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Play Imaginative to Release Jim Lee Super Alloy Superman Exclusive Edition at SDCC

Play Imaginative has whipped up an Exclusive Edition of its Super Alloy New 52 Superman that will be available at San Diego Comic-Con. It joins the Super Alloy New 52 Batman that is being re-released for SDCC after an initial release at the Singapore Toy, Games, and Comic Convention last year.

No word if this version of Superman will be any different than the Super Alloy Superman planned for general release – if it’s the same, it should feature a second head with heat vision eyes and a crystal fortress base that houses a fan to give the fabric cape the windblown look. Superman will be priced at $360, and we’ve heard Batman will go for $300. Both figures will be available at the Yes Anime booth #4729.

Play Imaginative to Re-Release Jim Lee Super Alloy Batman at SDCC

Last fall, we saw Play Imaginative release an exclusive “special edition” 1/6 scale, diecast Batman at the Singapore Toy, Game, and Comic Convention. While the STGCC version of the Jim Lee-styled New 52 Batman has a glossy version, eventually specialty retailers like BigBadToyStore imported a matte version of the figure.

Now, with a New 52 Superman in the works, Play Imaginative is re-releasing an “event exclusive” edition of Batman. This looks to have the original glossy finish, all the accessories of the other versions, and an extra, angry head sculpt. The packaging looks to be identical to the special edition with the exception of a new special edition sticker. No word on cost yet, but I’ll see if I can find out.

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Behind Play Imaginative’s Super Alloy Figures

This is a guest article by Jedd-the-Jedi. Jedd covered the Singapore Toy, Games, and Comic Convention for AFP and is based in Singapore.

This handsome-looking fellow is a Super Alloy Batman from Play Imaginative, and designed by Jim Lee. Before its release, few had heard of the Singaporean company, and to toy collectors in Singapore it is quite a big deal that a local company has managed to snag the rights to produce action figures of Marvel and DC characters. The exclusive figure was unveiled back at the Singapore Toy Games and Comics Convention (STGCC) in September, and is currently available over at Big Bad Toy Store.

Singaporean newspaper The Straits Times ran an article about Play Imaginative on Sunday, with interviews with the company’s two founders. Play Imaginative approached DC Comics in 2011 to obtain the licensing rights to create a 12-inch tall Batman action figure, which they were granted after DC saw and approved of the prototype made mostly of die-cast metal. The company is currently working on Super Alloy figures of Superman, Green Lantern and a new Batman. They’ve also signed a deal last December with Marvel Comics to make toys based on its movie characters, and a Super Alloy Iron Man coming out in March 2013 is the next release.

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Interview with JC Hong, Hot Toys Chief Painter and Product Designer

Jedd-the-Jedi got to meet a few of the good folks at Hot Toys during the Singapore Toy, Games & Comic Convention back in September. Over the weeks that followed, Jedd put together an interview with JC Hong, who is the chief painter and production director for Hot Toys. There’s some very interesting stuff on how 3D technology is affecting their business, and how the US and Asian markets are different. Read on!

Jedd: Hot Toys designers, artists, sculptors and painters are known for their stunning attention to detail, capturing tiny nuances in faces, costumes and props that the regular person wouldn’t be able to catch. How much access do you have to conceptual art, costume/prop designs, set photographs etc. when working on products licensed from movies? Can you walk us through the creative process that goes into creating a Hot Toys figure?

JC Hong: The Hong Kong team is very good at searching for photos, fully checking details, and giving good opinions to us. Most of my job is on human faces. For creating a collectible figure, communication is very important.

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Play Imaginative Super Alloy Batman (Special Edition)

I had never heard of Play Imaginative, but was very intrigued when the Super Alloy Batman was announced as an exclusive for the Singapore Toy, Game & Comic Convention that was held at the start of the month. You see, as much as I’ve been a fan of the Nolan-verse Batman and Hot Toys with their 1/6 scale Dark Knight figures, my love of Batman started in the comics. The Super Alloy Batman hits on a sweet spot for me – its design is comics-based, from legendary artist Jim Lee, and it’s super-articulated. Add to that the intriguing notion that much of the figure would be die cast metal, and I was hooked – I had to get one. The big question was, how would it stack up to Hot Toys, who in my view dominates the 1/6 scale for pop culture action figures.

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