Help Design the Ultimate Action Figure! (Legends Style)

[AgentEnforcer]

Hey guys! I need your help and feedback. I'm in a design class in University, and for my year-end final project I have to redesign something, and I've chosen to redesign an action figure, or rather the articulation system. I don't have to actually produce the new design, but I have to design it... so if you guys have any ideas on what would make for the ultimate figure (we'll go with improving Marvel Legends) that would be great. I have to post polls and include feedback (from you guys) so by posting here, I hope you guys wouldn't mind if I included your ideas and feedback.

The main idea is that I want the figure to be able to have the most dynamic and vast amount of posability and movement possible, while retaining the overal look and quality Legends have. So if you ever had any ideas about how to make Legends better, here is the place to post your ideas... if you got pictures, sketches... whatever... post em! Thanks to anyone who decides to take part!

AgentEnforcer.

 

[Cyclops]

I don't really think that's possible.

The only thing I could think of would be to create a way of making a figure with a soft exterior and the posability on the interior, but still maintaining a high level of sculpting on the soft stuff.

 

[Saint553]

Sometimes less articulation is more. Strange thing, but as I look at ML4 punisher he lacks certain joints that others don't and I think he's probably one of the best MLs ever made. Basically, eliminate the need for gigantic ball joints or find a way to cover them up and you're golden. Many of the figures from the Street Fighter series have longer jackets or guis that cover their leg ball joints. Their ball joints are also a bit smaller. If you can make joints or points of articulation hidden by the overall design of a figure so it looks like it isn't actually articulated at all, that's a great figure. Or you can do what Toybiz did with the LotR line and make a articulated skeleton covered with thin rubber clothing.

 

[AgentEnforcer]

The articulated skeleton inside a rubber housing seems like the most popular idea thrown around in these threads I've made (as it's been metioned twice now). One improvement I had thought of was instead of having the waist cut, it would be connected by a ball-ended pipe that went up into the torso, allowing for more realistic leaning backward and forward.

 

[spideyboy_1111]

i just dont see alot of figures actually looking good with the rubber housing.. and it would also limit the ability to stay posed.. could you imagine a spidey fig with rubber housing ? most marvel characters wear tight close.. so the only way to improve would be to oblitorate whats left of the sculpt.

the only thing i think could and should remain consistant in all legends style figs are have them all have the same amount of joints (except for larger figs) like hulk, kingpin, juggernaut... etc...

but all need wrist articulation and fore-arm.. (unlike the sentinel series ) and i wouldnt mind if all had finger... itd help make unique poses...

 

[The Avatar]

Redesign DC direct with ML articulation.

 

[Castle]

I'm really the odd one out when it comes to articulation. Personally i hate a lot of it, and I find it can make a figure look stupid. Large ball joints are usually the cause of this and Marvel really needs to work on it. Another problem I have is with the arms on small figures, like a spider man or wolverine. They tend to bend and hold under any stress and thats just cheap.

Give me NECA figures anyday of the week. My Michael Myers has the best articulation I've seen. He has ball jointed shoulders, but you would never know since its scultped into his desgin so well.

Of course I perfer statue-esq poses compared to a lot of articulation.

 

[Cyclops]

Well, that's not the point of this thread, is it?

 

[spideyboy_1111]

I'm really the odd one out when it comes to articulation. Personally i hate a lot of it, and I find it can make a figure look stupid. Large ball joints are usually the cause of this and Marvel really needs to work on it. Another problem I have is with the arms on small figures, like a spider man or wolverine. They tend to bend and hold under any stress and thats just cheap.

Give me NECA figures anyday of the week. My Michael Myers has the best articulation I've seen. He has ball jointed shoulders, but you would never know since its scultped into his desgin so well.

Of course I perfer statue-esq poses compared to a lot of articulation.

well as an artist and me prefering to be unique... id rather pose my figures.. rather then having mine look like everyone elses

 

[Flash-er]

I used to be a hardcore articulation fan, but lately, I think it's gotten kinda out of hand. I think specific figures SHOULD have a lot of articulation. i.e. Spidey, Nightcrawler, Electra, etc. But figures like Hulk or Juggernaught don't need as much and the average joe type character (Cyclops, Human Torch, so on) should have a standard number of points. I mean, hey, they ain't acrobats, right?

 

[Roughneck]

Redesign DC direct with ML articulation.

That is exactly what I was going to say. Go to Jin Santome's site he shows you how to do stuff. You could even buy two of a fig and upgrade one with New Articulation. Damn would you ever get a good grade and the work is mostly all done.

But yes. Show them a DCD and Redeign it to ML articulation.

As for MLs the articulation can be improved only in the Fingers. Which the newer ones have already done.

 

[HCpride]

a figure that has all the best point of articulation
take for example, if you took ML1 ironman,gave him an ab crunch instead of the cut torso,gave his head better movement instead of just a ball it sits on,make it so his hands could make fists also

 

[G-Man]

I think that if you aded any more articulation, it would end up like that spiderman toy from the spiderman 2 series. the super posible one. that one had far too many joints. he can barely stand on his own.

 

[AgentEnforcer]

Hey guys, school is back from the strike and I gotta write this thing up sometime over the week... keep the feedback coming, list ALL of the parts of the figure you would like to be changed for the better, or articulation that could be improved. All feedback is helpful! Thanks in advance guys! So far you guys have helped a lot!

 

[XwolverineX]

Redesign DC direct with ML articulation.

Cool idea..

 

[Rez]

The more, the better. But hidden is where it's at.

The best example I can give is Spawn the Dark Ages: The Samurai Wars.
You can see almost none of the articulation, yet some of them have 15-20 points in their upper bodies alone.

Wild tangent time, but it was by far the best line McFarlane has done. They pumped out highly posable toys that looked like statues. Now they pump out unarticulated.. statues. The closest company to giving me what I like today would be NECA, as they pump out toys with several very well hidden ball joints. Unfortunately, they seem to have a template for articulation that they don't like to deviate from too much- even when it would better suit a figure of theirs to have more or less articulation.

 

[Roughneck]

15-20 POA................Without seeing the points? I'll have to look at one.

 

[Rez]

They are there, there's no magic rubber skin over them, but through the creative use of the Samurai armor, the most articulated ones are barely noticable. Let me find some pictures.


Bow before Lotus, the Angel

Alright, yeah, she only has like 5 joints, but who cares. She is gorgeous. And you can take off most of that armor to reveal a VERY skimpy bikini like outfit. Not like I have or anything.

Scorpion Assassin. I think he has 17 points.

This is my favourite, the Jackle Assassin.
Pretty sure he has 14 or 15 points just in his arms, then some restricted joints at his neck, waist, and ankles. His Armor covering his shoulders and elbows are on tiny loose pivot joints, so as you move him, the armor flows with his elbows and shoulders, covering any obvious joints. You have to position his arms upward and back, like he's showing his armpits, to see the articulation.

There's a few more, but you get the idea.

 

[XwolverineX]

They are there, there's no magic rubber skin over them, but through the creative use of the Samurai armor, the most articulated ones are barely noticable. Let me find some pictures.


Bow before Lotus, the Angel

Alright, yeah, she only has like 5 joints, but who cares. She is gorgeous. And you can take off most of that armor to reveal a VERY skimpy bikini like outfit. Not like I have or anything.

Scorpion Assassin. I think he has 17 points.

This is my favourite, the Jackle Assassin.
Pretty sure he has 14 or 15 points just in his arms, then some restricted joints at his neck, waist, and ankles. His Armor covering his shoulders and elbows are on tiny loose pivot joints, so as you move him, the armor flows with his elbows and shoulders, covering any obvious joints. You have to position his arms upward and back, like he's showing his armpits, to see the articulation.

There's a few more, but you get the idea.

Wow, at first I thought you had made those!!

 

[Rez]

Ha! I wish!

In reality I'd like to think I am quite the fine customizer- I've done a couple Marvel things and tons and tons of Star Wars(Right now I'm working on a vintage style prequal line- matching the figure count of the original vintage stuff). How I wish for the day that a digital camera or a scanner is sent my way.