While SDCC has ended its preview night mere hours ago, we’re continuing our ThunderCats discussion with ToyBro, aka Jared Elswick, to talk about the big bad mutant of the wave – Vultureman!
WWMTC: Finally, our mutants are complete. Well, almost. We just need Ratar-O, but that’s a discussion for another interview. Do you now consider your mutant faction properly completed with the arrival of Vultureman?
TB: For the most part, yeah. Even though he’s not an “original” mutant, I certainly think of him as one of the core team.
WWMTC: Is this the Vultureman we always wanted?
TB: I think so, or pretty close, anyway.
WWMTC: Do you think there is space for a super power potion version of Vultureman in our collections later down the line?
TB: Possibly, though I’d hope something like that would be an exclusive and not part of the main line.
WWMTC: We’ll start with his accessories first. This guy has LOTS of stuff. Of all the figures so far, he has the most accessories in when you just count the individual items like weapons and fun oddities. Do you recognize all of them? Some are, of course, episode specific.
TB: I think I recognize them all, this time. Some odd choices but a lot of his stuff works as “guns” for folks who don’t know the Shifter or the voice imitator, since it still looks like a gun. The super power potion is a nice touch and getting all his tools as well, but the vintage weapon really does it for me.
WWMTC: Agreed, it is wonderful to see his LJN toy weapon. Do you think collectors would have been unhappy if it wasn’t included?
TB: Possibly, I know I was hoping it would be included when he was first revealed. We don’t know which characters will or won’t get toy versions, so getting the weapon right out of the gate is a better way to go about it, I think.
WWMTC: Is he much taller than the others? Are you pleased with his scale?
TB: He is definitely taller than he should be. But I’m not personally upset about it, I think he looks good being a bit larger. Something about his design lends itself to being “bigger” than some of the others so it works ok, but it’s still not necessarily accurate.
WWMTC: Head wise, which is your go to head that captures the spirit of Vultureman perfectly?
TB: I think the squaking head really does it here, it captures him pretty nicely, but both heads are really well done with a lot of detail and great paint work.
WWMTC: Would you like a Flying Machine to go with you Vultureman one day????
TB: I’m not sure it’s something I think I need, but I’m open to any and all vehicles at the moment. Need to see how the tank turns out first, though!
WWMTC: Do you think there were any missed opportunities with this figure or is he the best he could be in terms of the offering?
TB: I think the one thing, beyond his height, that will be called out are his legs. His “spikes” on this legs should be on the back of his feet not on the calves. I’m not sure why they went this way with him. I know some style guide art has him walking on his toes, digitigrade style, and the spike is higher up, but it’s still on his feet, it just looks like its on his legs, so maybe there was a miss on how he’s supposed to look. I know overwhelmingly in the show, though, he walks flat footed and the spike is on the foot, not the leg.
WWMTC: Now that this faction is completed, and we’ve started with the Berserkers, who is your next favorite villain you’d like to see appear in Ultimates?
TB: I still REALLY want an Enflamer. Unless they want to drop some Crab Men for army building.
WWMTC: We know that the LJN versions are dropping any day now. Would you like an LJN Vultureman too?
TB: This might be one that skirts the line of if we truly NEED a toy version down the road, since the toon and toy designs aren’t all that disimilar. So this is a happy medium to get the toy weapon and you can work him into either kind of display, possibly.
