3A Toys/Rebellion Press Release

[TheTooN]

3A Customer Support have surpassed all expectations, just opened a box expecting to find a replacement body for comic book Dredd, minus hands feet and accessories. Full figure instead, with one set of hands, boots and the MK1. Over the moon as the saying goes !

I grabbed a selection of the re-action and LCBH figs a few years back, some dodgy pics on a camcorder. 

Pretty sure the re-action ones came direct from the 2000ad store. Slaine and Ukko looked great, same with Alpha but the artic as Teckno says was poor. Alpha was a pig to pose as bits of him kept flying off, Anderson needed her boots boiled and re-set to keep her standing up  Best thing about her was the Boing accessory and her Mk1 Lawgiver.

LCBH Dredd and Death came via Ebay, much better articulation but some folks preferred the re-action version. I remember thinking wtf happened with Dredds Lawgiver

Mean Machine looked really good, shame he didnt make it to production. Yes please 3A !

[dweezil2]

Yeah, real shame we never got a Re:Action version of Mean and Rogue!

Really hope 3A step up to the plate and produce them at some point!

[teckno viking]

Fantastic news Scott on the replacement Figure.

Also not seen the prototype MEAN MACHINE before, Not bad at all and heavily influenced by 1995 Judge Dredd film Mean methinks. 

As for ThreeA and future 2000ad products, well we can only hope

I like my ReAction Johnny Alpha But Yes in a Heartbeat would upgrade to 3A Johnny Alpha.

[Mardroid]

Thanks for the advice guys. I'll keep away from that rascally ascetone, and be more careful in future glue applications.

Dear me, I look like a right junky in the above paragraph don't I?

I suspect that as well as using the thin implement trick to apply glue sparingly, I'll wrap the parts of the figure/attachment close to the join in something non porous (foil for example) to catch any excess.

And yes, Slaine is a great figure, and Alpha is decent.

I have a distinct memory of losing Alpha's Westinghouse blaster down the back of the chest of drawers. Even when we moved the furniture to move house a few weeks back, I couldn't find it.

Then just before Christmas, I opened up the bag of older figures to find the Legends Dredd for my calendar entry... and there was the Westinghouse blaster.

I don't know how that happened . Faulty memory, perhaps.

Durham Red is sans one gun, which I don't remember losing, but as she is often depicted that way, I don't mind so much. I just wonder if I got the two mixed up in my head. I'm getting old, you know.

/End boring anecdote. Heh.

[lincnash]

This thread has me all nostalgic for ReAction history and optimistic for 3A's future.
So I went mad with the shit camera.

Everything I could collect (carded) on a custom display panel.


The 6 Regular and 1 Death variant in the "vanilla" poses I like.


Warping Slaine variant headsculpt.


Anderson variant headsculpt.


Anderson variant close-up.


The Anderson variant was very hard to find, but came with a unexpected bonus.
When it arrived someone had scribbled "John Wagner" on the back of the card.
I contacted the Seller and they had it signed at a Scottish convention, early 2000's. (Proof?.)

Yes they are virtual statues, but I think they are great for the time they were released.

[Dandontdare]

those kevlar-reinforecd synthi-leather uniforms are no match for nipples from that pic.

[dweezil2]

those kevlar-reinforecd synthi-leather uniforms are no match for nipples from that pic.

Dredd opened a window and let a cold draught in! 

[teckno viking]

They are braille yes?

[TheTooN]

Thanks for sharing the pics lincnashOZ, I didnt know there was a Slaine variant, love the warp headsculpt. What a result on the signature too ! Rare as hens teeth over there ? I've never been to a meet/con or anything so a sig from one of the greats would be golden to me.

Thanks for the advice guys. I'll keep away from that rascally ascetone, and be more careful in future glue applications.

Dear me, I look like a right junky in the above paragraph don't I?

I often end up gluing my fingers to the bit I'm trying to fix back on. I try to just dip the end of the piece to be re-attached in a little puddle on a piece of card or plastic now cos my fat fingers squeeze too much out if I try to apply direct and it looks messy. I use blu-tac wherever possible to hold bits in place, Fear's visors for example are stuck on with a dab on each side. Easily removed when you want to use the open ones but not pinging off when you pick him up to pose.

[Mardroid]

Good idea for the visor, they slip off with the smallest provocation. Does blu-tac discolour the paint over time though?

Thankfully I never actually glued my fingers to anything. Just had a bit on a finger and thumb.

[lincnash]

2000AD forum advice, keeping boarders out of the Emergency Dept. 

Back in the day, I saw them in an advert in the Prog.
Had to do a Previews Exclusive order on the set of 6.
Opened them up and displayed on my bookshelf for ages.
2-3 years later found news of the variants and sought them out.
The Anderson has a water-damaged cardback, but I guess Mr. Wagner's sig. is legit.
5-6 years ago re-collected the basic 6 carded and made the display with variants.

Never been a completest, cynically the opposite for both comics and figures.
(Except Official Prog/Meg/Special  , But not 40th birthday variant covers unavailable to Subscribers aahhh  )
At the time I thought these figures were excellent representations of 2000AD characters.
Looks like 3A are stepping up and doing great things.
Perhaps I'll post my 3A collection in the 2030's.

[Mardroid]

I made another attempt with the superglue this evening, first with my Red Dwarf Starbug playset (the front legs are very fragile, and had snapped) and then on the second wing of Judge Fear's helmet.

I was extra careful to start with only to find one of the legs would not bond, so I ended up being a bit more liberal... and almost glued my fingers together.

A bit of a scrub later, I went on to Judge Fear, and the results were much better than last time. Annoyingly I'm not sure they're quite lined up right or if I should have pushed the second wing in a bit more, but it doesn't look bad at all. I'd rather not go through the rigmarole of trying to pull them apart and put them back together. It looks good enough I think.

I really wish 3a were a bit more careful with their quality checking though. These are rather expensive figures to be mucking about with...

Especially by a clumsy article like me.

[TheTooN]

I really wish 3a were a bit more careful with their quality checking though. These are rather expensive figures to be mucking about with...

Especially by a clumsy article like me.

I'm not sure its QC at fault, just the way 3A assemble with teeny bits glued onto bigger bits with teeny amounts of glue. Dredd's elbow/knee pads and Fears wings recently, Slades boot tassles and Bandolier and Deaths elbow pads were similar. All fairly easy fixes but admittedly stressful on new figures.

After my hiatus from the prog and all things comics 'n' toys in my mid 20's, I got back into toys when my nipper was 2-3 at the grand old age of 40 ! Super Hero Squad for him led to led to Marvel Legends and Universe for me. I always felt at ease pushing the articulation as far is it would go and nothing broke. Tried Hot Toys next, without doubt more delicate than the Marvel figure's I was used to, they were still solid and again nothing broke.

When Mezco brought out the first NYCC Dredd, same as always I pushed the artic hard and again no problems.

First 3A was regular Mongrol, built like a tank and posed like a dream. Wow ! When Sam Slade arrived I was completely flummoxed. Sure it looked AMAZING but right from opening one boot fell off, a tassle fell off the other boot. Bandolier came away. I had a whinge, got the glue out and got on with it. Death was next to arrive, pushed the artic, belt broke at both sides, hands and feet often slipped off but I was getting used to the trade off. Incredible 1:12th representations of 2000ad characters/slightly flimsy construction compared to cheap kids toys.

Sure I'd love 3A's figures to be more robust but the more I get, the more I'm used to an odd bit pinging off here and there when I push it more than it wants to be pushed. Would I rather have Mezco doing the 2000ad license or 3A ? Its a no brainer, I'll take the hassle of superglue, blu-tac and minor frustration all day long for such fantastic looking figures.

With each new arrival I learn a little more what I should and shouldnt try, or how hard to push without playing Russian Roulette. Stripping Dredd down to see what was broken for instance showed me how the legs fit on the hipballs. Nothing weird just a slot thats too narrow with a circular opening on one end to allow it onto the hipball. Line them up and its easy. I've had a leg come off again on my regular Dredd but this time I knew how and where they needed to be inside the suit to re-connect without risking snapping the hip peg.

I've rambled a bit more than I meant to but the bottom line for me is, 3A figs can be a pain in the arse at times but like L'Oréal they're worth it

As for blu-tac discolouring stuff, it used to leave marks from posters on my wall as a kid but they had been up for donkeys. I'm not worried about it on my figures, use it all the time to hold accessories, weapons, FISH on his broken peg...you name it, blu-tac is your friend.

Hope everyone has a great New Years Eve !

[teckno viking]

Happy New Year!

A little photo fun whilst waiting on other Lawmasters to arrive.

"Something dangerous when Judges need meet in Dark Places"

Also a poor attempt at AKIRA style skid.

[Mardroid]

They're lovely looking figures for sure, and despite my moaning, I am largely pleased.

It's just become a bit of a theme having issues with three figures so far.

In my case:

• Sam Slade-the feet that dropped off out of the packet - this has happened to a number of people apparently. Main issue is the trousers get in the way when trying to push the feet back on.


• Dredd with the hands exchange issue where the pegs come out with the hands. I haven't gotten round to using the hot water trick yet. I was thinking if I were to superglue the pegs back in the arms, would that be strong enough to allow me to pull the hands free without boiling etc?


• Fear with his helmet wings, and easily losable visor bits.

And it's not just me, this is happening for quite a few people so there must be some production issue here. Not so much that they're breaking (they're mostly okay that way) but all these things coming loose suggests a bit of a rush job in the factory. Fixing most of these things would just be a matter of tighter collections and/or a bit more glue, surely?

Actually Mongrol's leg armour has a tendency to pop apart too, but that's an easy fix. And what an amazing figure that one is!

So far Mortis is fine, although I haven't exchanged his hands much. I've read some negative stuff concerning his pegs snapping though from other people.

I don't mean to be ungrateful. I am very grateful that 3a are making these figures, and if I can afford it, I'll get more as they come out. Aesthetically speaking they're probably the nicest figures out there.

I'll finish this post on that positive note.

Happy new year everyone, from a grumpy old man complaining about his toys. Dear me.  (I don't feel as cross as I might come across here. My main emotion concerning these 3a figures is delight.)