Best Foot Forward

Apparently the newly shaped mold isn't the only change we will see to the vinylmation form when the Sea Creatures swim into D-Street on April 22nd. Much like the current arms and head, the feet will now also be removable. Besides the obvious DV Combo Contest possibilities, what does this feature do for Vinylmation? Disney's Steven Miller says the removable feet will now allow artists to have their designs fully wrap around the feet leading to a more clean, crisp look.

Artist Thmoas Scott spoke about why the feet needed to be removable, "One challenging area (to paint on vinylmation) was the space where the underside of the belly and top of the feet meet. The feet are now removable which leaves the door open for improved artwork and future accessory opportunities."

The indentation between the feet will also be more shallow, allowing for easier wrapping and more visible design details. Hats (or shoes) off to Disney for continuing to innovate the design process and giving fans sharper looking figures and a higher quality final product.

	Original Feet Indentation
	New Feet Indentation

"I think that went we talk about this we need to make a distinction from "removable feet" and "the new look of the feet". I think that if it helps the artist, that making the feet removable doesn't change anything about my opinion of the figures at all. In fact it makes the Combo Contest a little more interesting! Now, the minimizing of the separation of the the feet is a different story, and one better grouped in with the other changes we mentioned last night.

"I also really like the idea that the vinylmation might have accessories that directly connect to their feet. Like Max's skateboard might have been one of those if the process had been in use."
- M.C..

"If it helps the final product have a more polished look to it, I'm all for it. It will probably make footwear look better, like the bubble gum kid's sneakers. And I'm a huge fan of getting rid of that big indentation between the feet. That will greatly improve the design especially on more artistic figures." - Nick

Also thanks to DV reporter Ryan who helped with this article.

For a more in-depth look at the Vinylmation mold changes, check out "Mickey's Modified Mold". For more on the Sea Creatures series, visit Sea Creatures Explained.

What do you think of the change? (Make sure to address whether you are talking about the "removableness" of the feet, or the design change itself.)

Pictures from the vinylmation.com Blog.