Tired of Support Poles? Try Support Penguins! MyFigureCollection.net

Happy Monday, folks! I thought maybe we needed a fun article so we can just shoot the sh*t about figures, and I’ve had this on the back burner. As always, apologies for being long-winded, but here we go!

Your mileage may vary on the issue, but personally, one of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to figure design is support poles. (The whole article isn’t just going to be me complaining—I promise!) That is, I understand why some figures have them. The flag on item/604001 is definitely unwieldy, and prize figures just don’t have the budget (or the right material, even) to support big pigtails (item/167123), flags (item/689041), dynamic poses (item/689430), etc.

In a lot of cases, however, I kind of see them as crutches (both literally and figuratively) for lazy designs, especially when it comes to more expensive figures. For example, I keep my eye on Neptunia figures since my brother was a fan when we were younger, and I’m always astonished by not only how expensive they are, but how they can’t seem to make anything without a support pole. ($300 and item/861656 can’t even stand on her own?) Even item/549620 was an offender—her wings are mounted behind her on a metal pole, rather than actually connected to her body. I owned her for a short while and honestly I don’t think it would’ve been difficult to just attach them (or make them attachable).

Sculptors also use support poles to create “floating” poses, and though I understand the thought process, I can’t say I care for those much more. Of all companies, Alter couldn’t figure out a way to not have item/287841 on a giant metal pole? item/427732 and item/178541 are other examples, and I’m still a tad salty about item/549488. Halloween themed things are my favorite and I think she looks great otherwise, but the supports just bug me too much to shell out $150, let alone aftermarket prices.

(I also get really annoyed when prototype photos don’t include supports that are clearly going to be part of the figure, like item/689612 and item/656326, but I suspect that’s a whole other issue.)

Now, this isn’t to say that the figures I’m “calling out” are bad! (And obviously if you enjoy any of the figures I’ve mentioned, I’m very glad you like them.) However, I absolutely adore figures that find ways of avoiding the issue altogether. In particular, I have a deep appreciation for sculptors who can integrate structural support into the design elements, especially when it involves interesting bases or elements that are fitting for the character. Those choices show a certain level of care and thoughtfulness—even artistic integrity—that I find incredibly appealing, in the same way that someone might appreciate a handbag designer’s choice to use a certain colored thread, or the kinds of numbers a watch designer chooses for a watch’s face. Scale figures in particular are, in many ways, luxury items, and so it’s nice to see sculptors putting out work that shows off their craftsmanship—and lets them have a bit of fun.

Of course, the most basic example of this are figures that simply use their own weight to balance themselves. Though her base is quite plain, item/297589 is a great example from my own collection. She has an amazing, super dynamic pose, but since her foot peg isn’t particularly heavy duty (it’s wide, but made of plastic and not particularly long), I have to assume that the tilt of her body helps keep her from leaning. Some figures do this better than others, unfortunately— item/296218 fit this category when I unboxed her, but over the years she’s gotten so wobbly and back-heavy that she’s taken a couple of spills and now I always prop her up against a riser or the side of the case. Nonetheless, I still appreciate the risk that KyoAni took with her, and I’m very happy to own such a unique, interesting figure.

Moving on to more creative examples, those “unwieldy bits” can get a bit tricky to deal with, so I like seeing sculptors get a little resourceful. Like item/689612, the sword on item/175846 absolutely needs a support pole, but in this case it’s disguised as one of the metal pipes that stick out of the base. Since the base features a suitable “city ruins” design, the pipes have a reason to be there, and so the “pole” is indistinguishable from the figure's non-supportive elements. It doesn’t always have to be so covert, though— my personal favorite is item/117966. I don’t really know anything about Mawaru Penguindrum, but she absolutely delights me every time I see her. It would’ve been easy to just put a little plastic pole there, but instead, the “support penguins” are creative, whimsical, and double as a super fun tie-in to the series. (Honestly, I think wanting to point her out to folks was a major motivation for me to even write this article in the first place. Look at her! Look at how clever this design is! Look at how cute! How can you not be charmed by this?! Whoever came up with this deserves a raise!)

What about those “floaty” figures? My favorite way manufacturers work around that design is by supporting the figure by fabric, magic, water, or similar elements. Obviously item/637417 is an excellent example of this, but I think Myethos is the gold standard—they figured it out as early as their third figure (Alice), and it’s a move that they keep returning to in interesting ways. (Su Juier, Zhao Ling'er, and item/909164 are others.) Still, it isn’t as though no one else is doing it. I love the way Megumin's magic on item/806387 not only looks really nice (that vibrant, semi-translucent plastic is a great choice), but also stabilizes her dramatic pose, and I think the pieces surrounding item/116883 allow him to have that cool “falling” pose in a way that also incorporates the unique style of the source material.

Along those same lines, I also like figures that use environmental pieces as support. Though some people didn’t care for what one user called the “fart bubbles,” I still really like how they got item/331485 to “float” by attaching her to the wall piece, while item/693386 and item/218050 are two very popular examples of figures that are given something to sit on. From my collection, I really like item/338779. The base itself is a summoning circle, and the “magic” that she rests on is a fun, creative way of mimicking the way she sometimes pops out of the card in the anime. It not only makes sense for her character, but it’s also a neat way of putting her at a more dynamic angle.

I think these examples are part of why I get annoyed by figures like item/287841 (sorry to harp on her). I understand that some companies might place scheduling or budget constraints on their artists, but I don’t know how to rationalize an Alter figure having that kind of support pole when her costume (including the rifle we see in item/604627) contains elements that could be used as support instead. Similarly, I can’t help but compare item/116883 with item/364200, or item/178541 with Su Juier.

On the flip side, you have Myethos, who withdrew a completed, painted protoype of White Rabbit because she needed a support pole under her knee and on the elevated side of the base. As you can see from the photo, the poles weren’t even that intrusive, but they thought they could do better, so they took the time to make some minor adjustments and remove them. Even though it meant I had to wait longer for her, I deeply respected that decision, and it was so refreshing to know that the delay would translate directly to a better final product. (I think it did.)

Again, I don’t think that support poles make a figure bad. But look at how fun the alternatives are! In my opinion, designs that challenge artists and force them to be creative make for more interesting figures—they create variety and encourage innovations that keep the market fresh. Furthermore, when those elements are designed in ways that reflect the character they’re supporting, it can give a figure more personality, and help evoke the source material in ways that can be even more exciting for fans. And who doesn’t want more figures that are fun, interesting, and easy to get excited about?

So! On to the important part. What do you folks think?

Do support poles matter to you when you’re forming opinions about figures?

Are there any examples of figures with support poles that you think are fun/interesting in other ways?

What are your favorite figures that have creative alternatives to support poles?

ncG1vNJzZmilqZu2qMHRnpqopJyasLW1zqdlp52kZK%2Btu8Zoa21qaW4%3D