Author Topic: Best way to do a figure of a jacketed character?  (Read 5559 times)

Offline Matt

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Best way to do a figure of a jacketed character?
« on: June 21, 2006, 12:59 AM »
I was thinking about this today, in regards to something non-Star Wars, actually (Indiana Jones), but it certainly applies to several Saga characters, too--most notably Luke Ceremonial and Bespin, along with Han Bespin, and I'm sure quite a few others, as well.

So what would be the ideal way for Hasbro to do a figure of a jacket-wearing character, but who also appears sans jacket?

Do they:

  • Sculpt the jacket on the body as is, undershirt be damned?  (See the previous Cermonial Luke and Bespin Han figures)
  • Sculpt the undershirt, and make the jacket soft goods?  (See the Princess Leia versions of the same characters)
  • Make a weird kind of pliable-plastic removable jacket type-thing, possibly with removable plastic sleeves and a removable vest?  (Think last year's Agen Kolar)  Or maybe even a character with two pairs of arms, one jacket-sleeved, and one not?
  • Do two different sculpts altogether, one with shirt and one with jacket?
  • Do nothing at all?
  • Do something else, that I've neglected to mention entirely?

Anyway, this is kind of a clumsy situation, with no real perfect solution, and I'm just wondering what you guys think the best (or perhaps least-worst) way to do it would be.
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Offline Famine

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Re: Best way to do a figure of a jacketed character?
« Reply #1 on: June 21, 2006, 01:19 AM »
Dual sculpts perhaps would be the best way to go, but a seperatley packed torso would be quaint too.

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Offline roron corobb

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Re: Best way to do a figure of a jacketed character?
« Reply #2 on: June 21, 2006, 03:02 AM »
I would think the two sets of arms would be more cost effective with a movable vest (jacket piece). Though I would like a soft goods if it was done really well, but that is just me.
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Offline Darth_Anton

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Re: Best way to do a figure of a jacketed character?
« Reply #3 on: June 21, 2006, 09:15 AM »
I would think the two sets of arms would be more cost effective with a movable vest (jacket piece).

That's a good idea. I vote for that one.
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Offline CHEWIE

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Re: Best way to do a figure of a jacketed character?
« Reply #4 on: June 21, 2006, 12:26 PM »
21st Century has pretty much solved this with removable jackets and separate sets of arms, so I think Hasbro needs to follow suit.

 :)

Offline obi-dad

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Re: Best way to do a figure of a jacketed character?
« Reply #5 on: June 21, 2006, 01:10 PM »
21st Century has pretty much solved this with removable jackets and separate sets of arms, so I think Hasbro needs to follow suit.

 :)

Maybe I just answered my own question... but if the arms are removable, then why would a 2nd set of arms be necessary?  Not sure how you would remove the arms even with a plyable rubber jacket, but I was thinking if you could get the arms off, then it should be easy to take the jacket off the body & arms and then put the arms back on.  But, I guess the trick there is to get the arms off while the jacket is on.

Offline Matt

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Re: Best way to do a figure of a jacketed character?
« Reply #6 on: June 21, 2006, 01:33 PM »
One set of arms are jacket-sleeve arms.  The other arms are dictated by whatever's under the jacket (i.e. bare arms for Dagobah/Bespin Luke, white longsleeve shirt for Bespin Han, etc.)

I only follow SW stuff, really, so I don't know how 21st Century's done it, but even Hasbro's done it, in a way.  Anyone remember the Dodonna and Antilles figures from two years ago?  Dodonna was wearing the long white coat, and Antilles was wearing the jacket?  The arms were easily pop-out-able on both, so if you wanted to give Dodonna a jacket to wear, like during the Battle of Yavin, you could easily do so.   

You'd just pop out Antilles' arms, slip off his jacket (which was then basically a vest).  Then you'd do the same to Dodonna's arms and coat, and put Antilles' jacket/vest on Dodonna, and pop Antilles' arms in.  Easiest custom ever--so easy that I don't know if it could even be considered a custom.  It almost seemed like Hasbro designed them to be swappable like that.  Maybe they did.

The only real drawback to that would possibly be the articulation in the shoulders--I'd imagine it would have to be limited to swivel style, instead of the preferred ball-joint style.  But that's kind of a small trade-off to make.  I think it'd be cool to get a figure like that--it's almost like two figures in one, yeah?
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Offline roron corobb

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Re: Best way to do a figure of a jacketed character?
« Reply #7 on: June 21, 2006, 04:50 PM »
I think they could retain the ball-joint shoulders with the removable arms. It would be a little more work, but is all possible.

The other figure I can think that Hasbro did that is like this idea of two sets of arms is the OTC Dagobah Luke. Now only if they had articulation would it have been almost perfect.
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Offline Gatillo

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Re: Best way to do a figure of a jacketed character?
« Reply #8 on: June 21, 2006, 05:10 PM »
The only thing I like about that Dagobah luke is that you can use one arm of each style plus the upside down head and Luke looks like he is running for a touchdown in a windstorm.

I actually display him like that in my hoth diorama :P
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Offline CHEWIE

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Re: Best way to do a figure of a jacketed character?
« Reply #9 on: June 21, 2006, 05:43 PM »
21st Century has pretty much solved this with removable jackets and separate sets of arms, so I think Hasbro needs to follow suit.

 :)

Maybe I just answered my own question... but if the arms are removable, then why would a 2nd set of arms be necessary?  Not sure how you would remove the arms even with a plyable rubber jacket, but I was thinking if you could get the arms off, then it should be easy to take the jacket off the body & arms and then put the arms back on.  But, I guess the trick there is to get the arms off while the jacket is on.

Grandma Tarkin pretty much explained it, but there is a new 21st Century figure out that actually has a removable jacket - it slides right off the top of the figure, and underneath is a regular shirt.  One set of arms goes with the regular shirt, another with the jacket.

 :)

Offline Jesse James

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Re: Best way to do a figure of a jacketed character?
« Reply #10 on: June 22, 2006, 04:27 AM »


The figure above is a German rifleman with an open greatcoat from the Battle of the Bulge...  The arms are BOTH super poseable, and a third set posed for sharp-angled rifle-aiming poses are also included.  21st's a little rinky dink privately run company but my god they put out beautiful toys.  Really they're ALMOST unmatched in my opinion.

This is indeed the ideal to do jacketed figures that appear without jackets...  2 sets of "SA" arms with a removable jacket...  Fantastic.  Hasbro really needs to look to other companies sometimes for inspiration on what makes really great toys.  They've taken some inititiative from other things 21st came up with first, but they're a company that's steadily improved so it'd be nice to see Hasbro jump on the wagon there.
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Offline jedipurge

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Re: Best way to do a figure of a jacketed character?
« Reply #11 on: June 22, 2006, 02:01 PM »
on a bespin luke custom i've done, i was able to cut the arm peg off the Dag training luke and glue it to the arms of a bespin Han.  the glue was strong enough to hold together and i was able to pop on/off the arms for the luke just like the bare original arms are.  of course the paint kept chipping off the shoulder joint articulation, but the point being it's still possible to give a figure removable arms while still retaining the ball articulation.  now would habro go this far  ::)
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Offline Rob

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Re: Best way to do a figure of a jacketed character?
« Reply #12 on: June 22, 2006, 02:31 PM »
I've never removed the jacket from a figure...  My preference is either a well-done soft goods, like most of the VOTC stuff has been (ala vintage general lando's cape).  If not, Agen Kolar's robe was very well done.

Offline Jesse James

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Re: Best way to do a figure of a jacketed character?
« Reply #13 on: June 22, 2006, 06:28 PM »
Yeah Rob, I have to agree on softgoods that I personally prefer it...

Kolar's robe is cool but static...  VTSC Han's coat though was ideal to me.  Very detailed, and I felt it fits the figure nicely and retains total poseability.  Plus you can have the figure holding the coat too...  Taking it off or whatnot.  I just like cloth though on figures, when it's done right.  It's detials may not be perfect, but I feel like the softgoods improve the toy.

I think Hasbro was close to good with the Leia Collection coats...  A little work, a little fabric differences and I think Han or Luke's jacket would've been a lot better on those figures.  Softgoods are costly additions to figures though in this scale, so I don't know how open Hasbro is to them.  I like them a lot when done right though...  That Han's trenchcoat is one of my favorite pieces in the modern line I think, seriously.
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Offline roron corobb

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Re: Best way to do a figure of a jacketed character?
« Reply #14 on: June 22, 2006, 10:15 PM »
Yeah Rob, I have to agree on softgoods that I personally prefer it...

Kolar's robe is cool but static...  VTSC Han's coat though was ideal to me.  Very detailed, and I felt it fits the figure nicely and retains total poseability.  Plus you can have the figure holding the coat too...  Taking it off or whatnot.  I just like cloth though on figures, when it's done right.  It's detials may not be perfect, but I feel like the softgoods improve the toy.

I think Hasbro was close to good with the Leia Collection coats...  A little work, a little fabric differences and I think Han or Luke's jacket would've been a lot better on those figures.  Softgoods are costly additions to figures though in this scale, so I don't know how open Hasbro is to them.  I like them a lot when done right though...  That Han's trenchcoat is one of my favorite pieces in the modern line I think, seriously.

You and me both Jesse. I would like soft goods, if don't right. It just makes a great figure even better. Plus you can put it on any other figure most of the time.
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