DOM PEEPS INTERVIEW – A COLLECTOR TALKS ABOUT COLLECTING

I already interviewed several statue creators but I never interviewed a collector. After seeing Dom Peeps museum, the idea emerged and I thought he would be perfect for this article.

1 – Hi, Dom! Pleasure to have you here. When did you start to collect? And when did you started to take it seriously?

Dom Peeps: I started to collect statues at the age of 9 years old. I’ve always taken collecting very seriously. As soon as I got to know about statues/sculptures I quit collecting comic books to be able to purchase more statues.

2 – What was the first statue of your collection? Do you still have it? Can you share a picture?

Dom: My first statue is a batman and robin statue I received for my birthday. I chose the statue myself on a family vacation in Florida at this small kiosk in the middle of Aventura mall. Yes I still own the statue and to add I have never sold a statue that has been part of my personal collection.

3 – What do you do with the boxes? With so many pieces, I just can’t imagine how you manage them.

Dom: I keep and protect every box, I have two garages and 2 storage rooms in my house. Every box is double wrapped to protect from getting any moisture or water damage. So far I haven’t spent any money on storing my boxes in storage facilities.

4 – You told me you have 550 figures on display and two hundred more scattered around your house. Do you intend to display them all? Is there room for the ones left in your museum?

Dom: I have a total of 750 statues. In my new museum area I have around 550 statues that are strictly Marvel and DC. The other 200 are on display in my living room, dining room and spare bedroom which is in the middle of getting converted into a movie room. So to properly answer your question every piece I own is currently on display in my home. I’m not the type to keep pieces in the box.

5 – From all your collection what are your five favorite pieces? The ones you love the most?

Dom:

- One of a kind Wolverine vs Hulk diorama

- Sideshow Wolverine legendary scale figure

- Prime 1 1990 Movie TMNT SET

- Prime 1 Optimus Prime Dark of the Moon

- Dr. Doom on throne ex premium format figure

6 – What’s your criterion to choose a new statue to your collection? What drives you to a new figure?

Dom: What drives me the most is the art, the colors and being a “completionist” I love having an entire set. I only buy statues of the universes/characters I love.

7 – Is there a figure (or figures) you regretted you bought? Which one(s) and why? Did you sell them?

Dom: I haven’t ever purchased an item for myself that I ended regretting, I also never sold a statue from my personal collection.

8 – What do you think about “collectors” who buys figures just to resell them for a profit?

Dom: To be honest it doesn’t bother me. It’s their choice I could obviously do the same but have no time to waste doing this. I buy statues for the art and really don’t have any interest in making money from them. A lot of people don’t have the means to collect the way I do so a lot sale for space or to pay their next sculpture which makes a lot of sense.

9 – To you what’s today’s best company and why?

Dom: I will always be a huge fan of Sideshow because of their variety but I think Prime 1 is the leader today just because of their amazing sculpts and overall quality.

10 – What do you think about the customs market? Do you have any customs in your collection? In this case what led you to choose said custom(s)?

Dom: I think they are amazing, it’s great to be able to create your own statue and get to see it be created or even on display in your own collection. I do own a few but a lot have been purchased because they fell into my lap. I’m not the type to pre-order a custom statue because it’s usually not part of a set or doesn’t fit in great with other licensed pieces.

11 – What do you think about the escalating prices in our hobby? Is there someone to blame?

Dom: I think it’s horrible. I have actually stopped pre-ordering statues because of this. Almost every statue today has decreased in price after its release so instead of paying more on pre-order day I will patiently hunt down the ones I’m missing in the near future on the aftermarket. I think it’s terrible how companies can drive away their number one fans (like me) who have supported them on every release since day one with this incredible increase in price. I think the new competition and customs are to blame. People are spending more on statues today, any company can see that and say why can’t we do the same if they are successfully selling out their products at those prices.

12 – From the SDCC18 and Wonderfest (if you followed them) what pieces get you excited about? Why?

Dom: Every single Marvel/DC statue. I just love seeing new representations of every character and how statues are getting more detailed and paint applications bringing them alive more and more. If I have to pick just a few favorites it would have to be Sideshow's Wolverine, X-23, Harley Quinn and Joker premium formats.

13 – You know death comes to all of us, so what do think will happen to your collection? Got any plans for it? If so, which are your plans?

Dom: I’m planning to reduce it in the far future. I will use the money to travel the world with my wife. I wouldn’t want to leave my family with the burden of taking care of such a big collection.

14 – Is there a company (or companies) you would never buy from? Why?

Dom: No there isn’t. I am very open to all companies. I love to see variety in my collection and to see what other companies can offer once their pieces are released in hand. If I have to pick one it would be Hot Toys because I don’t collect action figures or toys.

15 – How do you see the statue’s market today? Any changes since you began? Please, develop a bit over the subject.

Dom: The market has took a turn for the worst. We are no longer purchasing collectibles that are hard to obtain yet we are paying more than ever to own these so called “collectibles”. There are so many new collectors in the hobby who buy and sell so quickly and so many statues just floating in the community. I don’t feel many people have the same love for collecting it is more a money making business and for me that is the biggest turn off. You will never see a statue sold at 300$ on pre-order and be worth almost 4-5k 10 years down the road like for example a Dr. Doom on throne premium format. The rarity has just gone straight out the window.

16 – What characters you would love to see transformed in 1/4 statues?

Dom: My favorite band Metallica.

17 – Do you think this hobby is addicting? If so, do you consider yourself addicted? If so (once again), how do you control your craving?

Dom: Yes, I do think this hobby is very addicting. I consider myself an addict at 100% but just like any addiction you need to be able to control yourself. If I don’t have the money to spend I will not order any statues but I have in the past used flex pay options or also made arrangements with monthly payments with collector friends to help afford certain statues. Like I mentioned earlier I have today completely stopped ordering any new pieces because prices are just not justified any longer and US$ to Canadian $ conversion does not help me either. I love collecting but I’m not ready to just throw my money in the garbage or put my life in jeopardy over collecting.

18 – There’s much ado about Sideshow new more realistic take on portraits, what do you think about it?

Dom: I’m always opened to new concepts from artists, after all we are buying the art created by them, the way they see, the artist in their eyes at that specific moment. If you’re not a fan of that sculpt or vision all the more reason to keep your money in your pocket. I don’t know many people who complain about the Mona Lisa and ask Leonardo Da Vinci to change the way her face looks. Lol. That’s just my opinion, of course. Seems like everyone is an artist today in this hobby.

19 – What do you think about the Facebook collectors’ community? Do you believe they (we) influence the market somehow?

Dom: I think there are pros and cons to this subject. When I was younger I figured I was the only collector who existed. Through time and the development of the internet I slowly began to meet other collectors from forums or on YouTube. Collecting was always great and very low key. Prices were fair and always very easy to find good deals from comic book stores, eBay or Kijiji. Since the creation of Facebook a lot of this changed. Yes it’s great to get in touch with so many collectors around the world but this also created a lot of fake collectors, a lot of people just looking to make a quick buck and many others who think they might become rich from this hobby. People looking at this hobby more as a business. Today a lot of people compare each other from one another. There is a lot of jealousy out there and worst of all a lot of people getting scammed. People sending money to purchase a statue but never receiving it. Send deposits and then sellers deleting profiles. Just not right that these things happen to people who share the same passion & hobby.

20 – Is there a sculptor (or sculptors) you like are more fond of? Could you name them?

Dom: Martin Canale, Pablo Viggiano would probably be my favorite sculptors. They have produced some of my favorite sculpts by Sideshow and are also probably the most talented in the industry in my opinion.

21 – Will you buy the new Wolverine life-size bust from Sideshow?

Dom: Most probably down the road when I find him for less than retail.

22 – Name your three favorite characters.

Dom:

- Wolverine

- Superman

- Batman

23 – Name three favorite movies.

Dom:

- Batman 89

- TMNT 90’S

- Transformers

24 – Name three favorite bands/singers.

Dom:

- Metallica

- Bon jovi

- Eminem

25 – What message/advice would you give to humankind? What life taught you?

Dom: The best message I can give is to follow your dreams, do not let anybody tell you otherwise. We have only one life to live and the best way to live it is with as much happiness as possible and with the least amount of regret. What life always taught me is that nothing comes easy and with hard work anything is possible. I’ve always been a big dreamer and hard worker. I am currently 32 years old. I have my dream job and live in my dream house, which is actually my childhood home that I purchased from my parents. I finally completed my museum in my basement that I have always dreamed about having and did everything with my bare two hands and of course help from my best friends and family. Many people told me I wouldn’t be able to do it or I dream to big but in the end my dreams became a reality and if it wasn’t for my positive way of thinking and never giving up in myself I would have never been able to prove them wrong.

Thanks for the interview! I’m quite sure collectors will love it!

P.S.: if you are interested in reading more interviews, click here. 

WHEN I THOUGHT I HAVE SEEN IT ALL SIDESHOW GRABS ME AGAIN

I thought SS new Red Sonja to be my last statue, I believed no other female portrait could match hers. I truly believed it was off the mark and no other statue that would come could surpass her. Then SDCC happened and everything changed. Sideshow really stepped up its game toward more realistic portraits and I realize that Sonja was only the tip of the iceberg. I’m really impressed with Sideshow new outings, especially in the female statue side, they never looked so good and I don’t know what to expect more beyond what was offered this year. But if they impressed me this year as Sideshow always does I feel I will be pushed inside collecting once again. Psylocke, the engineering wonder of Rogue, Harley Quinn with her cute (and difficult to achieve) expression, Elektra, the daring expression of X23, Wonder Woman, they all look miles away from Sideshow early takes on these characters. It’s an incredible and undeniable evolution in sculpting. As my budget is strictly limited nowadays I may be able to grab only one of them but I really don’t know which one to choose since all of them are fabulous. The naysayers insist that the new portraits are too masculine and I couldn’t disagree more. They are very feminine distinct and full of personality representations of strong women. As you can see I’m not as fond of the SS male offerings since, apart from Superman PF, Green Arrow PF and Thor PF, the others characters look to much like XM figures. Not as realistic and lacking personality. Plus the “modernization” of their uniforms really didn’t grab my eye. Yes, you can throw the first stone for my critic about XM. I believe they do very good villains and the engineering of their pieces is solid and creative. I particularly never bought a XM figure, but they seem to be very high quality pieces, the painting is outstanding but regarding female portraits, no one beats what Sideshow is producing right now. Some come very close, as XM own Mystique that I think is a more inspiring and sexy figure than Sideshow’s take on the character and Prime 1 Poison Ivy, the second 1/3 statue I’ve ever had the true thrill to own (the other being Batman Beyond Gold Edition). Prime 1 Huntress I believe is a tad better than Sideshow’s but both female Prime 1 statues have so big bases and are so big overall not to mention pricey that I can’t accommodate them in my collection. They are very good pieces overall anyway.

Why so much focus on portraits one may ask. Well, I believe portraits to be the most delicate and difficult parts of a statue and are what give them life and personality, followed by the pose. I like faces, in a word. And there’s no match in the market to the new Sideshow. What I think is contradictory is that the male portraits became worse than they used to be. I would not trade my old SS Daredevil for the new one, because the new one lacks the personality and fidelity to the original character. It seems like an emulation of XM famous take on the character and I think both of them lacks humanity, so to say, that the ladies exhale. Captain America is also a disappointment when compared to the old SS Captain America – Allied Charge on Hydra (the one that isn’t based on the movies).

One trick, so to speak, I realized SS used in almost all female statues and that adds to the realism of the portraits is that they’re rarely looking straight ahead but looking sideways instead. This minor twist gives a lot more personality to the pieces.

Conclusion, I may be selling older statues in order to get back to business, a thing I believe I had given away with the new Red Sonja. Let’s see. The funny thing because contradictory as hell is that the first piece I want to acquire beyond all others is The Little Mermaid, which has nothing of realistic about it but oozes personality and sensuality. Plus, is small in size and price. If I would choose just one of the new females, a though decision, I would choose Harley Quinn since I think her unmasked expression extremely unique and difficult to execute, for me is the female figure of this new batch with more personality of it all. And I’m not a big fan of Harley let alone the Disney cartoon. Lol.

TOP 10 SIDESHOW FIGURES FROM SDCC

All top tens are highly subjective. This one is no exception. Fell free do disagree, as I’m sure everyone who reads this will. I didn't count 1/6 action figures on this list. And only SS pieces, no Iron Studios or Prime 1.

10 – Suicide Squad Joker. I was in doubt between him and Batwoman but I ended up with him because of two major factors: it’s the first time that Sideshow does a real-life character that really resembles the source and by the outstanding mixed media clothing of the piece. Easiest one of the best efforts from SS Cut & Sew team I’ve ever seen. The figure just stands out from the crowd for its colorful outfit and, as I said, the fidelity to the source is unmatched regarding Sideshow. Batwoman comes close with her fabulous black white and red contrast and altogether beautiful sculpt but Joker just oozes personality and is a movie character I really feel like having and I’m not into movie characters.

9 – Deadpool Life-Size Bust. How do you do a realistic caricature? Simply you do a Deadpool life-size bust. Mixing the right amount of funny and detail, this is certainly one of the best busts ever done by Sideshow. The expression of Deadpool is priceless and he comes equipped with all the grenades and swords to be ready for a fight for your attention in every display. The paintjob is top notch and is another of those pieces full of personality and humor without being (too) ridiculous. I think Sideshow found a very special balance here that is so hard to achieve.

    

8 – Batman – Gotham City Nightmare. How to reinvent a character so overly done? The answer is to search in the realm of dreams or, better saying, nightmares. Highly detailed and expertly painted this terrifying take on Batman wowed me by the bold art direction. Not even the gargoyle was immune to the nightmare and seems to gain life as another scary figure, a companion to the man-bat figure over it. With an extra-head that bears more resemblance with Batman as we know it, this is a winner piece and proof that Sideshow is indeed the most creative company in the industry.

7 – Malavestros PF. From so many Court of the Dead excellent pieces was hard to choose one that stood out but on his second year on the Comic Con floor he’s still a sight to behold. Besides not being so monstrous as other characters of the line, the skinny jester is beautifully sculpted and detailed and his base is the best PF base sideshow had to offer this year. Full of details like books, coins, candles and even skulls. The scroll is a psychedelic sculpture by itself, depicting a fight between a little angel and a tiny devil and encompassing all the colors from blue to yellow. The paintjob of the piece is outstanding and make it stood out from the rest which is no easy task given the quality of the line where it belongs. Odium is a sight to behold with his gargantuan presence but the tiny Malavestros is still the best Court of the Dead has to offer as a whole (base + statue). If the first version of the devilish siren were still available, it would be harder to choose as that was a magnificent and creative piece as well but in her absence, the crown goes to the jester.

6 – Red Sonja PF. What can I say of this figure? It is simply the best female sculpture ever done by Sideshow. What is no small thing to say. Sideshow has been increasing year after year their capacity of doing astonishingly beautiful female characters, but this year they surpassed themselves by a mile with the most beautiful face and most feminine body ever. The pose, powerful yet relaxed and contemplative (and still sexy) of one who just experienced victory is unmatched. Even though the base is quite forgettable. From the not so red tip of the hair to the bloody tip of her boots, the new Red Sonja PF won my heart and if I have the opportunity to order only one piece next year she will be it. Obs.: I’m not really sure if this is a Sideshow statue since it didn’t appear on the Marvel recap video SS did and on the bottom of her preview picture there was the Dynamite name, so one just wonder… but I’ll take it as if it is.

5 – Swamp Thing Maquette. First things first: Swamp Thing is my all-time favorite character and when I heard Sideshow would be doing a statue of him, I stayed in awe. I confess I’m on the fence about this figure because I’m probably overly conservative about my beloved character. However, I cannot deny the bold and creative art direction of this piece and the magnificent result. With complex texture that mixture plant with an alien-esque feel, Swamp Thing is imposing and claims for the attention of the viewer. I didn’t see him in person but it seems to be taller than your average 1/4 scale, as Swamp Thing really should be since he’s a big character on the comics. Even though not following with the fidelity I desired the comics one can easily identify that is Swamp Thing there. Even with a different color pallet. Even with the floating vines. Even if glossy. Apart all of this, Swamp Thing Maquette is an extremely well crafted sculpture and looks like it has been hand sculpted (what I like). It’s full of details and varied textures that really grabs one’s eye. Very artistic and conceptual. I have to admire it even though it’s not the Swamp Thing I dreamt of.  

4 – Alien Queen Maquette. Simply amazing. Maybe is not as dynamic as the Alien King composition with his horde of xenomorphs going out of the holes and following him but the Alien Queen is certainly full of movement as she menacingly runs into attack. The base is also incredibly detailed and complex with all those eggs rooted on the ship floor and the xenomorphs. All in all is an incredible piece that Aliens fans will certainly rejoice. I found it amazing even not being a movie character collector myself. One of the most detailed – if not the most detailed – piece presented by Sideshow this year. Most certainly, it has to do with Legacy Effects participation on the project. Kudos to them and Sideshow.

3 – Iron Man Mark III Maquette. Opposed to Swamp Thing I guess this is the Iron Man everyone dreamt of. Looks like Sideshow captured the platonic vision of Iron Man that inhabits our minds and transformed into a statue. The pose is perfect. It is so imposing that the statue seems bigger than it really is. The base is also very cool as well as the paint app. Everything in this Maquette is flawless. I think this Iron Man will be very tough to beat (note that I said Iron Man not Hulkbuster…). If I ever go for a movie character or a non-classic Iron Man this will be it.

  

2 – Hulk Life-Size Bust. I know this is quite polemic, there is a lot of hating about this piece. About all regarding it, the painting, the expression, the face altogether, the weight and blah, blah, blah. However, I find it to be the best bust in the history of Sideshow. I think it is perfect, the ultimate combination of comics feel with hyper-realism. And I love the painting. It’s so complex and full of textures, hues and details. It beats my former favorite one, Joker LSB. It beats almost every other offering from Sideshow this year on SDCC. It made me spend $980 in a piece, a thing I’ve never imagined I would do in my life. And will certainly be the last time I spend such an humongous amount in one single piece. This will be the central piece of my collection, my personal grail, my most beloved statue. Besides all criticism, I think this is really a work of art. Of pop art. But art nevertheless.  

1 – Thanos on Throne Maquette. It would be heresy not to put this one in first. It’s a perfect piece that is praised but just about everyone. I cannot see anything to complain about it. In an era when everyone puts everything on thrones, Thanos does not feel forced sitting on his. It’s completely pertinent with the character. The head sculpt on both heads is spot on; he is as massive as he should be. The outfit is cool and creative while not detracting from the original source material. The pose is astounding, the throne is immensely detailed and the gems still light up. In one word: flawless. A grail as we know it.

Did you notice a pattern here? Apart from the bust, the top five is all composed by Maquettes, what maybe mean that this is the new “excellence” line of Sideshow. The best among the best. Or maybe it’s just coincidence. I don’t know. Want to hear thoughts. What would you take and replace from this top ten? Someone just yelled to take out the ridiculous Hulk LSB from the list? I don’t mind. This is just my opinion. I’ll listen/read and respect yours.

Oh, and be sure to check our newest interview with Imaginarium Art owner! :)

RAMBLINGS ABOUT SS ON SDCC

Having nothing better to do, I decided to write. The SDCC at least on SS side is becoming tastier and tastier. I’m sure disappointed with the recycling of the characters presented by the company but if Red Sonja is any indicator of the improvements over the tried and true characters I am very excited about the new Wolverine even though they could make a less obvious take of him like a Weapon X version for a change. Magneto is the most expected character of the show and I think the probability of disappointment is big. For my side I mean. Since I’m expecting something truly innovative and cool without loosing the characteristics of the master of magnetism. Not an easy achievement. But the thing I’m more curious about Magneto will be it’s price tag. Depending on the base, I believe it could hit the $800 price point. What is bad news, of course, meaning the crazy price escalate isn’t showing any signals of slowing down. The creative director of Sideshow numbered increasing complexity of the pieces and rising production costs in China as the main villains of the price frenzy, what I believe just to be half-true. The fact is that our hobby became so popular that there’s always demand for the prices they ask. But I will not complain about it anymore. Got tired of it. My next figure will only come when all my reward points are in, this means December 2018, so I will keep on the fridge for a long time. If you want to fight the prices somehow I’ve created a petition, it’s on the right side of this blog (if you’re not seeing it on a cell, I don’t think it appear on the cell mode of the blog). The change.org petition asks for flex payment to begin as soon as the pre-order is open giving more months to pay therefore lowering the values we pay for a figure each month. If you think it’s a good idea, you can sign it. They maybe never change the flex payment terms but at least we tried. The more we are the more noise we’ll do.

Back to SDCC, others that must be excited with it are Court of the Dead fans with two or three figures to be unveiled. None of them has the appeal of Malavestros to me but I’m not CotD fan, to be honest I’m not this or that fan, I buy what catches my eye and fits into my pocket.

I’m not excited at all, by the way, with Lady Deadpool, but it fits well its place of companion piece to the uber over the top Heat Seeker (which seems to be a flop since the ex is still available for pre-order almost a year after it’s release). What differentiates this year from the last, in my opinion is the investment on life-size busts which were absent from last SDCC apart from a CotD mask as I remember it (my memory is one of my weak spots, so I might be mistaken). One point that got me thinking is that many collectors are running out of space to display their figures having no option but resell part of their collections or stopping collecting for once. I already have (or will have, since my room is not yet ready to display my figures properly) problems with that, I can only imagine the truly addicted collectors. Yes, because I discovered collecting is addictive. I’m doing my best to not fall into addiction but I admit the new Sonja alone already got me salivating since I don’t have any version of her, love women statues and she looks so darn pretty. But I’ll keep my abstinence until December 2018 no matter what. If she is still available, what is not impossible, I may consider acquiring her with my reward points.

People were complaining about Boba Fett's neckless bust

Other point that Sideshow seem to be investing more heavily than last year is on Art Prints, even though, apart from the Adam Hughes Star Wars ladies panel, the prints seem very uninspired compared with earlier efforts. To be honest I only have one Art Print – Spider-Woman – that I’ll finally frame when I do the reform of my room in 2018 (or so I hope). Meanwhile, back to SDCC. It’s still ten days away and every day, as soon as I get home, I run to check my e-mails to see if there’s another exciting reveal from SS. It’s been fun and surprising so far. Star Wars fans are in for a treat with several products coming their way including two life-size busts. They better get some room in those man caves. Lol.

Aliens fans must also be rejoiced with the launch of Alien Warrior and the announcement of Alien Queen maquette, even though some think the Alien Warrior is small and made of plastic (or PVC whatever) not resin. The price suggests both. I hope that at least the plastic part is not true because it would be huge letdown and a scary prospect for future Sideshow releases. They didn’t even put the weight of the figure on the pre-order page what is a bad sign. I have to get ready for my appointment today so I continue once I get back, hoping news from Sideshow have already arrived and that they will be cool. Let me finish saying that to me the best piece to come from SS in the near future was already revealed. Hulk life-size bust. I made the crazy move of ordering it on day one, yes, I talk about it very much but I can’t stop thinking of it. When the flex payment comes in in August I’ll have a hard time with my mother since she controls my pension/finances and will be enraged with the $176 bucks on my credit card plus the last payment of Killer Croc, and one month later with the start of Malavestros payments. It is a thing that worries me a lot but it’s a statue that I must have. To me is the best version of Hulk ever done, beating even OG Hulk. As OG Hulk was my all-time most desired figure (green version), to have the opportunity of acquiring one piece that beats him is just too sweet. I don’t believe another figure will wow me as much as this Hulk bust but I may burn my tongue. I don’t believe Magneto will be the figure to top it. Red Sonja is a very distant contender but I’m very curious to see her full body. Well, let me go to my appointment. I come back later. 8:14. Gotta go.

Nothing short of amazing.

9:17. I'm in the CAPS (Center of Psychosocial Aid). There are two groups happening, gardening and soul collage. I'm not in the mood to none of them. The gardening group is composed for people with more severe mental disorders. They are noisy but funny and happy, not depressed as is common around here. The CAPS is divided in two houses one for people with problems like depression, panic, addiction (my case along with bipolar disorder, both under control, thankfully). The other house is for people with things like schizophrenia and other more disruptive disorders. The people from the second house participate from the gardening activity that's why they are here. I don't know why I am talking about this, I think it is to give an overview of my weekly activities. I come here on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays because are the days of the AD (Alcohol and Drugs) groups. I’ll put the iPod on since there's too much noise around for me to concentrate on the writing.

10:10. It's a pain to write on the cell. Gosh. But back to figures. One thing that I've read and that made sense to me is that bases of the figures are getting bigger (especially XM's) and that they take even more space from collectors' caves or rooms. My room is rather small so I can't afford to have dozens of 1/4 figures nor have money to do it. Besides this, I live in Brazil so it's almost impossible to acquire a XM statue and to be real sincere they don't attract me, I don't know why, I think I don't get what's so special about them, I think they lack personality albeit being highly detailed and well finished. I know that there are the amazing bases but my focus is on the character and nobody does characters with so much personality like Sideshow. Their head sculpts are unbeatable and the face is the focal point of a statue, as once stated Mark Newman, one of the greatest sculptors of our hobby. If I would happen to have one XM piece it would be Vulture or Black Bolt because I think both captured the characters Sideshow style. Prime 1 also does not do the cut for me. I think their figures extremely well done but without a soul. They're also super detailed and presents impeccable production value but lacks the personality Sideshow oozes. I guess I am a Sideshow fanboy, forgive me for that. I guess all my texts are biased towards Sideshow. But that's who I am and this is the way my texts go. There are one or two pieces I would like to have from Prime 1, like Two Face and that nightmarish villain who uses a hallucinogenic gas which name I don't recall right now. Scarecrow! I asked a geek friend from CAPS now. Other than that, especially on Prime 1 1/4 front, nothing attracts me; well apart Spider-Man 2099, which I think, is very cool. All the others seem blunt to me, no matter how detailed they are. But what I dislike the most about Prime 1 are the prices, especially from their 1/4 line up. I think they’re driving the prices up in the market sending the message that there is demand for very expensive 1/4 pieces, but it may be only conspiracy theory of me. However, I don’t demerit neither Prime 1 nor XM, they do really astounding figures, the only thing is that they don’t match my taste. I know it sounds like heresy or dumb to prefer Sideshow pieces over Prime 1 and XM ones, since these two are the darlings of collectors, but to each their own. I respect both companies but I believe none of them would be capable of doing a Hulk bust like the Sideshow one, just to cite an example.

13:27. I am already at home had lunch and ran to see my e-mails a check Sideshow’s site. I found the Adam Hughes Art Print to be expensive even unframed. $125. If I were a Star Wars fan I would give it. Alias if I were a Star Wars fan who haven’t promised himself to only buy a new collectible when the reward points enter in December 2018, I would buy it. It’s definitely not my case. Apart that novelty, there is the launch of SS line of Suicide Squad PF. If there’s one thing Sideshow is terrible in is replicating an actor/actress face. You can see it on the Harley Quinn that’s for pre-order and not see it on the Joker preview that they prudently photographed with the face hidden. To be honest in a world where there is Hot Toys you can’t compete. Prime 1 effort on Suicide Squad Harley Quinn is laughable too. So nothing too exciting about SDCC on Sideshow today. So far… I will revise it, get the images and post it.

14h50. One thing that I noticed when searching the figures for this post is that in the “Coming Soon” section of Sideshow’s site Magneto’s preview simply vanished. So did Red Sonja. Maybe it means something? Or it was just a flaw they committed. Who knows? 

P.S.: this is my 90th post! :D
P.S. 2: they fixed the Coming Soon and added Magneto and Red Sonja. Did they read this? Or was it just coincidence?

SPONSORED LINK - CHECK OUT AWESOMENESS!

AVENGERS ASSEMBLE OVERVIEW: MAYBE I GROW TOO USED TO DOWNEY JR. DETAILED ARMOR, BUT...

... I don’t know, I feel there’s something missing about the Avengers Assemble Iron-Man just launched. I’m not sure if is the lack of detail of the sculpture or the lack of personality but it doesn’t seem like a collector item to me. It looks very much like a toy in my opinion. And it’s not the size. My 1:5 He-Man most certainly doesn’t look like no toy at all. I quite don’t know what went wrong with this one. The armor is creative, different from every other version I’ve seen. It just does not look cool enough. It is not cool at all. And the face, better saying, the mask, doesn’t bring any expression, the mask is the big mess of it all. I don’t know what Randy Bowen did with his oversimplified sculptures (for today standards, I love Bowen Designs, by the way) that make good old Iron-Man look so cool. I really don’t know but it’s not present in this streamlined piece. Presence. Is this the exact word that lacks to this figure. It has no presence, no personality, no Sideshow magic to it. I know I can’t compare because it’s an 1:4 statue but Sideshow Daredevil PF is a relative simple design, based on the comic book character and it oozes personality on his face, on his pose daring jumping over the broken justice of Hell’s Kitchen. That Daredevil statue tells a story about the character. The Avengers Assemble Iron-Man tells me nothing. It’s a completely inexpressive uninspired piece. From base to face. But then again it’s not a fair comparison. Even though is fair to compare 1:5 Skeletor’s armor with Legendary Scale Doctor Doom armor and call it a draw in terms of beauty and detail (and I still prefer the Skeletor’s best).

Iron-Man comes for a friendly price (again for today standards), $360, and many will buy for nostalgia’s sake. I don’t blame them. Who am I to judge anybody tastes? I’m just expressing mine. For a little less I prefer to put my money in one of the Sideshow Ninja Turtles. They are small but surely has that Sideshow magic, they have each a different personality and are very detailed models for their sizes. And I don’t like the Turtles comics nearly as I love classic Iron-Man ones. But comparing the statues, I stay with the turtles ones all the way. And the worse (or the better, so I save my money) is that Captain America is coming the same way even though I believe he’ll be a bit more expensive because of the Cut & Sew finishing, what I find pretty cool (albeit the utility belt packs seemed really big in proportion to the statue).

I’m seeing more promise in Hulk and Thor though. I believe they will bring a lot more personality to the Avengers Assemble line by the bit I could see in the preview picture of the group. And don’t take me wrong, I hope Iron-Man and his pals sell well. I want to know which other Avengers could appear down the road. Sideshow’s David Igo said they’re planning to do statues of heroes they never tried before or in a long while and this is like music to my ears. They will certainly maintain the streamlined style to give unity to the line, what brings me a bit of concern. But Captain America is already more detailed than Iron-Man, even though it also lacks the character of his big brother 1:4 scale Captain America - Allied Charge on Hydra. Once again, I don’t know why, since He-Man, Skeletor and Evil-Lyn all have presence and personality being 1:5 characters. But, hey, maybe it’s just me being picky and becoming a surly old guy. Or, like I said I, became too used to the hyper detailed armor from the movies.

One thing is for sure: please don’t take my word about this piece. Nor about any other. Make your own mind and buy it if you will. I’ll even facilitate for you and put a link to Iron-Man’s Sideshow page at the bottom of the post.

P.S.: I just saw the pointy alternate head now. It’s awesome!

Marvel Iron Man Marvel Statue

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Oh, and to those interested in a good fight, or a fight for good, below is the link for the petition asking Sideshow to begin their payment plans as soon as the figures are out for pre-order, giving us more months to pay at smaller monthly fees. If you like this idea, just click the link below and sign the petition. It will take just a minute and can make a lot of difference to all of us average-pocket collectors. 

Sideshow payment plans starting along with the pre-orders means more months to pay, meaning cheaper monthly fees, meaning more easier payments. If you want this to happen, sign the petition. It only takes a minute but can bring long term facilities to all of us Sideshow (and Prime 1 and Hot Toy and etc.) collectors.

https://www.change.org/p/sidewhow-collectibles-sideshow-we-want-payment-plans-with-more-and-lower-monthly-fees

SURPRISE! CAPTAIN MARVEL FLAWLESS PAINTING!

If these new photos are from the mass production Captain Marvel, I swallow my words and concerns from months ago. The paint job on this one is simply terrific, not a flaw to be seen on the stripes, and even better than the prototype shown with the new subtle metallic tone on the red parts of her uniform. Along with Dark Phoenix, the two best Sideshow female statues to come out this year, easily. I wish I had the bang to snag her too. Since I don’t have extra $499, I’ll post lots of pictures to everyone appreciate this beautiful work. Congratulations to the Chinese factory who manufactured this. And Sideshow for the excellent quality control on this piece. Enjoy.

Get yours before the cool Kree helmet exclusive item goes off (there's a sponsored link at the bottom of this article). It’s a pretty neat alternate display to her.

(Good) envy of the owners of this one…

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Oh, and to those interested in a good fight, or a fight for good, below is the link for the petition asking Sideshow to begin their payment plans as soon as the figures are out for pre-order, giving us more months to pay at smaller monthly fees. If you like this idea, just click the link below and sign the petition. It will take just a minute and can make a lot of difference to all of us average-pocket collectors. 

Sideshow payment plans starting along with the pre-orders means more months to pay, meaning cheaper monthly fees, meaning more easier payments. If you want this to happen, sign the petition. It only takes a minute but can bring long term facilities to all of us Sideshow (and Prime 1 and Hot Toy and etc.) collectors.

https://www.change.org/p/sidewhow-collectibles-sideshow-we-want-payment-plans-with-more-and-lower-monthly-fees