Predator Jungle Hunter Maquette

[COI]

Originally Posted by loricstone

Absolutely 100% disagree. The correct wording should be...SS has SOME of the best team artists in the business. But other companies across the board have industry leading talent associated with them as well. Just as bit if not every bit as great as SS. Talent runs rampant around the world.

Even if all of SS products matched their prototypes, THEY WOULD STILL HAVE TONS OF COMPETITION.

I absolutely 100% disagree that you 100% disagree, because if you agree that Sideshow has SOME of the best artists, then your statement isn't 100% inconsistent with my statement.

Seriously though, I take your point. I misspoke, but I still think Sideshow leads in the art department because they pay for that privilege. It's a perk of being the biggest company. But you're correct in that there are monster talents elsewhere.

[supermetroid]

Originally Posted by OrangeCrush

Comments like this are just so ridiculous. Either you have never known anyone who went into art as a career or are just absolutely terrible at reading people. I have never met a single person who has worked at Sideshow, but I can say with absolute certainty that every last artist working as Sideshow cares about the quality of the projects they work on. Suggesting otherwise is nothing short of laughable.

How they handle the Wolf Predator LSB will determine if they care about quality or not. If they don't allow full refunds with return shipping then it's apparent they don't in this case.

[Chargersfan57]

SS to P1 to XM and beyond all equally have the best artist talents I'm the world.

It's about how the work of those artists ultimately get "put on paper".

The companies willingness to replicate said artists work is the true backbone of each and every company.

Some are willing to push more towards exactness then others. Sometimes companies might try to see what they can get away with to increase profit knowing full well they have enough collectors in their pool that will still buy. Lots of new customers that aren't aware.

If your manpower can't keep up with the qc with all your releases then you should hire more, or reign back some of your releases. SS has shown in the past that they aren't always willing to do either.

The day I can't get quality collectibles from the companies I love is the day I walk away from this hobby for good.

[DPmaster]

Originally Posted by COI

There are artists, corporate decision-making and production. Of course these are all interconnected, but one bad decision/cut corner in one of these areas can ruin the whole pie.

I don't think anyone denies that Sideshow has the best team of artists in the business. The problem comes in translating that amazing art into production. If all of Sideshow's products matched their prototypes, they would have no competition.

It seems the factory that Sideshow uses for Alien and Predator statues isn't as good as the factories for the Marvel and DC stuff.

I think the problem, if you want to call it a problem, is Sideshow uses amazing artists and painters for their prototypes and the bar gets set really high. You get someone like Joe Dunaway, who I consider one of the best painters of Alien/Predator statues in the world, to do your prototypes and they look fantastic. The problem comes in when your average factory worker tries to replicate the same paint job as the prototype. When you don't get it looking like the prototype, obviously people will be disappointed.

It would be like trying to have me replicate Jim Lee or J. Scott Campbell's work. My take on their artwork is not going to look exactly like the original artwork. Ultimately, the only person I can replicate is myself and that's what I'm actually good at since I have my own style and know what I'm capable of.

[supermetroid]

I think what frustrates most people is that if XM and P1, who are smaller companies than SS, can get near prototype quality release after release then why can't SS? They've improved the last couple years but then they have a random really bad piece like this out of nowhere. Makes it hard to have confidence to order.

[DPmaster]

Originally Posted by supermetroid

I think what frustrates most people is that if XM and P1, who are smaller companies than SS, can get near prototype quality release after release then why can't SS? They've improved the last couple years but then they have a random really bad piece like this out of nowhere. Makes it hard to have confidence to order.

With XM and P1, they have their prototypes painted by the actual factory so what you see is what you get and that's why they get proto quality (sometimes even better). With Sideshow, they try to get the best artists/painters to do their prototypes which is nice and draws people in but requires the factory to match the proto paintwork which they may have difficulty doing.

[supermetroid]

Originally Posted by DPmaster

With XM and P1, they have their prototypes painted by the actual factory so what you see is what you get and that's why they get proto quality (sometimes even better). With Sideshow, they try to get the best artists/painters to do their prototypes which is nice and draws people in but requires the factory to match the proto paintwork which they may have difficulty doing.

Yes you're right and they really shouldn't spend hours and hours getting a perfect prototype if they can't deliver at least 90% of it. It just is false advertising if they can't. But to be fair they have came close for example Bane, so it can be done if they pay the factories enough and supervise the work. I understand Predator sculpts are a lot more difficult too but either charge more to get it right or don't show the amazing looking prototypes.

[Python]

Originally Posted by DPmaster

With XM and P1, they have their prototypes painted by the actual factory so what you see is what you get and that's why they get proto quality (sometimes even better). With Sideshow, they try to get the best artists/painters to do their prototypes which is nice and draws people in but requires the factory to match the proto paintwork which they may have difficulty doing.

You say that, but some of the paint ups we see form P1 prototypes couldn't really be bettered much by even the best in the industry. I don't think the issue is that Sideshow prototypes are too good, I mean that's the point. If any of these companies aren't striving to make the absolute best product they can, they should just stop trading. The issue is indeed replicating that product on a mass scale. I'm 100% sure this is no easy task of course. But some companies seem to manage it better than others currently for whatever reason. P1 own their own factories I believe. If Sideshow don't, they could probably consider it as an option given their size.


As an example, here's a low res image of a Prime 1 prototype. Hardly a half job and it's pretty much what we all expect to receive which inspires confidence. I have zero issues with hitting the buy now button when this beauty goes up. And I'll be genuinely excited for it rather than worried as I am with some other companies products. This speaks volumes I think...

[DPmaster]

Originally Posted by Python

You say that, but some of the paint ups we see form P1 prototypes couldn't really be bettered much by even the best in the industry. I don't think the issue is that Sideshow prototypes are too good, I mean that's the point. If any of these companies aren't striving to make the absolute best product they can, they should just stop trading. The issue is indeed replicating that product on a mass scale. I'm 100% sure this is no easy task of course. But some companies seem to manage it better than others currently for whatever reason. P1 own their own factories I believe. If Sideshow don't, they could probably consider it as an option given their size.


As an example, here's a low res image of a Prime 1 prototype. Hardly a half job and it's pretty much what we all expect to receive which inspires confidence.

I agree and it's frustrating. I started collecting Sideshow stuff buying more movie-based than comic-based statues. I grew up on stuff like Alien, Predator, Terminator, and Star Wars so that's what I collected from them as well as other properties like LotR. Back then, I was just excited to be able to collect memorabilia of my favorite movies growing up as a kid, and I was willing to overlook most issues. For example, I bought most of the 1:1 scale bio masks so there definitely were issues like paper lenses for the eyes. Now that I've been collecting for awhile, I expect more for my money and sadly, Sideshow isn't delivering when it comes to the Alien and Predator stuff. These two properties are like the red headed stepchildren of the Sideshow family. No offense meant to red-headed stepchildren of course. I'm just glad we have other choices when it comes to these two properties now.

[Python]

Definitely, I don't know what it is with Sideshows Aliens and Predators really. I thought the Wolf LSB was a fresh start. Sad..