Shocker Toys, Sculpt Theft?

[leafman343]

I was looking at the new line ups for Shocker Toys' Indie Spotlight series on display at Toy Fair and noticed some troubling similarities to some Toybiz/Hasbro sculpts.

Shocker Toys "Golden Age DareDevil"

HML Ronin


Shocker Toys (Don't know who this guy is)

LCBH Star


Shocker Toys "The Arrow"

Look at the forehead you can see the sanded down remains of the hair
Ronin (again)


Coincidence? or Blatant Ripoffs?

[bobtheodd]

It wouldn't surprise me at all, I don't think much of Shocker Toys. Some of the figure they have managed to put out are OK but their management/business ethic is in the toilet.

[therapist]

Hate to say it but I warned everyone when I saw wave 1 of these things Shocker toys is garbage I refuse to pay a higher price tags for inferior products.

[Green Skin]

So basically they're mass producing customs now? Fabulous

[yamivash 0]

this is just low .....

[Green Skin]

Okay this is completely off topic, but why doesn't Roni......The Arrow have any eye brows?

[ẈĀŦƧĦĪƧ₣Ā₵Ė]

They shoold be sued fore this! This is coppywrite infringment!

[chaosemperor]

HA HA this is hilarious or maybe real real sad, mass produced customs of 1) the Death Defying Devil made from a ML black panther head (with shaved off ears) on an old toy biz Spider-man classics series 2 Daredevil body and arms (with new half arm ball joint system), 2) Zen intergalactic ninja with a blantantly ripped off Legendary heroes Star head and the same Daredevil body rip, and figure 3) which seems to be what Leafman343 said is totally right on. it would be one thing if Shocker bought the rights to the molds from Toy biz or what not, but I doubt it with that clint barton head because Hasbro doesn't usually don't sell their newer molds that they could use at a later date, so Shocker Toys enjoy your torturous days in court.

[Wesr]

I'd watch what you say, remember the problems that other site had when they got on Shocker's case about stuff.

[Green Skin]

I'd watch what you say, remember the problems that other site had when they got on Shocker's case about stuff.

Screw that. They deserve every bit of flak that they get for something like this. Every toy company takes heat from time to time. They'll just lose more fans by acting like babies about it.

Who knows what the story with this is though. Could be they just had sculptors not meet deadlines and had to cobble something together for Toyfare at the last minute. Should be interesting to see what they have to say about it.

[therapist]

I'd watch what you say, remember the problems that other site had when they got on Shocker's case about stuff.

The difference is on these "OTHER SITES" were in bed with certain people from shocker toys and backed the bully tactics.

Guess what due to freedom of speech and freedom of press we can legally say what we please about these ... things and as long as people don't fear idle threats they can't do a thing ATICCA ATICCA

[bobtheodd]

I'd watch what you say, remember the problems that other site had when they got on Shocker's case about stuff.

Actually I don't know what happen? People ban? Site shut down?

[Maelstrom]

Well...all controversy aside...these look like "mock-ups" to me. Mock-ups are usually facsimiles that represent generally what the figure may look like...kind of like a rough draft. I know that many major toy companies do the same thing using parts from their previous releases (although I don't think most companies display them at conventions, shows, or anything...[url]except for Hasbro, who goes ahead and releases theirs for retail[/url])... I think these so-called mock-ups are only meant for executive's or client's eyes only. The "Arrow" picture doesn't even look anywhere near being a finished product... These pics are obviously kitbashed together from harvested parts, but I'm betting that the finished product will not look anything like these (especially if they intend to sell any of them). I don't have any Shocker toys, and have never seen any of them close up, but from most pics that I have seen, they use original sculpts and have quite a different type of articulation than anything else I've seen. Now I'm not jumping in to defend Shocker toys, I am aware that the company has had it's problems. But I would not expect anything different from an upstart company trying to procure rights to popular characters and also competing with major toy producers. I have experienced 1st hand (well, 2nd hand...wife's business) the challenges of starting your own business and trying to succeed. There are a lot of pitfalls, mistakes, ups, downs, and a lot of things to learn building your own company. I just checked their website and some of the prototypes for upcoming figures are shown and they look pretty cool to me, so I guess perhaps time will tell what Shocker toys will do.

[Green Skin]

Well...all controversy aside...these look like "mock-ups" to me. Mock-ups are usually facsimiles that represent generally what the figure may look like...kind of like a rough draft. I know that many major toy companies do the same thing using parts from their previous releases (although I don't think most companies display them at conventions, shows, or anything...[url]except for Hasbro, who goes ahead and releases theirs for retail[/url])... I think these so-called mock-ups are only meant for executive's or client's eyes only. The "Arrow" picture doesn't even look anywhere near being a finished product... These pics are obviously kitbashed together from harvested parts, but I'm betting that the finished product will not look anything like these (especially if they intend to sell any of them). I don't have any Shocker toys, and have never seen any of them close up, but from most pics that I have seen, they use original sculpts and have quite a different type of articulation than anything else I've seen. Now I'm not jumping in to defend Shocker toys, I am aware that the company has had it's problems. But I would not expect anything different from an upstart company trying to procure rights to popular characters and also competing with major toy producers. I have experienced 1st hand (well, 2nd hand...wife's business) the challenges of starting your own business and trying to succeed. There are a lot of pitfalls, mistakes, ups, downs, and a lot of things to learn building your own company. I just checked their website and some of the prototypes for upcoming figures are shown and they look pretty cool to me, so I guess perhaps time will tell what Shocker toys will do.

The big difference though is that when Hasbro does mock ups, they're not using other companies pieces.

[leafman343]

I hope you're right Maelstrom. While I don't much care for the figures they are making (I only recognise 2 characters out of 3 or 4 series they have at toy fair), I would still don't want them to make mistakes like this.

The major problem with them just making mock ups is that if you look at the other figures they have on display at toy fair, they have all the heads they would have needed. For Zen and DareDevil, take the Jack Staff head from series 2 modify/resculpt the eyes and you have a decent mock up of each, the Arrow's face could have come from monkey Tracey or one of their other upcoming figures that has a relatively normal face (I count at least 6 that would work).