Super-Articulated Action Figure Blanks (Kickstarter)

Posted in Action Figure Chatter

It's been a while since I've run my mouth, so here we go lol

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/14 ... nav_search

This is what I've been wanting, blank figures that are ready to be modified without needing to grind off molded belts or boots or whatever.

However, that desire came with the assumption that they would be MUCH cheaper than the stuff we see on the pegs today. I assumed that if the figures didn't need to be painted or packaged, and there was no need to pay to use the likeness of any character or logo, that the figures would be much cheaper. But here is this Kickstarter campaign that crushes my hopes.

Not only do these figures cost the same as the ludicrously (and ever-increasingly) priced Marvel Legends or DC Icons, but they also offer no significant advantage to customizers, which is the one and only reason I would consider funding a project like this.

What improvements, if any, were made to these figures that make them a better choice for customizing than Marvel Legends? I don't know because there's no elaboration about this stuff on the page.

What about shaving off an extra millimeter of material from the hard disks in the hinge joints to dramatically reduce, and maybe even completely eliminate paintrub there? You would use less material and create a huge benefit for customizers.

Consider that we can already get "blank" super-articulated bodies, in a wide variety of body types, and they only cost like $5-$10. All those bland Batroc and Sentry and Wasp and Spiderman UK figures are perpetually on clearance, why would I ever want to pay 4 times as much for the same damn thing?

Furthermore, U.S. shipping is $10 flat, even if you order one figure. So basically you're giving them $7 extra for free. Even if they ship like 3 figures, even after buying the shipping supplies, shipping should still only be like $4.00 First Class.

What. The. Hell.

The figures come on blister cards, even though you're just gonna tear them open to customize. Assuming the blister cards are contributing to the high shipping costs, why not make blister cards an optional thing for collectors, and everyone else can just get a baggie with a cardboard logo thing stapled to it or whatever?

And by the way, the $30k goal only funds the skeletons, the project needs to hit $55k to make the male body available, and $91k for the female body.

I'm happy to see people attempting to make a line of figures like this happen, but holy crap, you have to give us an incentive to buy them other than "hey, here's some more overpriced human-figure-shaped crap to buy."

Yes, I understand making small production runs is expensive. Yes, I'm sure there are many other expenses to consider, like forking over half your earnings to Kickstarter and the Government. I'm afraid there's simply no way to make affordable articulated figures nowadays.

I will reiterate, because I have only good will for the folks who are running this project: I like the idea of what you're doing, but I don't see the point in doing it when there are no advantages over the vastly cheaper, equally serviceable, and readily available figures out right now.

Thoughts? Suggestions for improving the figures? Hatemail?

Here's a link to a topic showing how figures can be modified to make them more customizer friendly right out of the package:

http://www.figurerealm.com/topic?topicid=9885

What do you think would make the perfect blank figure?