Interest: TaunTaun and Jerba Wall Hangings!!!

[galactiboy]

The Reigns are detatchable... but on top of the head they are sculpted in place and around the jaw line there is a harness. At least that's how the broken horn one was; I'd assume they just used the same sculpt

 

[astro666]

Yeah, you are right GB. The reigns are not attached but there is a sculpted harness and it doesn't even connect under the chin. What a rip-off!!! I wonder if I can return it to KB Toys for a refund or maybe even store credit. Oh wait, dang it!!!

 

[icruise]

Yeah, I had forgotten how much the reins were part of the head sculpt. I'm definitely in for a sculpt now, but I would like to see a backer added.

 

[Blank]

There was no backing/mounting board on the Tauntaun in jabba's palace.

I'm very interested in what the head on the right of Han in carb. was. There are no clear pictures of it. Lucasfilm says it's a Jerba but it's way to small to be Jerba heads used in ANH. If it was a original creature there would be clearer pictures of it. I'm beginning to think it just a common "earth" animal taxidermy head.

 

[icruise]

There was no backing/mounting board on the Tauntaun in jabba's palace.

And how do you know that?

 

[Blank]

I've seen lots of photos and never seen a backing board. I'm guessing based on how odd the neck looks they just took the animatronic head from ESB and stuck it on a shelf hook.

 

[icruise]

Well, I've looked at all of the photos I can find and I don't think you can say definitively one way or another. It is true that if there is one, it's not a big one. I popped in the blu-ray version of Return of the Jedi and turned the brightness all the way up on my TV, and it looks like there could be something there, but it's inconclusive. Still, given the fact that the Gentle Giant statue has a backer and that it will (in my opinion at least) look better with one, I think we would be justified in adding one.

 

[Blank]

Well, I've looked at all of the photos I can find and I don't think you can say definitively one way or another. It is true that if there is one, it's not a big one. I popped in the blu-ray version of Return of the Jedi and turned the brightness all the way up on my TV, and it looks like there could be something there, but it's inconclusive. Still, given the fact that the Gentle Giant statue has a backer and that it will (in my opinion at least) look better with one, I think we would be justified in adding one.

Just to be clear I'm not fighting or arguing, just discussing. I'm a big Jabba's Palace fan and I can't say 100% there isn't a little backing board on top but I don't see any proof that there is one. I don't think the taxidermy Tauntaun head was a prop built for ROTJ. I think it was just the ESB head and the fur from the neck pulled out of the archive and stuck there. The side profile showing the neck doesn't match the ESB Tauntaun neck anatomy at all.

The Gentle Giant bookends is just their interpretation of it, the Hasbro cardboard Jabba palace showed two Tauntauns and that's incorrect. But if you like having a backing board go for it.

 

[galactiboy]

I think we could see about adding a backing board... or maybe make that an option for those who would have a preference.

I did try to remove some of mine to make him looking more forward, but it didn't work so well. I think I had already cut too much off for mine to be looking forward much more than he was. So when we do the new one we'll be more careful where we cut

 

[Blank]

Now I'm sure there is no backing board. here's a blow up of a picture from my lucasfilm shots

 

[galactiboy]

Well done; guess that could be mystery solved.

 

[Deak Starkiller]

Wow, I had no clue about that...other thing. I'd be interested in a TaunTaun. My only critique would be that the head needs to be angle more, right?

 

[galactiboy]

Yep, that's mostly my fault for not cutting the head off at a better angle. The TaunTaun shown is just an example; the next one will have both horns and a better angle.

 

[swsqueakquels]

Now I'm sure there is no backing board. here's a blow up of a picture from my lucasfilm shots

That's a great find, Blank! Can you show the Ephant pic without the closeup over it? I love how it looks like Han Carb is just leaning against the wall in the background...

Anyway, I think GG made the backer error because of this pic:

If you drag this pic to your desktop, turn up the brightness/sharpness etc., there does appear to be a backer on the Taun.

But when comparing it to your Ephant pic, you can see it's actually just random fur clumps that appear to create a pattern of bumps.

 

[galactiboy]

And its always possible there were different versions depending on the shot But it does seem no backer seems to be the most likely choice.

 

[swsqueakquels]

For those with access to ROTJ on Blu-Ray, the Jerba is vaguely visible in the shot where Jabba's curtain is pulled after Leia has released Han. It is behind Han, but very dark. Maybe take some image grabs and up the brightness/sharpness.

 

[icruise]

Anyway, I think GG made the backer error because of this pic:

If you drag this pic to your desktop, turn up the brightness/sharpness etc., there does appear to be a backer on the Taun.

But when comparing it to your Ephant pic, you can see it's actually just random fur clumps that appear to create a pattern of bumps.

I think that's probably what happened. Even looking at the blu-ray, I could see something that looked like the pattern on the GG statue. I still prefer some sort of backer (and I'm not a huge a stickler for screen accuracy) so I may add one, but we'll see.

 

[galactiboy]

Okay, so here's the back of the first TaunTaun... like I said before, not perfect; but I also did it pretty quickly. I will try to make the next one cleaner, although I'm sure it still won't be 100% blended.

I attempted to alter the angle a bit on mine, some improvement... but not as much as I'd like.

Before the angle alteration:

​

 

[astro666]

I think every thing you have done on yours so far is fine GB. As long as the next one is tilted up a bit more then I will be more than happy. Thanks for showing us the updated pix of yours too.

 

[LOPIE]

I was able to get a Tauntaun with 2 whole horns. But as for the tilt I'll do that when I cast them I promise they will be perfect.