UA-100768763-1 Jump to content

Minimate hands.


Recommended Posts

I began my addiction with palZ & just recently I was posing a few when it struck me how bad the hands were on them ,how totally wrong they looked. I've always had a soft spot for palZ but that's probably due to the X-Files licence rather than the actual figures but it got me thinking about Minimate hands hence the thread. We've all come to accept the bits on the ends of the arms that hold accessories as hands yet they look nothing at all like real hands do they? The more I look at Minimates now the more I keep thinking about whether proper hand-shaped hands should be the way forward ( do I need another ?....?) . There are quite a few Minimates with proper hands now....... fingers anyway...& they look right . The fact is that I'm such a purist with Minimates that I hate many of the 'improvements' we have had over the years but with the undoubtable improvements in what can be produced at Minimate-scale I might just (see how I sit on the fence ;) ) embrace 'real hands' on Minimates now.

Edited by buttheadsmate
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I like the 'claw' I think they're part of the charm of minimates. I don't mind when DST come up with variations of the claw like Spock's alternate but full on five finger hand-jobs ;) just look wrong!

Please note I don't actually like Spock's alternate hand, I just don't mind it being an alternative.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There was absolutely nothing wrong with the original Thanos' hand/gloves. They looked like they belonged on a minimate and they even had all the infinity gems. I still don't understand the reasoning why DST gave the newer Thanos the 5 finger treatment.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think there are situations that warrant the use of more detailed hands than the standard claw, the Infinity Gauntlet being one example, but they need to avoid trying to detail down to the individual finger unless they can improve the detailing. Those Vulcan Salute hands are just ugly.

I like the repulsor blast hands that have come with various Iron Mans (men, mens?) and Red Skull holding the Cosmic Cube would have been another great custom hand to include in the Villains set.

I would also like to see a Spider-Man web shooting hand like the Wave 4 Masked Spidey one, just minus the webline that was attached. I think the as long as they provide the standard Minimate claw hands as well, I'm all for it!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It doesn't bother me too much either way, but if I had to choose, I would probably stick with the traditional hands. Minimates are an interesting juxtaposition of the simple (basic overall look, minimal sculpting for the most part) and the complex (degrees of articulation, detailing on some tampos and accessories, etc.), so where best to draw the line is not always clear to me. I think sculpted hands could work, and do work in some of the instances where they have tried it. But I don't necessarily think of them as improvements. In exceptional cases like Nightcrawler and wolf-persons, I think they are a nice addition though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I look at it like many above already commented.

In my humble opinion, the basic Minimates body should be the unadulterated blank. From there, CHARACTER SPECIFIC tweeks should be introduced. Hulk gets a big chest, bigger feet, bigger hands. The Leader gets a bigger head. Wolfman gets claws. But the integrity of the blank must be maintained.

Mandarin's individual fingers make sense, a main component of the character is the fact that he has ten alien rings. Kitty Pride has a normal hand, thus she gets the regular hand (with maybe translucent plastic).

I like the upcoming classic Thor, because I didn't feel his chest warranted a big chest piece.

I will say this, though. If DST can figure out how to pack a highly detailed, wonderfully sculpted, massively articulated figure in a 2" or smaller body then I'm headed for bankruptcy. Imagine Marvel Universe scaled down from 4" to 1.5". That would rock my brain out of my head!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I will say this, though. If DST can figure out how to pack a highly detailed, wonderfully sculpted, massively articulated figure in a 2" or smaller body then I'm headed for bankruptcy. Imagine Marvel Universe scaled down from 4" to 1.5". That would rock my brain out of my head!

Like a Mega Bloks figure? :D

I kid, I kid!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Put me in the simple-hands column.

I think one of the appealing things about Minimates is the use of simple geometric shapes. Cylinders for heads and forearms, blocks* for torsos, etc. The hands are simply spheres with a cylinder and a couple slices removed.

Stuff like the latest Thanos gauntlets are overkill for my tastes. If DST were to update the basic hand shape, I wouldn't want anything more complex than the old 3" Minimate hands. In fact, I miss the old 'thumb' sometimes. But I'm not convinced it would scale down well.

*Obviously they're not cubes, but with the slight tapering I'm not sure what the 'geometric equivalent' name is.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I generally like the more detailed hands, even Thanos, but I don't think I'd want them to be standard across all Minimate lines. One improvement I would like to see though is to rotate the hand opening 90 degrees for 'mates with certain accessories, like rifles, so they could be held with both hands.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree about simple hands unless it makes sense for the character. But they should try to make all hands capable of holding any accessories that might come with them or offer the basic hand to swap when holding is required. Gorn, I'm looking at you! No wonder Kirk won. You can't even hold your weapon!

If DST were to make any change to the standard minimate, I would want them to add another point of articulation between the shoulder and elbow so that a mate can cross its arms. One of our customizers here posted about doing this in a thread I stumbled across many moons ago and it was awesome.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In my humble opinion, the basic Minimates body should be the unadulterated blank. From there, CHARACTER SPECIFIC tweeks should be introduced... But the integrity of the blank must be maintained.

Personally I'm with Jatta on the character-specific part. I'm probably only saying this because I started out late in this hobby, but some of the highly-sculpted details like Thanos' fingers didn't really bother me as much as they did the "purists" here. I guess it's all about maintaining an overall okay aesthetic that doesn't break too many rules of human proportion (i.e. the awkward-looking Duck Feet + Waist Extender + Boxing Mitt Hands combo you see on Ultimate Hulk, 90s Beast, etc.)

I agree about simple hands unless it makes sense for the character. But they should try to make all hands capable of holding any accessories that might come with them or offer the basic hand to swap when holding is required. Gorn, I'm looking at you! No wonder Kirk won. You can't even hold your weapon!

I probably wouldn't blame these on the minimate hands themselves but on DST's apparent problem when it comes to properly scaling down accessories. Back then it really wasn't a problem because accessories then were pretty simple when compared to what you see today where they're becoming as intricately designed as the 'mate themselves. Daredevil's billy clubs and Bullseye's throwing knives from the early waves look really bare-bones when you compare them to newer accessories like Ultimate Thor's hammer or the axe from the T-2 Cyberdyne boxset.

For a more compact comparison of "accessory evolution", there's the guns from the wave 9 Blade/Assault Punisher 2-pack versus the ones from the Punisher: War Zone boxset. You'd think that with the added detail, thinner grips to accommodate the classic minimate hands would be a no-brainer too, however that looks like one of those oft-overlooked manufacturing details or some sort.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I like the traditional hands more than the ones that usually come on other fingers, since they can hold items better and Minimates are super deformed anyway. Though I do like the hands on Hulkbuster even though he only has four fingers on each hand.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I like the traditional hands more than the ones that usually come on other fingers, since they can hold items better and Minimates are super deformed anyway. Though I do like the hands on Hulkbuster even though he only has four fingers on each hand.

I thought that's because the Hulkbuster armor DOES have only 4 fingers on each hand... :blink:

Anyway, i'm perfectly fine with fingers being added, but i'd prefer they were more "suggested" to rather than full-fledged fingers, kinda like slight grooves hinting at the, while still mainting Minimatey-goodness. One tingthat was ALWAYS bugged me is the way minimates's thumbs look though; it's the same size as the hand!! I get it, it's the deformed-style, but come on...at least make it a little smaller...

Since i don't see any changes coming soon, though, i'd like them to stick with it for character-deserving ones; the new Infinity Gauntlet was amazingly sculpted, Hulkbuster's tiny fists are adorable, and Gambit's card-hans look amazing.

And really. Would a Cylon Centurion look right with a normal Minimate hand?? ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I love character-specific sculpted hands. I'm not too picky, like I prefer the new Thanos gloves, and I'm fine with seeing fingers occasionally. My Scott Pilgrim custom would be 1/2 the Minimate he is without a unique hand.

This reminds me, slight OT but Lego collectors, how do you guys put your hands? I keep the flat part up, but they always seem to come with the rounded part up.

Edited by Shamrock
Link to comment
Share on other sites

but full on five finger hand-jobs ;) just look wrong!

Those are the best kind :lol:

I like what JP said about "maintaining the integrity of the blank." I like the basic hands, but with the little changes now and then to stay true to the character. It's a fine line, but I'm pretty much a purist. The sculpted hands of the Hulkbuster armor work for that figure, but I hate, hate, HATE those stupid play-doh looking hands they have been doing to bulk up some figures.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just addin my vote for the 1st appearance 'claw'. I think the pasic block form is part of the charm. on occasion, i don't mind a bit of tweaking. I think the Nightcrawler hamds are a perfect example.

As for Thanos - i kinda prefered the 1st figure which kept the minimate style for the Infinity Gauntlet.

Still - a lot of the figures that are given more detailed hands often now come with a spare set of regular hands . . . so most of the time, i'm pretty happy :biggrin:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...