We heard about it and even saw some cool looking samples at JoeCon, and now the time is almost here to be able to support the great looking Dime Novel Heroes line from Chicken Fried Toys! The folks at Chicken Fried Toys have sent along a press release detailing what we know to date about Dime Novel Heroes…and the best news of all, the Kickstarter “kicks off” in October!
Announcing a LEGENDARY Western-Themed 1:18th Scale Toy Line Kickstarter Campaign!
Dallas/Forth Worth — When searching for highly articulated action figures in 1:18th scale, aisle 3C is looking like a modern ghost town these days. Therefore it’s no surprise that a number of small companies are striving to fill the gap for collectors of this action figure scale.
To this end, Chicken Fried ToysTM (CFT) is proud to introduce their Dime Novel LegendsTM (DNL), their first-ever lineup of 3.75-inch, fully articulated, collectible action figures that bring back the essence of the American Frontier West. These 15 realistic reproductions of iconic Western archetypes feature authentic styling and looks, and include numerous accessories and gear that historically reflect the period between 1835 and 1895. This line will be introduced via Kickstarter campaign on October 1, 2016 and will run for six (6) weeks.
The Dime Novel LegendsTMlineup will encompass characters drawn from the rich history of Frontier America during its expansion westward. While easily identifiable, these characters do not represent any single person from history, film or literature. Rather, they are an amalgamation taken from the collective imaginations of enthusiasts who have long dreamed of accumulating an entire Western community of cowboys, townfolk, lawmen, bandits, and Native Americans from an often ignored and nigh-forgotten part of America’s unique and rich history.
Chicken Fried ToysTMwill introduce these iconic action figures intended for the adult collector featuring 16 points of articulation as part of a Kickstarter campaign beginning October 2016.
Wave 1 will include:
The Marshal – Clad in black, with his long coat pulled back over his working hoslter to show ruffians that he means business, this icon comes with a “Hogleg” pistol, “Street Howitzer” long gun, and removable hat and jacket.
The Sheriff – Dressed like a “dandy” with a Derby and suitcoat, this lawman carries a cane, not so much for walking, but rather to give a sophisticated air to any cattle or mining camp he has been charged to protect.
Territories Lawman – Before the regions of the American West became states, they were territories under the jurisdiction of the Federal government. This storied African-American lawman comes with dual holsters and pistols, bandana, removable vest and hat. All this makes him the true definition of a Legend!
Trail Boss – Wearing chaps and a broad-brimmed hat, this honcho of the trail drive has all the trappings of a seasoned leader. If his stern look doesn’t command the respect he’s earned, he has a lever-action rifle and removable “Outlaw” pistol to back it up.
Saloon Bartender – No image of the classic Western town is complete without a bartender or shopkeeper. Likely the only person who can afford both moustache wax AND hair cream, often neutral in fights and always the center of information, this smiling gentleman with the apron is quick with a mug of refreshment, and a turn on the pickle/beer barrel.
Sharpshooter – Wearing a period-correct bib-front shirt, this misplaced Texan sports a removable bandana, Texas-sized hat, cartridge belt with working knife and sheathe, and a legendary buffalo rifle with flip-up rear sight.
Ranch Hand – No cattle drive is complete without the ubiquitous trail hand. His look is highlighted with tall Cavalry style boots, removable vest, and gun belt. His hat, surely bought fresh from the General Store with pay from working the latest cattle drive, tops his clean-cut look.
Head Honcho – Every gang has its ringleader; a rough and tumble, but quick-witted character who is not to be trifled with on any occasion. He wears a removable vest, gun belt, bandana, and Derby.
Gunfighter – The gang member with the cool temper and lightning quick six-guns is dressed in a suitcoat styled of the day. He has a removable hat, gun belt, twin holsters and pistols to fill ’em.
Vaquero – This everyday inhabitant of the Texas Southwest has a wide-brimmed hat to keep the desert sun off his shoulders, along with chaps, gun belt, pistol and Spanish silver spurs. Dressed up brightly in his best for the celebratory rodeo at the end of a long cattle drive, he cuts quite a colorful character.
Prospector – These men were some of the first brave souls to cross the Plains in search of riches and fortune, while “seein’ it all.” This old codger comes with an iconic hat and all the tools to hit the motherlode, including a pickaxe and pan.
Fire Brigadier – When every town is made of either wood or canvas, a firefighter or two becomes an essential part of the landscape. This member of the Old West Fire Brigade comes with a Victorian-era fire helmet, red bib-front shirt, Halligan tool, fire axe and suspenders!
Create Yer’ Own Outlaw – Clad in signature black and sporting a surly look, this villain will be named by Kickstarter participants in a poll run during the campaign. He will sport a long coat, Cavalry boots, double holsters for his gun belt, and two pitch-black pistols.
Create Yer’ Own Cowboy – Not just the name, but the color palette will be chosen by the “All-In!” Kickstarter pledges. This classically styled cowboy has chaps, unique hat, removable vest and all the right gear to complete your cattle drive!
Badlands Vigilante – This 15th figure is exclusive to the “All-In!” Kickstarter package. He has a unique portrait sculpt, removable “10-gallon” hat, bandana, suitcoat, gun belt, and shining silver six-guns.
The figures will be unlocked in the order listed above during the campaign. Tiered between each figure as they unlock will be the following collector accessories:
Gear Sets – Five sets comprised of different firearms, weapons, and gun belts in colors not available on any other figure during this initial offering.
Accessory Sets – Five sets of jackets, vests, hats and bandanas in colors not available on any other figure during this initial offering.
Buck-A-Roos!TM – Five “blank” figures each comprised of a single color shirt and sleeves, and different color britches with complementary colored boots. These colors will not be available on any other figure in the initial offering. Skin tones will vary from figure to figure for variety.
Prices for both individual figures and “All-In!” packages are still TBD. We will announce final pricing before the campaign begins to allow for collector budgeting. Retail costs after the campaign should not exceed $20 per figure.
Work on Wave 2 is already underway and will include Plains Indian Tribes, smooth-talking gamblers, Cavalry troops, a school marm, and close to a dozen more unique Western icons! Stay tuned for more details as work is completed and we proceed through the Kickstarter campaign.
For more information, click our Chicken Fried Toystm – Dime Novel Legendstm Facebook page:
Chicken Fried ToysTMis Paul Mundheim and JE Russell, lifelong action figure collecting enthusiasts. Working in partnership with lauded Boss Fight Studio and Smalljoes.com, CFT knows the unique mind of the 1:18th scale action figure collector like no other. Saddle up, and come along for the ride!
Pre-Order the Blanks at BossFightShop – Either Female or Male!
Not one to sit on their haunches, the folks at Boss Fight Studio have been following up their initial Kickstarter release with a pretty steady stream of great new product. High on the list of that product are some great new colors of Blanks, including Cloud White!
The Cloud White Blank is a vibrant and excellent shade of white, another example of the subtle color expertise from the Boss Fight crew.
Both blanks (the male and female) come with the same heads, hands, and feet as the previous iterations, and what’s really cool about the white color is the sense of it being a “template” for customizers. While the other blanks are appealing in their own way using their default colors, the white blank gives a real sense of an empty page or a blank slate that can be used to do whatever you might want. It’s a really cool look.
Along with that, the figure looks fantastic with Bone White accessories, looking almost spectral, and also counter-balances beautifully with black, red, or hell, pretty much any other color imaginable. White really does go with anything.
I was one of those people who was excited for the character figures, but grabbed all the Blanks mostly because they were part of the bargain. Little did I know just how infatuated I would be with the Blanks on their own and how much fun would be provided simply with the part swap nature of the featureless figures and awesome accessories.
For those of you who do not have the Cloud White Blank yet, GRAB IT… it’s an awesome template offering a wealth of great opportunities for customs and part swaps. Plus it’s brand new and in the Boss Fight Shop right now.
Each blank also comes with three heads, three sets of feet (boots, bare, and sandals), two sets of hands (one jointed forward/back, one jointed side-to-side) and the footpeg to help them stand. I could actually see someone producing a full line of just blanks, the fact that Vitruvian HACKS offers them as compliments to a full blown universe and toyline is absolutely amazing.
It’s pretty astounding how well even the most basic of white Blank figures compliments the various accessory pack colors. Bone White accessories can create ivory statues, and the generic light color really works off of the other accessory packs nicely.
Hold onto your butts… What’s on Joe Mind is here with Episode 104, just recorded last week and ready to roll for JoeCon 2016! We cover the latest news, talk about the Joes of 2004, and lose track of what we’re saying consistently for nearly two hours. Just another day at the WOJM studio.
You can listen to the episode on Podbean, or the embedded player below.
Show Notes
We talk about the Joes from 2004, catch up on the news, begin to set the table of what will happen at JoeCon…and generally get side tracked – A LOT. Download it now and listen to it on your way to JoeCon!
Speaking of JoeCon, be sure to catch Mike, Gary, Joe and Chris McLeod from the Full Force at our JoeCon panel on Sunday, June 19th at 1:00. It will be the last ever panel at JoeCon. Join us as we turn out the lights…forever (maybe, maybe not, we will see – we’re looking at you Hasbro!)
If you have not signed it already, be sure to sign our petition to Save the GI Joe Convention! If you want a Joe-only convention like us, make sure you sign the petition and let the powers-that-be know what you think! More than 2500 people have signed. Sign on the campaign today!
Great news to start your June in that Spero Studios has launched their Kickstarter campaign for the new Animal Warriors of the Kingdom action figure line!
Four inch scale, highly articulated action figures highlight this exciting line based on the graphic novel The Kingdom. These are some really nice and fun looking figures that are sure to appeal to collectors and toy fans of all ages.
Jump on Kickstarter and support these bad boys, I want a Baron Kah Lee and we need to unlock some stretch goals to get to him!
And, so, here we are. The infamous Boss Fight Studio Skeletons.
Aside from Medusa, the Skeletons felt like one of the main focuses of the Kickstarter, a fully functional, fully articulated, fully in 1:18 scale Skeleton figure that looked as if it crawled from the corpse of a 4” figure, yet still managed to pose like one.
Honestly, many folks had their doubts that it could be done. Even with the decades of toy design experience Boss Fight has, they were attempting something that not even global toy brand powerhouses have been able to pull off.
Would it work?
Does it work?
Oh hell yeah it does.
Every time I’m sure I’m prepared to extol the virtues of these great action figures, I remember something else. First it was the fact that even just the human skull itself makes for an awesome prop (and actually has a movable jaw!). Second it was remembering that the Skeletons themselves could also be disassembled like the blanks and reassembled in different ways. Third it was the realization that the Skeletons were skinny enough to look realistic, but just bulky enough for armor to fit in key places. Fourth it was DOUBLE JOINTED KNEES ON A FRIGGEN SKELETON. Then I started to lose count. From the different colors to the amazing sculpting on the bones, these figures are really amazing to look at.
Now, the pieces are thin. Like pretty thin. But throughout my review, I wasn’t exactly gentle, and considering I had almost 20 of the things sitting in front of me, I certainly posed them, removed parts, and swapped things around quite a bit, and I’m happy to say, all of my Skeletons remain completely in one piece.
Incredibly, even as skinny as they are, they retain ball joints in the shoulders and hips, very poseable elbow joints, moveable wrists, ball joint neck, base of the spine, double-jointed knees, and at the ankles. These things can move like freaking crazy. They are light as a feather, yet seem to hold up to reasonable punishment.
Now obviously you need to be reasonable. The plastic is thinner than the normal standard figures, and the joints are a bit smaller as well, so take the proper care and attention, and don’t be afraid to use a hair dryer when swapping limbs around.
Obviously if you’re going to be swapping hands around and removing limbs, take some care and apply some heat! That will ensure that the material has enough “flex” to allow for things to be removed and replaced without fear of breakage.
The Skeletons come in white, black, yellow and translucent purple, with a surprise bonus hot pink one as a free gift to supporters who had to wait a little while for the product to be done. Each color is gorgeously chosen, and if you want to go “full bone” a light dark wash will truly bring out some amazing detail on the white and yellow versions.
Personally, I find myself in love with the purple ones. Ever since the release of the Eternal Struggle 2-Pack I’ve become infatuated with Hades and his crew, and these purple skeletons are the perfect compliment to the Undead Warrior from that 2 Pack. Toss in some Tartarus Guards (and pink Skeletons to go with them) and you’re quickly amassing an awesome pink/purple army for the God of the Underworld to set loose upon the world.
I will say one of my purple Skeletons did come through pretty bow-legged, I’m thinking mostly due to the material of the plastic that’s used to make transparent figures. I applied some heat and reshaped the legs somewhat, and it seems to be a lot better.
Each Skeleton comes with a footpeg and a series of clear plastic devices that seem a little strange if you don’t know what you’re looking for. The two curved pieces have holes on the bottom and plug into the battle stand so that the Skeleton can use the stand more effectively. Obviously his bony little foot is too narrow to get a peg hole in there, so these clasps make for an excellent work around.
Along with those two items are four different “spacers”. These spacers can hook into various places on the Skeleton’s narrow frame to allow for larger armor pieces to fit snugly without moving around. Most of the female armor slides right on with no issues, but if you want larger male armor (especially leg armor) to work, you need to clip on a spacer to fill in some of the gaps.
Boss Fight truly thought of everything. These skeletons are a hell of a lot of fun, and add yet another intriguing dimension to a toyline which is already completely full of intriguing dimensions. There are so many things to love about Vitruvian HACKS and it seems like as I push through these reviews I continue to be amazed and surprised by what I find.
A final note about this review… I’m not sure I’m giving this figure appropriate credit and he doesn’t really jive with my format for reviews. He ended up with 4 Stars, but when you look at what had to be overcome with the overall structure and durability of a human skeleton, what Boss Fight did with this figure is completely and truly remarkable, and deserves far more credit than my review score can accurately depict.
These figures are a ton of fun.
Vitruvian HACKS Skeleton
Character
Sculpt
Articulation
Paint Deco
Accessories
4
Summary
If I wasn’t holding it in my hand I wouldn’t have believed it, but I can vouch for the fact that these skeletons manage to be functional, aesthetically pleasing, fun, well articulated, and customizable! It’s a trifecta of coolness from the Boss Fight Studios Vitruvian HACKS line. It’s tough to portray how much I love these with my review scores, since I do focus on character and accessories, but trust me when I say these things are SWEET.
Pre-Order the Blanks at BossFightShop – Either Female or Male!
Realistically, what can be said about the blanks that hasn’t already been said countless other times in all the other reviews? After all, the blanks simply are the foundation that every single figure is built on. Any Spartan that you love is just paint and a new head with armor combinations layered on top of the male blank. Any Amazon you love (or Tartarus Guard as the case may be) is just a head, paint, and armor layered on top of the female blank. Without these two building blocks, the rest of the figures simply would not exist.
Boss Fight Studio knows this and knows how to develop their product as the Highly Articulated Character Kit System meaning they want people to tear these things down and build their own. Rather than tearing down carded figures, why not offer up some blank templates for collectors to mess with all their own. The flexibility this offers also allows them to branch out into a rainbow of different amazing colors, go transparent, and completely expand the character base.
Do you want to see how Poseidon would fit into the Gorgon War? Grab yourself a Bio Blue blank, an accessory kit, and knock yourself out. Want to go full demon? Grab a red blank (either gender) and build you own demonic creature.
The blanks are fantastically sculpted, retaining an amazing amount of mobility and sculpting which somehow dovetail perfectly together. Each blank is muscular enough to look imposing, yet narrow and flexible enough to retain some incredible poses with or without armor. This claim goes to either male or female blanks.
Adding the accessory packs to Boss Fight’s library of colorful blanks only increases collector and customizer options, letting them pick, choose and swap to their heart’s content. I literally spent hours swapping parts as I worked through these reviews and I barely scratched the surface of what’s possible with a lot more creativity than I have.
Simply add some heat (preferably via hair dryer, boiling water can sometimes warp plastic) and these blanks can also be fully disassembled into a ton of smaller pieces to allow even more color swaps and mixing and matching. The pegs remove and clip back in very easily and manage to retain their tightness even after swapping. I’m in awe of the engineering required to make this happen, and the overall design of these figures is really and truly impressive.
Even with all of the actual characters and painted figures I have on my shelf, I can’t help but continue pulling out blanks, posing them, making them fight, gearing them up and just having fun. Boss Fight has perfected the art of color in toy design, and each of these blanks feels like the almost perfect shade of their given colors, rich and vibrant, and contrasting with complimentary accessory kits to a nearly flawless degree.
Each blank also comes with three heads, three sets of feet (boots, bare, and sandals), two sets of hands (one jointed forward/back, one jointed side-to-side) and the footpeg to help them stand. I could actually see someone producing a full line of just blanks, the fact that Vitruvian HACKS offers them as compliments to a full blown universe and toyline is absolutely amazing.
These blanks are FUN. I don’t consider myself a hardcore customizer, but the time that could be whittled away mixing and matching parts is almost frightening to consider. There are so many options and they are so simple to part swap, that this could easily become a time consuming venture, but a venture that has its own set of awesome rewards.
Like the accessory packs, I’m not even sure how to frame a numerical review for these. The colors are vibrant and striking, the articulation is unmatched among 1:18 scale peers, and the sculpting is meticulous and downright artistic. That being said, these figures are built for customizing and designed around a foundation of being the building blocks with which to create other characters. As such it’s incredibly difficult to assign a score to these blanks as a whole, I can only reiterate what a terrific idea this is conceptually, and how impressive the execution has ended up.
