ATStudio Dolls

hello. It seems like the links youve shared arent working.

someone here also mentioned that atstudio artist sells secondhand soom dolls. Is that supposed to be bad? Are the ones they are selling recasted copies?

 

Hi!
Thanks for the notice, I have edited the links please see if it works now.

It’s implied that those SOOM heads (quite a good number it seems?) sold by the artist were used for recast/base modeling purposes.
And this is not my opinion, I am just translating what the Chinese collectors have witnessed and suspected.

 

Thank you fixing the links. Ive already stumbled upon those images. But i just wish i could understand what was written in the post to actually make sense of the whole thing. Even the comment section looks interesting

Oooo. Thats another story on its own. If shady and illegal transactions were really involved, then they would definitely have to pay for it, in the court at best. Otherwise, if those allegations are proven wrong, i certainly hope atstudio artist would file a lawsuit against those who are involved in what would appear as acts of libel and slander.

 

I’ve translated the 2nd link please see below.

The second link have 3 side profile photos.

From left to right:
1)Baker head sculpt in process (original photo taken and posted by ATstudio artist themself)
2)Finished product Baker (side profile outlined in yellow) (photo provided by ATstudio collector)
3)Finished product SOOM Pharo (side profile outlined in red) (photo provided by ATstudio collector)

The lips and chin of the Baker head during the “rough” initial stage of sculpt process,
is a very close (almost perfect) match to Pharo’s lip and chin. See the red side profile outline superimposed. These parts are then modified later.

Hope this helps clear some confusion.

 

I feel you there. I also got the same vibe that this has slowly turned into a group bullying. These people so want Hook out of the picture. And the evidence they presented I will consider as poorly constructed and misleading. I mean hey if they want to prove something at least get the real heads and body.
For your information, Hook is slowly sharing his creation process on his Weibo: Sina Visitor System if anyone is interested, take a look. We all deserve to hear what he has to say.

 

Apparently their acc on weibo also got hacked at one point, probably by those individuals propagating this issue. This is a rough translation of the post. The comment section of their other posts also look chaotic.

 

I am following the rumor during two days. Because of my bad English, I just want to give some points when I see a lot of accusations, evidences. If you need some link from Weibo, please tell me. I can't upload pictures but they are on Weibo.
1. Owner who had head Narmer and Baker, gave pictures. She told that their were still different a little bit and said ATstudio didn't copy.
ATstudio gave a lot of pictures which showed his scuplting process. There was a picture which showed a clay Baker's head in scuplting.
2. Surprisingly, people pointed out the first head of Baker which made from clay, were totally the same SOOM Narmer. They used picture of clay head was upload by ATstudio to check.
3. In another pictures of process scuplting by ATStudio, people figured out a strange protruding mark on the back of Baker head. This mark was fit with the sign of Soom's head. (I think you can check a head from Soom. They have a sign behind their head.) The evidences show that ATStudio printed 3D Narmer, covered with clay and fix some details on it to make it quite different.
4. Until now, the price of ATstudio's doll dropped nearly a half on Chinese second hand market. A head of Baker dropped from 1500 Yuan to 700 Yuan.There were many dolls of them on sale now. This happen after the accusing party showed a lot of evidences.
5. An idea form Chinese owner: The big and famous brand like Volks, Napi, Fifth Motif didn't give any respond for similar things happen in the past. He though that SOOM would do the same Volks.
6, Between the rumor, some fans of ATstudio protected him by politic and history between China and Korea. I though that was one of reasons famous brands didn't respond in the past.
7. SOOM suddenly NOTIFY a re-release of NARMER PHARAOH on 30/4-3/5. This is so strange because they have just released Garion fews days ago. This is the second release of SOOM in a month while they often release one time a month. The interesting tea: head Baker is accusing plagiarize head Narmer.

 

Hi thanks for the information.
To add on your point 4, it is quite natural for many doll owners to let go their atstudio dolls given they are controversial now, and if you observe the comments, they are overwhelmingly against Hook.

Additionally, the timing for this outbreak is also suspicious. These people have all the years to accuse copy of Narmer, given Narmer is released before Baker. They chose a point where atstudio gets popular recently due to release of new dolls, and before the opening of SHDP, one of the biggest doll fair in China.
I think we can do is to wait for more evidence to be provided by Hook before we jump into any conclusions

This is another fair comparison: 微博

 

I have the same question like you when I see a lot of accusations. There were some fans asked the same on Weibo and got some answers:
1. In the past, ATstudio was accused copy not only this time. He had some quite famous friends, so he protected quite good by them. I did't know which accusations of him in the past because the comment didn't show details.
2. Until now, he couldn't show more evidences which were enough to convince the audience in this situation. He only said that SOOM didn't confirm, so the accusation couldn't believe. He required his customer to wait the direct respond from SOOM. (I think SOOM respond indirectly by a release of Narmer).
Each evidence he showed, it became new evidence of of accusation group to against himself. I am so confused in this situation. Why it happen like that???
3. A guy on Weibo figured out that CapHook owned more than ten heads of SOOM in the past. He sold those heads on second hand market after a short time. The question from this guy: What did he do with those heads? It was unusual if he was a fan of SOOM, tried to buy a body, a lot of heads, and then tried to sold almost of them on second hand market before release a doll by himself.
-> I don't think this is a point to accuse Caphook plagiarize SOOM, but it make me get a suspicion.

 

Following your points, I might be able to provide more details, mostly to your point 1.
1. The accusation of Baker and Tengo both being copies of soom dolls has long existed since the beginning of his creation, mostly due to his large collection of soom dolls, being a famous faceup artist of soom dolls and Baker Tengo gave a vibe of soom dolls. Before no strong evidence could be produced to support their accusations (they compared Baker with Amor who is released after Baker), so they stopped the accusation for some time, but Hook’s reputation was harmed at that time. Regularly they will brought up the accusation in the community.
2. He is slowing presenting evidence. We need patience to wait for more. He suggested waiting for a statement from soom. Personally, I think soom would rather stay out this or publish a neutral statement, after all they are a commercial entity. Eventually, Hook has to fight this on his own.
3. Owning and selling lots of soom dolls do raise suspicion. But using this as evidence of he copying soom dolls maybe questionable. Hope he could clarify later.

 

I received both Narmer and Baker around the same time, and immediately I realize they look so much similar. Some ppl argue that they do not look alike at all but I ask, did you all look into the details? Because, if they look exactly the same then it is recast. Here are some pictures I took a while ago when I have both heads in hand (I no longer owns Baker because I realize the problems as soon as I put them side by side).

These are just my own opinions, I respect every work of art but not in this case, it is fine with me if some people still support the artist with their own points of view, but I no longer will, just to make myself clear.

I will point out where are they similar below each picture.

Left: Baker
Right: Narmer
Similarities:
1. the nose and nostrils shape.
2. the overall shape of the forehead and chin.
3. the size and shape of the mouth from this angel.
4. location of the ears.


Closer to the camera: Baker
Farther from the camera: Narmer
Similarities:
1. Forehead shape.
2. The shape of the tip of the nose, both have a little curve and the height of the bridge.
3. Chin shape.
4. Overall proportion of facial features.


Left: Baker
Right: Narmer
Similarities:
1. The tip of the nose.
2. the overall face shape.


Left: Baker
Right: Zak
Similarities:
1. the eye shape.
This is probably never mentioned by anyone, but I realized both eye shapes look so much similar.

 

If it was a exact copy, then it would be straight up re-cast. ATstudio artist is smarter than that.

 

It is confirm the accusation correct. He scanned narmer head, scaled size, printed it out, covered it by clay to modify.

 

This news is very disappointing since I recently bought an ATStudio Orion head. Even though I don't think there are any accusations of Orion being a copy yet, if the other heads are proven to be copies, I wouldn't feel comfortable owning Orion either...

 

Truly it is disappointing news.

Actually the accusation is there..... Orion and Tei

 

.

thank you for sharing this. Regarding number 7, I think soom releasing two sculpts at once and this soecial release have nothing to do with this issue. Why would they choose to act all shady instead of taking legal actions regarding this, if there really is something wrong.

Hello. Can you please give a source to this. Thank you

 

I think she was referring to the post by Furau. I was confused at this post at first as well, but realised later

 

For a second there i thought some official announcement was made. Im still waiting for any announcement coming from soom regarding this issue because it would really be so hard to believe that there is a recasting or modification thing that went on ,unless soom points that out themselves.

 

New post with screen captures of ATstudio artist’s personal sales page on second hand sales app 闲鱼. (They have since unlinked the sales page from their weibo account.)
Photos provided are some of the SOOM dolls, Illusion Garden doll they re-sold in the past. Along with photo comparison of the other companies dolls and ATstudio’s own products that have similar sculpts.

微博