Classic Iron Man by Sideshow Collectibles

Iron Man is probably one of Marvel’s most marketed character today and with 2 movies already setting the benchmark in superhero films, it is no wonder that we see all sorts of Iron Man toys from action figures to die cast cars and finally to statues.

Several statue makers decided to capitalize on Iron Man’s fame and released several versions of IM including Stealth, Hulkbuster, Mark IV, Mark VI and the Classic, etc.

Sideshow Collectibles, probably the biggest statue company, released its own version of Classic Iron Man Comiquette. A comiquette is basically a combination of a statue with either a fabric costume or accessory. The scale is 1:4, which is pretty big (over 20 inches tall) and is made of polystone. The Iron Man Comiquette is limited to 1,250 pcs. for the regular and 750 pcs. for the exclusive version, which includes an interchangeable Tony Stark head.

Package Contents:

I admire the box designs of Sideshow because of the amount of details that they put into it. You get a brief write up of the statue and great layout pictures of it. The box contains several detached pieces, namely Iron Man’s body, the left arm, his head, base and the flagpole. At the bottom of the box is a print of what number out of the 1,250 pcs. each piece is.

Collector’s Perspective:

The limited edition production says it all that this is a collectible. Though the exclusive version is limited to 750 only (which makes it more valuable), having the regular version is enough for me. Besides, I prefer Iron Man’s helmet rather than Stark’s face. On the other hand it would be nice to be able to give your display a change once in awhile.

You can purchase the regular version directly at Sideshow's website

http://www.sideshowtoy.com/?page_id=4489&sku=6829&ref=search0109 for $270.00. My friend was able to get this as part of a set buy for P 14,000.00 (approximately $300.00). The exclusive version is already sold out so good luck finding one in the secondary market.

I am getting 2 results from Amazon.com, one for $219.00 http://www.amazon.com/Marvel-Statues-Busts-Prop-Replicas/dp/B0029S6M7G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1280400214&sr=8-1 and another one for $259.99 http://www.amazon.com/Classic-Iron-Polystone-Scale-Comiquette/dp/B002957IA4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1280400259&sr=8-2.

PhoTOYgrapher's Perspective:

I started PhoTOYgraphy with action figures and statues and it is because of them that I improved my skills. I was able to use a lot of statues as practice for lighting and one can learn a lot from it.

The details in Iron Man is splendid if I say so myself. The paint quality is superb and I love the fact that Sideshow did not forget to show Stark’s eyes inside those metals slits in his helmet. Though this statue is not pose able you can still give it a good lighting treatment via tabletop style then just change the background afterwards via your favorite photo editor. Most of the time I post pictures of toys with a plain background to show viewers details of a toy. Recently I have been trying to do composites (merging a background with your subject) to make the pictures more interesting. Imagine Iron Man holding the U.S.A. flag and at his background is the white house.

Some Issues:

1.) The tip of the flagpole breaks easily so better be careful.

2.) The arms are muscular that it looks like a second skin instead of an armor. However this is me just nit picking so I can put something here. The statue is awesome!

Gears used:

Canon DSLR

Canon 70-300mm Lens

3 pcs. 180 watts each Jinbei Strobes, Softbox, Grid and Morris IR Trigger

White and black muslin background

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Terror & Magnus by Joe Ledbetter

In the vinyl universe, there are a lot of great and talented artists but there is one particular person who caught my attention ever since I got introduced to this hobby – Joe Ledbetter or JLED as he is better known as (http://www.joeledbetter.com/).

The fact that his creations cater to both the young and the not so young, it makes me wish I was rich and could afford to buy all the toys that he released. Unfortunately most of his items are sold out and if you decide to go to eBay then you have to pay a hefty price for his collectibles. JLED’s trademark is the thick outlines on his cute and colorful characters. A vinyl collector will know a JLED product when he/she sees one.

Collectors are always anxious to buy his items whenever they become available and some are really hard to get because of his popularity. During 3^rd quarter of last year, there was an announcement of yet another masterpiece release from JLED of 2 characters called Terror and Magnus. This was in collaboration with an outfit called The Loyal Subjects who made 515 limited edition sets and was pre selling it for $99.00 per set.

Package Contents:

The box is beautifully designed by JLED and contains the 8” Terror and 3” Magnus that comes with a staff with JLED’s emblem.

Collector’s Perspective:

If you are a follower of JLED’s merchandise then you already know that his toys are HOT collectibles. There is always frenzy whenever he releases a toy and some are fortunate to buy them at regular price while others have to go to eBay or forums just to get their hands on one.

As with all his toys I strongly recommend Terror & Magnus as part of your collection. The value appreciates over time (check out his Bunnies and the cats). Over the years, some of his toys have been criticized because he was releasing the same character with different color ways. To the critics it is just another fast way to earn money since the mould is the same. The only differences are the new colors and Terror & Magnus are guilty as charged. As of this writing I have seen and photographed 4 color ways already.

You can purchase T & M directly at The Loyal Subjects’ site http://theloyalsubjects.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=15 ($99.00 regular edition) and http://theloyalsubjects.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=25 ($115.00 death metal edition). The latter being a bit more expensive because only 199 sets were made as opposed to the 515 sets for the regular edition. There is also an icy blue (European edition) and Lava, which is the holy grail in the series.

Lava AP edition

PhoTOYgrapher's Perspective:

There is one photographer who brings out the best in these vinyls when it comes to photographing them and it's Brian Mc Carty (http://www.mccartyphotoworks.com/). The guy takes a lot of time to prepare for his location shoots and sometimes add live models in his pictures. Brian's pictures are what I consider the best way to bring your collectibles outdoors. Unfortunately I do not have the time to do what he is doing.

You can also do tabletop shots with plain backgrounds and just do a composite later (adding a colorful background) via Photoshop. Better yet bring these guys outdoors and give it a Mc Carty treatment.

Some Issues:

1.) Limited movements.

2.) Some paint quality issues

3.) Vinyl collecting is expensive

Gears used:

Canon DSLR

Canon 70-300mm Lens

Benro A300 Tripod

3 pcs. Jinbei 180 watts (each), Softbox, Grid & Pocket Wizards

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Iron Man Mark IV 1/4th Scale Bust by Hot Toys

The Hot Toys people never ceases to amaze me. I saw the Mark IV bust while I was walking along the streets of Mongkok, Hong Kong. My brother and I already knew where to go (after we were tipped by a relative) and when we got to the store of Toy Hunters, I positively drooled over their products.

They had on their display window the 1/6^th scale of Iron Man Mark IV, War Machine, Black Widow, Whiplash and a bunch of others. Aside from that I finally saw the 1/4^th scale of Mark IV, Mark V and War Machine (all with small tag cards that read pre order). I took a couple of pictures (after getting permission from the owner) and then immediately inquired about the 1/4^th scale busts and the owner told me that it’s sold out. You can check out the pictures at http://www.hottoys.com.hk/index.php?target=categories&category_id=141 and click on the Mark IV icon below.

After buying several cosbaby we left the store and went to another one (Animate) and that’s where I saw the Mark IV bust for sale. I inquired the price and asked if they had War Machine as well but they said no. I left the place and came back later and finally purchased the Mark IV.

Package Contents:

Hot Toys knows how to package their items, the Mark IV is packed in a cool black box and…

Collector’s Perspective:

If you are an Iron Man fan then you should definitely get this bust. The Mark IV was produced based on the movie and includes an LED light eyes and chest. This is not a limited edition production as far as I know. His base has an Iron Man 2 inscription as well as the words Mark IV.

There is a local toy store selling this here in the Philippine at Php 3,999.99 (roughly $85++). I was able to buy this for 480HKD (around Php 2,880.00 or $62.00)

PhoTOYgrapher’s Perspective:

As with statues there are no moving parts here so basically this works best (in my humble opinion) with a tabletop treatment. I would probably get some props to go along with this bust (maybe some Iron Man cosbaby guarding it) or maybe do a composite by adding a cool background later.

You can also do a comparison photo by shooting it eye level and below eye level. I find the latter works for me because it makes him look big. The lighted eyes and chest (powered by 3 AAA batteries) are good additions to this awesome bust.

Some Issues:

1.) The built is plastic.

2.) I would have preferred HT not to include portions of the arms because it looks as if they are dangling. It would be better if they leave the sculpting until the shoulders only.

Gears used:
Canon DSLR
Canon 100mm f2.8 Lens
2 pcs. 180 Watts (each) Jinbei & IR Trigger
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Hulk The Movie: Abomination Fine Art Statue by Kotobukiya

One of the Hulk's most popular arch nemesis is Emil Blonsky, a former special forces operative whose obsession with power made him a monster. A combination of the Super Soldier serum and Hulk's gamma blood resulted in Blonsky being transformed into the being known as The Abomination. This statue is based on the movie and features Abomination in a fighting pose as well. His base interlocks with that of The Hulk to create a fighting scene diorama. 

Package Contents:

Aside from having a black box similar to the Hulk’s, it also has the gold seal indicating the production run of the statue. The bonus is an extra head sculpt of Hulk, which replaces (via magnet) the current Hulk roaring head sculpt.

Collector’s Perspective:

What is interesting here is that by buying the 2 statues you instantly have your own diorama. Whenever I buy toys I prefer to collect the heroes, rarely do I buy the villains. I would probably get these 2 statues because of two things: One, the extra head sculpt of Hulk and two, their bases interlocks together to form a battle scene. Abomination's 12inch size also makes it a great display piece for me.

It is listed at Kotobukiya's site for $ 175.00 and Amazon is selling it for $99.00.

http://marvel.kotous.com/marvel/page/artfx_hulk_abomination/index.shtml

http://www.amazon.com/Incredible-Hulk-Movie-Abomination-Statue/dp/B001DN1LX8

PhoTOYgrapher’s Perspective:

Statues are limited because they are not pose able and you get 2 kinds of poses - Museum or action pose. The clincher here is the fact that if you own both Hulk and Abomination you can re create the battle scene from the movie.

If you are a bit adventurous then you can probably bring this statue out on a street with the city as a background and do some cool perspective shot there. An added touch would be some good light setups. On the other hand if you were restricted (like me) then a good option would be to polish your Photoshop skills and do a composite (meaning combining Abomination and a digital background) like what some of my colleagues are doing. If you are more interested with this then check out my friend Bleau Aquino's site at http://www.flickr.com/photos/11178052@N03/. This guy’s creative talent will amaze you.

Issue:

1.) I never liked how the movie version of Abomination turned out. He does not look as massive as he is in the comics.

Gears used:

Canon DSLR

Canon 100mm f2.8 Lens

Benro A300 Tripod

3 pcs. Jinbei 180 watts (each), Softbox and Grid

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Morris IR Trigger

The Hulk Movie Fine Art Statue by Kotobukiya

When The Incredible Hulk movie came out a few years ago several manufacturers came up with their renditions of The Hulk and Kotobukiya was one of them. The Japanese firm is known for producing masterpiece quality statues and I have to say that this version of The Hulk does not reflect the term ‘masterpiece’ for me.
Kotobukiya made the statue based on the movie of Hulk hoisting a humvee over its head and ready to throw it to his archenemy the Abomination.



Package Contents:

Hulk is around 11+ inches tall and is packed in a nice designed black box with a serial number printed on a gold seal. The base is also numbered (limited edition). 

Collector's Perspective:

I am not a fan of the Hulk but I like the fact that he is one of Marvel's strongest hero. This statue was released a few years ago and is sold out on most of the stores here in the Philippines. I said most because I saw one store selling it for over $250.00 which I think is absurd. 

Since it's a limited edition (3000 pcs. only) product then it's a collectible in my book.

I checked Kotobukiya's website and they are selling this for $ 157.99 (list price is $174.00) and Amazon is selling this for $114.99.

http://store.kotous.com/the-incredible-hulk-movie-hulk-fine-art-statue-clone-2.html

http://www.amazon.com/Incredible-Hulk-Movie-Fine-Statue/dp/B001CBUZXI

PhoTOYgrapher's Perspective:

Statues are limited because they are not pose able and you get 2 kinds of poses - Museum or action pose. Kotobukiya made a decision giving Hulk a nice action pose (and prop) reminiscent of a scene from the movie.

If you are a bit adventurous then you can probably bring this statue out on a street with the city as a background and do some cool perspective shot there. An added touch would be some good light setups. On the other hand if you were restricted (like me) then a good option would be to polish your Photoshop skills and do a composite (meaning combining Hulk and a digital background) like what some of my colleagues are doing. If you are more interested with this then check out my friend Bleau Aquino's site at http://www.flickr.com/photos/11178052@N03/. This guy's creative talent will amaze you.

Some Issues:

1.) Though I like the anatomy of Hulk I am not that impressed with his facial expression (designed by Junnosuke Abe). However when you buy the Abomination statue it comes with an extra head sculpt of Hulk which I prefer.

This head sculpt comes with the Abomination Statue

2.) I do not like the finish of the statue. He reminds me of Warlock from the New Mutants comic when he bonds with one of the kids. Also Hulk looks like he's on steroids with all those veins popping out.

Gears used:

Canon DSLR

Canon 100mm f2.8 Lens

3 pcs. Jinbei 180 watts (each), Softbox and Grid

Benro A300 Tripod

Morris IR Trigger

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Toy Story Mini Cosbaby (S) Series by Hot Toys

During a recent trip to Hong Kong my brother (who went there ahead of me) bought me a 1 box of Toy Story Cosbaby. I was intrigued because I have never seen one and excitedly opened it and got one of the Alien characters. Being a fan of Buzz Lightyear of which I saw is one of the characters being offered by HT I told my brother that I wanted to buy some more.

One measly box became a journey for us during our HK trip and at the end of the trip it proved fruitful. We kept on going back to a particular HMV store, buy 1 or 2, open them and kept going back for more. Even the sales people there were curious as to how we choose which box to get. And because we kept on going back I am now able to tell which box contains Buzz Lightyear and the secret version by simply feeling them (these are sealed blind boxes). The hardest to get was Woody and it took us on our last day of the trip (and my last box purchase at HMV Elements mall) to finally complete the set.

Package Contents:

Each box is sealed and contains one of 7 characters including Buzz Lightyear, Woody, Jessie, Emperor Zurg, Army man (rifle accessory) and 2 Aliens (ooh and smiley version). The secret version is Army man with a binocular accessory. For more information you can check http://www.hottoys.com.hk/index.php?target=products&product_id=521.

Collector's Perspective:

Disney Pixar fans should definitely get these Toy Story figures. Hot Toys did a fine job creating what they call Cosbaby, mini cute figures of movie-based characters. I am practically hooked with Cosbaby because they are so cute. You can either buy the whole case that according to HMV gives you the complete set (secret version included) or buy a couple of boxes and try your luck. I find the latter to be more fun and thrilling because you never know which character you are going to get.

I mentioned that I am able to distinguish which is Buzz Lightyear and the secret version just by feeling the boxes. Here is how to do it:

1.) Buzz Lightyear is the heaviest amongst the characters so feel the weight. The difference in weight is substantial so you can immediately tell the box contains Buzz.

2.) The plastic package (inside the box) of Army man with rifle and Army man with binocular are the same. Shake the box and if you here a loose piece inside then that's the secret version. The plastic mould was designed for the rifle and since the binocular is smaller it wiggles inside the mould.

Good luck!

The items are not yet available here in the Philippines and I am happy to be the first one here (as far as I know) to have the whole set. It retails for about 68 HKD (Hong Kong Dollars) per box and 544 HKD for the case (8 boxes). I bought it at Toy Hunters, a Hot Toys dealer in Mongkok.

PhoTOYgrapher's Perspective:

As with all Cosbaby, cute is definitely a plus when it comes to PhoTOYgraphy. Because of what happened to me with the UP! incident (Carl's broken neck) I was careful to check each character's head piece if they can turn sideways. Given the time and resources I would probably do a table top shot creating a scene similar to the movie or get a good backdrop. The details are quite good so you can go macro or get a 50mm and use an extension tube to make these figures come to life. 

Some Issues:

1.) Since I had doubles of Army man, I was able to see some quality flaws. One Army man's hand is loose and can be pulled easily. This is not good since the hand is so small it can be misplaced. A remedy would be to put a little amount of blu tac in between to make it more secure. 

2.) The paint job is not consistent. We had doubles of Buzz, Jessie, Alien, Zurg and Army man and there are some inconsistencies with the paint job. However they are very minute and tolerable.

3.) I was wondering why Rex, Potato Head, Slinky and some of the others were not included in the series.

PowerPee's PhoTOYgraphy rating of Toy Story:

3.5 of 5

Gears used:

Canon DSLR

Canon 100mm f2.8 Lens

Benro A300 Tripod

3 pcs. Jinbei 180 watts (each), Softbox and Grid

Morris IR Trigger

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