Sideshow ESB/ROTJ Darth Vader

[McHaleyArt]

Mask missing black paint tint:

right side of right cheek
top of right cheek (under eye)
front of left cheek.

That's how the mask is supposed to be painted. Looks right (to me).
Is your scuff something that can be wiped off with a damp cloth or is is a scratch in the paint?

 

[Rook]

Has anyone posed him with the snowtroopers and E-Web blaster?

I have.

 

[Pixelpiper]

That's how the mask is supposed to be painted. Looks right (to me).
Is your scuff something that can be wiped off with a damp cloth or is is a scratch in the paint?

It doesn't come off.

The facets of the mask are all supposed to be different shades? Some gray and some black? Seems kind of haphazard to me.

 

[Pixelpiper]

Ok, I found this image and another similar one where someone was saying the same thing. To me, this sounds like pure fan bull**** however - someone looking at different lit scenes in the movies and not recognizing light reflections for what they are. But stranger things have happened, and I suppose some jack-hole in prop production could have had a laugh painting up the mask in this lamebrain fashion.

 

[McHaleyArt]

It doesn't come off.

The facets of the mask are all supposed to be different shades? Some gray and some black? Seems kind of haphazard to me.

Yep. All 3 OT Vader helmets are painted this way. ROTS Vader was not.

 

[punisher1974]

Yep they painted the mask like that. I never knew until I started looking at the archive books. Hopefully the scratch can come out though.

 

[Pixelpiper]

Yep they painted the mask like that. I never knew until I started looking at the archive books. Hopefully the scratch can come out though.

No, it won't. I thought it was a dust/water spot, but it's not. It's in the paint finish and the only way to get it off would be to sand and repaint that cheek. Not something I'm going to do.

 

[Rook]

So your telling me that it took 20 years to finish the first one but only several to ALMOST finish the second one?

Totally believable from a production perspective. That thing was huge, and the first weapon of its kind. Lots of room for bugs that would need to be worked out on the first pass. (Also, who knows how many engineers were force-choked to death during the process, necessitating the breaking-in of a fresh team...hey, it could happen...) By the time they got around to building a second, the engineering was nailed. Development wasn't an issue anymore. They basically just had to build the thing.

Also, I don't think it was ever established exactly when they began construction on the Death Star II. For all we know, it could have been well underway during the events of ANH.

 

[McHaleyArt]

Ok, I found this image and another similar one where someone was saying the same thing. To me, this sounds like pure fan bull**** however - someone looking at different lit scenes in the movies and not recognizing light reflections for what they are. But stranger things have happened, and I suppose some jack-hole in prop production could have had a laugh painting up the mask in this lamebrain fashion.

View attachment 91678

I assure you that it's not bull. It was painted that way to give the illusion of reflections, showing up better on camera...so the audience could recognize them as reflections. It separated the shapes of the mask better than if they had left it all black.

 

[Pixelpiper]

I assure you that it's not bull. It was painted that way to give the illusion of reflections, showing up better on camera...so the audience could recognize them as reflections. It separated the shapes of the mask better than if they had left it all black.

Ok, so it's a prop effect. Argh, I wish Sideshow would stop replicating prop details on these things and focus on what the armor is supposed to look like "in universe." They did the same thing with the nub on the end of the unlit saber - it's the prong where the shaft would attach on the prop. Annoying. I'm not a prop collector.

Anyway, it is what it is, I'll live with it, just not the scuff. I was wondering how it was possible that my figure appeared to have no issues on first inspection - should have waited until the light of day. Oh well.

 

[jedijim3002]

Beautiful pics everyone. Lovin it!

 

[Batty]

I have.

Did you post pics?

 

[Wor-Gar]

The right side of the right check does not have any black paint on it - it's just the same grey as the under side of the mask. The left cheek is black like the rest of the upper mask.

New to Star Wars, are we?

 

[Pixelpiper]

New to Star Wars, are we?

When I last spoke to my people at the imperial armor works, they assured me that Vader's helm and mask were produced in solid black.

 

[Tabula Rasa]

Ok, so it's a prop effect. Argh, I wish Sideshow would stop replicating prop details on these things and focus on what the armor is supposed to look like "in universe." They did the same thing with the nub on the end of the unlit saber - it's the prong where the shaft would attach on the prop. Annoying. I'm not a prop collector.

Anyway, it is what it is, I'll live with it, just not the scuff. I was wondering how it was possible that my figure appeared to have no issues on first inspection - should have waited until the light of day. Oh well.

I used a wire cutter to snip it off, and then dremelled down what was left. Much better now.

 

[Asta]

When I last spoke to my people at the imperial armor works, they assured me that Vader's helm and mask were produced in solid black.

Those orders were countermanded by the Emperor himself. Never let it be said he doesn't have a sense of humour...

https://www.extravaganzi.com/original-darth-vader-costume-up-for-auction-at-christies-in-london/

 

[joebizz34]

Totally believable from a production perspective. That thing was huge, and the first weapon of its kind. Lots of room for bugs that would need to be worked out on the first pass. (Also, who knows how many engineers were force-choked to death during the process, necessitating the breaking-in of a fresh team...hey, it could happen...) By the time they got around to building a second, the engineering was nailed. Development wasn't an issue anymore. They basically just had to build the thing.

Also, I don't think it was ever established exactly when they began construction on the Death Star II. For all we know, it could have been well underway during the events of ANH.

I always thought that they could have built it earlier on as well as a back up. However one line in a script could have stated that and therefore explained things better to the audience. My point was bad writing and not justifying or paying attention to your own movie. There are so many plot holes in movies that can be easily covered with clever writing.


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[Indiana]

Ok, so it's a prop effect. Argh, I wish Sideshow would stop replicating prop details on these things and focus on what the armor is supposed to look like "in universe." They did the same thing with the nub on the end of the unlit saber - it's the prong where the shaft would attach on the prop. Annoying. I'm not a prop collector.

That is completely ambiguous from my perspective. I for one, love that every little detail from the props that can be included are included. Plus, I read that is difficult to tell if that saber was even for sure used for Vader in Jedi. There are no clear on set photos with him holding it, or on his belt. (all pics are obscured by his cape) Most people on the RPF believe the saber from Empire was used, at least as the prop saber for most of the fight at the end of the movie. (Itself being a slightly modified prop from ANH)

 

[shocktrooper_au]

When I last spoke to my people at the imperial armor works, they assured me that Vader's helm and mask were produced in solid black.

Vaders mask was in broken pattern to help the shape of the helm to be visible and to break up reflections, the rots helm is all black so if they make a rots you'll have your chance at an all black helm. Having both the 1:1prop replicas the two tone looks better IMO

 

[Pixelpiper]

That is completely ambiguous from my perspective. I for one, love that every little detail from the props that can be included are included.

I'm the opposite. I don't value the reproduction of prop flaws in non-prop collectibles like this.