Chewie by way of HT Apes...

[screamingmetal]

I'd disagree with that - even back in the X-Files figures the weapons were as good or better than Dragon, with removable clips, etc.

And I wouldn't want to see Chewie on a Predator body - Mayhew was extremely lean. I think we'd need a modified armor body for him, even the Buck is too bulky.

In that same time period, Dragon was producing handguns with much crisper detail, pull back slides, movable hammers, removable accessories, positionable stocks, and clips that are correctly scaled to the rest of the gun (this is something I've noticed on the new SSC Lara Croft figure, the clips aren't scaled correctly there either). But you'd have to admit there has been progress in the quality of Sideshow weapons, the point is they are improving.

I agree that Chewie would need a leaner body which is why the tall Buck wouldn't be a bad choice. But there is that new HT Darth Vader lean armor body, which might do the job perfectly, so the body shouldn't be an obstacle.

 

[MaulFan]

I agree that Chewie would need a leaner body which is why the tall Buck wouldn't be a bad choice. But there is that new HT Darth Vader lean armor body, which might do the job perfectly, so the body shouldn't be an obstacle.

Actually, in a way I imagine the body is one of the biggest obstacles; having to figure out a method to cover it with fur and have the right size and shape body to work with your fut method so that the two combined look right. Vader's body may work for Chewie if the plastic was fur, but if you put a fur suit over that, might bulk it out too much.

 

[jedibear]

Well, one approach is to "pad" the suit...nothing too bulky, mind you, just enough to add some definition and to attach the suit/fur to.

 

[IrishJedi]

Chewie isn't like any engineering problem that HT has run across before.

Why are some of you assuming it's even really that much of an engineering "problem" in the first place?

It's. Not. Rocket. Science.

 

[Darklord Dave]

Why are some of you assuming it's even really that much of an engineering "problem" in the first place?

It's. Not. Rocket. Science.

Okay - how do you do it then? Since you think it's so easy - tell us how.

 

[OSCORP]

If HT can do it, so can sSC

Maybe. But it would be on two different levels, HT being on a much higher level.

 

[IrishJedi]

Of the ideas mentioned so far, I'm more inclined to go with a suit over a custom-designed body approach.

Whatever the case, I just can't figure out why the notion of making a 1:6 action figure of a guy in a monkey suit is giving some of you so much pause. It's a good thing you didn't work for NASA in the 60's or were asked to storm the beaches of Normandy.

Also, note that Hasbro was able to make a 1:6 Chewbacca with real fur some 10+ years ago. Yes, it came with all of the usual Hasbro trappings (inaccuracies, lack of attention to detail, cut corners, etc)... but overall, it worked. And that was on a VERY mass-produced $30 figure. Now tell me why, more than a decade later, the high-end 1:6 figure makers of today can't do the same thing (real fur) only better?

Please. Hot Toys could pull this off in their sleep.

 

[Agent0028]

Is a furry body suit over the model body the way Hasbro did it?

It seems to me the biggest concern is getting the fur to look good since it is so long and hangs down.

 

[thenammagazine]

Chewie isn't like any engineering problem that HT has run across before. The ED-209 and power loader were just engineering problems and then seeing if they could bring in production figures at a sustainable cost.

If HT can do it, so can sSC - but can it be done so that 5000 can be made that all look the same?

I think if anyone has ideas on how it could be done - no matter how crazy - voice them here.

I'd say start with the Kanamit body. I'm cool with the sculpted face and a hair cap like HT's POTA line. Then sew a furry suit (I've seen many artificial fur fabrics that would work fine) to go over the Kanamit body, pants with booties and elastic suspenders to keep them up and a long sleeve shirt (separate to maintain poseability. The fur should be long enough to blend/cover the seam and so long as the fur from top and bottom match, workable. While I'm not thrilled by the idea, the hands are where I'm stumped. Not sure I like the "glued hair" look and also not crazy about sculpted hands, but they'd match the face I guess. The rest is just a matter of properly sculpting his accessories. This should be fairly easy to replicate for just about any sized run.

 

[IrishJedi]

Is a furry body suit over the model body the way Hasbro did it?

It seems to me the biggest concern is getting the fur to look good since it is so long and hangs down.

If I recall, Hasbro did over some weird wire/mesh thing.

 

[MaulFan]

It seems to me the biggest concern is getting the fur to look good since it is so long and hangs down.

For me that's the ultimate concern. Without question if Hot Toys wanted to make a full bodied fur figure today it'd be done. My concern is that Chewbacca has a defining look to his fur and not being part of the manufacturing of these figures, I can't conceive of what method they could use to style the hairs to be like Chewbaccas and then repeat that method on a mass production level.

Going back to the custom furred Chewies, they all look nice, but I've only ever seen one come close to getting that shaggy look to the fur. To me, it's a very important detail to capture making a Chewbacca, it's a reason I've been vocal about going the sculpted route.

To this day, this is still my favorite Chewbacca piece. Totally captures his build, his fur, the whole look, for a 4" sculpted, articulate action figure, it's as good as it could be.

I really like Chewbacca, and I want a 1/6 of him like everyone else, but I care very much about it coming out just right. I'm sorry if I seem stubborn or obnoxious, I just get very passionate about some things.

 

[devilof76]

The problem of a full suit bunching and pulling away when the limbs are bent could be achieved by using a multi-piece suit. If the hair is long enough, it will cover any seams.

 

[Puay]

Given a choice. I definitely would prefer fur than a Sculpted 1/6 Chewie.:chew

Isn't there a customized fur Chewie appearing in this forum before? I still remember it was pretty impressive work.


Edit: If Sideshow could find a solution for a fur Chewie, I did be hoping for that to be applied onto Ewoks (The more the merrier!).

 

[Darklord Dave]

If I recall, Hasbro did over some weird wire/mesh thing.

The Hasbro furry Chewie was essentially a plush toy over a wire frame. Sure, that's easy to do, but it looked nothing like Chewbacca from the movies.

The Kanamite is on the big boy buck - the shoulders are too wide for Chewie.

 

[thenammagazine]

The Kanamite is on the big boy buck - the shoulders are too wide for Chewie.

With the longer neck and head, it would lessen the broadness of the shoulders. But if the shoulders need to be more narrow, they could easily come out with a taller version of the Prometheus.

 

[FlyAndFight]

Would Chewie having "monkey arms" be considered a good thing?...

 

[Darthrazz]

I'm sorry if I seem stubborn or obnoxious, I just get very passionate about some things.

No not at all, when we do get Chewbacca , you can pretty much bet it's going to be an expensive purchase. I want to make sure that we get our money's worth. If going the fur route is going to produce something that isn't really going to work , then as much as it hurts to say it, then I don't want it. I think that is our best shot at getting an accurate Chewbacca and I want it to be done right. If that entails sculpt over fur so be it. I think that Sideshow is probably experimenting both options, I just wish that once they pick one, they can show and tell us why the other option failed. Because if we get sculpt versus fur, we'll talking for pages about how fur would've looked better , and vice versa. I know that with the Snow Padme they had shown a failed body suit that wasn't used, maybe they could do the same with this???

 

[Memnoch]

Trust me guys, it's going to be a Chewbacca with real hair or no Chewbacca. I really get the feeling that SS is going the be the license gathering side, along with Polystone collectibles and HT will be doing more of the figures.

 

[MaulFan]

Very likely most of the work would be handled by HT in a team effort. The vibe I get from SSC's past comments makes me think they feel Chewie has to be up to a certain standard and would rather flag him as undoable than do a piss poor one. So at this point, having HT as partners in crime, they'll probably throw the question at them if they've got any ideas on how to execute and if HT says ya, they'll test them out and either find an answer or throw Chewie on the backburner until the time comes they can find an ideal solution.

 

[HugeBadWolf]

We need ewoks before Chewie.

It's like sex, practise on the ugly ones so you can do the pretty ones properly.

Cheers,
Doug