1/4 Scale Sean Connery

This is the first time Sideshow Collectibles has created a unique quarter scale James Bond figure. Why did you decide to create such a large model? Apart from size, what are the main differences in creating a larger model?
TG: The 1/4 figure line was something we began developing in our own response to the limitations our 1/6 scale lines presented us. The smaller scale required that we simplify many details. We were looking for a premier format to make a much more uncompromising figure presentation. Upsizing our scale created a format that is infinitely more impactful, authentic, and detailed. The results bear themselves out when looking at the 1/4 scale Connery. The Tuxedo’s tailoring is knife sharp, the Portrait has better definition, the body language of the figure speaks volumes. It’s just so much more in nearly every way. We feel that in the end this figure format offers the collector a signature piece that can be displayed in any environment and will carry an art subject perception rather than one of a toy.

How has the figure differed in development from past figures?
TG: The 1/4 scale figures are not designed with articulation in mind. That is where the 1/6 scale counterpart takes over. The 1/4 scale figures focus is on the capture of a moment. This involves choosing just the right pose that is as accurate to the character as the portrait. The end result is intended to simulate the character in the same way a wax museum’s 1:1 scale rendition might. Ours is made in a scale that is more manageable [and perhaps less threatening] than the full-sized figure.

Look Up! Look Down! Look Out!

What challenges did the Thunderball Connery figure present with his exposed legs?
MF: Exposed body parts are always a challenge for obvious reasons, but sometimes we have to do it to capture the essence of the character. We do our best to disguise joints as much as we can; a wristwatch here, a strap-on knife there. It's a whole give and take thing. Those joints are standard in the 1/6 scale format and they allow for the most range of movement. The payoff to the exposed legs on the Thunderball Bond is the dive rig. That piece could be in a box by itself. Kudos to the design team.

Did you create a completely new head for this figure?
Yes. His expression had to change to take the breather device and the mask.

When creating the Sean Connery Thunderball figure how did you go about creating that famous wet suit look?
TG: Like all things we look to reproduce the original. Trying to find a fabric that best represented the colour and material for a wet suit was a challenge. We feel pretty good about how we answered the problem.

The dive gear was obviously the bear in this project and it took considerable time to just breakdown the model project according to the weak reference we had. We literally had to crawl frame by frame through the DVD to try to translate the intricate forms and details covering the gear. Again, I believe everyone will be very happy with the end result.