Does anybody else miss shoulder joints?

I'll start by saying I do. I have full confidence that McFarlane Toys can mske beautiful figures w/ moving limbs and I have seen them do it. If they design the joints in a aesthetically pleasing and anatomically functional matter it won't ruin the sculpt. If you don't like joints that's okay too. If you just want to display a figure as it was originally designed just keep it in its box or leave it in its default pose. I'm just saying this because it's A LOT easier to render joints non-functional w/ glue and spackle (remberber to sand it down and paint it to make it look pretty) than it is to add articulation.

I don't mind lack of articulation. I can see why those who do like it would be a bit annoyed, though. Most of the figures that Mcfarlane has been putting out lately are basically statues. The Conan line in particular seems to be that way.

My big problem with articulation is the weakness that can come with joints. I've had several mcfarlane figures end up with broken joints..and they weren't dropped or even moved around a lot. I also have a number of figures who have floppy joints. It's annoying when a figure starts to look like it's doing squats cause it's always sinking at the knees.

More articulation = greater odds of breaking. [img]tongue.gif[/img]

I actually prefer to get pre-posed figures. I always have trouble finding a good pose for figures, so I enjoy when it's already figured out for me.

The only time it bothers me is when I think something is slightly off with a pose, and I wish I could change it. Doesn't happen often though.

yes, I do.

...you'll be easy to kill and you're only 10 minutes from my house. [img]graemlins/grrr.gif[/img]

The less movable stuff the better.

The more the movable stuff the better, the greater the fun in posing them, and a step closer to what the 'Real' McFarlane toys was all about in the beginning! [img]graemlins/grrr.gif[/img] [img]wink.gif[/img]

All say it again, I now don't mind less articulation, as long as they do away with all that dynamic poses crap. They take up double or triple the space of a regular figure (Neo's anyone) and they don't look right when you place them next to the older styled figures.

<font color="#cd6600" size="1">[ September 11, 2004 07:36 PM: Message edited by: Chosen One ]</font>

I only like articulation if it doesn't hinder the look of the fig...

I don't play with my figs but I do like the ability to pose a fig differently.

What I do like about alot of other companies' figs are the interchangeable accessories (heads, hands, weapons) which more than make up for lack of poseability... I'll take that over a big fat base any day.

Yeah, I miss the articulation.

I'm not an articulation freak, but 10-15 useful POA is always welcome.

Recently, the lack of articulation has been a major factor in me not purchasing more McFarlane stuff. Haven't had a lot of interest in most of the 2004 catalog, and a lot of other companies are offering stuff I really dig.

C'est la vie.

Arm joints won't neccessarily ruin a figure. Simple cuts or DCD style ball-joints are barely notecible and can easily be glued into place if desired.
There are a few figures this really bothers me on :
1.Erin- I've never seen TCM but I'd like a Jessica Biel figure anyway. It's odd that there's no shoulder movement since her tanktop would hide the seems and people pivot their arms back and forth at the shoulders and when running and not side to side at mid-bicep. I'm still getting one in hopes that I can customize it w/o ruining it.
2.Conan the indomitable- It'd be great if you could pose him w/ his hammer or sword over his head, at a ready position, and all the way down for delivering deathstrokes. Currently he just looks like he's ready to be impaled.
3.Tremor 3- Aren't his shoulders big enough to conceal ball-joints? I love the sculpt but hate the pose.
4.Spawn #7- He can't point his guns at anybody?
I think mainly what my frustration stems from is that there's lots of Spawns every year so I'm bound to find at least one that has a pose I like. The more obscure characters have less of a chance to be produced so I'd really like them to feature the acme of sculpting, acticulation, accessories, and action features (if applicable). Does that sound reasonable?

I miss it. I buy toys, not statues. I stoped buying Spawn because they all turned into statues lately. Series 22 was that last full set I bought. I don't want every thing McFarlane does to be super articulated. I hope for goodness sake basic articulation comes back. When it does, I'll come back too.
Zero Articulation = Zero Interest = Zero Buying.

<font color="#cd6600" size="1">[ September 13, 2004 03:23 AM: Message edited by: The Shadowless ]</font>

I'll take both.

S21 Alien Spawn and S19 Samarai Spawn are two of my favorite McF figures ever, but so is jazz hands, static bird that he is. You rarely find both aspects on the same figure, but McF's crew has pulled it off better and more often than most others in the biz. Rare examples such as Monev the Gale come to mind, but then the price point makes a big difference there.

not really workable, yeah, but I like the idea. [img]graemlins/thumbs_up.gif[/img]

Nope.

They always looked ugly, and when it comes down to it, the sculpting only allows for the figure to look natural in one arm position. You move tha arm and it looks funny.


the only exception was the Samurai Spawn series...insane articulation extremely well hidden! bare arms are more noticable of course.

Maybe this is a cost cutting procedure to keep quality up and prices steady?

Oh, gods, do I miss shoulder joints--not to mention all those other various joints!

...not like that, you dweebs. -_- Articulation joints.

Anyway, if McF would just settle on more conventional jointing they would be golden. The sculpts would support hinges and ball joints, they are so detailed and deco-ed that it would hide them...but alas they insist on no joints or those various weird/ungainly/fugly hinge-socket-swivel thingies like they stuck the Samurai line with...now the Preds came closer to a more conventional joint, but there was that odd ball-joint inside of a ball-joint deal going on that ended up loose...*sigh*

...lastly, and I mean no offense to anyone whatsoever, if "joints ruin the sculpt", why are you collecting toys? You are in the wrong hobby. Sorry. *shrug*

Steve, feel free to send me all yer hate rays, I thrive on 'em. [img]wink.gif[/img]

Hey Evil....where did you get that Spawn shirt you had at the BBQ ?

Quote:

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Originally posted by -Dark Angel-:

...lastly, and I mean no offense to anyone whatsoever, if "joints ruin the sculpt", why are you collecting toys? You are in the wrong hobby. Sorry. *shrug*...

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I have often wondered that myself...

GADZOOKS! I've just figured out a way to make everybody happy that's completely unfeasible!
It hinges on Todd making 3 tangent assortments per wave (for lack of better phrasing):
1.Statues: these would have no articulation or mold seams. They could be 6" scale vinyl statues if you're worried about cost and shelf space.
2.Action figures: the same sculpts as the statues but w/ articulation and the occassional action feature. The articulation should be functional and aesthetically blended into the sculpt as much as possible. Figures that really only look good in pose (crouching Spawn, Dorothy) would not be made under this category.
3.Model kits- these would be totally unassembled and unpainted versions of the figures for customizers and folks who like making their own statues. Instructions would be provided for really complex ones like T-X.

You mean...actually play with them and stuff?!? Unheard of! [img]tongue.gif[/img]

i have not liked articulation for a while, until i recently baught the mandarin spawn, i love that fig, but if i was just able to move his friggin legs in more ways than one, move his arms in more way than 1, i could have so much fun posing him like a "real" mandarin spawn should [img]smile.gif[/img] also the predators from the AVP line have got to be the BEST articulation i've seen in a while

not liked for a while?
didn't you jus start collecting?!? [img]confused.gif[/img]

does that mean i cant form an opinion on articulation before i start collectin?

yes.
yes, it does.
[img]wink.gif[/img]

ahh gotcha [img]cool.gif[/img]

Quote:

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Originally posted by sculpey:
The less movable stuff the better.

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">word.


when it comes to creating good looking figures, ecspecially the art-based ones, *ahem* screw articulation, I dont miss it anymore, I can always buy Toybiz figure or other sources


now, am I having an acid flashback again, or is this reminicent of just about every other old whiteboard thread? [img]wink.gif[/img]

I love articulation. I think most people hate it because McF makes theres look bad or break on purpose just to support their own arguements against it...

I all for articulation... on certain figures [img]wink.gif[/img]


personally, McFarlane's stuff's too nice, I've finally just started displaying them rather than going "ok, you be the bad guys and we'll come into your fort and gow pew! pew-pew!" [img]eek.gif[/img] [img]wink.gif[/img]

It just seems asinine to say you don't like a toy because it is...toy-like. Hello? [img]graemlins/hmmm.gif[/img]

Moviemaniac 4, I've got about 3 Spawn shirts:
1. the streets will run red - Rockaway Mall, NJ
2.Angela - now defunct Mint City Comics
3.Medieval Spawn - comic shop in Pennslyvannia whose name escapes me
I think I got them all around 1997. I don't think that this will help you that much since the stores are long out of stock and you don't get around to the tri-state area too often.