Big Chief Studios - Space:1999 - Commander John Koenig

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JonWes

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Apologies if there's already a post about this, but a search came up with nothing. BCS showed off a teaser promo pic of their Commander John Koenig figure. I'm not a HUGE Space: 1999 fan myself. I never really watched the show. But this looks fantastic to me. Makes me wish they had the Trek license.

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There were some more pictures from June (I hadn't seen yet, at least) here too of an earlier prototype.
https://projectswordtoys.blogspot.com/2019/06/john-koenig-figure-from-big-chief.html
 
:lol @ Jonwes for suggesting that BCS should have the Star Trek license...

nevertheless 1999 is such a niche license that it's nice that BCS is taking a stab at this...

How many years out do you think this will see the light of day?
 
If they are going to go that niche, personally I'd rather see Blake's 7 or The Prisoner (who would be a perfect 'one and done' figure) made. But that's just me... :)
 
If they are going to go that niche, personally I'd rather see Blake's 7 or The Prisoner (who would be a perfect 'one and done' figure) made. But that's just me... :)

The Prisoner would be amazing. Blake's 7 would be great too. The one thing to consider here, though, is that Space: 1999 (unlike those properties) has pretty consistently had merchandise. Not a ton. Not in great quantities. But it's there.

:lol @ Jonwes for suggesting that BCS should have the Star Trek license...

I mean, I'd rather have the figure come out eventually instead of seeing a bunch of prototypes we never get. ::shrug::
 
I wish BC would concentrate on releasing their already long back stock of pre-orders rather than keep showing new protos...

Looks nice though and the body proportions look the best so far...maybe they're using a new re-tooled body?
 
The likeness is phenomenal. I think he will so well but I can imagine pre-orders May be initially soft with the Gerry Anderson fan base who have been burned by the two year wait for Captain Scarlet.
 
I wish BC would concentrate on releasing their already long back stock of pre-orders rather than keep showing new protos...

I think the thing to remember here is that it's not like BCS are making the full run of figures themselves. Factories in China do that. You'll see when they show their process that they have a pretty elaborate approval process with notes going back on things that aren't right, etc. But when they aren't doing that, then they are creating the new prototypes. They wouldn't have a healthy business otherwise.

Delays suck. They suck for EVERYONE, including the company. But if they stopped all new figure reveals, we wouldn't see a new figure in forever. And it doesn't affect their current production of figures.
 
Big Chief:
Dear Customer,
It has been a while since our last production email and we know that you guys are well overdue an update. We have heard you and you are not being ignored, we promise you.
So why are the products taking so long?
When can you expect the next pre-ordered items?
What will the next pre-order figure(s) be and what date will the pre-order commence?
All perfectly reasonable questions. So let me do my best to answer them…
So why are the products taking so long?
As I feel sure many of you know manufacturing across numerous industries is still very much suffering from the effects of the global pandemic. The multitude of knock-on problems have ranged from supply chain constraints, governmental restrictions on energy usage, labour issues, increases in material costs, vastly increased freight charges and ongoing lockdowns in China.
More excuses I hear you cry. Fact is the effects of COVID 19 are still very much a reality for most companies, including tech giants who are unable to secure sufficient chipsets for their computers, smart devices and game consoles; even the car industry is struggling. The Chinese government’s zero-COVID policy is according to WHO (World Health Organisation), not sustainable and is creating more problems than solving them.
For many this is difficult to accept given that here in the UK we are largely through the worst effects of the virus and life has all but returned to normal. So, it is understandable that people will question the validity of apportioning blame, but the simple truth is there for anyone who watches the news.
Throughout the latter half of 2021 when our vendors should have been completing our James Bond Dr. No and Flash Gordon figures, the factory was reduced to operating to only two working days a week due to restricted access to energy. This resulted in extending the production lead-times even further, eventually completing the goods just prior to Chinese New Year only this year.
Our figures are manufactured at a factory that also produces figures for several other sixth scale companies including industry leaders Hot Toys. Any delay will result in a knock-on effect to not only Big Chief’s, but also other companies’ production schedules. It stands to reason those losses suffered by vendors need to be covered as quickly as possible, meaning the factory prioritises larger production runs over smaller volume orders. Niche brands such as our licenses inevitably suffer.
Coupled with yet more delays due to local lockdowns, only last month our factory was forced to closed their doors for a week, due to an outbreak of COVID in their area.
When can you expect the next pre-ordered items?
We know how eager you all are to receive your collectables. I promise you no one is keener to deliver our products than the Big Chief team. We are not happy about increased delays and having to go into detail about the issues we face.
Our vendors are currently working on the following figures…
Peaky Blinders Tommy Shelby
Peaky Blinders Arthur Shelby
Laurel & Hardy Stand Laurel and Oliver Hardy Box Set
Doctor Who Fourth Doctor Definitive Series
Space 1999 Commander John Koenig
The next figures due for release will be the Peaky Blinders, with the Fourth Doctor and Commander Koenig following shortly after. Tommy and Arthur are on track to be shipped by the end of August. Stan and Ollie shipping by the end of November, with the Fourth Doctor and Koenig by the end of December. The Gerry Anderson figures will follow Chinese New Year in 2023.
I have included several pre-production images showing costumes and first shots. Please bear in mind that these are not final and should not be judged as final by any means. Rather more I wanted to show you that production is very much underway, albeit at different stages.
What will the next pre-order figure(s) be and what date will the pre-order commence?
Simply put we are holding off on any new sixth scale pre-orders for the time being, preferring to concentrate our efforts on production and to clear as much of the backlog as possible. We understand how frustrating it is for customers having to wait, only to receive news of further delays. We can only apologise and assure you that we are working to deliver your products as quickly as we can.
Yours sincerely
Mark and the Big Chief Team
 
Welp, it's been over a year since the last update. I'm starting to wonder if this figure will ever actually get made. I've had a pre-order in, with SS, for nearly two years, now. I'm hanging in there, but I'm getting less optimistic by the day.
 
Just got my cancellation notice from Sideshow. "Unfortunately we have received an update from the manufacturer that they have cancelled production for this item. As such we must cancel your order."

So, that sucks. Two years of waiting and now cancelled. :(
 
Just got my cancellation notice from Sideshow. "Unfortunately we have received an update from the manufacturer that they have cancelled production for this item. As such we must cancel your order."

So, that sucks. Two years of waiting and now cancelled. :(

I was just about to post the same. A bud of mine just let me know that this was cancelled. He too had pre-ordered from SS.
 
If you haven't seen the Doctor Who thread Big Chief is insolvent. They're out of business and refunds will not be coming (from them at least) and neither will any outstanding figures. They're taking the money and running with it.
 
Kitbash Corner on Etsy now is selling the printed head and accessories.

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