Cave Troll Legendary Scale Bust

[Deadly Dagger]

very nice detail down to the collar and arrow....very cool

 

[Jesseawilson]

I'll be keeping my SSWeta Cave Troll bust. I don't see a need for this. They already made this bust. I'm confused.

Sideshow did not make that bust. The new bust is actually made by Sideshow and has much more detail as well as being 1:2 scale approx.



Jesse

 

[oxbeard]

Yeah after seeing actual pics I thought it was the West bust. Doesn't bother me though, I love it.

 

[The Dwimmerlaik]

Hey the difference is that this one will come painted i like it, but dont know so many things coming, lucky me that i only collect LOTR

 

[dfchang]

I hate it.

That's lazy.

Steve West's kit was fantastic. It was UNIVERSALLY acknowledged that it destroyed the Sideshow Cave Troll bust at the time.

Unfortunately even though it was a limited kit with no more than maybe 50 or so castings it was forced out of production because of legal pressures. Same for his Balrog bust which is by far the best Balrog sculpture done in my opinion.

A Cave Troll kit by Steve West professionally painted by a paintmaster like Danno or Rick Cantu can not be equalled by any prepaint period. Rick airbrushes every freaking scale individually on the kit. Go to Google and do a search and see the work that Rick or Danno or John Allred have done on this. It is ludicrous to suggest that a mass produced prepaint can approach that quality.

Steve West is one of the most singular talents in sculpting today. He basically never strikes out, always hitting home run after home run. Ask Andy or anyone in the garage kit or sculpting industry. Why did they decide to cheap us out by recycling his old stuff???

His talent could have been used to give us NEW stuff, not a rehash of an old kit with an inferior mass marketed paint job.

I had high hopes for a Balrog Legendary bust. Now I know exactly what is coming. A mass marketed prepaint of Steve West's old Balrog kit.

I guess that's great for the 2000 or 3000 people they'll sell it to who missed out on the kit but it is unbelievably disappointing to those of us who already have the kit professionally paintmastered.

It's like if Leonardo Da Vinci was alive and Sideshow decided to give us photocopies of the Mona Lisa instead of having Da Vinci do an orignial.

Guess I'm being selfish and from Sideshow's and West's point of view it makes sense to recycle the old kits and mass produce for greater market penetration. More people out there will have a chance now to own the work but I can't help but be disappointed.

Those out there who already own the Cave Troll and Balrog kits will know what I'm feeling I suppose.

Dennis

 

[The Dwimmerlaik]

Man, i think sideshow have a good explanation for this, when we see the preorder or some info of this bust will see it can happen that the sculptor of the bust could be Steve West, only let sideshow explain it all

 

[TolkienCollector]

Dunno abt this yet. Time will tell

TC

 

[TOE]

 

[[Cipher]]

AFAIK Steve West is now under contract at Sideshow Collectibles, and the previous "release" was an unofficial Garage Kit.
So this is now the official release of his bust, I expect to see him as a sculptor for sure.

 

[Lynxje]

It is ludicrous to suggest that a mass produced prepaint can approach that quality.

Having an item painted by a master will always look better, but it will also be much more expensive....

And why shouldn't West go over to Sideshow, he's good at this and Sideshow hire good sculptors....

 

[oxbeard]

Calm down dfchang.

We have in fact already saw an original from Steve West for SS Morgul Lord legendary bust


I don't see what the big deal is. No one is saying that this CT from SS is going to be of the same quality as those original garage kits painted by the masters. If you want a master paintjob then hire one of them to repaint it. We've seen this with other pieces SS has done. Someone wants a better paint job so they hire one of the paint masters to redo it, then they have one that is even better than the mass produced version.

Sounds like you already have one so what's the problem this just means you don't have to be tempted for this one. And no the one I buy won't be any better than yours and definitely won't lesson the value any because my won't have been painted by Rick or Danno.

I'm really excited about the CT and about seeing more sculpts from West. :chew

 

[Mithrandier]

Cavey looks awesome........................

I think both legendary busts in the LOTR line so far are great..................

 

[FrodoEyes]

I won't be buying it. You'll have a hard time convincing me it's more detailed than the Weta one, the people who actually designed the cave troll in the first place! People will just be more imopressed with it because it's got its mouth open and is more action orientated, and that's all that's needed to impress most people. Whoop.

 

[Anakin]

,,looks gr8!.. :chew

 

[FlyAndFight]

I'll be keeping my SSWeta Cave Troll bust. I don't see a need for this. They already made this bust. I'm confused.

I'm confused as well. Sideshow still has the original SS/Weta Cave Troll bust for sale on their site. So now there's a "bigger" Cave Troll bust for sale as well? If so, then here's hoping that Sideshow releases a new and bigger Orthanc Environment!

As for the original garage kit, if I had paid good money for that one, I would be a little irked by this recycling move as is dfchang. Was the garage kit sold with the stipulation that it was a "limited edition" or "limited run" piece? That could muddy the waters even further...

 

[Mithrandier]

Not every piece that Sideshow, or any other company for that matter, puts out is gonna meet the approval of every collector. For those 50 out there that got these "garage kits", maybe you won't like it. But for the other couple thousand collectors out there that did not get one, this can surely take its place. I am no way sorry that I think so, because this piece does look great and I love the Moria stone base.

 

[Nazgurl]

As I knew absolutely nothing about the previous garage kits, the chance to own the Cave Troll and/or Balrog busts through Sideshow thrills me personally. I just hope they do release the Balrog one.

Though I can certainly empathize with those who have the GK's. Still, as you say, yours will be better painted than the mass produced ones that follow.

 

[Xeno]

This one is gonna be so mine!!! Mine I says!


Well I do feel a bit for the argument concerning the 50 kits that's allready out there. But sorry guys, I'm gonna be selfish here! I wants it!!! (excuze moi for the cheesy Gollum act.. ). I've been looking for that garage kit actually several times.. it was always way too expensive and too doubtfull if I would ever get it to paint or to someone who could assemble it for me etc etc. so I can tell you I am REALLY happy about this one. :chew

 

[Gruson]

I have always loved the Steve West bust and will order this piece.

Nice one and I could care less if it was a garge kit before. Easy way for Sideshow to produce it fast and cheaper.

 

[KAOSINLA]

I have always loved the Steve West bust and will order this piece.

Nice one and I could care less if it was a garge kit before. Easy way for Sideshow to produce it fast and cheaper.

Hear, Hear.