SSC Luke Skywalker Snowspeeder Pilot Sixth Scale Figure

[Tom Day]

I was kidding because someone said HT didn't have the "ESB license" so I thought maybe Disney had broken up the SW license by movie... or by planet.

Well, it sounded plausible to me - Disney 'parting out' the Star Wars universe to the highest bidder...

 

[Wor-Gar]

There's a reason for the criticism -- it doesn't just appear one day.

But those who praise too much... must have Sideshow as an advertiser on their website.

And HT has been getting its fair share of complaints with the rushed Star Wars figures, that's for sure. Ask anyone about their electronics.

HT is quickly finding out what SS learned long ago -- at some point you got to cut corners to maintain your profit margin, otherwise raise prices. Either way, you're going to piss off your old consumer base.

 

[momaw]

Going to stamp bust on this one. If you check out hot toys official website. Search by license you'll find Boba Fett 1/4 and 1/6 under Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi License.

There's always one who doesn't understand sarcasm

 

[Darkarn009]

There's always one who doesn't understand sarcasm

Who said i wasn't being sarcastic myself?

Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk

 

[momaw]

Who said i wasn't being sarcastic myself?

Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk

Sarcasm doesn't usually come with references

 

[Johnny Utah]

I haven't seen BvS yet and I'm already sick of it. There's nothing like the hype of a Star Wars film.

 

[TonTon]

Well, honestly - there is so much blind pro-HT and anti-SSC hyperbole, why call him out for it? The constant anti-SSC stuff doesn't get old?

I get pretty sick of this standard "Meh, but it's SSC - I'll wait for HT" mocking comment we've seen for the past year. Based on what? Richard Hatch as Han Solo? Slightly Asian generic old guy as Ben Kenobi (thank goodness he has a white beard, right)?

Yes, like Chewy, if you have them look down and tweak the harsh downlight just right you get your "aha! there he is!" moment. Well, I hate to tell, you - you can do the same thing with the HT Indy sculpt - a huge miss that with a lot of work and the lighting and angle *just right* you get a decent HF likeness. You can probably do the same with a random potato.

And the HT clothing? Luke's sculpted rubber gaiters (yes, SSC's old-school figure did actual cloth wrappings) and featureless tunic that's nearly topped by Hasbro's effort (seriously), or Ben's translucent Hotel bathrobe as inner robes, or Leia's too-short nylon Barbie sleeping bag as dress? I mean Leia's just a head and a dress and they only delivered on the better half of that. And with weapons and accessories, SSC is pretty much HT's equal in most cases - no matter what the fanboys say.

This new Luke figure actually really looks decent. It's one that a lot of people want. And yes, I criticize SSC frequently - when they deserve it. I was the one who a certain forum administrator recently hit with double negative Reputation one after another (bet you didn't even know that was possible, right?) for my "negativity" and "trolling" concerning the SSC Luke X-Wing. But I just get tired of people constantly writing off or mocking Sideshow as a first knee-jerk reaction to anything they do when to me, HT can be just as consistently underwhelming.

While there's been many bright spots and the Leia head looks amazing, overall I'd give HT a 7/10 for their efforts so far compared to what I had expected at the start. Yes, I can list off at least a dozen things SSC has done in the past year that I have HATED (the top of the list like everyone being the proto/production head mismatch and their stupid pricing) - but I keep an open mind to anything from both companies. It may be cool to rag on Sideshow instantly these days but to me it just shows blind brand bias, not true appreciation of 1/6 quality or accuracy.

Save your breath, man. You don't need to defend Sideshow, they're the undisputed kings of 1/6 scale Star Wars. End of discussion. Everything else is just Taco Bell.

 

[BOBAFATTY]

Woooo hooo, just now seen this

 

[Comatoast]

Don't hold out on me, Pixel -where'd you get a replacement for the Luke head, dammit!?

SSC Hoth figures have hats Old Ben has has a fantastic repaint and I've replaced HT's Han and Luke heads. Everything's golden in the melon department right now.

 

[Asta]

Don't hold out on me, Pixel -where'd you get a replacement for the Luke head, dammit!?

From Sideshow, of course.

See, the sculpt even won a medal.

 

[TonTon]

See, the sculpt even won a medal.

This new sculpt looks close to the pilot Luke, at least with the shape of the lips/nose. Looks like there's some scarring added. Can't tell if it's just a tweak or all new.

 

[Darth Skywalker]

From Sideshow, of course.

See, the sculpt even won a medal.

 

[cmiller99]

Come on now. You can't be serious. That's about as unfair a comparison as you can get. Comparing a production sample of a figure from 2004 that was lambasted even back in the day to Hot Toys' VERY LATEST ANNOUNCEMENT that features a 90% dead on sculpt, JC Hong paintwork, a complex outfit, seamless body, rooted hair and detailed paint apps - are you kidding?

 

[Asta]

This new sculpt looks close to the pilot Luke, at least with the shape of the lips/nose. Looks like there's some scarring added. Can't tell if it's just a tweak or all new.

X-Wing Luke was a better sculpt than Hot Toys' Farm Boy, but let down by poor paint application.

If Sideshow can pick up where they left off with TOD Indy then Snowspeeder Luke will be a winner. It's taken them enough years!

 

[King Darkness]

All Sideshow has to do is up their paint application in production and all this would go away. Sideshow employs some of the best, if not the best, sculptors working today, and in years past. Sideshow prototypes, be it 1/6 th or 1/4 scale are exceptional pieces of art. Sideshow has been ahead of Hot Toys with likeness for many years, but only in prototype. When a figure comes to market the paint is always a notch, or several, below what was advertised. I say, "all Sideshow has to do" as if its an easy step to take, I'm not in the business, so I don't and I won't drone on about how "if everyone else can why can't Sideshow", but the fact remains until they can take that step forward the "Sideshow hate" will continue.

Likeness issues aside, thats subjective anyway, one thing you almost never say, at least in recent years, is Hot Toys figures take a step down from proto to production. Where Hot Toys wins the battle is once a customer has decided they like a product, regardless of how accurate or inaccurate the likeness may or may not be, the customer is going to receive a product very near or exactly what was promised by the prototype. Seldom can that be said of Sideshow.

Two things can be done to mitigate the hate Sideshow receives, either up their proto to production, or simply put up a production sample thats a realistic example of what the production is going to acheive. Don't honeydick people with far superior prototypes when you are well aware of the fact that it can't be matched in production. Nothing is going to upset people more than being sold one thing and delivered another on the back of "well, it was a prototype, you should know that its going to take a step down in production".

Sales would no doubt take a nose dive if they advertised 1/6th scale figures with shotty paint apps or premium formats with wonky eyes, it would however get them off the hook to a degree because no one could complain because the plunked down their money based on an honest advertised product.


Its unfortunate and frustrating. There is a wealth of talented and passionate people working for or with Sideshow, but much of their hard work is lost between conceptualization and realization. Frustrating for them I am sure and frustrating for the consumer (us) who have money in hand and a total willingness to spend it. But its not to much to ask for more honesty in advertising. If I agree to give you my money, you should agree to show me what my money is buying. If I see a wonky eyed paint app and I still choose to give you my money, then no logical complaint can be made.

 

[Tom Day]

X-Wing Luke was a better sculpt than Hot Toys' Farm Boy, but let down by poor paint application.

If Sideshow can pick up where they left off with TOD Indy then Snowspeeder Luke will be a winner. It's taken them enough years!

Where is the custom repaint of X-wing Luke that shows it blows away any other sculpt? If anyone has one I would love to see it.

 

[Asta]

Where is the custom repaint of X-wing Luke that shows it blows away any other sculpt? If anyone has one I would love to see it.

Who said it "blows away any other sculpt"?

 

[TaliBane]

Come on now. You can't be serious. That's about as unfair a comparison as you can get. Comparing a production sample of a figure from 2004 that was lambasted even back in the day to Hot Toys' VERY LATEST ANNOUNCEMENT that features a 90% dead on sculpt, JC Hong paintwork, a complex outfit, seamless body, rooted hair and detailed paint apps - are you kidding?

Oh, you have no idea who you're dealing with, padre. You will NEVER know how deep and intense blind love can be.

THANK YOU Hot Toys for these amazing figures. THANK YOU for always advancing your craft and pushing yourselves to make your already excellent figures even better! I can't wait for Vader, Ben, Leia, Luke and the rest! MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU, HOT TOYS!

 

[cmiller99]

Believe me, I remember that as well as you do.

 

[screamingmetal]

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n00bs, they know nothing of what they talk about.
This is what Hot Toys was making at the time: