Super7 SilverHawks Interview- What’s up with the Vac-Metal? Pixel Dan chats with Brian Flynn at Super7 to get the scoop on just how we now ha e Vac-Metal SilverHawks Ultimates figures. #SDCC #Super7 #PixelDan
@PixelDan, props to asking questions in a way that balances asking hard q’s that us fans want to know in a friendly way. Been awesome to see your interviews over the years - now ask Brian about better torso articulation!
@@megagrey Never gonna happen ! His motto is that we the consumers don't need double jointed figures because unless you're a toy photographer, you don't need to roll them up in a ball ! It's weird for a toy maker of action figures to not want to make action figures with double jointed elbows and knees .
Won't lie, this has been one of the most entertaining SDCC videos, mostly for Shartimus, Bryan and Dan. It gives so much of a community vibe, that it has to be one of the best shot interviews. Also appreciate Brian's candid look into the vac metal situation.
Mezco included some care instructions with the 89 Batman soft body, I'd like S7 to include a info note in the box just to make sure and remind us in the future. Basically just a blurb of everything stated with handling here. Looks great, really appreciate the nuances like filing down the joints to make these work. Reminds me of how customizers have to sand things to allow for new paint. These type of engineering hurdles are things consumers really dont consider with manufacturing
Instructions??? we should already know as Adult collectors that we need to handle with care, we aren't kids anymore, it's like having to tell someone coffee is hot when it is something we already know.
We wanted vac metal for Silverhawks and they are freakin beautiful but I think we all recognize that kind of paint job requires a little more delicate handling.
All of these adults will bend and throw these figures and expect the vac metal to not break off or chip off. The adults that collect toys are not the brightest of human kind.
standing in front of them at the store in the 1980s they were beautiful back then but now being an artist myself and the level of articulation these figures have not only greatly desirable but also incredibly useful as well.
I hope Brian has prepared himself for the inevitable tidal wave of complaints about about Vac metal cracking and flaking or paint chips and can restrain himself from shouting I told you so.
He doesn't even care about qc issues and the huge discrepancies between prototypes and what people end up getting. I just hope the flaking doesn't happen just by taking the figures out of the package to put on a shelf without playing with them as a five year old like he said.
@@heroesytumbas I would wager he does care about QC issues but there is only so much that can be done about them, not every figure can be inspected and even if they were, your reliant on a factory worker who’s being payed peanuts and would be expected to check hundreds every day, to pick up what are quite often very small problems. As for the discrepancy between prototypes and final products, that’s fairly common, it certainly was with MOTU classics, it’s probably the reason why a lot of companies don’t show hand painted prototypes, but I notice how most people stay quiet about the figures that turn out very well, which in my experience is the majority. I do on the other hand wish they would paint their human figures faces and not just use flesh coloured plastic.
@@raziel4435 my main gripe is stuff like Pumyra being the tallest Thundercat, Tygra missing the elbow pad, Mumm-Ra being blue, the weird accesories selection, Vultureman being the tallest mutant and its feet looking nothing like they should, how off is Steelheart's sculpt, Grune being so short among other things, Hammerhand desing being wtf, etc. And the overpricing.
@@heroesytumbas but, except for maybe Tygra’s elbow pad, none of those things are quality control errors. If you’re going to criticise the design/sculpt then you need to be aiming it at the 4 horsemen. I agree character heights being all over the place is annoying, especially Pumyra which they said they would correct after the Mattel version but it ended up only being slightly shorter. If vultureman’s feet were as per the show, then he probably wouldn’t be able to stand, it struggles as is and as far as I can make out, Hammerhand is pretty spot on to his redesign in the show which was much closer to the toy.
@@Beedo_Sookcool Metallic paint can look pretty damn nice as seen on some Neca figures, so they could have told the cartoon fans to deal with it. But hey, these new Vac Metals are great.
@@Beedo_Sookcooltbh i dont think that was the issue. I feel they needed to separate both tv and toy versions to justify making the vac metal toys. If the toys were sufficiently shiny demand for the vac metal version wouldn't be as high.
@@kaydee1485 No, I get that, mate. I'm just saying that it doesn't matter what Super7 -- or ANY toy compnay -- does. There will always be fans who complain. They make the cartoon-"accurate" version first, people complain about not getting the vac-metal versions. I bet if they made the vac-metal versions first, we'd hear complaints about not getting the cartoon-"accurate" versions. Cripes, the amount of whingeing from the Transformers fandom to get cartoon-"accurate" looks based on one of the cheapest and most mistake-ridden toy cartoons ever was ridiculous. And now, that's all Hasbro seem to be making.
Reminder that the oils in your hands act like an acid. You will need gloves to handle because even over time just touching them will make it rub off. if anything I would want the silver hawks molded in silver plastic then painted with Silver paint like Marvel Legends Silver Surfer, sure its not like the original toy but will last much longer and I can handle without gloves.
Great coverage! Thank you! These look utterly fantastic. I don't collect Silverhawks (although that toy-colours Buzzsaw is EXTREMELY tempting), but I'm happy for the people who have been wanting these. Seems like no matter what Brian does, he can't get credit for trying. "Here are some Silverhawks figures." "We wAntEd vAc-meTaL!!!!1" "Okay, we had to sell a couple waves to get the capital to work up to figure out how to make vac-metal Silverhawks, but here you go! Don't forget that vac-metal is fragile and costs more than just plain plastic, though, just like every other vac-metal toy in the history of ever." "SupEr7 SucKs!!!1!" I guarantee if they'd done the vac-metal versions first, there'd be a bunch of people whining they didn't get cartoon-"accurate" versions.
Pixel Dan and Super7: Thanks for a great video. If I do buy a Super7 Ultimates vacu-metal Silverhawks figure, I will probably never take it out the packaging. Super7, I think, does an incredibly awesome job showing the figure in its packagein.
Never had Silverhawks as a kid but ALL that Vac Metal mmmmmm … would have been nice to see a tiny bit splashed around on the origins/masterverse figures , like Battle Armour He-man and the power Sword etc
The only thing I don't understand is why they didn't just resdesign the hip area to be like the Ultimates G.I. Joes. They don't have the "daiper" thing and it allows the legs to move better. Why not just use that style of hips for the vac metal Hawks and remove the most vulnerable area?
@PixelDan, if you ever get the chance could you ask him if they intend to package these in a way that won't chip the vac metal? The plastic shells they come in now will 100% crack that stuff either in assembly, or fans taking them out of the package.
Ten to twenty more is absolutely fine for the incredible look they managed to nail with that vac metal as far as I am concerned. I really appreciate how you asked the questions and the connection you have with Brian. I'm glad it's happening and it's something I am very much looking forward to adding to my collection.
Melodia to go with Copper Kidd, since she's never had a toy before. And anyone else think Lady Gaga would be a perfect Melodia for a SilverHawks movie?
That dude on the back, I know he is a friend of both of you but he was so distracting. I was just waiting to see when he was going to jump all over the figures lol. Great interview and great figure! Brian is the man! Great explanation and most of what he said it's common sense, pose them gently, I know of some collectionists that are super rough on their figures.
Super7 has earned a questionable reputation due to their treatment of customers. They often present pre-orders with 3D renders that don't match the final product, leading to disappointment. Moreover, issues with articulation, plastic burrs, and other quality problems persist, yet they receive surprisingly less criticism compared to other brands like Hasbro. It's worth noting that this type of painting technique has been used in figures for many years. Additionally, Super7's products are manufactured in Chinese factories, not in the United States.
HASBRO is like 80 years in the game and cant give to customers pinless figures with better window boxes. Look how cheap look the classified line, gummy plastic in almost every weapon, all the joes look like 45 year old dudes.
I have to be honest here… I’m kind of glad we got the cartoon version first and now the toy version. I always wanted the cartoon version of quicksilver. It’s similar to NECA coming out with the cartoon versions before super 7 did the figure versions
Of course ! His intentions were to get as much use out of the molds as possible. He wasn't gonna sell as many animation versions if he put out the toy versions first ! It's just business, but he didn't say that because it would sound and look grimey.
@@ultramag0343not sure if the moulds area reusable in that way though. When it comes to articulated figures, even incremental differences are a big deal. To cover joints in vac metal, its highly likely they needed new moulds for specific parts
I love the fact that "Adults" are going to complain about the fact that they will mess up the Vac Metal even after watching this video and listening to Brian explain in detail you have to be extremely careful with the Vac Metal or it will chip. I love the explanation of why we didn't get these first time around and will be happy to add these to my collection when they come out. I'm an out of box collector but these will stay minty fresh in the box. Thank you Brian and the team at Super7 for bringing one of my favorite cartoons back to action figure form now if you could please do Bravestarr and C.O.P.S.
9:02 No, the Silverhawks they released first aren't "animation accurate". See the black shades and white spots they have in the cartoon? Those mean metallic shine... Even as a kid I knew that. But whatever, I'm willing to overlook how bad Steelheart's sculpt is if she looks metallic.
Well in my case I'm perfectly happy with the previews versions since the look more like the colors of the cartoon than the vintage toys, which to me, is more important to be as TV accurate as possible than vintage toy accurate. Specially since back then most times the toys were miss proportioned, lacking paint apps, or not looking at all like the cartoon characters on most of the 70s, 80s, and 90s cartoon/kids shows toylines.
I would agree, since the toys never were available here I have no nostaligic connection. That said, IMO they dropped the ball on several issues with the previous version like why two birds instead of replacement wings? Or why no way to get the heads into a flight pose? Unless the latter is addressed, I'll skip these like I did the others.
This dude is weirdly defensive, as if he simply had no choice but to release shitty Silverhawks 18 months ago instead of waiting until he recovered the lost forbidden knowledge of 80s vac metal technology
So.....how about fixing QC issues? How about the bad face sculpts or discolored bodies? How about there are WAY too many pre-orders? Why pay the pre-order prices when we can get them for half the price later on? I could go on.
These Silverhawks figures are looking good man but I wish they do Monstarr in a vac metal red color... that will make him look CRAZY man... so far the Monstarr in that red mate color is not speaking to me...😃💡👍
I'm not big on silverhawks, but if I was I would buy this no doubt. Everything he says it's true. And other companies might wanna charge way over 100 for this. 65 isn't too bad tbh for what it's worth
This is typical Brian. Saying one thing, turning around later and then saying the opposite or being proven wrong / called out. I also note how he's preemptively highlighting QC issues before anyone else does, so when people get these in hand and are disappointed then he'll turn around and do an "I told you so". That's a new one for him. Also note the emphasis on any issues being the customer’s fault. Finally, note the comments that some parts aren't the right colour and will be fixed in the factory. Lol, that's not going to happen based on his track record. We've heard that before from him. BTW this is coming from a place of wanting to like their products, spending a lot on their TMNT Ultimates! line and being constantly disappointed and subject to false promises, low quality, cheap figs riddled with problems and poor QC issues that they’ve no intention of addressing. This is from personal experience.
As someone who has been on the manufacturing side of capitalism for the last five years, I know exactly what kind of nonsense small businesses have to put up with with outsourced manufacturing -- wrong materials being used, wrong colours being used, etc. -- it happens to small businesses way more fequently than with the big international corporations.
@@Beedo_Sookcool You need to let go of the notion that Super7 is a small company because it's not anymore. They manufacture their action figures in China, so if the first wave of a collection doesn't meet your quality standards, you can easily switch to another company. Instead of being perceived as victims, they should take responsibility for delivering subpar products that don't match the 3D renders at all.
@@200yoda002I've done it enough to know its not that easy. Going with a specific factory is priming your mind to invest a ton of money and time in R&D. When you switch alot of that work, progress, expertise and time goes up in smoke. Its def not as simple as you're making it out to be. And there's the long term impact on the figures and your company. Issues with parts fitting, consistency across the board and long-term quality of the materials. Its also about timing, alot of these factories have jobs they're already handling, its not like they're dropping everything to do yours.
@@200yoda002 So? Our company has one full-time employee (me) and two part-time employees, and we have overseas manufacturing, because THAT'S WHERE THE FACTORIES ARE. Furthermore, those factories will very happily put a smaller company's order on hold to make a bigger order for a bigger company, because they like money. I dunno what pre-conceived notions you have in your head about capitalism and manufacturing, but forget all those. It's way more complicated than you think.
@@Beedo_Sookcool Please refrain from insisting that Super7 is a small company because it is not. Delays may occur as the Chinese manufacturer prioritizes fulfilling orders for larger companies with higher volumes, which brings them more revenue. However, I never doubted the reasons behind Super7's release delays. My concern lies in the final products not aligning with the initial presentations, displaying poor quality, subpar articulation, and exorbitant prices.
New respect for the guy making people double dip? k. It would be more forgivable if Super7 wasn't always making overpriced subpar stuff and dropping the ball.
@@BonusEggs4Sale Yeah, like no other toy company in the world has ever done repaints. I guarantee you, if they'd done vac-metal from the start, there'd've been whining from a bunch of people about not having cartoon-"accurate" paint schemes.
I love SilverHawks , I will definitely try to pick these up , I just hope it’s not a limited edition and all the super collectors gobble them up before us small collectors get a chance to get them too. I’ve lost out on so many figures because of similar issues. 👍👍👍✌️✌️✌️
I don't like how avoidant Brian is. He acts like we should just be happy he made them and I think a lot of people are thinking, "why didn't you put the effort into vac-metal initially?" It seems slimy to me. Thanks for holding his feet to the fire, Dan!
i can't help but think the same way especially, since their are toys that do chrome/vac metal/die cast/metallic paint well. don't believe me, check out transarts beast wars toys. those toys were designed from the get go around it. they have more articulation and moving parts than super 7 but don't have these degree of problems. also he said they had to vac metal everything which makes me thing all pieces are on one runner (thus all one color). that's lazy design on their part.
They look good like the originals but the paint is cheap it will chip off especially when you handle them the oils will destroy the paint but also the Articulation on the crotch area they still have not fixed that issue and if they cost more not worth it on the other hand the first set will drop in price ..
He assumes too much about all of us being adults! I think we're going to see so much complaining with these over people handling these rough. They'll demand that an item at this cost should be indestructible. The flaking stuff still worries me even though I am very careful with all my figures. The main problem I've had with the cartoon colors one is shelf diving. My Quicksilver especially has very loose ankles. He tried to take flight a few times! I guess get doll stands ready in advance!
Man I don't know what it is, but Super7's really gotten weird lately. Like every line has to have some problems that they try to play off or ignore and instead of focusing up they just pile on more announcements and I guess hope we forget about it.
All I can say is: try starting up your own small business with outsourced manufacturing. I totally get what Brian goes through every time there's a SNAFU.
@@Beedo_Sookcoolh ive done it, and language alone is a big enough issue. Having to go through multiple samples and moulds are not cheap in the slightest.
@@kaydee1485 Exactly. Even just trying to get the colour blends right -- especially on fashion items where these things REALLY count -- is a real pig. My wife designed a wig that's mostly honey-blonde, with some subtle hits of indigo and purple in the underlayers. We got the prorotype samples back from the factory, and they'd reversed the colours so it was mostly purple and indigo, with a subtle underlayer of blonde. Happily, that mistake turned out really nice, and we got another product out of it that sold well. But, yeah, we had other cases where it took the factories almost a year and a half of back-and-forth to get everything right, and that was a complete pain in the arse.
It’s absolutely ridiculous how disrespectful and immature Shartimus is while Dan is trying to conduct his interview and make his video. And this isn’t even the FIRST TIME that he’s done this to Dan!! Years ago he did the same thing, jumping around like a 5 year old in the background when Dan was interviewing someone. It’s the reason why I unsubscribed from him originally and I can’t take the guy. Typically I’d keep my opinions about him to myself, but when I see him just blatantly disrespecting a guy like Dan, who is one of the nicest humans on the internet, I just can’t hold back. I promise, if someone did this to him and screwed with his video/interview, he’d be flipping out. He’d probably be compelled to make a video begging for money because some dope messed up his video. Dan is too nice a guy to say anything about it, but that behavior was disrespectful, immature and just stupid. The fact that this is not the first time he’s done this to PixelDan makes it all the more ridiculous.
