[Comicsrcoll78]

FINALLY Taarna from animated 1981 movie Heavy Metal is in production at Sideshow. I love this character. I grew up loving this character. But what do you think? It's a premium format statue. And while worth celebrating, I still hope TBL will release a 1/6 figure based on the movie's adaption. Taarna Premium Format™ Figure | Sideshow Collectibles

 

[DeltaForceChung]

You never know.

Taarna/Heavy Metal have a very complicated and long problematic licensing history.

No.

I will not discuss/post/share that.

As much as Sideshow is on my $%^& list, I am keeping an eye out on this offering.

 

[IKE-CON]

As much as I love that character, the rendering looks off.
Plus, will she be on her flying mount?

I would only want it if she's on the mount, battle damaged with sword drawn, but that's just me. :thumb

 

[Comicsrcoll78]

I agree it "looks off." I'd much prefer personally (and from a business/sales point) she look like the movie version. But I'm keeping an open mind.

 

[Comicsrcoll78]

Also, this is a character (I have no idea what the history of licensing issues are about), TBL could make and hit a 100% home run.

 

[DeltaForceChung]

Also, this is a character (I have no idea what the history of licensing issues are about), TBL could make and hit a 100% home run.

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You give PHICEN/TBL too much credit/faith.

Curb your enthusiasm towards them.

 

[Stryker2011]

As much as I love that character, the rendering looks off.
Plus, will she be on her flying mount?

I would only want it if she's on the mount, battle damaged with sword drawn, but that's just me. :thumb

I guess it would depend if she was based on the comic/magazine version or the movie version how she would look. It really is too bad that, as DFC said, the licensing wasn't such a mess, because a figure of this character would be awesome.

 

[Moonbase Alpha Male]

.
Licensing issues are made somewhat moot by the original post which shows that whatever they are, they were solved by Sideshow already. If they've obviously got licensing for a statue, it seems overwhelmingly likely the rights could include SSC doing a figure, or getting the current license expanded to include a figure. If SSC don't want to make a 1/6 figure let's hope that SSC don't have all other formats locked up and P/TBL could negotiate a concurrent one. If I remember correctly a lot of the Heavy Metal film ongoing licensing mess was music rights so that wouldn't directly affect the character.

 

[DeltaForceChung]

.
Licensing issues are made somewhat moot by the original post which shows that whatever they are, they were solved by Sideshow already. If they've obviously got licensing for a statue, it seems overwhelmingly likely the rights could include SSC doing a figure, or getting the current license expanded to include a figure. If SSC don't want to make a 1/6 figure let's hope that SSC don't have all other formats locked up and P/TBL could negotiate a concurrent one. If I remember correctly a lot of the Heavy Metal film ongoing licensing mess was music rights so that wouldn't directly affect the character.

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In terms of licensing that Sideshow obtained, it depends on the different "formats" the licensing agreement covers (i.e. PFs, statues, figures, scale of the figures, etc.) of which none of us knows (that I'm aware of).

MAM is correct that much of the licensing and rights issues pertaining to the film dealt with music licensing rights that prevented the film from being properly released on VHS, DVD, etc. for many years until a real effort was made to get all the legal entanglements regarding the music rights situated.

As for why no real worthwhile collectibles based on the film . . . when Kevin Eastman acquired the IP/license for Heavy Metal he and/or his company had no interest in dealing with anyone for licensing. Believe it or not. Really. They honestly didn't want to deal with the supposed business and legal hassles of working with any business/brand to do some specific merchandising.

I guess that changed now with Sideshow's announcement.

I really hope Sideshow doesn't have the right to produce a 1:6 Taarna. Really. I hope to God they don't. If they want to do right (or as close as possible to right), then at least contact PHICEN/TBL, but I suspect those @$$holes from ER will be involved if they're still involved with PHICEN/TBL and involved with new licensing/IPs.

If PHICEN/TBL somehow managed to get the license to do a 1:6 Taarna, then better also reach out to Richard Corben and ask about Den (i.e. he would be ideal for the PHICEN/TBL male muscular body).

 

[Stryker2011]

Den would be cool. So would Slaine.

 

[Moonbase Alpha Male]

--

In terms of licensing that Sideshow obtained, it depends on the different "formats" the licensing agreement covers (i.e. PFs, statues, figures, scale of the figures, etc.) of which none of us knows (that I'm aware of).

MAM is correct that much of the licensing and rights issues pertaining to the film dealt with music licensing rights that prevented the film from being properly released on VHS, DVD, etc. for many years until a real effort was made to get all the legal entanglements regarding the music rights situated.

As for why no real worthwhile collectibles based on the film . . . when Kevin Eastman acquired the IP/license for Heavy Metal he and/or his company had no interest in dealing with anyone for licensing. Believe it or not. Really. They honestly didn't want to deal with the supposed business and legal hassles of working with any business/brand to do some specific merchandising.

I guess that changed now with Sideshow's announcement.

I really hope Sideshow doesn't have the right to produce a 1:6 Taarna. Really. I hope to God they don't. If they want to do right (or as close as possible to right), then at least contact PHICEN/TBL, but I suspect those @$$holes from ER will be involved if they're still involved with PHICEN/TBL and involved with new licensing/IPs.

If PHICEN/TBL somehow managed to get the license to do a 1:6 Taarna, then better also reach out to Richard Corben and ask about Den (i.e. he would be ideal for the PHICEN/TBL male muscular body).

Remember that Eastman didn't have anything to do with Heavy Metal until about 15 years after the movie came out. And I suspect that his failure to go back and let anyone market collectibles from Heavy Metal 1981 may have had something to do with him pushing collectibles from Heavy Metal 2000, of which there were a lot (but no 1/6). Also the Taarna substitute character in Heavy Metal 2000 was his wife at the time. Maybe Eastman has loosened up on pushing HM 2000 over HM (1981) after he and FAAK2 were no longer married.

I react positively to a Den figure, but then I ask myself what would there really be to it, as by definition he was visually a very generic muscular character? Maybe if it had sound and used John Candy voice clips...

 

[shovelchop81]

I like the movie version...obvious reasons... and good memories lol.

 

[Comicsrcoll78]

--

In terms of licensing that Sideshow obtained, it depends on the different "formats" the licensing agreement covers (i.e. PFs, statues, figures, scale of the figures, etc.) of which none of us knows (that I'm aware of).

MAM is correct that much of the licensing and rights issues pertaining to the film dealt with music licensing rights that prevented the film from being properly released on VHS, DVD, etc. for many years until a real effort was made to get all the legal entanglements regarding the music rights situated.

As for why no real worthwhile collectibles based on the film . . . when Kevin Eastman acquired the IP/license for Heavy Metal he and/or his company had no interest in dealing with anyone for licensing. Believe it or not. Really. They honestly didn't want to deal with the supposed business and legal hassles of working with any business/brand to do some specific merchandising.

I guess that changed now with Sideshow's announcement.

I really hope Sideshow doesn't have the right to produce a 1:6 Taarna. Really. I hope to God they don't. If they want to do right (or as close as possible to right), then at least contact PHICEN/TBL, but I suspect those @$$holes from ER will be involved if they're still involved with PHICEN/TBL and involved with new licensing/IPs.

If PHICEN/TBL somehow managed to get the license to do a 1:6 Taarna, then better also reach out to Richard Corben and ask about Den (i.e. he would be ideal for the PHICEN/TBL male muscular body).

100% agree. I don't have blind faith in Phicen/TBLeague but they've released (to my knowledge without ER) several character figures I enjoy (Vampirella, Mercy Dante, Painkiller Jane for example) but haven't felt the need to purchase. Considering Taarna's muscular nature, costume, sex appeal et, a 1/6 Phicen is the best option. And if Sideshow was able to work out any problems with liscences regarding (?), it's a good sign for future releases of a 1/6 figure that will have large commercial appeal-especially for those who've loved "Heavy Metal" since day one.

 

[Raiden]

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I really hope Sideshow doesn't have the right to produce a 1:6 Taarna. Really. I hope to God they don't. If they want to do right (or as close as possible to right), then at least contact PHICEN/TBL, but I suspect those @$$holes from ER will be involved if they're still involved with PHICEN/TBL and involved with new licensing/IPs.

Bro, you have got to let this Executive Replica hatred go.......you've bought enough ER/Phicen product in the last 2-3 years to be ok with whatever grievances you had prior. Save it all for when/if those plastic bodied Phicen/ER celebrity figures come out. At least then you'll have good enough reason to hate.

I react positively to a Den figure, but then I ask myself what would there really be to it, as by definition he was visually a very generic muscular character? Maybe if it had sound and used John Candy voice clips...

This figure is entirely doable already. One M34 male body......and bald head that fits. (Statham, Diesel, etc). Add "extra part" from M34, cover with shred of brown fabric.

Find a large shooter marble, green. You basically have a Loc-Nar.

Considering Taarna's muscular nature, costume, sex appeal et, a 1/6 Phicen is the best option.

I'd still like to know how they manage her top. If it's a hard plastic, it will work. But fabric? It's been over 20 years and I still can't figure out how she got that top to stay on. Tarakian magic I suppose. Or a very large pastie.

I've been saying for the past year that I feel like we're gonna see Taarna show up as a Phicen/TBL figure eventually. It only seems logical. And after getting the Sideshow email about the premium format figure a few days ago, I feel it's closer than ever. They have to run out of comic properties eventually. Unless they start making more ARH properties (I want them to, those Medusa and Athena statues are awesome!), they have a limited window left.
I think one of the headliners for next years releases are gonna either be Taarna, Witchblade or Dejah Thoris. We'll see in a few months when they show prototypes at their yearly usual showcases.