These contests tend to have at least one entry that is a bit of a weak link. The quality simply doesn't match the quality of the other pieces. This is not the case here. I think all of these have legitimate reasons they should be the winner. As I'm writing this, I'm not sure who I will be voting for.
Theorgg: Monsieur Cheeks as seen in G1Once again, theorgg has an unconventional entry – which I love. Admittedly I don't know this character. I had to refer back to the pictures theorgg had originally posted in the other thread. This both works for and against theorgg. When he originally posted I couldn't make sense of what he was posting – what was the entry? So, his sculpt clearly looked enough like a MUSCLE figure for me to gloss right over it. But because I had to look back, I'm also looking with a more critical eye.
Number 87 would have allowed the sculpt to have more of the natural shape of the figure. Admittedly, the lines probably would have to be sanded or filled in. Having said that, theorgg still did a really nice job. At first glance I just assumed it was a Kinnikuman sculpt. This entry really made me wonder what could be done by simply using existing figures as the starting block for new figures. I'd be willing to assume many would end up in the wimpy, thin category.
Dankingery: Dr. Bonbe's TellFirst, I have to say this is the best unfinished entry we have ever had. This
has to be a loving homage to dog's playing poker! This is one of those pictures that has something for everyone. To the non-MUSCLE fan it is an interesting group playing poker. To the super fan it is packed with little treats – the light-bulb guy as the light, Drunken Master's numerous drinks, the Kinnikuman masks, and the Tyranoclaw toy. This drawing is sort of the positive version of an idea I had discussed with Scumdogg (if I had any artistic talent). I wanted to see the SR's hanging out, or at least together, and very unhappy – tortured outcasts, part of the line but not part of the group. Enough about me. There is only one negative for me, some of the scaling seems off. DM and DR just don't seem right, both are probably a bit too small. In fact, all of the foreground figures seem...off in some way. I am not able to exactly put my finger on it. In a finished format, this could have won on idea alone.
Kevin Mayle: Dragon RamenmanNice choice of figure!
I wish it hadn't have been such a strong entry right from the start, because I'd like to see other interpretations of DR. What can be said? The figure and dragon are beautifully drawn. In an effort to save myself some typing, I'll just say they are perfect. I really could not heap enough praise on them. Having said that, I felt there were two distractions. The first was the background. The blue circle had more of a nerdy senior picture feel to it. It seemed out of place. Unfortunately the other background Kevin posted (in the other thread) felt like that even more. I don't know what the right choice would have been. Staying with the blue background I think a more action-orientated pose would have helped. It would have given it more of a character poster feel. With the current pose (which strikes me as a captured moment) the background needs to tie to the figure - why was he standing there like that? If he's dropped at a bus stop, it becomes a funny picture. DR patiently waiting while the dragon gets angry. If you put him in an open grassy field, then it becomes a serious picture. DR thinking about his future while the dragon attempts to hold him back and impede his progress. The second distraction to me was his pants. In my mind, the dragon is coming out of DR. The top of the drawing seems to agree with this, but below his waist the dragon turns into a decorative stripe. Based on the figure, I can see what Kevin was doing – but it was just weird for me. No matter what, this is just a superb entry.
Scumdogg: "Body/Slam", ft. Kochiras the SpiderWhile Kevin may have had the best choice of character, Scumdogg had the most obscure choice. I'd love for someone to post a picture of this Kinnikuman figure. But having the obscure choice certainly didn't slow down my enjoyment of this piece. I love the color choices. I almost always say that Scumdogg's pieces have a natural energy to them, that they seem fluid. This might be one of the best examples. I half expect the crowd to start moving and the move to be finished. Scumdogg gets a similar statement to Kevin, I just can't heap enough praise on this one. But just like Kevin, there are two distractions. The first is the ass on the figure getting slammed. I can't tell if it is resting on Kochiras' head or behind it. There is just something odd about that spot. I know that's way too general, but I don't know how to be more specific on this one. The second thing is the scale of the crowd. I love the choice of figures (especially Meat), but they seem too big and their shadows too small. Kochiras leg shadows are very long, while the crowd has a very short shadow. Based on their size it seems like the shadows should be longer – compared to the shadow of Kochiras. I know that is an insanely small detail, but for me it was very noticeably on an otherwise perfect piece. I also think Scumdogg can take the constructive criticism better than most.
Reccoom Kaboom: SD PuzzleBecause I didn't see it stated anywhere, I assume that Reccoom combined five pieces to make the puzzle. If that's the case, then extra points for execution and attention to detail. If not, then he owes me $45 Schrute bucks. I won't lie. I don't really like super-deformed figures. For some reason, the SD MUSCLE figures are especially unappealing. I think with MUSCLE's they start to get too Pokeman-like for me. But I can still appreciate what Reccoom did. The two bottom rows are really well done. All of the figures are identifiable, and nicely interpreted. I really liked the Terri-Bull and Tyranaclaw. The top two rows have a few duds for me, especially the middle figures in both rows. I don't know who they are. They seemed like generic figures, or at best SELECT knock-offs. What I really liked best about this entry was its originality. As is, this would be a great bath toy for kids (it's foamy right?). Even if it wasn't a bath toy it would be a fun puzzle. Lots of puzzles focus on breaking up an image or each piece simply being the shape of the image. I can't think of a puzzle I have seen with this format. Based on the last few entries from Reccoom I think the holiday event will be a homerun (no pressure).
Tortle: TyrannoclawI feel like Tortle misses out on winning these contests because people expect so much from him. This is what they expect. This is an awesome piece. It was an awesome look to it, but the attention to detail is amazing. I think that the arm balance is perfect. The left arm seems appropriately long for a right arm so big. The shoulders/arm sockets are also great. This would be the spot that this type of figure could struggle, but they seem correct. The foot placement also seems right. It really feels like the power is in that front foot and that the left foot is just trying to balance. It seems like I've mentioned backgrounds a few times with this contest. For me, this is the perfect background for this figure. The light blue fills the blanks, but doesn't try to compete with this figure (it couldn't).
As I said before, all of these entries were awesome. I am blown away by the talent on our board. I need to thank all of our artists because seeing the entries and then the contest thread itself are two of the most fun things on the board. All of you make it possible, so I
sincerely thank you.
So who do I vote for? Tortle.
It was the only one that I didn't have any constructive criticism for. There wasn't one thing that I felt could be improved, changed, or edited. And perhaps most importantly for me this screamed, "This should have been a G1 MUSCLE!"
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