Dangerous Eveloution in Soldier Sculpting (1 Viewer)

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Plastic General

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I would like to say that I am a FAN and regular COLLECTOR of TSSD,
BUT I do see a problem starting to take form in the sculpting of their figures.
I am a professional sculpture myself and a personalized style, makes great fine art.
Its good to inject a little of your own style into your work, BUT not when it compromises the FIGURE.
*Over sized Micky Mouse hands?
*Over sized Weapons?
*Inaccurate styling of German helmets?
*OVER BULKING of Figure BASES resulting in incompatible height with other figure sets.
Not to mention a big rocky base doesn't work standing on a tank?
I really feel a little more discipline and accuracy in style should be observed.
I KNOW I'm NOT the only one out there that feels this way?

The Plastic General
 
Your description sounds rather like old wargame figure proportions.

Prost!
Brad
 
NY Collector said:
Hmm that is a long list. Perhaps you need to become a fan of another manufacturer ......
Click to expand...

I ALSO happen to love the new PEGASUS German Paratroopers.
BUT they could have done a little better. The plastic was too stiff and their HEADS are slightly too small.
Someone should say something about the collectables that they buy without fear that they will be despised for doing so.
Who knows, it might be a positive catalyst that inspires "THEM" to improve upon OUR beloved hobby.
But if the hobby is dominated by complacent cowards, then the hobby WILL die with you. I'm young and NOT afraid to say something.

I don't just BUY THINGS and NOT have an opinion.

The Opinionated Plastic General
 
"NO". But you should ALWAYS try to grow one, or get FAT on Dandy Lions.

This hobby is barley staying afloat.
But because (perhaps) YOUR NEW to this hobby, you don't know that ALL toy soldier manufacturers struggle?
IMAGINE if the MOVIE industry had no movie reviewers?

P. G.
 
Plastic General said:
I would like to say that I am a FAN and regular COLLECTOR of TSSD,
BUT I do see a problem starting to take form in the sculpting of their figures.

*Over sized Micky Mouse hands?
*Over sized Weapons?
*Inaccurate styling of German helmets?
*OVER BULKING of Figure BASES resulting in incompatible height with other figure sets.
Not to mention a big rocky base doesn't work standing on a tank?
Click to expand...


What sets are you referring to; you said in your post that you see a problem "starting to take form", then you mention German helmets.

So I assume you are not pleased with the TSSD WWII figures; that said, they haven't done a WWII set in a long time, so how can this be a recent, ie "starting to take form" problem?

Please clarify.
 
FIRST OFF,
In all honesty, I don't want to fight with you guys.
It SHOULD be fun to CRITIQUE & debate about the future of toy soldiers and our hobby.
But where we ALL probably have to be careful is how are we are wording our rebuttals.
Perhaps they sound too harsh in print, but if said in person would not sound so confrontational.

Yes, I do LOVE TSSD and DO buy them, but the WWII are getting too DOLLISH in style and yes the ROMANS are way too big!
Eventually 1:32 will grow to be 1:28 scale. 54mm is what they should be.

The Plastic General
 
I'm not a plastic collector but I enjoyed your presentation. Great job in conceptualization.

Brad
 
Cool Christian! I am in Burlington- how come I have never bumped into you "out and about" at the shows etc?
I like the lead soldiers in the cigar box.....did you break in to my garage//////? lol

To add to this thread- I just managed to pick up A conte playset (FFL). those are AWESOME!! I am going to paint them all up, with some Armies in plastic, Timpo, and DSG Deetail sets ...never done that before.

Grant
 
I LOVE the new ROMANS, but I strictly collect WWII now.
I was SO tempted to start collecting them but the evolution in size made me decide agent it.
That's the danger, the bigger the sets get the more it makes other sets before it become obsolete.

In the documentary unfortunately, you don't get to see everything in my massive WWII 1:32 & 1:35 collection.
There are about 120 cigar boxes housing all different units and nations represented in WWII,
even custom sets like POLISH inf, PARTISANS and VOLKSTRUM.

Plastic general
 
hsm said:
Cool Christian! I am in Burlington- how come I have never bumped into you "out and about" at the shows etc?
I like the lead soldiers in the cigar box.....did you break in to my garage//////? lol

To add to this thread- I just managed to pick up A conte playset (FFL). those are AWESOME!! I am going to paint them all up, with some Armies in plastic, Timpo, and DSG Deetail sets ...never done that before.

Grant
Click to expand...

You probably have, as soon as I get a chance I'll post some of my 1:32 prototype sculpts.
Then you guys can beat on me.{sm4}

Plastic General
 
Plastic General said:
Over the next for years, I see it moving in that direction.
Thats why I brought it up. YES.

P. G.
Click to expand...

So you're saying that they started with normal and accurate proportions and are now regressing towards sculpts that are misproportioned?

Prosit!
Brad
 
theBaron said:
So you're saying that they started with normal and accurate proportions and are now regressing towards sculpts that are misproportioned?

Prosit!
Brad
Click to expand...

Perhaps, yes.
First it was CONTE, then it was TSSD, then it was CTS & WESTON, then came the CONTIE SPARTINS (big) then the TSSD ROMANS (even BIGGER)
now the Russian producer (hope he stays in 1:32). That's how it slowly creeps up over time until the 54mm standard becomes an uncompilable 58mm.
Someone out there should set a real universal standard.

Is it insulting and evil that I dare say this??
Did I hurt anyone's feelings? I'm a thinking person, not just a mindless consumer.
I watch and care about the delicate trajectory of my beloved hobby.
Gonna put it out there.

Christian Aldo
 
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"if the hobby is dominated by complacent cowards" - Again, that tone thing I mentioned......
 
I myself have reversed and went back to the smaller wargame sizes but I don't like the dwarf look either.There are some very good small miniatures coming out now.They are more proportioned than the older ones.One guy who started Fife and Drum Miniatures keeps everything at 1/56 scale and his figures and equipment look great.A member of this forum,Bill Nevins has started a AWI range called King's Mountain Miniatures and they look very good also.A young man from Spain has started a company and his figures look fantastic.Now his figures heads are 4.7-5 heads but he try's to keep it proportioned correctly so his figures are on the average 34mm foot to eye which has caused complaints because they are taller than 28mm's.Check out his website,see what you think of his figures. www.oniriaminiatures.com
Mark
 
Plastic General said:
Perhaps, yes.
First it was CONTE, then it was TSSD, then it was CTS & WESTON, then came the CONTIE SPARTINS (sic) (big) then the TSSD ROMANS (even BIGGER)
now the Russian producer (hope he stays in 1:32). That's how it slowly creeps up over time until the 54mm standard becomes an uncompilable 58mm.
Someone out there should set a real universal standard...
Click to expand...

Your point about changing scale is not the same point that you made when you started this thread, unless I misunderstood it. Poor proportions and differences in scale are two different things. Are TSSD's figures just sculpted to a slightly larger scale than they used to be, or are they now no longer correctly anatomically proportioned? Or are both changes taking place?

An increase in scale isn't that big of a deal. The hobby enthusiastically accepted the slightly larger scales favored by King & Country and Frontline. But if a catalog that previously had well-sculpted figures starts putting out figures that are no longer well-sculpted, that's a more serious matter for that maker. And it's unusual for a good line to go bad. I only know of two examples of larger-scale figures that changed, and that was in the other direction. John Jenkins' original figures really looked like scaled-up wargame figures, but his sculpting has become more refined and his figures are well-proportioned. All The King's Men has had a similar development. And that shouldn't be a surprise, because both lines originated in wargaming. ATKM is still sold as a wargaming line, too, for that matter.

To your point about a consistent scale, others have already responded, but I'll add that even in the classic age, there was never a true universal standard. Sure, everyone called it 54mm. But was it from the soles of the figure's feet to the top of his bare head, to the top of his headgear, or even to the line of his pupils? Stadden figures are around 56mm, which was also a common size among German makers, while Imrie-Risley figures were a more gracile 54mm. Same goes for Gammage's Rose. Phoenix fell somewhere in between. For some, it's so much of an issue, because you can take figures of slightly different sizes and use them to produce a more realistic-looking group of people.

Prost!
Brad
 
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Baron I agree with you about people being different sizes but there is something different about ranges made by different companies.I can't explain it to you in words but looking at them you can tell the differences.I was reading about movies which are animated but also look kind of real like Polar Express.They had a term for it but there's a creepiness about them and it makes people feel uncomfortable.I feel the same way about miniatures.
Mark
 
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