How Sorceress wings/arms could have been fixed

[MldMnrdReporter]

Emiliano, I'm glad you started this thread and explained your designs. I tried to in the other thread, but I'm not sure a lot of people saw.



Mattel should re-engineer and retool the TOD Sorceress this way. It would cost them but they can share the money saved on Snake MAA

I think Mattel is hurting for cash somewhere and it's being taken out on the MOTUC line. Not sure what the particulars are, maybe the budget was slashed, who knows. I do know we'll never know exactly what was going on.

[krosfyah]

Mattel should re-engineer and retool the TOD Sorceress this way. It would cost them but they can share the money saved on Snake MAA

ain't that the truth

[Executioner]

Why doesn't Mattel just hire Emiliano? Great artist, great designer, what do they have to lose?

I don't know the back story, but I gather there is some relationship here that may have went sour, can someone fill me in?

[krosfyah]

Why doesn't Mattel just hire Emiliano? Great artist, great designer, what do they have to lose?

I don't know the back story, but I gather there is some relationship here that may have went sour, can someone fill me in?

no clue, but it shouldn't be personal, business is business, if personal vendettas are the reason then it's very silly and petty. I can't speak for either side's professionalism though, I just know Emiliano loves this brand as much as the horsemen and them working together would benefit the fans to no end!

[Prahvus]

I think Emiliano's design is great. I also think Mattel could have achieved a better result if they didn't go for the cheap stuff once again (remember, Terry from the 4 Horsemen was praised because the "solution" he came up with was a cheap, cost cutting one !)...

I guess we'll never see the day when this toy company actually goes for quality... We saw it back in the 80's, but it's all gone, now.

Thank you Emiliano for sharing your design with us ! (Do you have any knowledge in toy engineering, by the way ?).

[krosfyah]

terry works for mattel's inhouse design team he isn't one of the horsemen.

[Eternian Poet]

Why doesn't Mattel just hire Emiliano? Great artist, great designer, what do they have to lose?

Logistics....

[Prahvus]

terry works for mattel's inhouse design team he isn't one of the horsemen.

Ah ! OK. I guess this explains perfectly why the design is so weird and cheap-looking...

Thank you for the info, krosfyah !

[CicconeSC]

But Mattel used a non-employee designs for Soreceress wings...
(but I'm not sueing them, of course)
To make sure there is no misunderstanding: I made this in 2007, and showed it to Mattel.
Even Eric said they took inspiration from my designs, which is totally cool by me.

Emiliano, most of your designs are amazing and would work and I believe have been used on some of the figures based on your designs.

It would be nice to get the newly mentioned wing situation controlled that you mentioned and I wouldn't mind waiting the time for it to be done.

However it seems that she is already produced and they are just waiting on full shipment of her to arrive, is this true?

Perhaps I might need to get a third one of the Sorceress, which I would still love to do because I am thrilled with her.

I also am thrilled with the new line-up, I hope the international fans are happy with Shadow Weaver being sent in February, because having Shadow Weaver and Sorceress in the same month would make me very happy

[krosfyah]

Ah ! OK. I guess this explains perfectly why the design is so weird and cheap-looking...

Thank you for the info, krosfyah !

no problem.

[Emiliano]

Why doesn't Mattel just hire Emiliano? Great artist, great designer, what do they have to lose?

I don't know the back story, but I gather there is some relationship here that may have went sour, can someone fill me in?

Nothing went sour to my knowledge, but there seems to be always issues with me specifically, that makes little sense to me.
But we don't want to got back to old stories again.

Thank you Emiliano for sharing your design with us ! (Do you have any knowledge in toy engineering, by the way ?).

Not specifically, but designing Transformers for Hasbro surely helps!

[DO4M]

Guys, it's OK... Sorceress is popular enough to revisit again and again...
We have:
Sorceress 1.0
TOD Sorceress 1.0
200X Sorceress
Battleground Sorceress (Sorceress 1.0 in 200X Colors)
NA Sorceress
Pink Mini Comic Sorcress 1.0
Sorceress 2.0
The 2.0 versions of the repaints!
and if they aver get the rights Movie Sorceress
200X Sorceress in Classic colors
200X Sorceress in all the other repaints...

Hopefully Mattel will do a Sorceress 2.0 With fixed wings before going Sorceress variant Crazy

[vertigoink]

Nothing went sour to my knowledge, but there seems to be always issues with me specifically, that makes little sense to me.
But we don't want to got back to old stories again.


Not specifically, but designing Transformers for Hasbro surely helps!

Ohhh so you do work on the Transformers brand- makes sense given some of the crazy stuff they have to do to get transformations to work! Did you design the Rodimus Prime crystal variant Emil because it almost struck me as something you'd do given how aesthetically pleasing it remains in both vehicle and robot mode?

[darkmoon766]

Thid thread is amazing. It shows how having seemingly only one eye on these things (Terry) ends up not working all the time. Emilano's second design is killer, and also we may have the answers to dumpy crotch!

Stuck the pelvis' in a piece of Fimo Clay to hold them in place.

http://i1235.photobucket.com/albums/...s/sideview.jpg

That shera 2.0 crotch has the holes too low... making the hip sockets too low on seemingly all the figures that use that piece. Can we please fix this before the other females? Please?

[MasterCollector]

It Still required a New tool just to get it done the "Mattel way". Emiliano's designs would have reduced the awkward Articulation issue that we're getting... Maybe for Vintage Sorceress 2.0

I'm hoping to get an MYP Sorceress first. She had completely different wings so a future MYP figure shouldn't have the same issues.

[Josh Van Pelt]

I think Mattel is hurting for cash somewhere and it's being taken out on the MOTUC line. Not sure what the particulars are, maybe the budget was slashed, who knows. I do know we'll never know exactly what was going on.

I doubt the few thousand dollars saved by any changes in the MOTUC line has any impact on the much larger lines such as Hot Wheels & Barbie. I am sure MOTUC has their own budget and makes these cost saving decisions to keep money available for other items, or themselves. Not defending the decision, I actually think it was silly to change the wings so her arms don't extend forward.

I also don't think that it was to save money. I think that they feared that the wing attachment would be too weak the original way and spent their time and money moving the attachment point rather than finding a solution that would keep the wings working properly. I don't think they believed it was that big of a deal.

[RafiS]

Awesome, I may be a chump and wait and see how she pulls it off. Then copy her!

Sorry about the random post Nate, but can you pretty please show us what you've done with Marlena's makeup - and if you haven't, can you please drop everything you're doing and work on that I keep going through the forums hoping I'll see a pic of your repainted female figures. So far, I've LOVED what you've done to some of the ones you've shown....hoping we see a pic of Marlena (with a tutorial maybe) and YES, please when you get her, can you 'fix' the Sorceress. I'm the only one who thinks this way, but I hate figures with 'parted' lips and eyes looking up.

[Executioner]

So here it is...



Wow, is that ever lame. Emiliano's solution is absolutely brilliant by comparison.

[Emiliano]

Ohhh so you do work on the Transformers brand- makes sense given some of the crazy stuff they have to do to get transformations to work! Did you design the Rodimus Prime crystal variant Emil because it almost struck me as something you'd do given how aesthetically pleasing it remains in both vehicle and robot mode?

Nope, I didn't work on that.
I usually work on early concepts for possible new products or styling upcoming products. Recently I worked more with the IP dept. on movie preproduction.

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LOL, I think also a solution insipred by the idea on the first page posted by DO4M would work as well
The shoulder or the ellbow piece would have just larger and longer peg that connect each other. The middle section (the one with the wing) would work as ring that slides around that peg. So no need of two separated pegs anymore.
Not sure if that could use Teela ellbow and not look too long or be too fragile, but it might!

Oh, and one thing I didn't mention is that the top wing need to have a small hook the keep the wing middle section up, or it would fall over.

[Uki]

I like Emiliano's designs (and everything he does!), but I'm not terribly bothered by what we're getting. Of course, I collected Star Wars for years, and I always loved the TPM Darth Sidious, whose sleeve-blade cloak looked ridiculous if his arms moved too much.

Still, I may grab an extra Sorceress sometime to fiddle with myself.

[MldMnrdReporter]

I doubt the few thousand dollars saved by any changes in the MOTUC line has any impact on the much larger lines such as Hot Wheels & Barbie. I am sure MOTUC has their own budget and makes these cost saving decisions to keep money available for other items, or themselves. Not defending the decision, I actually think it was silly to change the wings so her arms don't extend forward.

I also don't think that it was to save money. I think that they feared that the wing attachment would be too weak the original way and spent their time and money moving the attachment point rather than finding a solution that would keep the wings working properly. I don't think they believed it was that big of a deal.

I should have clarified, I think Mattel is cutting money for all lines.

[Alexx]

I completely agree with your design. With that design the Sorceress would have had MANY posing options. No matter where the arms were you could have the wings out. Either arms out to the side, or straight up; the wings wouldn't look out of place. With the current design you have ONE pose. That's it. And restricted arms. I know they had thier hearts in the right place; trying to mimic the old toy and all. It's just that these new figures are supposed to do MORE than the originals. Granted, she has working joints, but with the wings where they are she is put below all the other figures in posing options.

[Mamblo]

Any suggestion for a simple customization which might improve the wings?

Instead of those horrible drums I rather prefer the vintage version where the wings were attached in the back.

[Eternian Poet]

I know they had thier hearts in the right place; trying to mimic the old toy and all.

Doubtful. The "magical action feature" was an after thought. When the Sorceress was first shown, the drums were visable & there was no mention of the "magic". Only later, did TG reveal that Terry had worked on the "magically opening AF" - which is merely a little tweak on the already existing drums (& on both occasions, TG never moved her arms straight out, as most of us noted).

It was fouled up, they tried to improve it & FAILED. I mean FAILED.

[Marvelous0ne]

Why doesn't Mattel just hire Emiliano? Great artist, great designer, what do they have to lose?

I don't know the back story, but I gather there is some relationship here that may have went sour, can someone fill me in?

Not to go back into that can of worms. In short, Toyguru made the comment that they offered him one. Emiliano told us that it was a lie. No such offer was made. Large can of worms opened! But I think Emiliano is happier with what he is doing now.

As for the whole issue with the wings. The issue could have easily been resolved! The issue here is money! Which could easily been available if Scott would stop having so much for MOTUC in one month! Having 1 monthly, 1 bonus, and one either beast or Large scale figure a month is a bit much! And on top of that, the subs for Ghostbusters, DC Universe, Voltron. Maybe if they would have their products available on different days with in the month. Spread it out. Things would be a bit better. But Scott refuses to listen when it comes to that! I liked it when it was at most $60 a month. Now it's going to be about $150 on some months. It hurts on some months!