Scott, you really deserve a standing ovation for all the things you've done for us here on SB. ST rules x 3
Is this the same "shin" as in "Mu Shin," empty or transcendent mind? (It's fitting that my inquiry into Mu Shin happens here, since I do believe this is my last post as new blood. )
BEST RxH news ever for us "old timers" haha ! Being an older collector I just cant get into the masked stuff, to me its everything thats opposite of why I got into the company. So when you got us the cupcake release I was so stoked, its one of my favorite buys of the year, and being one of my favorite toys sculpts of all time ( mutant head ) made it even sweeter Cant wait to see what pops up and hope I'm able to score at least one release.
Scott - Thanks for pounding the pavement and fighting the good fight. I'm really glad to hear the figures you'll be backing will be sold openly and fairly, like with the Cupcake Head. It's great news all around for RxH fans.
none of the "reissues" up to this point are exactly the same as the OG, just look-alikes. I believe going forward, there will be more such look-alikes. Would this be a concern?
Sometimes I think people are too in love with the concept of free-hand sprays. The masked paints- and newer RxH items, generally- have a lot to offer if you get past the 'it was better before' mentality. What makes RxH great, in my opinion, is Mori's creativity in working with his characters and materials. The old RxH paints were nice, but that happened a while ago and times change. I think he is trying to make the best of circumstances with the current offerings. So, I'm sorry to say this, but a lot of this thread seems a little insulting. I don't mean ST's project specifically, but some of the surrounding comments. Good luck with your endeavor, ST. It's an interesting experiment to be sure.
Oh, I appreciate Mori's creativity in doing what he has to with his resources, but I'm just not into a lot of masking. It's why I dislike lots of figures by other lines. Makes the figure feel sterile. The free hand is what draws me to a lot of figures paint wise, not even by just RxH. I think it's a totally valid complaint. I don't disresepect Mori or RxH anymore because of it, it just sucks that it had to happen but it did. I like some of the masked ones too, just not NEARLY as many. I don't think being critical is being insulting. You're right though, times change, so I stopped collecting a lot of newer RxH. I only get a small handful of what's cranked out now because I'm not spending that kind of money on figures I only think are "OK." Some praise for some current things Mori's done: Glitter vinyl, rubs, mini Oni, new Bigaroid. All kick ass.
I think along with the masked sprays, I lot of the "newer" figures have been just as good--and in some cases better than OG stuff in my opinion. OG times have their gems and all-time-ass kickers, but I feel that Mori has only gotten better overall. when I look at the mook, I think I would pass on more of the older releases than I did the newer stuff--and most of my collection starts after the mook. Masking can take some of the fun out of it--sure, so I don't have too many, but I still think that there are a lot of good ones to throw in the mix with the free-hand stuff. Plus for a good while last year and a lot of this year, he was pumping out a lot of new color vinyls. I love new colors!
It will be interesting to take note of the process of masking as it progresses, as well. Do you remember when artificial flowers and leafy plants were first introduced? You could spot them from a mile away, because, among other considerations, the artificial ones were perfect. No browning leaves, no discolored petals. But gradually, and subtly, these things underwent a change. Artificial plants now are not easily distinguished from their organic counterparts even up close, unless you touch them. Why? Well, the materials were changed, of course, but along the way the manufacturers got wise and began adding browned or torn leaves, discolored flowers and stems, and so on, to better mimic the real thing. One of the ways to distinguish a masked figure from a hand-painted one is to observe the accuracy and regularity of some of the spot coloration, such as, for example, the little irregular patches to the sides of the crest in the mutant head. Masked figures, so I am told, generally have these spots colored in fairly accurately. Well, if one changes the mask to allow for some spray to hit outside the margins, or to taper the spray..... Since some of us (not me, actually) collect from a documentary or historical progression point of view, we may one day find that the perfect early masked toys are interesting (and in some ways desirable) in that they document the progression of masked figures from the easily detectable ones toward those which subsequently became difficult to distinguish from hand painted. Or maybe not. I'm not well versed enough in the differences at this point to really know, but it struck me as a thought worth sharing.
Itokin Park's stuff is amazing to look at and realize it was done by hand, that's for sure. I just wanted to throw my two cents in and thank you, Scott, for your efforts with this stuff. I feel it totally reflects the same kind of DIY spirit that Mori started RxH with. And the cupcake figure looks awesome, even if I'll probably never get my hands on one. But knowing there's more stuff on the way gives me some optimism.
I don't mind the masked stuff, just mixes it up with the hand sprays. IMO, the brand lost its way with lackluster sculpts and repetitive paints (that mimicked past releases) not the masked stuff. I think the standard (or almost standard) Chaos Man and Fly Guy are much more exciting than yet another OG sculpt being repainted. The last two (Chaos Man and 2nd Fly Guy) with metallic sprays and subtle blue highlights are amazing. The new glittery soft Gatchigon is great too. I also wish Mori would experiment with new vinyl mixes, not just solid colours but mixing things into the vinyl. Also maybe copper, silver (along the lines of Gargamel) etc. Some of the OG releases are nice, but there are also alot that are lackluster to me, especially all of the variations of dark Mutant Heads. They do nothing for me unlike these latest releases.
I have heard otherwise with future releases. Past look-a-likes are not reissues, however I haven't bought any either since look-a-likes are just that. When secret releases that are impossible to find gets cloned for mass appeal aka blue rub chaos that was discussed as an example, then its highly unlikely I will support it with my wallet. i don't condone tributes, but cloning one's own work doesn't appeal to me as a collector. It's a no-brainer...
There will be more greatest hit releases coming up - not exact replicas of course, but some Golden Oldies with slight variations from the originals. Of course there will be also be the continuing flow of new colors, vinyls and sculpts as well. Something for everyone.
You know me... Scott's a good dude. Nice to see him representing RxH. On the issue of masking, I'm also one of the folks who likes a mix of occasional mask work with spray. Anyway, there's so much that can be done with a figure these days - rub, spray, mask, metallic flake vinyl, pad printing, weapon accessories, mask/bandana/cape/other cloth work, etc. - that it's not just a question of spray vs. mask. The possibilities and combinations are a lot greater these days. Which is very cool, IMO.
Can you always tell the difference between masked and free-hand in any one figure in front of you...i.e. not comparing it to others? Do you assume, given the possibilities of changing the way masking is done, that you will always be able to tell the difference? If yes to both, I'd like a quick summation (if possible) of what to look for. Not being dubious, just curious.
Masked areas tend to have very clean lines, and the location of the spray is identical on every figure (assuming the whole area is painted in). For figures like the Lucha Bear (shown above) masking works really nicely since you want the whole lucha mask and other parts to have a precise, solid feel. Some designers love using masks. Others, not so much. Same goes for collectors. I think if you see enough versions of a figure, you start to get a good feel for what is and isn't masked.
