(NEW YORK NY, FEBRUARY 19, 2005) Gentle Giant Studios has made an undeniable mark on the Star Wars collecting community in just a few short years. The company’s busts, Bust-Ups brand, and detailed statues feature sculpts previously unheard of. GalacticHunter toured Gentle Giant Studios’ showroom at American International Toy Fair, and due to the company’s ban on photography, we are left with mere words to describe the amazing objet d'art witnessed inside.

Gentle Giant Studios’ signature busts line featured a new Revenge of the Sith Darth Vader. The prototype displayed at American International Toy Fair was still a work-in-progress, as the GG crew seems to call every item that isn’t currently in production. The piece features Darth Vader ominously wielding his saber in front of his body, both hands clasped, and centered right in the middle of the Revenge of the Sith helmet. (Vader’s helmet, for those who aren’t aware, is different from the models he wore in the Classic Trilogy.) Our Galactic stamp of approval was happily given to this piece.

A new Yoda bust, this time from The Empire Strikes Back, features a wise and weary Jedi Master in a classic pose from Empire. The bust conveys Yoda’s age and wisdom, and the piece is based on a scan of the original Yoda puppet from the Lucasfilm archives. This piece is unparalleled in its sculpture and detail.

Han Solo is captured in Gentle Giant’s latest bust of our favorite stuck up, scruffy-looking nerf herder. The likeness is flawless, and the pose captures Captain Solo at his cockiest. 
Sandtroopers, in particular a squad leader with orange pauldron and oversized rifle, and the classic “Look sir, droids!” posed sergeant with (presumably) C-3PO’s errant o-ring in hand. Both figures will come complete with their pistol-sized blaster and the extra arms to cradle the weapon.

After the success of last year’s Sandtrooper on Dewback diorama piece, Gentle Giant has moved forward with the line. The next creation in the mix is a Biker Scout on his trusty Speederbike. It is hard to believe the level of detail put into a figure comparably sized with Hasbro’s Unleashed line, and the bike is a pure work of art. Every gasket and hose is thoroughly sculpted, and the team at GG obviously possesses Force Powers because they have somehow managed to make the whole piece look as if it is floating.

 
Gentle Giant gave away this complimentary Boba Fett bust-up to media guests.

The Bust-Ups line is moving forward with a detailed set of Revenge of the Sith characters. The company has managed to capture the likenesses of Sith stars Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christiansen in a way that should probably cause the guys to lose a little sleep. Darth Sidious is the creepiest old coot you’ve ever seen. His Bust-Ups sculpture radiates the malevolence of the character. General Grievous and a Revenge of the Sith Clone Trooper weren’t shown, but are due in the fourth assortment. Also in the mix is the lone Classic Trilogy piece, Yoda from The Empire Strikes Back in the pose he adopts whilst Luke Skywalker is ascending in his X-Wing. The mini-sculpture expresses his fear and disappointment with the accuracy we expect from Gentle Giant Studios’ larger busts and statues.

The company’s Clone Wars maquettes, based on the animated series, are so successful that they decided to expand their assortment. General Grievous, Anakin Skywalker, and a two-in-one Luminara Unduli and Barriss Offee will augment the line just in time for Cartoon Network’s third season of the hit micro-series.

Finally, after the success of Gentle Giant’s Chewbacca and C-3PO statues, the company has moved forward. Already previewed, fans are eagerly awaiting the forthcoming Darth Vader, and Anakin’s antecessor, Darth Maul is also in the works. The Maul prototype bristled with the hate and rage that the ill-fated Sith unleashed in The Phantom Menace, and we expect great things from the finalized statue.

Gentle Giant Studios has managed to capture the look of Star Wars and the hearts of fans and collectors around the globe. Keep in mind that these pieces aren’t simply scanned and spit out in a cookie cutter manner. A lot of the pieces we see are completely original sculpts, and, as Eric Lyga from Gentle Giant tells us, “These new pieces prove the it’s not all about scanning, it’s about sculpting. And our sculptors kick ass!”

Eric, you can say that again.