XM Studios Thanos

[SurlyJ]

While this Thanos will be THE Thanos statue to beat (and many more will come after his full movie appearance comes), the Bowen is awesome too

 

[Y4NK33 PL4N3T]

Enjoy the read gentleman. Taken directly from a post of the man himself about two hours ago. You can literally feel the excitement oozing in this message. I dunno about you guys but damn does this type of stuff get me all fired up. I did remove the persons name this was addressed to out of respect for his privacy otherwise you guys are seeing it word for word

Erick Sosa
no man, I am not saying you are bashing, heck we want you to do it lol....please bash away!
I had just written a huge reply in regards to my incredible experience these past four days with XM and their fans and distributors....

To say my jaw is still on the floor is NOT an overstatement, simply put I WILL BLEED FOR THIS COMPANY...
You see I have been in this industry since I was 17, I am 38 now...
I have worked for good companies, and some truly evil ones that all they cared for was the bottom line. And hey can you judge them for wanting to make a quick buck?
One thing I need you to digest is this, XM has developed a quality control system that is so effective that their product is either :
A) 100% prototype quality
Or
B) better than the prototype quality

Now is your mind blown? Mine is...
This is not the norm....no one does this...not even Hot Toys...
anyway you can say the price is high, and yes I agree, but after discussing with their factory manager, and finding out about the process, how expensive these are to make compared to any other company, how the castings are solid, not flaking paint, no led paint used...well...dudes this is why they are expensive....all the time they dedicate every month to ensure every single copy -listen to this..every single copy is inspected-...you know that costs money? the factory deserves more money because they inspect every single copy of each run, every part...every little corner...their workers get paid more as well. XM has an exclusive set of painters, this means they pay them to be the group that constantly tackles every piece so their is consistency in quality.

Oh and get this, XM was asked by the factory if they could use their painting process with other companies, XM said sure, the factory's was left scratching their heads, XM just said they don't need anything in return, just make cool product for other companies too.
You see where this is going? You know how I know this story is true? The factory guy was here from China this is straight from the horse's mouth.

I have also worked for great companies like Kotobukiya and Yamato, that are good companies, I've made good friends there, but what if I told you I have NEVER, and mark my words please ...never had I meet a company like this?
I am still waking up trying to understand if this is real...if I told you our plans -and I say our plans because officially I am part of this group of friends, not like cool coworkers, but family-
you would not believe me. But hey better to show you with actions and not words, right?

As I said I had a really cool post but I deleted it by mistake...
Anyway... (name) and everyone this company is loved by their collaborators, I don't know how else to describe it... they truly are a family, and to them the consumer and distributors are priority over ANYTHING.. I saw it first hand...I was honestly fishing for any feedback that would help me assess where I was standing, after all I was going to sign a contract.....after meeting them I can say to heck with a contract, their word is their bond...but hey still we did sign a contract, and if you only knew how awesome things will be for you and me, and everyone involved in the next few months....and years..... Oh boy ...

Anyway they are shipping Magneto, Black Widow, and Wolverine to me...as we speak....your wish is granted guys....hint hint

I am so happy to say every single piece coming out from XM will be 100% supervised and revised by me, I am working close to each and every artist, from the designers to the factory...and traveling to the factory on occasion , educating my self about the XM QC process, traveling to Thailand, Japan, Germany, Italy, making sure we listen to our distributions, finding ways to help them help you get your hands on our product while ensuring they can also benefit.

PrototypeZ will be actively collaborating with XM in an alliance to make PrototypeZ a stablished company
We will asses each new project with the utmost care, even if it requires for it to be tweaked in wax! yes I love these guys so much and I am so much on board with their business philosophy that I will go back to using wax and even sculpt stuff by hand when the project demands it.... so don't worry your statues will be the best they can possibly be, you demanded it! You got it.
This is the XM/Sosa promise
Stay calm and let us serve you

That's very motivational and inspirational.

Always seemed like common sense to compensate the factories way more to ensure solid production pieces.

Thank goodness XM is finally taking that approach.

 

[SurlyJ]

Enjoy the read gentleman. Taken directly from a post of the man himself about two hours ago. You can literally feel the excitement oozing in this message. I dunno about you guys but damn does this type of stuff get me all fired up. I did remove the persons name this was addressed to out of respect for his privacy otherwise you guys are seeing it word for word

Erick Sosa
no man, I am not saying you are bashing, heck we want you to do it lol....please bash away!
I had just written a huge reply in regards to my incredible experience these past four days with XM and their fans and distributors....

To say my jaw is still on the floor is NOT an overstatement, simply put I WILL BLEED FOR THIS COMPANY...
You see I have been in this industry since I was 17, I am 38 now...
I have worked for good companies, and some truly evil ones that all they cared for was the bottom line. And hey can you judge them for wanting to make a quick buck?
One thing I need you to digest is this, XM has developed a quality control system that is so effective that their product is either :
A) 100% prototype quality
Or
B) better than the prototype quality

Now is your mind blown? Mine is...
This is not the norm....no one does this...not even Hot Toys...
anyway you can say the price is high, and yes I agree, but after discussing with their factory manager, and finding out about the process, how expensive these are to make compared to any other company, how the castings are solid, not flaking paint, no led paint used...well...dudes this is why they are expensive....all the time they dedicate every month to ensure every single copy -listen to this..every single copy is inspected-...you know that costs money? the factory deserves more money because they inspect every single copy of each run, every part...every little corner...their workers get paid more as well. XM has an exclusive set of painters, this means they pay them to be the group that constantly tackles every piece so their is consistency in quality.

Oh and get this, XM was asked by the factory if they could use their painting process with other companies, XM said sure, the factory's was left scratching their heads, XM just said they don't need anything in return, just make cool product for other companies too.
You see where this is going? You know how I know this story is true? The factory guy was here from China this is straight from the horse's mouth.

I have also worked for great companies like Kotobukiya and Yamato, that are good companies, I've made good friends there, but what if I told you I have NEVER, and mark my words please ...never had I meet a company like this?
I am still waking up trying to understand if this is real...if I told you our plans -and I say our plans because officially I am part of this group of friends, not like cool coworkers, but family-
you would not believe me. But hey better to show you with actions and not words, right?

As I said I had a really cool post but I deleted it by mistake...
Anyway... (name) and everyone this company is loved by their collaborators, I don't know how else to describe it... they truly are a family, and to them the consumer and distributors are priority over ANYTHING.. I saw it first hand...I was honestly fishing for any feedback that would help me assess where I was standing, after all I was going to sign a contract.....after meeting them I can say to heck with a contract, their word is their bond...but hey still we did sign a contract, and if you only knew how awesome things will be for you and me, and everyone involved in the next few months....and years..... Oh boy ...

Anyway they are shipping Magneto, Black Widow, and Wolverine to me...as we speak....your wish is granted guys....hint hint

I am so happy to say every single piece coming out from XM will be 100% supervised and revised by me, I am working close to each and every artist, from the designers to the factory...and traveling to the factory on occasion , educating my self about the XM QC process, traveling to Thailand, Japan, Germany, Italy, making sure we listen to our distributions, finding ways to help them help you get your hands on our product while ensuring they can also benefit.

PrototypeZ will be actively collaborating with XM in an alliance to make PrototypeZ a stablished company
We will asses each new project with the utmost care, even if it requires for it to be tweaked in wax! yes I love these guys so much and I am so much on board with their business philosophy that I will go back to using wax and even sculpt stuff by hand when the project demands it.... so don't worry your statues will be the best they can possibly be, you demanded it! You got it.
This is the XM/Sosa promise
Stay calm and let us serve you

That was a good read! I've seen Sosa posting all over the XM facebook page lately. Cool that he is directly accesible that way.

Maybe I can pester him enough to get that Thanos brooding portrait

 

[SurlyJ]

That's very motivational and inspirational.

Always seemed like common sense to compensate the factories way more to ensure solid production pieces.

Thank goodness XM is finally taking that approach.

Well common sense is not always financial sense. If XM ever gets a NA 1/4 scale statue license and doesn't distribute exclusively through SSC, it will be interesting to see how they respond. XM is upping the game in terms of QC but also in terms of base price. Those higher paid factory workers are great and lead to better product, but that cost isn't just absorbed, it's passed on to us. Not every company can go that route, because the collector's market is full of all sorts of buyers. Those with the income to buy lots of XM pieces, those for whom $400 SSC statues are pushing their wallet's limits, and those who can't even afford those and can only collect Bowen or Kotobukiya. I love that XM is in the game and hopefully their practices push other companies to do better, but we also can't expect that, as different communities are served by each of these companies.

 

[dan350zr]

Sosa rocks... When I first saw Capt and Black Widow from this new company called XM I was blown away. FINALLY a company that does 100% pure sculpted statues, and then a few months latter being able to talk to some of the XM reps on SF and to hear about their vision was unbelievable. Here were a small group of guys who put the art first and business second. This was truly a company ran by artists and not suits. The blood and sweat they put into these statues is amazing and jaw dropping. Then I remember someone posting Sosa portrait of a screaming Wolverine and several of us saying how cool it would be if XM used that portrait on there upcoming Wolverine, low and behold a few weeks later I see a digital picture of the screaming portrait and then we hear that Sosa is talking with these guys... Having XM listen to our suggestions (even if they don't always use them) is a huge IMO... It really shows you these guys want to make the best statues they can... And they want the input from their fan base... Sure their statues cost twice as much to get them over here in North America, but IMO it's worth it, these are statues you can be proud to have in your collection...

 

[dan350zr]

While this Thanos will be THE Thanos statue to beat (and many more will come after his full movie appearance comes), the Bowen is awesome too

View attachment 132061

That Bowen Thanos would actually go good with XM's cartoon statues there doing at 1/6 scale...

 

[Temek]

Sosa rocks... When I first saw Capt and Black Widow from this new company called XM I was blown away. FINALLY a company that does 100% pure sculpted statues, and then a few months latter being able to talk to some of the XM reps on SF and to hear about their vision was unbelievable. Here were a small group of guys who put the art first and business second. This was truly a company ran by artists and not suits. The blood and sweat they put into these statues is amazing and jaw dropping. Then I remember someone posting Sosa portrait of a screaming Wolverine and several of us saying how cool it would be if XM used that portrait on there upcoming Wolverine, low and behold a few weeks later I see a digital picture of the screaming portrait and then we hear that Sosa is talking with these guys... Having XM listen to our suggestions (even if they don't use them) is a huge IMO... It really shows you these guys want to make the best statues they can... And they want the input from their fan base... Sure their statues cost twice as much to get them over here in North America, but IMO it's worth it, these are statues you can be proud to have in your collection...

Well said, my sentiments exactly. Couldn't have said it better.

 

[Tavegg]

It's pretty mind blowing when you actually hear the "why" as to the quality and cost attributed to these statues. It helps put cost into perspective. And I agree with what Surly is saying. SS has a very reasonable cost basis. When you look at a statue like SS's deadpool and the retail price he sold for you gain alot of respect for different companies and what they bring individully. Not everyone can afford the prices that an XM statue commands. It's nice to still have options amongst different companies an I hope that remains the case for many more years to come.

 

[SurlyJ]

This is a really cool company. The moment I heard about them and checked out their website and everything, it just oozed good vibes. If these guys make sure to care enough about the bottom line to stay in business, then we could be very lucky (and VERY poor) collectors for years to come. Excited to hear what their plans are. Personally I hope once they decide to branch off from Marvel, they avoid DC (just not a fan other than batman) for other comic properties or movie/TV properties. These guys doing an Alien... oh man. Would love to see some less gargantuan done titles too, like Saga. Wonder if they'd ever want to tackle LotR/Hobbit... Game of Thrones... I know Spawn isn't popular anyone, but these guys doing a classic Spawn? You would be able to throw every other Spawn away. I don't expect any of this, but am having fun fantasizing about what they could do with other properties.

 

[savageHULK]

It's pretty mind blowing when you actually hear the "why" as to the quality and cost attributed to these statues. It helps put cost into perspective. And I agree with what Surly is saying. SS has a very reasonable cost basis. When you look at a statue like SS's deadpool and the retail price he sold for you gain alot of respect for different companies and what they bring individully. Not everyone can afford the prices that an XM statue commands. It's nice to still have options amongst different companies an I hope that remains the case for many more years to come.

Couldn't agree more. To me in my current situation, sideshow is just better for me at this point in my life. All due to cost and ease of access. Nothing is wrong with that. One day I might get to the point where I can afford XM or custom pieces and I will venture down those paths. But just like you said, all these companies will have successful pieces that we want.

It provides options. If I have the money and want to ensure a perfect statue, with no QC problems and pay the price for it... I'm sure I'll take that option with my must have favorite characters. But then there are characters that don't top my list. Just to give an example (comic wise) I've never really followed or liked hawkeye (until marvel now). The XM statue is a master piece... But he isn't a character I must have in my collection. If I come to the point where I want him... I will most likely take the cheaper ( but still nice looking) route.

There's a lot of aspects that go into choosing and buying collectibles. Definitely not just a black and white hobby.

 

[SpiderHulkThing]

I'm glad to see Sosa's optimism. And while I know the ex limit is supposed to be 999 or less on each statue, I just hope that everyone that wants any of these fine xm pieces can get them.

 

[-jay-]

I hope that cube is detachable from the hand, would love to mod it with an LED.

That would be sweet. You do it first and then tell me how it's done.

I never get bored of seeing pictures of this big guy. My most wanted Marvel villain & it's damn awesome

 

[qualitymm]

WOW trully awesome . i wish sosa willing to spill what the Quality control system XM used. i might can learn one or two things from xm.
its nice that XM have clear vision what they wanted their market to be. and i think their wanted their market to be niche and it shown in their price.

 

[V8_Club]

The limited ES and the single inspection policy are not unlike what is used by Luxury high end automobile manufacturers. While I truly appreciate this as a consumer, it was pointed out earlier that this cost is being passed on to us. There is a tipping point here that we need to be aware of. Remember at the end of the day these are quarter scale statues, Sideshow no doubt employs a sampling policy given their larger edition sizes but that doesn't mean every statue they send out is severely lacking. There are some quality pieces from Sideshow that we should remember are sold at HALF the price of XM sometimes. Point being, XM Studios add an interesting twist to the market. Only time will tell which philosophy makes sense in the long run.

 

[-jay-]

I've always said i'm willing to pay more for top quality. If XM really do deliver what we see in their prototype or better then i'm willing to pay the extra. I want the best of the best.

 

[riggly978]

I know Spawn isn't popular anyone, but these guys doing a classic Spawn? You would be able to throw every other Spawn away. I don't expect any of this, but am having fun fantasizing about what they could do with other properties.

gabriel luna has a 1/4 spawn coming out really soon, it looks tight-- 2 heads 1 is masked other all burnt up. its cool museum piece but im gonna pass on it, spawn was my #1 for So long, i wish a company would do a crazy cape (w/holes) action pose spawn id buy it in a second!

 

[Bmutha]

I know Spawn isn't popular anyone, but these guys doing a classic Spawn? You would be able to throw every other Spawn away. I don't expect any of this, but am having fun fantasizing about what they could do with other properties.

I would love a Spawn...big character from my youth.

gabriel luna has a 1/4 spawn coming out really soon, it looks tight-- 2 heads 1 is masked other all burnt up. its cool museum piece but im gonna pass on it, spawn was my #1 for So long, i wish a company would do a crazy cape (w/holes) action pose spawn id buy it in a second!

I've seen the pics. It's ok...I don't like the cape (capes on almost all custom pieces seem to be lacking for me), and I don't like the left hand and gun. Otherwise, it's a fairly solid Spawn piece.

 

[Tavegg]

Yeah not a fan of that spawn either. Luna does decent work but not quite to my standards of what I like to see in an expensive custom. I keep waiting for someone to bring us a 1/4 scale Spawn and its never happened. Might have to just make it my first personal commission and make the best one ever

 

[wolf-brother]

I've always said i'm willing to pay more for top quality. If XM really do deliver what we see in their prototype or better then i'm willing to pay the extra. I want the best of the best.

I'm with you here jay.

 

[Bmutha]

Yeah not a fan of that spawn either. Luna does decent work but not quite to my standards of what I like to see in an expensive custom. I keep waiting for someone to bring us a 1/4 scale Spawn and its never happened. Might have to just make it my first personal commission and make the best one ever

Hook me up if you do!