Figures of color?

[Great Ape]

I'm not trying to start anything negative, or be combative in any way. I just want to hear what other collectors think on the subject. Although always a tough subject to discuss, I think it best to talk about it in an open forum. I'm just curious with the offerings we get from SideShow and noticed how few choices we get on characters of color.


How many people of color has SideShow created?
Outside of the African American Art S. Buck bodies what else did they ever create.

I noticed they made the Jailor from the Planet of the Apes, Tee Hee from James Bond, and King from Platoon. Anything else? Only three over 10 years?

Not one person of color for their Brotherhood of Arms line? I would of expected at least a representative of the 54th Massachusetts or Some other major Figure from that era, Fredrick Douglas, Harriet Tubman for starters.

Will there ever be a Lando Calrissian? Hawkman or a James Rhodes from Iron man? Maybe a WWII Tuskegee Pilot?


Please don't attack me for this post, as I do not tend for this to be an attack on SideShow. I've been a collector for three years and I love SideShow but wonder why there is such a small offering on people of color.




Thanks,

Tom

 

[Great Ape]

Darklord, Thank you for a more suitable title. I like it a lot more than what I had.

-Tom

 

[small_studios]

Samuel L Jackson Mace Windu

 

[Great Ape]

Ah yes, I forgot Mace Windu.

 

[Voorhees27]

I know this is not Sideshow but Hot Toys released 2 different Clubber Langs and an Apollo Creed. Michael Jackson on the way too. The reason I bring HT's up is because both companies have been known to work close together.

I would love to see more myself but never ever thought of it as an issue that needed attention to.

 

[Deckard]

Well frankly the licenses they have tackled so far don't really feature any prominant black roles, and when they have that I can think of, they have been done. I guess, again considering the licenses we have got, Lando would be the most glaring omission, but after all, we did only just get Darth Vader so give it time.

 

[creecher]

Apart from Odd Job, how many Asians have they done? Not one Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander neither. Nor any Maori or Oceanic peoples. They did a French taunter but he was British. Is that ambiguous? I guess that's allowed.

Overall I think they put out products on an as needs basis, dependent upon the license and the dictates of the licensor's, and it's ability to further the companies future and stability. I think it would be ridiculous to determine Sideshow is racist based on the number of products that they produce or do not.

Product would be selected on the popularity to consumers. It may be that collectors are racist. Some are some are not, but it cannot be determined by the product they buy.

 

[Great Ape]

I know this is not Sideshow but Hot Toys released 2 different Clubber Langs and an Apollo Creed. Michael Jackson on the way too. The reason I bring HT's up is because both companies have been known to work close together.

I would love to see more myself but never ever thought of it as an issue that needed attention to.

Yeah that's HT, Thay also offered Blade, although an animated version. I really like your signature of Shawshank redemption. A morgan Freeman Character would be very cool.

 

[Darklord Dave]

Harriet Tubman? Really? You think a little old black lady would be a good seller for an action figure? The military/historical lines were struggling as it is.

You forgot Halle Berry for the Bond line. Besides Yahphet Koto from LaLD what other Bond character would have made sense (and they already had a villain from the film)? Odd Job, the Diamond guy are Asian.

Buffy - no viable character - blame the license, not SSC.

SW - we have Mace, I'm sure Lando is on the way - lots of multi-colored aliens already.

The Dead - the tactical guy's race is kind of a ?.

Marvel - one of the best Vs. was Blade - not the most popular character, but a kickass statue.

 

[Great Ape]

Apart from Odd Job, how many Asians have they done? Not one Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander neither. Nor any Maori or Oceanic peoples. They did a French taunter but he was British. Is that ambiguous? I guess that's allowed.

Overall I think they put out products on an as needs basis, dependent upon the license and the dictates of the licensor's, and it's ability to further the companies future and stability. I think it would be ridiculous to determine Sideshow is racist based on the number of products that they produce or do not.

Product would be selected on the popularity to consumers. It may be that collectors are racist. Some are some are not, but it cannot be determined by the product they buy.

When I look at price guides especially for GI Joe 12" I notice the African American figures are always twice as valuable, why is that? Are they fewer in number? They always sell out. Is making colored plastic more expensive? I don't know.

 

[creecher]

I think it's determined value is set by the market. As these figures are rarer, their value increases.

 

[Deckard]

Again, I gotta say it's more the fault of the Hollywood, then SS, there just aren't many black actors in predominat roles that are movies for good figures.

Would I buy a Morgan Freeman Shawshank or Dark Knight figure, sure, but would it really be a good seller, I dunno, he's just walking around a prison or a corporate executive, he doesn't fire a laser gun at cool looking aliens.

Now I would definately buy an I Am Legend figure, or a Dillion and Mac from Predator.

In fact Carl Weathers may be one of the best examples of a black actor that has had good roles for action figures.

 

[Great Ape]

The military/historical lines were struggling as it is.

You're right, I think Iraq and Afghanistan had a heavy impact on the military line. But I think the modern Army figures are doing well.

 

[Great Ape]

Again, I gotta say it's more the fault of the Hollywood, then SS, there just aren't many black actors in predominat roles that are movies for good figures.

Would I buy a Morgan Freeman Shawshank or Dark Knight figure, sure, but would it really be a good seller, I dunno, he's just walking around a prison or a corporate executive, he doesn't fire a laser gun at cool looking aliens.

Now I would definately buy an I Am Legend figure, or a Dillion and Mac from Predator.

In fact Carl Weathers may be one of the best examples of a black actor that has had good roles for action figures.

Wasn't Dillion Arnold's character? I'm sure HT will be giving us the whole group from predator and I already have plans on getting Billy for sure.

 

[Voorhees27]

Yeah that's HT, Thay also offered Blade, although an animated version. I really like your signature of Shawshank redemption. A morgan Freeman Character would be very cool.

Thank you. Let me tell you this IF ANY company were to make a Morgan Freeman and especially as Ellis Redding in the Shawshank Redemption I would no longer need to collect! That and an Andy Dufresne.

 

[creecher]

Yeah that's HT, Thay also offered Blade, although an animated version.

No that was Medicom that put out the Blade. It's kind of ironic that DiD produced the Obama figure rather than the home grown company. So as always it comes down to the dollar. First in, best dressed. The output of colored figures is low, world wide, and for any company.

 

[Deckard]

Wasn't Dillion Arnold's character? I'm sure HT will be giving us the whole group from predator and I already have plans on getting Billy for sure.

Nope, Arnold was Dutch Schaeffer.

"Dillion! You Sunavabeech!"

 

[eighthsamurai]

come to think of it, how come sideshow haven't done any indian figures either? where's amitabh bachan in 1/6? or how about a premium format shami kapoor??? the man ^^^^s!!! and they could easily do it license wise if they wanted to, they do a lot of superhero stuff:

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[Morbo]

I'd love a good Shaft.....

I have Mace and a custom Will Smith I am Legend, I would love to get that Marvel Studios Wesley Snipes Blade figure, and a Denzel figure from Virtuosity with a battle damaged arm.
there's plenty enough black actors/actresses that have had leading role, maybe it's just the studios or actors don't give permission to use their names/likeness?

 

[yruh8n]

I think part of the problem might be getting the stock bodies. A factory could use the same molds to make Caucasian or African American bodies, but since they mainly make Caucasian figures the AA bodies would have to be a separate production run. This would probably require an order of x amount of figures. So if you wanted to produce 500 Shaft figures and the minimum order for AA bodies was 1000 you would have 500 bodies left over. Two of the figures I have been waiting for are AA, Boomer and Tige from the original Battlestar Galactica. Amoktime/Executive Replicas also have Blacula and Ben from Night of the Living Dead coming out soon.