Return of the Jedi BluRay Deleted Scene: Luke's Lightsaber Construction Faked?

So we've all seen this deleted scene by now from the BluRay release. Amongst the other scenes released from ROTJ this one seems the most obscurely… odd.  Don't I remember at some point Mark Hamill saying he NEVER remembers filming this section only to later say in front of Celebration V that (to paraphrase) "After talking to George… Yes I do vaguely DO remember shooting this… but vaguely".

Now I know that Mark Hamill is as much a fanboy as the rest of us and not likely to forget such details such as SHOOTING A MOVIE… and I wondered for some time here and there when I've seen this clip… is this Mark Hamill or is it just somebody with a cleft chin and otherwise Mark Hamill like features filling in for a Never Before Seen BluRay exclusive minute and a half of Return of the the Jedi… You know the kind that sells millions of copies selling you the same 6 movies you've been watching for 30 years now with 5% more content tucked inbetween the same 30% of bonus content you'e also been watching for the last 15 years… that kinda stuff….

Anyway, so I wonder why an actor with such a face and presence would have had such a minute entrance to this third act when he later makes such a sneaky entrance at Jabba's palace which seems to be much more mysterious and dramatic… a real hero's entrance. It just kinda displaces this clip which… ok, I totally understand why it would be deleted.

What if this was completely fabricated? What if this never happened in 1981,2, or 3? What if we were given this clip now 30 years later as a simple ploy to sell more copies of Star Wars… Now with BluRays? Where do you get a Mark Hamill doppleganger in 2013? Use a rubber mask made from a life cast? Any old fool with a cleft chin and a nose?

That was a simple enough conspiracy to cook up if it were a conspiracy and I never gave it too much more thought until this weekend when I saw Captain America: The Winter Soldier. 

Once the Winter Soldier was revealed to us completely… I was awestruck… Who is this dude? I know he's the same guy to played Bucky in the first Captain America movie, but we never really saw any intensity from this guy. Then I when the real battle took place in the last quarter of the movie it was an all out audition for a part in Star Wars Episode VII… This guy was Mark Hamill 1980 incarnate. Every slash and punch from this guy wrought this Bespin Duel/Emperor's Throne Room grimace from this guy and I was totally bought into this guy as an action star out of pure synthesized familiarity. He even has that uneven cleft chin thing going... Weird... Where was this guy for Episode II & III?

So I started thinking, "Man, this Sebastian Stan guy… He can't be flying under the radar so that no one from Lucasfilm has noticed the glaring likeness he bares… Oh yeah Marvel>Disney>StarWars… Oh yeah… wait a second… this guy COULD TOTALLY PLAY LUKE SKYWALKER."  Maybe even Luuke Skywalker for you ultra-fanboys...

Could Sebastian Stan have possibly been a "Stand-Chin" for an aged Mark Hamill in a "NEW" bonus clip for the 30th Anniversary re-release of ROTJ no less on BluRay? I don't know… but I did manage to assemble these animated Gifs using unaltered photos and screenshots from the clip in question.

So what do you guys think? Is this a total fanboy conspiracy cooked up in my head or does this seem possible? I'm asking questions here so please don't misunderstand that I think I am  correct beyond all doubt. Let me hear from you in the comment section. Trolls will be walked to the door.

SDCC 2014 | Star Wars Black Series Wave 4 and Beyond

Another year has gone by and this summer is quick approaching. With exciting news of deluxe sets in the Star Wars Black Series revealed at ToyFair what else can we expect to see revealed this year?

So far we have seen pictures of Biker Scout, Jabba the Hutt, Darth Vader, Chewbacca, Jedi Luke & Ep III Anakin Skywalker...

For the most part fans have been pleased with the character selection. Though the toy isles have cast their vote as well showing that Prequel characters will be the hardest sell, I think that once we have a more balanced and intuitive scheme in the works those prequel figures will be in higher demand. Episode II Anakin in itself could raise demand for Episode III Kenobi... but where are my Ep I Obi Wan Kenobi and Qui Gonn?

Similar sentiments can be felt towards the "no brainer" figures. With most releases to date being Episode IV  heavy and now ROTJ starting to take the lead, where are our main characters hanging out while they wait to be incarnated (inpolymered) for our enjoyment?

 What does the future hold? We'll just have to see. In the meantime I choose to use my imagination. It seems like the most likely news we should see from SDCC this year would be the release of the galaxy's favorite farmboy; Ep IV Luke Skywalker in his Tatooine garb. Complete with his Lightsaber, Droid Caller molded to 1 of 2 Optional Belts, and Stormtrooper blaster.

And what about figure bases? Should figures of this caliber not have a good leg to stand on? While these figures are built with incomparable sculpt quality, amazingly detailed accessories, rotating ankles for stabilty amongst other superior articulation, all inside of a sleek dynamite packaging scheme... no bases? at a $20 price point are we not worth this simplest of accessories?

I think that once things get rolling as we have seen with Hasbro's Marvel Legends line trends like this may come and go while the line itself stays onward with their figure quality. But like I say in the meantime, lets use our imagination.

This figure was built using all BS6 parts from the first 3 waves. It took 3 figures to lend the parts to this piece and in the end it looks great. With a little slicing and sculpting and texture copying I have come about this result bringing my total Luke Skywalker figure count to 5.

I also have created a Jedi Luke from the first act of ROTJ using a Darth Maul and Han Solo body as well as a Stormtrooper Luke and Han from obvious figure choices. This line has as much to offer as the 3.75" forerunner has in the past and I look forward to seeing where things go. The roadmap is pretty predictable as this is not a new part of town, we're just getting a different perspective on the place.

Mystery Prototype: Toy Biz's Lex Luthor

I was perusing the inter web the other day and out of the corner of my screen I spotted a familiar favorite  that just seemed a little different. For the supposed condition of it I could have  overlooked it but something called me in to take a closer look. 

Something was out of place from what I was accustomed and I couldn't put my finger on it immediately but I knew that something was very different. Lex was in a black suit first of all, which I new to not be correct but I wrote it off as some sort of custom job. Something else wasn't right about the packaging but still I couldn't readily identify it. I watched the item for a couple of days but no one seemed interested in it, partially due to its odd description:

"Package has the original front, the back has been replaced by a sheet of white card stock. The plastic bubble has been stapled to re-attach it. The figure is in good condition. Package shows some wear.  No 4408. Fully Poseable Figure. With Action Feature.  Button Activated Power Punch. Great to add to a Collection, Display, Use or Give as a Gift!"


So after a couple days, I went for it. At $5 plus shipping I really had nothing to lose so I dropped the hammer and had it sent out immediately. It arrived within 2 days which was simply nice but once I got the first look at it in person I knew something was VERY different about my new little friend, something VERY familiar:

So the first thing I noticed was this head. At first I told myself, "Wow, this is a craftily repainted model, but why black?" Then I started to really look at the face and the hands and something really stood out to me. This was not the production model head that we received in the final figure. I started looking on the web at some of the package shots and what I saw was VERY familiar indeed. And on top of that, my little friend here lacked any mechanical set up for his Villainous Head Smacking action… No Lever!!!

This head was definitely an identical sculpt to the one used on the photo model but not the production model. Very cool... so I started to examine the figure a little closer and noticed a few other things that should have stuck out immediately. This figure had no molding seams!! This figure was an original sculpt if not a VERY early copy showing no reproduction lines from factory casting. Upon closer inspection, this figure didnt even seem to be plastic!, possibly even carved out of wood? "WTF am I holding?"

 

There was an obvious refinement to the sculpt itself. Though there were still signs of workmanship, the way everything fit together was just so much tighter and cleaner. The hand of course was not originally sculpted to hold a breif case or gun, The left hand showed no sign of a sculpted ring BUT it did have a much more delicate sculpt that looks much nicer than the ham fist we got on the official release. A lot of the messier details we saw in the official release seem to have a lot to do with the quality/cost of their molds. The production run of Lex Luthor has a much more bulbous head with less "undercuts" which can wreak havoc in the casting process. I imagine the hands also fell to a similar fate once the final model was established.

 

Next I looked at the packaging. There were some clear differences right off the bat. First was the hand drawn DC Super Heroes logo which  had been drawn, hand colored, cut out and then photocopied in place ontop of the color halftone background. The Power Punch burst was slightly out of place. The corners were square cut, not the retail friendly radius corners. The product code was that of Bob the Goon from the Batman figure line (research). The hanging mechanism was a "J" hook and not the typical rack punch style. Everything was wrong and this was starting to look like a very legitimate early rough proof and I was starting to become really intrigued.

The bubble itself was an unsealed square cut bubble. Though the outer shell had the trademarks of the running toybiz line the base was not cut to a radius as they were in production. Also the inner tray, which was a perfect fit for the outer blister, was fitted for a Super Powers Aquaman... peculiar, no space for his trident... 

Well, there it is, my mysteriously sourced toy. I have reached out to a couple folks who I feel could possibly help me track down this figure's ultimate source besides simply being an early proof/prototype but have not heard anything yet...

Some things that I DO know from my own understanding being familiar with the line from my childhood definitely point my hopes towards some very interesting facts relating to this particular figure.

• ToyBiz bought the rights to get in on the Batman franchise creating a small 3 figure line of figures of characters from Batman the Movie starring Michael Keaton.
• The line itself was made to directly take off from the popularity of the Kenner made Super Powers line.
• Many of the figures from the line were near matches to their Kenner counterparts
• The photos used internally to sell the line to DC were largely of Kenner figures used as either direct models OR repainted to stand as new characters to be in the line.
• Lex Luthor was the most unique figure in the first pitch of 8 figures from the DC Super Heroes line
• The Riddler was a new addition to the line-up though his early product photos as well as the production release were essentially a repainted Flash.
• The line did later include versions of The Flash, Hawkman, Green Lantern, Aquaman, and Two-Face, all with original sculpts as well as all new sculpts featured in their product photography.

I welcome any tips or information on the ultimate source of origin for this figure.

Leave any comments in the section below!!

GeekSummit's GOVEMBER Sale!!!

GeekSummit's scraping the barrel this month as we clear out our vintage collections as well as our regular runs of Movie Masters, DC Universe, Marvel Legends, Zombie Slugs, and of course AWESOME DEALS AND FREE SHIPPING.

150 items currently listed and Hoping to add more before the month is out. Definitley check us out and pick up some sweet collectibles for YOUR geekshelf.

Click the image below to be taken to our current listings!!

There's nothing wrong with toys in the work place!!!

Got nobody to play with?

PLAY WITH YOURSELF!!!

Star Wars Black Series | SDCC Exclusive Boba Fett and Han Solo in Carbonite

Boba Fett is coming to San Diego Comic-Con in July, and he's bringing a friend.

One of the collectible toys that Hasbro will have available exclusively at the pop-culture event this year is a detailed 6-inch Boba Fett action figure from the new Star Wars Black Series. What's even better is that he comes packaged with two weapons, his iconic jet pack and the ultimate accessory: Han Solo frozen in carbonite.

Kids of all ages can relive the moments in the Cloud City of Bespin during The Empire Strikes Back where Boba Fett hauls off his prey, or the scenes in Return of the Jedi where the iconic bounty hunter has taken Solo to Jabba the Hutt's palace on Tattooine.

 

 The special-edition set is priced at $44.99 and will be sold at the Hasbro booth at the San Diego Convention Center July 18-21.

The first wave of four Black Series figures, due out in early to mid-August, includes Luke Skywalker in his X-Wing Fighter flight suit, fan-favorite droid R2-D2, Sith lord Darth Maul and an Imperial Sandtrooper.

If you don't want to wait that long to get Star Wars stuff, in honor of Star Wars Day/May the Fourth on Saturday fans can use the promo code "SWFANDAY" to get 20% off Star Wars and Angry Birds Star Wars toys online at HasbroToyShop.com."

SOURCE: ToyArk.com

But I think we ALL remember that it was ThreeA toys suggestive entry a few years back. I would think Google was aglow shortly after the first few shots arrived detailing fully articulated 6 inch incarnations of any true Star Wars fan's favorite 2 armored baddies complete with scaled vintage packaging. Definitely Hasbro had taken notice of that interest. Regardless of who produces my first 6 inch Stormtrooper... Thank You and May the Force Be With You...

 

Man of Steel | NECA Superman Quarter Scale REVEALED!!!

Shots released yesterday showing us our first glimpse of the NECA quarter scale Man of Steel Superman figure coming this summer. While I AM excited to see this coming over the horizon I am also hoping that this is the beginning of a major MAJOR partnership between DC and NECA. Their sculpting is second to none. Their attention to detail and really just their responsiveness to what fans want to see is uncanny.  While this first shot does leave us witness to the prototype process as far as likeness and color the facial likeness sees more detail in the unpainted version below.

 The properties that they find license with are awesome... NECA is where I'd like to give all my money as a Mid-High end collectible company. Mattel has been at it for years with their DC license slowly ascending to giving us awesome movie property toys but NECA was already at the top of that mountain years ago. This unpainted version definitely gives me confidence that NECA has got this figured out.

I can only hope that we will see NECA use this as their foot in the door to do 6-7" DC figures, or at the least be sought out by DC Collectibles to do their figure sculpting. I love Tim Brukner's work but for all he does DCC really shits in the fan on articulation.

Star Wars | New Vintage 12" Stormtrooper Bootlegs Emerge

Crazy Toys Brings us a NEW 12" Vintage Stormtrooper

Well, let me start by saying that even though these are (bootlegs-knock-offs-reproductions-fakes) not official vintage Star Wars merchandise, to myself the Star Wars (and especially Stormtrooper) fan these are one of the greatest things I've ever seen. Though it could be seen as offensive on both Vintage and Gentle Giant's Star Wars efforts, I welcome ANY well done incarnation of simply my favorite toy EVER... In childhood... fist full of '77 stormtroopers... In adolesence... fist fulls of '95 Froot Loops Han Solo Stormtoroopers... In adulthood... Way too many stormtroopers for a grown man. And now? It has come to this... Basically a matched effort of Gentle Giant's 12" line. I do not have one in hand... (yet) but minus the dookie packaging job (once again) these almost seem to be more authentic looking than GG's figure. Sadly they may just be direct copies. @ half the price.

With the release of the Gentle Giant's 12" line my interest was peaked in a neighborly way but I say let folks reboot their collection with an entire array of 12" vinyl figures @ $100 a pop, but not me sir... not in this house... not tonight!!! Though I debated for months on tracking down a 12" trooper to call my own I just couldn't get past the fact that these were just blow mold/rotocast heavy vinyl Hamilton Gifts quality 12" figures... for $100? I'm essentially paying for the fact that shipping and the size of these things prevent them from being able to have a retail presence with these pieces. It's enough to make me seek a reasonably priced substitute... for me there is Crazy Toys out of China/Hong Kong. Most likely under an illegitimate contract to produce these figures much like the now repackaged 3.75" figures, now making their second rounds on the interweb, will be debated ONCE AGAIN as abominations to vintage collecting.

 

This time around the packaging is very plain but different enough in format to be a little more "classy". Its a plain black design featuring photos of the figure itself (or its original moldsake) with the figures blister packed on a fold over resealable plastic case fitted to its carboard backer. If I had to guess... the backside of this is either plain brown paper or just more repeated photography with no mention of trademarks or copyrights or anything like that. But anyway back to the footlong model...

As you can see the figure is a pretty faithful DoppleTrooper to the 3.75" figure as well as the Gentle Giant 2-ups. It could even possibly be sourced from an original 2-up. That would make this a pretty authentic step figure to the vintage figures. I don't think it is a direct copy of the Gentle Giant figures though because they (Gentle Giant) seem to me to be less detailed as a casualty of their process where as this one seems to be a very sharp direct cast and copy of an authentic production figure. Regardless of its origins or deceitful existence though, I will be excited to have one of these on my shelf.

I think these shots featuring the Gentle Giant artwork behind is possibly more of a bait a switch tactic photographically to draw the eye in. I doubt we will see much color inside or in back of the packaging on these. It comes in a plain window box (with no plastic) with its badly photoshopped Star Wars logo dropped at the bottom (I hate Bevel and Emboss).

But the nice thing about this figure (initially) is that there is no way to confuse it with a legitimate vintage product. But then we go back to Gentle Giant legitimately having the license to produce their work as is now being subverted by Crazy Toys... and doing a damn fine job of it.

Either way... hate if you must... I'm getting one.

Superman's 75th Birthday | Free Wallpaper for YOU!!

Celebrating 75 Years: Superman

1938 • 2013

Free Wallpaper for YOU!!

Superman Celebration 2013 | T-Shirt Downloads!!

Designs by GeekSummit

Its that time of year again. With 2 months left to go I'm hitting the ground running with this year's FREE t-shirt downloads!!!

As time goes by more designs may be added but for now I bless you with the gifts of:

"Who's Your Daddy"

"Metropolis • 2013"

Be sure and look back at our SuperRelevant 2012 designs

HERE!!

Custom Lightsaber Hilts from Childhood Archives

I was going through some stuff from my parents' attic and ran across a rolled up paper grocery sack full of these old guys. They were probably made 20 years ago. I guess I was about 12-14 when I did these using the Star Wars Technical Journals back in the 90's. They were made using PVC pipe, window hardware, bicycle parts and random junk parts. These 3 were some of the later versions. The rest of the bag seemed like desperate attempts to really stretch and experiment with materials.. I think one is even made with a length of diesel hose. I'll have to round up the rest for being adorably ugly.

 

This one is the pride of the find though for sure. It was my Luke Skywalker (Anakin) saber from ANH and ESB. The box on the side is made with a bicycle break pad (switched out for the cleaner one in the final picture. The grips are just sliced plumbing insulation. Sliced off a dowel to fill the bottom end and attached a small D-Ring with woodscrews. 

I remember when I made these that the trick for these buttons on the bottom had an AWESOME effect I had a screw cap with a gripped edge pinning a dimensional washer conforming it to the pipe's shape. This gave an AWESOME mirrored effect on the inside of the washer that I really remember being very proud of, but unfortunately the dulled silver paint now just kinda sits there and doesnt really pop anymore.

With the cleaner clearer bicycle break pad added.

The rest of the sad sack… good enough for parts… thats about it though.