STGCC 2018 Post Con actions by XM to collectors' reactions
I hope everyone enjoyed the STGCC 2018 Con as much as we did! We unveiled alot of new pieces and some of the pieces are so fresh you could even smell the paint (if you went close enough). Many of the products on display are rushed specially for the show and the paint and finishing are not final. We take this chance to collect feedback at the con and from PMs which helps us improve our work. Below, I've compiled a list of updates pertaining to the topics with most comments/feedback. Please understand not all comments or feedback can be taken in as there are many factors that needs to be considered such as the approval of licensors, practicality in engineering, packaging and size limitations and cost implications to name a few. It is important to understand that everyone is entitled to their opinions and it is impossible for us to please everyone. If your feedback or comment is not listed here, don't be upset - please trust in us that we have considered things carefully and the decision is often not easy but ultimately geared towards the greater good of all collectors - and humanity. Also, this page may be updated whenver we find new feedback or ideas on how to improve the products so do check back often for updates.
LAST UPDATED ON: 17 September 2018
Megatron
Megatron was WIP paint and XM will be touching up the final paint. It will come with the alternative Mode (Cool pistol! Yes!) like the rest of our TF line. We have noted the comments on the head and will be looking into improvements so stay tuned for updated paint job.
Batman Sanity
Arguably the most talked about piece at the Con, this is an ambitious project bringing legendary David Finch's work to life. The piece shown at the con is an UNPAINTED prototype fresh from the 3D printer. The final product will be painted in full color but because we have received many feedback on wanting a version close to the unpainted proto, we are also looking into creating a more artistic paint scheme with only Batman painted and the villains in smoke painted effects which works well with the original concept that these villains are in his mind, constantly challenging Batman's sanity. If you have pre ordered this beauty, don't worry, we will confirm with you which color scheme you prefer.
As for why certain villains such as Riddler, Killer Croc or Deathstroke are not included in the concept, hey - its David Finch, we aren't gonna question him! Ok seriously, there were some engineering and practicality reasons why we cannot include every villain and as for the choice, it's about the balance of characters, design, positioning and overall flow which led to the current design. And again, it's David Finch and we really trust and love his work so bow to his excellency and bite your tongue! :p
Our DC 1/6 line is Worldwide license, Made-to-order (MTO) and capped at 1,200 pcs per design. At the con, we limited orders to 150 so we can keep some for NYCC and also for distributors and our online store. If you don't know how our MTO works and how it will help YOU as a collector, head over to https://www.xm-studios.com/news/demystifying-the-xm-made-to-order-mto-and-why-we-think-it-is-better-for-collectors.aspx for an informative read!
Batman Shogun (Samurai Series)
We've noted there are some feedback that the piece does not look 'batman' enough. There are actually more switch out heads and display set up to address this but many may not have seen them at the 2nd Day of the Con. Here're some quick sneak peak renders but wait for more power photos!
Deathstroke (Samurai Series)
There will be 2 Portraits, the Masked version seen at the Con and the unmasked Wilson portrait which wasn't showed as we wanted to improve it.
Spider-Man
We are happy to report recieving positive feedback about the changes we made but there are some still unclear about what exactly we have changed and why. I'm working with Marthin to create a separate side-by-side comparison and explain the changes we made and why we did it. In general, the improvements include engineering stability of Spider-Man, having more focus on him and we've streamlined the villains' elements in the base to help keep packaging and shipping costs lower. Noted also on the paint which we would review. The previous battle damaged Spidey mask has hexagon textures in the eyes but it has been removed as we want to avoid being too close to the movie versions (We are still very classic comics fans). One cool thing many don't know is that we have a total of 3 heads for this piece, and the one that was not revealed at the con is the Romita inspired version (cool classic!). Stay tuned for more photos!
Brown Wolverine
Lighting at the convention isn't the best (something to consider always) and given the pose and darker color costume of the piece, the photos taken at the con may not have shown the details of the piece clearly. We will be posting more clear photos and also review the paint application at the same time. Keep calm, trust in XM.
Red Hulk aka Rulk
It is an exceptional piece of traditional sculpted art by Aarón Rey Pérez and the size shown at the Con is not 1:4 (it's closer to 1:3) but the final product will be 1:4. Making it larger was for reviewing and detailing purposes. Expect more greatness from Aarón to come! A little backstory about the concept of this piece. We were brainstorming on a violent Rulk pose destroying stuff but we went back to subtle simplicity - a dark, overbearing giant red monster, with the facial expression of hurting everything in his way, walking towards you as you freeze in fear - that does it for us! Oh and don't miss out on the little details on the base that hints of the background story; a 4-Star General Cap, Barb wires around military sandbags etc.
Groot and Rocket
Ohhh you are gonna love this. Rocket can be displayed separately and will come with his own base. Day one?
Cyclops
Just in case you didn't know, the Set B option that comes with the extra upper body (shooting optic blast upwards) will come with a special base to hold that body. Both heads will feature light up led because simply, that's the only way it should be done.
Gambit
The power effects of the cards being thrown will not be produced in clear resin. The stability tests failed with the thin material prone to break and cause issues for collectors. We've updated it to stronger resin with painted effects which looks pretty cool too! Some really attentive fans asked us "Hey it's a royal flush move, why are there only 4 cards shown?". Ok you got us.
NOT! Now here's the thing that no one knows yet, but this cunning Cajun has an extra switch out arm holding the last card "Jack of Spades". We call this, keeping a card up our sleeves. Boomz!
Mystique
The chains around the waist will be gold in color. The silver version is a older prototype shown at the convention.
Scarlet Witch
We actually only have 1 portrait for Scarlet witch. But after many people started guessing what's the switch out (you guys really like making things difficult for us), Seng has not slept for a few days and decided to look into; 1. Add "Power Effects" on the hands. 2. Throw in an additional head.
Now please, let the man sleep.
That's all for now folks! Stay classy and Happy Collecting!
Bryan Tan