Friday 18 January 2013

Flaking out!

Hello and welcome to 2013. I'm a bit late for the party, but I've been so busy getting the last three issues out in the time it normally takes to do two (go figure), I'm working at burn out speeds. (What I'm lined up to work on after CMFC will be even worse! but apparently it's the way things are going in the industry!

I've not had time to put anything of major interest together for an update (the full list of sculptors is a work in progress, and the competition needs an investment of at least half a day - but I will hopefully find time to pull it together soon).

Anyway, going back to the Deathbird cover I was struggling with before Xmas - I decided we had the budget for one last cover commission - So I asked Jack Lawrence to do one last girlie cover for us

Et voila...

Thanks Jack for your work on this and all previous covers (including: Valkyrie, Impossible Man, Moondragon, Viper, Jocasta, Spiral and probably some others I've missed?).

Textless.

And here's the sculpt.
(btw I think she's got one of the best derriere's in the collection!)









So until I get time to breath again, make mine CMarvelFC!

54 comments:

Hawkeye said...

Wow - not a character I know a lot about but that is a great figurine and one I may well be tempted by. Got the Adam West Batmobile yesterday - nice!

Jacadoo said...

You can say that again Hawkeye..... Wow what a figurine!!!

and not just from the back Dan.

Just an innocent question - is it me or have the women figurines become more "curvier" - Sue Storm looks like a fifteen year old boy compared to the more recent female sculpts.

CGJ said...

Nice to see life in the old blog

Deathbird's a lovely sculpt, although I might display her facing away from the rest.

:)

Thor8 said...

I like both the figurine and the magazine cover. They both look great to me.

I have Gamora,Vance Astro,and Constrictor on they're way.

BLAKENEWMAN2002 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
BLAKENEWMAN2002 said...

Deathbird's cover is fantastic. It's great to be able to see her in her classic costume but drawn in such a modern style. And the figurine is sublime. So this is one of those cases where a CMFC issue ticks all the boxes for me:
1. A character I love
2. A sculpt which showcases the best of the character's design
(the wings, in this case)
3. A creative, dynamic pose that captures the personality of the character
4. A fantastic mag cover
5. An awesome figurine both in terms of sculpt and paintjob.

Great job with Deathbird, Dan.

Becquerel said...

Can't wait to add Deathbird to my collection, the sculpt looks amazing!

Jacadoo said...

Oh Wow..... Just received Sting ray - now I have admit I did not think much of the images,,,,, but the figurine is superb.

Wolfsbane????

A bit of a hound - sorry could not resist...

Kal Brindle said...

Sad to be in the final countdown, but what incredible sculpts we're seeing on the way out. I picked up Vance, Giant Man and Hammerhead yesterday and all were aces but Deathbird and Hela look to be some of the very best ever produced. Thanks to everyone at EM for ending the collection in a classy way and keeping the quality high. It's greatly appreciated.

Thor8 said...

Wow! 9 comments in 3 days! There was a time when we would get that amount of comments in 3 "MINUTES". So c'mon mates let's here from all you bloggers out there. I know it's a sad feeling knowing this collection and it's blog will be ending soon,but we can still have some good times sharing some time on this our blog.

Blake: Have you added any new characters to your virtual gallery lately?

Jacadoo: Have you made any new customs?

Robert: My dear comrade in arms:Are you still out there?

Victor said...

Fantastic sculpts.
@DAN - Please Dan can you tell me the correct scale of the regular figurines?
1/21, 1/21,5, 1/22?
Thanks in advance,

LarryS said...

OK Thor8. I'll make a comment.

A few weeks ago, there was a brief discussion here about who's attending the London Super Comic Convention on 23-24 Feb. I remember with fondness the wonderful photos last year that Sinister Venom posted.

If anyone is interested in meeting up this year, we should do it! I think the Saturday event concludes around 18:00. Anyone interested in a beer or two in the bar, perhaps at the Novotel, shortly thereafter?

tinodragon14 said...

Thanks for the update Dan.

Deathbird is a fine figure. I just wish the figures you order were as great looking as the figure displayed here.

Don't dislike the cover but I'm not a fan of this artist's cover work.

I was recently told EM was doing more Specials this year & the list was :
Attuma
Titanium Man
Volstagg
Blastaar
Frankenstein's Monster
Zeus
The Destroyer
Archangel
Man-Bull
plus new versions of
The Abomination
The Hulk
Juggernaut
The Rhino
plus Mega Specials of
DRAGONMAN
The Living Monolith
Black Goliath
plus Two Packs of
The Cobra & Mr. Hyde
The Mad Thinker & his Awesome Android
Mimic & The Super Adaptoid
Fandral & Hogun
then of course I WOKE UP!


Skif said...

yes tinodragon, your'e dreaming... but it was a dream and not a nightmare just because the collection has a end. Every play is beautiful because it has a end. I cannot still believe we arriving at the end. It really turn me strange to think that after many years I'll not have any longer a weekly meet at the shop for my beloved collection. Can't wait to have this wonderful Dearhbird!! Thanks all of you, EM and customers, for sharing this experience, that was unique: it wasn't just a marketing operation, but a worldwide passion sharing event.



Jacadoo said...

Thor8 - in answer to your question, yes I have been sculpting but very slow due to work commitments.

I have sculpted BUG for Blake but he is naked of any paint at the moment!!!

This week I am in the Chennel Islands and weekends struggling to get out to my paint station to get going on Bug.

I wanted to get some decent shots of all my statues (Bowen, sideshow etc) but even that is impossible at the moment.

SinisterVenom said...

Ahh that's a much better cover for Deathbird! The other two just didn't do justice like this one does. Great cover guys! And I've said this before, but the Deathbird figurine is awesome too!
I must echo Thor8's call out to our dear old bloggers! Jacadoo and Blake have answered the call and we've had posts from Tino, Larry, Victor and Skif too. Robert, Ted, Leigh, PA, DP and many more of our dear friends, if you're reading this, give us a shout for old times sake eh? Always good to read a post from you guys!
SV

Buggerbear said...

So....When for art thou CMFC subsets? Eaglemoss are producing the DC one (Blackest Night), so a Marvel one wouldn't be out of the question, right?
I reckon one based on 80's X-Men would be worthwhile, so many possibilities for missed characters and redo's. The X-men look a bit weird together in the current sculpts. Phoenix looks too small. Jubilee and Kitty look huge! Many of the costume choices were bad.

Would be nice to see;
Beast (Classic Blue & furry)
Wolverine (tan and brown)
Cyclops (blue)
Rogue (Green/Black circa Fall of the Mutants)
Storm (punk)
Shadowcat
Arcangel
Nimrod
Selene, Black Queen
Goblin Queen
Artie and Leech
Hellfire Club Footsoldier two-pack
Callisto
Harry Leland
Arcade
Warlock
Sunspot

Plenty more...

Just daydreaming here...anyone got any other ideas for loosely themed subsets?

Ghost said...

Just a quick yell-out to fellow bloggers (even if I read them more than I write them) to say I'm still here and reading all your views (just picture me as the silent guy in the corner smoking the cigar and taking it all in).

I have to break the vow of silence just to say that I will never sell my collection (even though I'm missing Green Quicksilver) and will too miss my fortnightly dose of Marvel.

Its been a ride.

Eagle said...

Well, I am also more of a reader than a writer. I read the blog every day and, lately, I miss the activity that we used to have.

Thor8 said...

Glad to hear from you guys once more and know that your're still there.

As I mentioned before,I don't have plans of ever selling this collection either.

Some purchase collectebles to make a future profit from them.

Some purchase collectables and them stash them away unopened and unused so they don't decrease in value.

I'm the kind of collector whom likes to enjoy his collection to the max. I read my comics. I take my figurines,statues and action figures out of thier packagings and display them,etc. Don't see much use in collecting something If I'm not going to enjoy showing them off to others and delight myself rearanging my displays.

What about you guys? Do you collect as a form of investment or for the shear pleasure of something you like?

Eagle said...

Thor: I am like you. I display my collection, I touch the figures, I rearrange them, I photograph them...
I collect for the joy of having the full collection, not for profit. The only problem with collecting stuff is that one day, when the collections pass on to one's children, you never know what they will do with it. But anyway, when that happens, it will not be my problem anymore.

Dan The Man said...

Nice to see the comments still coming in.

Yes i agree it wasn't just a money making exercise for us at EM (for the editorial and sculptors anyway), and
i'm really chuffed it hit the spot all around the world - amazing to think there are people only just discovering!

I agree not all the sculpts were perfect and some were out of scale (and costumes not always the best!) We were working to a really tight schedule and too be honest were were always on a learning curve using different sculptors, dealing with budgets and deadlines (aswell as Marvel, although they were very good to us and let us to our own devices most of the time - Now it's Disney in charge, we can see the change in approach - a lot more controlling and particular about silly things).

Not sure of the scale off hand - will get back to you about that.

There will be no subsets or extra figures in the CMFC. EM are working on a new Marvel collection but it's not figurines (although we are offering some large figurines as subscriptions gift!!!!! - it's 99.999% going ahead so please feel confident and buy a shed load!) there is also a Marvel chess set in the works but that may take a while longer to come out.

all the best for now. Dan

Thor8 said...

Can't think of anything I'd rather collect other than more figurines right now,but I'll reserve my final decision till after I hear and see what it's all about. It would have to be something really special to catch my interest as this collection did. As for the Marvel chess set,sorry but it really doesn't thrill me.

Ghost said...

Just back from Xmas in Florida, and Disney has made loads of new Marvel figures and merchandise... all with mickey mouse ears! good god!!! so god knows what the chess set will look like!

Hi Dan, On the subject of a chess set. In my experience the lead figures don't like being knocked against each other, tipped over etc, what are you doing to prevent them getting damaged during play? If they don't get a good coat of Hard Coat Varnish they won't last 5 minutes.

BobDiamond said...

Thor, I've always collected for the sheer joy of the comics, books, figurines etc. I do however look after it all and catalogue my collections in super-geek style- which is part of the fun. That really sounds sad now that I've actually written it down!
I'm still very much a comic collector first and foremost, so it would have to be something really special from EM to get me collecting again, other than more figures in the same scale.

Talking of the comics...what are people's views on the Marvel Now stuff so far? Personally I'm only getting the Avengers titles (about 5 of them!), Winter Soldier, Thunderbolts and Fury-which isn't strictly main-stream Marvel, but is Garth Ennis- which makes it worth checking out at least.
So far the new creative teams have served up some excellent starting points. I'd particularly recommend the new New Avengers, especially if you're a fan of The Illuminati team- which this is, under a new name.
Anyway, looking forward to Super Con. We're probably going to go on Saturday too, so maybe see some of you there...we can arrange details in a few weeks I suppose.

cheers for now,
BD

Buggerbear said...

Can appreciate the need to publish to a schedule, a keep Marvel happy, meant some compromises, and the collection as a whole is a beautiful thing. Just saying if you ever did need a theme for a subset, 80's mutants would be a good place to start. Which I know will never happen. Even though the collection has a huge fan base, and lots of potential collectors who are just unaware of it :) .

Just received my Thanos today and hes a lovely piece. My favorite of the cosmic characters so far. The collection is missing a Death/Eternity double pack though :( .

LarryS said...

See you at the LSCC, Mr Diamond

The Mad Thinker said...

Eaglemoss know where they can stick their fact files and chess sets !!

More figurines please ?

Dan : Excellent work on Deathbird

Hi everyone.

Where's Robert ?

The Mad Thinker said...

Now , of course , if each Marvel fact file was based on individual characters , and came with a larger scale figurine as shown on the web site , and was priced somewhere between £9.99 and £19.99 , I'd definitely be subscribing !!

Issue 1 - Spiderman with figurine
Issue 2 - Iron Man with figurine
Issue 3 - Character with figurine
Issue 4 - Character with figurine

And so on ............

Those two figurines look amazing , but I would not want just two characters , I would rather have a whole collection.

SinisterVenom said...

Picked up my Moonstone figurine this week guys. Another beauty indeed and I was wrong to have doubts about the pose angle on the base. She looks fantastic! Typical that the standard of the figurines I've been getting lately are much better considering that we're getting closer and closer to the end...

Dan, I have a question regarding the Skurge special. When roughly are you expecting to release him? I ask because I should be getting Hela around April or so, meaning the CMFC would be finished. However someone on the SHFF mentioned that Skurge would be released around 7/2013. I looked on Forbidden Planet and they are expecting him in June. Is he really going to be released so long after the collection ends? If so, how will you be letting everyone know about his release? And if this date is true, does this mean there could be a slight chance of any future specials still being release after the CMFC ends? I know you've said already that there wouldn't be any more but I still felt the need to ask. Call it false hope if you like...
SV

The Mad Thinker said...

Hey guys and gals :

Check out my blog , I've posted pictures and info on the Marvel chess sets

Buggerbear said...

Chess set looks like it'll contain some nice sculpts, although I won't buy myself. There a few characters that didn't appear in the CMFC (lots of Spiderman related civvies) and I was pondering whether is would be feasable to free them from the chess bases and fix them to CMFC bases, although the Spiderman comparison looks like a notable bigger scale.

LAWay said...

Its good to hear news from Dan after seeing some great pictures of Deathbird and a fantastic new cover. Always been a fan of Jack Lawrence's work, very animated and reminds me of watching Marvel cartoon shows.

I am very glad you will still be involved with Marvel things.

A little disappointed the next project won't be figurines. After what happened with the Fact Files, I have been burnt, and doubt I will ever subscribe to a product again. The breaking of promises and the false advertisement of those figurines as subscription rewards, being overcharged, and lets not forget the Heroes & Villains disaster, frankly, I can't trust EM any more.

I haven't wrote a letter of complaint ever. An actual letter, not an email, but a letter. EM disappointed me that much with it's handling of things.

I'll keep my eyes on the chess collection, as more Marvel figurines can't be a bad thing. But if they are the quality of the DC chess set then they certainly won't be good enough to subscribe. Sadly there is such a huge contrast between the digital sculpts and the painted versions that appear on the shelves.

-Ghost, what Disney products did you see? I went to Florida in December and was disappointed there wasn't any cross company merchandise, just Disney selling Marvel toys n clothes.

Hope everyone is well.

The Mad Thinker said...

yep , I'm getting angry with the moss men too. When do they ever listen to what the fans want ? We all want figurines but are denied and given a load of crap that nobody is interested in or wants to buy. They really know how to not make money and come up with ideas that flop. I wish someone with business skills would take over.

Ghost said...

Hi LAWay

Be grateful that all you saw was the usually Marvel T-shirts, I found some shocking Disney cross-over junk.

Check out via google images the awful range of 'vinylmation'. These are really expensive and utterly crap.

And I really don't want to wear a T-shirt of Micky pretending to be Spiderman... unless I was 5

LAWay said...

Ghost

I had a google search but didnt see any Marvel vinylmation. Are you talking about those mickey mouse figurines painted as all different sorts of characters?

Or do you mean the pop vinyl figurines? Which isn't Disney specific and just pop culture characters.

Either way, cross promotion junk is exactly what I have wanted since this Disney buy out! lol When Disney bought Marvel I was quick to draw Mickey as Spider-Man, so this is something I certainly dont have a problem with. ^_^

LarryS said...

The most successful subscription magazine in the world is National Geographic, published continuously since 1888.

I have been a subscriber for 15 years.

Two points to note:
- Every year, they ease up the price by a couple of percent
- They have never announced that instead of renewing on the existing basis, they'd instead like me to subscribe to some second rate National Geographic chess set

Due to fanatical focus on the above two points, their fanbase is loyal, rabid, evangelical, passionate. Basically, hooked for life

BLAKENEWMAN2002 said...
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BLAKENEWMAN2002 said...

You lovely people, I'm back and so is the Virtual CMFC Gallery, the only place where the collection continues...
albeit totally and only in the imaginary Realm of What If.

For the first wave of characters of 2013, I've chosen some cracking villains that I always loved.
Go on. Check them out here:

VIRTUAL CMFC GALLERY UPDATE

1. Bloodwraith
the assassin knight with the Ebony Blade

2. Tyrannus
immortal, psionic enemy of Hulk and ruler of mythical Subterranea, with the ego - and the attire - of an ancient Roman emperor

3. Sphinx
immensely powerful supervillain, recently seen involved in a time-travelling war in the War of Kings saga

4. Master Pandemonium
master of demons and enemy of the West Coast Avengers, with a star-shaped hole in his chest, the result of a pact with Mephisto

5. Nebula
With a curriculum spanning the massacre of the Xandarians and the theft of the Infinity Gauntlet from Thanos, watch out for one of the most dangerous villainesses in the universe

6. Xemnu
Created by Lee & Kirby in 1960, Xemnu is one of the most iconic alien creatures of the Marvel Universe, with obsessive plans to conquer planet Earth, but thwarted by the Defenders.

7. Korvac
Imbued with Power Cosmic and omnipotent like a god, the unforgettable protagonist of the Korvac Saga is one of the top 10 Avengers villains of all time and quite possibly one of the most powerful entities in the entire universe. That's what I call a classic, folks!

Wouldn't they be nice? ...
VIRTUAL CMFC GALLERY UPDATE

Me, I would have loved Xemnu and Korvac in the CMFC!

Jacadoo said...

Hi thinker great insight to the marvel chess set, but alas not for me although I will be purchasing single characters that are missing from the CMFC. It would seem that the current collection cannot be generating the levels of sales to keep it going, my rational being the cancellation cannot be due to increased licensing given the chess set!!

Thor8 interesting debate regarding why people have collected this collection, I am very much like your good self every figurine is on display (yes given a few of the munters) are hidden towards the rear of the shelves!!

I have friends who like me collect sideshow, Bowen etc but unlike me their statues have never seen the light of day!!

One incident springs to mind two years ago I was offered £450 for my painted Bowen silver surfer, the collector stated I was mad to have it on display as he already had two still in their boxes!!

I am happy to say old silver britches is still on display and being enjoyed on a daily basis, so for me could I ever consider selling even one of my figurines?

Not on my watch!!!

Unknown said...

does anyone know why MOJO isnt on the eaglemoss website also were going to find out about the extended version from marvel from eaglemoss very soon according to a email i got!

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

does anyone know why MOJO isnt on the eaglemoss website also were going to find out about the extended version from marvel from eaglemoss very soon according to a email i got!

Robert said...

Hi, guys! Seems like ages since I've been on here. With LSCC approaching, I thought I'd ask if any plans have been made for meeting up? I have to meet a guy writing a book on British Marvel, but I'll see if if I can work round it.

Been really busy. Picking up a batch of commissions at LSCC. (Actually, one will be appearing in a book in October. Just sorted that out last night and speaking to the colourist this morning.)

Also, my articles in BACK ISSUE #63 are out next month. I had the honour of interviewing Jim Starlin for 25 minutes when he was in Scotland last year. I was able to show him covers he'd drawn forty years earlier and which he hadn't seen since he first drew them! He was a great guy and it was an unforgettable day.

I have two articles appearing in the edition and I even suggested the art that was used for the cover. The photo of Stan and I is in there, too. Crazy stuff. Now pottering off-and-on on something for The Jack Kirby Collector.

Been active on some Facebook pages and I'm now an administrator on my favourite artist's FB page. The folks on there are amazing and I am constantly learning new things.

My comic loft has been altered with new shelves, etc. so it's better, too. I shifted the No-Prize from Stan that I had him sign in London to a better spot as well. I should take some photos when I get round to it.

Hope everyone's hale and hearty and not too depressed about this wonderful collection coming to an end!

BLAKENEWMAN2002 said...
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BLAKENEWMAN2002 said...
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BLAKENEWMAN2002 said...
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BLAKENEWMAN2002 said...

Deathbird
Inverted colour scheme?

Hi Dan, is there any reason why Deathbird has acquired purple boots? Her classic design has pale blue boots, and a more purple costume. The figurine is awesome, no doubt about that. I mean, the wings are amazing and we're grateful you went to great lenghts to make her so striking. But the fact remains that the colour scheme has been inverted. Any reason? And was this approved by Marvel? In the interest of Marvel canon, it'd be best to have the original colour scheme. Any chance?

LarryS said...

Robert
Look forward to seeing you at the Con. Should be a blast,

The Mad Thinker said...

Probably the same reason they changed giant man's antenna's from white to blue , Blake. Oh and made spiderman 2099 lighter in colour :(

The Mad Thinker said...

p.s : welcome back Robert. You've been missed.

Hawkeye said...

Combining my two passions of Marvel and photography, I've posted some images of Marvel / DC figurines with a little photoshop tricks. Have a look and see what you think. More will be posted when I get the chance....

Thor8 said...

Nice job Hawkeye,looking foward to seeing more.

Glad to hear from you again Robert m'lad,for awhile there I thought you might have been exiled to the negative zone.

Just received a package today which contained my Sif,Destroyer and Kazar and Zabu figurines. I had missed out on Sif,and was uncertain if I'd be purchasing The Destroyer and The Kazar specials until now. I must say that the Zabu figurine I received is much better than most I had seen on the internet,quite pleased with it.

Received another package which contains Vance Astro,Gamora,Raven(DC),and a 2nd Scarlet Spider. I haven't opened this package yet so I'll reserve my comments about Vance and Gamora till after I check them out. As for the 2nd Scarlet Spider and Raven,these I ordered for customizing purposes.

Wel have to go,I'll get to you all later on,Peace!

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