Sideshow Reveal Jinx and Zao Figures

Sideshow Collectibles have revealed images of their forthcoming Die Another Day figures of Halle Berry’s ‘Jinx’ and Rick Yune’s ‘Zao’, both of which are not set to be released until the March/April period of 2004.

As with past 12" Figures from Sideshow’s James Bond collection, both figures will be a limited edition, though final production quantities are yet to be decided.

The Jinx figure features the character in a costume from later in the latest James Bond film, though the colour is different to that features in the film. The figure will equipped with a belt, complete with throwing knives and their sheaths, and a silenced-Beretta pistol.

The Zao figure features the clothes he is wearing when he arrives at Gustav Graves’ Ice Palace. Sideshow are yet to reveal a picture showing if the figures cape will also feature a cowl as it did in the film. The figure will be equipped with a Stetchkin pistol and an Icarus glove.

Both figures have been sculpted by Mat Falls, who has worked on other Bond figures, and will come with a purpose-made stand featuring the Die Another Day logo. Both retail for US$40 and are available for pre-order from www.sideshowtoy.com

Zao and Jinx Coming From Sideshow!

Sideshow Collectibles announced today that they will be doing Zao and Jinx action figures in March or April 2004, which will be available for pre-order next month.

The Zao figure will be equipped with
Stetchkin pistol
Icarus glove
12" figure stand with "Die Another Day" logo.

The Jinx figure will be equipped with:
Belt with throwing knife sheaths
Throwing Knives
Beretta pistol
12" figure stand with "Die Another Day" logo

Be sure to check out the website of Sideshow, and be also sure to enter the exclusive CBn competiton for Connery/Bond and Wisemann/Dr. No action figures running out in 2 days!

Win A Set Of Dr No 12" Figures!

Thanks to our friends at Sideshow Collectibles, Commanderbond.net is able to give away a set of figures in our latest competition based upon the first James Bond adventure, Dr No.

Due to its popularity, the superb set of two 12″ figures is no longer available on the Sideshow Collectibles website, so we are proud to be able to offer them to visitors of CBn.

Sculpted by Mat Falls, the set consists of one Sean Connery/James Bond figure and one Joseph Wiseman/Doctor No figure.

The prize is valued at over $80 (US)

Figure Information:

Connery’s unflappable Bond comes dressed in an elegant tuxedo with satin trim. Ready for action with his Walther PPK and Beretta hand-guns. Complete with 1/6 scale liquor bottle, glass and martini shaker. Perfect for his ‘Shaken, not stirred’ martinis.

Joseph Wiseman’s Dr. No comes dressed in his signature white suit and shoes, has mechanical black hands and comes complete with clear plastic radiation suit. Note: Does not protect figure against boiling radioactive water.

Competition Information

In order to win the set of Dr No figures, all you need to do is answer these three questions:

1) Who was the first actor to star as James Bond on the silver screen after Sean Connery?

2) Which famous Jamaican pop star sang “Jamaica Jump Up” featured in the film?

3) What was the name of the woman Bond gambled alongside at Le Cercle club in London?

Once you have the answers, simply send us an e-mail at [email protected] quoting “Sideshow Toys” in the subject title before midnight (GMT) September 15th.

Terms And Conditions

• The competition is open to anyone from any country, excluding CommanderBond.Net staff members and employees of Sideshow Collectibles.
• The competition closes September 15th 2003 with the winner drawn shortly afterwards. The winner will be drawn at random from correct entries and be notified via e-mail. Judge’s decision is final and no discussion will be entered in to.
• If a winner cannot be contacted within one week (7 days) the prize will be redrawn and a new winner notified.
• Total competition value of US $80 excluding postage and handling. There is no cash alternative available.

"I Must Say I Was Pretty Jazzed"

CBn can reveal first that Sideshow Collectibles Updated today with an exclusive interview with Robert Davi; Sanchez in Licence To Kill.

The interview ranges from how Davi landed the role of Sanchez to how he feels about his new 12″ figure, and he also mentions what happened on set in Licence To Kill, as well as what his career holds for him at them moment.

The interview can be found here, as well as purchasing information for the entire range of Bond figures.

All Bond Titles To Get DVD Re-Release This Year

MGM Home Entertainment is releasing all 20 of the James Bond films together in three special-edition gift sets for Region One on November 18th again, just in time for Christmas for all of you American Bond fans with a non-existant wish list.

Volume 1, which includes seven titles, was released in October and will be repromoted and released together with Volumes 2 and 3 in November.

The gift sets are priced at $124.96 each (preorder Oct. 21), and each title gets the full features treatment, including commentaries, documentaries and various featurettes, music videos, theatrical trailers, storyboards and other material.

MGM said all Bond titles, except “Die Another Day,” are scheduled to go into moratorium on January 19th 2004 for an indefinite period.

Originally, MGM had planned to come out with only Volume 2 this year, but the response to Volume 1 prompted the creation of a major Bond package for this holiday season, according to the company.

“Volume 1 was timed around the release of ‘Die Another Day, and it had huge awareness and was a tremendous success,” said Amy Zwagerman, director of library marketing at MGM Home Entertainment, so MGM decided to go with all three volumes “and capitalize on the holiday shopping season.”

The three sets will be supported by a multimillion-dollar marketing campaign that includes national TV advertising across prime-time programming and major sporting events as well as a national print campaign in general-interest and lifestyle publications and radio promotion in the top 20 markets, MGM said.

MGM will be working closely with Electronic Arts in the fourth quarter, when EA introduces the Bond-themed “Everything or Nothing” video game, so that the two companies can effectively coordinate their marketing campaigns to generate maximum buzz, Zwagerman said. Also in the works is a Bond movie marathon on cable timed around the retail window of the gift sets.

Volume One:

• Dr. No
• GoldenEye
• Goldfinger
• License to Kill
• The Man With the Golden Gun
• The Spy Who Loved Me
• Tomorrow Never Dies

Volume Two:

• From Russia With Love
• You Only Live Twice
• Diamonds Are Forever
• Moonraker
• For Your Eyes Only
• The Living Daylights
• The World Is Not Enough

Volume Three:

• Thunderball
• Octopussy
• On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
• Die Another Day
• Live and Let Die
• A View to a Kill

Playboy At 50: An In-Depth Look

Throughout its first 50 years, Playboy has featured a remarkable number of important literary contributions, and this historical legacy will be represented in the forthcoming sale by some of the most significant examples from the archives in each area, from fiction, non-fiction, the Playboy Interview, Dear Playboy, and other related correspondence.

The sale, due to be at Christie’s New York, on December 17 includes numerous original, corrected typescripts by such important authors as Ian Fleming, James Baldwin, Nelson Algren, Ray Bradbury, Arthur C. Clarke, Kurt Vonnegut Jr., Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, and Alex Haley.
Ian Fleming’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service was first published in Playboy in May and June of 1963.

Included in the sale are the advance proofs of parts I through III of the first English edition, which are divided and marked with corrections and insertions by the author (estimate: $18,000-24,000).

Below are four pictures taken from one vey high resolution photograph showing the manuscripts, one can clearly see the notes made by Fleming around the edges of the text in the extract. Click on the thumbnail to view the full version. Please note the pictures are of high quality, and so anyone using a 56k modem will have to be patient. (Pictures courtesy Christie’s).

CBn can also reveal that there are several items not specifically mentioned in the press release issued by Christie’s a few days ago.

Alongside the manuscripts for On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, Playboy will be auctioning printed proof sheets of Fleming’s short story “The Property of a Lady,” published January 1964. These are estimated to fetch $3,000-4,000, and three typed letters to the editor of Playboy regarding publication of his work, one with a secretarial signature. These are expected to reach $2,500-3,500.

Hugh Hefner, founder of Playboy started out his career as a cartoonist and among the most exciting aspects of the Playboy collection is the large and important body of illustration art and cartoons, including memorable images by such renowned cartoonists as Shel Silverstein, Jack Cole, Eldon Dedini, Phil Interlandi, Erich Sokol, and Gahan Wilson.

Also included are examples from Playboy’s masterful “Little Annie Fanny” series by Kurtzman and Elder. A particularly relevant highlight includes “Little Annie Fanny: James Bomb,” from the December 1967 issue (estimate: $20,000-30,000).

A special preview exhibition of highlights from the collection opens at Christie’s galleries in Rockefeller Center on July 23, at 1:00 p.m. to kick off the national tour.

Highlights from Playboy at 50: Selections from the Archives will then be on view in Pebble Beach, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Chicago, and New York from July through December. The touring exhibition will include fine art, original illustrations and cartoons, photographs, manuscripts, and memorabilia celebrating 50 years of cutting-edge, classic pop culture.

Tour Schedule:

July 23-August 8 – Christie’s New York , 20 Rockefeller Plaza
August 14-17 – Equestrian Center, Pebble Beach, CA
September 9-15 – Christie’s Los Angeles, 360 North Camden Drive
September 19-21 – The Palms, Las Vegas, 4321 Flamingo Road
October 24-31 – Christie’s Chicago, 875 North Michigan Ave.
December 13-16 – Christie’s New York, 20 Rockefeller Plaza.

Auction:

December 17 – Christie’s New York, 20 Rockefeller Plaza, 10 a.m. & 2 p.m

Interested bidders around the world can view the catalogue and all property from the sale approximately 5 weeks before the sale on a special subsite devoted to Playboy at 50: Selections from the Archives at the website. Information on Playboy’s 50th anniversary auction can also be found at the Playboy website.

Thanks to Christie’s and Playboy for their assistance and information. Thanks to Christie’s for the superb pictures of the OHMSS manuscripts. More information will be available leading up to the auction, and CBn will be here to report it.

Fleming's OHMSS Manuscript Up For Auction

Manuscripts by Ian Fleming and Beat poet Jack Kerouac, along with a vintage 1960s Bunny costume and photos of original Playboy cover girl Marilyn Monroe from 1960 highlight the “Playboy at 50” collection to be auctioned at Christie’s.

Advance proofs of sections from “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service”, published in Playboy in 1963 along with notations by Fleming, are estimated to fetch £11,000 ($18,000) to £15,000 ($24,000) when they go under the hammer on December 17th this year, strengthening the connection between Bond and Playboy, a relationship that has lasted over 40 years.

Photography, memorabilia, art from contributors such as LeRoy Neiman, Alberto Vargas and Gahan Wilson and a custom Mercedes limousine that belonged to publisher and founder Hugh Hefner will also be included in the sale, held in conjunction with Playboy magazine’s 50th anniversary.

“It will prove there were millions of men who did read it for the articles,” joked Hefner about the magazine infamous for bringing eroticism to a mainstream audience.

This isn’t the only piece of 007 literary memorabilia that’s gone under the hammer this year, most notably Richard Chopping, artist of many great Bond jackets sold his printers proofs as well as a signed first edition of Thunderball this month after revealing his strained relationship with Bond’s creator.

Not much is known about the manuscripts in the Christie’s auction as yet, but CBn will bring you more news and information about them as it surfaces.

Sources: Reuters, New York. Christies.com.

Bond Artist Severs Last Link With Fleming

Richard Chopping, a well known figure in the art world of the 1950s and 60s is auctioning off his last printer’s proofs and an autographed first edition of Thunderball at Sotheby’s on Thursday, July 10th, 10:30am, saying he has “had enough of the whole thing.”

He was commissioned by Fleming to produce his famous series of designs for the Bond novels following an exhibition at the Hanover Galleries in 1956.

The artist Francis Bacon, exhibiting downstairs at the gallery, took his friend Ann Fleming, who reported back to Ian that “you ought to get (Chopping) to do your next book jacket.” Chopping was subsequently invited to the Flemings’ house in Victoria Square, where Fleming invited him to paint the cover of From Russia, With Love, and the partnership was born.

Chopping described Fleming as “charming, but horrid”, indicating that their partnership wasn’t exactly plain sailing, with the author laying down strict and sometimes impossible instructions as to what should be included, nevertheless, the jackets are some of the most celebrated of post-war British fiction.

Fleming himself described Chopping as the only English master’ in the art of the trompe l’œil technique. A French term literally meaning “trick the eye”, trompe l’œil is a style of painting which gives the appearance of three-dimensional, photographic realism.

In the cover for From Russia, With Love, Chopping pictured a sawn-off .38 Smith & Wesson revolver that belonged to Geoffrey Boothroyd, a gun expert who inspired the character of Q in the novels.

The painter is reported to be happy to let go of his last connection with Fleming, and to close the door on his part in creating the image of the world’s most famous fictional spy. He said “Mr Fleming was not a nice man to work for. He was mean. I have been swindled all along the line.”

Mr Chopping remains bitter that he was not paid a commission on the novels sold, and that the watercolour paintings he produced for ten successive Bond novels became the property of Fleming and have passed into private ownership.

“They would be worth a great deal of money now. They were passed into Fleming’s family when he died and then sold. I borrowed some of them for a retrospective exhibition in Aldeburgh, but I don’t even know who has got them now.”

Mr Chopping said the popularity of the distinctive book covers made it difficult for him to sell his work elsewhere as his style became associated with the million-selling books.

This is truly a sad end to a partnership that saw the production of memorable work, the covers of the Chopping editions are some of the most famous and celebrated pieces of Bond artwork in the world.

Sideshow Unveils Q Figure

Sideshow Collectibles, who exclusively make James Bond 12″ figures, have unveiled a Q figure.

The 12″ figure is based upon Major Boothroyd, the former head of Q Branch, immortalised by actor Desmond Llewelyn. Llewelyn appeared as Q in 17 of the James Bond films, 1999’s The World Is Not Enough being his last. He passed after shortly after the films release.

Sideshow Collectibles released the following information on the figure;

Major Boothroyd, a.k.a. Q, is the man responsible for the creation of all the spy gadgets used by James Bond. Bond often frustrated Q by not paying attention during his briefings of gadget operation. However, James could always count on Q’s inventions to save him and the mission.

To date, three actors have played the part of Q. It is Desmond Llewelyn, however, that made the role his own by appearing as the character in 17 Bond films. Llewelyn died tragically in an automobile accident shortly after the release of ‘The World Is Not Enough’ in 1999.

This Limited Edition 12 inch Q is a US domestic web site exclusive and can only be purchased directly through Sideshow Collectibles. He comes with over 30 points of articulation allowing for full human movement. He is outfitted in his signature suit seen throughout most of the 17 missions he appeared in. Q comes with a box full of his signature gadgets that he created throughout his career.

The figure will be released in limited quantity, with a number yet to be determined. It will retail for US$50.00.

Further information can be found at SideShow Collectibles.