Spider-Man Modifications Explained!
It's never easy to change product designs mid-way; there are loops to run through, resculpting, licensor approvals, costs in re-printing, disgruntled factories, unavoidable hate from haters but despite these, if we feel strongly that the changes will help to create a better product, we grit our teeth and do it.
We also believe in transparency and sharing why we do things a certain way. Not only does it help to bring collectors into the design process, it also helps collectors understand the amount of thought that goes behind each change - and hopefully appreciate the efforts by liking the piece even more.
So here it is, a clear breakdown of the changes we did to Spidey. As usual, we do not claim to be perfect and not everyone's feedback can be incorporated so if you do not see changes that you have wished for, trust in us that we've reviewed every comment and made only the most optimal decision we possibly can. Credit to Marthin for art directing this piece and providing me with the full details to be shared despite his busy schedule. Thanks Buddy, I love you!
Comparison of previous version vs new version
Previously...
Updated version (Shown at STGCC 2018)
The Modifications
1. More space friendly and focus on the character
Reworked the base and overall dimensions to be more space friendly while keeping the same dynamic pose and feel. Notice from the images below the new reduction in size management. This helps to keep packaging smaller and weight lighter for more cost effective shipping too. (Not just to get the product but also important for trading and resale in the future)
The focus is also more on Spider-Man as he is still sized the same but the overall base and setup has been shrinked and placed behind him as compared to in front of him. This allows more angles to display and view good ol' web head.
2. Engineering and Subtle tweaks to body sculpt based on feedback
We also tweaked the overall anatomy based on collectors' feedback but kept the dynamic pose. The metal peg placement now secures him at his right lower leg instead of the previous lower back waist. Not only does this increase stability but it is also cleaner and allows you to see more of Spider-Man from various viewing angles.
3. Tweaked existing portraits... and added a NEW ONE!
We've revamped the heads to be more timeless comic style, such as removing the previous tiny hexagon textures in the mask eyes (white part). The fan favorite large eyes style mask remains, and we've resculpted the battle damage portrait to show more of Peter Parker's face with a determined expression. We couldn't resist paying homage to the great John Romita Sr. so we also made an extra portrait inspired by his art style.
4. Debatable Improvements or Downsides depending on you look at it.
One common topic in discussions was about the base featuring the villain's elements. Previous design concept had switch out pieces including a Venom 'goo' attack, Sandman giant hand attack and a Scorpion Tail Attack. These were very cool ideas of course but at the same time, they were large which increases the overall packaging but ultimately, a collector can only display one of these elements at any one time so to us, having these extra parts at the expense of costlier shipping and larger packaging were not optimal.
Instead if you refer to the new base (second image in this article), we tweaked the final base to include Sandman's sand shards so they form part of the base without switch out features hence Scorpion and Venom parts are no longer part of the final set up. The Green Goblin bombs remain and the iconic Doc Ock Tentacles remain, however they are not removable this time as they are integral to supporting the new structure and Spidey's peg (with the tentacles, it allows us to insert thicker and stronger peg to hold the weight of Spidey securely). In terms of esthetics, showing 3 villain's elements is a nice balance without over shadowing Spidey's presence in the set up.
The latest modifications will be final (because as perfectionists if we continue to improve, this piece will never ship!) but we sincerely believe the changes to be positive improvements over the last version, and we are very happy and proud of the team who worked so hard to create this special dynamic Spider-Man piece.
Special thanks to Mufizal, Marthin and Paul for the stellar work!
Stay Classy and Happy Collecting!
Bryan