, 2004 02:44 AMI love this line and will get almost every figure they put out, but im getting burned out on to many points of articulation, i want to keep getting great sculpts but i dont need all the articulation, somewhere around 18-25 is enough for me, i just hate seeing all of those articulation lines on these great figures, i would like something in the middle of ML and DCD's figures. but i do think you guys are being a little rude, i mean i got back into toys b/c of MOTU and we got screwed big time, Toy biz is treating us collectors great.
Posted by: Mathew H Stein at May 19, 2004 12:29 PMHey Jesse,
Thanks for creating these great figures. Keep em' coming. Nuff' said.
Posted by: Carl at May 19, 2004 03:57 PMI also would like to commend Toy Biz on producing a fun and exciting line of action figures that has continually improved in quality. How can any collector complain when they get a line with such great attention to detail and Toy Biz truely seems to care about all of their customers. It is imposible to please everyone i.e. collectors, kids, and retailers but Toy Biz has gone to great lengths to do their best for all of us. What other line of action figures offer such a wide variety of figures with great sculpts and articulation for only $7-8 bucks? None! The closest would have to be Sota and Neca at $12-15 dollars. Yes, I could do with one or two less Wolverines in exchange for a Storm but instead of complaining, I picked up a paint brush and an exacto knife. A few hours of constructive craft work and my ML collection grew. My advice is to stop being a part of the problem and provide yourselves with a solution.
Posted by: Jeff Moss at May 19, 2004 05:43 PMJesse Falcon is an enigma to me. He has been the ‘golden boy’ at this company for a long time. This guy must have mind control that rivals Xavier’s.
He is at the heart of almost every stupid decision that has occurred thus far from this company (check your Toy Fare Magazines for this.)
Somehow though, everyone has turned a blind eye to this fact.
This redundancy has to do with bad choices in all aspects of toys: articulation, accessories, and our favorite…the availability game. Pretty much all of the B.S. that has been making fans scream…WHY, WHY, WHY for all of these years is something that he has played a part in.
I’m sorry if I’m not gushing over new and improved methods, but I can’t see why their learning process is so chronologically retarded. They’ve had years to get this stuff right!
Being a long time ‘Marvel’ fan, much longer than ‘TOY BIZ’ has existed as a company, gives me the right to express my opinions. Plus, when it comes to what would have been a better idea for making the fans happy, I’m afraid the opinions of most of us frustrated collectors have seniority over theirs so I’m not about to listen to anyone telling me to behave.
Every time a new spin is put on ‘revised production ethics’ it is a slap in the face for those of us who are veteran Marvel fans, and in the end, we know that somewhere down the line it means that we will be shafted. Their supposed ‘unforeseen problems’ with stagnant merchandise are things that many of us could have anticipated all along. Of course since money is their first love, and not the fans, I don’t really think these are mistakes anymore.
Don’t get me wrong; Toy Biz has gone through an amazing transformation in the past few years, and there products are greatly improved, but honestly…how many of us knew that articulation, proportion & scale needed to be addressed years ago? How many of us could ‘still’ improve their efforts today.
killgroove
P.S. This should be noted:
I spoke with ‘Jesse Falcon’ on the phone years ago when the first Hulk line came out and he was kind of an asshole to me. I called TOY BIZ and had asked to be connected directly to him to offer some constructive criticisms and surprisingly, I was. I said some complimentary things to begin with about the line, which went well at first, but then I dared to ask about the stupid pull tether and gaping shoulder articulation on the rampaging Hulk figure. ‘Who the hell are you?’ he said. Needless to say the phone call was quite short after I identified myself as just a lowly consumer expressing my disappointment. I have never forgotten this, and this is why.
I ‘FIERCELY’ resent this lack of ethics from a company… ‘A COMIC BOOK OWNED COMPANY’ of whom I’ve been a huge fan and consumer of for …‘THIRTY F--KING YEARS!’ Before ‘Avi Arad’ or ‘Jesse Falcon’ were there. A company who should most definitely at least ‘realize’, let alone ‘reward’ the concerns of their true audience. Instead, we are made to believe that we are ‘lucky for getting what we get.’
Wow! You've been reading Marvel Comics for 30 years? Longer than Avi Arad or Jesse Falcon have been there? Damn, you should be running the freakin company. Sorry, but this whole sense-of-entitlement thing some of you guys have boggles the logical mind.
Toy-Biz is a business, and as a business, they have to make money. Contrary to many people's opinion, it has not been just the collector's dollars that have kept this line afloat, it has been a COMBINATION of dollars from children AND collectors.
Since they want to make money, they will analize who sells most. Sorry, but a Wolverine is going to sell a helluva lot more than a Vulture figure.
And all this crap about appealing to the Collectors? What about Wolverine Fans? People that wanted a brown costume Wolvie or a Weapon X figure?
And you accuse them of pandering to children? I don't think there's a huge demand among children for Man-Thing of a Black Widow figure.
Honestly, it's like Star Wars fans bemoaning another Han Solo figure and wanted the Alien that standing 3rd to the left in one scene of Empire Strikes Back.
Exactly! Jesus, of course they're in it for the money. They're not a charity. They're a business. You should feel lucky to get the quality figures you're getting. You should be happy that they're making improvements and listening to collectors. They don't have an obligation to you just because you've been a fan for a while. Quite frankly, the complaints I mostly see are really insignificant. No matter what they do, someone is unhappy. If they get rid of chase figures, the hard-core collectors get pissy because "Where is the challange of collecting if you can walk in and pick up every figure off the shelf on your first trip?" If they have chase figures, the more casual collectors or those without a lot of time/money to spend on it get pissy because they can't find every figure. If they release several variations of a popular figure people bitch "Oooh, we've got too many Wolverines." "We've got too many Iron mans!" If they don't make them, other collectors get pissy "Oh, I don't like Tiger Stripe Wolvie as much as Brown Wolvie- he's a popular character! Why don't you just make another one?" This whole thing really does blow my mind. I've never been happier with a line than I am with ML. It's full of great rendetions of both popular and classic characters. They're constantly striving to improve the figures. It's one thing to offer criticism- it's another to be a whiney jerk. You're some of the very best action figures on the market today, for a fraction of the cost of comparable figures. But, hey, whatever. Bitch all you guys want- God forbid you show an ounce of appreciation for the great work they've done, and the great figures that you now have as a result.
Posted by: Samael at May 20, 2004 02:20 AMthat and Unicron should be four feet tall.
Posted by: Norbertof56thstreet at May 20, 2004 02:21 AMWell said Kenneth. We like the figures, they are great, but there are some issues that need to be corrected. It is okay to have many wolverines, but not one after another, make one every three series but not one for each series. Exxagerated articulation destroys the sculpt(spider-man 2), cut articulation at the shin is not needed, problem posing the big figures because of joints being to loose. Collectors were never in mind in the first place, supposely they are but when have they listened us. We are not asking to make all we want, just pay a LITTLE attention to what we want, we do contribute a lot of money.
We buy for ourselves and for our kids, and as buyers we have every right to complain. They are doing ok but they are supposed to keep improving and to my belief they have not. I won't adore him or Toy Biz because they might just become another arrogant McFarlane company that does whatever they want disregarding collectors. Besides, it is not like we can choose another company to do our marvel figures, we have to take whatever they give us.
Don't criticise my opinion, I can't write all the good and the bad, it would take about 5pages and I don't feel like writing them and you won't read them. Take this more from an objective stand and you might understand. By the way we don't owe them nothing, in any case they owe us, because we buy, we give them jobs, etc.
Posted by: Hector at May 20, 2004 04:18 AMYou know I really don’t think people can handle a hard-hitting letter. The fact that some sardonic tone needs to enforce what another person says usually means that a nerve has been struck.
I fully admit that the volition in which I have written is built out of frustration, but I’ve always felt that this company has great potential, but they do not do things as well as they could. Besides, I feel perfectly justified in what I have expressed despite the fact that the entire comment I wrote on their improved stature was conveniently left out of someone else’s diatribe.
Needless to say, I have posted things before and I have always realized that they are a company first trying to make money; so pointing that out to me is nonsensical. I have also acknowledged that their products are great bargains and that I am grateful for many of their offerings, so telling me to be grateful is also the like.
Unfortunately though, I have never felt that their own talents and prior experimentations as a company have been utilized to the best of their ability. I have not always felt as though they’ve learned from their mistakes or their successes for that matter. And given that there is a crucial amount of money at stake in their daily operation and that they employ a giant think tank of employees to make decisions before they go into mass production, I find these redundant problems of stagnant merchandise and insufficient production units to be evidence that there is no way that these things are constantly recurring mistakes. I have a very hard time believing that a successful company is trying to adjust the same disappointments over and over again.
Should I be running the company? No, but I would like to have a say. I would also like to run it with other people that are just as interested in making EVERYONE as happy as possible rather than lowering that bar for the sake of money. If a company is about making money than they should realize where it comes from and keep working on an idea until they have the best solution for everyone involved, not just themselves. You can still make money and please more people.
I know that I would try some things differently and even though they might fail, I would have worked harder to please a broader scope of my consumers.
You guys are right though…someone is always pissed. It does seem rather peculiar though that it’s often the same people that are continually unhappy. And given how many people are dissatisfied with the same things, it does seem to validate these recurring arguments.
In closing, pointing out the positives to a negative argument is pointless because the obvious has already been considered. Often.
And the whole violence/passion thing is true people. People get pissed because they love something, not because they hate it.
I have to agree with killgroove. I've been with toybiz since series one, and random characters had a bigger chance then of selling. I have almost EVERY toy biz figure made and the thing that disappoints the most is being ignored when my one request is to see new faces. Not spidey, or wolverine a million times over. No hydro cannon up your A$$ spiderman or pop claws in your eyes wolverines. Something new. Anything new. Finish all the xmen before you do another. Pay attention to fans because kids might buy them, but they'll buy no matter what. The collectors are more picky. At least that's what I've experienced. And after working in a toy store and having a kid of my own, I think I'm right. Yeah, we're lucky for what we get, but their lucky we haven't taken our money to another line at this point. If the future holds different figures, I'll shut up. If not, They will just validate my point completely.
Posted by: Stephone at May 21, 2004 12:12 AMAlright people, chill out.
1) Marvel Legends is the best looking, most poseable, most diverse figure line since Mego, period.
2) The company needs to make money. For every fan favorite figure they make, they need to make a few figures that kids are going to enjoy.
3) A lot of what they've done, they'd done for true fans. Not ubercollectors who intend to have their mint in mint figures buried with them. The figures are made for fans. I'm 23. I've read comics for 13 years. I have almost every Marvel Legend and X-Men Classic figure out there, and intend to continue this way. My X-Men are currently locked in battle with a Sentinel. No, not that Sentinel. I bought the one from the Matrix line. Thanks to Jesse and the boys at Toy Biz, Beast looks like he's calling for help, Colossus looks like he's being thrust through a pile of rubble, and Cyclops looks like he's trying to blast free. If I had tried to do the same thing with Batman figures, they'd all look like they were posing for a magazine cover. And so I say thank you Toy Biz, for making some high quality toys.
4) Anyone who can't appreciate Marvel Legends needs to either grow up, or spend some quality time with Mattel. I promise you, you'll see the light.
Posted by: Jason at May 21, 2004 12:13 AMAnd to that, I say, AMEN.
Posted by: Brett Bartels at May 21, 2004 01:16 AMYou've got a very high opinion of you're self, to be able to tell ME what I should like. It is my money, I will spend it on what I choose, not what some tells me I will buy. Look at McFarlane's crap. He hasn't got a penny from me in years. Since Mattel was brought up they also have not, the short pack game is crap, as is all the hype that followed the Four Hoursemens sculpts. Legend is a good line or people wouldn't be getting so emotional over it.
Just like other forms of media/entertainment, the fans/consumers are in control. Don't let anyone tell you different. If you don't like something, don't give them your money, that will get their attention.
All you little fan boys relax you can still have your fantasies about being Jessie's pal, I'm sure he is greatful for you running to his defense.
Bottom line cheapen the line and target kids, more peg warmers, less shelf space, end of line. How much shelve space does Todd get, or MotU. What happened to the Hulk classic line, never saw that one, X-men classics, one series. How many Magna or parachute etc Spiderman figures are cluttering shelves. But those are what kids want, right?
I won't give my wish list because it doesn't matter, I will buy the figures I want and leave the others behind.
I'm most excited about the Invisible Woman and Black Cat. They diffinitely should make a Mystique or maybe a good catwoman( the Michelle Pfieffer version with the black suit and the blonde hair coming out of the back of the hood like in the part when she's facing off Mike keaton's Batman, plus the whip of course. I know it's Marvel Legends but a better more detailed, more articulated, Michelle Pfeiffer catwoman with the stuff I listed earlier would be awesome! I think it'd be thebest one. Ay thoughts? If so write me.
Posted by: Grady at May 21, 2004 08:31 PMI hate it when people try to suggest something and have no idea what they are talking about, it's like listening to someone sing the wrong words to a song. Michelle Pfeiffer didn't have hair sticking out of her outfit, and to waste a post with wanting MARVEL LEGENDS to make a figure is just stupid. That's like saying OOH OOH I WANT MARVEL TO MAKE A REALLY COOL SPAWN FIGURE. Tool.
Posted by: Darth Jiggy at May 21, 2004 10:18 PMI would like to make a suggestion to Toy Biz about the fact of including only certain movie characters with their marvel legends lines as opposed to having a line for a movie. I understand that Blade figures from the first film didn't sell all that much (though where I live they did), but I feel they were presented completely wrong. The Blade figures seemed to be a bit childish in their action features and accessories for an R rated film. I think a more mature venue for Toy Biz and Marvel would be to make more mature lines for mature collectors who could appreciate a more detailed and less childish presentation. Jesse Falcon believes that R rated films don't have as much potential, but I can look to other companies who have no problem selling their R rated merchandise. I think that Blade, Punisher, and any other R rated films would make totally successful lines if they aimed them for more mature collectors. If Toy Biz changed their focus from action features to sculpture and realism, I believe these lesser known movie figures would be more successful than lines like Tortured Souls and Movie Maniacs ever were. I truly believe there is adult money to be made over at Marvel, as I'm sure adult funds are already being earned. Still, I'm glad to see that movie characters are being made into those super deformed windups. It's cool to see a Colin Farrel Bullseye in the line, and I hope that Toy Biz will consider at least putting more movie characters in this line, such as the guitar playing killer and the Russian from the Punisher, Jared Nomak from Blade 2, as well as any supporting characters and villains from the upcoming Blade 3. Also, please stray from the use of the same molds. It's obvious that Kraven the Hunter and Nick Fury have Sub-Mariner bodies. I would save tactics like this for specials only. I left Toy Biz figures in the nineties because of this, and would not like this trend to start up again. Make Mine Marvel.
Posted by: Mario Martinez at May 21, 2004 11:52 PMYa know... Marvel Legends has grown on me. One of the most frustrating things however are the CONSTANT remakes of the SAME character. I don't know about all of you, but my parents bought me one MAYBE two of the same character when I was little, I never had an army of Spidermen. Could this be why I see SOOOOOO many Spidey's, Hulks, Wolverines on the STILL on the shelf? ToyBiz may be a business, but it all boils down to supply and demand. Wolverine is a fan favorite so I've conceded to expect to see tons of versions of him (God help us...) and fewer of the lesser known figures. I'd love it if ToyBiz would make current rosters of all teams as well as some fan favs too ALONG WITH the multitude of Wolverines, Hulks, Ironman men, etc... ToyBiz, Thanks for what you've done so far, but PLEASE start making figures you have not made yet as well. We dont need 2 versions of the Punisher, 18 Hulks, 45 Spidermen, 26 Wolverines and 7 Ironman Men. How about: 1 Nightcrawler, 1 Falcon, 1 She Hulk, 1 Alpha Flight line (with OUT the weapon X figure), and 1 Captain Marvel (male and female)???
Posted by: Phoenixops at May 22, 2004 01:13 PMI'm sick of the peolple defending Toy-biz buy saying that they are trying to please collectors. One simple fact flies in the face of that. Chase figures! I've been loyal to the line and I'm not happy! Where's my Red Skull? Where's my Giant Man?
A loyal collector who's diligent shouldn't have such a hard time finding these figures, or be resort to paying outrageous prices on E-bay. First they said they were going to knock it off and make them a little more accessible, last I read that decision was changed. The only people that can be pleased with that are scalpers!
Oh, and how about a "movbie" Daredevil that maybe doesn't suck butt through a straw.
Posted by: Jeremiah at May 22, 2004 04:13 PMActually ML never came out with a Spiderman fig. That was in the Spiderman Classics series, and the series looks great. I love the ML series and I love the variants of Wolverine. Are there guys I would like to see...yes, but I'll have to wait and get them in different series becasue they aren't popular characters and I can live with that, because I know the characters they do come out with will look great.
Posted by: Ord at May 23, 2004 12:32 AMHey, jpiraino, your argument seems flawed. You claim that lines that are aimed at kids die, and as an example point out the lack of shelf space alotted to McFarlane. My first question is, are you checking at Home Depot? Cause around here, McFarlane toys get plenty of real estate. More importantly, are you suggeting that McFarlane is aimed at kids? It sounds like this is your argument, but this is a line almost solely aimed at collectors. The simple fact is, these people are running a business, and they're doing a damn good job of it. They've got a line out that appeals to kids and collectors. Sorry if you aren't getting the figures you want. Sorry if your favorite character is Power Fist and they haven't made him yet. Give it time. Sorry if you're pissed about chase figures. They're taking care of it. Relax and enjoy the toys, or give it up and get over it.
Posted by: Jason at May 23, 2004 12:55 AMhow bout death's head
Posted by: lordred at May 23, 2004 04:57 AMIf the Wolverines and Iron Man are the ones that sell the most then this line will die because they are making all the wolves and Ironmans. I say save them for later, one wolve every 3 waves or so. You may argue it has been 3, yes, plus two more with Xmen classics equals to 5 plus 2 caps and 3 iron mans that is ten figures minus 3=7. 7 different figures we could have had by the end of series 9, or is it series 8,(got confused). oooh, and 2 gambits, and the Classics is trash. I will send flowers when the line gets to series 20 by then I might have all the characters I like and then they can give me whatever they want but NO ACTION FEATURES.
Posted by: Hector at May 23, 2004 06:01 AMAlso TWO ghost riders and Two punishers. Don't get me wrong I want it the tan wolverine and like the modern IronMan just give it more time. I would like a more decent thor and A bearded thor ala 1602 but I can wait 10 more series, after that I will begin to ask.
1.Thanos
2.Adam Warlock
3.Spiderman
4.Venom
5.Carnage
6.Rhino
7.Nova
8.Adam Strange
9.Deaths head
10.Moonknight
11.Classic Green Goblin
12.Bishop
13.Shatterstar
14.Sunspot
15.IronFist
16.Wonder Man
17.Black Cat
18.Terrax
19.Stryfe
20.Sauron
21.Archangel
22.Angel
Wait a minute, I won't finish but until I get to somewhere between 120 and 180.
1.More villains 2 for series
2.Most of the Ultimates versions
3.Most of the classics version.
4.And maybe some first appearances like what DC Direct is doing.
See- this is what I meant about not pleasing everyone. Some people are pissed off about chase figures and claiming that's flying in the face of the marketing towards collectors. Um. Who else would they be making chase figures for? There are a lot of collectors that love the chase figure thing. They like knowing that they've got something few other people do. They like the challange of finding one and getting it. And, to be completely fair, TB is taking care of it- they've said that they're phasing out the chase figure concept, and they're re-releasing all of the previous waves chases in future waves, so you'll have a chance to get your unmasked Wolvie, Giant Man, and Red Skull.
For all of the things that some of you bitch about- as if everyone agrees with you- there are a bunch of us who like that aspect. Too many versions of existing figures? Sorry, but Ultimate Cap and Brown Wolvie are two of the figures that I'm waiting for most. I'm certainly not saying you should bow down as if TB is your god, but it's one thing to say "Man, I love this line, but I wish a, b, and c" and another to put up a massive diatribe along the lines of "These are the reasons why ML sucks, and I'm sick of them giving us the finger."
Shows what you know. Michelle Pfeiffer did have her hair coming out the back when she fought Batman and her suit was all battle ravaged. It was right before or after se got electricuited in Batman Returns. So don't tell me I don't know what I'm talking about. And when I said figure i mant action figure, like the rest of them. I know what I'm taking about.
p.s.- that was to Darth Jiggy
Posted by: Grady at May 23, 2004 08:10 PMI think the new Marvel Legneds are amazing. Compared to every other company out there right now they are the only figure i even buy anymore. They seem to do pretty good about keeping kids and fanboys happy. Yes they do need to make more avengers and old school characters (where the hell is my nightcrawler!) but they seem to be able to do what Hasbro has failed to do. Look what happened when Star Wars started puting out smaller characters. collectors bought them but no one else cared (i know i didn't for the most part) I mean really they're releasing a deadpool that comes wiht a doop mini figure. that just rules. now if only they could make and anarchist...
Posted by: Kyle at May 23, 2004 08:44 PMI am growing weary of hunting for chase figures and never finding them. Why is it that you cannot produce a certain amount of these figures that are easier to obtain for serious collectors. You could put order forms in appropriate magazines and then we could order them on a first come first serve basis. It would be a fairer way to dole these figures out. We all know that toy store employees hoard the chase figures as soon as they hit the market.
Whatever happened to Wizard exclusives with Toy Biz? I remember their Havok, Kitty Pryde and others that they did. Seems like this would be a good way to get a ML style Bullseye without making it a chase figure in an actual line that you will never find because it's packaged 1 in 200 cases.
Posted by: JP at May 24, 2004 10:48 AMStill a tool.
Posted by: Darth Jiggy at May 24, 2004 10:50 AMI would definatly like to see more Spider-Man villians per assortment. There are too many versions of Spidy warming the pegs. If three verions of Spidy per assortment is a MUST, then I would like to see cotume veriants that were actually worn in the comics.
Posted by: S.G.Wiseman at May 24, 2004 12:37 PMSorry to all in advance, this is for Jason.
Hey Fanboy relax, no matter how much you stick up for these guys they still will not let use suck their dicks. What is flawed is you reading and ranting half cocked. McFarlane did not listen to his potential customers for a long time creating statues and calling them action figures. Mattels lines just flat out suck too. As far as shelve space McFarlane only gets it at Sam Goodie and Suncoast video here (Chicago). But it really doesn't matter does it? As long as your taken care of. I would like to see where you read that I think McFarlane is aimed toward kids. Again half cocked on your part. Where are the Hulk classics? X-Men classics? They may be available where you live, but not here. The simple fact is people trying to run a business need to listen to who is giving them their money. You can be sorry, but no need to, I get the figures I want, the rest will sit on the shelves.
Again sorry to all for the clutter.
Posted by: jpiraino at May 24, 2004 06:40 PMTotally agree with the Spider-Man thing. They have made about five hundred of him in his regular costume, and the one they make of Ben Reilly era Spidey completely sucked. They need to follow this trend with the Black Spidey in 9 and come out with: Cosmic Spidey, Armor Spidey, Scarlet Spider, NEW Ben Reilly Spidey. I mean if they are going to make a million of him anyway, at least these are how he actually appeared. I personally think they should make at least 2 villains per case, and wait for the Ultimate characters til at least we have a Mysterio, or Shocker, or hell how about the Sandman. All classics that haven't made it into Spider-Man CLASSICS.
Posted by: Darth Jiggy at May 25, 2004 12:24 AMToys are for kids.
Adults collect toys.
What's TB supposed to do? Nintendo targetted GBA SP for adults. Guess who's buying them. TB target group is kids. Guess what? We adults like the toys, and are the ones buying most of them.
Moving on.
I have collected this from the Spiderman Classics, and into the Marvel legends series. Overall, I like the series. I have a few complaints, however.
1. Some have too much articulation. Human Torch, Collosus and/or Sabretooth who fall over as the articulation causes them to bend.
2. Elektra looked stupid. No, that was the single most ugly of all the ML figures. Dont do that neck thing anymore.
3. Blade. Cool figure. Cycle sucked tho. It has to be propped to stand, and, he cant sit on the cycle correctly. (Whats up with toy companies and the piss-poor motorcycles? Hasbro did an even worse job with the Batcycles. Mattel sort of fixed the problem, by making the figures permanently attached to the cycle).
4. How many Iron Man figures are there going to be? So far, I have 3, and understand oh, maybe another 5000 on the way? Plus, War Machine? Sheesh. Let's move on. There's only so much room I have. Better yet; scrap the new Iron Man, before you actually ship them. Melt down all the Iron Man figures, and make other characters. Same with Capt America. Love the Cap; but, one sculpt per character. Wolverine again?
5. MORE????? I love the figures; but, I dont have room for series 6, 7, and 8, much less, 20, 50, and 2,000,000,000.
6. The price. Oh, wait; thats Mattel. Never mind. TB has a great price on the ML figures.
7. Variants. Grrrrr. It's nice to find them, and make the extra money; but, it seems the variants; chase; and short-packed figures are short lived. Eg; Elektra, Blade, Daredevil. All more more common than pennies.
The good:
1. Price. Compare ML to any other figure out there. It's cheaper, or, at least comparable (unless you pay a premium-- then, thats our own fault).
2. We know the sculpt is awesome. Compared to anything out there, only MacFarlane Toys has anything close to comparable.
3. Comics. Nice touch. Mattel is doing that now. You know it's good when others imitate your style.
4. Same goes for the points of articulation. Mattel is now creating figures with point of articulation.
5. ML is just cool.
The only complaint I have is that the X-men, spider-man and hulk classes are smaller than the Marvel legends. Sure the Hulks are big, but the classic Cyclops looks like a shrimp next to the ML Wolverine. Then again that could be a reason why we are not seening anything new from X-men classics.
Posted by: John Cruz at May 27, 2004 06:02 PMThanks Toybiz and McFarlane for revolutionizing the toy industry. Thank you Toybiz (and Jesse) for ML and giving us definitve versions of the Hulk, Smart Hulk, the Thing(YAAA!), Captain America, Iron Man, Spider-Man, Thor, Daredevil, Hobgoblin,Kraven,Wolverine, Magneto, Dr Doom, Punisher, Mr Fantastic, Colussus(YAAA!), Beast, Elektra, Venom, Carnage, Cyclops, Silver Surfer, Howard the Duck,and Sabertooth etc . Also thank you in advance for giving us definitive versions of the Juggernaut(YAA!), Deadpool, Cable(pick your version), Ghost Rider, Hawkeye, Pheonix, Vision, Man-Thing(YAAA!), Brown Wolverine, Rhino(Ultimate), Spder-Man(Black), Scorpion(YAAA!), Elektro(YAA!), Green Goblin(YAAA!), Doctor Octopus, DOOP, Apocalypse, etc, etc, etc.
If anyone thinks were getting the shaft here, then your freakin' nuts. I've been a Marvel reader since 1974 and I can say that I can find no problem with the ML line or any decisions about what's being made or their retail strategies. Just because they aren't making a Dazzler or Brother Voodoo it doesn't mean they're pandering to kids, it means that they have to make a profit or there will be no more ML. End of story. If you want obscure characters make them yourself that's the only way you'll ever see them. If you think Toybiz is gonna make the 3-D Man or Forbus Man then you'd better be willing to pay through the nose for him because that's the only way you'll ever see him. Toybiz is a HUGE company not some little boutique toy manufacturer outta Japan making 50 pieces of a roto cast vinyl toy for a $150 a pop. I say Toybiz is doing an exceelent job of balancing our wants with their needs so I say to them THANK YOU. Excellent Job.
MARVEL LEGENDS STORM SERIES 8
I'd like to thank everyone at Toybiz for all of the hard work and planning that has gone into the current Marvel Comics Action figures. Particularly the Marvel Legends line. Toybiz has accomplished so much with this line. It is truly ground-breaking!
I was particularly impressed with the prototype of the upcoming Series 8 STORM figure. My favorite MARVEL character (How completely cool is that?!) STORM is sculpted in what is probably the best figure ever made of her! However, I was wondering if anyone could tell me if a cape was planned for this figure as she appears to be missing it in the prototype photos. I sure hope that Toybiz plans on attaching Storm's cape & red x's to this figure as she is wonderful in every other way. It would be a shame not to have that detail. Her split cape is too awesome to leave out! I would not reccomend a rubber cape for this character as her cape attaches to her wrists. A rubber cape would limit her movement.(ala Water Wars Storm) Maybe Toybiz could make it similar to the cloth cape made for the marvel universe 10" Storm figure made some years back.
I cannot stress how much it would mean to me & all STORM fans to have her cape considered in the production of this otherwise perfect rendition. I read that Jesse Falcon stated there will be a Mohawk Storm Variant I wonder if she will be in the same outfit or in her black leather duds hmmm...
Also, has there been any official word on when Series 8 will come out? I know it was delayed for this year.
People might be complaining about Wolverine, Iron Man, or Captain America, but look at it like this... Wolverine came out with his first figure in series 3, with the unmasked version that went unseen by most in stores. Now, they're doing a brown costume and Weapon X versions. Seems reasonable, but at least it's not battle damage Wolverine, or Space Wolverine, or Wolverine dressed as Fang. And as for Iron Man and Captain America, they were released in the first series, and the Captain America figure is really a completely different character in a sense.
Now, I will agree in saying that there are some figures we would rather not have seen, but considering a character like Deadpool is getting the figure treatment, hopes are looking up.
Posted by: Rattwap at June 18, 2004 03:52 PMdo you think that venom will be in the sinerster six pack
Posted by: dbgt at June 21, 2004 06:02 AMGuys, there's no way any toy company can please every single comics fan out there. I realize there are lots of characters you'd like to see Marvel Legends figures for, but let's face it, some of these figures are so unknown to the general public and have not appeared in their own comics in so long that it's doubtful such figures will ever appear. We all have our wish list. However, I must say that the Marvel Legends Line has produced the most well-sculpted and articulated figures I've ever seen, hands down. I wince when I look at the DC Direct figures with their half-assed sculpting and very limited articulation. It's gotten to the point where I now buy extra Marvel Legends figures to make DC figures that suck in the DC line. Using a Marvel Legends Reed Richards, I made a pretty decent Hal Jordan/Green Lantern. The lanky build reminds me of Neal Adams' Green Lantern. Out of the Marvel Legends Silver Surfer I've made my own customized Batman, plus also made other Marvel characters such as Nova (using a Nova helmet from an old 1995 Toy Biz Nova), Black Panther, and my favorite, Moon Knight. I also made a DC Captain Marvel Junior again using another Reed Richards figure, plus a Catwoman from Elektra (the black paint for her costume hid the otherwise ugly neck articulation). Mixing and matching figures and heads I also made a Jim Starlin Captain Marvel (the 1970's version) using a Gambit head and a Silver Surfer body. Captain Canuck I made with Captain America's head and a Silver Surfer body. My most extreme makeover involved turning a Marvel Legends Sabretooth into the Bob Layton version of Hercules (lots of DAS Pronto Air Hardening Clay involved in the beard and mace). On a whim I used two old 1990's Magneto helmets and DAS Pronto to make two battling ancient Greek warriors out of mixed-and-matched Gambit and Silver Surfer bodies. Lastly, I used Blade's black cape and a Reed Richards figure, plus DAS Pronto molding on the schnozzola to make a figure of The Shadow (the 45's I got from two Punisher figures). And believe it or not, my first figure was The Phantom, made from the Spider-Man line Daredevil figure, using Legolas's white horse from the Lord of the Rings line to stand in for Hero (a toystore specializing in German-made animal figures provided a wolf stand-in for Devil). Now I NEVER thought I'd one day be collecting action figures, much less customizing them, but this has become a hobby that I enjoy, much to my own surprise. Up next: a look at one of my extra Punisher figures convinced me he'd make a great Judge Dredd using DAS Pronto and parts from a rather lame Judge Dredd figure of some years ago (NOT from Toy Biz, that's for sure!). Another Spider-Man line Daredevil, combined with a cloth Gambit jacket that I can cut up, plus some DAS pronto, just might make a cool James Bama-style Doc Savage.
My point is that even though Toy Biz may not be making that particular Marvel (or non-Marvel character) you like, some creative customizing can go a long way towards solving that problem!
All this is made possible thanks to the great sculpting and articulation in the Marvel Legends and Spider-Man line. Try it, you might like it!
Lastly, I just want to go on record and say that compared to Marvel Legends, DC Direct figures and Mattel's Batman figures stink! And neither of those companies packages comics with their toys, plus a great base, like Toy Biz does (or maybe they do now because Toy Biz raised the bar).
P.S. A new Hulk line came out that includes a Hulk figure packaged with a Bruce Banner figure. Look carefully at that particular hulk figure, guys--using Sculpy or some other kind of clay, a killer Thanos figure is possible. And it seems to me the Silver Surfer would make a fine base for an Adam Warlock figure. The possibilities are endless.
do you think that venom will be in the sinerster six pack
Posted by: dbgt at June 26, 2004 06:23 AMAny Microman fans out there? Incredible as it may seem, these little guys have as much articulation as the Marvel Legends Line at only about four inches or so (G.I. Joe Vs. Cobra sized). So far I got Acrocleve and Skymaster Hayate, although I'd love to get my hands on some of the Micro Action Series figures. Only problem is toy stores don't carry them and Suncoast Videos only has the latest series (i.e. post-micro action series). Anyone have any ideas where I can find these besides e-bay?
Posted by: Aldo Perdomo at June 29, 2004 08:44 PMVenom is in the Sinister Six pack. His sculpt is just a modified sabertooth from Marvel Legends Seires Five. But hey, at least we'll have both symbiote baddies now.
Posted by: Jordan at July 3, 2004 09:49 AMFigures that I would like to see would have to be Mysterio,Vulture,Sandman,Nightcrawler,Shocker,Galactus (deluxe),Mandarin,BlackPanther,Quicksilver in blue, Chase quicksilver (green) and Mr Sinister.
Posted by: silver_munkey at July 12, 2004 07:23 PMI think Toy Biz is doing a relly nice job. sure, they have tey're drawbacks. But Find a toy company that doesn't. Also, I need a COMIC version of bullseye. My Elekra's been strutting around like she owns the place
Posted by: duver at July 13, 2004 12:48 AM