Sideshow!!! IS THIS TRUE???

I read the review of the Brent's over on Michael Crawford's site and, out of it all this was the most interesting part to me:

It is my understanding that if we want the Planet of the Apes line to continue, we need to e-mail Sideshow and let know. Sideshow has acquired licenses for all five “Planet of the Apes” movies and the TV series, but will be deciding which characters to make based upon what they feel is enough demand from the buyers. Sideshow handles requests for future wants through their regular customer service forum. So, please, let them know which characters you want by visiting their website and selecting the CONTACT US link on the lower left side of the page. Then select the [Customer Service Form] link, which is also used for “General inquiries”. And then select the “Other” option. They regularly tally results for these requests and pass them on to the correct department.

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Does sending information to you work better as a gauge of what we'd like more than the kazillion posts made here?
Is this just for the Apes line or all the licenses?
Hell, to think one email asking for Giles or General Aldo could've helped getting them into our hands and months of posts didn't hint towards anything.

It is my understanding

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I wonder how he came to this "understanding"?

Please someone from Sideshow, PLEASE chime in with some insight to this. :help :help :help

I'm ready to e-mail you with my Ape wants!!! :angel

Actually, I think the guest reviewer might be a bit confused on a few things. For one thing, he credits that each Brent portrait has a separate sculptor (one is credited to Mat and the other to Andy) when the figures are clearly using the same head.

Overall, a nice if not overly positive review.

It would be better if there were some way Sideshow could set up an account, whereby you could deposit your money, showing Sideshow the preparedness of your request. Only for PotA, or another line currently in production. Once they hit a certain number of requests for the same figure, they could email those participating it, and await return figures to decide whether or not to go ahead with the proposal. Maybe a discount for pre-paid pre-orders.

Wishful thinking at this point. Just as the wish lists posted here don't really mean much either. We have begged for figures, that once appear, fail dismally in the sales area.

That's the answer when he contacted Sideshow - I asked him about that. They told him that, but I haven't asked them myself.

Michael
MWC

That's the answer when he contacted Sideshow - I asked him about that. They told him that, but I haven't asked them myself.

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I don't doubt his having gotten that answer, but it sure would've been nice to have them tell us that. It kind of makes half the posts here moot as they ask when or if we'll see a certain character or characters. I guess hundreds of posts don't equal one email that has to be forwarded several times. :\

Hope they continue it....see my post on 1/4 Apes too.

I think perhaps this is being blown a *tiny* bit out of proportion. I believe what happens (but don't quote me on this) is that the production guys take into account opinions from various message boards as well as customer service emails to gauge interest in certain characters and licenses, just as any company would do. Don't forget we also just finished up the Collector's Inquisition Survey as well! If they see hundreds of posts about a certain thing, but those posts are written by the same people every time, that does not mean that the majority of collectors agree. But if they are seeing posts from lots of different people and on many discussion boards, plus are receiving tons of email requests as well, that's a true market analysis of what people want.

And I hope everyone here understands that not every character that every person wants can or will get made - including those wants of our sculptors But it's really fun and interesting to read everyone's opinions, which can sometimes illuminate certain ideas that were asleep.

Thank you Dusty.
But, does this mean that the Apes line is not necessarily dead?
Is there hope of seeing more characters if enough emails are sent in? Or will it just be an exercise in providing fun and interesting items for Sideshow to enjoy?

It probably also keeps things honest by writing them. In a poll, some nerd can vote 20 times (laugh). If you e-mail, they can see who's asking for what and how many actual people.

So go E-mail your wants now: Doctor Who, Kolchak, Millennium, POTA, whatever!

But, does this mean that the Apes line is not necessarily dead?

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Well, you know what Brant always says - nothing is ever truly dead at Sideshow I know everyone hates it when he says that, but it's true. You remember the Buffy like was brought back from the dead after a couple of years, so nothing is ever futile

Emails have worked for me.

I sent emails a couple years back asking Sideshow to make a Civil War Custer and also stated that General Washington would be the best historic figure they could ever think of making. Both of these have come to pass.

I also sent an email one time stating that the red Baran would be neat to re-release in flight gear and this one came to pass as well.

I made a post one time that Lt Col Chamberlain who is THE most popular Civil War figure of all time would be a good figure to make that no other company has made and six months later he was announced.

In fact I think my wish list from two years ago is now complete.

Of course I must admit I may be one of those nerds that people speak of as I believe I sent quite a few emails on Custer. More emails than I care to admit at this time.

WestDan76.
Being as you seem to have the most luck in the "asking for - seeing produced department" would you care to forward the rest of our wants to Sideshow?

I believe I sent quite a few emails on Custer. More emails than I care to admit at this time.

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Of course this admission blows the whole 1 nerd can vote 20 times in a poll clear out of the water, but hey!!! whatever works.

Re: Re: Sideshow!!! IS THIS TRUE???

It also makes sense if that one person's request makes sense like Custer and Washington do. I don't see the same campaign working for the PotA TV characters.

Re: Re: Sideshow!!! IS THIS TRUE???

So if we keep asking for Pippin, Faramir, Eomer, Mouth Of Sauron and Barad Dur we'll get them right!

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Didn't Sideshow make two versions of Custer??

Re: Re: Sideshow!!! IS THIS TRUE???

FrodoEyes, you left out the Hobbiton Factory! Shame on you!

Re: Re: Sideshow!!! IS THIS TRUE???

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It also makes sense if that one person's request makes sense like Custer and Washington do. I don't see the same campaign working for the PotA TV characters.

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Hmmm, I guess that all depends on your perspective. If you collect military figures, Custer & Washington make sense. If you collect Planet of the Apes; Burke, Virdon, etc. make sense. I'm sure he wanted Custer at least as much as I do the TV characters and others have wanted General Aldo or the Ape-o-nauts.

Re: Re: Sideshow!!! IS THIS TRUE???

I don't know as with historic figures Sideshow can take a chance when they are talking about only making one figure. However, with the Planet of the Ape line, if they start on one character from the TV series, they are more than likely committed to 5 or more figures from it. Anyway the entire historic figure line is pretty much dead in the water at this point as the last one to sell out quickly and make it up to number 4 on the top 10 list was Lt Col Chamberlain.

I myself did start to purchase the Planet of the ape line with both Dr Zaius', Cornious, Zira and Taylor. However, the rotocast head sculpts on this line and on other movie lines have ceased my buying any more figures as there was far to much in lack of detail for the hair line, wrinkles etc. for me. In my view if the head sculpt is not detailed enough on the figure then the whole figure is no good.

With my above posts, it may have helped that I was getting custom figures done at the time by their prototype designer Greg Mowrey and did plant a few seeds in his mind on both Custer and Washington. Well more than a few seeds on them as every single email communication with Greg on the Napoleon figure he was making for me ended with Custer and Washington would be the best figures to make. Greg was not the prototype designer for them at that time, but did state on his last email to me that he had just got hired to work for them. Speaking of Greg, here is an early prototype for Washington that he did before he started working for Sideshow. In keeping with the view on bad head sculpts, I did not get him to make me a custom of this figure, but sideshow eventually came through in that department:

pre sideshow prototype of Washington by Greg Mowrey