jal76
Super Freak
- Joined
- May 10, 2015
- Messages
- 3,634
- Reaction score
- 701
So I was one of the leading voices on this forum writing the obituary of a Toy Company on the day that the first washed out and grotesquely inaccurate photos of Blitzway's just released Fight Club figure appeared. I cancelled my pre-order that day...and...yes I know I was Chicken Little...but I actually went so far as to cancel my Blitzway Ghostbusters 4 pack too. I had already paid a hefty NRD and my online retailer of choice was kind enough to allow me to convert the NRD into a store credit with them so there was that.
It was fortunate that the day that "Tyler-Gate" began was a day off from work for me so I was able to keep my torch lit and my pitchfork pointy from behind the safe confines of my phone or IPad for much of the day. I was so engaged in trashing this figure that my wife had to intervene and pull me back into the real world and away from Sideshow Freaks for awhile...I think the kids missed me! I had to vent my rage at the figure as a form of therapeutic revenge to salve my disappointment about a figure that I had been looking forward to ending up being an apparent misfire!
The more I trashed those pictures the better I felt. I have a sizable collection of Hot Toys figures, in fact I had previously rid myself of all of my Hasbro, NECA, McFarlane, Dark Horse, DC Direct, and Mezco (oh it was painful to part with my complete set of Hellboy II: The Golden Army figures) figures so I could focus both my finances and available space on sixth scale figures. I then got rid of my Sideshow Star Wars figures so my shelves would only have Hot Toys level quality on them.
I had moved from being a Toy Collector to being a Sixth Scale Figure Collector, to being a Hot Toys Collector. Blitzway's prototypes, and knowing that they had K.A. Kim in their stable made me revert back to being a Sixth Scale Collector (sorry Hot Toys, no more exclusivity). On the day of Tyler-Gate I admonished myself for considering being unfaithful to Hot Toys and resigned myself to once again being a Hot Toys Collector!
I had learned my lesson and would never have wandering eyes again...and then...more pictures came. I quietly made another reservation for Tyler Durden through BBTS...the home of my original reservation so no harm no fouls thanks to their collector friendly avoidance of charging an NRD as you all know. I contacted the place where I had reserved the Ghostbusters 4 pack and reinstated my reservation (fortunately they had not initiated the cancellation yet). I then assumed a posture of cautious optimism!
Months passed and I canceled Durden again but was not angry with the figure and did not consider canceling Venkman, Spengler, Stantz, and Zeddemore. After the Holidays something hit me...that something was the VTS Wasteland Ranger and the lesson that it taught me on Christmas morning of the amazing levels of quality that can be found without the help of Hot Toys HQ!
I needed to see more so Tyler Durden was ordered and to my delight my expectations were exceeded on every level! What was interesting about it and what really stuck with me was the fact that it was not some kind of "Hot Toys Killer" a mantle that probably any figure would struggle with living up to. It was simply a phenomenal figure that is as good as anything that Hot Toys has released and better than several Hot Toys figures in my collection. Essentially it was exactly what I would have imagined a figure of Tyler Durden from Hot Toys on their "A game" would look like if Hot Toys had pursued this license...but today's Hot Toys would NEVER pursue this license and that may be the coolest thing about Blitzway's figure.
In my small collectibles room I have shelves upon shelves of Superheroes, Cyborgs, and Spacemen...it is really refreshing to see a guy in a leather jacket and sunglasses with a cigarette in one hand and a beer in the other amongst my room full of Titans.
This at long last brings me to my point and my understanding of where I think Blitzway is poised to go moving forward especially in relation to Hot Toys. Many, if not most 1/6 scale figure collectors are film lovers first and that love of film translates into a love to bring the characters home...we read it here all the time..."I will wait to see how I like the movie before I pre-order." Or even more commonly "great figure but did not like the movie or the character so I am not buying the figure (sorry Leto Joker this may end up affecting you).
I love Star Wars, Marvel movies and DC movies (don't worry Leto Joker I pre-ordered you) but I also love the films of Kubrick, Scorsese, and Kurosawa...Hong Kong action films...Chinese Wuxia films and I swear by the Criterion Collection...I want some 1/6 scale figures of that...and I have to accept that they will never be coming from Hot Toys! Don't get me wrong I love Hot Toys...just like I love Marvel movies...but I love the idea of being able to order a high end figure that does not have a cheaper alternative (with the exception of Funko that basically covers everything with its Re-Action line) on the shelves of my local Toys R Us. It is all about the licenses and as long as Blitzway continues to deliver Hot toys quality but with more innovative subject matter it is only a matter of time until collectors remember one of the key things that brought them into this Hobby in the first place.
It is not just about the quality of the figures but it is also about the licenses and being able to get toy versions of things that once would never expect to ever see in action figures form...sorry Iron Man, Batman, and Darth Vader if there is one thing that we all take for granted it is that there have been toys of you guys for our entire lives and probably always will be...now Carlito Brigante on the other hand is an entirely different matter.
I don't think Hot Toys is in any danger of being put out of business by Blitzway but prestige, press, and some profit are definitely in jeopardy as long as Hot Toys place it safe with "guaranteed sellers" and Blitzway plays it riskier by giving us a sixth scale Harold Ramis. When collectors who do not have infinite space and infinite amounts of disposable income have to choose between the latest outfit that Hawkeye is wearing this year and an amazing figure from that 80's movie that they watched until the VHS tape wore out the outcome will be pretty clear which is great news for Blitzway!
It was fortunate that the day that "Tyler-Gate" began was a day off from work for me so I was able to keep my torch lit and my pitchfork pointy from behind the safe confines of my phone or IPad for much of the day. I was so engaged in trashing this figure that my wife had to intervene and pull me back into the real world and away from Sideshow Freaks for awhile...I think the kids missed me! I had to vent my rage at the figure as a form of therapeutic revenge to salve my disappointment about a figure that I had been looking forward to ending up being an apparent misfire!
The more I trashed those pictures the better I felt. I have a sizable collection of Hot Toys figures, in fact I had previously rid myself of all of my Hasbro, NECA, McFarlane, Dark Horse, DC Direct, and Mezco (oh it was painful to part with my complete set of Hellboy II: The Golden Army figures) figures so I could focus both my finances and available space on sixth scale figures. I then got rid of my Sideshow Star Wars figures so my shelves would only have Hot Toys level quality on them.
I had moved from being a Toy Collector to being a Sixth Scale Figure Collector, to being a Hot Toys Collector. Blitzway's prototypes, and knowing that they had K.A. Kim in their stable made me revert back to being a Sixth Scale Collector (sorry Hot Toys, no more exclusivity). On the day of Tyler-Gate I admonished myself for considering being unfaithful to Hot Toys and resigned myself to once again being a Hot Toys Collector!
I had learned my lesson and would never have wandering eyes again...and then...more pictures came. I quietly made another reservation for Tyler Durden through BBTS...the home of my original reservation so no harm no fouls thanks to their collector friendly avoidance of charging an NRD as you all know. I contacted the place where I had reserved the Ghostbusters 4 pack and reinstated my reservation (fortunately they had not initiated the cancellation yet). I then assumed a posture of cautious optimism!
Months passed and I canceled Durden again but was not angry with the figure and did not consider canceling Venkman, Spengler, Stantz, and Zeddemore. After the Holidays something hit me...that something was the VTS Wasteland Ranger and the lesson that it taught me on Christmas morning of the amazing levels of quality that can be found without the help of Hot Toys HQ!
I needed to see more so Tyler Durden was ordered and to my delight my expectations were exceeded on every level! What was interesting about it and what really stuck with me was the fact that it was not some kind of "Hot Toys Killer" a mantle that probably any figure would struggle with living up to. It was simply a phenomenal figure that is as good as anything that Hot Toys has released and better than several Hot Toys figures in my collection. Essentially it was exactly what I would have imagined a figure of Tyler Durden from Hot Toys on their "A game" would look like if Hot Toys had pursued this license...but today's Hot Toys would NEVER pursue this license and that may be the coolest thing about Blitzway's figure.
In my small collectibles room I have shelves upon shelves of Superheroes, Cyborgs, and Spacemen...it is really refreshing to see a guy in a leather jacket and sunglasses with a cigarette in one hand and a beer in the other amongst my room full of Titans.
This at long last brings me to my point and my understanding of where I think Blitzway is poised to go moving forward especially in relation to Hot Toys. Many, if not most 1/6 scale figure collectors are film lovers first and that love of film translates into a love to bring the characters home...we read it here all the time..."I will wait to see how I like the movie before I pre-order." Or even more commonly "great figure but did not like the movie or the character so I am not buying the figure (sorry Leto Joker this may end up affecting you).
I love Star Wars, Marvel movies and DC movies (don't worry Leto Joker I pre-ordered you) but I also love the films of Kubrick, Scorsese, and Kurosawa...Hong Kong action films...Chinese Wuxia films and I swear by the Criterion Collection...I want some 1/6 scale figures of that...and I have to accept that they will never be coming from Hot Toys! Don't get me wrong I love Hot Toys...just like I love Marvel movies...but I love the idea of being able to order a high end figure that does not have a cheaper alternative (with the exception of Funko that basically covers everything with its Re-Action line) on the shelves of my local Toys R Us. It is all about the licenses and as long as Blitzway continues to deliver Hot toys quality but with more innovative subject matter it is only a matter of time until collectors remember one of the key things that brought them into this Hobby in the first place.
It is not just about the quality of the figures but it is also about the licenses and being able to get toy versions of things that once would never expect to ever see in action figures form...sorry Iron Man, Batman, and Darth Vader if there is one thing that we all take for granted it is that there have been toys of you guys for our entire lives and probably always will be...now Carlito Brigante on the other hand is an entirely different matter.
I don't think Hot Toys is in any danger of being put out of business by Blitzway but prestige, press, and some profit are definitely in jeopardy as long as Hot Toys place it safe with "guaranteed sellers" and Blitzway plays it riskier by giving us a sixth scale Harold Ramis. When collectors who do not have infinite space and infinite amounts of disposable income have to choose between the latest outfit that Hawkeye is wearing this year and an amazing figure from that 80's movie that they watched until the VHS tape wore out the outcome will be pretty clear which is great news for Blitzway!
)
