Coming Soon: SDCC 2009! (+ "Chuck")

Your intrepid blogstress is again heading south of LA for the annual San Diego Comic Con International! Alas, I'll only be there for a few days (Saturday and Sunday, mainly), but I intend to bring you as many photos and fan-girl babblings as I can from the con floor.

No word yet on the official presentations, but I am sure there will be some awesome exclusive stuff and guests on hand. Speaking of awesome...

Did you hear that NBC's "Chuck" has been renewed for 13 episodes next season? You might wonder what that has to do with Comic Con? Well, for you loyal "Chuck" viewers, that's an easy one. First off, the cast has appeared at SDCC in the past (why, isn't that Sarah, Ellie, and Awesome in that picture at the WB booth?). Second, if you watch the show, you'll notice the SDCC logo stickers, posters, etc. that decorate Chuck's room and the lockers at the Buy More. "Chuck" is a show for geeks just like us. :D 13 episodes is only half a season's worth, so we gotta keep watching and buying those "Five. Five dollar. Five dollar foot looooooongs..." Support "Chuck!"

SDCC Pictures!

Hey peeps!

I know, how lame, Comic Con was like a week ago and I'm just now posting pictures. I actually didn't take that many this year, and I have been on break from work all week, but I didn't get around to editing them until today. Eek.

Anyway, check them out in my flickr gallery. I just threw them up, some with little comments. I'll post some write-ups on various and sundry SDCC-related topics as soon as...oh, who am I kidding...when I get around to it. ;)

SDCC 2007: Ebay Watch

I didn't buy nearly as much stuff for myself as most con-goers, but I picked up a couple of goodies and out of sheer curiosity I wanted to see how they are fairing at the 'bay right now. I think all 4 items are now sold out. Not shown are the 3 art prints I bought.

Gentle Giant Glorfindel Bust

LE: 500

MSRP: $50

Ebay: $115-120 (35 auctions)

Probably the hardest to get of the four, by virtue of small edition size and the crappy GG line situation.

Weta Mini-Manmelter Raygun

LE: 500

MSRP: $30

Ebay: $65-70 (4 auctions)

These 4 are unsigned, a signed one went for about $80 recently . Had this pre-ordered, easy-peasy.

Mine is signed. Teehee.

Sideshow Stealth Iron Man Comiquette (Pre-Order)

LE: 1250

MSRP: $300
Ebay: $650-700 (8 auctions)

Ordered this for my brother. Despite the edition size, which is 500 more than what was rumored in San Diego, it is still pre-selling for more than double the MSRP. Crazy. For those that missed out on the red and gold version, I guess this is a slightly less expensive alternative. At the same time, it has light up features, which the other two do not. I wonder which I would choose if I had both...?

Gentle Giant Luna Lovegood Bust

LE: 1000

MSRP: $50

Ebay: $75-80 (40 auctions)

I got this for my sister-in-law, after trying frantically to reach my brother (since I was lucky enough to get into the line, I figured it was better to buy it than not). Of the items listed, this is the only one I'm getting rid of so far. I really don't have any other GG Harry Potter items (she has the new Harry and Cho), though I must admit that they are tempting. I was really eyeballing that large-scale Voldemort with the fabricated um, gown, but the Harry was a no-go.

So that's it. I really only bought one bust, one gun, and three prints. That's some restraint, eh?

Update on the Raygun as of 8/18, I just saw one on Ebay that sold for over $100, unsigned. Impressive gains on a $30 item...the others seem to be levelling off a bit.

SDCC 2007: Sideshow

Beside Gentle Giant, Sideshow is one of the few companies out there still making Lord of the Rings products (amen!). There was a relatively large public debut of new pieces, which garned mixed reviews from the fans. In order of how much I like them:

1. Sam $70
Mr. Frodo couldn't have made it very far without him. This little 1:6 scale figure packs a whallop with his highly detailed kit. Pots, pans, bedrolls, Sam is like a Boy Scout, always prepared. Since I don't have a Sam and Bill statue, this is a maybe for me. The bodies for the hobbits are due in part to Sideshow's new partnership with Hot Toys.



2. Frodo $70
I have so many Frodos. However, this one is a very good likeness and though not as detailed as Sam, should be well worth the $70. I have a problem with both hobbits, though...I am not digging the very visible ball-joints in the ankles. I wouldn't really need poseable feet, would I?




3. Gandalf the Grey $150
I like it, I do. The price is reasonable, so is the size. Likeness, pretty good. I even like the pose. Drawback? I have two Gandalf busts, two Gandalf statues, and Gandalf on Shadowfax. Pass.





4. Aragorn vs. Uruk Hai $299
Sorry I didn't get a good shot of the whole diorama. This one is an impressive size, since you basically are getting three statues and a little environment. I don't have an Aragorn statue, so that's in it's favor, but I am not going to devote this amount of space right now. The Uruks look very good, even the Aragorn likeness is better than usual. However, even though they seem to be dynamic poses, I am not getting much energy off this piece, if that makes any sense. Aragorn does not look like he is dealing out a whuppin' to these guys.

5. Gandalf the White $275
This is definitely the low man on the totem pole. The buzz on this piece was not encouraging. In fact, I heard a rumor that Sideshow sent this to New Line even though they were not completely happy with it. They were surprised that it was approved, and now they cannot change it. Hopefully this is not true, because it needs significant tweaking. I made a remark that the beard looked like whipped cream, it's just so dense. I got some laughs, but in the end, people agreed with me. I know that rooted hair would look even worse (unless done in the uber-expensive Cinemaquette way), and I certainly could not do better, so I'll leave it at that. The kit does look pretty nice, I can tell that the Sideshow fabrication team did their homework. This is nit-picking, I know, but the quilting on the tunic doesn't seem quite right. I'm sure it is accurate, but something does not ring true. Also, I was not aware that the flaps of the top "skirt" were microsuede. At least, that's what the fabric on the figure appeared to be. I'd have to watch the movie again, but that texture should be apparent on film, right? This doesn't bode well for the future of the Premium Format line, which started off with a bang (Lurtz). I hope this isn't the case, we need more LOTR products for everyone. :)

SDCC 2007: Um, More Weta?

Oy, so I feel like I've left out something in my Weta-thon post...
http://marybluefairy-forest.blogspot.com/2007/08/sdcc-2007-weta-thon.html

Here is the intrepid Lord Cockswain and Moon Mistress. This bad@$$ sculpture was LIFE-SIZED! It was a bit eerie to walk by this every day, as Lord Cockswain seems to have a twinkle in his eye. In fact, in one video I saw, I could swear his eyes moved! Freak-y. Since it was made of some type of foam and was NOT roped off, you could often spy little children poking at it, bits being knocked off, and Jaime performing emergency surgery with a bottle of tacky glue. Seriously though, the sculpture was really life-like, the skin was amazing. I spotted this hilarious video of Cockswain getting dressed. ;)

http://youtube.com/watch?v=gEq2D7QmU4o

Sorry, Broadmore. :P

In case you didn't know, Weta Bug is the awesomest. You know who thinks so? Weta. Apparently, Daniel Falconer did the original Weta Bug illustration, from which this statue was made. Several Weta members were involved in the sculpting and painting of this one of a kind collectible. Hmmm...makes me think I should commission a marybluefairy collectible...Okay, at least a drawing? No? A sketch? Sigh...

So these thingies here were a sore spot with some fans at Comic Con. I cannot profess to be a Dr. Who fan (in fact, I caught a glimpse of the show the other day and declared it to be so awful, I changed the channel, heh), but there are apparently legions of them and they were piping hot when these bits of gold cloth stayed on all weekend! There were to be 4 statues revealed at SDCC, but only two were uncovered. The two here were not yet approved for viewing, though Jaime slyly let a few bits and bobs peek out. You can read the labels for yourself if you are so inclined. I, however, was present when Jaime briefly lifted the covers to give us a look (no pics, sorry). Mighty impressed, I was, though I still don't have any desire to watch the show! I will be stoned by Dr. Who fans who justifiably feel that such fortune was wasted on my miserable self. :P

SDCC 2007: Gentle Giant

Gentle Giant had some beautiful offerings this year in the area of Lord of the Rings collectibles. I even spotted Richard Taylor admiring them. Okay, I can't exactly make that claim, I have no idea what he thinks of it all, but I did see him. In the pic to the left, you can see the backs of the new busts, Sauron and Orc. I think the orc is Snaga, though I have been told otherwise. I have better pictures (of the fronts, imagine that!), but there are obvious "No Photography Please" signs on them and I'd rather not get into too much trouble. :P These are both beautifully done. However, there are several Sideshow Weta incarnations of The Lord of the Rings, and while you can certainly make a case for this one being different enough from the others, I am not buying it. The Orc, however, is a "new" character in polystone form. I don't feel that it fits in with my existing orc busts, which are more facial studies with classically styled bases. These busts are like half-statues, really. They could turn out several different orcs, I'm sure, but I doubt they would be nearly as popular as the Star Wars clones. Still, these might be a nice collection, especially for those who didn't hop on the Weta wagon soon enough.

Strangely, I don't have many pictures of their products, probably because we were always being shooed away from the area. The line for exclusives was ridiculous, often snaking in and out of the displays. Sometimes people would be waiting in line hoping to join the purchasing line. Bizarre. I was fortunate enough to find my friends at the right time, themselves being in the right place at the right time. The fastest seller was probably the Glorfindel bust, no doubt due to the 500 piece edition size. I got one! More on that later.

Above are the "Classics" busts which debuted at Comic Con. I have to say, I am not very impressed. They are a bit larger than a chess piece, and seem similar in quality to a Bust-Up. I'm not sure what the difference is between a $6.99 Bust-Up and a $30 Classics bust, but seeing as how I balked at $7 for a Harry Potter Bust-Up, I'm sure as heck not buying these things. The Gimli is the best of the lot, but I am partial to Gimli. Legolas is average, the likeness is no better or worse than a Toybiz figure (Gentle Giant supplied the scans for Toybiz, I believe). The Eowyn, though, is awful. I think it actually looks worse in person than in pictures. Considering how beautiful their regular busts and maquettes are, I don't understand why they are bothering with these. I seriously think the only good use for these would be as chess pieces, but for the money, I'd rather have a Noble Collection one.

SDCC 2007: LOTRG

So, thanks to our devoted forumite, Blackthorpe, many LOTRG members were sporting these uber-cool laminated badges. Contact Blackthorpe for more information on how to obtain one for yourself (if you’re a member, that is). Of course, it’s not like I need any help identifying our good members! Heck, I’ll even remember your real name for free. ;) We had a good number of members in attendance, though we were not all together at the same time. Dunedain87, choopie, fritz, and radagaster were the mods representing. We also caught up with Ithilethiel, cco805, abandonada (and her friend asilomarworks), jedichef, and diane. Forgive me if I’ve gone and forgotten anyone. I’m sure there were other members lurking about...

…Oh yes, that ever-elusive Gothmog. I do have a picture of his face, but I think the Lord of the Balrogs would fry me to a crisp if I posted that! Such a spoil-sport. Keep your eye out for that shirt and you should have no trouble spotting him! :P

We hope to have a strong contingent at SDCC 2008, so feel free to contact me via PM on the boards or my email: marybluefairy[at]lordoftheringsguide.com (cross fingers it doesn’t end up in the junk mail) if you need more information or assistance.