Sideshow Premium Format ESB Boba Fett

[jbdubz]

Unfortunately on mine I have a TERRIBLE error. An incomplete cat scratch. I'm reaching out to sideshow to see if they'll do anything, sucks so bad because it's so noticeable. That iconic cat scratch is what completes his look.... so... yeah, disappointing heartbreak to a beautiful work of art in many ways more than one.

WOW. This statue had so much potential but their quality control is seriously a joke. That's absolutely ridiculous, way worse than the issues I had with mine. I contacted them about the X on the side of my helmet and after a TON of back and forth, saying that each helmet is different and will have SMALL variations, they did finally agree to send me a new one. Neither of ours have small variations but yours is so obviously flawed, I'm hoping they will work with you too dude.

For the mythosaur, I'd recommend repainting the whole shoulder bell. That's what I'm doing. The damage is wrong anyways and since its such a forward facing piece to the statue, I want it to be correct to a certain degree.

 

[Matty Matt]

It's bad enough Sideshow would even release defective pieces like this but then to not immediately replace them is just ridiculous.

 

[Jc27]

It's bad enough Sideshow would even release defective pieces like this but then to not immediately replace them is just ridiculous.

That's why I'm done with sideshow. They expect big money for collectibles and they can't get the simple details right. The premium dr doom is the last thing I will be buying from them. Look how much they charged forntheblife size fett and how much it sucked. How could anyone in their QA department look at that thing and think that it is worth the money.

 

[JCFETT]

I'm so with you on that jc... it's just so damn hard not to be tempted when they give you those prototype photos where everything looks beautiful and as you'd like it.... I think that's the absolute worse part. Is that the prototype is the way it should be, correct mythosaur, flightsuit weather etc... they promise you something great and then knowingly deliver you something that ALWAYS falls short. When they are given the proof who approves of this crap1?!?

 

[jbdubz]

a big problem is that we make up less that 1% of the overall collectors that are purchasing this and to the uninitiated, this figure is worth it's weight in gold. Sideshow knows this. so they can cut corners, hire cheap labor and even cheaper quality control. even with minimal collateral damage, in whole there will be satisfaction with the end result as the majority of consumers have NO IDEA. the production pieces replaced the prototype pictures quickly and its likely that many never saw the prototype. even if they did, they either wouldn't have the background knowledge to identify the differences and call out the errors or simply just don't care which ultimately further enables SS to continue down this path of shoddy production practices.


Sent from my R2 unit

 

[JCFETT]

Ok so SSC are going to replace my head. So there's one hurdle down.

Now the question becomes... should I alter the mythosaur? or just leave it and keep it original. I know I would love it more altered, but at this price point it's difficult to do so. Especially knowing all shipped like this....

can't wait to see your updates jdbuz! please post asap. I'll send those other pics to you sometime today.

 

[jbdubz]

Well i guess it's time to put up or shut up! So just like Episode 7, I started to work on making things right...

First things first, the easy stuff. I reoriented the wookie braids so that the gray braid was in the front as it should be...

Then added the missing gray shoulder stud (yes i know its only visible in 3 reference photos lol) and swapped the red one to the outside right, matching my ESB set up

next up, gauntlets, Pulce and shin tools...




Sent from my R2 unit

 

[superjedi]

Go man, go!

 

[jbdubz]

Go man, go!

lol trying, stuck on how to get the armor off!!

 

[jbdubz]

Thanks to JCFett for supplying some unaltered product photos of the gauntlets, I was so quick to make fixes that I spaced snapping some pics of the original state of the gauntlets.

Let's begin with the right gauntlet, which I was somehow lucky enough to have a bad glue job which made the gauntlet very easy to remove...
Original version, gotta love the indentions where the dental files should be, painted red and white.


Fixed the dental file issue. Found some textured tiny carpenter nails (probably IKEA) and ground them down, painted the red one (obviously), drilled out the holes and inserted from the inside of the gauntlet, worked out pretty well I think...


Then added the proper colors to the darts as well as some more accurate damage and the gauntlet light (no, seriously, it lights up...lol kidding).


Now on to the left gauntlet. A bit trickier since the hand doesn't come off like the right one does to swap out EE3's (a cool option but you'll never catch my ESB statue holding an ROTJ anything. Sorry, principles).
Original version, way too dirty in my opinion, inaccurate damage.


Cleaner her up a bit, added accurate damage (still stuck with some of the bad), mirrored my FP AE gauntlets for the flamethrower, as much as possible anyways, pretty close quarters.


The side arm Pulce 40 wannabe sat uneasy with me, not just with its color but also with how it was positioned in the holster...
Original, too dark and no TLC at all.


Much better. Not sure why I obsessed over a part that is 90% unseen in the holster but I like to think that if its worth doing, its worth doing right.


Cut out some of the snap-tite fasteners that were restricting how deep the side arm could sit inside the holster. Still not enough of the tip out the end, probably shave off a bit of the holster, maybe.


Now on to the shin tools. Oh the shin tools. The sonic beam weapon is a bit undersized and not shaped correctly, going to need some work...


And the final result...


Some close ups of added features, again, a little obsessive. Whatever, it was fun. Don't judge me.



Well, I think that's it for now. Still lots to do. Flight suit and cape weathering next on the list. Not sure about the chest armor, they're too dark and the damage is sloppy but are attached pretty good to the statue itself (not just the flight suit), unlike the shoulder bells which came right off. May have to go in topically. Scary stuff.

 

[jbdubz]

Eric started work on the helmet!!! Pretty stoked to have two buckets painted by the master himself, even if I can only wear one of them

Check out his progress here:
http://www.thedentedhelmet.com/f22/sideshow-1-4-scale-helmet-repaint-jb-dubz-55282/

 

[sprktaf]

And it looked so awesome at SWC7. I walked pass the glass so many times, wanting. Sometimes I get caught up in the moment at events and forget to really look. But it was awesome looking, It would look great in the garage by the stereo, frig, and more SW collectibles. Unfortunately, I was unable to purchase, not enough over-times at work and stuff around house. Now hearing you find, I would not have the patients to correct it. Thanks for sharing and making yours right. Enjoying reading.

southern Indiana
scott

 

[Major]

Looking sweet Jeremy

 

[Jc27]

Ugh. I love the pose of the statue and would love one that was actually correct. Too bad no one at SSC knows anything about fett.

 

[Jc27]

JB, are the parts removable for the most part? If the errors are fixable, I may change my mind.

 

[jbdubz]

Looking sweet Jeremy

Thanks Robert! Weathering updates soon

JB, are the parts removable for the most part? If the errors are fixable, I may change my mind.

So far, aside from the parts that came separate in the box, the right gauntlet is hot glued to the flight suit and by removing the blaster/hand, it slides right off. The shoulder bells were easy to wiggle off and the knee armor is only held on by elastic bands. The braids also were hot glued and were easy to remove and reorient, thanks to the removal of the gauntlet. The ankle ties are attached with Velcro but the flight suit underneath the ties is glued to the figure. They glue in those spots released pretty easily though, which will make weathering much easier. The chest armor on the other hand is really on there and I'm afraid if i wiggle and pry too much i may just end up snapping a corner off. The pieces are not attached to the vest alone, they are anchored within the polystone figure, punching through the vest and flight suit, along with hot glue. I know that rubbing alcohol will release hot glue but I'm not to sure what that will do to the integrity of the fabric underneath, plus the smell it would certainly retain. I will likely have to attack the chest armor from a 100% topical approach. I may forgo repainting the green and focus mainly on the silver and yellow. Not totally sure yet but if If I can get the pieces off its a no brainer.

the biggest hurdle really has been the helmet and the incorect mythosaur on the shoulder bell. but thanks to that one guy, what's his name... i forget, Superman? SuperJarJar? oh yeah, superjedi, neither are an issue any longer

 

[Fett 4 Real]

Ugh. I love the pose of the statue and would love one that was actually correct. Too bad no one at SSC knows anything about fett.

Think its more of their good enough is not OUR good enough....Alex gave them the lifesize fett paint on a silver platter and they still didnt get it right...this is no different

 

[jbdubz]

Think its more of their good enough is not OUR good enough....Alex gave them the lifesize fett paint on a silver platter and they still didnt get it right...this is no different

Exactly. We are perfectionists and expect the same, especially with a price tag of 500$. That being said, we make up such a small percentage of the consumers purchasing this figure that they can afford to cut corners. Alex even provided SS with feedback regarding what they got wrong after the production photos were released, MONTHS before they started shipping, and nothing was changed. Such a tease even up to delivery, with Alex's 14 scale prototype pictured on the box but something much different inside.

 

[Jc27]

Exactly. We are perfectionists and expect the same, especially with a price tag of 500$. That being said, we make up such a small percentage of the consumers purchasing this figure that they can afford to cut corners. Alex even provided SS with feedback regarding what they got wrong after the production photos were released, MONTHS before they started shipping, and nothing was changed. Such a tease even up to delivery, with Alex's 14 scale prototype pictured on the box but something much different inside.

If I had bought one, seeing the work Alex did and what was in the box I would have been pissed.

 

[Fett 4 Real]

Theres nothing different then anything else they put out...the prototype is always nicer then what you get in hand...