Sideshow Hoth Han Solo (Echo Base)

[Pixelpiper]

That's a really lovely photo, although I just cannot understand how anyone can prefer this to the blue coat! I suppose 'brown coaters' feel the same about 'blue coaters'.

I can't speak for anyone else, but Blue is my favorite color - my primary ski jacket is blue. But I like my Hoth Han looking like he appeared in the movie, regardless of which color is my favorite. And since he wore a brown coat that appears (and appeared) brown on screen. Well, brown it is.

 

[TaliBane]

I can't speak for anyone else, but Blue is my favorite color - my primary ski jacket is blue. But I like my Hoth Han looking like he appeared in the movie, regardless of which color is my favorite. And since he wore a brown coat that appears (and appeared) brown on screen. Well, brown it is.

At the time, everything Han Hoth by Kenner (and other companies including stuff like bedsheets, comics etc.) was blue and despite many more recent color timing re-dos revealing the costume's brown color, it did appear blue onscreen in 1980 - as officially confirmed in the recent SW costumes book - so that's all that matters to me. However, I bought both coats and will display both once I have a second body.

While brown technically makes more sense (everything uniform-wise in Hoth base is based on tan or brown) blue is a better creative choice for Han, setting him apart from the "crowd" more.

 

[ZE_501]

Well..I recently saw a clip of ESB and can't for the life of me remember which version - could have been a DVD...where Han's coat clearly appears brown when he has the shoot-out with the probe droid.

Other than that it looks blue and I remember it looked that way in the theatre, but that was a long time ago and my memories may have been further influenced by the original Kenner action figure.

I was a staunch blue-coater until I got a good look at that probe droid encounter. Now ... I'd probably accept either one. Who knows.

 

[Pixelpiper]

despite many more recent color timing re-dos revealing the costume's brown color, it did appear blue onscreen in 1980 - as officially confirmed in the recent SW costumes book

It doesn't take long to grab a copy of any old home video release and confirm the coat appears brown when not under blue light that also makes other things appear with a blue cast. That costume book must be as useless a resource as wookipedia - I trust in empirical evidence what I have always seen and can still be seen in every release today. The color re-timing BS is a total fallacy WRT the coat - it still appears with a blue cast today in scenes that are supposed to appear blue and it appears brown in scenes where it has always appeared brown. Not that I want to get into this again.

If someone prefers blue to mimic the appearance of the coat in the select scenes where it appears with a blue cast, that's great. But don't for a second try to tell anyone the coat appeared blue throughout the movie. Kenner screwed up (which was par for the course), simple as that.

This is the same thing as someone arguing that the coat should always appear covered in snow because it shows up like that in some scenes.

I also can't get over the few people who have such an issue with this that their Hans must appear blue, but they don't do anything to the figure to make the face not appear brown - I don't know of anyone who's had the sculpt repainted yet.

If we lived in the middle ages, I'd burn your village to the ground.

 

[TaliBane]

"OK, whatever". It doesn't take long to grab a copy of any old home video release and confirm the coat appears brown when not under blue light that also makes other things appear with a blue cast. That costume book must be as useless a resource as wookipedia - I trust in empirical evidence what I have always seen and can still be seen in every release today. Not that I want to get into this again.

If someone prefers blue to mimic the appearance of the coat in the select scenes where it appears with a blue cast, that's great. But don't for a second try to tell anyone the coat appeared blue throughout the movie. Kenner screwed up (which was par for the course), simple as that.

Yeah, let's not get all fanboy and we'll instead just go with the official determination from that "useless" costumes book published by Lucasfilm's trusted choice to publish SW prop/costume-related books for well over two decades, Chronicle Books:

"as a result of extensive postproduction color grading on Empire, the anorak appeared to be navy on-screen."

Throughout the 1980's, multiple companies across various areas of merchandising depicted Han Hoth in blue, not just Kenner (who produced Han Hoth products for years in blue,) all with Lucasfilm's official approval.

To believe it was simply a "Kenner employee's mistake" as the fanboy theory goes ignores this obvious evidence. It looked blue onscreen to everyone including Lucasfilm, hence all the merchandise was in blue - despite the costume in fact being brown. Honestly, there's no other logical explanation.

So there's really nothing more to "get into."

 

[Pixelpiper]

But you clearly haven't watched the movies. The movies refute any wall of text. Simple as that. VHS, Laser Disc, DVD, I don't care what format you grab it in.

You're also misreading the book. The Anorak *STILL* appears blue on screen in the scenes where everything appears blue on screen. As far as Kenner, I know of only one Hoth Han release.

Were you online in the early and mid-90's? Because this argument isn't new by any stretch.

Pick blue because you like blue. If you want accuracy, you get brown and display it as such or light it up in blue.

 

[TonTon]

Not that I want to get into this again.

I also can't get over the few people who have such an issue with this that their Hans must appear blue, but they don't do anything to the figure to make the face not appear brown - I don't know of anyone who's had the sculpt repainted yet.

I'd like to see a repaint as well.

 

[TaliBane]

But you clearly haven't watched the movies. The movies refute any wall of text. Simple as that. VHS, Laser Disc, DVD, I don't care what format you grab it in.

You're also misreading the book. The Anorak *STILL* appears blue on screen in the scenes where everything appears blue on screen. As far as Kenner, I know of only one Hoth Han release.

Were you online in the early and mid-90's? Because this argument isn't new by any stretch.

Pick blue because you like blue. If you want accuracy, you get brown and display it as such or light it up in blue.

But you're inserting your words so it muddies the waters again. The cited official Lucasfilm-sanctioned source didn't qualify it with "in some scenes" - it just said "appeared to be navy on screen."

I'm aware this debate has gone on for a long time ("costume's dye has faded...," "I remember seeing...," "they changed the timing..." - blah-blah-blah,) but what I'm saying to you is the final word.

It goes like this: Costume coat actually brown. But coat appeared blue onscreen theatrically in 1980. Both facts officially confirmed by Lucasfilm sources. No interpretation, no argument, no "but-but the later videos I saw..." - just end of discussion.

You can put down the binoculars. The search is over.

 

[jedibear]

"sigh"....and all I did was post another photo....

 

[TaliBane]

"sigh"....and all I did was post another photo....

It was the brown face and the blue backdrop that did it.

 

[darth dennis]

"sigh"....and all I did was post another photo....

I loved the photo, JediBear!

I also don't care what color the jacket was in the movie honestly. I'm going to display mine with the blue jacket because it reminds me of the Kenner stuff as a kid, however the brown jacket looks really "rich" on him as well, particularly with the Tauntaun...

 

[TonTon]

It was the brown face and the blue backdrop that did it.

Nice photos, JB! Just put my Han away today. No room on the shelves. I think I now have more figures in my closet than on display.

 

[jedijim3002]

I always thought the jacket was blue when I was a kid. I had the action figure when it first came out and the comic books. Never questioned that it could have been brown until the mid 90's when the POTF2 figure came out with a brown coat! I like the blue better and it has a certain sense of nostalgia for me even though my dream was shattered with brown coats. I got the blue coat to display so it will always be blue to me. My delusions will continue forever!

 

[Tom Day]

My delusions will continue forever!

Amen to that!

Honestly, came back here today and couldn't believe what my comment led to, but it's been fun reading people's views. my own take on it is that while brown does reflect the other rebel outfits on Hoth, blue fits in better with the colours on Hoth (which are white and blue) and also fits Han's character better as a maverick (I always thought it was cool he was the only one seen wearing that coat, of course he would be different).

The recent re-colorised version of the Marvel comics adaptation of ESB has it has blue, so I guess that means blue must be canon now.

 

[TaliBane]

Amen to that!

Honestly, came back here today and couldn't believe what my comment led to, but it's been fun reading people's views. my own take on it is that while brown does reflect the other rebel outfits on Hoth, blue fits in better with the colours on Hoth (which are white and blue) and also fits Han's character better as a maverick (I always thought it was cool he was the only one seen wearing that coat, of course he would be different).

The recent re-colorised version of the Marvel comics adaptation of ESB has it has blue, so I guess that means blue must be canon now.

Take that, browncoats!

But yeah, it was blue in the Marvel adaptation that was released in May, 1980 - the same month Kenner released their Han Hoth action figure, proving the figure did not "influence" other licencees as some seem to believe (the teal green scarf is another story.)

 

[Star Puffs]

Yeah, let's not get all fanboy and we'll instead just go with the official determination from that "useless" costumes book published by Lucasfilm's trusted choice to publish SW prop/costume-related books for well over two decades, Chronicle Books:

"as a result of extensive postproduction color grading on Empire, the anorak appeared to be navy on-screen."

From "Dressing a Galaxy," written by a professional prop curator from the Prop Store, who consulted with the original designers in writing the book:



Of course this is who we are dealing with.

Look, I watched in 1980 in the theater and knew the coat was brown.

Yes, the coat is blue as much as the Earth is flat.

Actual filming miniature:

 

[TaliBane]

Oh come on, everyone knows that miniature was based on the Kenner Han Hoth figure.


But let's cut Pixel some slack - Kenner WAS messing with us from day one... this is two ends of the SAME Turret and Probot playset box, appearing brown at one end, blue at the other...

 

[Star Puffs]

Oh come on, everyone knows that miniature was based on the Kenner Han Hoth figure.


But let's cut Pixel some slack - Kenner WAS messing with us from day one... this is two ends of the SAME Turret and Probot playset box, appearing brown at one end, blue at the other...

That's pretty amazing actually.

 

[generalgrevious]

ah who cares it was a cool figure no matter if the coat blurown

 

[Sithblade]

I imagine all the problems in all the different sects of the same religions came about pretty similar to this argument

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk