Sideshow Collectibles News Blog

PREDATOR ON HORSE STATUE FROM SIDESHOW

Okay, I’m not too sure about this one. It does look cool, but it also looks faintly ridiculous. The Predator is meant to be a lone warrior, using its own speed, strength and agility to hunt and bring down its prey. Here we have a Predator on horseback, looking like a cross between something from Lord of the Rings and Warhammer 40K. The horse seems to have been sculpted from a traditional, earthbound animal but then had its skin stripped off. Ouch. It is definitely an impressive piece, but I do think it looks a bit silly, even for a Predator piece. Originally only available in Japan, the Predator on Horse statue is to be made available in the West for the first time by Sideshow, in a limited quantity. The item is to stand in excess of 14 inches tall, and features an excellent sculpt that errs more on the side of fantasy art than the old school badass aliens that Predators are usually cast as. Odd as the design may be, Sideshow have lavished it with their customary high levels of craftsmanship, and the sculpt and paintwork look amazing. The musculature of the horse beast doesn’t quite look 100 percent right, but it still looks suitably meaty and unnerving. The Predator on Horse statue is due for release in the first quarter of 2009, and the limited edition run is yet to be announced. I’m guessing it will be somewhere in the 250 region.

World of Warcraft: Blood Elf Rogue Vs Draenei Paladin Diorama from Sideshow

Time for another look at the latest and upcoming releases from Sideshow collectibles in our series of unofficial, independent articles. This time we turn our attention to the World of Warcraft: Blood Elf Rogue Vs Draenei Paladin diorama…

World of Warcraft is a property that lends itself to the grandiose and the majestic, and thus the merchandise should follow suit. Sideshow Collectibles are never one to shy away from a challenge, and they have dived head first into producing an item that does the gaming phenomenon justice. The universe of World of Warcraft / WoW is rich and diverse and its various fantastical races deserve the utmost attention in the merchandise arena. Thankfully, the guys and girls at Sideshow have done the game proud- this diorama is exquisite.

This impressive diorama stands no less than eighteen inches tall, and boasts a sculpt that really captures the essence of the game and its characters. The Blood Elf Rogue and Draenei Paladin show off a superb level of detail that is sure to go down well with the legions of WoW fans the world over. Limited to just 600 pieces, this is a collectible that really has a right to be called thus. Based on artwork from the expansion pack entitled The Burning Crusade, it depicts the two newer races in a battle to the death. Sideshow teamed up with Blizzard themselves to ensure this World of Warcraft collectible meets everyone’s standards, and the results are plain to see.

The only problem I can see with this piece is the worry of how brittle it is. The poses and positioning of the figural elements look as though they could possibly be damaged easily in transit, but with Sideshow’s customary high levels of packaging, that worry should be unfounded. Another great item from Sideshow Collectibles.

DRACULA DIORAMA FROM SIDESHOW COLLECTIBLES

It is a nice thing to see that despite the slew of merchandise released by Sideshow for the latest blockbusters, they still find the time to bring us new items based on the absolute classics. Few films/books/franchises/legends are as Bram Stoker’s undisputed masterpiece Dracula, and here Sideshow are offering a piece that does that legend justice. This is an excellent depiction of Bela Lugosi as Dracula from Tod Browning’s iconic movie, capturing the vampire when he confronts Renfield.

Cast in fine polystone and standing approximately 13 inches tall, this exquisite piece of memorabilia is due to be shipped in the 4th Quarter of 2008. I love the fact that this Dracula diorama has not been stylized in any way, offering a faithful representation of the actors and the characters audiences have loved for generations. Also of note is the base, which instead of a standard logo-adorned effort is a nice sculpted staircase, giving the figural parts of the diorama much more fluidity in their pose and a bit more drama to the piece. Its great to see such a traditional collectible offered on the current market. The trend for overly dramatic poses and unusual materials has here been eschewed in favour of simple, high class craftsmanship. I’d love to see some other old school Universal stuff released again by Sideshow, as there’s really nobody out there that does it better. The only thing I'm not 100% sold on here is the pose itself- from some angles it looks as though the two pieces are about to have a bit of a smooch. Other than that, the Dracula diorama looks great. Now how about some new Mummy, Frankenstein, Wolfman and Creature from the Black Lagoon pieces too?

INDIANA JONES: RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK PREMIUM FIGURE COMING FROM SIDESHOW

Indiana Jones is back, cracking his whip on the big screen once again in INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL, and Sideshow are marking the occasion with a brand new Premium format figure of the legendary archaeologist and action hero!

This new premium format Indiana Jones figure from Sideshow looks fantastic, and is every bit as impressive as you’d want a high end collectible of Harrison Ford to be. Now available to pre-order from Sideshow, this Indiana Jones figure is due to be shipped in the 3rd quarter of 2008, just in time for the DVD release of the new movie! I must admit I’m a bit confused as to why this is a Raiders of the Lost Ark piece and not one from the new film. Wouldn’t it have been better to get some Kingdom of the Crystal Skull action while the iron was still hot? Mind you, if the new movie doesn’t prove to have the same longevity as that classic first film, then it does make sense to capture Indy as we first saw him.

As far as Indiana Jones figures go, this is one of the best that has been released, and tops off Sideshow’s range of Indiana Jones merchandise very nicely. Mind you, that replica of Indy’s hat is an odd thing for Sideshow to offer. Really, I love Indiana Jones, but I wouldn’t be willing to pay hundreds for a hat. This premium format figure, standing 22 inches high (yeah, it is HUGE), will be much more palatable, thanks.

BRUCE LEE PREMIUM FORMAT FIGURE COMING FROM SIDESHOW

The martial arts legend is back in high quality action figure form! Lets take a look at the latest Bruce Lee collectible to be offered on the market. Sideshow Collectibles are known for the high standards of production, and are continuing their fine work with this great piece.

Now this is nice to see. In recent years, Bruce Lee merchandise has been of rather substandard quality. There’s been some nice posters available, but the action figures that have been on the market weren’t that great. Well, to be honest they were terrible, so it is great to see Sideshow getting in on the act and creating something fans aren’t going to complain about. This premium format Bruce Lee figure looks great. Set at a scale of 1:6, it will stand at approximately 12 inches and is to ship in an authentic costume. Premium figures are all well and good, but it is on the facial sculpt of the piece that the creators need to excel. How have they done with this one? Actually, its about as photo real as you’ll get with a Bruce Lee figure . The eyes in particular have been crafted very well, with his trademark stare present and correct. To be shipped with interchangeable hands and a display stand, I hope his heralds a new direction for Bruce Lee stuff- y’know, well made. Sideshow are certainly the right people for the job.

IRON MONGER HELMET REPLICA AVAILABLE TO PRE ORDER SOON FROM SIDESHOW

Yeah, its another post related to Iron Man, but Sideshow keep on offering great items based around it, so we’ll keep reporting them! Here’s another superb piece. Just unveiled is this superb replica of Iron Monger’s helmet as it appears in the blockbuster Iron Man movie. The terrifying form of the Iron Monger’s suit is something fans won’t forget in a hurry, and now it can be commemorated with this excellent quality collectible.

Jeff Bridges must have had a blast playing the lunatic that ends up inside this beast of a machine. Essentially a giant, more brutal version of the Iron Man armour, the Iron Monger comes pretty close to destroying everything Tony Stark has worked so hard to create. This high-end collectible piece from Sideshow Collectibles looks set to become as much of a hit as their other Iron Man items. Cast in hand forged steel, internal padding and eye lenses, this helmet is limited to a measly 250 pieces and is going to go fast. The scale is ‘approximately’ 1:1, which means the thing is going to be huge indeed. The measurements list the size as 14 inches high, so you get the idea. Supplied with a display base, this would complete any Iron man collection perfectly. Due for release in the 3rd quarter of 2008, it’ll probably not last much longer than the release day. I love these helmets.

They really do offer something special for the serious collector, and thanks to their size and the level of detail they more than justify the hefty price tag. The only thing I’m not sure about is that it looks so similar to the Iron Man Mk1 helmet that some people may be put off a little. Then again, with a sequel already being planned and even a possible third in the works, there’s going to be demand for Iron Man collectibles for some time yet, and Sideshow Collectibles are doing a damn fine job of serving up the goods.

ROGUE COMIQUETTE FROM MARVEL COMICS AND SIDESHOW COLLECTIBLES

Hey there Shugah! Fear not, I haven’t turned Texan on you, I’m just introducing today’s Sideshow Collectibles blog. Sideshow and Marvel have got their collective heads together and have cooked up a really cool Comiquette inspired by the artwork of Adam Hughes. The green-suited heroine Rogue is offered in a high quality edition with the cheekiest smile I’ve seen on a collectible in ages. Thankfully Remy LeBeau is nowhere to be seen, so we can get some Rogue action ourselves. This is a really nice addition to Sideshow’s range of large scale ‘Comiquette’ pieces.

The distinctive art of Adam Hughes has been captured almost perfectly in this piece, which is very much in evidence with Rogue’s facial expression- that little sultry smile. Couple that with the fact she’s stripping off one of her gloves and that gives the smile all manner of other connotations (remember what happens if she touches a person with bare skin). The mischievous nature of the comics character (not the movie version) is represented nicely with the pin-up style pose. There’s something vaguely burlesque in the design, which gives it a great deal of personality, which is quite an achievement considering this is a superhero collectible. Created from concepts and designs from Adam Hughes himself, the Rogue Comiquette by Sideshow is cast in Polystone. I do like the diorama base that the piece is supplied with. You just *know* Rogue has caused all that chaos herself. Standing around 16 inches tall, it looks substantial and almost attractive as the southern belle herself. I’d love to see some more stuff from sideshow based on the work of Adam Hughes. Perhaps a selection of artists-specific pieces? That’d be fantastic. My first nominations would be Jack Kirby and Jim Lee…

IRON MAN LIFE-SIZE BUST BY SIDESHOW COLLECTIBLES

To celebrate tomorrow’s UK release of the first live action IRON MAN feature film, starring Robert Downey Jr and Gwyneth Paltrow, today we’ll cover quite possibly one of the most impressive items Sideshow Collectibles have ever offered.

Sideshow Collectibles have teamed up with none other than Stan Winston studios to produce the coolest piece of Iron Man movie merchandise ever. This is literally massive. The level of detail that has gone into recreating the movie incarnation of ol’ shellhead is impressive to say the least. Cast in high-end fibreglass and built on a 1:1 scale, the Sideshow Collectibles lifesize Iron Man bust is basically the finest piece of memorabilia released for the movie that I’ve seen thus far, and it is going to take nothing less than a full working suit of Iron Man armour to top it. I mean, look at the thing! Bear in mind this piece measures approximately 24 INCHES TALL and weighs in the region of 14 KILOS, and you start to get an idea of the sheer scale of the item. Featuring the customary hand finish job from the Sideshow Collectibles/Sideshow toys team, the bust was taken directly from the molds used in the movie to make the actual costume. How cool is that?? This is literally the closest you’ll get to the real thing without becoming a billionaire and building your own! The eyes contain working LEDS, working from a battery pack situated in the bust’s base. What we have here is one of the most serious pieces of collectible merchandise to come out in a long time. Iron Man is the perfect vehicle for movie tie-in memorabilia, and this life-size bust is nothing short of spectacular. Now, if only they could figure out how to make me some repulsor rays and a nice shiny suit of my own, I’d be a happy little True Believer.

The movie is looking set to be incredible, and for once a merchandise range is doing the film justice. That really doesn’t happen that often in this business, but with this and its associated Iron Man collectibles, we have been treated to items that are every bit as good as the film itself.

Thor Legendary scale Figure from Sideshow Collectibles and Marvel Comics

The mighty THOR is one of Marvel Comics’ most enduring characters. With his continued adventures throughout the Marvel Universe and a big-budget movie finally gathering preproduction steam, it only seems fitting that we should check out what Sideshow Toys and Collectibles have on offer. Aside from the full-scale replicas of Thor’s hammer Mjolnir and Thor’s helmet, there is this stunning large-format premium figure too. Let’s take a look…

Marvel fans can rejoice, as the mighty son of Asgard has been recreated to perfection in an extremely attractive statue, with our hero in a suitably iconic pose. Sculpted to museum quality standards by a team of Sideshow’s finest artists, this would make a superb cebtrepiece to any Marvel Comics collectibles collection.

Thor isn’t the first name that comes to mind when one thinks of Marvel, yet he has been a mainstay of the House of Ideas for most of its creative life. Unlike many of the other Marvel characters, his image hasn’t changed all that much since his inception, aside from the occasional beard. Where the sculpt on this piece delivers is the balance that has been struck between his classic and modern era appearances, and that pose is nothing short of perfect for the character’s slightly overblown nature. Holding Mjolnir aloft like that, he looks every inch the hero fans have known, loved and admired for so long. His costume is fashioned from real fabric as opposed to just being sculpted, and the addition of the billowing cape adds just that extra bit of drama to the piece. Cast in polystone and hand numbered, the piece is set to stand a whopping 30 inches high.

Now, I sometimes have issues with the bases that Sideshow will stand their figures on. Sometimes, items from Sideshow Toys are attached to bases that seem like a bit of an afterthought. Not so with the Thor Legendary Scale Premium Format figure- the base here is an integral part of the piece and doesn’t overpower the image with a tastelessly added logo. There’s a carving on the base, but it sits nicely with the figure and leaves the emphasis on Thor himself.

SIDESHOW COLLECTIBLES- JURASSIC PARK: T-REX Vs VELOCIRAPTORS DIORAMA

There are moments in cinematic history that will live on as long as movies are watched, enjoyed and debated. The masterpiece that is the first Jurassic Park film will be popular for generations to come, such was its quality and the impact that it had on modern film culture. Sideshow Collectibles have taken it upon themselves to create something that does that seminal moment in film justice, and here it is- the Jurassic Park T-Rex Vs Velociraptors diorama.
This monstrous piece of licensed memorabilia is due to arrive in the 3rd quarter of 2008, and is to be limited to just 750 pieces, so make sure you get yours! Entitled the ‘When Dinosaurs Ruled The earth’ diorama, it captures the magnificent T-rex in the midst of battling off the Velociraptors, from the thrilling final moments of the movie. Due to stand approximately 12 inches in height, and clocking in at 4 kilos, the diorama is cast in high quality polystone and hand painted. The level of detail in both the sculpt and the paint-job is wonderful, and I hope that each piece is as good as the one in the promo pictures.  The only thing I’m not too sure of here is the base- the Jurassic Park movie logo seems like a bit of an afterthought. Other than that the piece looks simply amazing. Each has been numbered by hand, and finishes off Sideshow Collectibles’ flagship piece of Jurassic Park merchandise perfectly.

This is one of those pieces that really does justify the phrase ‘Collector’s item’, and aside from the base, is one of the finest large scale pieces I’ve seen Sideshow Collectibles offer in a while.