Received the Fantasticar last week and had the chance to open and mess with it today (thank you, two hour long All-Staff call). Wanted to put up some quick pics and thoughts.
(Danny and Luke decided to take it joyriding since the FF are still packed away from the move)
I'm no photog and I didn't have a lot of time to get good photos - see the seller's page for much better pics.
Pros:
- It's bigger than I expected, in a good way. Feels like it would have been easy to undersize this thing, but I really like how it turned out scale wise. Definitely plenty of room in the seats for the figures, including our big boy Grimm.
- The details are solid - the control panels, seats, jets/thrusters on the bottom, and the panel lining on the body all work really well. I actually don't mind the 3D print/layer lines on the outside body - they're barely noticeable to me, and sort of work to give some texture to the all-white panels. The paint work is very solid - the blues on the "4" and running along the base really pop.
- I was worried the stand was going to be distracting considering how big it is, but it does a pretty good job of fading into the background - and I'm not really sure what a better option would be, because the tub itself is pretty heavy. The stand also gives it some good height and I like the dynamic angle - if ones wants the tub to sit straight and flat you can just stick it on a flat riser.
Cons:
- The lights look great but are a bit of a pain. There's no switch - once you put the batteries in the included bulbs they're always on, and you have to pop off the headlight housings and stick them in - then remove the housings and disassemble the bulb when you want to turn it off. There's plenty of room in the floor for a battery pack and wiring - I might try to add a switch myself, cause otherwise I'll probably never use the lights.
- It's relatively straightforward - no hidden compartments, opening seats, or any interior details once you get past the seats and control panels. It's not a deal breaker by any means, but I can definitely imagine a version of this Fantasticar that incorporates some fun goodies, sliding panels, places to store accessories, etc.
- Where the print lines do stand out is on the control panel details and the seats. It still doesn't bother me overly much, but it is very noticeable.
Overall I really, really like the thing, but - and it's not easy to admit this since the money is already spent - it's hard to say if it was worth the $375 price tag. I don't doubt that the price is fair for the time and resources it took to design, print, and paint the thing - and I do think it's pretty impressive as a piece of work - but it's a helluva steep price tag for what it is. I also recently opened the Ramen Racer, which cost considerably less and impressed me much more, so definitely some comparison going on. On the other hand I've really been enjoying getting things that mix up the display beyond a normal figure - the deluxe Phoenix, Ketch on his bike, etc - and this is definitely eye-catching and unique.
After handling this custom one it does seem inevitable that Hasbro will get to this sooner or later - the design is *not* complex, with minimal moving or interior parts, and feels like a perfect candidate for a big, iconic vehicle for them to make. For now though this is the only flying bathtub attempt I've seen since TB ML 5 nearly 20 years ago, and the FF superfans out there - all 13 of us - might be willing to take it on the wallet to have this goofy contraption represented on our shelves.
I really love the look of that, but finding the money to aside for that is rough. But I hope to do so and eventually pick it up if it's still available and he doesn't get slammed with a C&D of some kind.
Very impressive. I like the FF a lot, but I'm not sure I could throw down that kind of dough.
The stand is a great touch. It'd be sad if it were permanently grounded (and good luck finding a stand for something like that yourself).
I can't say I love the fact that it takes up an entire Detolf shelf, but that's probably preferable for the huge FF fans.
Board is giving me trouble - can't edit the above post! Sorry to @ you, TSI.
@thor-el Honestly this feels like one where it might benefit you to wait - the guy offering it seems like he likes to tinker and make improvements over time, and I wouldn't be surprised if Fantastic v2.0 has significant improvements.
@tsi Yeah I'm happy with the overall size, but its definitely a beast to display. I had to remove the shelf above to clear Luke's noggin! Now that I've got this thing I feel like I should invest in the Mezco Fantastic Four to go with it. It'll be a while before I'm able to spend that kind of money in one shot again though.
No worries, I can't check my notifications anyway. 😆
Opened up the Cabal 3-pack. Anyone got a line on something to replace that wavy sheet of plywood on Taskmaster's back? Scottacus is sold out. Rebel10Customs is sold out.
Opened up the Cabal 3-pack. Anyone got a line on something to replace that wavy sheet of plywood on Taskmaster's back? Scottacus is sold out. Rebel10Customs is sold out.
Can't speak for Scottacus, but I'd emailed Rebel10 about getting a Thor cape awhile back, long after she sold out, and she said she'd make me one. Got it, and man, is it great. Worth a shot.
Opened up the Cabal 3-pack. Anyone got a line on something to replace that wavy sheet of plywood on Taskmaster's back? Scottacus is sold out. Rebel10Customs is sold out.
Can't speak for Scottacus, but I'd emailed Rebel10 about getting a Thor cape awhile back, long after she sold out, and she said she'd make me one. Got it, and man, is it great. Worth a shot.
Thanks. I'll give them a shot.
Apparently the Fantasticar can split into 4 sections - I had no idea! I've been following regular updates from the creator for months and I swear he never showed that off. I'm gonna play around with it later and post pics if I'm successful - fingers crossed that I don't just crack the thing in half.
Opened up the Cabal 3-pack. Anyone got a line on something to replace that wavy sheet of plywood on Taskmaster's back? Scottacus is sold out. Rebel10Customs is sold out.
I looked when you posted this a few days ago and they didn't have anything, but it looks like GPSlot has some Taskmaster capes up now if you're still in the market! I actually ordered one this morning. Taskmaster wired cape by GPSlot on eBay.
@h-bird Thanks for the heads up, but I put in a special order with Rebel10Customs just a couple days ago.
@red_ogre she's really good. I am happy with everything she's done for me so far.
I'm not sure where the proper "home" for this post is, just going to put this here because it made me happy:
I've been wanting the head for a retro card Rogue to put on the body of the Juggernaut wave Rogue. I found one at a local shop for 50 cents! I beat the ebay figure choppers on that one.
I'm gonna put this here cause I'm not sure where else to put it. Is there any new place that works like Shapeways? They're gone. Probably permanently. And I've been searching for some accessories for figures that are apparently hard to come by. I remember shapeways had a bunch of things like them on their site to print. And they also had some Transformers weapons I kinda wanted to get. So somewhere I can just order stuff from people and look through their catalog. And I've tried Etsy and Aliexpress and Ebay.
More specifically, for the 6 inch scale figures, I want a couple of different bows, of varying styles. More midevil and elven looking. And while Mythic Legions do look nice, they look a bit big for the 6 inch scale. The longbow itself they did is like 6 inches. And they're not super cheap either. All the marvel legends and gi joe are too modern looking. And I'm also looking for a quiver or 2 to go with them. Again, Mythic Legions aren't bad looking, but not the style I want. And GI Joe and ML are too modern. I want more midevil and slightly more basic. I know TB did some Lord of the Rings figures that had some decent stuff, but those bows and things aren't loose very many places, and the figures are probably more expensive then I want to pay for just a bow and quiver. As I said above, I checked Etsy, Aliexpress, and Ebay. And they did not have what I was hoping for.
Also, i just noticed the articulated icons stuff on ebay, although there's not much there. I like the bow from that, even though it's a bit big. I cent see the quiver well enough to tell, but they look close to one of the designs I want, but not the elven looking ones. Anyone know a cheap way to get those? Maybe even just the bow and quiver? I checked ebay, they don't have much on there, and no bow and quiver seperate.
Latest Post: McFarlane Toys DC Multiverse Our newest member: Count von Curdles Recent Posts Unread Posts
