Life after WETA -- Better than Ever!!!

[DonnamiraTook]

Looks like its going to be a great Sideshow New Year.

Some (including me) were concerned that after the end of WETA LotR, the Board will slowly disappear from lack of things to talk about. Well, that sure is not going to happen now. In fact, it will probably be even busier with not just one, but two, new lines to collect if you choose to do so.

First Lurtz, then Tuesday we get a look at the first 12" figure. Now how can I resist regardless of lack of space for display and spending more $$ than I should.

Yes, I know it is making money for Sideshow which is the major reason for the new lines. But its going to be so much fun helping them to make it. I'll try and do my part.

Here's to 2006, LotR and Sideshow.

 

[Wetanut]

Amen! Am having to seriously think about changing my board name to reflect this change.

 

[JohnyBoo]

Nooooo Weta, we won't know who you are!!!

I am so happy with all the new lines, my significant other is pretty down about it.

 

[LOTRSWfan]

I had just sworn off ALL high end figure collecting until I saw Lurtz.

I will be collecting the PF LOTR line now

The main concern was money since I am a college kid, but I realized that I will be making a couple thousand dollars over the summer, so I can set some of it aside for Lurtz. if he is shipping towards the end of the yeara, there might only be one more piece this year. Then in 2007 I graduate, so I will have a steady income to pay for these as they get released

 

[NASEDO]

I'm actually like the Weta line better. Still hoping they come back with the polystone when the Hobbit is made.

 

[The Josh]

I wasn't worried the this part of the board would die off since you will always have people finding the board and finding the Weta line. However, now that SS is keeping the LOTR line alive with their versions it's great that we will be able to have some really lively discussions again. As a LOTR fan it's just nice to be able to keep chatting about something that has made a difference in my life.

 

[Agent23]

something that has made a difference in my life.

Really? I would of never known...

I don't think life "After Weta" is better. I wish the Weta line was still going to be honest...

However with all the new SS pieces, there will be plenty to talk about, for quite awhile...

 

[The Josh]

Really? I would of never known...

LOL I know I'm like a broken record. LOL

I don't think life "After Weta" is better. I wish the Weta line was still going to be honest...

I wish the Weta line was still going as well. I'm just glad a company I trust like SS is going to be keeping LOTR alive with great products that makes collecting LOTR life awesome because there will "still" be items done by those that love the story.

However with all the new SS pieces, there will be plenty to talk about, for quite awhile...

That there will be.

 

[Collector Freak]

Sideshow is better off without them. The likenesses from Weta were not that good.

 

[Viking28]

Really? I would of never known...

I don't think life "After Weta" is better. I wish the Weta line was still going to be honest...

However with all the new SS pieces, there will be plenty to talk about, for quite awhile...

Maybe its just me but the last rounds of statues in the SS/Weta line I were just "ok". There was to many "it looks good and all but would of prefered this pose instead" feelings for me. It was a mix of sadness to see it go, but then again a relief because they just were'nt what they use to be. So many characters that need to be released but then they choose to release just odd ball stuff that didnt make any sense at all.
To me the line didn't end with a bang it just faded out which was kind of sad to see.
I know a lot of people here think that Weta is the be all when it comes to their collectibles and nobody can do it better than them.

But I have to say Sideshow's Lurtz is leaps and bounds better than the naked Lurtz that Weta did.

There will be pieces of the Weta line that in my book might never be surpased but I got to say Sideshow has some pretty good odds that it might just do it.

 

[Scar]

Some of the SSW polystones I would consider untouchable, but some I certainly think could be improved upon. Aragorn, for instance, and hopefully we shall see an excellent likeness Tuesday . The New Year is looking very promising for LOTR collectors.

 

[The Dwimmerlaik]

Hey, this will never stop, the collections continue growing till SS ends the line of LOTR and this goes for LOOOOOOOONG time

 

[toffeepops]

Sideshow is better off without them. The likenesses from Weta were not that good.

Sculpt or Scan

There has been a significant move in the collectible toy business lately to utilize the technology of head scanning and 3D milling to capture copies of an actor's likeness. Although we have scanning facilities within Weta, and easy access to a mill, we were also fortunate to have easy access to the costumes, armour, weapons and various props that have been used in the film including a mountain of photographic reference, we chose not to pursue this as a technique for our collectibles. We strongly believe that the true collector of The Lord of the Rings™ product would prefer an artistic interpretation, or "fine art sculpture" of the actor, than a computerised model. In going the "free-hand method," we have attempted to capture the essence and performance of the actor through our sculpting....WETA WORKSHOP

 

[speedracer]

Weta?? Weta who??? =)


I got rid of all my weta stuff except for my sauron..I started too late..weta has done beautiful pieces it's just a matter of scale sometimes..=)...but the stuff was beautiful...they also had their fair share of forgettagle ones..=)..more power weta..=)

 

[larbob]

I'm glad SS is doing the PF LOTR line, but the Weta line will
always be the standard for LOTR. You can always improve
on any statue's likeness, pose, etc. which the PF line can
accomplish and has done with Lurtz. Although the Weta 1/4 scale
Lurtz bust likeness is very good.

In the long run collectors may look back and realize the importance
and uniqueness of owning statues, busts, .... made by the same
people who did the movie sculpts. In addition, having the actors
pose and approve sculpts were done with the Weta products.

So in my opinion, the original SS/Weta line will always have a
closer tie to the LOTR movies which for me is important.

 

[FrodoEyes]

Sideshow is better off without them. The likenesses from Weta were not that good.

I say this so many times that I may as well just have it as my signature! But here we go -

Weta do not sculpt or create human faces. They sculpt creatures. This is why you will not find a bad sculpt of a creature in the Weta line, but some of the human likenesses could have been better. Sideshow is more of a company who do human likenesses. For me, the likeness does not have to be spot on for me to like something.

Either way, I'm not going to say whether this line is superior or not to Weta after seeing just one figure. Weta were very varied - statues, busts, helms, plaques, art, medallions, weapon sets - I doubt you'll find that diversity in the PF line. Plus LOTR was their first collectibles line, so of course they'll have the odd mistake, like releasing so much FOTR stuff but not much TTT or ROTK stuff, just because they based popularity on different lines on early sales which way back then were not very good. So after TTT when the Weta hype began they rushed their arses off pumping new stuff out with high edition sizes while at the same time things like paintjob and quality suffered as they tried to rush as many things out before the end of the license.
And yes, people like me keep saying "Well, they're from Weta so they're authentic", but then others will say "But did the blacksmith who made the armour and swords actually sculpt them for the statue?" Probably not but Weta had the best access to these same props to sculpt from. Plus they had the actors, and the prosthetics, costumes, creatures etc etc, so THAT is why in my book Weta is better!!!

 

[DonnamiraTook]

I, too, love WETA and have shelves full to prove it (and all the preorders available). I would be collecting WETA as long as they were making LotR.

This was not meant to be a criticism of WETA on my part. It is just that WETA have now chosen to move on to other projects so that choice was taken away.

Its "better" because now we can still collect and have two choices in two completely different formats.

I'd love to see The Hobbit made and WETA to be the ones to create figures from this film. A WETA dragon - WOW. But that's not going to be very soon.

In the meantime......

 

[Agent23]

Everyone go watch your Gollum DVD...

And re-appreciate your Weta pieces.

Sideshow's line is very nice. But, the Weta line broke the barrier and put Sideshow on the "Collecting Map" in my opinion. Like I said before....before the Weta line I never even heard of Sideshow.

They are different pieces...

Both are great in their own way. But, for me the Weta line will always be the standard.

 

[Buzzie]

Weta Balrog of Moria for me is the mother of all
LotR Collectibles

 

[Scar]

The SSW collectibles defined LOTR Collecting, and now that we have future collectibles from SS, I'm confident that we'll have the same standard of quality maintained. Lurtz is proof enough of that .