I thought I’d start my first real post with something
special to me. Darth Vader is one of my
favorite Star Wars characters. I’d even
put him up there with my favorite characters of any universe. Before I start this post, I’d like to thank
Rebelscum.com (where I go for all my Star Wars figures news) for most of the
photos I will be using.
My first Vader figure was a Vintage Darth Vader released in
the late 70s/early 80s… I forget how it came into my possession; I believe a
friend at school gave it to me (I was born in 85’, so It was way before my
generation).
As a kid I wasn't a fan of Vader (I was more into Storm Troopers
and Boba Fett) I actually thought he looked kind of silly. I guess owning Spawn figure attributed to my thinking
he wasn’t that cool… as a KID, these
monsterous and detailed spawn figures really stood out to me.
After
the vintage Vader I didn’t really buy the POTF Vaders until the POTF Darth Vader with Removable Helmet
came out:
Whooo! At the time, this figure was super rare and I
remember being so amazed at how cool and detailed it was. I recall this figure placed 1st in
ToyFare magazine’s top 10 figures of the month…
From there I owned several other Vaders… and let
me tell you, almost every year, Hasbro makes a new one. Although they have been improving year after
year. I was never completely satisfied with anyone of them:
As the figures evolved, plastic capes became fabric capes
and swivel joints became ball joints… the character gained more articulation
and more features like:
- Multiple
piece removable helmets
- light
saber hilts
- and
removable hand.
I’ll say it now… I
love great articulation… but if I had to choose between amazing articulation or
an amazing sculpt… I’m going with the sculpt, especially for a character such
as Darth Vader as I don’t see him as a character that is too agile. Maybe growing up in an era where figures
didn’t have great articulation played a role in why I think this way… I just
know a lot of fans are big on articulation.
Anyways, the most recent Vader figure has been
released at SDCC 2014 and it looks fantastic:
Based on how Vader appeared in Revenge of the Sith, I think
this is one of the best Vaders yet. I
really like how the mask turned out, but we’ll have to see it in person when
released in stores.
Now I’m sure Vader figures will continue to improve… my biggest
question is would it be possible to pack the detail of a larger scale figure
into a 3 ¾ figure? Take a look at the
attention to detail, proportions and the way the armour and fabric fit together
of pieces such as the Cinemaquette Darth Vader or Sideshows 1/6 Darth Vader:
I know what you’re thinking…these figures are way more
expensive and at a much larger scale, meaning it’s easier to pack in more
detail … but I believe this level of quality is achievable at a 3 ¾ scale.. but
only by true customizing masters.
Onto the Custom Vaders
Here are two Vader customs that stand out in my
mind. These two customizers, Sith_fir30
and Darklord1967, are very well known for their customizing talents. I’d like to share my thoughts on their
Vaders:
Sith_fire30’s custom features an amazing sculpt and
everything you could want in a Vader figure:
- Great articulation
- 3 piece helmet
- fine detail
The fabric he used on the cape and skirt really adds a much higher quality than any Hasbro Vader. The detail even goes down to the metal chain around his neck!!!
Here’s an interesting side note, I’m not sure if Dayton
(sith_fire30) will remember this, but years ago in 2007, I kept PM’ing Dayton on rebelscum.com forums to make me a
custom Boba Fett. After over a year he
finally said yes to the commission! Around the same time I became a huge Vader
fan … and asked if it was okay for him to switch the commission from Boba to Vader..
he said sure.
Now Dayton’s figures are of super high quality and he works
on dozens of figures at a time, so any one of his customs can take years to
finish! I believe this Vader is still a
WIP, and I’m sure he’s long forgotten about me asking about this
commission. But in any case, Dayton
deserves to keep all his masterpieces in his collection.
This next custom I believe I first saw in 2004. It is by Darklord1967, who has one of the
coolest star wars collections ever.
Check out his version of the Dark Lord:
This Vader figure blows my mind, and even though it was
created a decade ago, I think it beats all the versions that come out
today. Roberto (Darklord1967) used
various figures to put this together including the vintage Vader (who would’ve
thought to use parts from so long ago?).
Although it’s articulation isn’t as wild as today’s figures, the sculpt
and the way the pieces fit together make it one of the best Vaders I’ve ever
seen…
Don’t quote me on this, but I believe this Vader along with
a bunch of other of Darklord1967’s customs were stolen at a convention! I also heard that Roberto made another Vader
that is superior to this one.
Darklord1967 is also nearly impossible to
get a hold of! So if he’s reading this, please give me a shout! I’d love to talk
to you about your customs.
What Vader is in My
Collection?
I’d love to tell you I own a one-of-a-kind … masterpiece
version of Vader.. but I don’t actually have one.
A perfect Darth Vader for me will be based on how he
appeared in ESB and include these features:
- A accurate and high quality sculpt
- Great proportions
- Decent articulation
- Removable helmet
Needless to say there is one person I would trust to do this
custom for me… and he knows who he is! My hope is to get him commissioned and
completed sometime next year (fingers crossed).
If I am so fortunate to him done… I will definitely be sharing it with
you. Stay tuned for my next post...
