Hot Toys Sandtrooper and Dewback 1/6

[Chakaman]

Sideshow for the win!

I thought I was the only one. But the proportions look off. The SS just looks more balanced. In particular the shape of the head. The HT version looks too small and thin. The teethy smile also don't really help sell it to me. HT mid section also looks fat and lazy with the head not fitting proportionally.

Don't get me wrong I want one of these so bad, it's just aesthetically not 100% there for me. Maybe it's also that angled pic from below etched in my mind from childhood that makes me think the head should be larger ??

The saddle also looks way too long as well.

HT / SS comparison to show what I mean.

View attachment 650528

I agree. I prefer the Sideshow version myself.

 

[TonTon]

This one does give me some SE vibes with the smaller head as well, so I'd say the Sideshow wins out for looking closer to the original movies. That said, I've had no luck tracking one down for under $1,000 (not sure I'd want to spend that much anyhow) in several years of looking. I think this will do the trick, will hopefully look sharp in hand for cheaper, even with the long-awaited second Sandtrooper figure.

 

[Felinx]

They only took the head frill off and added fur. The proportions and legs are the same.

View attachment 650568

... plus complete repaint (from iridescent lime-green-purple to sand-green-brown with desert sand weathering,) addition of reins/bridle, huge saddlehorns, tonnister saddle bags etc (which visually changed the proportions versus the no-saddle look, with riders sitting higher).

And even within the UK pics, there are angles where even the earliest Dewback looks kinda cool and more like a real animal if imagined without the frill:

The point I'm making is that I'd rather see a collectible that takes in the overall look of the original Fred Pearl design but tweaks it to believability - so stuff like thick elephant-like feet/legs (not skinny bird legs like in the redesign,) long thinner dinosaur-style tail (rather than short/fat stumpy tail in the redesign) and including details like the ribs showing on the torso that are visible even in the iconic promo pic.

And there are a ton of ref pics for the screen-used saddle/horns/reins - at least make those accurate to 1977 rather than the significant redo seen on pretty much all modern-era collectibles.

 

[Knightstalker]

This is by far the most exciting announcement from SDCC so far, always regretted passing on the SS Dewback back in the day, when I saw it at a convention for $199. Instant buy.

 

[Wor-Gar]

I like the husky, hunched, heavy shoulders of the 1977 Dewback. Has more of a Rhino body.

 

[Felinx]

I like the husky, hunched, heavy shoulders of the 1977 Dewback. Has more of a Rhino body.

It was a pretty fast cobbling together of newly sculpted head and existing museum-style rhino body and monster-movie "giant iguana" tail. The belly had a Kenner Tauntaun style slit for an operator to enter and move the tail and head but it didn't work well.

The Dewback is one of those many SW designs that was rendered iconic through means other than what was seen onscreen, becoming stars through Kenner figs, promo pics, Topps etc.

Ironically, it was the Ron Cobb painting of a Dewback-type rider in the desert that made Lucas fall in love with the visual, in the same way fans fell in love with the Dewback via the lobby card pic.

 

[Dave_W]

... plus complete repaint (from iridescent lime-green-purple to sand-green-brown with desert sand weathering,) addition of reins/bridle, huge saddlehorns, tonnister saddle bags etc (which visually changed the proportions versus the no-saddle look, with riders sitting higher).

And even within the UK pics, there are angles where even the earliest Dewback looks kinda cool and more like a real animal if imagined without the frill:

The point I'm making is that I'd rather see a collectible that takes in the overall look of the original Fred Pearl design but tweaks it to believability - so stuff like thick elephant-like feet/legs (not skinny bird legs like in the redesign,) long thinner dinosaur-style tail (rather than short/fat stumpy tail in the redesign) and including details like the ribs showing on the torso that are visible even in the iconic promo pic.

And there are a ton of ref pics for the screen-used saddle/horns/reins - at least make those accurate to 1977 rather than the significant redo seen on pretty much all modern-era collectibles.

Yes, I am aware it's not in the exact same state that it was in Tunisia, but it's the same prop.

 

[Mose Harper]

YES, YES! That's it! That's exactly what I saw. I thought it was many months before it released but maybe it was closer. Time seemed very long at that age.

Actually, you are probably closer to the mark on that. My first instinct was to say that it was farther out (late winter) but my know-nothing adult brain overruled that, because it can't wrap it's head around why would they be hyping it to kids that far out. That was also the first school year after we moved to the deep south, so my seasonal markers were all shot to hell.

The pic grabbed my attention- but there wasn't any context there. In the absence of sustained hype it was difficult for me to even care enough to want to know more. I was a big monsterkid at the time, but not a sci-fi or "war" movie fan. Since the beast here was being rode like a horse or camel, it didn't seem like this movie was going to be fully in my wheelhouse.

 

[Wor-Gar]

I was a big monsterkid at the time

Yep. Same.

I remember it said Star Wars... and I remember thinking this must be like Star Trek, because the name was so similar and it was sci-fi.

 

[Felinx]

Yes, I am aware it's not in the exact same state that it was in Tunisia, but it's the same prop.

I'm a huge fan of retaining as much of the original designs as possible, the reason I hate stuff like redoing the Tauntaun feet from the prop's upturned four-toe design (seen on both full-size prop and Tippet's miniature) to the flatter three-toe "bird/dinosaur feet" design that emerged in collectibles over the past 20 or so years. If HT does do a Taun, it will be in this revised design just like SSC did, not the prop/miniature.

My feeling is, go ahead and do minor design tweaks if its to compensate for production limitations and things like prop-to-miniature inconsistencies, but don't change key design features.

Kenner gave the Dewback rhino/elephant legs/feet and gave the Taun four-toed feet, so it's not like these things were unknown. It was encouraging to see that Hasbro finally went back to a four-toe design for their Black Series Taun (clearly I'm not alone in noticing these things...) after nearly 40 years, but this HT Dewback hints that the Dewback may have to wait longer for the original rhino/elephant feet to be reinstated.

The irony is that the updated Dewback foot design stemmed from the 1997 SE version, which pretty no one likes.

 

[Wor-Gar]

original rhino/elephant feet to be reinstated.

Rhino feet! Rhino feet!! We want -- Rhino feet!!!

 

[Felinx]

I think this was originally designed as a Mando Dewback release (which Mando himself is seen riding,) but they tweaked a few details and placed a sandtrooper on it to reboot the release as ANH after Mando S3 cooled the fan frenzy and the Blurrg undersold.

The saddle details, clearly wrong for ANH, seem to align with Mando (huge rectangular leather pad with a second scalloped pad over the top, plus the single front saddlehorn), as does the whole Dewback body design. Even little things like the greenish/tan fur suggest Mando.

You never see the Mando Dewback fully from same angle as the HT Dewback has been shown so far (the Mando Dewback is always facing away a bit), so hard to be 100% on the comparison for head and tail.

 

[The Entity]

Looks good around 15:00 mark

He looks excellent! I kinda hoped HT would've announced the set officially already, but alas nothing yet. Hopefully soon, because I want a dewback in my collection.

 

[Hoody999]

I think this was originally designed as a Mando Dewback release (which Mando himself is seen riding,) but they tweaked a few details and placed a sandtrooper on it to reboot the release as ANH after Mando S3 cooled the fan frenzy and the Blurrg undersold.

The saddle details, clearly wrong for ANH, seem to align with Mando (huge rectangular leather pad with a second scalloped pad over the top, plus the single front saddlehorn), as does the whole Dewback body design. Even little things like the greenish/tan fur suggest Mando.

You never see the Mando Dewback fully from same angle as the HT Dewback has been shown so far (the Mando Dewback is always facing away a bit), so hard to be 100% on the comparison for head and tail.

Looking at those screen shots from Mando I think you might be onto something here. Mando Dewback didn't look exactly like OG Dewback, but OK not too bad I suppose.

I'm coming around on the look after watching that Norm from Tested video showing the Dewback from different angles. Neck and throat area are larger than it looks on that photo.

Still really hope they release this guy. As much as I prefer the SS version, no way I'm paying $2k+ for it.

 

[Hoody999]

He looks excellent! I kinda hoped HT would've announced the set officially already, but alas nothing yet. Hopefully soon, because I want a dewback in my collection.

Me too ! I have 2 x OG Sandtroopers. Have never really had anywhere to put them together. So this would be perfect !

A large beast or something different to humanoid looking figures always makes the collection look more interesting.

Visitors also especially gravitate towards things like Speeder Bikes or the Blurrg.

 

[user 67922]

I think this was originally designed as a Mando Dewback release (which Mando himself is seen riding,) but they tweaked a few details and placed a sandtrooper on it to reboot the release as ANH after Mando S3 cooled the fan frenzy and the Blurrg undersold.

The saddle details, clearly wrong for ANH, seem to align with Mando (huge rectangular leather pad with a second scalloped pad over the top, plus the single front saddlehorn), as does the whole Dewback body design. Even little things like the greenish/tan fur suggest Mando.

You never see the Mando Dewback fully from same angle as the HT Dewback has been shown so far (the Mando Dewback is always facing away a bit), so hard to be 100% on the comparison for head and tail.

Oh God you're right. How disappointing. That makes the Sideshow a clear winner, but unattainable (for anything near a reasonable price) for anyone who doesn't have it. If it's an unused Mandalorian prototype that makes me worry it'll ever see the light of day and that it's just being used for the wow factor at cons.

 

[The Entity]

Me too ! I have 2 x OG Sandtroopers. Have never really had anywhere to put them together. So this would be perfect !

A large beast or something different to humanoid looking figures always makes the collection look more interesting.

Visitors also especially gravitate towards things like Speeder Bikes or the Blurrg.

I have the OG Sandtrooper as well. Currently have a little Tatooine scene going on, but I'd love to pair him with another trooper on a dewback.

So yeah, this would be perfect indeed!

 

[Zurdo95D]

WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!?????

This is the most incredible announcement from HT... ever!!! I've always wanted that Sideshow statue... but I shall have this!



View attachment 650445

That Dewback is a beast!! I must admit I would prefer to see Mando riding it

 

[Zurdo95D]

Finally the white pauldron sandtrooper! Hopefully they actually announce him this time.
Not sure about the dewback. I'm currently planning a Mos Eisley diorama for my sandtroopers, but a sand dune with dewback would be cool as well...

My Sideshow Dewback will do just fine. Not a fan of that synthetic fur look they added from what i can see right now.

If it goes up for PO, i'm crossing fingers we get a chance at that Sandtrooper sold by himself.

I’d be up for that white pauldron Stormtrooper, shoot I’d like to see a rerelease of the ANH DST (the one in @Dave_W ’s profile pic)!!

 

[Dave_W]

That Dewback is a beast!! I must admit I would prefer to see Mando riding it