Wave 6
Just a few more bits to add on what i saw at the UK Toy Fair, specifically the test shots in mocked up new packaging for Wave 6 Palisades action figures. Obviously this is a whole 24 hours on now and i'm having to recall single photos from memory so apologies if the detail is lacking a bit.
Statler & Waldorf - Painted Test Shots Although these were two seperately carded figures shown it's probably easier to talk about them as a pair. Originally i thought it would be good for these figures to come in seperate waves (to promote anticipation for the next) but seeing even the test shots its clear and easy to see why Palisades have cleverly chosen to put them together, even coming seperately they are just as much the inseperable pair that the actual characters are and the figures compliment each other well. I doubt many people would go to a store and buy one without wanting the other so hopefully that will be beneficial for the line. First thing you notice is the differing skin tones. When i said they compliment each other very well - i mean to say that while looking good together there is also definitely a contrast between the two. First thing i noticed is the skin tones, one character is lighter than the other. I actually forget who ! LOL ! From a point of view of displaying one beside the other i'm not completely sold on having the skin shades so different (though perhaps the photos and lighting exagerated it a bit) but it's puppet accurate apparently so thats how the characters are supposed to be, and they still looked excellent beside each other. Facial likeness was very good, i'd think it's a more recent Statler & Waldorf look than the early 'Muppet Show' days, maybe some kind of middle ground. Being just the photo and not the actual figure it's difficult to tell much about the articulation and stuff, but their outfits looked great and Travis said the Vaudeville variants were looking excellent too. I hear these sculpts have been the subject of much debate at the Palisades office right from the beginning to the point where they are pretty much happy now and can't put them down. I liked the look of these a lot too, though as i said the difference in skin colors might take you by suprise at first look. I'm sure that as with all the other stuff i saw, once you get to see and hold the actual figures you'll be able to tell more about them than by just looking at photos and get a better impression of them.
Beauregard - Unpainted Test Shot
Personally, being unpainted test shots, i found Janice and Newsman very difficult to go into much detail as far as comments go - however even though unpainted it was much easier with Beauregaurd. He really is a stand out figure in this wave and i feel will be one of the best likenesses - its pretty much perfect even at the early stage i saw it. His outfit sculpt looks very detailed and very well done, as does the texturing on the body. I really thought from the photo that his facial likeness is very strong and they seem to have brought out all his features well in the sculpt. Theres not much more i can really say other than he looks to be an excellent one, and i look forward to seeing him at the painted stage. He actually looked like a fairly large figure to me, which i thought was cool, though i'm no expert on scale or anything like that.
Clifford was not shown at the UK Toy Fair. A picture of the puppet was included in the mock packaging, not the figure. Travis did mention though that Kevin Clash himself, is totally blown away that there will actually be a Clifford action figure.
So thats all i can really remember about the Wave 6 test shots. There's a few other stories and things, both Muppety and Non-Muppety that i could maybe share if people found them interesting, and talk avout the fair itself, so maybe i'll mention things here and there as i remember them. All in all it was a great day though and Palisades/Gear4Games was (as you can imagine) definitely my favorite stand there and where i spent two large chunks of time. It really helped having Travis there with me showing all the great stuff and demonstrating it as well as talking about the development of each figure and how the line has gone and will go in the future - his enthusiasm for, and knowledge of the product (and the Muppets themselves) will i'm sure have helped get the line 'over' with the all important buyers and press people so it was cool of Palisades to send their representative over and also provide the UK with all these sneak peaks before the New York Fair although you guys are in for an even greater treat seeing the actual figures themselves from there, and those going actually being able to hold and play with the product - it really makes all the difference and i'm looking forward to all the comments and reviews people will have.
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