Friday 8 January 2010

The Snow's brought a visitor

Happy New Year everyone.

I hope you all had a good Christmas/New Year.

What with the break for the holidays and the frosty weather we’ve had in Britain, I’m snowed under with work (and you know… snow) so I’ll keep this update relatively short.

Just one figurine update for you but it’s quite an appropriate one – Snowbird.



Despite having a good number of appearances, the selection of Pose for this character was fairly difficult. Looking back through the comics Snowbird is most often seen flying or transforming into an animal so static standing poses are a little hard to come by. There have been a number of poses with Snowbird extending her arm but I deliberately chose not to go with these, as they would look very similar to Jean Grey’s figurine as well as a few others.

I hope you like the direction we’re going in with this figurine.

While we’re on the subject of poses I thought I’d just address a few comments about pose selections and some being repeated. We do try our best to have each figurine in a unique pose and one that is suited to the character. Obviously sometimes we don’t get this quite right. Some figurines seem to come a lot easier than others. Some characters just have workable natural poses, while others cause a lot of trouble. Although an image may look great on the comic page sometimes it just doesn’t work in 3D. Some reasons for this are that on a comic page an artist can cheat an image to make it look great – they can make the body slightly out of proportion, create slightly un-natural poses or just bleed off parts of the body that don’t quite work. Believe me, full turnarounds of comic characters are fairly rare and are never in great poses. Going from a flat image to a 3D model takes some real skill and it’s nearly impossible to match the image perfectly as it always ends up looking odd.

Another major problem with poses selected from comic pages is that the feet placement is often not shown and when it is the legs are frequently wide apart. Even a simple adjustment of narrowing the gap between the legs changes the entire pose as it moves the whole figure’s skeleton.

As some have mentioned, our collection doesn’t always have the dynamism that our sister publication (DC) does. One of the reasons for this is that when we started the Marvel Collection we were working from scratch, we didn’t know if standard poses or over the top dynamic poses were wanted. As the collection has grown we’ve tried to evolve and encompass more poses while not taking the collection too far from the original 20-30 figurines we made. On the other hand DC launched some time after Marvel and had a clean slate. Both Marvel and DC teams work closely and often duties/team members overlap so with the DC project we were able to learn from Marvel and move forward. We always consult each other on figurine development and I’d like to think both teams can learn from each other.

Now I’m not trying to defend all of the choices we’ve made but I am hoping to give you guys a little understanding of how and why we work the way we do.

I’m always happy to take suggestions for poses so if you find something you like feel free to point us in the right direction. Just remember, not everyone’s going to agree with you ;-)

Have a good weekend everyone.

215 comments:

1 – 200 of 215   Newer›   Newest»
Anonymous said...

Just came on here by chance! and found an update! nice!! Quality work on Snowbird - Good stuff :D

Robert said...

Thanks for explaining how you choose a pose, Rich. I know we can sound a bit (okay, very) critical and hard-to-please at times but we do appreciate the hard work put in by you and the rest of the team! Snowbird will be another excellent addition to the collection. Thanks!

Thor8 said...

Hi Rich, I find the Snowbird figurine to be quite nice looking. Hope you can show us a sneek peak of the Wasp,The Grim Reaper and Klaw real soon.

The Grim Reaper said...

Nice update Rich and hope all you guys have a great 2010.

Love the Snowbird sculpt...very "COOL" looking.
@Thor Grim Reaper fig been on display a while now.

Holy Wolf said...

SNOOOOOOOOWBIRD!!!!!!!!

Fantastic start to the new decade with that one and you've made my day entirely. She looks great and nice to know all my campaigning last year was truly worth it :D

Anonymous said...

Thanks Rich for your generous answers! WOW SNOWBIRD'S SO FRICKIN AWESOME! I just feel like jumpin up n down wit all d good news today in the comics dept: iron man's new armor, ghost rider 2 officially green lighted as "the spirit of vengeance", and now this!! WOOOHOO!!

On the subject of poses: I guess quasar's gonna be hard since you rarely see him on the ground...lemme see if i find a decent one.
Thanks again for the info Rich; for later reference if you plan on re-do's, take DC'S Creeper as a general idea of how Hobgoblin should be made.

jarvis69 said...

Hi Richard and thanks for the explanations about the pose You choose .Snowbird.... With the actual weather...good choice ! lol
The Alpha Flight is growing , growing....( where are Puck and Sasquatch.?.?.?)

Anonymous said...

Thanks Rich for your generous answers! WOW SNOWBIRD'S SO FRICKIN AWESOME! I just feel like jumpin up n down wit all d good news today in the comics dept: iron man's new armor, ghost rider 2 officially green lighted as "the spirit of vengeance", and now this!! WOOOHOO!!

On the subject of poses: I guess quasar's gonna be hard since you rarely see him on the ground...lemme see if i find a decent one.
Thanks again for the info Rich; for later reference if you plan on re-do's, take DC'S Creeper as a general idea of how Hobgoblin should be made.

Banshee said...

One word.... AWESOME.

Snowbird looks amazing. Now if the rest of Alpha Flight are sculpted and look like her they'll be the best team by far :)

Miguel Angel Jiminez said...

In all honesty Snowbird is a character i know little about , that said he does look very promising. Heck i still haven't read a comic with Mr Sinister in it, Yet he's my fav sculpt in the whole collection thus far :)

Jacadoo said...

Have to echo Banshee Alpha Flight are going to look superb - Snowbird fantastic.

Now come on give me some hope regarding Sasquatch

Jacadoo said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Ryan Maxwell said...

YAAAHOOOO!!! ALPHA FLIGHT!! SNOWBIRD!! OK, a short break to breathe...

Looks great, Rich. A bit bustier than Byrne drew her, IMO, but I think that's how she's been portrayed more lately.

As a dedicated AF fan, and the only owner outside of the man himself of a genuine John Byrne custom EM figurine (Guardian, natch), I leave myself totally open to you if you want opinions on future members of the team. Like the impending twins, Sasquatch and Puck :^)

Gremlin said...

Snowbird looks beautiful, can't wait to see her painted. I was actually thinking earlier today it would be very appropriate to have a sneak peek of her.
As for the pose its very fitting for her and I see how certain characters must be hard to sculpt. Good luck when it comes to Destiny....

buffduffdan said...

Snowbird looks amazing. Really wasn't sure how you would pull her off but you definitely have! She looks amazing and definitely makes me want the rest of Alpha Flight :D

max_0888 said...

Wow,that snowbird fig looks awesome. Can't wait to add it to my collection. Snowbird will look really nice next to Guardian in the collection. I love it when teams grow in the collection. (Can't wait for Karnak to be confirmed)

The quality of the fig for the next extansion have been the best so far. Titania, Gorgon, Sunfire, Nomad, Grim Reaper..they all look top notch and i'm happy to say Snowbird is joining them. The latest extansion will look beyond great. Can't wait to see the likes of Cannonball, Spiral, Moondragon, Klaw, Songbird and all. Especially Siryn ;) even two weeks later, I still can't believe she will be made in the collection!! I just re-read all of X-factor investigation (1-50) Siryn has been through so much just in that book. With all the history she had before (since 1981) it will be one good mag :) gotta love the irish gal hehe

jimbob said...

Very nice sculpt.

More Alpha Flight please!!!!!!!

Mr J said...

Snowbird looks like she coming on quite well. Will be cool 2 see her painted.

2 Questions......

Can we get a sneak of Pyro next?

Any update on Northstar & Aurora been officially confirmed?

Cheers.

Holy Wolf said...

While we're on the topic of Snowbird, here's a totally shameless plug of my winning custom cover from the forum comp last year, hoping the real cover smashes mine out of the ballpark :)

http://i428.photobucket.com/albums/qq5/grimreaper1664/cover%20comp/snowbirdcover3copy.jpg

Robert said...

Just jumped back on to read everyone's comments and, in the process, reread Rich's comment.

You know, it's easy to forget how lucky we are that we have contact with the figurine makers and also have input with the particular incarnation of the characters. Now, Rich is even inviting ideas about poses! I mean, that's pretty incredible.

The only problem I can see is that we don't know which characters' poses have been finally decided upon and which are still being debated. However, as a suggestion, Rich could end his weekly posts by saying that for the next week they'd listen to (but not necessarily have to follow, of course) pose ideas/ comic reference for a certain character. We've been given some insight into which poses are appropriate, so that might help us in checking issues and suggesting poses. This will really give us something to get involved in and could become a semi-regular feature of Rich's blog.

Is this collection great, or what?

Miguel Angel Jiminez said...

Just wondering if anyone else collects the DC figs? Or to be more precise does anyone else collect the DC figs even though they have no interest in the DC univers whatsoever? God i hope it's not just me. :)
These little figs are so damn addictive. I recently subscribed to the DC line just so i could recieve 2 subby packs per month , just how sad is that?
I recently recieved something called a Gorrila Grodd i have no idea who he is but by golly he is a stunning figurine easily the best sculpt of either collection . Now before i am banned from this blog for my traitorous lies let me say when the Fing Fang Foom fig arrives i fully expect the marvel collection to wrestle back the title of most impressive sculpt.
I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of something called a Nightwing?

Holy Wolf said...

Your mention of FFFoom does bring an interesting thought to mind.

Which is the better sculpt - FFFoom for CMFC, or Lobo for DC? All I know is both are absolutely sensational!

Hawkeye said...

Ted - I have to admit to collecting some of the DC collection - not all mind (too expensive to collect both sets) but some (most of the big players like Batman, Superman, W Woman, etc) but I have been impressed with their figures. I'm getting the Batman on a Batcycle special and can't wait. To be honest I like the idea of DC / Marvel figures sharing shelf space and come up with my own crossover team-ups (Green Goblin and the Joker; my namesake Hawkeye and Green Arrow etc etc). Heresy to some maybe, but hey I'm not hurting anyone! :) (BTW, love the Snowbird preview Rich and thanks for the info on how poses are chosen - very interesting!)

Miguel Angel Jiminez said...

Hawkeye i think i am going to mix the collections into one big DC/Marvel crossover . You know the kind of George perez spectacular? .
It all depends what gives out first
my creaking shelves or my creaking credit card :)

Paul said...

Hey true believers,

Being Canadian I love the Snowbird sculpt. Go Alpha Flight!!!!! I have been waiting for this figure to be previewed and am not disappointed. Awsome eh!!

I have just passed the 100 mark in my collection that I have been finding since August 2009 and love em. Keep them coming and let's go to 200 for Marvel. I anxiously await these updates weekly and get excited about the pose updates. I really wish these eaglemoss would ship direct overseas to customers. Any weight you could pull Rich?

Anyway, till next time. Keep em coming.....love em, love em, love em.

Hawkeye said...

Ted - I have the George Perez Justice League / Avengers crossover Graphic Novel and like your thinking! One of the best parts of that book is the Batman / Captain America face-off which is brilliant - neither actually lands a blow on the other as they are so well matched and they decide to team up instead. Love it! Also the image of Superman carrying Cap's shield and Thor's hammer is geek heaven!

Miguel Angel Jiminez said...

Spot on Hawkeye , I have only read a couple of dozen DC mags at most One of them being the second part of the crossover you mentioned , I wish EM had went with the Superman armed with hammer and shield as a special rather than that monstrosity golden superman, when i recieve my opt out letter i will be on the phone quicker than a really quick thing! :)

Robert said...

Supes with Mjolnir and Cap's shield?!

Sacreligious!

Ted, I'm ashamed for both of us!

pirate adam said...

Thanks for the update Rich, not a fan of Alpha Flight but snowbird does look fantastic and shes not even painted, possibly the second best female after Enchantres.

as for Superman holding the Mighty Mjolnir? i know he did but only because the moment required it, when he tried later on, with all his might and power he couldn't budge the Mighty Mallet, clearly hes not worthy, whereas any tom, dick or harry can lift Caps shield.

Pirate Adam

foxchilde said...

Snowbird looks great :-)

And thanks for the insight into the collection regarding poses. I can see where that could be challenging as some have quite classic ones, and others like Snowbird are often seen in tranistion or face up.
Doing a great job, regardless! :-)

Looking forward to Destiny & Siryn bigtime. So psyched for this extension!

Gremlin said...

I know I am being picky here but the blue stripe down the front of Snowbird's costume should link onto her cape under her chin.

http://www.marveldirectory.com/pictures/individuals/s_1d/snowbird.gif

That sculpt has the cape and the costume seperate. As I say I am just being picky. Its still an amazing sculpt.

Thor8 said...

Don't know why I mentioned The Grim Reaper,Grim. whom I meant to request was Radioactive Man.

Ted you said:"In all honesty Snowbird is a character i know little about , that said "HE" does look very promising." Honestly I believe you when you say you know nothing about the character(including it's sex genre). Nothing stronger than milk for you for awhile mate! Oh by the way I collect Dc figurines that belong to The JLA.

Holy Wolf said...

I too thought about displaying marvel and dc figs mixed together but nowadays the scale difference really is too noticable between collections. I'm a newsie so I pick up both collections at the same time every fortnight and normally the marvel figs barely reach the shoulders of the dc figs in terms of height!

Robert said...

I don't buy anything DC, figures or comics. Only Marvel for me.

PA, true, anyone can lift Cap's shield but how many can make it boomerang back to their hand or ricochet it off the noggins of three ne'er-do-wells? Superman could only use if defensively. He hasn't the skill or finesse to use it creatively as an offensive weapon.

As for Thor's hammer, Superman should never have been able to lift it. The only Marvel hero outside Thor who can and should be able to lift it is Cap.

And while I'm on a roll, there is no way that Batman should be able to beat Cap.

Robert said...

Sorry, meant to write "The only hero outside Thor himself who can and should be able to lift Mjolnir is Captain America". Didn't mean to qualify "hero" with "Marvel".

pirate adam said...

Robert, what about Beta Ray Bill, Odin and Thunderstrike? cant they all lift Mjolnir? and dont forget Bor recently caught it when Thor threw it at him. others have been known to lift the Hammer but only on certain occasions. Maybe our resident Thunder God will set us all straight.

Pirate Adam

Kal Brindle said...

Woo Hoo & Wow! Narya looks awesome Rich. Another superb sculpt. Thank you for doing Alpha Flight such justice. Two down and so many more Alphans to go.

Grem is right about her cape though - so hopefully there's still lots of time to make that correction.

I can't wait for the day when the twins get confirmed. Northstar has been my number one want since I started collecting the series. Fingers crossed you'll be sharing that good news soon.

Desperately waiting on Puck, Sasquatch and Shaman - but am grateful for what we have so far too. This Canadian salutes you.

Anonymous said...

Hey Mr Sallis I have the first 2 figurines of the DC collection and am planning to get Batman on Bike. Also I have the complete series of Green Arrow Year One minus no 4. To be honest I really think that the DC figurines have been stuff of legend with the dynamism in their poses; I originally planned to get all the ones that would somehow be an answer to some key Marvel heroes (Captain America - Batman, Hulk - Superman, Hawkeye-Green Arrow, Thor - Shazam, Deadpool - Deathstroke, Deathlok - Deadshot, etc.) and some Batman villains but my wallet couldn't take it. That's not to say in any way that the figurines are completely better than the CMFC, but after Hawkeye the quality somehow started to lax a bit, recalling the disappointing sculpts of Ghost Rider (which I believe should ve been a special on a bike - would ve been cool havin GR and Batman racing across the shelf) and Captain Britain. However the mastery was reclaimed since the Moleman, and still does not disappoint, with the exception, of course, of the absurd posture of the Hobgoblin of which I constantly whine about XD.
BTW, who else likes the new look of Thor, Iron Man and the Reborn look of Cap over their classics? And also, who else likes the 90's looks of Thor and Hawkeye?

Miguel Angel Jiminez said...

Oops didn't mean to refer to the lovely snowbird as a "he"
It reached 14 below zero here last night must have been suffering from brain freeze.
Nothing like a Marvel vs DC debate to keep as on our toes.
I am most Loki like :)
Hey Robert , just a thought we are all assuming Mr Slapstick has for reasons known only to himself decided to no longer post on this blog. BUT what if the unthinkable has happened?... what if he's too busy actually reading all those Marvel comics he got from Santa, perhaps he's having some kind of comic related ephifany as we speak

pirate adam said...

thats a good question crowrider, i think Thors new costume makes him look more imposing and badass, with armoured sleaves and trousers he looks more like a viking warrior. Iron Mans new armour has a picture over on the forum but to be honest, how much can you change Tonys armour? however does anybody else think that the general art in comics has got alot better over the years and its unfair to compare todays artwork with artwork from 20-30 years ago? its almost like comparing Pele to Ronaldo

Pirate Adam

Holy Wolf said...

Just to add my seconding to the consensus that Snowbird's cape should connect to the centre stripe on her costume.

Also Rich, any news on whether Gorgon's lack of goggles was caught in time?

Robert said...

Damn those early morning rants of mine... I'll get to that in a moment.

PA, the artwork of today is definitely not better than 20 or 30 years ago. It's not even close. The improvement is the quality of the production process. You've gone from recycled paper and a basic, hand colouring process (as was the lettering) to subtle computer colouring and fancy fonts. Last week I was rereading old Ross Andru Spidey, which is wonderful. This week I'm rereading the Infinity Watch with Tom Grindberg. Stunning to frequently incomprehensible. When I was a kid Jack Kirby, John and Sal Buscema, John Romita, Neal Adams, Gil Kane, Ross Andru, Jim Starlin and loads of others were either still alive, still active or doing their best work. Even the likes of Klaus Janson was around then (and great). Look at the quality of the early Sal Buscema Hulks and a modern comic. Huge improvement in production. But find me a Hulk comic as beautifully drawn as the Sal Buscema/ Ernie Chan issues that were printed in the 1970s. Bet you can't.

As for my Mjolnir rant. Yes, you're right, PA, others have lifted it. Thor's pappy, and his grandfather have lifted the hammer. (Simonson/ Buscema Thor for later example.) And we have Dargo (I think that's right; need to check spelling) from the future and Eric Masterson, who became Thunderstrike. And the alien, Bill. However, none of these characters were already costumed heroes, which is what I was ineptly trying to state. The only guy in longjohns to lift the hammer is Cap. I don't want to see anyone else, Marvel or DC, lifting it. That even includes Peter Parker.

As for the looks of the Big Three, I much prefer classic Thor and Iron Man. And Cap looked better when his chainmail wasn't fish scales.

Yes, I admit it, my brain is stuck circa 1976.

pirate adam said...

i did say it was unfair to compare todays artwork to that of times gone by due to the fact that the quality of paper, inks and technology used in creating the comics has moved on a great deal, however sombody must have still of had to sit down and draw them before transfering them to a computer.

i do however agree with Robert on the fact that Caps chainmail was better when not made out of daed fish.

PA

Robert said...

Sorry if I was a bit, ahem, strident in my response, Pirate Adam. I got on my favourite soap box again and that's always a bad thing. No offence intended.

pirate adam said...

none taken pal!! but is that soap box from 1976 :)

PA

Anonymous said...

firstly , congratulations on snowbird looking great so far , can't wait to see the finished article.

secondly , marvel figurines have improved so much that they are starting to look very similar to the dc figurines , by which i mean poses , sculpts and paint etc.
superman statue is gross , would have looked much better if painted in red blue and yellow , we'd have still known it was a statue.
would be great if the dc collection had a blog like this one.

thirdly , alpha flight i think should be finished with 3 twin packs and a special.
northstar + aurora
marrina + puck
shaman + vindicator
sasquatch special

next , hobgoblin + green goblin.
i'm surprised none of them were sculpted on a glider , so perhaps we could get a demogoblin on a glider ?
p.s : j jonah jameson for the next extention please

Miguel Angel Jiminez said...

We tackle all the easy stuff on this blog . Trying to decide if the art of 20,30 or 40 years ago is superior to the art being produced today ( or vice versa ) is as ridiculous as comparing cassius clay to Joe Louis . Pele to Maradona
Modern artists would not have devolped without the great innovators that went before them like Kane ,Kirby, Steranko etc etc
Just as those legends were in turn inspired by the likes of alex Schomburg, Burne Hogarth's Tarzan strip from 1930's still looks amazing 70 years later,
The main difference now is in the printing process and the vastly superior colouring technology of today. Kane Buscema,Adams etc were like gods to me as a kid. Just check out big Johns Silver Surfer series absolutely stunning, Or his collaborations with Alfredo Alcala on the savage sword of Conan b+w mags .
But as a scientist probably once said " comparing artists from different eras is kinda stoopid"
Altogether now.. " When Captain America throws his mighty shield, All those who oppose his shield must yield . la la la....

Robert said...

If I'm honest, PA, I have to confess rather shamefacedly to an entire collection of soap boxes. I have one for 'bad manners' (practically worn out because of Slapstick), one for when people talk about the 'good old days' (it's a myth), one for people who commend Margaret Thatcher (the evil witch), etc.

I'll try harder not to use them on here, okay?

Robert said...

Ted, soapbox aside, I agree that some fields, like science, cannot be compared effectively due to advances in technology. However, I see no reason why we cannot compare artwork from different eras, especially if we strip it back to its uncoloured form. A Buscema-Sinnot Fantastic Four will always look better than an anatomy-warping McFarlane, Liefeld, Lee, Turner, Campbell, etc. The computer colouring today is lovely, stunning even, but when you see the bare artwork of a lot of modern art its surprisingly unimpressive.

pirate adam said...

robert, i have Thor #1 (the current run) in a limited edition black and white cover and it is by far better than any of the colour front covers i have seen recently, does this qualify as the un-coloured form you spoke about?

Robert said...

As far as I know, PA, there were two b/w covers, one a reproduction of pencils by Olivier Coipel and another pencils by Michael Turner. I was really thinking of inked work. Sometimes you see the contrast between inked version and coloured version in the Director's Cut editions.

I'm not trying to say all modern art is terrible and all old stuff is perfect. Alongside those giants I mentioned there were duffers like Alan Kupperberg. However, having read every issue of Cap, Thor, FF, Hulk, Iron Man, Avengers, etc. I believe that the older issues are superior in terms of basic artwork. That's not to say there are not good artists around (John Romita junior; Mike Deodato jr. has improved a great deal in recent years, for example). I still buy comics and love the improvements in the colouring, paper quality and printing process. I buy Thor, have done for decades. It looks very good, with beautiful lush colouring, but Coipel is no Buscema. Similarly, Deodato is no Perez. And so on.

Anonymous said...

don't get me wrong guys i didnt compare the ARTISTS - just the LOOK. personally I prefer the modern and the 90's look for Thor than his classic - it kinda looks awkward, while his modern and 90's look were more Viking-y and hardcore; the 90's look reminds me somehow of the "Immigrant Song" by Led Zepellin, while the modern look is somewhat remiscent of Shakesperean lore.

Anonymous said...

the only time I really liked the way the classic look was depicted was in Esad Ribic's art in the Loki series btw

Robert said...

Sorry if we misunderstood you, Crowrider. This is not the right place for this debate and it's all subjective anyway. There is no "right" answer, just what we like best.

Anonymous said...

no worries robert; i was just thinking if anyone likes the progession of our heroes' costumes.anyways, back to the figurines. I was thinking repainting a damaged nighthawk I bough a couple of weeks ago after my university exams - i was wondering a) what types of colors i should use and b) if I should give him the modern color scheme (black-yellow-red) or the squadron supreme/sinister colors (blue - indigo - black)

Miguel Angel Jiminez said...

Robert,You and i both know all art from the 1960's and 70's is far superior to the pishposh passing as comic art today!
But we don't want to come across as preachy old farts. :)
If i can be semi serious for a wee moment, I happen to own a few pages of original art , One being a John Buscema/ Alfredo Alcala page from Ka-Zar it is ridiculously detailed and quite beautiful , I also have a Ernie Chan Kull pin-up page from the same era equally lovely .
I am also fortunate to own a couple of pages of art by a young chap named Brian Hitch both from his amazing work on the Ultimates. One page shows Cap America tapping Hank Pym on the shoulder before giving the wife beating scum a hellacious beating , The other is a full page depiction of the alien who bears an uncanny resemblance to the scottish actor Robert Carlyle ( gee you must be around the same age Robert?? )
both pages are amazingly detailed and in my opinion easily on a par with some of the greats of yesteryear.
I do however think some comic artists are devolping a new discipline to take advantage of or to accomodate the new colouring processes.
I recently looked into buying a piece of art by the superman artist Frank Quitely but as the colouring style is actually one of the headline stars of the book when you see Quitely's art in it's bare bones form there is absolutely nothing there. It's like a childs coluring in book All shading is added by digital means.
But we can't simply say old good new bad .A lot of the new art is equally impressive it's just different

Robert said...

Mighty impressed by the original art you own, Ted. I have a sketch of Hulk's head that Sal Buscema did for me, which I love, but that's it. Would love to own more.

Oh, and Ted, after my recent, slightly emotionally unstable, posts, I have no defence if accused of being a preachy old fart.

Really need to remember my meds...

Miguel Angel Jiminez said...

i have a convention sketch of Deathlok by Rich Buckler it may not be as polished as some of my comic art, but i wouldn't swap it for all the tea in china .
Rich Buckler god he was good!

Robert said...

Stop, Ted, you're making me jealous!

Back to the figurine collection, why no sneak peak of the Crimson Dynamo so far? We just saw an early sculpt of Snowbird and she's not due for seven months AFTER the Dynamo. And there have been others we've seen painted like the Son of Satan that are a lot later, too. I'm not complaining, just curious. Is the Crimson Dynamo wearing stealth armour...?

pirate adam said...

CAP giving PYM a sound thrashing, i would love to see that amost as good as Thor pounding on IronMan.

I would like to see a painted Blackheart or peaks of Quasar and Ares.

PA

Robert said...

After his role in the Civil War and Cap getting shot, ANYONE hitting Iron Man is fine by me...

B.J.Grimm said...

Hi Rich. Great work on Snowbird.
Hope we'll have all the members of Alpha Flight at the end.
I prefer having complete teams instead of single members but I know I cannot have all I wish.
It would be great having also all the heralds of Galactus!
...and the Inhumans... :D

Miguel Angel Jiminez said...

I think i can shed a little light on the (non) appearance thus far of the crimson Dynamo. I emailed my good tovarishich Rich and explained why the original armour was the only option .
The original suit illustrates the soviet era of the 1960's perfectly.
His suit is functional not flashy (unlike imperialist alcoholic who built flashy suit with nose piece and rollerskates? )
I recently saw footage of the insides of the old soviet Soyuz rockets . My god those cosmonauts were some of the bravest souls to grace this earth of ours . the rocket and electronic technology was from the 1940's these hardy souls were then strapped to several hundred tons of rocket fuel and blasted into orbit . That is what the original Dynamo armour means to me!
Go back to WW2 your tank geeks will wax lyrical about the German Tiger tank . But it was the crudely built soviet T-34 that one the day against the nazi hordes . THAT is what the original Dynamo armour means to me!
It doesn't matter if they were russian , vegetarian, gemini or communist .
The original armour embodies the indomitable spirit of the russian people. functionality over flashyness.
To disrespect the great peoples of Russia by releasing a figurine of great russian hero in his pointy head armour would be a great insult .
He look like big Crimson love aid, that's not a good look.
After much browbeating comrade Rich is in agreement with me.
Well boy s and girls if you want to use a hysterical arguement for a particulr look to a 3 inch lead fig, try topping this little beauty.:)

Robert said...

Looks like I'm not the only one who isn't taking their meds today...

Miguel Angel Jiminez said...

What can i say i am merely a vessel for Loki's machiavellian machinations on midgard?

Miguel Angel Jiminez said...

Try saying that on meds :)

pirate adam said...

Ted that takes the biscuit ;)

Miguel Angel Jiminez said...

PA you know i may occasionaly go off on a rather "out there" kinda rant, but i do try not to be a predictably pedantic poster of pish on this site.
Stan lee would love my illiteration...fact!
I still can't believe Brian Blessed didn't get the Odin gig!

pirate adam said...

i heared Anthony Hopkins for Odin

Robert said...

Brian Blessed has a wonderful voice but he's incredibly hammy. Hopkins has the gravitas to pull off Odin. If we want people to take the film seriously and for it to have any plausibility we must go for Hopkins rather than a guy whose career really belongs in panto.

Miguel Angel Jiminez said...

och!Robert i hate it when your right :)
Although Mr Blesseds appearance on HIGNFY must rank as my tv highlight of the decade.
Talking of ham do you really think the decrepid and over rated Mr Hopkins can fill the role?
I seriously hope so.
This is the one marvel film i want to watch without my toes curling.
Although Iron man was fab.
This is without doubt going to be the hardest comic book to live action movie ever attempted

Robert said...

Captain America is my favourite hero, so that's the one I'm sweating on. I love Thor, too, so I am watching bulletins with interest. We can be positive and hopeful as most of the recent Marvel films have been pretty good, Spidey 2, Iron Man and X-Men 2 in particular. Still, you're right about Thor: it'll be very tricky to get right. Even after forty-plus years the comic cannot decide whether he should spend most of his time on earth or on Asgard.

Miguel Angel Jiminez said...

Robert . the cap movie is of great concern to me also. Just out of interest would you like to see cap hurling himself into the fray wearing the ultimate version of his outfit (and let's face it thats the only plausible look.)
Or would you want Cap landing on the normandy beaches dressed like a red white and blue garbed mental patient?

Robert said...

Not sure "plausible" is entirely appropriate for the superhero genre, Ted! Radioactivity causes you to gain amazing powers rather than painful death over many months, etc. But I know what you mean. I think they probably will go with the Ultimates look for the WWII scenes. That's okay but I do like the classic outfit. If they change it too much I don't see Cap any more...

pirate adam said...

i am very concerned about the Thor movie as the Marvel films with the exception of IronMan and the first X-Men are not very good (being polite there) on the other hand the DC movies, Dark Knight in particular are very good. i do like the Animated Marvel films though.

im not so worried about Hopkins playing Odin but the guy they have to play the Odinson? words fail me!

the hardest job Marvel will have is to bring all the Movies (IronMan, Thor, Cap America and Hulk) together to make the Avengers Movie.

PA

Robert said...

Personally, I thought the last Superman film was a stinker!

Miguel Angel Jiminez said...

yep the last Supes movie was garnering rave reviews as i recall, Pity it was complete mince ( putting it very mildly )
Robert, Of course Cap should don a recognisable version on the red,white and blue otherwise as you say it just wouldn't be Cap.
Back 1988? i had the dubious honour of watching the last attempt to bring Cap to the big screen ( or straight to video in this case.)
I was left so traumitised by that movie?. that i could not bring myself to visit a comic store for weeks.
And i still haven't forgiven Marvel for what they did to my alter ego Man-Thing!

pirate adam said...

the Hoff as Nick Fury!

OOOOOOUUUUUCCCCHHHHHH!!!!!

PA

Miguel Angel Jiminez said...

HELL YEAH PA,
That was on tv not long ago.
But i am sure Marvel have learned their lessons and will not allow liberties to be taken with their characters in future..ahem!

Anonymous said...

speaking of nick fury , can anyone answer me this ?
is there going to be a nick fury film and who's playing him as i've seen george clooney , david hasselhoff and samuel l jackson wearing the famous eye patch. also why is he white one minute and black the next ?

pirate adam said...

hes Black in the Ultimate Universe

PA

Jacadoo said...

Hi Asgardian cousins.

Hard to debate artwork from differing decades and we are all aware of the advancements in coloring, as I understand the original comics were printed between 100 and 200 DPI!!

For me I stopped reading a long time ago and while living in China I re-discovered Marvel through Civil War - so for me it has to be the modern story lines as they are more developed rather than fly around land and beat up a thunder god (ooopps sorry for the slip).

I like the fish scale Capt A uniform but do not like the addition of the pistol.

One major hate is the trend of killing off the characters and bringing them back - so not happy with all things modern.

Ted - I collect DC also - but have always disliked the comics - I collect because I enjoy the process - but OMG how rubbish was the Gold Superman?

I collect Bowen, Sideshow and Diamond Select, my collection of FS statues include numerous versions of Capt A, Thor, Silver Surfer, Wolverine to name but a few - but sadly no LS Galactus....

I think there has been a few characters who has weilded Mjolnir - but there is only one Thor.

The addition of armour to Thor is a nice development (feel free to see my sneak peek of a WIP custom CMF Flying Thor in armour posted later today).

Gents there is also only one Captain America, he would spark out Batman.

As for Superman - get a make over your soooo 50's!!

Jacadoo said...

Sorry my armoured Thor will be posted in the New Customs section of the SHFF, if it was not clear from my post.

Robert said...

Ted and Jacadoo, you collect DC figurines but don't read the comics?!? Are you Slapstick in disguise?

Sorry, that was a low one! :)

Classic all the way, guys. Classic Thor costume, white Nick, etc. ...

Miguel Angel Jiminez said...

Love your WW Hulk customs Jacadoo,
Looking forward to seeing Thor . When i recently took my first baby steps into the world of customising , I was scouring the forum for tips and advice . One of best tips i discoverd was to use a sharp craft blade to to clearly mark the edges of gloves, boots facemasks etc. I found it to be really helpful when it came to painting the fig.
The wise sage who wrote that advice was a certain Mr Jacadoo!
Robert i know it does sound Slapstick like to collect figs of characters i have no interest in,
I can offer up no defence for this frankly bizzare behaviour other than to say , They really are rather beautifuly made.
I will soon be cherry picking the DC characters i happen to like (it is a very short list Jonah Hex..er that's it)

Robert said...

On the principle that the squeaky wheel gets the oil, I'm going to start campaigning for some info on the Crimson Dynamo. This tale of suspense is killing me.

Rich, I'm not worried about a sneak peak photograph (although that would be nice, too) but I'm itching to resolve the mystery of which version you have chosen. I'm hoping it's the Alex Nevsky version. Or the model from the first "Armor Wars". Later versions aren't even crimson (!) so hopefully that ruled those ones out!

Anyone willing to lend their backing to this campaign, please say. Any support will be appreciated.

Until tomorrow's appeal, dozvedanya, comrades.

Miguel Angel Jiminez said...

Hey Robert you being a Steve Rogers fan if you click on my name then click on original art you will see a lovely cap painting . I think the artist said it appeared in Wizard,
Can you name all the cap villains hidden in his shield.
Feel free to join in boys n girls
as a reward i won't send the winner a deep fried mars bar :)

Robert said...

Nice painting, Ted.

Clockwise from 12 o'clock I see the Red Skull, not sure, Crossbones, Madame Hydra/ Viper, Dr Faustus, and two not sures on either side of Batroc. The head just prior to Batroc looks like a Hydra agent, but so does the one next to the Skull. Have to admit I am drawing a blank on the guy after the Skull. Help!

What, no Doughboy?!??

Jacadoo said...

Hi Ted glad I could be of help mate.

Robert yes I admit I'm a saddo as my wife would say collecting DC and not being a fan and I have no excuse - its a recognised illness collectimus extreemusus LOL.

Ted the Capt America painting is class and I would leave it to the better informed to try and name them.

Miguel Angel Jiminez said...

LOL I was really hoping you could tell me.
I posted that image over on the forum and the boffins on there came up with ( from right to left)
Sin,Crossbones,Flag Smasher,Red Skull,Baron Helmut Zemo,Batroc, ?? and Dr Faustus.
I think the ??? is indeed an agent of hydra.
Speaking of hydra why is there no love for these poor souls who are naught but punch bags for the super hero brigade , bring on a henchman triple pack featuring AIM / Hydra and maybe the sons of the serpent. :)

Robert said...

Thanks for the explanation, Ted. Forgot about Flag Smasher- jings mahboab, what a terrible name!

Looking again, I was wrong about Viper. Her hair usually hangs over her face on one side to obscure scarring. So Sin it is. Really unconvinced by Zemo identification, although it would be a logical choice.

Miguel Angel Jiminez said...

Yep, A supervillain who likes to smash? flags isn't the most intimidating prospect, The Baron Zemo identification is the one i am least convinced of too.
I am sure there must be someone on here with enuff marvel knowledge to put me oot of my misery ,,..
Mighty Marvel perhaps?
So Robert have you seen the last live action Cap America movie ? C'mon own up , I bet you have the dvd hidden away somewhere. :)

Robert said...

Honestly, I haven't seen the Cap movie, though I would like to see it some day just out of curiosity. I know of it of course and I think I bought a comic adaptation of the movie at the time. Bit bemused that the Skull was Italian but glad Cap looked like Cap and his shield was accurate.

On the subject of Hydra, I have suggested them several times in the past. Very distinctive look and have made loads of appearances across a range of titles. Can't really leave them out, can we? Maybe Rich can coment on whether they are in his thoughts...?

As for the Zemo identification, while he is a major Cap villain the whole point is that the mask is either stuck to his face (Zemo senior) or he's wearing it because he's badly scarred (Zemo junior). At least that's what used to be the case in Cap's own comics back in the day. Therefore, the identification is highly unlikely to be Zemo. It wouldn't make sense if it was Zemo.

Robert said...

Not sure about the Flag Smasher identification, either, now! Just checked references for him and his eye pieces are quite distinctively oblong. Neither of the two faces we are unsure about pn the painting look right. The faces on the painting look like they have cut-out spaces in the mask, like Cap's mask. In Flag Smasher's mask his eyes are covered by these strange angular eyepieces. No wonder I didn't immediately recognise him: it's because it's not him!

Robert said...

Also, Flag Smasher has no detailing on the side of his mask, its just plain black, ruling out the character to the left the Skull on a second major point.

This is driving me nuts trying to work this out!

I wondered if the guy to the right of the Skull could be the 1950s Cap, who was called the Grand Director in the '70s. But his mask has prominent 'ears' or 'wings' to it, which are not evident in the painting. I also wondered if it was the USAgent, but the other characters are all villains and the Agent is a goodie (sort of).

Is it a deliberate mind-f!*k by the artist...?

Robert said...

Where is Thor8? We need his incredible memory!

Anonymous said...

i don't know who this slapstick person is but there seem to be a few of you who dislike them.
i have just looked back at the comments and have to say , i feel sorry for slapstick whoever they are.
it seems like he/she gets bullied by certain folk , robert seems to be the worst.
he mentions slapstick in nearly every post.
i also find the comment from robert about slapstick posting so many comments hilarious. you only have to look back and add up the amount of posts robert has made to see why it amuses me.
sorry but i have to side with slapstick , it appears that there are some immature people on here with nothing better to do than pick on others who are not as bright as them when it comes to knowledge of the comic universe.
not everyone buys comics and i don't think it is very fair to single someone out because of this the way some of you have done with this slapstick person. anyone is welcome to buy the collection and everyone who does buy this collection is welcome on this blog even if they do not buy comics.

Miguel Angel Jiminez said...

Hi Mad Thinker
I have been checking a few posts that have been made regarding the enigma that is Slapstick.
Firstly i would like to say i agree with you completely that anyone at all has the right to collect this series and join the blog without having to produce a certificate of comic geekness.
I can only speak for myself in regards of how i have treated Smiffy/Slapstick on this blog.
I recently mentioned in a post that the reason for slapstick's apparent absence was down to fact that he might actually be reading all those hardbacks he got from Santa.
Now this was refering to a long standing joke ( and i do mean a good natured joke) about Slapstick never having read a Marvel comic ,Which i will grant you isn't a crime:)
If you check the blog posts pre xmas you will see that a great many bloggers offered him loads of comic buying advice . I even offered him a pile of doubles from my own collection , hoping to spark his addiction to the printed form as well as the cartoon.
This recent storm in a teacup was spectacularly trivial ,Everyone managed to congratulate Max on winning the comp alas Slapstick , didn't exactly take the choice well.
I would love to see him back on the blog , i was calling for his return when he ditched his Smiffy persona.
He's quirky , sometimes infuriating but he can sometimes make me grin from ear to ear:)
I have noticed in a post i mentioned i collect DC figs without actually having any interest or Knowlege of the DC universe , I then said this was most Slapstick like behaviour.
I will concede that was probably a bit of a cheapshot , and would like to make an unreserved apology to Slapstick if this caused you any offence.
But i would strenuously deny that there has been any bullying directed towards Slapstick on this blog quite the reverse . A lot of bloggers were quick to offer him words of support after hearing of his personal difficulties.
So come back Slapstick ,you know you love us really:)

Thor8 said...

The Slapstick controversy is quite compiicated as is the blogger himself,but I agree that he has as much right to express himself on this blog as everyone else does and I'm sure most everyone else on this blog feels the same. What I have always strived to point out is that we can all agree or disagree on any given subject,the important thing is to express your point of view with respect towards the rest of the fellow bloggers. Most of us have gotten into heated debates with one another due to a misunderstood joke or a not too clear comment,but in the end we all calm down,apologize to one another and then merrily march on.

So if you're reading this Slapstick,let it be known that you are always welcomed here.

pirate adam said...

i too want to see Slapstick come back

Anonymous said...

thank you for the comments , and sorry if it seemed i was interfering a bit , it's just that i felt sorry for slapstick and wanted to know more about the matter.
i'd be interested to see what robert has to say though as he seemed to make the most comments about slapstick.
p.s happy new year to all , and please could we get some more sneak peaks in the next update rich ?
many thanks + keep up the excellent work all at eaglemoss.

Robert said...

Mad Thinker, just up from bed (night shift) and read your comments. Unfortunately, you've come in half way through the movie and haven't a clue what's going on.

Slapstick - who posted under the name Smiffy5698 or something like that for a while - has posted a great deal of rude, abusive, foul-mouthed comments and false accusations in previous months, none of which he has apologised for. I'd like to refer you to them but he has deleted most of them, leaving only my responses. (Why has he done this? you should ask yourself.) He has also made personal comments about my wife. (I have made no such comments about his family.) My posts, as I have stated before, were reactive. The situation as it is did not develop overnight and was a result of Slapstick's posts over a prolonged period. Hence my present dismissive attitude and put-downs.

You really should go back and readSlapstick's surviving comments, Mad Thinker, to understand. It's a pity Slapstick has deleted the really abusive ones but you can get a stronig flavour from my responses.

Next time, please check your facts before forming an opinion, Mad Thinker.

Miguel Angel Jiminez said...

hey Robert i've just noticed , trying to identify the rogue's gallery of caps enemies has nearly
brought you to tears of frustration :)
I will bow to your greater knowledge, if you aint convinced by some of the identifications.
I may well have to track down the artist and get him to explain himself.:)
How about a Kick Ass fig ?? or would the word ass immediately proclude him from this collection?? :)

Anonymous said...

ouch , seems you are throwing a strop with me now robert.
i am not here for an arguement.
i did look at the facts and showed an example of how you are not always right. you had a go at slapstick for posting lots of comments after each blog update yet you are contradicting yourself by doing exactly the same thing.
just count how many times you have made a post on here i count 28 for this update alone. 4 of those comments were one after the other.
i rest my case.
maybe smiffy/slapstick changed their i.d to get away from the likes of you starting arguements with him/her all of the time , and fair play it is wrong to insult family members but you must have really wound him/her up to make them do that.
perhaps in future you could both ignore each other and stop commenting on each other's posts.
if any of you are naughty again i'll bang your heads together lol.
slapstick if you are listening , please do not get nasty to other bloggers when they upset you , slagging off family members is offensive behaviour and is not on.
i can only defend you to a certain extent.
just trying to keep the peace.

Robert said...

Mad Thinker, I have no wish to fall out with you, or anyone else for that matter. I respect that your initial post was made in defence of what you perceived as an injustice, but your claim was wrong and the bullying accusation was offensive.

I went back and checked your claim about how I "mention Slapstick in nearly every post" and found that in the 26 prior posts I mentioned him twice. Once, about a bad manners soapbox and secondly about collecting figurines when you don't collect comics. Both comments strike me as a bit innocuous, actually, especially in light of the aggressive posts I have received from Slapstick. However, I agree that, on reflection, I should have made no reference to him and apologise for that.

I am also unsure when I criticised Slapstick for posting too often. If I am wrong about this I will apologise, but I honestly don't remember saying that. The only thing I can think of is that I have badly worded a sentence; if so, I will apologise for giving the wrong impression. If you can give me some idea where this comment was made I promise to go back and check and I will apologise if I am mistaken. For the record, I don't care how frequently or not anyone posts. As you rightly point out, I am a chronic poster myself.

Contrary to what you may or may not believe, I want Slapstick to come back. I think, as adults, we should be able to communicate with people we disagree with and, yes, even dislike. I was also one of the people who offered advice on collecing, even expressing jealousy at one point that Slapstick had so many classics to read for the first time. I just hope that if and when he comes back he behaves with more decorum than before.

I hope this is the end of this. I really have no wish to argue with anyone and enjoy the chat on here. Peace, Mad Thinker.

Thor8 said...

Robert:My last post was consumed completely by the Slapstick saga so I didn't get back to you on the Cap's shield foes shown in Ted's pic. Most of the ones I can identify have already been mentioned by others so I'll give it a closer study and get back to you on this if I'm successful.

Robert said...

Thanks, Thor8, your help is appreciated. I have to admit I'm out of my depth trying to identify them all, and have absolutely no idea who the guy to the Skull's immediate right is. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts...

Jacadoo said...

Gents the debate regarding Slapstick has to stop - if he wants to re-join great if not then lets just draw a line under this one.

Lets just remember he was no saint and we are not responsible for some of his very nasty personnal attacks on fellow bloggers.

So its up to you Slapstick - you are welcome to return.

Thor8 said...

I aree with you Jacadoo ol'boy, lets move on to other subjects after all Slapstick may still be amoung us under another I.D.

Thor8 said...

Y'know when I first read Mad Thinker's comments they kind of rang a familiar bell in my mind and I kinda suspected something wierd was going on,thus the comment I made in my previous entry. After I wrote my previous comment I was checking my email and I received a notice that confirmed my suspicions and after looking into this a little more I confimed that Mad Thinker is Slapstick! What I would like to know is how did the person who sent me the email get my address?!

Miguel Angel Jiminez said...

Listen, i didn't realise my little pop quiz regarding the characters in Cap's background would be quite so infuriating. , I am however pretty sure that they are all " Baddies"
Hope this helps to narrow it down !!
Robert auld pal you may be a 100 miles away but i'm pretty sure i heard your forehead smack against your monitor :) :)
Thor 8 the whole Slapstick/ smiffy/ or mad thinker thing has become far too weird to bother with anymore.
must be a little unsettling to be contacted outside of this forum.
Oh and i just discovered a long forgotten fav ( forgotten by me at least! ) The controller anyone remember him and his mind control discs?
This Marvel Chronicles book is a right hoot

Robert said...

Afternoon, gents.

Controller? Great shout, Ted. As a kid, I thought he was a really creepy villain, what with all that mind control stuff going on. Has he appeared in any of the polls on the main forum?

And, Ted, yep, my head hurts because of the poster. I have faith, however, in Thor8 to put me out of my misery!

pirate adam said...

after reading Thor8's last post i decided to check my emails and hey presto i got an email confirming Mad Thinker is Slapstick, im not bothered about Smiffy/Slapstick/Mad Thinker or whatever he calls himself being back, in fact i'm glad old smiffy is back. what i am concerned about is how did this person get my email address?

PA

Miguel Angel Jiminez said...

well top of the special polls is Sasquatch on 63 votes and just behind him is the Controller on one solitary vote.Even my fav troll Ulik is on a paltry 2 votes.
If Ulik and the Controller become major xmen villains they may be in with a chance. :)

Robert said...

That's really weird about your emails, folks.

On a completely unrelated topic, the ParcelForce guy just dropped something off for me. At first I though the wife had ordered it but that's definitely my name on it. My memory is really failing me these days 'cause I have no recollection of ordering a clock. Oh well, I suppose I should open it up and check...

Jacadoo said...

Robert before you open your clock - send me your LS Galactus!!!

Miguel Angel Jiminez said...

That was most chucklesome

Anonymous said...

i have no idea what you guys are on about.
firstly i am not slapstick , i am the mad thinker and don't know what gave you the idea i was otherwise.
secondly i do not have anyone's email address.
thirdly , perhaps slapstick could help me out here by posting again.

Anonymous said...

p.s who would send an email to tell you wrong information ?
is there a computer hacker on here ?
i'm worried now , perhaps it may happen to me.
i don't recieve emails from this blog
how do you get emails ?
do eaglemoss send updates via email now ?
can anyone help please ?

Anonymous said...

thank you for the support mad thinker.

i have had many run in's with robert.
everything was okay until he started posting on here.
don't get me wrong i had disagreements with others on her but that's what this blog is all about.
not everyone has the same taste or agrees with each other on every subject.
i have tried apologising for any bad comments i had made in the past but that didn't seem to be good enough for robert.
i only made harsh comments because he ticked me off so much like he was far more superior to anyone on this blog.
he acts like a know it all and has no respect for people who aren't as smart as he is.
so i don't buy comics due to lack of funds , doesn't mean i can't spot an interesting looking character when i see one , and one that i feel would look good as a figurine in this collection.
and cartoons are actually based on comics. so i use my memory of cartoons and what i read on the web to pick my characters.
i am sick of this dispute and want it to end so please do not comment on what i say on here anymore robert.
if u apologise then so do i and lets hope we can all move on.
lets just agree to disagree eh ?
apologies for the past , clean slate please rob ?
p.s what's this about emails ?

Robert said...

You really need help, Mr. Smith.

When you click on the Mad Thinker name it takes you back to the Slapstick profile!! Unbelievable. I laughed out loud when I saw that. Don't ever try working as a spy, you'd be caught and executed on your first day!

I went back earlier today and traced the last Slapstick post to 12:25 on 26th Dec. The Mad Thinker then appeared at 12:45 the next day. Coincidence? Is it also coincidence that the first Mad Thinker post had a long list... which started with Century, a name only you have mentioned because it was from the cartoons?!!? Looking back, we should have noticed this befor noew and I feel slightly suprised I didn't. But them I don't have a devious mind and it would never occur to me that someone would try juggle more identities than Moon Knight.

Thanks for making me laugh with this today. I have never seen anything so dumb in my entire life.

P.S. Joking aside, you really do need professional help.

Anonymous said...

you are welcome slapstick , but it seems you have been a little naughty yourself.
sorry to anyone who thinks i was being nosey but now i know the facts i will not interfere again.
anyone got a good subject to discuss now ?

Anonymous said...

damn you are right robert , i have been caught out.
oh well i did try lol.
i don't need help , i was simply trying to avoid any future comments by yourself by changing my persona.
never mind , hopefully you will not try to upset me in future.
i ask you to ignore my comments unless extremely hurtful.
i am not a comic genius like yourself.
fresh start ?
like i say i apologise for any harsh comments i made to you.
please forgive me and lets move on.

Robert said...

NOW I understand why you guys want Mr. Smith back!

I didn't get it before. He was just irritating, sometimes infuriating.

Today I have laughed every time I have read his posts.

Absolute.

Priceless.

Comedy.

Gold.

Anonymous said...

just realised , now i've been caught out , it appears as though you would take me to be a little mad being as though i'm talking to myself lol.

Thor8 said...

I wonder... If I start calling myself Loki9 and send emails of praise to myself would anyone catch on?

Miguel Angel Jiminez said...

I clicked on the new profile to be met with a familiar login picture .
I laughed so hard i coughed up a rib..
Unbelievable.....but anyway how about the schizoid man?

Anonymous said...

how many super heroes have changed their appearance or name before ?
robin to nightwing
hawkeye to goliath to ronin
now you have smiffy6987 to slapstick to the mad thinker.
why we are all bored , here's something to keep us all occupied.
what name / alias do you think i should be known as next ?
no hurtful one's please , only one that exists within the marvel or dc universe.

jimbob said...

Keep your name tho Mad thinker:)

Robert said...

You made me laugh harder than anything has for months, Mr. Smith, so I am happy to smoke the old peace pipe. Honestly, today has been such a bizarre hoot I can't wipe the grin off my face.

I am not a comic genius, far from it. I just love my comics and will bore the arse off anyone who is daft enough to ask me about them. I would love it if you read some too, but if you choose not to, then that's up to you. Free country and all that. If you can refrain from the personal comments - which I found very offensive - I will forgive and forget. I genuinely don't want to argue with you. Which will be music to the ears of everyone else, too.

Welcome back, Mr. Smith.

P.S. I don't mean to be rude but I do think you should consider talking to someone about all of this. There's no way to be polite about this but it's not, well, normal behaviour.

Miguel Angel Jiminez said...

Hey Pirate Adam many thanks for posting that amazing image of Thor over on the forum . Frighten me by telling me the price tag on that little beauty.

pirate adam said...

Ted its down on Forbidden Planet for a very respectable £119, due out in feb.

PA

Jacadoo said...

Pirate Adam - post the link where the Thor image is - share dude...

Slapstick go back to Mr Smith its the persona I enjoyed the most.

pirate adam said...

here you go Mr Jacadoo;

http://forbiddenplanet.com/45762-avengers-kotobukiya-fine-art-statue-thor/?utm_source=googleps&utm_medium=comparison

PA

Robert said...

Anywho, entertaining and potty as today has been, I'd like to reiterate my call for some info on the CRIMSON DYNAMO. (I'm making it prominent in the hope this will make it harder to ignore.)

I'm hoping that the Alex Nevsky armour is picked. After all, the most prominent Crimson Dynamo appearance in Iron Man history is his role in the battle that resulted in the Titanium Man killing Tony's main squeeze in the 1970s, Janice Cord.

That name again: Crimson Dynamo.

Anonymous said...

glad i could be of service and make you all laugh !!
i shall not be seaking medical / mental help as i am quite a sane person.
mind you saying that , they only let me out once per week lol.

Anonymous said...

valentin shatalov version of the dynamo does it for me.

Thor8 said...

Well now that we know that Smith/Slapstick/Mad Thinker is back,(with so many I.D.s you might as well call yourself The Chameleon). Anyhow now that he's back I'd like to know where other many bloggers have dissapeared to. Where's Lipstick,Miss Medusa, Ghost,Baroni_08,Max_0888,Mr.J CBRBeast,Jarvis69,Ryan Maxwell, Fabio Mucci,jimbob,spidey1969, buffduffdan,and all the rest?

jabba theslutt said...

Hey my fellows ,collect is grrrrrrrrrate like tony tiger say.
triple pack condor, killer shrike and wyatt wingfoot all have ability to flying make interest magazine.
Surpprise you big brains not think of first.

Robert said...

Apologies to everyone but this is another call for some info on the CRIMSON DYNAMO. I can't even guess which incarnation of the CRIMSON DYNAMO Rich and the team have plumped for. Don't take this the wrong way, Rich, but if and when you reveal the version you've picked, can you please explain your reasoning? I only ask because several versions have strong claims to being made and it does not seem to me to be an easy choice at all.

And, finally, on the subject of keeping me in suspense, have you managed to work out who the two unidentified gents on Ted's Cap poster are, Thor8...?

Robert said...

Forget to mention, I was rereading some old Iron Man comics last night and came upon another possible future character: the Guardsman. I believe it originated in the early 1970s with the Kevin O'Brien character wearing the suit, then the idea was recycled and used for the jailors at the Vault.

Not a top pick, I admit, but maybe one for after number 200...?

Anonymous said...

first of all , just looking at that poster's name has made me laugh -
jabba the slut. lol

second of all , robert , i too would love to know what's going on with the crimson dynamo.
i know i went for valentin shatalov
version , but i also like the whiplash version too and being as he is the villain in the iron man 2 movie , he would make a strong candidate also.
what do you think robert ?

Anonymous said...

p.s his name is ivan vanko.

Anonymous said...

p.p.s , robert , just see a pic of guardsman and he looks cool would love to buy a figurine of him if eaglemoss made one.

Robert said...

Mr. Smith, thanks for the support. You're almost trying too hard to keep me sweet but it's a big improvment on our usual verbal fisticuffs!

The Guardsman isn't going to top anyone's favourites list, but the armour goes all the way back to about 1970 and it made quite a lot of appearances in the 1980s. In the 1980s it was usually worn by unfortunate folk getting their ass kicked by bad guys who escaped on the way to or from the Vault! It's not a look associated with success!

P.S. Is it Shatalov or Shalatov? I thought it was the latter...

jabba theslutt said...

more dobbles tetrapack of red gurdians also .

jabba theslutt said...

what do doctor ocatpus drive too bank.." a ARMour car!!!
what he do at bank " commitings the ARMed robbery!
Why Superman not here?
in spidersman 607 isee diablo i likehom to be part of collect

Robert said...
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Robert said...

Damn typoes. Take 2.

Jabba, who are you really?

Robert said...

There's irony for you: it's spelt "typos".

Anonymous said...

Hi! Any chance to buy this collection from Brazil?

Best regards.

Miguel Angel Jiminez said...

have to admit i am not particuarly excited about the Guardsman ever being in this collection, As Robert alluded to they are now merely the equivilent of the generic dumb german guard/sentry there to be smacked about every time some costumed eejit decides to break out.
One old Iron Man stalwart i would like is Firebrand . Don't know if he'still relevant these days.

jabba theslutt said...

Also ursa major sasquittch nice dobble Ursa major is the great bear i meaning also the constellation in skies .
Sasqyuatch meanings bigfoot not as interesstings as constellations.
but still interst magazine,
Smoke and bandit collect please. Bert reynolds poster i am having

jabba theslutt said...

peoples always laugh at my bert reynolds impersination
"wasssssuuuuuuuup!" hi five
What is typos? me and you robert burns haggis scottish spell same i think?

Robert said...

You're probably right about the Guardsman being a non-starter, Ted. It was just a (rather poor) suggestion! Firebrand's a good shout. Not sure if he had any connection to the Melter, who did pretty much the same thing. Another old IM foe is the Unicorn, but he's a bit lame.

Ted, remember you were asking about the old ranks of Marveldom recently? They are explained every month in the letters pages of my old Iron Man comics from 1972.

R.F.O. Real Frantic One - A buyer of at least three mags a month.
T.T.B. Titanic True Believer - A divinely-inspired 'No-Prize' winner.
Q.N.S. Quite 'Nuff Sayer - A fortunate frantic one who's had a letter printed.
K.O.F. Keeper of the Flame - One who recruits a newcomer to Marvel's rollickin' ranks.
P.M.M. Permanent Marvelite Maximus - Anyone possessing all four of the other titles.
F.F.F. Fearless Front-Facer - An honorary title bestowed for devotion to Marvel above and beyond the call of duty.

Anyway, time for some late lunch.

Robert Menzies R.F.O., T.T.B., Q.N.S.

Miguel Angel Jiminez said...

Hey Robert you will have to tell me which back issues printed your letters. do you have them framed on the wall? :)

Robert said...

Nah. Only my No Prize from THE MAN, and his response to my question from Amazing Spider-Man #427 (Oct 1997).

I only wrote about 15 letters and about 12 were printed. Check Amazing Spider-Man, Vol.II, #22 (Oct 2000); Thor Vol.II, #28 (Oct 2000); Hulk, Vol.II, #21 (Dec 2000); Captain Marvel, Vol.III, #20 (Aug 2001); Thor, Vol.II, #39 (Sep 2001); and Thor, Vol.II, #42 (Dec 2001). Actually, the best letter I wrote was about a Black Panther comic that ripped the motivations of BP's father, T'Chaka, apart - and that was never printed!

There were another five or six in reprint UK titles just afterwards but I didn't take a note of them (even though I won my second No Prize at this point, d'oh!).

Robert said...

Just dug out Spidey #22 and reread my letter. Jeez Louise! I don't do "The art was nice" letters", do I!? Oh no, it's full-blown controversy for me! Blow MJ into little pieces and, while I'm at it, the entire relationship between PP and MJ over the last 30 years is psychologically implausible!

I'm almost embarrassed.

Still, you've got to laugh.

Thor8 said...

Rich this post is directed to you!

1) Are you considering making Mega specials of Giant-Man/Goliath and or Atlas? I'd like to know what the chances are for these two.

2) Could you please tell us which heroes/villians will be this years specials.(Hope Odin's in there)

3) The new guy in charge of updating your main site is as slow as his predecessor.

4) Could you please give us a sneak peek of which version of Crimson Dynamo,Wasp, and Radioactive Man you will be choosing for this collection.

Miguel Angel Jiminez said...

Well i can see why you wouldn't have that little lot framed .
Was this long after Neil Tennants time as Marvel uk editor?
Yep unicorn's lame but i have a list of over 50 lameass unloved characters i would love to see in this series.:)
Funnily ennuf it's the old corny/ lame forgotten characters that i have the fondest memories of. go figure.

Robert said...

Does that include Hammerhead, Ted? :)

Anonymous said...

i'd like to see atlas , giant man , goliath and black goliath as mega specials.
maybe psycho man too ?
it's a shame we cannot get some issues made without the magazines
( figurines only ) as there are many characters that have great looking costumes and would look great cast in lead.
it's been discussed before so hopefully near the end of the collection we will get more multi packs and issues containing just figurines due to lack of info and artwork to fill a magazine.
i still feel this collection needs more villains , masters of evil and thunderbolts have many candidates.

Anonymous said...

The only letter i wrote to a comment was published in the recent Ghost Rider comics series (not the limited series); don't remember which number but it included a request for the return of Vengeance.I was told vengeance was not going to return, to my great dismay. See, vengeance is one of my favorite characters since he's to me venom to ghost rider's spider-man; not exactly a villain, but someone who sees himself as a greater hero than his antithesis but his methods show otherwise (yes i love venom too). Btw Rich, why not more Ghost Rider characters, like Vengeance, Dan Ketch, Doghead, Blackout, Verminus Rex and the Orb, or better still, Scarecrow? i suppose they don;t have enough history though, don;t they?
Anyway, please, next time give us a sneak peak of another special and/or drax/crimson dynamo/quasar please!

Miguel Angel Jiminez said...

Well ODDBOD ( Hammerhead) maybe stretching it a little.
Black Goliath was one of those series that came out when i was a kid so i managed to start from the premier 1st issue. man that must be worth £2 or £3 these days?
I wouldn't complain if he was announced as a mega, alas i am sure plenty of others might :)
A few folk over on the forum are hoping to see the big Dynamo reveal hopefully tomorrow as he is due for release in April.

Robert said...

Not really all that interested in Black Goliath, especially in his original look-at-my-six-pack costume. However, there aren't that many black characters so he might make an appearance in an effort to balance the colour bias.

If we're talking large gentlemen, I'm far more keen on Goliath or Giant-Man from the Avengers.

Robert said...

Glad to hear Crimson Dynamo being mentioned on the forum. I'm hopeful we get some info tomorrow!

Miguel Angel Jiminez said...

so you don't like Black Goliath because he is proud of his six pack? Hmm i wonder if that was the reason mark millar decided to kill the black character in the first reel of civil war?
Although i am not sure a skirmish between cross dressing steroid abusers actually constitutes a war?
exactly how many other characters died in the "civil war"

jabba theslutt said...

Iwant to saying i love you british for making this fantastical collects. god bless queen, maggie thathch. i hope moira mctart is made for prowd scotteesh peopleis.
marvel make me very gay like doris day happy.
for fuootch collects i like a see a tractors

Robert said...

The costume was rubbish, not the guy's racial background. It always reminded me of the original Ms Marvel costume, and even that was improved when they filled in the missing section over the midrift.

He was a character that never really made much of an impression on me. He'd been around a long while without really being terribly popular or memorable, hence the fact he was cannon fodder during the Civil War.

And in the wake of the Civil War, Cap was shot. It didn't stick, thankfully, but we've still been without Captain America in the MU for a few years...

Miguel Angel Jiminez said...

"is it coz i is black"
C'mon bobby i was making a joke at how it used to be standard practice in the past for hollywood to rub out the black character in the first reel.
And somebody getting shot AFTER the end of a war bringing the total casualties to a shocking total of "2" hardly makes it war:)

Robert said...

Sorry, Ted. I know you usually joke a lot but I just wasn't sure coz you'd said you'd bought the comic back in the day and may have had a soft spot for him... and, well...

I'm an idiot. I admit it.

Robert said...

P.S. After you mentioned "Comic Book Villains" a week or so ago, Ted, I ordered it over the internet. Haven't watched it yet but I'll let you know what it was like when I watch it.

Miguel Angel Jiminez said...

Hah! Robert you may be many things but i talked to a "scientist"and he assured me you are no idiot:)
I was only joking with you because i know yo are big enuff and ugly enuff to know that.
I really enjoyed "Comic book villains "although the ultimate comic collection they are in combat over, fair pales into insignificance compared to that of Thor8!

Deadpool said...

Congratulations to the competition winner.
However I think his choice for a new figure is rather poor.

Give us Darkchilde instead in all her demonic glory.

Robert said...

Hopefully, Rich will be able to post an update tomorrow. I'd really like a sneak peak of the Crimson Dynamo.

Nohing from Thor8 about the unidentified coupon on your poster, Ted. Surely it hasn't defeated our own wise man?

By the way, I probably haven't mentioned this before but I'd love a sneak peak of the Crimson Dynamo.

pirate adam said...

haha just got the night off work and decided to check up on you guys and make sure Rob and Slapstick are behaving :)

noticed the subject of size changers as specials has come up again, this is were i stand on the subject; NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO PLEASE RICH NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO.

if Marvels primary size changer (Hank Pym) was made regular then why should any of the others warrant the gold dust treatment that is a special edition, there are plenty of characters that can only be made as a special or maga special and the slots should not be wasted on figures that can be made as a regular. ok im ready for the backlash.

PA

Robert said...

Actually, it's hard to argue with your logic, Pirate Adam.

The best solution would be to increase the number of specials to keep everyone happy! :) Then we get Lockjaw, Hela, etc. AND the size changers! See, it was simple, really!

Miguel Angel Jiminez said...

At last sommeone dare speak the truth .!!!
Why are we limited to some fixed amount of special figs per year ?
12 specials a year for most subscribers would i'm sure be most welcome ( all subscribers get opt out letters after all)
Let's cut through the bull, when a niche collection reaches this far you know that your 10 to 15000 subscribers are hardcore fans who will always support this collection. SO! why not give them what they want?

Robert said...

Is that a call to maybe poll the forum on an increased specials production?

If we all unanimously support an increase, maybe it will be possible? The only problem I can see is whether or not Rich and the team can produce more on top of their already heavy schedule...

Anonymous said...

Does anyone know if there are plans to do new, improved versions of characters that first appeared ages ago? ... I've just started collecting. I totally love the collection, but feel that some of the earliest figurines lack the size, dynamic pose and polished look of the more recent ones. Surely a taller, more powerful Silver Surfer in hi-tech metallic paint would be awesome. A new Invisible Woman hovering on, or projecting, force fields would be spectacular. An Emma Frost encrusted with little diamonds would be sublime. And so on...
I wonder if some of you, my fellow collectors, agree that it'd be great to have new improved variants?

Robert said...

This issue pops up every now and again but Rich has said on a few occasions that they have no plans to do variants or redo any sculpts. They would prefer to make entirely new characters for the collection.

You can read Rich's thinking in more detail in a previous post. I'm not sure when it was, but it was fairly recently. If you have time and patience, you shouldn't take long coming across it. Hope that helps.

pirate adam said...

Kirlianeyes, welcome to the blog:) you have touched on a touchy subject there, some of us myself included would love to see some variants being made there are others who shudder at the very thought of them, Rich has commented that he has no plans for variants in the near future. Shame realy. :(

PA

Robert said...
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pirate adam said...

good calls there Rob, i would like a larger Hulk and Johnny Storm re-done completely.

PA

Robert said...
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pirate adam said...

ohh ok variants, Thor as he is now, then with a modern Balder i would be very happy, Mystique in white dress, i like the fig but she would look better with classic look, Wolverine in Black and Grey look is awsome. quick question Rob, if the collection ended tommorow and you could only choose 1 more fig to be made who would it be? specials not included

PA

Robert said...
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pirate adam said...

i cant wait for Beta Ray Bill and Blackheart (ironicaly the 2 that got put back) as for my question, being an Asgardian myself i was tempted to say Sif but i think the heralds have been grossly overlooked and i think Nova (Frankie Raye) would make a stunning fig as long as they improve on the flame effect they used on Johnny Storm.

PA

pirate adam said...

my choice for comp would have been Hela, or Sif if Hela was deemed special size

PA

Robert said...
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pirate adam said...

night off work pal, and sombody needs to keep yo company :)

Robert said...
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Robert said...
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Thor8 said...

It has already been established by Big Chief Rich that there are no plans for re-do's,if there were I'd pick Captain America,Captain Britain,Doc Ock,Beast,Crystal,and Most definately Carnage.

Hey fellow asgardians have you seen the super cool Warriors Three Mini Bust done by Randy Bowen on the statue marvels site? Now more than ever I hope that Rich will give us our first triple pack featuring the Warriors Three!

pirate adam said...

would you want the half decayed Hela or fully cloaked?

Robert said...
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Robert said...
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Thor8 said...

Forgot to mention that if I could pick one variant to be done it would be "BATTLE ARMOUR THOR",natch,and like Robert,I would love to see a classic armoured Iron Man.

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