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TheLastGherkin — Action Figure Concept
Published: 2011-03-16 16:53:00 +0000 UTC; Views: 4924; Favourites: 91; Downloads: 0
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Description
If you read only one paragraph of the description, make sure it's this one! Firstly, this is not a thing Hasbro is making (and I would be flattered if you thought it was!). Secondly, I am not a trained designer; I am a trained musician! Thirdly, I could not have drawn this without ~Inkwell-Pony 's incredible study .The thought process that led me to make these was after an internal debate about whether I would seriously go into a shop and buy Hasbro's My Little Pony product. The answer was no, I wouldn't.
Hasbro's current toys (as far as I have seen, and correct me if I'm wrong) seem to be static models of how ponies have looked since the first generation, with only a rotating head for articulation. If you ask me, there's an age you reach when you're young when your imagination just doesn't cut it any more and you want your toys to be able to move their limbs and such. There's also an age when you're an adult and you start buying immovable satuette collectables again. I for one am between these two stages; I like my toys with a bit of articulation in them!
The design above is an idea cobbled together from my knowledge of Character Options' Doctor Who action figures (of which I own many), Hasbro's own G.I. Joes (of which I own a dozen) and Jazwares 3.5" Sonic the Hedgehog line (of which I own none). These ponies have about as much articulation as your average G.I. Joe, and the points are these: a ball-joints at the neck and the top of the front legs; a ratchet joint just below the top of the front legs to make for double-jointed, show accurate articulation; swivel joints in all four knees and the waist; and a double-jointed pivoty swivelly thing for the hind legs.
The bottom left corner details how each figure would come with two sets of front hooves: hooves for standing and hooves for posing. These would both screw in to the bottom of the front legs through the use of a bayonet fixture, like with light bulbs. Just above that is where I've detailed the underside of the hooves, where there is a small, horseshoe-shaped magnet to allow ponies to hold accessories (sold seperately). (Also, this is how I believe they hold things on the show! Invisible horseshoe magnets!... Yeah, you can see why I didn't base a comic around that.)
The bottom right corner demonstrates how Pegasuses would have their wings; by drilling two holes into the back, just below the neck, for ball joints. I've drawn two examples of wings ('flight' and 'rest') to show how different posing and personality would be achieved. Plus, I think ball-jointed wings for flying would be absolutely perfect.
That's pretty much all I have to say about this! Apart from, of course, HASBRO PLEASE MAKE THIS
PWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAASE
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Comments: 96
You should. That would be completely and totally awesome.
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Seriously! 
Then I'll try to do so, I'll credit you ofcourse
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If this was made to an older demographic here's how I see the first wave. The Mane 6, Derpy hooves (eyes that are on rotatable like a roulette table) and maybe a few other favourites like Big Mac or Lyra.
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I can't tell you how much I would want to buy one without enough undue emphasis. I don't care much if the joints are showing so long as they are both secure and allow sufficient range of motion.
If you look at the Transformers Energon line, there is one Decepticon that turns into a bird, and the wings fold up when making the robot legs. A similar concept could be used with Pegasus wings, giving them the ability to fold up and even be posed in mid fold/unfold.
The posable wings may make Pegasus and Alicorn figures a bit more pricey, but if built correctly, there will be no need to bother with the extra wing pieces, which can get lost. It would also help preserve the socket part of the joint, and trust me. When the sockets get a crack in them, the joint is much looser and may even break.
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I'm working on one now..and it's is a biiiitch to work out. Way easier said and drawn than done. Hope to get it done in a month or so though!
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For the record, I'd buy one. Or several. You can quote me.
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I wish someone WOULD make these. I'd want a fairly big one with even more articulation. Shoulder, elbow, fetlock, hoof joint, etc. Anatomically accurate and all that. I'd use it as a mannekin to help get poses right.
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I really wish Hasbro would make something like this, like holy crap. This would provide me with hours of entertainment hghdhf
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If they made nice sized figurines like this, I would totally buy it..
And I'd buy ones to modify as well. They could simply sell BLANKS and likely make a ton of money from the older crowd that has gotten into this show. Most of the people I know got into it from word of mouth, and are in their twenties. We're in the "HOMG I WANNA MAKE ONE OF MY CHARACTER" stage of our lives, where we're developing disposable income and still not thinking too far in the future. XD
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This whole comment is precisely the reason they should be made!
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[link] see? They could REALLY go with an action figure approach. It's not like these toys are necessarily cuddly, though I've seen action figures with soft plastic bodies as well (The expression changing Genie Disney's Aladdin action figure had a couple different heads one could flip around and make different expressions, a swiveling waistline, arms, and I believe exchangeable hands -- Its been YEARS since I've seen that toy, though I believe I still own it) So they could easily make it so it can accept both plastic molded hair and still have it capable for the modifiers to seed more realistic hair in by hand if so desired.
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Wow, that's amazing! And I'm in total agreement with you: they could do so much more with these toys than they are already.
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They have a blank of the standard now from what I've seen for the modifiers out there, but it still is the static-except-for-the-head-swivvle of all the MLP out there. Though its pretty neat seeing a pure white MLP with hair to dye and skin to paint.
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i could see this happening (not from hasbro, but someone in the internets that is willing to creates toys, like those add-ons for the TF classic ultra magnus)
but i see them to be at least 6 inches tall instead of little tiny 3 inch tall figs
*measures up to 6 inches, and compares it to a bionicle MOC i've built that is 8-9 inches tall* :3
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If they were by third party companies, I could see them being 6 inches tall. I went for 3 inches because that's the size of Hasbro's Joes, and that they would be pretty cheap!
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Thanks a lot!
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Whoa! Very cool and well thought out. I can only hope that these get made.
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You and me both, old chum!
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even though it be a lot better then the current ones there is still something missing. the ability to bend the front legs so that they could be used as arms like humanoids do.
you see mostly pinkie pie uses her front legs in such a way only humanoids would
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You see Dash doing it a lot, too... I think you could achieve that by putting some ratcheting joints in the shoulder area so the front legs can raise 90 degrees outwards. If I draw another concept, I'll bear this in mind!
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make it so ^^
if u need more advice designing action figurs ask the internet personality vengulus from TGWTG.com
hes a toys nerd^^
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I've heard of him! I've seen some of his reviews!
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This would be the greatest idea ever. I'd totally get one!
But some rather sissy people would go "EEEW!" about the exposed joints. Not to mention they still have that old idea that girls don't like action figures, but almost petrified yet pretty dolls instead.
That would be probably the reason of why Hasbro always made static dolls for MLP and other girly lines they might have, but at least to me this case is critical. With G3 ponies, you're obligated to buy a lot of the same pony if you want to make a photostory (or something like that) with some dynamic perspective - or change of mood/pose for that matter (money is always the issue). Sadly, the G4 ponies don't even change the pose or the expression for that matter, some even being only a recolor of another.
It'd be nice if we had people like you hired for Hasbro.
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Ohh, I couldn't work for Hasbro. There'd never be any surprises about which new toys would come out!
You make a lot of interesting points! I think it's pretty much a myth that girls don't like action figures. I even know a few who grew up with boys' toys!
I think the only way to solve the issue of exposed joints would be to coat the whole thing in rubberised plastic so all the mechanisms are on the inside. But that would probably limit the articulation loads!
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Point is, how much would that cost? Hasbro would only be interested in something that sophisticated if releasing them as "uber-deluxe collection ponies" or something. Otherwise, it's a big "no-no" for them. Damn money issues... xPPP
BTW, now I'm curious. We know pegasi wings could retreat or be all time working. Would they be jointed, too?
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On my design, the pegasus wings are ball-jointed where they connect to the shoulder. I'm getting that out of the way first, because I have a feeling this next bit is going to be long.
Hasbro's G.I. Joe figures have about 18 joints, counting double-jointed bits like elbows and knees. My Pony design has about 12 joints, depending on how you count them, and this rises to 14 when you include the wings.
G.I. Joes are usually made to represent a specific character, but the only personalised bits like that on this Pony design are the head (horn or no horn) the frontal torso (wings or no wings), the mane and the tail.
Hasbro makes money on G.I. Joes by repainting them or mixing and matching pieces to create different characters and combinations. That is far less applicable to this Pony design, because with just the one mold you have the basis for every standard female character, not including the kids or the Princesses.
Hasbro sells G.I. Joes for about £8/$8. Judging from what I've just said about these ponies and the money that would be saved making them in comparison, they could easily be priced a lot less than that (unless Hasbro really want to milk us for money).
Basically this is what I'm saying if I ever get the chance to pitch the idea to Hasbro!
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Nice argument! xD
I wonder if they'll ever consider. Yes, there's always hope, but you know, it went AGES before someone like Lauren got in there. Before this, it was the silliest thing ever, a Barbie movie for small girls. (believe me, I watched it. And boy, was it... Silly)
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I can't really judge anything before Friendship is Magic because I haven't seen it, but it always seemed like My Little Pony was a bit of a joke in the toy collecting community. The only reason we've never got figures like this is that before this cartoon, it was just little cute fluff aimed at little girls. No-one quite expected to boom as much as it did!
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Indeed. It was a joke because it sounded more like a hobby for young women to collect them. However, that very same system no longer works for MLP, and Hasbro is the only one not noticing this. The toys for G4 are not only static but completely innacurate as well. Seriously, take a look at this: [link] then check this: [link]
Don't they realise it's not what the audience is going for? =C
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Wow, the difference it surprising! Well, the show has been renewed for a second season, so maybe we'll see something more accurate by then?
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I don't have much faith in Hasbro, but... As many in this deviation (including myself) said, there's always hope. I seriously don't understand why they only did recolours of the main characters when this show gives enough material for Hasbro to make a lot of toys and thus making much more money...
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Well the show has been renewed for a second season, so maybe by then they'll realise what a big deal it is! Plus, Hasbro has had a good track record recently of giving adult Transformers and G.I. Joe collectors what they want, so of course there is always hope.
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Faving this in hopes other people see this so we have this happens for real.
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Thanks a bunch! We can all hope!
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THIS IS DELICIOUS!
YES!!
YES!!
THIS NEEDS TO BE DONE
>HEY HASBRO, DO THIS AND TAKE ALL OF MY MONEY
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Great! Though I'm kind of thinking that Hasbro's super-designers would create something much better than what I've done here in my spare time.
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Yet again, this is still a good start.
Heck, maybe the people who make those Revoltech figurines would make some ponies! Hooray!
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That would be my dream! I nearly considered designing it with Revoltech joints!
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Maybe you could try sending them a request/commision!
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You can do that?!?!?!
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I dunno, try e-mail.
Maybe you could give them this concept and they could work on it.
Yet again, I am not too sure with how it works, but we'll see.
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Oh man. In my toyline, Celestia would definitely be white. (I am not a supremacist, I just like show accuracy.) And she wouldn't be a Princess, she'd be a Queen!
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Also, Transformers Animated figures FTW. Most articulated hasbro figures in a while.
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Definitely. And insanely accurate! I for one was worried how the show's art style would affect the toys, but my worries were totally unfounded!
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Quick, somepony bribe JinSatome to do a Pinkie Pie kitbash!
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Oh man, that would be so amazing if that actually happened!
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