QMX Star Trek General discussion thread

[DinoMan]

Sadly speaking, it will never happen. Some big company is hiring the girl who did this for me.

I couldnt keep my production facility going because I received zero support.

My girl only had one eye. She never touched a paint brush 6 months ago.

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I'm sorry to hear that of course, but it will be okay. I think I mirror many fans who love the figures you captained into existence -- and into our hands. It is a joy to have most of the bridge crew from TOS, and Capt. Picard from TNG. They are among my favorites in my 1/6th scale collection -- which includes many Star Wars, Marvel CU, James Bond, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Mission Impossible and DC universes. You have put many smiles of many fan faces. Thank you very, very much!

 

[jlacivita]

You have put many smiles of many fan faces. Thank you very, very much!

Indeed!


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[Asta]

There's certainly a feel good factor to the Trek figures.

When Kirk and Spock were released there was no telling what might follow. Of course, we're still in the dark going from one figure to the next with the cautious manner that QMx is taking. The line could end at any moment, as it did unfortunately with Firefly. Had they tested the water with Nanjin's production approach they might be forging ahead with a greater sense of security.

If we just make it to the seven main crew members that will at least close one chapter of the book. But Star Trek is comprised of a number of very big books.

TOS Khan was a welcome oddity that came out of nowhere - such a great sculpt and striking uniform.

Still hoping for The Wrath of Khan trio to see the light of day.

Oh, and Picard is very, very lonely.

 

[Pauln6a]

I'm sure they won't look too bad.

Does your departure from QMX make it far less likely that we'll ever get a limited run of Chapel?

 

[superdoug]

Still hoping for The Wrath of Khan trio to see the light of day.

Same here. I have a spot at my desk reserved for them if they ever come out and I will probably end up getting a set to surprise my dad with, if they ever see the light of day. I would think from a money standpoint after TOS Kirk and Spock a red uniform Kirk and Spock would be the next best beat for selling quantity-wise.

 

[Asta]

Same here. I have a spot at my desk reserved for them if they ever come out and I will probably end up getting a set to surprise my dad with, if they ever see the light of day. I would think from a money standpoint after TOS Kirk and Spock a red uniform Kirk and Spock would be the next best beat for selling quantity-wise.

Those are my favourite Starfleet uniforms. They felt like an antidote to the radical and brief departure that was taken in The Motion Picture.

I was only thinking today that Starfleet is like a continual fashion parade, having a new look every season! Now we have Discovery there's yet more uniforms added to a small time period: Discovery blue and Enterprise colours. Then there's The Cage followed by TOS proper with it's own changes.

I found this on Deviant Art today:

It's a much bigger picture than can be displayed here, but this is the link: https://www.deviantart.com/jbobroony/art/Uniforms-443433054

 

[chilipep66]

One of the main reasons I kept coming to SSF back in the early days was because of Nanjins original small run of TOS figures. Some of my first customs I ever owned and I’m so happy to have been along for the ride the whole time. Thanks for all your passion and dedication to Trek Nanjin!!

 

[paulcarson]

I'm very happy that someone with passion and a lot of enthusiasm and knowledge for these characters worked to get us these figures. They are a dream come true for an old collector like myself. Some of my best memories come from watching the show as a youngster. Without Nanjin's drive they could have been a lot different, generic figures with just a passing resemblance to our beloved Captain and Crew.

 

[nanjin]

One of the main reasons I kept coming to SSF back in the early days was because of Nanjins original small run of TOS figures. Some of my first customs I ever owned and I’m so happy to have been along for the ride the whole time. Thanks for all your passion and dedication to Trek Nanjin!!

Those were the good old days. Let me tell you something. In 2012, I was diagnosed with cancer. So I disappeared from SSF for that entire year while going through chemo. I didnt tell anyone except one colleague.

My mind was anchored on to the to-be-relase twok figures “I must finish twok,” Then in the following year, I had some serious depression. Again, twok pulled me through.

Adding to other reasons, this is why I am so into 1/6 trek. They can bring smiles to my friends, they created hopes for the unfornturenates, they pulled me through the darkest nights, they fulfilled my 4o years old promises.

They are more than just action figures. They have accomplished more then anyone could imagine behind the scene.

The buyers are the supporters of all these. I cant disappoint them as long as I am here.

Smiles are the best reward.



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[Ombudsman]

Those were the good old days. Let me tell you something. In 2012, I was diagnosed with cancer. So I disappeared from SSF for that entire year while going through chemo. I didnt tell anyone except one colleague.

My mind was anchored on to the to-be-relase twok figures “I must finish twok,” Then in the following year, I had some serious depression. Again, twok pulled me through.

Adding to other reasons, this is why I am so into 1/6 trek. They can bring smiles to my friends, they created hopes for the unfornturenates, they pulled me through the darkest nights, they fulfilled my 4o years old promises.

They are more than just action figures. They have accomplished more then anyone could imagine behind the scene.

The buyers are the supporters of all these. I cant disappoint them as long as I am here.

Smiles are the best reward.



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Putting love into something-getting love back. Pretty good system! We’re fortunate that your calling is to create something for a property that has meant so much to all of us here (and at such a high level!).
Thank you for all of your lost sleep, hours of worry, and your drive to never compromise.

Cheers

 

[greatlakes6]

Believe me Nanjin, there are plenty of smiles all over the world because of you!

 

[superdoug]

Nanjin, you have brought many smiles to this household with your Trek from the early days, to the present and for many years to come I hope.

 

[faststreetsofhongkong]

Nanjin invested his own money into prototypes, fought for his vision, battled cancer, trains and hires handicapped individuals. I’d say he’s a pretty amazing human being, and we are blessed to have him in the 1/6th community. Did I mention that he delivers a product of unparalleled quality always?

Any of those figures for $179., compared to other companies, come on ...

We respect your work, we are honored to have an individual with class and integrity interacting with us that actually gives a s____ about TOS and brings us amazing figures that we have always wanted.

Thank you again Nanjin!!!


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[Pauln6a]

Nanjin is a living legend for so many reasons.

 

[asgardianboy]

Reckless heads are more animated, true.

But

Unless is ok for the neck and the head to have different color, otherwise any “realistic” skin texturing or whatsoever will eventually scratched because of flexion.

(In order to have identical skin texturing. both parts must be the same material and have the same production process. Paintups are equally Non-Scratch resistant

HT tried to use magnets years ago, and they still do on some. But mostly phased out from “Better Looking” head sculpt.

Their good heads (that means realistic) always have necks. Appearance always come first in HT production.

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Well, at least I can answer something to that. For the record, the second neck I showed a picture of, the one that is sculpted with a realistic skin texture and painted with a realistic paintjob simulating human skin, is a Hot Toys Falcon neck. The first neck, plain, not finely sculpted, not painted, is a Hot Toys Nick Fury v1 neck:

1) Concerning colour matching: I'd say (might be wrong) that if neck-head colour matching is 90%, everybody can live with it. So, there is some slack to be cut.

2) Concerning colour applications in general: I guess that once a figure enters production, crucial details like the exact colour to be used on each paint application on a head are more than fixed. As a result, all heads would have what we could call an "average skin colour", and this would be the same on all heads.

3) Concerning paint applications on the neck being scratched away because of "friction" (I guess Mr Nanjin meant that insteal of "flexion") due to frequent repositioning of the head: even if I can easily imagine ways of minimizing rubbing the base of the head against the top of the neck, almost keeping the vertical surface of the neck (Adam's apple included) from rubbing at all, I agree with Mr Nanjin that, at least at the very top of the neck, any paintjob will eventually rub away. BUT there is a big area of the neck that never rubs with the head and would clearly benefit of realistic paint applications, including the aforementioned vertical surface of the neck and Adam's apple.

4) My proposal: casting the neck (sculpted with a highly detailed 3D skin texture) in a different colour than that of the head, a colour closer to the average skin colour of the head. That neck will then go through different paint applications than those on the head (probably quite fewer applications), which will increase realism a bit while bringing the plastic colour ANOTHER BIT CLOSER to the average skin colour of the finished head.

This way, after sustained (but careful, since we are loving collectors) neck-head rubbing, there should be only a small, barely visible part of the top of the neck that will show the underlying plastic colour, while the vast majority of the neck will retain its paint applications. This disruption won't be very noticeable because the base colour of the neck will be close enough to the average colour of the head's skin. But both neck and head will look great, and the neck will be doubly-jointed.

So, I'd say that scratching is not a problem. And Hot Toys seems to agree with me: the Falcon neck is proof of that.
DISCLAIMER: I don't know of any other Hot Toys figure with "detailed neck" other than the Falcon. That is weird. Can any expert in the room contribute anything on this respect?

5) Concerning magnets and Hot Toys: magnets are not necessary to keep the neck from rubbing the head. You only need to be careful to avoid it almost completely. HT use magnets whenever they need to. The used it centuries ago on the DX-02 Batman (the one with light-up eyes), and they have used them again recently with the latest Maul because it sports PERS. They don't use them because normally they are not necessary. And yes, Hot Toys favours necked heads, but they also favour sculpted boots, still in 2019... Looks is not everything in ARTICULATED ACTION FIGURES, and HTs is known to make mistakes from time to time. Let's not just get too carried away by what HT does...

I know I can be an ******* sometime. Because I would take things personally. But without this ******* attitude, I wouldnt be able to function among wolves in China. Of course doesnt mean I am doing the right thing, but I am sure the actions I took, extends the existence of 1/6 trek.

I am extremely protective of anything or anyone under my responsibility. I take everything personal. Saying my girls didnt paint the figures well is like pointing fingers to my nose.

I know I shouldnt, but I function like a herd dog protecting my sheeps from the wolves.

My employment at QMx is.coming to.an.end very soon, but I really want to clarify to those who didnt know me before 2016.

Those who are in this venture with me since.2010 should know I am not QMx, and QMx is not me. QMx was no where in sight when we were all excited about1/6 trek that we were doing. These friends should already aware that “Bringing 1/6 trek to my friends” was and always had been my prime Directive. As most would know, I never stop, and I wont.

What I want to do, is my own desire and at my own cost.

Btw, season 2 uniforms were my proposed exclusive.

I like them [emoji4]
In regards to the issues that were mentioned above, I had addressed them on 2016 Sept. But without a character specific body, how can any of those be done? Yet, I planned for this to happen in 2018 since 2016 -- a Green Leisure Kirk with his own body. Note that I ended up producing the bodies myself.... putting myself in great danger, grey area - conflict of interest, adding to this, I might not get my money back because I think most people hates me. See how far I would go to keep Trek alive?

I am functioning less than 40% of my full abilities in 1/6.

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One of the main reasons I kept coming to SSF back in the early days was because of Nanjins original small run of TOS figures. Some of my first customs I ever owned and I’m so happy to have been along for the ride the whole time. Thanks for all your passion and dedication to Trek Nanjin!!

Wow, those are some reveals!!! BTW, Mr Nanjin you can rest assured that not everybody hates you.
I was not aware that the business environment in China was so brutal, nor that your 1/6 Trek history and merits went so long back in time...

Concerning the issues I raised in my write-up, anything to say, Mr Nanjin? I mean the bull neck, head-body proportions, unrealistic body build, etc. BUT PLEASE DO NOT TAKE THIS PIECES OF CRITICISM AS PERSONAL ATTACKS!!!

Concerning your only giving 40% of your full potential: Mr Nanjin, you clearly need to found and run your own 1/6 company to fully live out your dream, just as Howard Chan did with Hot Toys!

My girl only had one eye. She never touched a paint brush 6 months ago.

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Mr Nanjin, it is my understanding that the girl working for you that you refer to, might be handicapped, what to me really propels you as an employer to the highest levels of respect I can feel for another human being (particularly when we know that females are not very welcome in China by families in general, which by law can only have one child), but I don't fully understand the "never touch a paint brush"... What do you mean exactly? Did she do that awesome head after only 6 months of training???

Those were the good old days. Let me tell you something. In 2012, I was diagnosed with cancer. So I disappeared from SSF for that entire year while going through chemo. I didnt tell anyone except one colleague.

My mind was anchored on to the to-be-relase twok figures “I must finish twok,” Then in the following year, I had some serious depression. Again, twok pulled me through.

Adding to other reasons, this is why I am so into 1/6 trek. They can bring smiles to my friends, they created hopes for the unfornturenates, they pulled me through the darkest nights, they fulfilled my 4o years old promises.

They are more than just action figures. They have accomplished more then anyone could imagine behind the scene.

The buyers are the supporters of all these. I cant disappoint them as long as I am here.

Smiles are the best reward.
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Wow. Again, that is some reveal, right there!
I am just so glad that your passion made you stronger than your illness, and that you eventually defeated. Passions can be unhealthy, but they can also make you stay alive and kicking.
Certainly as you put it, to you these figures seem to have transcended the realm of toys as to me the OT of SW has transcended the realm of good movies. I guess that to you, as OT to me, are rather symbols of a long gone era of high quality content. I am not going to go into detail about the whys, but the era of creativity à la Tolkien, à la Blade Runner, à la Close Encounters, á la Indiana Jones, à la Jaws, à la Tron, à la BTTF, à la ST, or à la SW seems long gone to never return. In the midst of this ocean of highly successful-but-forgettable **** we live in, those movies stand as magical relic machines that one day came down from the Gods, that keep working as well as ever, but nobody remembers how they work. In that respect, to me OT stands for a way of doing things with quality, depth and uniqueness. Nothing produced this days (no, nothing, including GoT) fully satisfies those 3 requirements.

Keep up the good work Mr Nanjin!
(and let's discuss and fix the elephants in the room!)
RfC
m.

 

[nanjin]

I take all your comments personally, I see your comments as fingers pointed directly at my nose, because they are my creation from development to packaging.

Operation of Trek needs to be like Military figures production, and because of TOS outfits, the best approach was to follow ZCWO the 1/6 company that made the Soccer players. TShirt or pull overs are what soccer players wear, just like TOS. Therefore, individual body needs to be done, so their individual body shape can be correctly represented. (I observed and studied all 1/6 companies)

ZCWO bankrupted in 3 years using this approached.

Their bodies investments couldnt be recuperated or even diversified. Body is a major part of cost control (as many common parts as possible)

TOS do not have the volume to support individual bodies. So I could only use generic (only Coomodel helped me with unreasonable wholesale price)

My objective is to keep Trek alive and deliverer them at a most reasonable price (my cost control could only influence the MSRP not dictates)

So easy choice, compromise.

That's why I planned Kirk upper body for the Green Leisure green. Only Kirk can have the volume to have his own body.

Make the money with regular uniform Kirk to make a Leisure Kirk with his own body (sharing some.common parts for Old Khan)

Yet, I had to develop my own for TOS after 3 years of operation. Which company dont have their own body?

Mr Howard Chan planned well. He put barriers in all the critical paints in the 1/6. Licensing, development, production...

If I have 2 million, can I do something as good as HT? Of course, I can. But no license (HT owes the license but just sat on it)? Cant afford expensive artists (HT pays close to 2.5 times than normal), no employees (HT pays 1.5 times higher than others), no molders (HT pays 2.5 times higher than normal), they are the Hulk in 1/6.

Mr Chan was so smart that no one can break more than 2 barriers that he set up, and he had 4.

Trek, QMx, and I broke all of them.

That's why Pennywise showed up

We are posting threat. Mr Chan doesnt like to see anyone behind him. Anyone behind him should be so far away that he couldnt see them.

I remedied technician issues by using handicaps (they are extremely dedicated because they see hope). I remedied developing issue by working personally with artists, helping them when they are no one created a possible consistent production through Trek (failed as we all know but Trek CAN BE and supposed to be consistent), and QMx used Trek to break the licensing barriers.

Trek buyers are so specific that I would not post threat to anyone in production. I dont compete but made friends. I gained production support and secure them through mutual benefits.

We were offered video game Spiderman before HT in 2018.

We have Wonderwoman.

Who else can get DC and Marvel's attention after only 3 years in this field?

Star Trek

As in animated neckless head. This is very individual. Ask any HT sculptors which one do they prefer most would say with neck because they care more about appearance than articulation.

Animated heads are similar to rooted hair, only remedy for one problem and have to compromise with other problems that comes with it.

Once again, sir, talking about 1/6 trek is like talking about the children that I gave birth and raised. Not possible not to take them personally.




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[Johnny Utah]

So we're not getting green Kirk?

 

[Asta]

Personally, I don't see any issue with the heads with integrated necks that we're getting with the Trek crew. I prefer them as they're more natural and can be sculpted specifically to the character, as with McCoy's wrinkly neck.

I like all the Trek figures so far. I just like the ones from Scotty onwards less, due to that one specific tailoring issue I have with them.

 

[Rydeck]

I voted for more Trek in QMx's email poll a few weeks ago. My hopes rise briefly when I see a QMx Insider email--maybe it's Uhura or Data--and then it's just another Q-Fig. Hopes dashed! If they'd just unleash the nanjin...

 

[nanjin]

Personally, I don't see any issue with the heads with integrated necks that we're getting with the Trek crew. I prefer them as they're more natural and can be sculpted specifically to the character, as with McCoy's wrinkly neck.

I like all the Trek figures so far. I just like the ones from Scotty onwards less, due to that one specific tailoring issue I have with them.

There's a tube that goes into the head during production. The tube used to be 19mm diameter, adding 1mm of material around than the mini is 21mm. This was the standard 4 years ago. Most of my TOS heads were done before 2016.

minimum pressure and speed of injection must be met to have a good looking head.

In 2016, new tech had arrived, reduced to 20. HT has the best mold guys in town (no new comers want to learn how to make molds. There are lots of easier job available in China now), HT could go even lower. I also ran into the same problem with Dean. Took me 3 months with 4 different mold company and still have the same problem. Then someone showed up and helped, fixed the issue in 4 hours. This guy has the same level of head mold skills as HT. This is why Dean had a more realistic neck.

BC had an issue with their head 2 years ago. I think that production was very damaging to them.

HT put barriers and land mines in those critical production key routes.

As of Oct 2016, I too, can make the same heads like HT but i have no new heads to make. All TOS arr old 3d heads except Chekov and Uhura. (This is not a secret. All those heads were shown somewhere here in SSF)

Production is extremely important for 1/6. Relying on outside sources like 3zeros will only yield inconsistent production. Because factories WILL subcontract their parts production, it is easy to understand while their bottom line is fixed (invoiced), and problems happen, they would try to fix it without affecting the bottom line. This means corner cuttings. I was competing with 3Zeros like WW3 in China in 2017. I lack support, and I failed. They made it and achieved production leverage. Look at to what they have done this year, quality improved, cost controlled. They used variety to cover large volume of a single character. The more expensive figure they do, the more they save in cost (percentage wise)

Technically, no foreign 1/6 companies can survive in the field if they dont have any production leverages. SS is phasing out even they have their own production, BC is adjusting their business model, who else?

Anyhow, future production going through me wont have Hulk size neck. I am at par with HT on head molds since Feb 2019. My girls will be at par with their top production painter when they walk out of my wings. I am planning to work them twice as hard in the next 2 months so other 1/6 companies will give them jobs and good pay.

1/6 production is way beyond what outsiders can comprehend. If I didnt had friends in the industry (because Trek didnt post any competitive threat) i already failed in 2016 Kirk and Spock release.

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