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Forums - Modelling / Figures |
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| Subject: | Products are tailored for the biggest market |  |
| Date: | Mar 4, 2001 |
| From: | Bob Lessels | |
Would it also be politically incorrect to mention that Germany was Japan's
axis ally in the war and it's only natural for people want to buy figures
from "their" side of the war? Since Japan represents a huge market for
modeling, probably the largest in the world, manufacturers tailor their
armor and figure sets to the principal market. Eastern Asian was not
impacted by the Nazi/SS atrocities so there's less of a knee-jerk reaction
against releasing these figures. I notice the Eastern Asian manufacturers
seem to have minimal representation of the Japanese WWII military and (as
far as I know) only one representation of anything Chinese, nationalist or
communist (DML's M4A4 Sherman with the cat face decal option). I don't see
Ghurkas, Aussies, Kiwis, Indians, or any other soldiers from Australasia.
Lord love a kangaroo, I'd like to see some figures of "diggers," Kiwis and
Indian troops for use in North African dioramas. Still, considering the
horrors suffered by all sides in Eastern Asia and the Western Pacific, I
can understand the reluctance of many there to be reminded of them. As the
surviving WWII population there slowly disappears to the inevitable effects
of aging, perhaps we will see a more balanced representation of all the
participants. For many older Japanese, Chinese, Koreans and others, I'm sure
the memories of WWII are still a horribly raw wound.
The other factor is the simple fact that olive drab is... drab, that is. The
huge variety of color schemes and various types of uniforms worn by the
German Wehrmacht and SS gives modelers a challenge. I'm sorry to say it, but
tan/khaki uniforms and O.D. vehicles are just plain monotonous. This may
explain why there are so few British 8th Army and Afrika Korps German
figures and almost no Italian Army figures.
Another point is that I'm sure the Allies looked damned good to the people
in the lands they liberated at the time, but how did they look to the people
whose lands they invaded? Can anyone begin to imagine the terror the insular
average Japanese felt seeing Allied soldiers coming onto their land? They'd
been told to expect wholesale murder and rape. We in the U.S. and Canada
haven't experienced an invader or occupation army within living memory
(although some Yankees still aren't all that popular here in Alabama) so
let's try to look at the modeling world through the eyes of those who have
experienced the horrors of seeing armed enemy soldiers in their land and not
knowing what to expect from them. Talk about causing a national
psychological trauma! Just my Confederate $100 worth = two cents U.S.
Bob |
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 | Are we REALLY nuts about buying SS Figures? - Brandon R. Sutherland - Mar 1, 2001 |
| . . . Re: Are we REALLY nuts about buying SS Figures? - Hassan Howard - Mar 1, 2001 |
| . . . . . . The problem is that people like it!!! - - Mar 1, 2001 |
| . . . . . . . . . Re: The problem is that people like it!!! [IMG] - Hervé CharbyCharbonneau - Mar 1, 2001 |
| . . . . . . . . . . . . Re: The problem is that people like it!!! - Halpern John - Mar 2, 2001 |
| . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Yep, I agree... . - Yc. Wang - Mar 2, 2001 |
| . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Re: Yep, I agree... . - Tim Streeter - Mar 2, 2001 |
| . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . miscellaneous thoughts before a cup of coffee... - Andrew Herbert - Mar 2, 2001 |
| . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . We are not that far away + Dead soldiers at AMPS - Hassan Howard - Mar 2, 2001 |
| . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Re: We are not that far away + Dead soldiers at AMPS - Christophe Jacquemont - Mar 2, 2001 |
| . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Don't forget the military prisoners - Bob Lessels - Mar 4, 2001 |
| . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Re: The problem is that people like it!!! - Hubert, Stephane [CAR:9F65:EXCH] - Mar 2, 2001 |
| . . . . . . . . . Japan is a special case - Hassan Howard - Mar 1, 2001 |
| . . . . . . . . . . . . Re: Japan is a special case - Bob Seaver - Mar 1, 2001 |
| . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Re: Japan is a special case - Barry Gazso - Mar 13, 2001 |
| . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . World of doodoo - Brent McCombs - Mar 12, 2001 |
| . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Re: World of doodoo - William - Mar 15, 2001 |
| . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Russians fought for love of country, they did not need coercion - Hassan Howard - Mar 17, 2001 |
| . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Re: Russians fought for love of country, they did not need coercion - Gray Creager - Mar 17, 2001 |
| . . . . . . . . . . . . Can't blame them either... . - Yc. Wang - Mar 2, 2001 |
| . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . "Extended period of peace" - are we talking about Earth here? - Hassan Howard - Mar 2, 2001 |
| . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Didn't mean that... . - Yc. Wang - Mar 2, 2001 |
| . . . . . . . . . Products are tailored for the biggest market - Bob Lessels - Mar 4, 2001 |
| . . . . . . Re: Are we REALLY nuts about buying SS Figures? - Christophe Jacquemont - Mar 1, 2001 |
| . . . . . . . . . Buy, Build, Write and Post - Tim Streeter - Mar 1, 2001 |
| . . . . . . . . . . . . Devil's advocate - Bob Lessels - Mar 4, 2001 |
| . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Re: Devil's advocate - Nemanja Pavlovic - Mar 21, 2001 |
| . . . How this focus perpetuates itself - Tim Streeter - Mar 2, 2001 |
| . . . . . . Re: Get a grip guys - Olve - Mar 3, 2001 |
| . . . . . . Re: How this focus perpetuates itself - Rebecca Hill - Mar 4, 2001 |
| . . . . . . . . . The Hobby Store Shelves and Industry Economics - Tim Streeter - Mar 4, 2001 |
| . . . Re: Are we REALLY nuts about buying SS Figures? - Brandon R. Sutherland - Mar 5, 2001 |
| . . . . . . Re: Are we REALLY nuts about buying SS Figures? - jim cosides - Mar 6, 2001 |
| . . . . . . . . . Re: Are we REALLY nuts about buying SS Figures? - Rebecca Hill - Mar 6, 2001 |
| . . . . . . . . . . . . Re: Are we REALLY nuts about buying SS Figures? - JIM COSIDES - Mar 8, 2001 |
| . . . . . . . . . . . . Re: Are we REALLY nuts about buying SS Figures? - Brent McCombs - Mar 10, 2001 |
| . . . . . . . . . Re: Are we REALLY nuts about buying SS Figures? - Brent McCombs - Mar 10, 2001 |
| . . . . . . . . . . . . Re: Are we REALLY nuts about buying SS Figures? - Brian J. Kelly - Mar 11, 2001 |
| . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Re: Are we REALLY nuts about buying SS Figures? - Rhodes A. Williams - Mar 11, 2001 |
| . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Re: Are we REALLY nuts about buying SS Figures? - jim cosides - Mar 13, 2001 |
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