Sosa not working with XM anymore?

[MechWestern]

Seems like something went down.

From Sosa's Facebook:

"Effective immediately I am no longer working with XM, I won't go into details and please do not message me, I just wish XM the best of luck."

[AC_808]

Wow ...that's very interesting. Didn't see this coming at all. Thought everything was going well with both parties.

[MechWestern]

Yeah, sounds very, "Things went seriously south, but I'm professional in my social media."

[keewan]

Wow ...that's very interesting. Didn't see this coming at all. Thought everything was going well with both parties.

What do you mean? If you didn't see it coming you weren't paying attention... Since Deadpool, I have only seen a couple portraits... He was way more active early on in the partnership, he haven't posted in this forum in forever. Writing was on the wall.

[MechWestern]

What do you mean? If you didn't see it coming you weren't paying attention... Since Deadpool, I have only seen a couple portraits... He was way more active early on in the partnership, he haven't posted in this forum in forever. Writing was on the wall.

Agreed that participation has been less, but that seems more of a "declaration" that a friendly parting of ways.

[VS1976]

Well there goes XM....

[SONICobra]

Well there goes XM....

lol lets not get carried away...

[marker2037]

Had a feeling he wasn't anymore as we hadn't seen much (any?) of his work for them in quite some time. Kind of a shame as I still think XM needs some improvement in the head sculpt area.

[wanderlai]

Shame it fell apart. Sosa seems very busy doing his own thing.

[darth]

what sculpts has he done for Xm? What I know off the top of my head is black widow heads, thor, and daredevil unmasked head.

Nothing earth shattering. I'm sure Xm will keep trucking along.

[AC_808]

What do you mean? If you didn't see it coming you weren't paying attention... Since Deadpool, I have only seen a couple portraits... He was way more active early on in the partnership, he haven't posted in this forum in forever. Writing was on the wall.

I'd have to look back to be sure, but I thought Erick was more in a AD role. That's why I never questioned the amount of sculpts he put out for XM.

[SONICobra]

what sculpts has he done for Xm? What I know off the top of my head is black widow heads, thor, and daredevil unmasked head.

Nothing earth shattering. I'm sure Xm will keep trucking along.

he also did ant man and deadpool. I agree though while all those pieces were pretty cool, the other sculptors in their wheelhouse are doing incredible work - some of the best sculpts ive seen (digital or traditional) magneto, cable, kraven, black bolt, daredevil... goes on and on

[wanderlai]

Both parties will be fine. Sometimes business relationships falter for whatever reason. If I'm not mistaken Sosa has done a few heads for XM that many don't care for...Phoenix and the unmasked Daredevil. I really like his work on Thor which I guess is the biggest impact he had.

[skillet]

Could be anything, really. He has so much going on, so maybe time split between XM work and private work wasn't satisfactory to him or to XM. Or maybe the private customs for XM pieces created conflicts. Or maybe he wanted Kraven to have leopard tights :hilarious:

[ZKULPTOR]

Could be anything, really. He has so much going on, so maybe time split between XM work and private work wasn't satisfactory to him or to XM. Or maybe the private customs for XM pieces created conflicts. Or maybe he wanted Kraven to have leopard tights :hilarious:

Nope, I am free to do private commissions, the real
reasons I won't comment on, but those that know me know I don't leave a company out of the blue.
In any event I wish XM the best and hope they will learn and get better at what they do in every aspect.
We all learn as we go right ?

[ZKULPTOR]

Both parties will be fine. Sometimes business relationships falter for whatever reason. If I'm not mistaken Sosa has done a few heads for XM that many don't care for...Phoenix and the unmasked Daredevil. I really like his work on Thor which I guess is the biggest impact he had.

The unmasked Daredevil was not my idea, trust me.
In any event we just don't see eye to eye and that is that.

[ZKULPTOR]

Yeah, sounds very, "Things went seriously south, but I'm professional in my social media."

Lol :)

[dino76m]

there seems to be mutual respect between Eric and Ben Ang in the comments sections of the post,, but then this comment by Eric has me scratching my head..
"Erick Sosa Yes brother, we live and we learn right ? Some toilets come across as clean... then you lift that lid.... Lol'

[skillet]

Good luck. Hope to still have many of your work in the future.

[built2shred]

what sculpts has he done for Xm? What I know off the top of my head is black widow heads, thor, and daredevil unmasked head.

Nothing earth shattering. I'm sure Xm will keep trucking along.

I believe he did Ant-Man also...

[wanderlai]

In any event we just don't see eye to eye and that is that.

Life is to short in that case. This is like watching your parents split up :(

[shorudan]

I'll miss Star Lord.

He is truly a talented and gifted man, I'll tell you all. I have only my very best wishes for him. Things are moving fast and this is one of the unfortunate situations where the destination may be the same but the routes are different and we just have to walk our own paths.

It has been an honor, Sir Erick. You will always be in my personal hall of fame.

[Medusoid]

I can't really blame him after the Phoenix fiasco.

[frenchyoutoo]

Thats a heavy hit to any company. Far out.
Not being a douche but if XM give what the fans want then XM just give the man, Eric, what he wants, because thats what the fans want.

Hes a power house, he moves the needle, very valuable.

[wanderlai]

He seems way to busy in free lance work to have time to truly commit to one company. There are only so many hours in a day. I'd guess he makes much more doing his on thing verses working just for one company. Sosa is his own brand so he can call his own shots...great position for an artist to be in.

[ZKULPTOR]

I'll miss Star Lord.

He is truly a talented and gifted man, I'll tell you all. I have only my very best wishes for him. Things are moving fast and this is one of the unfortunate situations where the destination may be the same but the routes are different and we just have to walk our own paths.

It has been an honor, Sir Erick. You will always be in my personal hall of fame.

Thanks brother ! Good luck to you.

[s_paulik87]

there seems to be mutual respect between Eric and Ben Ang in the comments sections of the post,, but then this comment by Eric has me scratching my head..
"Erick Sosa Yes brother, we live and we learn right ? Some toilets come across as clean... then you lift that lid.... Lol'

this comment made me lulz too when i read it xD

[loricstone]

what sculpts has he done for Xm? What I know off the top of my head is black widow heads, thor, and daredevil unmasked head.

Nothing earth shattering. I'm sure Xm will keep trucking along.

He did the brilliant Ant-Man. That is a phenomenal statue. And the Thor which I think is the best Thor at 1:4 I have ever seen.

People should not be surprised at this as artists, sculptors come and go with companies all the time. There have been many a sculptor that has done stuff for SS that no longer do stuff for SS, or DC Direct, or XM, or Gentle Giant, or PCS, etc. etc. etc.

Thanks Erick for the brilliant Ant-Man and Thor! Best wishes to you and your family moving forward.

[rfridaythe13th]

I can't really blame him after the Phoenix fiasco.

what phoenix fiasco? i thought everybody loved the phoenix

[gomur]

It's hard to know what to think without all the details. What I do know is that Erick Sosa is a class act, so I end up feeling a little wary of XM coming out of this.

Hopefully, it's a case of two parties wanting to do right by fans with two different approaches, and not something malicious.

And goes without saying I'll continue to admire and support Erick's work for PrototypeZ, Koto and other producers.

[Darkhumor]

I may be wrong, but it could be about the custom Jim Lee Magneto portrait that Sosa made. I recall, XM wasnt too happy about that, that he did the custom rather than using it for the licensed product.

[skillet]

I may be wrong, but it could be about the custom Jim Lee Magneto portrait that Sosa made. I recall, XM wasnt too happy about that, that he did the custom rather than using it for the licensed product.

Erick stated that his contract allows for all private commissions.

[darth]

I may be wrong, but it could be about the custom Jim Lee Magneto portrait that Sosa made. I recall, XM wasnt too happy about that, that he did the custom rather than using it for the licensed product.

Making a custom portrait to sell for a statue made by a company that employs you always did seem a bit odd to me. Meh but who knows the arrangements made by the two parties.

Either way Erick is talented and will continue to create great art and xm will as well I'm sure.

[wanderlai]

I may be wrong, but it could be about the custom Jim Lee Magneto portrait that Sosa made. I recall, XM wasnt too happy about that, that he did the custom rather than using it for the licensed product.

That head was a private commission that he did. I've never seen XM say one thing about being upset with artists doing custom switch outs. Cap, Magneto, Wolverine, and BW all have custom heads made or being made.

[Mr. Machismo]

Is there a group to join re: private commissions? These Sosa pieces are spectacular. Do they typically come painted as well?

[Bmutha]

there seems to be mutual respect between Eric and Ben Ang in the comments sections of the post,, but then this comment by Eric has me scratching my head..
"Erick Sosa Yes brother, we live and we learn right ? Some toilets come across as clean... then you lift that lid.... Lol'

I saw that as well...I think Erick should refrain from comments like that. I'm sure there are two sides to the story, and it'd probably be best if both parties stayed quiet about it.

[GrumpyBear]

there seems to be mutual respect between Eric and Ben Ang in the comments sections of the post,, but then this comment by Eric has me scratching my head..
"Erick Sosa Yes brother, we live and we learn right ? Some toilets come across as clean... then you lift that lid.... Lol'

He wrote it down as a answer to this.

"Bashiri Je Jones
The door that most often shuts behind you is a toilet! Here's to the many new doors open before ye Erick Sosa! (WARNING: sniff before entering any "new" door, may actually lead to more crap!)"

[AC_808]

what phoenix fiasco? i thought everybody loved the phoenix

We do ...they do! Just one off portrait?! That's nothing. The Phoenix statue is a masterpiece.

[Bmutha]

He wrote it down as a answer to this.

"Bashiri Je Jones
The door that most often shuts behind you is a toilet! Here's to the many new doors open before ye Erick Sosa! (WARNING: sniff before entering any "new" door, may actually lead to more crap!)"

Yes, it could be a harmless comment, but the implication I read into it is that they're referring to XM being the "toilet".

[A R E S]

Yeah i thought Erick is a respectful man, but he should have been totally quiet about this, without this little venomous allusions or tell the whole story so that everyone can decide for themselves what happened and which fault it is.

What he did, with all this heavy hints implying that xm did something shady or is a toilet, is not respectful and not honorable. So not worthy ...

[VaultMan]

Then stop stirring it up. If you're concerned about the picture it paints. Don't comment JMHO

[VaultMan]

Nope, I am free to do private commissions, the real
reasons I won't comment on, but those that know me know I don't leave a company out of the blue.
In any event I wish XM the best and hope they will learn and get better at what they do in every aspect.
We all learn as we go right ?

PM sent :)

[A R E S]

So many people speak of him in such high notes, imho it is necessary to point out that his behavior in this case speaks another language.

[built2shred]

It's defiantly a 180 from last year when Erick was saying XM was one of the best companies out there... Wild guess but it's probably just two Artists butting heads on the direction of things.

The only thing that does concern me as a customer is that XM does seem to have issues with portraits, without Erick I'm a bit worried as to the quality of their portraits... As seen with Phoenix they seem to went backwards.

[AlbertR213]

Well I don't have much to say about this except that I wish both parties involved the best of luck and keep on doing what you guys do best....whether it be together or separate!

[Matches Malone]

It's hard to know what to think without all the details. What I do know is that Erick Sosa is a class act, so I end up feeling a little wary of XM coming out of this.

Hopefully, it's a case of two parties wanting to do right by fans with two different approaches, and not something malicious.

And goes without saying I'll continue to admire and support Erick's work for PrototypeZ, Koto and other producers.

:buttrock: Absolutely. I have nothing but respect for E and trust the basis that he made his decisions on. XM's loss imho.

[Smooth Criminal]

Yes, it could be a harmless comment, but the implication I read into it is that they're referring to XM being the "toilet".

Have to agree with that. Good luck to both parties!

[dino76m]

reminds me of the time Eric started advising/vouching for Syco and then backed out soon,, but am sure if its anything shady, Eric would have come upfront with it with a warning like with Syco, so maybe we can rest easy

[shorudan]

Thought I should chime in before the speculation gets out of control. http://www.xm-studios.com/erick-sosa-no-longer-art-directing-at-xm-studios.aspx I've also shown it to Erick and got his agreement before I posted it so please be assured it's not a one-sided thing.

[rhy]

The only thing that does concern me as a customer is that XM does seem to have issues with portraits, without Erick I'm a bit worried as to the quality of their portraits... As seen with Phoenix they seem to went backwards.
+1

[Hotsaltysea]

I think we should respect both parties and dig into who is right or wrong... Lets leave this post alone.

[loricstone]

Thought I should chime in before the speculation gets out of control. http://www.xm-studios.com/erick-sosa-no-longer-art-directing-at-xm-studios.aspx I've also shown it to Erick and got his agreement before I posted it so please be assured it's not a one-sided thing.

I was wondering if XM was going to post something about Erick Sosa no longer being AD. As usual, thanks for the class of that post. And it is as I have thought it would be...creative differences.

Both parties will learn and benefit from the marriage (albeit a short one like my own years ago :)) and continue to move forward. Let's just get one thing clear to the masses who frequent this forum....

XM Studios was doing great stuff before ES came on board....and XM is and will continue doing great stuff after ES left.

Likewise

Erick Sosa was doing great stuff before XM Studios came on the scene....and Erick Sosa will continue doing great stuff after leaving XM.

Nuff said! Good luck and godspeed to both parties now and in the future.:thumbs2:

[AlbertR213]

:laugh:

I think you forgot to add a "not" in there.

I think we should respect both parties and dig into who is right or wrong ... Lets leave this post alone.

[wanderlai]

They used my "parents" reference. Onward and upward to both parties!

[shorudan]

They used my "parents" reference. Onward and upward to both parties!

Proof that I can read!!!

[wanderlai]

Proof that I can read!!!

http://media.giphy.com/media/gCy4aUBxpgq5O/giphy.gif

[Mr. Machismo]

Well said, loricstone. XM & Erick will continue to do fantastic. Creative differences are understandable. Looking forward to what both parties will whip up this year and onward.

[kenshi8]

With or without Eric,
My concern is Phoenix,

I hope they get it right because the new portrait sucks so bad.
I hope they leave the matte paint too.
The original prototype was a masterpiece.

[Atheris]

Well sh!t.....

Chris

[SONICobra]

They used my "parents" reference. Onward and upward to both parties!

pretty much, looking forward to future work from both xm and mr sosa. hopefully well see some of those 1/4 scale dc kits from prototypez soon now :buttrock:

[loricstone]

With or without Eric,
My concern is Phoenix,

I hope they get it right because the new portrait sucks so bad.
I hope they leave the matte paint too.
The original prototype was a masterpiece.

Let's just say you will be happy with what you will soon see. No worries! :thumbs2:

[Spidey976]

Oh man, this just sucks.... Wish parties all the best, but damn just damn.

[nbr3bagshotrow]

Hm, creative differences. I guess time will tell as we see what XM creates without Erick working as Art Director.

[Atheris]

Knowing how demanding XM is for perfection, I'm going to take a shot in the dark and say XM pushed Eric to make a lot of changes based on feedback of work. Eric probably feeling his work shouldn't be dictated and altered by everyone with an opinion, probably said enough is enough.

I remember the behind the scenes video done on XM and seeing one of the brothers yelling at the painters at the factory about something lol. To achieve greatness you sometimes need to be an assh*%L. The most successful people in any industry have those reputations, Steven spielberg, James Cameron, Donald Trump..ect.

I'm not trying to cast any negativity on XM as this is pure speculation. However that usually seems to be the reoccurring case with most artists. I think Jerry at PCS just had the same issue with John Cleary and they also parted ways.

That's business.

Chris

[loricstone]

Knowing how demanding XM is for perfection, I'm going to take a shot in the dark and say XM pushed Eric to make a lot of changes based on feedback of work. Eric probably feeling his work shouldn't be dictated and altered by everyone with an opinion, probably said enough is enough.

I remember the behind the scenes video done on XM and seeing one of the brothers yelling at the painters at the factory about something lol. To achieve greatness you sometimes need to be an assh*%L. The most successful people in any industry have those reputations, Steven spielberg, James Cameron, Donald Trump..ect.

I'm not trying to cast any negativity on XM as this is pure speculation. However that usually seems to be the reoccurring case with most artists. I think Jerry at PCS just had the same issue with John Cleary and they also parted ways.

That's business.

Chris

Not the case according to JC. Father had health issues and he needed to focus more energies on that. I don't want to derail the thread but I just thought that should be cleared up.

[Atheris]

Not the case according to JC. Father had health issues and he needed to focus more energies on that. I don't want to derail the thread but I just thought that should be cleared up.

Might have been part of the reason. But Jerry did make a post on FB saying how annoyed and upset he was with artists that couldn't do work right the first time and that he had to spend his time fixing the majority of what was submitted, while the artist he's paying took all the credit publicly. A few days after that post John posted that he left PCS.

Don't think that was a coincidence.

Chris

[VS1976]

The end is near...

[Thor57]

The end is near...

Doubtful.

[loricstone]

The end is near...

You are hilarious bro. If only you knew.....:)

[loricstone]

Might have been part of the reason. But Jerry did make a post on FB saying how annoyed and upset he was with artists that couldn't do work right the first time and that he had to spend his time fixing the majority of what was submitted, while the artist he's paying took all the credit publicly. A few days after that post John posted that he left PCS.

Don't think that was a coincidence.

Chris

Yes but still conjecture. It could have been other artists he was referring to.

I'm not saying you are wrong...but assuming it was JC may not be accurate.

[Matches Malone]

Both parties have conducted themselves with class and dignity from everything I have seen.

[MONSTER]

Both parties have conducted themselves with class and dignity from everything I have seen.

I think you could have handled it better.:wink2:

[MONSTER]

Let's just say you will be happy with what you will soon see. No worries! :thumbs2:

You are hilarious bro. If only you knew.....:)

Didn't you post these same sort of vague comments in the Hard Hero section? Must be nice to get all that insider information.

[isDatUcollector]

Didn't you post these same sort of vague comments in the Hard Hero section? Must be nice to get all that insider information.

:dork:

[Hellsbells51]

Sad to hear. I wish the best for both parties. When I first heard Erick was joining the (up and coming) XM Studios crew I thought it was a dream team in the making...I guess this is what happens when you have too much talent and not enough resin.

[dao2]

Might have been part of the reason. But Jerry did make a post on FB saying how annoyed and upset he was with artists that couldn't do work right the first time and that he had to spend his time fixing the majority of what was submitted, while the artist he's paying took all the credit publicly. A few days after that post John posted that he left PCS.

Don't think that was a coincidence.

Chris

Clearly and PCS was very different. Jerry wanted all the sculptors in house, especially as they're going more traditional and they moved their offices to a new state. He offered to clearly to move but he has to take care of his father so he was unable too.

[Spidey976]

I am going to say that I think one of my BIGGEST disappointments with hearing this news is simply thinking about all of the pieces that could have been made by Erick over the past year and beyond and that only 1, Thor, made it out of the pipeline.

I, like many others, was drooling over the thought of a 1/4 Erick Sosa Avengers line. Hell, just the thought of a 1/4 modern raging Hulk and a dynamic 1/4 swinging Spiderman (which has now been done as a private commission and which is amazing) had me on the edge of my seat for MONTHS waiting for a reveal. However, it never came, and while XM has made several of those character already The latter two would have been INSTANT orders for me. The fact that XM never pulled the trigger and got those pieces made in 1/4 by Erick will always make me sad for what could have been. So much potential.

[MagnumOpus]

I was a very fanboy of XM but not anymore. Something is going wrong with them that I couldn't explain it. To me, their phoenix portraits are very bad! Also She-Hulk's and unmasked portrait of Daredevil are bad in terms of painting not sculpt! Spider-Man diorama concept does not have an appeal to me. And Ghost Rider concept is very expected, nothing new. I am sure he will look awesome when we see the final product but XM had a feeling on me about giving their consumers to some concepts which have never been done before! From that point Ghost Rider is a big let down for me also. Lastly they lost an outstanding artist! After hearing Prime 1's 1/3 Arkham Batman price, I begin to think XM is over-priced! Yes, their product's QC are top-notch but 800$ without shipping is some serious money for a 1/4 statue. I payed 1000$ for their Wolverine without custom fee and I guess this is madness:))) Maybe I need to get some help:)) Anyway Erick's talent is out of this world and he will continue to give us awesome pieces but maybe I got excited early for XM's success! They rise where Sideshow's QC is sinking! If XM couldn't solve the portrait problem, their Star Wars line could not be as successful as Marvel!

[The Mule]

The end is near...

How? People keep moaning about how XM makes BILLIONS of dollahs with their sellouts.
Ah right, average collector doesn't know s--t about costs involved in the manifacture of these statue, that's why :D

Seriously though... XM is selling out all their pieces in a heartbeat. They make enough to keep the factories well paid and surely they're not losing money on the things that jack the price for us (high shipping, customs). They just acquired the Star Wars license.
Let's be serious.

Regarding the matter, a few points that were already brought up.
XM was doing great before Erick worked with them, so it's not like all of a sudden they'll become a bunch of useless monkeys. Same way Erick has made his name on himself and doesn't need XM, so it's not like his life is over either.
My personal opinion is that, as an artist, Sosa knows his thing but he's also very far from the top sculptors in the game. I've seen many of his works and none of them really wowed me, I think he tries too much to be "balanced" in his style and his anatomies often have me scratching my head.
His Spidey(s) pales in comparison to Canale's Spidey(s), his Hulk(s) pales in comparison to McDevitt's raging Hulk, his Wolverine pales in comparison to XM's or Resinworx's. Thor is one of the XM statues that left me most unimpressed. If I look at the most impressive XM pieces, I think of Magneto, Black Bolt, Thanos, Dr Strange, Cable. None of them had Sosa's involvement, as far as I know. I'll go as far to say that if Magneto came out with that huge chinned Jim Lee head I would have probably not even considered to buy it.

This is not to bash him, just my straight unbiased opinion since I have no interest favoring an artist over another. But to me the Pereira brothers are probably the best young talents out therem bar none. They've done some of the most impressive sculpts ever. Mufizal is another guy who surely knows his s--t for good and someone to keep an eye on imho.
This doesn't take away from Sosa. He's young (I think, well, that's my impression at least), I like that he interacts a lot with people and overall he always seemed to me as a reliable person, very down to Earth and willing to improve. I just think he needs to focus more and find his own unique style to get the best out of his sculpts.
But he's surely one of the people I most respect (and trust) in this industry, and that's not something I say very lightly.

[The Mule]

I was a very fanboy of XM but not anymore. Something is going wrong with them that I couldn't explain it. To me, their phoenix portraits are very bad! Also She-Hulk's and unmasked portrait of Daredevil are bad in terms of painting not sculpt! Spider-Man diorama concept does not have an appeal to me. And Ghost Rider concept is very expected, nothing new. I am sure he will look awesome when we see the final product but XM had a feeling on me about giving their consumers to some concepts which have never been done before! From that point Ghost Rider is a big let down for me also. Lastly they lost an outstanding artist! After hearing Prime 1's 1/3 Arkham Batman price, I begin to think XM is over-priced! Yes, their product's QC are top-notch but 800$ without shipping is some serious money for a 1/4 statue. I payed 1000$ for their Wolverine without custom fee and I guess this is madness:))) Maybe I need to get some help:)) Anyway Erick's talent is out of this world and he will continue to give us awesome pieces but maybe I got excited early for XM's success! They rise where Sideshow's QC is sinking! If XM couldn't solve the portrait problem, their Star Wars line could not be as successful as Marvel!

Don't take it personally... but I think you're WAY too quick to jump to conclusions, more often than not.
PCS 1:3 pieces are 600$, so I guess that this makes even Prime1 overpriced? You're paying 1000$ for an XM piece, but let me know how much you will pay for that Prime1 Batman. The regular retails at nearly 1200€ (I suppose you're from Europe, more or less), the Exclusive will cost you some more.
I'm paying 650€ for my XM Wolverine. No way I'd be able to get the Prime1 Batman at the same reasonable price, even by burning reward points and ordering from Sideshow. Same way, a Lobo Ex would cost me over 700€. With Dawg, make that 850€. More than what I've paid for ANY XM piece so far.
I think it's just a matter of what a person does to obtan what he wants, when he's not in his comfort zone.

[MagnumOpus]

XM is 1/4 but Prime 1 is 1/3! I payed US$ for Wolverine and I am thinking to purchase Prime 1' Batman through Sideshow so I will do the payment in $ again. There is some serious difference between 1/4 and 1/3 in all terms...

[MagnumOpus]

Also I said "maybe I got excited too early for XM's success!" This doesn't sound me a quick jump to a conclusion:)))

[GrumpyBear]

I was a very fanboy of XM but not anymore. Something is going wrong with them that I couldn't explain it. To me, their phoenix portraits are very bad! Also She-Hulk's and unmasked portrait of Daredevil are bad in terms of painting not sculpt! Spider-Man diorama concept does not have an appeal to me. And Ghost Rider concept is very expected, nothing new. I am sure he will look awesome when we see the final product but XM had a feeling on me about giving their consumers to some concepts which have never been done before! From that point Ghost Rider is a big let down for me also. Lastly they lost an outstanding artist! After hearing Prime 1's 1/3 Arkham Batman price, I begin to think XM is over-priced! Yes, their product's QC are top-notch but 800$ without shipping is some serious money for a 1/4 statue. I payed 1000$ for their Wolverine without custom fee and I guess this is madness:))) Maybe I need to get some help:)) Anyway Erick's talent is out of this world and he will continue to give us awesome pieces but maybe I got excited early for XM's success! They rise where Sideshow's QC is sinking! If XM couldn't solve the portrait problem, their Star Wars line could not be as successful as Marvel!

Goodbye! :)

[Spidey976]

Any thought that this is the beginning of the end for XM or that they are on a slide is drastically premature. I won't claim that this news doesn't make me sad and that I can't imagine what the hell could have happened to separate this AMAZNG company and an AMAZING artist like Erick, but that doesn't mean XM is done.

[MagnumOpus]

I am premature so what:) Those are my ideas, and I am not saying an end is coming! Also I have very good relation with XM so I am not going anywhere but I am not afraid of sharing my honest thoughts!

[ZKULPTOR]

That head was a private commission that he did. I've never seen XM say one thing about being upset with artists doing custom switch outs. Cap, Magneto, Wolverine, and BW all have custom heads made or being made.

Yeah that has nothing to do with anything trust me. :)

[ZKULPTOR]

Might have been part of the reason. But Jerry did make a post on FB saying how annoyed and upset he was with artists that couldn't do work right the first time and that he had to spend his time fixing the majority of what was submitted, while the artist he's paying took all the credit publicly. A few days after that post John posted that he left PCS.

Don't think that was a coincidence.

Chris

Well I can tell you John is a class act.

[GrumpyBear]

I am premature so what:) Those are my ideas, and I am not saying an end is coming! Also I have very good relation with XM so I am not going anywhere but I am not afraid of sharing my honest thoughts!

No problem, it´s your opinion. :thumbs2:

I really love Ericks work and follow him for years, but i have never in my mind to love XM less if he is gone. There was XM before and now after. I think both have a great future.

[vorpoll]

I love both XM and Sosa and am sad they have parted ways. I do agree that portraits have been the weakest link in XM's game so far. I was hoping with Sosa on board that those would be improved.

[AlizAbef]

I agree, XM's weakest department is their portrait department. And I'm talking about maskless and helmetless human portraits. It's crazy to think that they could make a helmetless Magneto portrait the way they did. I mean, it's one of the greatest head sculpts I have ever seen. It's definitely among the best and hangs right in there with Sideshow's best human portraits. But then both Hulk sculpts happened, Pepper happened, Phoenix happened, maskless Daredevil happened, and in my opinion, both Black Widow sculpts happened, and it leaves you wondering, wtf happened?

[Spidey976]

I am premature so what:) Those are my ideas, and I am not saying an end is coming! Also I have very good relation with XM so I am not going anywhere but I am not afraid of sharing my honest thoughts!

PM sent.

[toe]

I still cant wait for Thor

[Matches Malone]

I think you could have handled it better.:wink2:

:D Well as the Canadian Mod it is my job to facilitate peacekeeping and apologies here:laugh:

[built2shred]

Erick is a very talented artist but he's got his flaws also, his prototypez company is making some rather boring looking DC statues. And some of his Marvel Koto stuff has been rather uninspiring (Hulk and the almost identical posed Juggernaut for example). So no one is perfect.

There are some very talented artists who are awesome at doing portraits hopefully XM can hire them to help them out... That's pretty much their only weak link IMO. Anyways I wouldn't worry to much about XM they're still going very strong and I don't see that changing anytime soon.

[sharpnel]

I'm sure XM recognized the value that Eric has brought to the table. Time will tell if they will ensure to fulfill that spot to continue to produce high quality and satisfy the fans.

[loricstone]

Didn't you post these same sort of vague comments in the Hard Hero section? Must be nice to get all that insider information.

Yeah...because I had it.:wink2:

[loricstone]

Erick is a very talented artist but he's got his flaws also, his prototypez company is making some rather boring looking DC statues. And some of his Marvel Koto stuff has been rather uninspiring (Hulk and the almost identical posed Juggernaut for example). So no one is perfect.

There are some very talented artists who are awesome at doing portraits hopefully XM can hire them to help them out... That's pretty much their only weak link IMO. Anyways I wouldn't worry to much about XM they're still going very strong and I don't see that changing anytime soon.

While I know what you are saying I disagree partly. Firstly, the main problem I have is art is subjective. Erick has his own style just like Martin Canale has his own style and Mark Newman has his own. But where you and I differ is I don't think there are any 'flaws' per se. Now as far as choice of poses (dynamic or museum), and things of that nature then perfectly understandable how you may not like some of what you see from him. But keep in mind a person's style doesn't make it wrong. Seth Vandable (oh I so appreciated that dude) sculpts big hands...but that is a Classical style he chose and it doesn't make it a 'flaw'.

Once again....with XM portraits....I don't feel it's a flaw or weak link....just a certain style. I've seen some comments about BW head sculpts lacking but I think they are amazing, same thing with Magneto, Wolverine maskless and the awesome RDJ portrait on the IM MK 42. Pepper in the IM suit is one I would not have done as an extra, but by no means is the head sculpt poorly done.

Now I will say this....what XM can get away with (as some of you say) with their Marvel headsculpts...they can't get away with that with their Star Wars head sculpts that are based on actual real life likenesses of actors and actresses. So they are definitely going to have to up their ante on portraits FOR THAT. For Marvel....everything is excellent and fits perfectly with their style and I don't think they should or need to change a thing. After all, we are talking about too numerous looks for the same comic character....so who is the definitive look to do? Everyone likes certain representations of their characters...but many others differ.

[The Mule]

I agree, XM's weakest department is their portrait department. And I'm talking about maskless and helmetless human portraits. It's crazy to think that they could make a helmetless Magneto portrait the way they did. I mean, it's one of the greatest head sculpts I have ever seen. It's definitely among the best and hangs right in there with Sideshow's best human portraits. But then both Hulk sculpts happened, Pepper happened, Phoenix happened, maskless Daredevil happened, and in my opinion, both Black Widow sculpts happened, and it leaves you wondering, wtf happened?

I agree with you about the overall thing, which is, XM should improve the head sculpts. I did a long post about it in the general thread.

But I think you're not right on a pair of things.
For example, the whole Hulk statue is based on Artgerm print. And trust me, it's a flawless execution taken from a poorly inspired artwork, because that's the truth. Sculpt, paint app and details are perfect, it's just that they shouldn't have based it on Artgerm's art. Heads included, of course.
BW? The long haired portrait has the same issue, it's basically perfect, but taken from the anime style that Artgerm gives to his chicks. The short haired portrait is perfection, imho. I have a good knowledge of east european girls/women and that's exactly how BW should look, not the transexual ugly doll that Sideshow made. The one that looks like Famke Janssen after hormones and a boob job.
Ms Marvel head sculpts (both) seem pretty good to me. Same for Thor. Original Phoenix head (Milla head) was perfect, too. Same for Thanos. Cable too, was perfect. Dr Strange head sculpts are looking pretty spot on, too.

But yeah, they have their share of misses, see unmasked Wolverine, unmasked Devil and the dubious She Hulk portraits. I just think there's some misconception and exhaggeration about the ratio between good ones and bad ones.
If they can take the head sculpts matter more seriously, we could really see an impressive improvement in their already high quality.

[MagnumOpus]

WRONG! Art is not subjective! But I am really tired to discuss that...

[loricstone]

Please shoot me a PM and I would like to discuss that with you privately.

Let me say, if an artist is trying to achieve absolute realism on a statue and it comes out looking like Toxic Avenger...then of course it is a fail and art is not subjective in this regard...because he / she attempted realistic portrait and failed miserably.

But like I said in the Witchblade thread....ART is SUBJECTIVE from a style standpoint.

Do you like Anime? faces I do not...and I don't due to the style. I don't like the big wide doe eyed look of Anime with the hardly drawn nose. But maybe you do. If that's the case, then IT IS SUBJECTIVE because it is a certain style you like. In that case the artist is not trying to be realistic with a portrait and that is perfectly fine...just not suited for me.

[AlizAbef]

I agree with you about the overall thing, which is, XM should improve the head sculpts. I did a long post about it in the general thread.

But I think you're not right on a pair of things.
For example, the whole Hulk statue is based on Artgerm print. And trust me, it's a flawless execution taken from a poorly inspired artwork, because that's the truth. Sculpt, paint app and details are perfect, it's just that they shouldn't have based it on Artgerm's art. Heads included, of course.
BW? The long haired portrait has the same issue, it's basically perfect, but taken from the anime style that Artgerm gives to his chicks. The short haired portrait is perfection, imho. I have a good knowledge of east european girls/women and that's exactly how BW should look, not the transexual ugly doll that Sideshow made. The one that looks like Famke Janssen after hormones and a boob job.
Ms Marvel head sculpts (both) seem pretty good to me. Same for Thor. Original Phoenix head (Milla head) was perfect, too. Same for Thanos. Cable too, was perfect. Dr Strange head sculpts are looking pretty spot on, too.

But yeah, they have their share of misses, see unmasked Wolverine, unmasked Devil and the dubious She Hulk portraits. I just think there's some misconception and exhaggeration about the ratio between good ones and bad ones.
If they can take the head sculpts matter more seriously, we could really see an impressive improvement in their already high quality.

Yeah, I didn't know their Hulk was based from Artgerm, so I guess it would seem like there's a pattern and that I have a problem with their sculpts transitioning from Artgerm haha! I can at least safely say that I'll never have a problem with XM's paint app quality...it's always on point.

So you're right, Hulk was painted exceptionally well. It's just hard for me to like those two head sculpts and that weird sculpted t-shirt. I do think all the other head sculpts you mentioned are really cool...I forgot about a lot of them. I did forget about Wolverine's calm face portrait and She-Hulk's portraits and how much I didn't like those as well.

[loricstone]

I agree with you about the overall thing, which is, XM should improve the head sculpts. I did a long post about it in the general thread.

But I think you're not right on a pair of things.
For example, the whole Hulk statue is based on Artgerm print. And trust me, it's a flawless execution taken from a poorly inspired artwork, because that's the truth. Sculpt, paint app and details are perfect, it's just that they shouldn't have based it on Artgerm's art. Heads included, of course.
BW? The long haired portrait has the same issue, it's basically perfect, but taken from the anime style that Artgerm gives to his chicks. The short haired portrait is perfection, imho. I have a good knowledge of east european girls/women and that's exactly how BW should look, not the transexual ugly doll that Sideshow made. The one that looks like Famke Janssen after hormones and a boob job.
Ms Marvel head sculpts (both) seem pretty good to me. Same for Thor. Original Phoenix head (Milla head) was perfect, too. Same for Thanos. Cable too, was perfect. Dr Strange head sculpts are looking pretty spot on, too.

But yeah, they have their share of misses, see unmasked Wolverine, unmasked Devil and the dubious She Hulk portraits. I just think there's some misconception and exhaggeration about the ratio between good ones and bad ones.
If they can take the head sculpts matter more seriously, we could really see an impressive improvement in their already high quality.

Which ones? You referring to the calm Wolvie unmasked head and the non-Byrne head? Or you mean both on both statues? I personally think the Byrne head is excellent and the open mouth Wolvie head is quite possibly one of the top 3 Wolvie heads I have seen on a statue (I would have liked his canines to be a tad longer and pointier though...not Vampire like but a little more pronounced).

[The Mule]

Yeah, I didn't know their Hulk was based from Artgerm, so I guess it would seem like there's a pattern and that I have a problem with their sculpts transitioning from Artgerm haha! I can at least safely say that I'll never have a problem with XM's paint app quality...it's always on point.

So you're right, Hulk was painted exceptionally well. It's just hard for me to like those two head sculpts and that weird sculpted t-shirt. I do think all the other head sculpts you mentioned are really cool...I forgot about a lot of them. I did forget about Wolverine's calm face portrait and She-Hulk's portraits and how much I didn't like those as well.

We're on the same boat, can't manage to dig Artgerm's style when it comes to statues. I don't like it on Hulk, on BW's long haired head and on one of the new Phoenix heads (which is based on Artgerm too, the one looking like a doll).

Which ones? You referring to the calm Wolvie unmasked head and the non-Byrne head? Or you mean both on both statues? I personally think the Byrne head is excellent and the open mouth Wolvie head is quite possibly one of the top 3 Wolvie heads I have seen on a statue (I would have liked his canines to be a tad longer and pointier though...not Vampire like but a little more pronounced).

Wolverine's calm unmasked head, it just doesn't look like Logan to me. Other two heads I agree they're pretty much awesome (will see them in hand in a week or two I think).
She Hulk, the original modern head was plain bad, now I understand it's been scrapped. The classic head is good as far as sculpt goes, but I think it lacks expressivity, it's very lifeless.
Given the scene being portrayed, I think they could dare much more with She Hulk's facial expressions honestly.

Now, to make my point clearer. XM makes a lot of switch outs, and that's something I approve a lot.
The next step would be, making those switch outs count more and not look like a generic extra or afterthought (not saying this is always the case, more often than not they offer great switch outs, the pointless ones are a great minority). They could not only do different head sculpts with different emotions and from different comic eras... but go as far as doing them in completely different sculpting styles.
I'll bring up the same example I did the last time. Take XM Wolverine, throw away the useless unmasked calm head, replace it with Troy McDevitt's Ravaged Wolverine headsculpt. What do you get?
An awesome Wolverine with an awesome raw style head sculpt more similar to the comic book Wolverine, more gritty and with more character (and blue-ish hair).
And that headsculpt would REALLY make a difference in display options because you could either go with the more realistic masked screaming head or the more savage comic accurate unmasked head. That's a win/win scenario.

https://scontent-lga1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/10645312_727905760617330_8074022076133294780_n.jpg?oh=a39822397db884bf9b7d0603cac4e85e&oe=55F06983

[MagnumOpus]

https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xat1/v/t1.0-9/10320435_1119769444707105_3256996053886240582_n.jpg?oh=1840500144b359147a0d898c407c6ba8&oe=55EDBF03

https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/10847819_1119770011373715_4070011985097168737_n.jpg?oh=83e8ec4cf1ffbb5e254d671d834edeb4&oe=5625A4A0&__gda__=1445508848_1cd0c015484da9d49c4a1b3970bf8a30

https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/10150752_1119770048040378_3978668797111964189_n.jpg?oh=42e2640c823a426590e006ea0ed1359d&oe=55F00B4E

https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/1625623_1119770211373695_1438950350970228078_n.jpg?oh=cd38333ebf4d3f1581d92188a983714e&oe=55F37D63&__gda__=1445766409_aa457e22c60315781bb39b4afd9a3da4

[The Mule]

I dig the two head sculpts, the unmasked one looks like Clint Eastwood and someone could argue it's not comic accurate but I don't give a damn, they're good. Everything else in this statue's sculpt, I just don't like. It's so ripped and exhaggerated even for a comic character.
The real highlight here is the crazy work done with the paint app, James Tce has some serious badass skillz.

[risingstar]

Did Eric work on any part of these XM statues: Black Widow, Magneto, Black Bolt, Thanos, Phoenix and Wolverine?

[gomur]

Different strokes for different folks. I love my hero's musculature exaggerated as I grew up reading comic books in the 90's and a fan of the Image rebellion. Add to that the increasing number of artists like Joe Mad and Ramos blending American and Japanese styles. Erick's style is in perfect harmony with my aesthetic, but I understand it isn't for everyone. XM is forming their overall look with each release and I'm excited with what they've created and have in store.

On the topic of heads, I'll echo everyone that this is XM's biggest weakness. For my tastes, some modifications have been improvements (new She-Hulk modern) while other changes are downgrades (Phoenix). Hopefully, they can raise their game in this arena. The Daredevil unmasked is one that needs a lot of work IMO.

[The Mule]

Did Eric work on any part of these XM statues: Black Widow, Magneto, Black Bolt, Thanos, Phoenix and Wolverine?

Not 100% sure, but as far as I recall:

Wolverine - gave some generic suggestions as AD, nothing specific
Phoenix - did one of the original heads, not sure which one, maybe the original angry one. I recall he was working on Phoenix in one of the early Comic Cons.

Other ones, I don't recall Sosa being mentioned, but I honestly have a hard time keeping track with these things.

[GrumpyBear]

Did Eric work on any part of these XM statues: Black Widow, Magneto, Black Bolt, Thanos, Phoenix and Wolverine?

From FB, answer to a question about magneto.

"XM Studios Premium Collectibles
Adrian, Erick does not involve in magneto at all. He does tweak antman, sculp thor,
one black widow portrait, one shehulk portrait, one DD portrait, one phoenix portrait,
one elektra portrait. That all."

[Spidey976]

https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xat1/v/t1.0-9/10320435_1119769444707105_3256996053886240582_n.jpg?oh=1840500144b359147a0d898c407c6ba8&oe=55EDBF03

https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/10847819_1119770011373715_4070011985097168737_n.jpg?oh=83e8ec4cf1ffbb5e254d671d834edeb4&oe=5625A4A0&__gda__=1445508848_1cd0c015484da9d49c4a1b3970bf8a30

https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/10150752_1119770048040378_3978668797111964189_n.jpg?oh=42e2640c823a426590e006ea0ed1359d&oe=55F00B4E

https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/1625623_1119770211373695_1438950350970228078_n.jpg?oh=cd38333ebf4d3f1581d92188a983714e&oe=55F37D63&__gda__=1445766409_aa457e22c60315781bb39b4afd9a3da4

I dig the two head sculpts, the unmasked one looks like Clint Eastwood and someone could argue it's not comic accurate but I don't give a damn, they're good. Everything else in this statue's sculpt, I just don't like. It's so ripped and exhaggerated even for a comic character.
The real highlight here is the crazy work done with the paint app, James Tce has some serious badass skillz.

This is an AMAZING piece by Erick and it is exactly what it is suppose to be, which is a sculpt based on the Marvel Vs Capcom Wolverne...

http://i.annihil.us/u/prod/marvel/i/mg/8/d0/4bb44ed0470d4.jpg

http://orig01.deviantart.net/832f/f/2009/218/3/5/marvel_vs_capcom_2__wolverine_by_udoncrew.jpg

The fact that Erick had time to work on customs like this, and the 1/4 Spidey I was talking about simply means that XM didn't use him enough IMHO. Honestly, 2 full sculpted characters and what 4-5 head sculpts in 1 year.... The man could have done SO much more for this amazing company.

[GrumpyBear]

The fact that Erick had time to work on customs like this, and the 1/4 Spidey I was talking about simply means that XM didn't use him enough IMHO. Honestly, 2 full sculpted characters and what 4-5 head sculpts in 1 year.... The man could have done SO much more for this amazing company.

If no one knows the 100% true things it´s just opinions over opinions. I take your text with a little change. It is how it is, we know nothing about why. Just rumors. :)

"The fact that Erick need time to work on customs like this, and the 1/4 Spidey I was talking about simply means that XM can't use him enough IMHO. Honestly, 1 full sculpted character and what 4-5 head sculpts in 1 year.... The man could have done SO much more for this amazing company."

[The Mule]

I know where this sculpt comes from, fact is that in none of the game's artworks he's so damn ripped, especially the leg area.
I think there's just too much muscular definition (invented muscular definition, actually), everywhere you have muscles popping, and that's just too much even for a comic or videogame character.
That, and the fact the suit doesn't have the slightest texture, especially the yellow portions.

[Vince-Vell]

http://gifrific.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Maurice-Moss-Eating-Popcorn-The-IT-Crowd.gif

[loricstone]

This is an AMAZING piece by Erick and it is exactly what it is suppose to be, which is a sculpt based on the Marvel Vs Capcom Wolverne...

http://i.annihil.us/u/prod/marvel/i/mg/8/d0/4bb44ed0470d4.jpg

http://orig01.deviantart.net/832f/f/2009/218/3/5/marvel_vs_capcom_2__wolverine_by_udoncrew.jpg

The fact that Erick had time to work on customs like this, and the 1/4 Spidey I was talking about simply means that XM didn't use him enough IMHO. Honestly, 2 full sculpted characters and what 4-5 head sculpts in 1 year.... The man could have done SO much more for this amazing company.

I don't think so Spidey and the reason being he has his own company and does products for Koto as well. Honestly, I think the separation would be better for ES because you see how slow the production is on his Prototypez company. The man does have a family he has to attend to and also get some sleep somewhere in there. :laugh:

[AlizAbef]

https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/10150752_1119770048040378_3978668797111964189_n.jpg?oh=42e2640c823a426590e006ea0ed1359d&oe=55F00B4E


I dig the two head sculpts, the unmasked one looks like Clint Eastwood and someone could argue it's not comic accurate but I don't give a damn, they're good.

Haha, I can see some Eastwood for sure in that sculpt, but I also see a lot of this guy...

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d5/Liev_Schreiber_2012.jpg/220px-Liev_Schreiber_2012.jpg

Who ever the sculpt resembles or not, I agree, it's totally awesome.

[SDguy]

Haha, I can see some Eastwood for sure in that sculpt, but I also see a lot of this guy...

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d5/Liev_Schreiber_2012.jpg/220px-Liev_Schreiber_2012.jpg

Who ever the sculpt resembles or not, I agree, it's totally awesome.

LOL, Didn't he play sabertooth in one of the movies? Well that's irony for you :)

[loricstone]

All about style and no one is more right or wrong than the others. I absolutely do not like the Wolvie head by McDevitt you showed...but that has nothing to do with it lacking...I just don't like that style. I don't care for the Koto Hulk head portrait either. The rest of it is great though. But all about tastes and styles.

[gomur]

LOL, Didn't he play sabertooth in one of the movies? Well that's irony for you :)

What movie? I don't recall said wreck. ;)

But if such a movie did exist, then Gambit and Silver Fox would hook up in a later date.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B7MeDlTCQAAoBTM.jpg

All about style and no one is more right or wrong than the others. I absolutely do not like the Wolvie head by McDevitt you showed...but that has nothing to do with it lacking...I just don't like that style. I don't care for the Koto Hulk head portrait either. The rest of it is great though. But all about tastes and styles.

+1. And my portrait is GREAT! :)

[SDguy]

What movie? I don't recall said wreck. ;)

But if such a movie did exist, then Gambit and Silver Fox would hook up in a later date.


http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p5/SDreefguy/smilies/1050.gif

[Spidey976]

If no one knows the 100% true things it´s just opinions over opinions. I take your text with a little change. It is how it is, we know nothing about why. Just rumors. :)

"The fact that Erick need time to work on customs like this, and the 1/4 Spidey I was talking about simply means that XM can't use him enough IMHO. Honestly, 1 full sculpted character and what 4-5 head sculpts in 1 year.... The man could have done SO much more for this amazing company."

Maybe, butII thought it was 2 full sculpted pieces DeadPool and Thor to my knowledge. I still stand by what I said though. They have a Spiderman and Hulk license, and the lack of either character in 1/4 by Erick is just a shame.

I know where this sculpt comes from, fact is that in none of the game's artworks he's so damn ripped, especially the leg area.
I think there's just too much muscular definition (invented muscular definition, actually), everywhere you have muscles popping, and that's just too much even for a comic or videogame character.
That, and the fact the suit doesn't have the slightest texture, especially the yellow portions.

The second pic I posted is very overblown I terms of the anatomy. Also, the piece was done for a client who made requests of Erick. Sometimes artists dt have a choice in style and pose because the client dictates it.

[Spidey976]

I don't think so Spidey and the reason being he has his own company and does products for Koto as well. Honestly, I think the separation would be better for ES because you see how slow the production is on his Prototypez company. The man does have a family he has to attend to and also get some sleep somewhere in there. :laugh:

Since starting to work for XM he has done a 1/4 Spidey and 1/4 Wolverine as private commissions. Those could have been XM pieces IMHO.

[built2shred]

https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xat1/v/t1.0-9/10320435_1119769444707105_3256996053886240582_n.jpg?oh=1840500144b359147a0d898c407c6ba8&oe=55EDBF03

https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/10847819_1119770011373715_4070011985097168737_n.jpg?oh=83e8ec4cf1ffbb5e254d671d834edeb4&oe=5625A4A0&__gda__=1445508848_1cd0c015484da9d49c4a1b3970bf8a30

https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/10150752_1119770048040378_3978668797111964189_n.jpg?oh=42e2640c823a426590e006ea0ed1359d&oe=55F00B4E

https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/1625623_1119770211373695_1438950350970228078_n.jpg?oh=cd38333ebf4d3f1581d92188a983714e&oe=55F37D63&__gda__=1445766409_aa457e22c60315781bb39b4afd9a3da4

I'm not a fan of Steroid Muscle tissue with no skin on it look and that's exactly how that looks above... like yellow muscle tissue... it's so over the top it's ridiculous IMO. Although I'm sure some people like that but it's just not for me..

[GrumpyBear]

They have a Spiderman and Hulk license, and the lack of either character in 1/4 by Erick is just a shame.

Maybe just an suggestion, but you can go and ask Erick himself. :)

All this speculation, no really sense. I´m out of that. :thumbs2:

[built2shred]

This is an AMAZING piece by Erick and it is exactly what it is suppose to be, which is a sculpt based on the Marvel Vs Capcom Wolverne...

http://i.annihil.us/u/prod/marvel/i/mg/8/d0/4bb44ed0470d4.jpg

http://orig01.deviantart.net/832f/f/2009/218/3/5/marvel_vs_capcom_2__wolverine_by_udoncrew.jpg

The fact that Erick had time to work on customs like this, and the 1/4 Spidey I was talking about simply means that XM didn't use him enough IMHO. Honestly, 2 full sculpted characters and what 4-5 head sculpts in 1 year.... The man could have done SO much more for this amazing company.


If the above is what Sosa is doing (which is similar to what he's doing with his DC line) then it seems his style is the more over the top exaggerated cartoon statue, which is fine, lots of fans of that type of statue, but I don't think it fits in with what XM wants to do, they're trying to fill a niche between comic and realistic.... And personally I think they're doing an awesome job..

I know Erick tweak XM's Magneto some but left to his own accord we probably would of ended up with a muscle bounded Magneto like this

http://fc00.deviantart.net/fs12/f/2006/334/8/c/Joe_Mad__s_Magneto_by_Deathring2000.jpg

I much prefer XM version..

[Mr. Machismo]

what XM wants to do, they're trying to fill a niche between comic and realistic....

Refreshing, beautiful, and the aesthetic that has ignited my desire to begin this hobby. Continue the great work, XM!

[Spidey976]

If the above is what Sosa is doing (which is similar to what he's doing with his DC line) then it seems his style is the more over the top exaggerated cartoon statue, which is fine, lots of fans of that type of statue, but I don't think it fits in with what XM wants to do, they're trying to fill a niche between comic and realistic.... And personally I think they're doing an awesome job..

I know Erick tweak XM's Magneto some but left to his own accord we probably would of ended up with a muscle bounded Magneto like this

http://fc00.deviantart.net/fs12/f/2006/334/8/c/Joe_Mad__s_Magneto_by_Deathring2000.jpg

I much prefer XM version..

I don't mean to sound rude, but when ones sculpting and basing your work of a preexisting "style" your "style" is not even really a consideration. For example if I have someone ask me to draw a Bruce Timm Batman I don't hand them work as I would draw Batman. I do a Bruce Timm inspired version. Erick often does work based off of the work of various comic book artists like Jm Lee or David Finch, and often by request, and in the end the commissioner is the one paying for a piece and that is the style you work in. I have seen Erick tackle so many styles it isn't funny, so Don't assume the above is HIS "style" persay..., though I can see his handy work for sure.

[supermetroid]

Since starting to work for XM he has done a 1/4 Spidey and 1/4 Wolverine as private commissions. Those could have been XM pieces IMHO.



The Wolverine is the MvC one above, correct? Could you give me info on the Spidey? I haven't heard of this one yet.

[Spidey976]

The Wolverine is the MvC one above, correct? Could you give me info on the Spidey? I haven't heard of this one yet.

Sorry supermetroid to my knowledge that one has been sold out of more than 6 months. Erick might be able to point you in the right direction.

[darth]

I'm a fan of Erick's in general but his musculature style is not for me. I don't like the super bumpy muscles everywhere. For me it looks over done even on a rampaging superhero.

[Synzaic]

Well....the gap is so large between them and second best it was starting to become unfair anyways :)

[built2shred]

I don't mean to sound rude, but when ones sculpting and basing your work of a preexisting "style" your "style" is not even really a consideration. For example if I have someone ask me to draw a Bruce Timm Batman I don't hand them work as I would draw Batman. I do a Bruce Timm inspired version. Erick often does work based off of the work of various comic book artists like Jm Lee or David Finch, and often by request, and in the end the commissioner is the one paying for a piece and that is the style you work in. I have seen Erick tackle so many styles it isn't funny, so Don't assume the above is HIS "style" persay..., though I can see his handy work for sure.

Yet you gave that style as a reference to what XM could of released. Also Sosa DC line and a lot of his Koto stuff is the crazy muscle sculpts so IMO that does seem to be his preferred thing, I have no doubt he could sculpt other stuff but I'm guessing he wanted XM to go his route of sculpting instead of keeping it more realistic... just a guess though...

[Sharkey]

[...]

https://scontent-lga1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/10645312_727905760617330_8074022076133294780_n.jpg?oh=a39822397db884bf9b7d0603cac4e85e&oe=55F06983

Damn Mule! That piece is sick! Who did that?

[dino76m]

I'm a fan of Erick's in general but his musculature style is not for me. I don't like the super bumpy muscles everywhere. For me it looks over done even on a rampaging superhero.

same here, not a fan of the overdetailed and sharp musclature, they might be true to the 90s comics style

[built2shred]

https://scontent-lga1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/10645312_727905760617330_8074022076133294780_n.jpg?oh=a39822397db884bf9b7d0603cac4e85e&oe=55F06983


Looks more like a Werewolf then Wolverine...

BTW, I'm curious about the legality of doing customs, how does someone go about sculpting a custom Spider-Man or Wolverine for money if he/she doesn't have a license from Marvel? Seems to me it would be illegal. Or does Marvel allow people to do one offs?

[The Mule]

Maybe, butII thought it was 2 full sculpted pieces DeadPool and Thor to my knowledge. I still stand by what I said though. They have a Spiderman and Hulk license, and the lack of either character in 1/4 by Erick is just a shame.



The second pic I posted is very overblown I terms of the anatomy. Also, the piece was done for a client who made requests of Erick. Sometimes artists dt have a choice in style and pose because the client dictates it.

You're right, I thought about it later that it could be made so ripped on demand of the client. But as someone pointed out, that seems Sosa's style anyway, given his previous works. And same goes for that 1:4 Spidey, he's insanely ripped to the point his costume seems bodypainted on him. Pose is not working to me, either, and paint app will make or break that base.
And this is not to say his Wolverine and Spidey statues are "bad". Bad statues are a whole other thing entirely. It's just that none of them really shines to me.
As someone brought up, I personally am not interested in all this "accurate comics" style art direction. If XM did a Magneto with the generic muscular/bodybuilder physique that Jim Lee used on every single character, it would have been a much more boring statue. Same for the Jim Lee head, with the huge chin, it screams "boring" from miles away (to me, still). On the other hand, I find his XM Wolverine custom head to be pretty much perfect.
But the point here is... whatever Sosa sculpt you bring up, I can raise something done much better.
Spidey? The Canale new Spidey PF is simply superior. The pose, the way the muscles flow with the motion being depicted, it has a naturality and a grace that Sosa's Spidey is completely lacking (killed by the super-shredded style).
Magneto? The Koto version is nice, but the Bowen one is on another level. It's still a matter of how the whole figure flows with the rest of the sculpt. I'll give him props for making a better head sculpt than Bowen.
Hulk? Yet another super pumped sculpt, which is fine. But this is how you sculpt a raging Hulk:

http://themcdevittstudio.com/danhulk/hulk.jpg

And I think XM should take note, too.

Then again, what could have been is left to speculation. Sosa has a hell lot going on, he works with Koto, runs Prototypez, does many private commissions and was working for XM.
That's much more than what the average artist does, I hope this leaves him room for improving and focus, because it sounds like the kind of thing that could burn you out if you don't pay attention.
As someone pointed out, his DC Prototypez projects are fairly straightforward and simple, especially as far as art direction goes. If that was the direction intended for XM pieces too, I wouldn't have liked it.


Damn Mule! That piece is sick! Who did that?

Troy McDevitt's "Ravaged Wolverine", 1:5 scale. Here painted by Darkspidey, who did an awesome job also on the base by adding some nice elements, like a blooded katana.

Looks more like a Werewolf then Wolverine...


That's the point. In the comics, Wolverine is often drawn like that. Since XM is offering multiple head sculpts, why keep the same style for each and every of them? If their Wolverine came with the XM unmasked screaming head, Sosa's screaming masked head and this McDevitt's style head, it would have really kicked every kind of ass. Three completely different interpretations of the same character, instead of three slightly different head sculpts.

[loricstone]

You're right, I thought about it later that it could be made so ripped on demand of the client. But as someone pointed out, that seems Sosa's style anyway, given his previous works. And same goes for that 1:4 Spidey, he's insanely ripped to the point his costume seems bodypainted on him. Pose is not working to me, either, and paint app will make or break that base.
And this is not to say his Wolverine and Spidey statues are "bad". Bad statues are a whole other thing entirely. It's just that none of them really shines to me.
As someone brought up, I personally am not interested in all this "accurate comics" style art direction. If XM did a Magneto with the generic muscular/bodybuilder physique that Jim Lee used on every single character, it would have been a much more boring statue. Same for the Jim Lee head, with the huge chin, it screams "boring" from miles away (to me, still). On the other hand, I find his XM Wolverine custom head to be pretty much perfect.
But the point here is... whatever Sosa sculpt you bring up, I can raise something done much better.
Spidey? The Canale new Spidey PF is simply superior. The pose, the way the muscles flow with the motion being depicted, it has a naturality and a grace that Sosa's Spidey is completely lacking (killed by the super-shredded style).
Magneto? The Koto version is nice, but the Bowen one is on another level. It's still a matter of how the whole figure flows with the rest of the sculpt. I'll give him props for making a better head sculpt than Bowen.
Hulk? Yet another super pumped sculpt, which is fine. But this is how you sculpt a raging Hulk:

http://themcdevittstudio.com/danhulk/hulk.jpg

And I think XM should take note, too.

Then again, what could have been is left to speculation. Sosa has a hell lot going on, he works with Koto, runs Prototypez, does many private commissions and was working for XM.
That's much more than what the average artist does, I hope this leaves him room for improving and focus, because it sounds like the kind of thing that could burn you out if you don't pay attention.
As someone pointed out, his DC Prototypez projects are fairly straightforward and simple, especially as far as art direction goes. If that was the direction intended for XM pieces too, I wouldn't have liked it.




Troy McDevitt's "Ravaged Wolverine", 1:5 scale. Here painted by Darkspidey, who did an awesome job also on the base by adding some nice elements, like a blooded katana.



That's the point. In the comics, Wolverine is often drawn like that. Since XM is offering multiple head sculpts, why keep the same style for each and every of them? If their Wolverine came with the XM unmasked screaming head, Sosa's screaming masked head and this McDevitt's style head, it would have really kicked every kind of ass. Three completely different interpretations of the same character, instead of three slightly different head sculpts.

I'm gonna disagree with this last part here because each of the heads have a totally unique style to it. What you fail to mention is that the rest of the body sculpt has its own unique style. So a McDevitt head would not have worked on the XM due to two different unique styles. Personally, I think the way XM does their headsculpts is perfect because even though some don't like their headsculpts, at least it has a similar style.

Likewise, an XM headsculpt would not work on the McDevitt Wolverine body sculpt. Too much difference and a major clash would have resulted.

I don't like mixing and matching of head sculpts personally. Whoever the artist is that does the sculpt of a certain character, they need to do everything because their style will be consistent throughout. For real life actors likenesses, then of course you want the best headsculptors in the business...provided they don't charge insance prices.

[theokan]

I always felt XM isn't very knowledgeable in American Comics, which could be a problem considering they make comicbook statues as a business.

They used the villain Moonstone as reference for Ms Marvel instead of Carol Danvers, then when they realized it's the wrong character they gave her an extra short hair headsculpt to sort of fix it, but the whole thing still feels out of place though considering that's really two different characters entirely...

Then they got literal with Daredevil and made him a thrill seeker, they gave him a toothy grin on the maskless head like he's some hothead "daredevil" seeking his next thrill, that couldn't be more out of character. :doh!:

They also keep trying to force anime faces on some of the characters, like Phoenix. They had the realistic sculpt but prefer an anime face so they had it redone.

I can see how it could be annoying working in that situation, when they keep telling you to change your work to something you feel is worse, but you gotta do it anyway. I've been there before, it feels like you're just doing it for the money.


---

[Spidey976]

Yet you gave that style as a reference to what XM could of released. Also Sosa DC line and a lot of his Koto stuff is the crazy muscle sculpts so IMO that does seem to be his preferred thing, I have no doubt he could sculpt other stuff but I'm guessing he wanted XM to go his route of sculpting instead of keeping it more realistic... just a guess though...

Actually, I didn't. Magnum put it up and I simply said I like it, and then pointed out that it meets the style of the original reference. Also, I don't think XM necessarily would have put out a statue that looked like that, but IMHO they had one of the best sculptors out there on staff and they just didn't use him enough. Maybe they couldn't and didn't have any projects for him, but to me that is kind of like benching Martin Canale or Andy B. I think I am just disappointed that this marriage didn't work out is all.

[risingstar]

I always felt XM isn't very knowledgeable in American Comics, which could be a problem considering they make comicbook statues as a business.

They used the villain Moonstone as reference for Ms Marvel instead of Carol Danvers, then when they realized it's the wrong character they gave her an extra short hair headsculpt to sort of fix it, but the whole thing still feels out of place though considering that's really two different characters entirely...

Then they got literal with Daredevil and made him a thrill seeker, they gave him a toothy grin on the maskless head like he's some hothead "daredevil" seeking his next thrill, that couldn't be more out of character. :doh!:

They also keep trying to force anime faces on some of the characters, like Phoenix. They had the realistic sculpt but prefer an anime face so they had it redone.

I can see how it could be annoying working in that situation, when they keep telling you to change your work to something you feel is worse, but you gotta do it anyway. I've been there before, it feels like you're just doing it for the money.


---


I tend to look at these as growing pains. As more fans note these character-authenticity discrepancies (i.e., when they actually occur), I imagine XM will adjust or accommodate. However, there is also something to be said about how few voices there are out there noting these discrepancies. I can't tell if today's fans either simply don't care, don't notice, or have little knowledge of the character's history save for the "look" of the character.

It's a different time now. Ten years ago, more fans would have likely been up in arms. Nowadays, not so much (or at all). The Moonstone issue was barely a blip on the radar. While you and I may know that it's Karla Sofen in that costume (which only Karla wore) and not Carol Danvers, it didn't seem to be enough of an issue with the fanbase. I'm beginning to think that we (likely older, comic knowledgeable fans) are now the anomaly (i.e., the minority) and the ones who may not even know who Carol Danvers is (let alone know who Karla Sofen is) have now become the norm. That's fine. It's totally cool just to like how awesome a statue looks. Being aware of 50 years of comics history isn't the prerequisite it once was to be considered a "true fan"... lol.

All that aside, there's no denying at this point that XM is producing the best 1/4 scale statues in today's hobby marketplace.

[gomur]

Excellent points by Theokan and RisingStar. I hadn't considered the cultural disparity between American vs Asian/Anime influences. Although it's clear as day in the releases we've seen. Goes to show my level of observation, I guess. ;)

XM's willingness to listen to fan feedback can alleviate some of these issues, but that same feedback (or lack thereof) can prove dangerous if not measured appropriately. A double edged sword.

[The Mule]

The flip of the coin is that sometimes, the nitpicking on the so called "comic accuracy" gets way out of hand imho.
Wolverine's arm hair is the quintessential example of why there should be a point where comic purists are no more to be listened to. Sculpt was ready and done, then XM had to add stencil hair to please the accuracy purists, and the result has been quite forgettable. In the meanwhile Resinworx put his Wolverine out, without arms hair, and it's universally praised as the best Wolverine in the market. No one dares to question the lack of arms hair.

Another thing is that usually people throw around "comic accuracy" meaning that "it's made in a different style than what MY favourite artists drew them, ergo it's not accurate", forgetting that most comic characters have been drawn by tens if not hundreds of different artists.
Example, I see people claiming that Thanos is not comic accurate, but the XM version is very very near to the modern Infinity/Inhumanity appearance.
So basically "comic accurate" means "like Perez drew him", everything else is not accurate.

I'm gonna disagree with this last part here because each of the heads have a totally unique style to it. What you fail to mention is that the rest of the body sculpt has its own unique style. So a McDevitt head would not have worked on the XM due to two different unique styles. Personally, I think the way XM does their headsculpts is perfect because even though some don't like their headsculpts, at least it has a similar style.

Likewise, an XM headsculpt would not work on the McDevitt Wolverine body sculpt. Too much difference and a major clash would have resulted.

I don't like mixing and matching of head sculpts personally. Whoever the artist is that does the sculpt of a certain character, they need to do everything because their style will be consistent throughout. For real life actors likenesses, then of course you want the best headsculptors in the business...provided they don't charge insance prices.

I guess we'll find it out when Mufizal has completed his custom Wolverine head, that one seemed to have a very gritty style to it.

[gomur]

The flip of the coin is that sometimes, the nitpicking on the so called "comic accuracy" gets way out of hand imho.
Wolverine's arm hair is the quintessential example of why there should be a point where comic purists are no more to be listened to. Sculpt was ready and done, then XM had to add stencil hair to please the accuracy purists, and the result has been quite forgettable. In the meanwhile Resinworx put his Wolverine out, without arms hair, and it's universally praised as the best Wolverine in the market. No one dares to question the lack of arms hair.

Another thing is that usually people throw around "comic accuracy" meaning that "it's made in a different style than what MY favourite artists drew them, ergo it's not accurate", forgetting that most comic characters have been drawn by tens if not hundreds of different artists.
Example, I see people claiming that Thanos is not comic accurate, but the XM version is very very near to the modern Infinity/Inhumanity appearance.
So basically "comic accurate" means "like Perez drew him", everything else is not accurate.


I guess we'll find it out when Mufizal has completed his custom Wolverine head, that one seemed to have a very gritty style to it.

Strictly speaking, very few of XM's releases are comic accurate with all the buckles, clasps, and straps that are woven into the costume design. I've come to accept that as XM's style and not given it a second thought. Wolverine's hairy arms (or not) doesn't bother me that much, but I can understand how others might feel strongly about it. He is after all a short hairy ball of Adamantium fury. So complaints in that area aren't without merit, even if it doesn't bother us all equally.

I'm honestly more bothered by Daredevil's unmasked portrait because going by comic accuracy to character, it just doesn't look like an expression for Matt Murdock.

[The Mule]

DD's portrait is plainly bad regardless of how you look at it, imho.
But yeah, I understand what you mean. I just think that there's a discrepancy between expectations and reality. You can't make a statue full of textures and details and expect it to look like a 2D picture drawn with pencil and a few colors. I mean, you can do a statue like that... like Bowens. But then it's not a realistic and detailed sculpt.
Surely I would have preferred for Wolverine to have sculpted hair like the PF, or Sosa's custom or whatelse, but he didn't have them and I don't see the point in rising hell for that.
I'm a huge Conan fan, I take note that The Prize statue has Conan with brown eyes instead of blue, but I don't moan about it constantly because it's still an awesome rapresentation of the character in every aspect.

Also, a little backstory: I'm more sensible to this argument recently. I have a friend working on a custom Majin Vegeta from Dragon Ball. He's going the XM/Resinworx route, adding elements like a few pieces of armor, textures, a ton of details.
He's very skilled and doing an awesome job imho, I really think his project has a lot of potential.
He has a lot of good feedbacks, but also a lot of people who keep pressing and pressing about how that damned Vegeta is not comic accurate because he's wearing a shoulder pad and some straps instead of a plain pajama, or because the head sculpt is more humanized and less manga (you don't say).
There's no way on Earth to have those people understand that the manga Vegeta has been drawn with four pencil lines and three colors, and that a detailed 3D sculpture is a whole other thing.
They just don't understand, and trust me sometimes I'd want to slap them through the pc screen when I start hearing the same tune over and over in the comments.

[MagnumOpus]

But if XM couldn't do justice to their SW portraits, it will be a big let-down than making Conan's eyes brown! For now, I have some concerns but we'll see...

[gomur]

Yeah, I wouldn't have raised a fuss over the hairy arms either. Preferably sculpted but that far into the design process, and I would've let it go. Everything else on my checklist was looking great (claws, portraits, pose, musculature) to be bothered.

I don't envy producers and sculptors trying to distinguish between nitpicking and constructive criticism. What might bother a handful of people versus a majority of collectors. At some point you have to stay true to the vision you had originally, amending it with the good pointers, and realize you can't please everyone.

[Demona]

Comic accuracy should be followed when it comes to character's physical features that cannot be altered without waxing and/or plastic surgery. I give creative license and style points to XM for the details and tweaks they have made on costumes to make them more realistic.

As an example of what I’m talking about using Jean/Phoenix. Her costume in the comics isn't drawn with a seam along the side -- like she would need to put it on. However, XM put that on their design. Kudos!! The Phoenix symbol is larger than some would like – I happen to like it and think it looks nice. It’s not like it’s placed on her ass or was never there, XM just decided to go big. Not that serious in the scheme of the beautiful piece.

However, two of her face sculpts XM previewed had anime/manga characteristics and NOT upstate NY, WASPY female characteristics. Which is IMO a huge issue. As a comic fan and collector, I will always be up in arms about that because no matter who drew her she is/was/always will be a woman with red hair, green eyes from NY who has WASPY heritage -- all you have to do is open a Marvel character encyclopedia to know that. I didn’t buy Black Widow because IMO she does not look Russian and that was a deal breaker for me.

IMO XM is great with base, body, outfits and masked portrait designs. But the unmasked portraits could use a little work.

Magneto is the only one that comes to mind that was flawless in design and execution both portraits. Even without a "Jim Lee" head -- he is all Magneto.

And while I don’t have a horse in the Daredevil race – I will say that unmasked portrait is NOT Matt Murdock.

[The Mule]

But if XM couldn't do justice to their SW portraits, it will be a big let-down than making Conan's eyes brown! For now, I have some concerns but we'll see...

That's true. Movie characters are not like comic/literary characters. Movie characters have a very precise appearance and accuracy is a must. Comic/literary characters are drawn and described in many different ways.
I agree that head sculpts accuracy will make or break the Star Wars license.

[loricstone]

DD's portrait is plainly bad regardless of how you look at it, imho.
But yeah, I understand what you mean. I just think that there's a discrepancy between expectations and reality. You can't make a statue full of textures and details and expect it to look like a 2D picture drawn with pencil and a few colors. I mean, you can do a statue like that... like Bowens. But then it's not a realistic and detailed sculpt.
Surely I would have preferred for Wolverine to have sculpted hair like the PF, or Sosa's custom or whatelse, but he didn't have them and I don't see the point in rising hell for that.
I'm a huge Conan fan, I take note that The Prize statue has Conan with brown eyes instead of blue, but I don't moan about it constantly because it's still an awesome rapresentation of the character in every aspect.

Also, a little backstory: I'm more sensible to this argument recently. I have a friend working on a custom Majin Vegeta from Dragon Ball. He's going the XM/Resinworx route, adding elements like a few pieces of armor, textures, a ton of details.
He's very skilled and doing an awesome job imho, I really think his project has a lot of potential.
He has a lot of good feedbacks, but also a lot of people who keep pressing and pressing about how that damned Vegeta is not comic accurate because he's wearing a shoulder pad and some straps instead of a plain pajama, or because the head sculpt is more humanized and less manga (you don't say).
There's no way on Earth to have those people understand that the manga Vegeta has been drawn with four pencil lines and three colors, and that a detailed 3D sculpture is a whole other thing.
They just don't understand, and trust me sometimes I'd want to slap them through the pc screen when I start hearing the same tune over and over in the comments.

You're too kind. I've wanted to damn near jump through the screen and choke them to death.:laugh:

It's ironic because I know some have probably wanted to do the same to me.

[loricstone]

But if XM couldn't do justice to their SW portraits, it will be a big let-down than making Conan's eyes brown! For now, I have some concerns but we'll see...

I will second that. That can not be half-assed. For me it doesn't have to be absolute perfect resemblance...but it needs to be damn close....like 94% - 99% area of resemblance.

[loricstone]

Comic accuracy should be followed when it comes to character's physical features that cannot be altered without waxing and/or plastic surgery. I give creative license and style points to XM for the details and tweaks they have made on costumes to make them more realistic.

As an example of what I’m talking about using Jean/Phoenix. Her costume in the comics isn't drawn with a seam along the side -- like she would need to put it on. However, XM put that on their design. Kudos!! The Phoenix symbol is larger than some would like – I happen to like it and think it looks nice. It’s not like it’s placed on her ass or was never there, XM just decided to go big. Not that serious in the scheme of the beautiful piece.

However, two of her face sculpts XM previewed had anime/manga characteristics and NOT upstate NY, WASPY female characteristics. Which is IMO a huge issue. As a comic fan and collector, I will always be up in arms about that because no matter who drew her she is/was/always will be a woman with red hair, green eyes from NY who has WASPY heritage -- all you have to do is open a Marvel character encyclopedia to know that. I didn’t buy Black Widow because IMO she does not look Russian and that was a deal breaker for me.

IMO XM is great with base, body, outfits and masked portrait designs. But the unmasked portraits could use a little work.

Magneto is the only one that comes to mind that was flawless in design and execution both portraits. Even without a "Jim Lee" head -- he is all Magneto.

And while I don’t have a horse in the Daredevil race – I will say that unmasked portrait is NOT Matt Murdock.

Are you including Thanos, Thor, Kraven, Dr. Strange, IM MK 42 (Tony head), Wolverine enraged, Elektra, Phoenix original head (which is what we are getting)?

In terms of the BW head not looking Russian...umm I'm not being funny here but just what does a Russian girl look like when women in the same countries and regions looks VASTLY different from the next? I certainly don't think SS BW looks Russian. How can we say what is the exact Russian look?

Agreed on the DD unmasked head. As stated before, the headsculpt in and of itself is fine (sculpt, proportions, etc....assuming they are going for a possessed human look), but it just does not fit MM. If that same head had a blindfold or head covering similar to the tv show while still keeping the smile / teeth look....it would better represent Matt while also showing the fact he enjoys beating the crap out of people in Hell's Kitchen. I still don't quite understand that choice of head sculpt as well.:confused:

Like I said before, and I hope XM understands, you don't have to add extra stuff to a statue just to add it. If it doesn't make sense, or is not needed, or just doesn't add anything to the piece....refrain from including it. I would rather XM scrap the DD head and instead include a bookcase or other odds and ends in the Dr. Strange statue that can almost create a scene. More stuff there to me would make sense. JM2C.:thumbs2:

[Mr. Machismo]

I love the extras & add-ons!

Agreed –-anything remotely anime is a huge turn off. Fortunately, I always prefer masked.

[ZKULPTOR]

I don't mean to sound rude, but when ones sculpting and basing your work of a preexisting "style" your "style" is not even really a consideration. For example if I have someone ask me to draw a Bruce Timm Batman I don't hand them work as I would draw Batman. I do a Bruce Timm inspired version. Erick often does work based off of the work of various comic book artists like Jm Lee or David Finch, and often by request, and in the end the commissioner is the one paying for a piece and that is the style you work in. I have seen Erick tackle so many styles it isn't funny, so Don't assume the above is HIS "style" persay..., though I can see his handy work for sure.
Not that I care, but with all due respect, yes Spidey you are right, I have to be able to do many styles, and sometimes people just want ripped, as was the case with Wolverine. I can do any style, anime, realistic, likenesses , animated ( Disney), etc.
Otherwise I'd paint myself into a corner and never get certain projects :)
The key to surviving in the industry is being versatile, but I do have to agree I love to make characters that look more like they came out of a Simon Bisley comic book but that is rarely what I am allowed to do.
That being said I must say I had my second thoughts with certain aspects of the process, and obviously XM has their own taste and I have to respect that , I just couldn't jive with for example the unmasked DD head, I know the nature of the character is noir/dark and he doesn't go around grinning like that. However and ultimately the client is always right, and artist have to do what theey are requested, and that relationship is something one must either respect or move on to start his own company, period.

[ZKULPTOR]

Erick is a very talented artist but he's got his flaws also, his prototypez company is making some rather boring looking DC statues. And some of his Marvel Koto stuff has been rather uninspiring (Hulk and the almost identical posed Juggernaut for example). So no one is perfect.

There are some very talented artists who are awesome at doing portraits hopefully XM can hire them to help them out... That's pretty much their only weak link IMO. Anyways I wouldn't worry to much about XM they're still going very strong and I don't see that changing anytime soon.
We all have our faults mine's in California ;)

[madmanny]

I think that unmasked DD head is universally disliked, except by Grumpy Bear whom ironically seems to always be Happy Bear when it comes to XM.

[ZKULPTOR]

I think that unmasked DD head is universally disliked, except by Grumpy Bear whom ironically seems to always be Happy Bear when it comes to XM.

Lol the grumpiness washes away :)

[GrumpyBear]

I think that unmasked DD head is universally disliked, except by Grumpy Bear whom ironically seems to always be Happy Bear when it comes to XM.

Are you mad manny? :hilarious:

Trust me i´m not happy all the time, but thx you know me. :thumbs2:

[GrumpyBear]

Lol the grumpiness washes away :)

I´´m a care bear, you know it. So there is much love inside of me. ;)

[madmanny]

Are you mad manny? :hilarious:

Trust me i´m not happy all the time, but thx you know me. :thumbs2:

Could of fooled me. Xm does not need cheerleaders when they have you lol.

[ZKULPTOR]

No problem, it´s your opinion. :thumbs2:

I really love Ericks work and follow him for years, but i have never in my mind to love XM less if he is gone. There was XM before and now after. I think both have a great future.

Thanks brother :)

[ZKULPTOR]

I´´m a care bear, you know it. So there is much love inside of me. ;)

:D:D:D:laugh::laugh:

[madmanny]

Thanks brother :)

I like how your Stark headsculpt looks. Are you happy with that one?

[GrumpyBear]

Could of fooled me. Xm does not need cheerleaders when they have you lol.

There is a reason my name is GrumpyBear. Don´t try to play a game with me you can never win. :thumbs2:

[ZKULPTOR]

Yet you gave that style as a reference to what XM could of released. Also Sosa DC line and a lot of his Koto stuff is the crazy muscle sculpts so IMO that does seem to be his preferred thing, I have no doubt he could sculpt other stuff but I'm guessing he wanted XM to go his route of sculpting instead of keeping it more realistic... just a guess though...

Nope, I do what the client wants, again and for the last time I decided to leave, easy as that :)

[Mr. Machismo]

I just couldn't jive with for example the unmasked DD head, I know the nature of the character is noir/dark and he doesn't go around grinning like that.

Yup...I understand why XM took a stand – fans were getting blood-thirsty and out-of-hand – but that was not the piece to do it on. When everyone's saying it's absolutely terrible (objectively, because it's not the character) – you gotta suck up your pride and listen. This was senseless stubbornness based on ignorance of the subject matter, and clearly had some repercussions. Remember: pride never wins!

[madmanny]

There is a reason my name is GrumpyBear. Don´t try to play a game with me you can never win. :thumbs2:

No problem, its clear you always play alone.

[GrumpyBear]

No problem, its clear you always play alone.

No, next try?

https://scontent-fra3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/p75x225/10671295_951158231601109_1812766963393722352_n.jpg?oh=0bfce1a8b2a400bc511bc2ed11bcca5f&oe=562E425E

[Spidey976]

Not that I care, but with all due respect, yes Spidey you are right, I have to be able to do many styles, and sometimes people just want ripped, as was the case with Wolverine. I can do any style, anime, realistic, likenesses , animated ( Disney), etc.
Otherwise I'd paint myself into a corner and never get certain projects :)
The key to surviving in the industry is being versatile, but I do have to agree I love to make characters that look more like they came out of a Simon Bisley comic book but that is rarely what I am allowed to do.
That being said I must say I had my second thoughts with certain aspects of the process, and obviously XM has their own taste and I have to respect that , I just couldn't jive with for example the unmasked DD head, I know the nature of the character is noir/dark and he doesn't go around grinning like that. However and ultimately the client is always right, and artist have to do what theey are requested, and that relationship is something one must either respect or move on to start his own company, period.

I have known a few style chameleons in the penciling game. If you have a chance check out the work of Loston Wallace http://lostonwallace.deviantart.com/gallery/ the man can draw in damn near any style, and was a penciling mentor of mine for a good long while. In the end .... well you know that I am studying your work m8, I will follow you wherever you go, and I will always listen to your advice. I still owe you a more realistic male headsculpt picture.... going to get back to that right now.

[Cali604]

its amusing how we were hoping people would stop speculating on this thread...and then it just continued. As far as Erick's style some of it is great, I am very impressed by the Thor's Portraits...the whole piece is the best Thor I have ever seen, so I am thankful to him for that! He also seems to be able to do different styles based on requests so once again that is very talented, which some people may not like those styles or poses. All in all both XM and Sosa are goin in different directions and sometimes may end up in the same place...I wish them both the best of luck and would hope that everyone can end the rumours.

[MONSTER]

:deadh: