New Indy answer from Sideshow's Q&A

Billy Ray

Well-known member
From Sideshow's latest "Ask Sideshow" Q&A:

Q: Indiana Jones fans are concerned, despite the last edition of ?Ask Sideshow?, that the Indy line is dying out rather than picking up. To help put some of these fears to rest, can we be given a rare glimpse into the reasoning behind how certain figures are produced and why in that particular order? I personally cannot wait to pick up the Indiana Jones in German Disguise, but some fans think it?s an odd 4th release since we haven?t seen Marion, Sallah, or Marcus yet, resulting in many people believing we?ll never see them!

A: Indiana in German Disguise was chosen for a few reasons:
1) The first Indiana Jones figure was very, very popular.
2) The figure design is relatively simple, allowing us to produce the figure more quickly than some others in the planning stages.
3) It combines two great tastes - Indiana Jones and real-world military, definitely a project that our design and development teams enjoyed.

We would love for the line to continue on for a long, long time. Marion, Sallah and Marcus are on our wish list of characters for 1:6 scale figures, but fall behind others in terms of popularity and for what we believe will translate best into 1:6 scale form.
 

deckard24

New member
Sounds like a Henry Sr. will be next, or maybe a villain, Mola Ram perhaps?

If Sallah, Marion, and Marcus are further down the totem pole, then I'd be willing to bet we get a TOD Indy with ripped shirt and machete, a Mola Ram, a Henry Sr., and maybe a Vogel or Spalko over the next few years. They could also keep producing more Indys, especially a KOTCS 1:6 scale Indy.
 

Mr. Fusion

Member
deckard24 said:
Sounds like a Henry Sr. will be next, or maybe a villain, Mola Ram perhaps?

If Sallah, Marion, and Marcus are further down the totem pole, then I'd be willing to bet we get a TOD Indy with ripped shirt and machete, a Mola Ram, a Henry Sr., and maybe a Vogel or Spalko over the next few years. They could also keep producing more Indys, especially a KOTCS 1:6 scale Indy.

I hope so. I hope for SOMETHING! Anything!
 

deckard24

New member
MaxPhactor23 said:
I'd def. break and buy a Mola Ram.
Me too, in fact I'd go for him over any other villain from the series.

The figures that I would especially like to see them make would be a Mola Ram, TOD Indy, Map Room Indy, and a Henry Sr. Also I think a German Mechanic would be pretty cool, as well as perhaps a Prof. Indy with a seperate white tux to switch into. They could make two heads, one with glasses and one without. This would be a great way to capitalize on two figures at once, without the cost of extra bodies.
 

Lambonius

New member
deckard24 said:
Me too, in fact I'd go for him over any other villain from the series.

The figures that I would especially like to see them make would be a Mola Ram, TOD Indy, Map Room Indy, and a Henry Sr. Also I think a German Mechanic would be pretty cool, as well as perhaps a Prof. Indy with a seperate white tux to switch into. They could make two heads, one with glasses and one without. This would be a great way to capitalize on two figures at once, without the cost of extra bodies.

Maybe I'm alone in this, but I'm all for them NOT making a ton of redundant Indys. Give us some fresh characters, Sideshow!!
 

UIMJ

New member
Lambonius said:
Maybe I'm alone in this, but I'm all for them NOT making a ton of redundant Indys. Give us some fresh characters, Sideshow!!

Sounds like a Hasbro decision to me. I've got very strong opinions about Sideshow. They do make some unique collectibles, but the fact is that a lot of their stuff is cheap crap that's marketed as top-shelf collectibles.

To draw a parallel, Sideshow is sort of like when you walk into the Joe Schmoe car stereo store in some hole in the wall auto plaza. They charge 10 times what a big scale store charges, and try to find their niche by claiming they've got all of this higher quality merchandise when in reality it's an exaggeration of the truth in order to justify their small scale store with huge margins.

For example, the Sideshow Raiders Indy is a neat piece with cool accessories and an okay sculpt. But it's also a cheap P.O.C. with an awful body, loose joints, and manufactured to the cheapest possible standards. The fact is that the Kenner bodies are better than Sideshow Toys'.

I'm glad that someone has the license to do some Indy figures and that Sideshow is carrying on with it (like the 12" Thot), but realistically they are only revered because people tend to believe that expensive collectibles must be great when in reality it isn't true.
 

monkey man

New member
Lambonius said:
Maybe I'm alone in this, but I'm all for them NOT making a ton of redundant Indys. Give us some fresh characters, Sideshow!!

You're not alone. I don't need every variation of Indy BEFORE they release other characters. Seems like an obvious money grab to me.
I'd like to see Marion and Sallah. I know there are alot of TOD fans on this site but Raiders is the best Indy movie for me. Just my opinion.
 

deckard24

New member
Lambonius said:
Maybe I'm alone in this, but I'm all for them NOT making a ton of redundant Indys. Give us some fresh characters, Sideshow!!
I don't want an entire line of Indys instead of different characters either, and at the end of the day one Indy on my shelf is plenty. If anything, it's the collector in me that would like to see different versions of the character, like Map Room or Prof. Indy. To me the best way to approach this would be to provide extra outfits and heads to switch in and out. Hasbro did this with the Ultimate Villain Vader a few years back, and I think it could work well for Indy. They could charge a larger price for one exclusive figure with various outfits and heads. Also, this way it wouldn't seem like a shameless money grab like the Indy in German Disguise.

Imagine one exclusive set with one figure already dressed for display, like Map Room Indy for example, then in the seperate sections of the box that unfold they could have a White Tux with seperate head, and in the other maybe Prof. Indy's tweed suit with seperate head wearing glasses. This of course would most likely cost $200 or more, but this way they could devote some attention to other characters instead of popping out one Indy after another over the next few years.
 

tnswman

New member
UIMJ said:
Sounds like a Hasbro decision to me. I've got very strong opinions about Sideshow. They do make some unique collectibles, but the fact is that a lot of their stuff is cheap crap that's marketed as top-shelf collectibles.

To draw a parallel, Sideshow is sort of like when you walk into the Joe Schmoe car stereo store in some hole in the wall auto plaza. They charge 10 times what a big scale store charges, and try to find their niche by claiming they've got all of this higher quality merchandise when in reality it's an exaggeration of the truth in order to justify their small scale store with huge margins.

For example, the Sideshow Raiders Indy is a neat piece with cool accessories and an okay sculpt. But it's also a cheap P.O.C. with an awful body, loose joints, and manufactured to the cheapest possible standards. The fact is that the Kenner bodies are better than Sideshow Toys'.

I'm glad that someone has the license to do some Indy figures and that Sideshow is carrying on with it (like the 12" Thot), but realistically they are only revered because people tend to believe that expensive collectibles must be great when in reality it isn't true.

I have been saying this very same thing from the moment that the SS Indy was shown. Some people lost their minds and acted like it was crafted out of the clouds of heaven. It wasn't!

The sculpt is amazing..which is ruined as normal by SS. The body is a JOKE!! I have two of these now and each one is as loose as an old rag doll from the 1700's. I'm talkins about when you pick it up, the limbs fly around with the smallest movement. That is not a quality that I would be proud of, or even purchase if it wasn't and Indy collectible.

Now, the accessories, CHEAP!! However, they HAD TO BE!! If sideshow wanted these to be affordable, they had to go the cheap route with the accessories and clothing. Those people who acted like the SS Indy was the best 12" figure ever really should look at what Toys McCoy did in the 1990s
using real material and not being cheap. They should also look at what various customizers are doing with Indy gear too. The Sideshow Indy is not even close to being perfectly crafted.

I will continue to say that Sideshow is giving us a very nice line to collect. However, these figures are very cheaply made and until the painting process is fixed, the figures will NEVER look like the actors.

If anyone really thinks that the painted Sideshow Indy figure that's released now looks exactly like Harrison Ford....well, they are just kidding themselves! Maybe with a re-paint he does, but not with the standard paint apps.
 

deckard24

New member
tnswman said:
I have been saying this very same thing from the moment that the SS Indy was shown. Some people lost their minds and acted like it was crafted out of the clouds of heaven. It wasn't!

The sculpt is amazing..which is ruined as normal by SS. The body is a JOKE!! I have two of these now and each one is as loose as an old rag doll from the 1700's. I'm talkins about when you pick it up, the limbs fly around with the smallest movement. That is not a quality that I would be proud of, or even purchase if it wasn't and Indy collectible.

Now, the accessories, CHEAP!! However, they HAD TO BE!! If sideshow wanted these to be affordable, they had to go the cheap route with the accessories and clothing. Those people who acted like the SS Indy was the best 12" figure ever really should look at what Toys McCoy did in the 1990s
using real material and not being cheap. They should also look at what various customizers are doing with Indy gear too. The Sideshow Indy is not even close to being perfectly crafted.

I will continue to say that Sideshow is giving us a very nice line to collect. However, these figures are very cheaply made and until the painting process is fixed, the figures will NEVER look like the actors.

If anyone really thinks that the painted Sideshow Indy figure that's released now looks exactly like Harrison Ford....well, they are just kidding themselves! Maybe with a re-paint he does, but not with the standard paint apps.
Now after owning one for a bit, I can agree with a lot of what you're saying. But, I still think next to the Toy's McCoy Indy, it's the best we've had yet where likeness and overall realism is concerned. Yeah the attention to detail and the use of better accessories for the TM figure is obvious, but that one always looked like a GI Joe or Ken Doll to me, unlike the SSC version which feels like a miniature from the Lucasfilm archives.

As for the Ford likeness, the sculpt is terrific, and Trevor knocked it out of the park, but the paint app is pretty bad and takes a lot away from it.

I'm continually blown away by the work of the guys on this site, whose customs really show off the possibilites of the SSC 12" figure: http://sideshowcollectors.com/forums/showthread.php?t=44432&page=214
Those customs are scary good, and they show that with the right painter at work, the likeness is damn near photorealistic.
 

UIMJ

New member
tnswman said:
I will continue to say that Sideshow is giving us a very nice line to collect. However, these figures are very cheaply made and until the painting process is fixed, the figures will NEVER look like the actors.

Well said.
And not to confuse this with a Sideshow hate thread or anything... I'm only saying that the Sideshow stuff is in reality - cheap crap. It's just that's it's marketed as the best stuff on Earth and they are counting on people to believe this based on the asking price per toy.

I'll buy the Sideshow Indy stuff (and most of the Iron Man stuff), but because of their sub par product and crappy customer service I look for it at a greatly discounted price on places like eBay when I can. I almost never order directly from Sideshow anymore.

And don't even get me started on their con-artist gift card policy if you don't already know about it.
 

tnswman

New member
deckard24 said:
Now after owning one for a bit, I can agree with a lot of what you're saying. But, I still think next to the Toy's McCoy Indy, it's the best we've had yet where likeness and overall realism is concerned. Yeah the attention to detail and the use of better accessories for the TM figure is obvious, but that one always looked like a GI Joe or Ken Doll to me, unlike the SSC version which feels like a miniature from the Lucasfilm archives.

As for the Ford likeness, the sculpt is terrific, and Trevor knocked it out of the park, but the paint app is pretty bad and takes a lot away from it.

I'm continually blown away by the work of the guys on this site, whose customs really show off the possibilites of the SSC 12" figure: http://sideshowcollectors.com/forums/showthread.php?t=44432&page=214
Those customs are scary good, and they show that with the right painter at work, the likeness is damn near photorealistic.

You know, That is the whole reason why I am not anti-sideshow...even though they need some hand slapping. Those customs REALLY opened my eyes and heart t owhat these guys like mfisher can do..and I used to be VERY against that type of thing.

I am very much in love with the sturdy and well sculpted Medicom Indy figure from KOTCS. Until you hold one, you just can't believe how sturdy and posable it is. The accessories are well fitting ( except for the whip ) and the face looks like Harrison to a tee. it seems that they are molded in flesh plastics and then the details are painted on. Unlike the layer after layer of paints that SS uses :(

I assure EVERYONE that they will not be let down with Medicom. However, SS has the best bang for the dollar.
 

UIMJ

New member
inuvuwow said:
What's the gift card policy?

My somewhat sarcastic yet mostly true answer is this:
Sideshows gift card policy is to hand out or sell gift cards that you actually can't redeem for 90% of what they have on their site. Of course I could go much more in depth about this, but for my own sanity take my word for it that it's a nicely engineered con game.
 

Billy Ray

Well-known member
The latest Sideshow Q&A had a couple of questions concering the Indy line:

Q: I was impressed by Sideshow?s ?Raiders of the Lost Ark? Indiana Jones 12-inch Figure. Any plans for a ?Kingdom of the Crystal Skull? Indy 12-inch Figure to compliment the ?Raiders? figure? (I?m specifically referring to one produced by Sideshow, not the one already available by Medicom Toy.)

A: Yes! Sideshow will be offering a Crystal Skull version of Indiana Jones in 2009, along with other characters from the franchise in 1:6th scale. Stay tuned to our Newsletter and website for the announcements when they are ready to be made!


Q: I absolutely loved the Indiana Jones Premium Format Figure. Will the ?Raider? version be the only Indy PF? or are you going to release more Indy premium formats like a Temple of Doom version maybe?

A: Your question was probably submitted before the announcement of our new Crystal Skull Indiana Jones PF, but the answer is still yes! We do have plans for additional Indiana Jones Premium Format figures in the future.

Big "yay" to the 1/6 Crystal Skull Indy!
 

Billy Ray

Well-known member
Sideshow Q&A 17 Feb 2010

The latest Q&A from Sideshow has LOTS of Indy goodness. Apparently the "pause" in the 1/6th line is not the "end" of the 1/6th line. They are taking time to evaluate ToD figures! They also confirm that a premium format ToD Indy is in the works!

Q: I have been wondering if you are going to produce a Rene Belloq 12-inch figure wearing the Jewish High Priest robes that he wears when they open the Ark of the Covenant at the end of ?Raiders of the Lost Ark??

A: We are currently evaluating more 12-inch Indiana Jones figure development, but our focus is really on Temple of Doom characters currently.

Q: After the release of the Indiana Jones Golden Idol, will the Crystal Skull or Holy Grail prop replicas be a possibility?

A: Yes, we?re VERY interested in creating Grail and Skull prop replicas.

Q: Sideshow used to be _the_ company for female figures with your Buffy and James Bond lines (you made them look good without being hypersexual). Thus I am sorely disappointed that Marion Ravenwood has not shown up in the Indiana Jones line. Could you explain what prompted the apparent decision to not pursue a major character like her when she appears to be in high demand among collectors?

A: Fair question. We?ve fallen out of love with our old female body and delayed development on new female 12-inch figures until we sort out an update to the base body or a new body entirely. Things are still cooking at Sideshow HQ, and we?ll reopen the doors to female dev soon.

Q: I LOVE the Premium Format Crystal Skull Indy. Trevor did another amazing job on the face sculpt. I might even prefer it over my PF Raiders Indy, but time will tell. Is Trevor working on any sculpts for the other two Indy movies in the PF format? It?d be great to add to these ?bookends?.

A: Yes! Trevor recently completed the Indiana Jones from Temple of Doom, and we?re working on the prototype now!

Q: I?m so excited to have placed my order for the 1:1 Raiders of the Lost Ark Fertility Idol. What?s next for the 1:1 Indiana Jones relic line? I?d love to see the Crystal Skull (I have your small one that came with the DVD set), the head piece to the Staff of Ra, the eye of the Peacock diamond from the beginning of Temple of Doom, a Sankara Stone (or all 3), the Cross of Coronado and the Holy Grail.

A: Several of the props you mention are in the works and even another that you didn?t mention. Stay tuned!

Q: With German Indy and Henry Sr. shipping, can we get a hint of what Indiana Jones 1/6 Figures are coming in the new year?

A: There will be a bit of a break between the shipment of KOTCS Indy and the announcement of our next Indiana Jones 12-inch figure. We?re looking hard at designs from Temple of Doom for the next releases.

Q: I have to tell you, that the Indiana Jones vs. Mola Ram diorama is awesome!!! You said that this is the first from the freshly launched IJ diorama series, so what about the next one? Is it in the works? can you give us some hints ? e.g.: from which installment did you choose? I think the scene, when Indy cures his father with the grail would be great!!

A: Duly noted! We have not yet selected the next Indiana Jones diorama, but there are several GOOD designs on the table! Stay tuned!

Q: I was wondering if you were going to sell the Indiana Jones Life-Size Bag separate from the Indiana Jones VS Mola Ram Polystone Diorama? I love the bag and want one very badly!

A: We will not be offering the bag separately from the Diorama, but we will share your interest with Sideshow creative!

Q: I love the Indiana Jones line, all of it?1/6, 1/4, props?all of it. I have purchased every item made for it. Are you going to continue the 1/6 scale line with more figures from the series, or is KOTCS Indy the last of the Mohicans? Also, if it?s not dead, would Sideshow consider the Hot Toys DX route and include a different outfit change with a figure?

A: We do have plans to continue the line, but we don?t have a firm timeframe to share with you. A deluxe Indy could be very interesting!

Q: Are there any plans to have a Willie Scott figure for the Indiana Jones line, in any format?

A: Our Creative Director, Tom Gilliland, has a real soft spot for Willie Scott. It?s a safe bet that she?ll appear in some form.

Q: Concerning the Indiana Jones license, does Sideshow also hold the rights to developing characters from the Young Indiana Jones Chronicles?

A: We?re not certain, but we still have a lot of ground to cover from the films before we dip into the Young Indy material.

Q: Ok, you guys really have me freaked out after prior rounds of ?Ask Sideshow? questions. Indy fans were told there would be ?a pause in the Indiana Jones 12-inch line after Henry Jones? and that Sideshow was ?in the midst of evaluating TOD characters.? The Indy freaks require clarification?. Does this mean, in any way, that the 1/6 line is in jeopardy?

-AND-

I?m very (VERY) disappointed by the news that the Indy 1:6 line is on ?pause?. Can you clarify what that means? Does that mean that there will simply be a long wait before the next announcement but that there IS a definite announcement coming, or does that mean that there is no new figure to be announced in the foreseeable future? I have all the figures from the line so far, and it was the Indy line that got me into collecting 1:6 figures in the first place. So I would be incredibly disappointed if the Indy 1:6 line was indeed dead, like many of us fear.

-AND-

Have you stopped work on the Indy 1:6 line to re-assess whether it is still viable? I know you intend to continue the license with dioramas and Premium Formats. But many of us are only interested in the 1:6 line and were hoping to at least get one or two figures (and personally, at least one Indiana Jones figure) from each movie. We all know what happens when a line is put ?on hold?, and ?pause? seems like the same thing. What would have to happen for you guys to continue with the line? Please reconsider!

-AND-

I?m sure you?re getting swamped with this question, but I thought I?d add mine to the pile ? What?s the status of the Indiana Jones 1/6th line? Just hoping for some clarification. A few weeks back you mentioned that the line was ?paused.? A lot of collectors then leapt to the immediate conclusion that the line is struggling badly and is therefore headed inevitably toward being axed. But I read the ?paused? announcement differently. After re-reading it a few times, it seemed to me you guys were announcing a GOOD thing ? that you were pausing to consult with Hot Toys so you could figure out how to do shirtless figures. NOT that you were gearing up to pull the plug on a struggling line. Could you please clarify? As a big lover of the 1/6th Indy line, I?m REALLY hoping I?ll need to buy a few more Detolfs in 2010 for a growing Indy 1/6th collection!

A: Great questions, all of you. The pause is indeed to give us the opportunity to evaluate our future plans for 12-inch Indy, including diorama type environment pieces. In the meantime, our development teams have been working hard on the 1:6 Star Wars and GI Joe lines, and we will redirect their efforts to Indiana Jones in due order. From here out, we?re most likely to develop ?bursts? of Indiana Jones 12-inch figures, ie a Temple of Doom subset, then onto other films.

Q: I?m a huge Indy fan and have all the Indy items you?ve put out so far, keep up the great work! One question? I?ve noticed the Indy 12-inch line is ?smaller? in proportion to your Star Wars line, as well as the New Line House of Horrors line. In fact, your Indy is ?shorter? than your Han Solo! Was the reason for this so the Indy line would work with other 12-inch WWII era military lines like Dragon, G.I.Joe, etc? Or was there a different reason for the different ?scale? of the Indy Line?

A: When we launched Indiana Jones, we also launched the new Pro Body, which ended up a bit smaller than ideal. We?ve since added body parts to the Pro platform allowing additional height, arm, shoulder, and butt configurations - and future Indiana Jones figures will benefit from these advances (and potentially others).

Q: I love the Indy vs. Mola Ram diorama. Please Sideshow, give us an Indy & Marion Well of Souls and Indy with Henry Sr. before all is said and done. I could go on, but these would be very iconic.

A: Certainly, we?ll share your wish list with the creative team!

Q: Will the Indiana Jones 1:6 environment pieces continue? I am really hoping we?ll get a Map Room Indy with polystone Map Room environment. What is the possibility of this happening?

A: Yes, most likely on a basis paired with future 12-inch Indiana Jones offerings. We can?t promise the map room as a certainty, but it?s high on our list too.

Q: Where does the Indy 1/6th ?paused? announcement leave us for the 1/6th KOTC Indy? Will we still see this figure?

A: We hope that you have him in hand as you read this!
 
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