Stallone line - First Blood Rambo released

[DeltaForceChung]

I know this post/reply sounds fanboyish and naive.

I wish 3Z would take a fresh and real perspective in focusing on design and quality improvements resulting in better/superior offerings like their Power Rangers and GI JOE figures.

It comes off like 3Z have "A", "B", "C", and "D"/"F" caliber teams all charging the same $ ranging from utterly dismal lackluster offerings to truly exceptional across their licensed offerings where inconsistency annoys collectors.

As much as I have hope and optimism for their GI JOE and Power Rangers line based on what I have purchased so far, lackluster inconsistency prohibits me on wanting to be excited let alone spending $ on other lines including whatever will occur with Rambo.

As for third-party offerings, I've seen better offerings by them compared to official offerings.

 

[karamazov80]

I know we are all lolling at the unusual marketing approach but I'm still interested in this figure. I want drifter Rambo and I'm not sure Threezero are going to give us that. Maybe Sly can sign some exclusives or something of this figure.

Yeah, this is also the version of Rambo I would want most. The original HT version was pretty sweet, but suffered from being a very early HT figure. As I'm learning with the Asmus Ash figure, though, going with a company I'm not familiar with can be very risky. With ThreeZero, despite its flaws, at least you know what to expect.

 

[jye4ever]

3Z engineering best in the industry.

 

[MaulFan]

Yeah, this is also the version of Rambo I would want most. The original HT version was pretty sweet, but suffered from being a very early HT figure. As I'm learning with the Asmus Ash figure, though, going with a company I'm not familiar with can be very risky. With ThreeZero, despite its flaws, at least you know what to expect.

I'm with you, I've been looking to try and reacquire the original HT, but most aftermarket sales are pricey or rarely pop up.

I'm excited for this release because it's the M65 look and even if it's not up to the best of 1/6 figures today, it still looks significantly better than the old Hot Toys.

 

[DeltaForceChung]

Yeah, this is also the version of Rambo I would want most. The original HT version was pretty sweet, but suffered from being a very early HT figure. As I'm learning with the Asmus Ash figure, though, going with a company I'm not familiar with can be very risky. With ThreeZero, despite its flaws, at least you know what to expect.

--

Knowing what to expect and actually paying for that knowing what to expect is a very fine line.

 

[karamazov80]

Yeah, that's why I haven't pulled the trigger on the ThreeZero Rambo yet. Love the film and character, want a figure of him on my shelf, solid company, flawed figure. . .not sure.

 

[PopGimmicks]

Yeah, this is also the version of Rambo I would want most. The original HT version was pretty sweet, but suffered from being a very early HT figure. As I'm learning with the Asmus Ash figure, though, going with a company I'm not familiar with can be very risky. With ThreeZero, despite its flaws, at least you know what to expect.

Kaustic Plastic team is behind these figures, and they usually do a good job. Their Bud Spencer came out very well, and the Peter Sellers looks like a good figure overall, although some details of the head sculpting and painting do not quite convince me (but I haven't seen it in hand). So apparently there should be no problem with the art team. I think here all the problems and doubts arise from the more than possible interferences of the almighty Executive Producer and Director of the project, you know who:

 

[Wor-Gar]

Wow, that KP post above was from Nov 2020.

 

[The Clown Prince of Crime]

Wow, that KP post above was from Nov 2020.

To be fair, we're still in 2020.

 

[PopGimmicks]

Wow, that KP post above was from Nov 2020.

Yeah: "Over the past few months Mr. Stallone was very much involved in helping design the first two head sculpts for the action figures that will be released in 2021".

By the way, in February and May 2021 I exchanged some messages via Facebook messenger with Kaustic Plastik, in which it became increasingly clear that nothing was clear regarding the release and international distribution of the figures.

 

[Wor-Gar]

They have good people -- Sean Dabbs, Fabio, Vimal -- so my expectations just went up several notches.

I don't think their marketing plan has been very effective... but then again, here we are talking about it. Nick must be of the philosophy that there's no such thing as bad publicity.

 

[PopGimmicks]

They have good people -- Sean Dabbs, Fabio, Vimal -- so my expectations just went up several notches.

Yes, I think we should have no doubts about the art team. However, in the exchange of messages that I had with KP months ago vía Facebook, it became progressively clear that "the Stallone guys" (sic) had taken control of the release and distribution, and that the KP team was only following artist direction and production management.

Nick must be of the philosophy that there's no such thing as bad publicity.

Definitely, this Nick Flurry seems to be of the philosophy of no philosophy at all.

 

[Wor-Gar]

Yes, I think we should have no doubts about the art team. However, in the exchange of messages that I had with KP months ago vía Facebook, it became progressively clear that "the Stallone guys" (sic) had taken control of the release and distribution, and that the KP team was only following artist direction and production management.

Well, I suppose that's their job. But like I said, I don't think they have handled that very well so far... at least from a customer's perspective.

Sly has likely been convinced that Nick alone knows how to navigate the complicated waters of the ''new tech age'', and he maybe feels that his old school marketing know-how is... old and out of date. Nick's marketing savvy must come from the newer Apple/Facebook method: "constantly bombard and over-saturate", "exaggerate how hot you are", "attack your fans" and "build negativity".

 

[DeltaForceChung]

To be fair, we're still in 2020.

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2020 PART III . . . December 743, 2020

 

[DeltaForceChung]

What an inflated ego among other things.

IMHO his "credit" needs to be dead last. Everyone below his name earns proper precedent before his in terms of earned and rightful acknowledgment.

 

[PopGimmicks]

View attachment 555695

What an inflated ego among other things.

IMHO his "credit" needs to be dead last. Everyone below his name earns proper precedent before his in terms of earned and rightful acknowledgment.

Agree

 

[PopGimmicks]

Well, I suppose that's their job. But like I said, I don't think they have handled that very well so far... at least from a customer's perspective.

Sly has likely been convinced that Nick alone knows how to navigate the complicated waters of the ''new tech age'', and he maybe feels that his old school marketing know-how is... old and out of date. Nick's marketing savvy must come from the newer Apple/Facebook method: "constantly bombard and over-saturate", "exaggerate how hot you are", "attack your fans" and "build negativity".

Accurate and wise analysis!

 

[MaulFan]

Well, I suppose that's their job. But like I said, I don't think they have handled that very well so far... at least from a customer's perspective.

Sly has likely been convinced that Nick alone knows how to navigate the complicated waters of the ''new tech age'', and he maybe feels that his old school marketing know-how is... old and out of date. Nick's marketing savvy must come from the newer Apple/Facebook method: "constantly bombard and over-saturate", "exaggerate how hot you are", "attack your fans" and "build negativity".

The interesting thing is that these postings are only coming from his social media, and even there, from his stories, which are temporary, fleating postings. Nothing permanent being put out, nor being put out by the Stallone store, it's literally the agent posting.

As much as we are looking at it and criticizing it as a marketing campaign, I don't really thing it is, it's really more like ego bumping for one person, look at the awesome project I'm working on, follow me, watch me, it's really nothing to do with selling the product right now.

 

[Wor-Gar]

Nothing permanent being put out, nor being put out by the Stallone store, it's literally the agent posting.

I have been wondering about that myself. And the only thing official from KP seems to be over a year ago (and today was the first I've heard about it).

Why is Nick running with this? Why is he not showing off the artist's work? Why is he posting hard-to-see pictures of the figure standing amid bottles on a bar... or next to a motorcycle?

Ego-boosting seems to be the correct assumption.

So the question is: has this project already fallen apart due to licensing issues and for some reason Nick is desperately trying to resurrect energy from the fanbase in naive hopes to get things back on track?

If everything is finished, why the "drunken style" ad campaign? Why is there no official word from any official source?

 

[MaulFan]

Like I said, seems to be about building hype around himself more than the product, centering on his efforts to deliver the product more than the product itself.

It's only that social media is so readily accessible that we, the super fans and collectors who hunt down any bit of news, are even finding and tracking such things. If I hadn't found out his social media handle to follow, I wouldn't know and it would almost be as if these figures weren't in development.