What next for Live by the Sword?

[dstephan]

Back at Toyfair 2002 Sideshow announced this line with a generic Viking and Knight, both of which we've seen from Ignite at this point. But the new direction of doing infamous personalities from history seems like a better idea. Who else would fit into this with Blackbeard and Vlad?

[valros]

I think Attilla the Hun, Ghengis Khan, and Saladin would all be good choices.
Cheers,
C.P. Robertson

[dstephan]

Those 3 would be great, I'm hard pressed to think of any more that fit this narrow description though. Hopefully they'll open it up to historical characters that aren't so notorious.

[Moebius9]

Hey Dave, I just discovered the new board!

Now, I still want to see the figures SS previewed at Toy Fair myself but....Musketeers! We need Musketeers!

[dstephan]

Hey Todd, welcome aboard. I'm sure Sideshow would do the generic knight and viking very well, however personally I think that Ignite has sailed that ship and really eaten into the market for those particular figures. I'm more interested in the "personalities" although finding more in the same vein that are household names will be difficult.

It's interesting that McFarlane has decided to also pursue a similar theme and some of those characters might work, although Jack the Ripper was more into knives than swords.

[Moebius9]

Generics aside here's what I could come up with..

Vikings - King Canute the Great, Leif Ericsson, Olav Haraldsson

Warlords - Gengis Kahn, Atilla the Hun.

Musketeers - [They were based on real people] D'Artagnan, Henri D'Aramitz (Aramis), Armand de Sillegue, Lord of Athos, (Athos), Isaac de Portau (Porthos)

Pirates - Stede Bonet, Anne Bonny, Sir Francis Drake, William Kidd, Jean Lafitte, Bartholomew "Black Bart" Roberts, etc..

Conquistadors - Hernando De Soto, Vasco Nunez de Balboa, Hernan Cortes, Francisco Pizarro, Francisco de Orellana.

Samurai - Miyamoto Musashi .

Ninja - Hattori Hanzo

Knights - Richard the Lionheart, Of course Arthur and any of his knights.

Misc - Robin Hood, Rob Roy, William Wallace, Zorro, Marquis de Sade???

That's all I could come up with. Some are marginal but based on real historical personalities.

[Poelzig]

Some great suggestions so far!Live by the sword is by far the most exciting new line of toys anywhere.Attila seems a natural,maybe Joan of Arc too.Rasputin is one who didn't carry a sword,but he'd make a unique figure appropriate for the line.

[dstephan]

Some excellent suggestions, silly me I hadn't considered other characters in the same category, but of course they could get some reuse of patterns and accessories by doing more pirates etc. I'd love to see Anne Bonnie especially.

I particularly like the Conquistadors, Musketeers and Joan of Arc suggestions. In this day and age even Chris Columbus is a bit infamous, so why not him as well?.

Dave

[Rabbit 51]

Geronimo
Achilles
Perseus
Caesar
Boudicca
Alexander

to name a few.


Rabbit

[Poelzig]

How about Brutus to go along with that Ceaser?Maybe Marc Antony and Cleopatra too,and Monctezumma (sp) to go along with Cortez.(I really like the conquistador idea)

[Minimodel]

I think a ^^^^ Turpin figure would be a superb addition.
Also,that way if that guy on the other thread ca nt have a 12" Rod at least he can have a 12" ^^^^...

[Poelzig]

Does anyone else find Mcfarlane's monster series 3 somewhat inspired by and/or in competition with Sideshow's Live by the sword line?Thier lineup is Atilla,Vlad,Rasputin,Jack the Ripper,Elizabeth Bathory,and Billy the Kid.(two of e'm have already been made by Sideshow)I'll admit,it's a good lineup,probably his most inspired departure from the norm yet.So far only Attila has been shown,and I'm curious to see the others,though I probably won't buy any.Bathory is a great choice none of us have mentioned yet,and I would really like to see Sideshow's take on her.(wich I most definately would buy)

[dstephan]

Okay, the more I think about Joan of Arc the more excited I get (down boys, not that way!). Look at all the actresses that have played her - Ingrid Bergman, Jean Seberg, Milla Jovovich, Leelee Sobieski - of course they'd probably go with a generic headsculpt, but who can resist a woman in armor?

[Moebius9]

I really like the Joan of Arc idea myself. Bring it on SS!

[sanpedromanrique]

Great sugestions Todd, I would love to see everything you mentioned. But what I really, really would love to see is a new line based on different ethnic people of the planet: froms skimos to african tribes to asian... I think it could be a very colorful collection. What do you guys think?
Julian

[Rabbit 51]

I think that you have a fabulous suggestion, Julian (Geronimo). What our dolls have long been (Geronimo) wanting is ethnic diversity (Geronimo). Asians, blacks (Geronimo), East Indians (Geronimo) and all else who make up our planet (Geronimo) simply cry out for representation. some figures that I really want to see is Geronimo (Geronimo) and Gandhi. You can put me down for a pre-order on each right now (Geronimo)!!


Rabbit

PS- The preceding message contains subliminal messages (Geronimo).

[dstephan]

Geronimo (Geronimo) and Gandhi

Not to rain on anyone's parade, but the line is called Live by the SWORD - I don't rightly recall Gandhi ever being photographed with a blade - although maybe he went out riding at night on a big black horse carving "Gs" in the despotic Englishmen with his rapier. ;)

But I doubt it...


Geronimo would fit into the Western line though.

[Rabbit 51]

I stand abashed in your presence. Although I would love to see a Gandhi figure and have considered making one myself you are correct and rightly so. Even my hero, Geronimo, fought because he had to.

I will type no more forever.


Rabbit

[dstephan]

Hey I'm not saying that Gandhi wouldn't make a cool action figure, in fact I think that weird little company that did the biblical figures and the Starbucks figure actually did make a Gandhi along with Freud and Shakespeare.

Besides Gandhi riding the night righting wrongs just struck me as funny - but, hey I've got a weird sense of humor.

[Rabbit 51]

Dstephen, I think that I just became confused with where I was. I may have thought I was in the "What licenses Sideshow should do". Anyway my last statement on the "I will type no more forever" was a paraphased quote from Chief Joseph of the Nez Pierce who after defeating 5 US Armies sent after him let himself be taken into a Reservation and said, "I will fight no more forever". Please think of it as my own warped sense of humour and nothing more serious. Now back to the serious fun!!


Your Friend, The Rabbit

[Viking28]

Looks like there is a Napoleon figure I see in one of the Toy Fair pictures
69.93.35.18/photo/1/showp...229&page=6 (http://69.93.35.18/photo/1/showphoto.php?photo=12261&password=&sort=1&cat=1229&page=6)

[dstephan]

That Napoleon is mis-labeled, that's a 1/4 scale figure. But he still looks great! (Or was he so short that a 1/4 scale Napoleon would only be 12"?:p )

[Honestyspolicy]

Napoleon is one of the History 1/4 figures available for pre order on Sideshows site.

Joan of Arc would be great, though not sure it fits Live by the sword....maybe torch lol.

Mcfarlane's Monsters III is just coincidently having some of sideshows figures, actually one. Todd does not copy and is quite inovative with his designs and has no reason to copy anyone. Just my 2 cents.

[dstephan]

Joan of Arc would be great, though not sure it fits Live by the sword
Hey, she died by the torch... but she lived by the sword! (and those little voices in her head.)

[double j]

Sir Henry Morgan - better known as Morgan the Pirate. He would look great alongside Blackbeard...










"Only the dead are without fear..."

[TheWitchKing]

William Wallace!! Free our people! :)

[Honestyspolicy]

Hmmmm William Wallace would be interesting.....I say Atilla the Hun

[mdsharer]

Joan of Arc now that's good one. Who'd a thunk it. How about Julius Ceasar. He really lived by the sword.

[dstephan]

I'd love to William Wallace although I'd rather see a Braveheart figure than one based on the historical Wallace. That's what's good about Blackbeard and Vlad (NOT Dracula) is that there's a definitive historical look to the character that hasn't been over ridden by a movie version. Joan has been done on film so many times not one is definitive so a historical looking Joan might work. Same with Attila or Genghis Khan, there isn't a media version that would work against them.

[GI GENE]

Just saw "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World." I agree, some Napoleonic figures would rock! :D