Jabba 12" Image Thread

[TaliBane]

I think it was icruise who said the new Jabba is 11".

I saw those pics above when they were posted but the one with them side by side seems somewhat distorted and the one with the HT Fett has the figure standing with legs pretty widely spread (making Fett a bit shorter.) If someone takes a new comp pic, what's probably the best way to do it is to have the new Jabba facing camera with the old one right next to him facing away - (and also vice-versa) that way the heads will be pretty close together and in the same plane.

Jabbas are a bit hard to measure because you can't get the ruler very close to the top of his head (so you have to kind of project an imaginary line across 4-6" to the top of his head) - it really needs a ruler with a right-angle straight edge going off horizontally touching his head.

The heights are actually a harder thing to compare and judge than I thought. Regular figures (like say a SSC, HT and Medi Vader) can be pretty easily measured and compared.

In looking at various angles of the two SSC Jabbas, each has areas where they seem fatter than the other version, but in different areas. The old one seems to have a fatter/rounder/taller belly while the new one seems to have a lot more heft/volume behind his head, despite not being a whole lot deeper overall than the old one. Yet both seem to have somewhat similarly scaled facial features (eyes, mouth etc) despite the new head being slightly bigger.

 

[slikkerias]

I think it was icruise who said the new Jabba is 11".

I saw those pics above when they were posted but the one with them side by side seems somewhat distorted and the one with the HT Fett has the figure standing with legs pretty widely spread (making Fett a bit shorter.) If someone takes a new comp pic, what's probably the best way to do it is to have the new Jabba facing camera with the old one right next to him facing away - (and also vice-versa) that way the heads will be pretty close together and in the same plane.

Jabbas are a bit hard to measure because you can't get the ruler very close to the top of his head (so you have to kind of project an imaginary line across 4-6" to the top of his head) - it really needs a ruler with a right-angle straight edge going off horizontally touching his head.

The heights are actually a harder thing to compare and judge than I thought. Regular figures (like say a SSC, HT and Medi Vader) can be pretty easily measured and compared.

In looking at various angles of the two SSC Jabbas, each has areas where they seem fatter than the other version, but in different areas. The old one seems to have a fatter/rounder/taller belly while the new one seems to have a lot more heft/volume behind his head, despite not being a whole lot deeper overall than the old one. Yet both seem to have somewhat similarly scaled facial features (eyes, mouth etc) despite the new head being slightly bigger.

I understand the need to justify not getting the new one - I have tried to convince myself too. And yes, the old sculpt is good. But... there are leagues between these two and the new one is clearly bigger (just watch the Sideshow live comparison) and more to scale (if it’s perfect in scale might be impossible to ever get a clear answer to, but it’s clear that v1 is too small). And no, you won’t be able to convince your wife that it’s the same one, because it’s so good and will grab her attention instantly. I have been succeeding with that myself many times, but with this it wouldn’t be possible. Maybe you could say that it’s only Jabba himself that’s new? The throne is the old one and that’s soooo much more expensive... ;-)
The problem with us collectors is that we can’t live with the knowledge that there’s a better product out there. It’s awful as it shouldn’t make the old one worse - but it just does in our eyes. That’s unfortunately why I’m getting the new one, because it’s clearly better, and because I’m afraid that it will be out of reach in a few months or years. If they don’t do a lot of these, or the paint quality drops in later batches, the price could go to stupendous heights. If HT releases Jabba? Well, that would of course mean something, but I kind of think that Jabba is better as a statue and SSC seems to have made a home run with this one.

 

[TaliBane]

I understand the need to justify not getting the new one - I have tried to convince myself too. And yes, the old sculpt is good. But... there are leagues between these two and the new one is clearly bigger (just watch the Sideshow live comparison) and more to scale (if it’s perfect in scale might be impossible to ever get a clear answer to, but it’s clear that v1 is too small). And no, you won’t be able to convince your wife that it’s the same one, because it’s so good and will grab her attention instantly. I have been succeeding with that myself many times, but with this it wouldn’t be possible. Maybe you could say that it’s only Jabba himself that’s new? The throne is the old one and that’s soooo much more expensive... ;-)
The problem with us collectors is that we can’t live with the knowledge that there’s a better product out there. It’s awful as it shouldn’t make the old one worse - but it just does in our eyes. That’s unfortunately why I’m getting the new one, because it’s clearly better, and because I’m afraid that it will be out of reach in a few months or years. If they don’t do a lot of these, or the paint quality drops in later batches, the price could go to stupendous heights. If HT releases Jabba? Well, that would of course mean something, but I kind of think that Jabba is better as a statue and SSC seems to have made a home run with this one.

So funny that we all pull the same stuff. "Nope, that's the same Han Solo that's always been there (when 2007 Sideshow Han was swapped for 2017 HT Han.)"

But yeah, I agree with pretty much all of that. And I have literally gotten like 100+ screen captures of various videos of the new Jabba struggling with this!

This is from the Sideshow video (where the two are side-by-side in the same image) and I like it because its filmed from pretty far back and the camera is pretty centralized so not too much distortion (or at least equal distortion on both figs.) I scaled the new one at 11 inches and the old one seemed to land at around 10.5, which is what it is.

While it's clear the new one is bigger it's a little hard to judge their respective sizes due to the differing throne heights - the new one obviously has the extra layer beneath. So I took the two Jabbas and placed them one over the other without the throne. I think this might be the truest way to compare them overall (though it's possible one figure is slightly closer to camera than the other.)

Whether the new size is more screen accurate or if it's a little too big is still unclear to me. As I said, the old one I think is definitely 1/2" too short, which would make the new one about right, but he does feel a bit big to me in some shots next to regular figures (in the few shots I've seen) - but maybe it's the somewhat oversize arms/hands, not the figure overall.

What I do find interesting is how the two Jabbas - head/upper torso, tail area and overall lower body - have such different proportions yet both look quite accurate. The new one has far less belly (more squashed down) while the old one has a tail that gets thinner much more quickly. The new one has a more circular head/ chest that sits lower overall while the old one is more triangular and sits comparatively higher.

 

[MaulFan]

I'm sure there are moments where the puppet ended up looking close to the new figure. For me, I grew up with images like these on Kenner flyers and in the movie book and if this is how you think of Jabba the Hutt, the original Sideshow figure is the way to go.





Given that Jabba was a puppet, not an animatronic with a consistent frame under him, there is some variation to him throughout the film and room for personal preference as to what Jabba should look like to collectors. For me, the original figure just matches so many classic images that are burnt into my mind and looking at it, immediately evokes those memories. I look at the new one and I see a really nice Jabba, but it's not MY Jabba.

 

[slikkerias]

I'm sure there are moments where the puppet ended up looking close to the new figure. For me, I grew up with images like these on Kenner flyers and in the movie book and if this is how you think of Jabba the Hutt, the original Sideshow figure is the way to go.

View attachment 441872

View attachment 441873

Given that Jabba was a puppet, not an animatronic with a consistent frame under him, there is some variation to him throughout the film and room for personal preference as to what Jabba should look like to collectors. For me, the original figure just matches so many classic images that are burnt into my mind and looking at it, immediately evokes those memories. I look at the new one and I see a really nice Jabba, but it's not MY Jabba.

I see what you mean in that he looks clean and upright in those promo shots. When you look at these two pictures posted earlier though, the new one really captures the likeness I think.

 

[icruise]

It can be dangerous to rely on the same publicity shots/screenshots all the time to make comparisons. Jabba looked pretty different depending on the angle and the scene. I think you could almost argue that these two figures are two sides of the same coin -- just reflecting different "looks" for Jabba.

 

[MaulFan]

It can be dangerous to rely on the same publicity shots/screenshots all the time to make comparisons. Jabba looked pretty different depending on the angle and the scene. I think you could almost argue that these two figures are two sides of the same coin -- just reflecting different "looks" for Jabba.

Agreed, that’s why I referred to it as MY Jabba, there’s room for anyone to feel a piece looks better over others. There were some who said they liked the GG Jabba over Sideshow and I’ve always found the Jabba himself aspect of the piece to be hideous.

Like I mentioned, Jabba being a puppet with people inside and no consistent framework like say the T-Rex in Jurassic Park, it’s bound to look different at times, and everyone is going to have a look they prefer more. The new Sideshow sculpt just doesn’t work for me overall.

 

[Wor-Gar]

I'm sure there are moments where the puppet ended up looking close to the new figure. For me, I grew up with images like these on Kenner flyers and in the movie book and if this is how you think of Jabba the Hutt, the original Sideshow figure is the way to go.

View attachment 441872

View attachment 441873

Given that Jabba was a puppet, not an animatronic with a consistent frame under him, there is some variation to him throughout the film and room for personal preference as to what Jabba should look like to collectors. For me, the original figure just matches so many classic images that are burnt into my mind and looking at it, immediately evokes those memories. I look at the new one and I see a really nice Jabba, but it's not MY Jabba.

Interestingly, both these images have the straight tail.

 

[ebor]

I was very close to purchasing the original SS Jabba until I saw the Sideshow reveal and icruise and Brothercousin reviews of the new Jabba. I traded several figures on the weekend to fund the purchase on the new one. I get that the cost ($1000 CAD+) is crazy but now it will cost me 3 figures from my collection of which I severely needed to trim anyways.

 

[TurdFurgusonsHat]

Re: Jabba 12" Image Thread

I was very close to purchasing the original SS Jabba until I saw the Sideshow reveal and icruise and Brothercousin reviews of the new Jabba. I traded several figures on the weekend to fund the purchase on the new one. I get that the cost ($1000 CAD+) is crazy but now it will cost me 3 figures from my collection of which I severely needed to trim anyways.

I was blown away by the production version of the new one as well. When I compare pics of both Jabbas on their respective thrones for me the new one simply blows the old one away, it's just not close. It's in better overall scale, the difference in paint is insane, the sculpt is more detailed, the eyes, the swapouts, the improved throne, improved hookah setup, etc. I can definitely understand passing based on the substantial cost, it took me some time to come to terms with it and would certainly be even harder if you already own the original.

 

[MaulFan]

I kind of think people would be less in shock at the sticker price of the new one if the predecessor didn't exist. If you boil it down, it seems like the new Jabba is like a large scale Sideshow statue, those run anywhere from $500-$1000, now you add in soft goods and swap out parts, compared to similar products from them, $800 for the new Jabba isn't that off track, but when you can compared it to the same package having cost around 1/3-1/2 as much, despite being 10 years ago, and not a great deal of visual difference that allows you to feel the price difference other than time passing between released, but even that should make some sense, considering a typical figure from Sideshow back then was like $60 give or take compared to the $200+ they fetch today.

 

[ajp4mgs]

Re: Jabba 12" Image Thread

I was blown away by the production version of the new one as well. When I compare pics of both Jabbas on their respective thrones for me the new one simply blows the old one away, it's just not close. It's in better overall scale, the difference in paint is insane, the sculpt is more detailed, the eyes, the swapouts, the improved throne, improved hookah setup, etc. I can definitely understand passing based on the substantial cost, it took me some time to come to terms with it and would certainly be even harder if you already own the original.

I agree with a lot of the points that you're making; and if I didn't already have a Jabba, I'd probably choose the new set over the old one (even if the new one would cost more than buying the old figure and throne on eBay). But there are things I definitely prefer about the old sculpt that would make it a really tough choice.

The new Jabba has the advantage of better height and overall scaling. The pic below is the best comp I could come up with to illustrate how good of a job Sideshow did in capturing Jabba's "girth" and overall stature.



But, where I think the old figure has the clear advantage is in face sculpt and sculpting proportions. The head on the new one seems a bit too triangular to me; and the lower chins are too flat and long, thus making Jabba's belly seem too low (and also not round/fat enough). The proportions between face and stomach are off in a way that the first figure presented better. The pic below illustrates what I mean about the new one.



Finally, I think the old figure did a better job in terms of capturing the "softness" of the actual Jabba prop. I think the new one has ridges that are too pronounced, and unnatural. It results in giving off too much of a statue vibe. The ridges of the arms are probably the best way to show what I mean, but also the "bumps" on Jabba's arms, shoulders, and tail are too pronounced. This last pic below shows it best.



Overall, the paint job and scaling on the new one - as you pointed out - are big improvements; and that *alone* makes it worth having. I also agree about the added value of the options with interchangeable eyes and mouths; a very cool feature that adds a bit of versatility and "fun factor" that the old figure doesn't have. But for me, the old sculpt still just "looks" more like Jabba. And a repaint helps bring out the likeness even more. It just comes down to what matters more to each individual collector as far as having a preference between the two. I think either one is a solid Jabba to own (especially if HT never makes one). And for those who have the space and money to own both, all the better! I wish I was in that category.

 

[MaulFan]

I think some of the anatomical issues with the new one tie directly to the swap out features. Some things that look off, look right for being able to have removable pieces that could blend into the base body easily. Particularly the fold between his head and belly, they looks more simplified on the new sculpt to give an easy cut line for the swap out mouth, not sure you could have pulled off a swap out mouth had it been more accurate.

This is almost like when comparing a figure with joints to a PF or statue. Original Jabba is a statue that was free to be extremely accurate down to fine details, and the new Jabba is a figure that has to make some sacrifices to appearance for the sake of function.

 

[TurdFurgusonsHat]

Re: Jabba 12" Image Thread

I agree with a lot of the points that you're making; and if I didn't already have a Jabba, I'd probably choose the new set over the old one (even if the new one would cost more than buying the old figure and throne on eBay). But there are things I definitely prefer about the old sculpt that would make it a really tough choice.

The new Jabba has the advantage of better height and overall scaling. The pic below is the best comp I could come up with to illustrate how good of a job Sideshow did in capturing Jabba's "girth" and overall stature.

View attachment 441943

But, where I think the old figure has the clear advantage is in face sculpt and sculpting proportions. The head on the new one seems a bit too triangular to me; and the lower chins are too flat and long, thus making Jabba's belly seem too low (and also not round/fat enough). The proportions between face and stomach are off in a way that the first figure presented better. The pic below illustrates what I mean about the new one.

View attachment 441947

Finally, I think the old figure did a better job in terms of capturing the "softness" of the actual Jabba prop. I think the new one has ridges that are too pronounced, and unnatural. It results in giving off too much of a statue vibe. The ridges of the arms are probably the best way to show what I mean, but also the "bumps" on Jabba's arms, shoulders, and tail are too pronounced. This last pic below shows it best.

View attachment 441948

Overall, the paint job and scaling on the new one - as you pointed out - are big improvements; and that *alone* makes it worth having. I also agree about the added value of the options with interchangeable eyes and mouths; a very cool feature that adds a bit of versatility and "fun factor" that the old figure doesn't have. But for me, the old sculpt still just "looks" more like Jabba. And a repaint helps bring out the likeness even more. It just comes down to what matters more to each individual collector as far as having a preference between the two. I think either one is a solid Jabba to own (especially if HT never makes one). And for those who have the space and money to own both, all the better! I wish I was in that category. [emoji38]

Very well done, well worded post! I don't think it's possible for either to be a perfect definitive Jabba based on different scenes, angles, lighting, and the nature of the character being a puppet. With your descriptions and pics I can definitely see and agree with much of what you have pointed out.

I can see the softness of the puppet you refer to, the new one is what I guess I would call a more stylized Jabba. I suppose that could be viewed as a positive or negative. Personally I enjoy the detail of the skin texture on the new(even if it is slightly overdone), not just on the arms but spanning across the entire slugs body. I can also see your point about some of the shapes of the old Jabba better matching some of the screenshots.

I just really love the paint of the new, the detail of the eyes, and the options it comes with. I'm really looking forward to getting the slug in and hopefully adding characters to my palace display over time.

Again great work on your repaint, it looks terrific!

 

[TaliBane]

Interesting how both Jabbas didn't quite get his tail thickness right - the new one is best (the old one has it getting too thin too fast,) but it still doesn't have the thickness all the way to the end it should. Jabba's tail was super thick right up until the last couple of feet.

I noticed the Madame Tussaud jabba's tail seemed too thick, but if you look at stills of Jabba it kinda is that thick.

And it's also surprising how much Jabba has the straight tail - I think it's great Sideshow went with straight for the new one, even if the curled tail is more "memorable" because of the Salacious and Leia moments associated with the curled tail.

 

[generalgrevious]

maybe I will get this new version in a couple of months if it`s still around and don't get sold out by then.

 

[Wor-Gar]

Re: Jabba 12" Image Thread

would certainly be even harder if you already own the original.

Nope. I own the original and its not a hard choice for me at all. Coming up with the money is though. Not sure I can get it done unless this stays available for quite some time.

New Jabba all the way. For everything right about the old one there's something very wrong with it, so I just don't see the justifications except an "on-paper" thing for people. I mean, what good is a 'better face' when it's painted so poorly? Or the odd, severe pear-shape body.

Now if you do a professional repaint, then that's a whole different thing. The old Jabba can look great and probably closer to movie-accurate despite the shape problems and underscale.... but keeping it as-is and saying its better just doesn't compute for me. It's also funny hearing this from people who are well known for being pretty darn particular and exacting about the slightest details, yet forgive Jabba for some major flaws.

 

[TurdFurgusonsHat]

Re: Jabba 12" Image Thread

Nope. I own the original and its not a hard choice for me at all. Coming up with the money is though. Not sure I can get it done unless this stays available for quite some time.

New Jabba all the way. For everything right about the old one there's something very wrong with it, so I just don't see the justifications except an "on-paper" thing for people. I mean, what good is a 'better face' when it's painted so poorly? Or the odd, severe pear-shape body.

Now if you do a professional repaint, then that's a whole different thing. The old Jabba can look great and probably closer to movie-accurate despite the shape problems and underscale.... but keeping it as-is and saying its better just doesn't compute for me. It's also funny hearing this from people who are well known for being pretty darn particular and exacting about the slightest details, yet forgive Jabba for some major flaws.

Of course I agree with you. It's kinda like debating whether or not you would want the original stock Sideshow Jedi Luke or the recent Hot Toys Jedi Luke. There are probably people who will tell you the raw sculpt of the Sideshow is better. Is that really what trumps everything else? Cost is definitely the major barrier here.

 

[TaliBane]

Re: Jabba 12" Image Thread

Of course I agree with you. It's kinda like debating whether or not you would want the original stock Sideshow Jedi Luke or the recent Hot Toys Jedi Luke. There are probably people who will tell you the raw sculpt of the Sideshow is better. Is that really what trumps everything else? Cost is definitely the major barrier here.

Yeah but there's no possible way you can upgrade a 2007 Sideshow Jedi Luke to look like a 2018 HT Jedi Luke, even with the services of a silentsurfer. The sculpt is from another era - oversized, lacking in detail, questionable likeness and expression - and the bottom line is, you have to pay silentsurfer $200+ to paint it (ie nearly all collectors don't have the skill to reach paint apps of HT quality.)

With the old Jabba it's a different situation. The sculpt itself is arguably on-par with the new one (that seems to be coming down to personal preference, with pluses and minuses on both sides - I love both for different reasons) and achieving the screen accurate paint is theoretically possible to a sizable number of collectors - it's not even close to the challenge of painting a human head to HT standards.

Not saying everyone can do it, or do it as well as agp did, but it's possibly do-able for someone with even moderate custom skills. Yes, there's still a lot of people left out of that skills-wise, or who simply don't want to deal with it - wor-gar sounds like he's in that boat. But that's not the same thing as saying it's a 2007 Luke Jedi situation - it produces a Jabba that to me IS (arguably, yes) on-par with the new one.

The reason I'm going to end up with both is that mix of positives and negatives on both the old and the new - which tbh is frustrating. I see things wider than wor-gar - just like the old one he mentions, for everything right about the new one there's something wrong with it too to me (seam lines visible under certain lighting, slightly cartoonish/caricature sculpt, body shape slightly squished, oversized hands, ultra-fragile Salacious, $200-too-much price, no option for curved tail.)

 

[TurdFurgusonsHat]

Re: Jabba 12" Image Thread

Yeah but there's no possible way you can upgrade a 2007 Sideshow Jedi Luke to look like a 2018 HT Jedi Luke, even with the services of a silentsurfer. The sculpt is from another era - oversized, lacking in detail, questionable likeness and expression - and the bottom line is, you have to pay silentsurfer $200+ to paint it (ie nearly all collectors don't have the skill to reach paint apps of HT quality.)

With the old Jabba it's a different situation. The sculpt itself is arguably on-par with the new one (that seems to be coming down to personal preference, with pluses and minuses on both sides - I love both for different reasons) and achieving the screen accurate paint is theoretically possible to a sizable number of collectors - it's not even close to the challenge of painting a human head to HT standards.

Not saying everyone can do it, or do it as well as agp did, but it's possibly do-able for someone with even moderate custom skills. Yes, there's still a lot of people left out of that skills-wise, or who simply don't want to deal with it - wor-gar sounds like he's in that boat. But that's not the same thing as saying it's a 2007 Luke Jedi situation - it produces a Jabba that to me IS (arguably, yes) on-par with the new one.

The reason I'm going to end up with both is that mix of positives and negatives on both the old and the new - which tbh is frustrating. I see things wider than wor-gar - just like the old one he mentions, for everything right about the new one there's something wrong with it too to me (seam lines visible under certain lighting, slightly cartoonish/caricature sculpt, body shape slightly squished, oversized hands, ultra-fragile Salacious, $200-too-much price, no option for curved tail.)

I think you are making a jabba repaint sound way too easy for most folks. I would guess over 90 percent of the boardies here would fail miserably at trying to paint old jabba in a way that looks even close to as good as the new version. Probably even more yet would fail on the eyes. If you already own the old Jabba AND are an excellent painter I can see taking it on. Else you would be saving yourself a lot of grief just saving up for the new version or paying a pro to repaint the old one.