Panthro - Thundercats Maquette

[Spideristic]

Originally Posted by Igo

It's a soft continuation. Similar to MOTU "Legends", the ThunderCats "Legends" are picking up where we left off while I was at Sideshow, but tweaking a few things to build on what we thought might work better now.

So it's 1:5 scale, pushed similarly to be more "what would we do if we could make a movie", and we're starting with a character that we didnt get a chance to make while I was at Sideshow, Panthro.

We do have a new Lion-O planned (and teased) as well as a Mumm-Ra (mummy form / pre-transformation) and Tygra. Not sure the release order yet, but they are all there. Lion-O will be a bit different than what we did while I was at Sideshow, and a chance for people who missed out on him originally to snag one for this "new" line.

Speaking to comments of wanting this to be pushed more, in terms of extra detail and grit... I think that worked better for MOTU. I dont see MOTU and TCats as having the same aesthetic... while both being beloved 80's properties with very similar themes, I see their aesthetics being totally different. I see He-Man as a world filled with different sci-fi fantasy gladiators, and I see ThunderCats (ThunderCats Heroes specifically) as being olympic super-heroes. Function above all else, clean and sleek, more Star Trek rather than Star Wars.

Mumm-Ra will definitely fall into the more "gritty", and if we get around to doing Slithe, or any of the other Mutants, I think you'll see that A LOT of that grittier contrast you are hoping for. But TO ME, it doesnt make sense for the ThunderCats themselves. Watch that cartoon intro, slick and speedy... I wanted their outfits to have that feel, almost like designing a car.

And the paint has been updated since Power-Con. Power-Con paint was done good enough to show, but we wanted to give it an extra layer of love and care that most people might not realize, but I think a lot of fans will see this piece and feel it's updated without being able to put their finger on why exactly, but it's there.

Hope that helps shine some insight into the decision making with this. Im really proud of how Panthro came out, and really excited to continue the line.

And a HUGE "Thank YOU!" to all who end up pre-ordering. Your support means the world to us, and the more support we get, the more deep we can go with this line. And I wanna go DEEP dammit!

Thank you and the team at Tweeterhead for getting the ThunderCats license and for working on these statues.

And thanks for sharing the reasons behind the creative decisions. As SONICobra said, it indeed makes one appreciate it even more now.

https://tweeterhead.com/product/panthro-thundercats/
Just placed my pre-order using Flex Pay.


I wasn't in a position to buy ThunderCats statues back when Hard Hero, PCS, (and later Sideshow) started their ThunderCats line and sadly they didn't get around to completing the core team, especially Hard Hero considering their designs were more faithful to the cartoon aesthetic and they released more characters.

Iron Studios ThunderCats statues did a good balance of classic design with a modern touch. They retained the classic costumes of the characters, but they updated the faces more than what I would have preferred. Either case, I missed my window with that line and since it was a smaller scale, I was okay not getting them.

Tweeterhead Panthro's costume and weapon have been updated, yet it remains in the realm of the classic aesthetic. Instead of the smooth body from the cartoon, the sculpt and paint shows the body fur yet it's more subdued. Once again, a very good balance has been achieved.

His calves could have been more protruding, but I could rationalize it with the notion that the metallic nature of the leg cover prevents the shape of his calf muscles being visible.



The face portrait looks great, and like mentioned earlier it's along the lines of what if it was a movie. Evokes classic Panthro while having little more realism with the facial features especially the lips and nose.


I wasn't a fan of the Sideshow Lion-O statue due to the changes to the look of the character and the costume. The shorts and body armor look didn't appeal to me, yet surprisingly these changes to Panthro's costume are more fitting.

I understand the need to give the sculpt more texture with body fur going in line with their animal look. HH, PCS, and SS all added fur to Lion-O's body, Iron Studios didn't. I personally would prefer a smooth look for Lion-O, but if it's done in the same style as Panthro I would be okay with it.

[Spideristic]

https://tweeterhead.com/product/panthro-thundercats/
Full gallery

[qz33]

Wow what a difference lighting makes. The warm back drop really takes away from the paint shading and even the armor detail.
Hope the factory nails it because I could see me ordering.

[Electric Tiki]

Originally Posted by Igo

It's a soft continuation. Similar to MOTU "Legends", the ThunderCats "Legends" are picking up where we left off while I was at Sideshow, but tweaking a few things to build on what we thought might work better now.

So it's 1:5 scale, pushed similarly to be more "what would we do if we could make a movie", and we're starting with a character that we didnt get a chance to make while I was at Sideshow, Panthro.

We do have a new Lion-O planned (and teased) as well as a Mumm-Ra (mummy form / pre-transformation) and Tygra. Not sure the release order yet, but they are all there. Lion-O will be a bit different than what we did while I was at Sideshow, and a chance for people who missed out on him originally to snag one for this "new" line.

Speaking to comments of wanting this to be pushed more, in terms of extra detail and grit... I think that worked better for MOTU. I dont see MOTU and TCats as having the same aesthetic... while both being beloved 80's properties with very similar themes, I see their aesthetics being totally different. I see He-Man as a world filled with different sci-fi fantasy gladiators, and I see ThunderCats (ThunderCats Heroes specifically) as being olympic super-heroes. Function above all else, clean and sleek, more Star Trek rather than Star Wars.

Mumm-Ra will definitely fall into the more "gritty", and if we get around to doing Slithe, or any of the other Mutants, I think you'll see that A LOT of that grittier contrast you are hoping for. But TO ME, it doesnt make sense for the ThunderCats themselves. Watch that cartoon intro, slick and speedy... I wanted their outfits to have that feel, almost like designing a car.

And the paint has been updated since Power-Con. Power-Con paint was done good enough to show, but we wanted to give it an extra layer of love and care that most people might not realize, but I think a lot of fans will see this piece and feel it's updated without being able to put their finger on why exactly, but it's there.

Hope that helps shine some insight into the decision making with this. Im really proud of how Panthro came out, and really excited to continue the line.

And a HUGE "Thank YOU!" to all who end up pre-ordering. Your support means the world to us, and the more support we get, the more deep we can go with this line. And I wanna go DEEP dammit!

Thanks for the thorough and thoughtful explanation Igo, I'm sure this will be another winner. I'm a huge Thundercats fan and Panthro was always my favorite. Your tweaks on the costume while keeping the spirit of the original design are a nice mix. Wish you guys the best.

[aadroban]

Tweeterhead showing off the possibilities for this line. Tempting.

[SONICobra]

Well Im in for Panthro, lion-o, tygra with some villains and hopefully snarf. Dont know if ill have room for the whole team but I want to see where this line goes

[Iko Iko]

Originally Posted by aadroban

Tweeterhead showing off the possibilities for this line. Tempting.

If I could free up space, this seems like a great lineup.

[IcedDog]

Originally Posted by SONICobra

Well Im in for Panthro, lion-o, tygra with some villains and hopefully snarf. Dont know if ill have room for the whole team but I want to see where this line goes

I think it's safe to say if they actually get to Snarf, it'll have been a very successful line

[SONICobra]

Originally Posted by IcedDog

I think it's safe to say if they actually get to Snarf, it'll have been a very successful line

One can hope, if they can do hordaks minion - snarf HAS to be possible

[qz33]

Originally Posted by IcedDog

I think it's safe to say if they actually get to Snarf, it'll have been a very successful line

Originally Posted by SONICobra

One can hope, if they can do hordaks minion - snarf HAS to be possible

If He-Man and She-Ra can get Orko and Kowl for Exclusives, Lion-O can get Snarf.