Micro Collection Unproduced Gamorrean Guard Wax Sculpting

All Micro Collection figures were originally sculpted at four times their production size. Usually, this sculpting was done in wax, but acetate--a hard, plastic-like material--was used in some cases as well. Great care was given to these sculptings, as they would have to meet the visual requirements set for the figures by the designers, as well as yield a figure which would function properly in conjunction with the mold once production got under way; the most attractive, intricately-sculpted figure in the world is useless if it won't come out of a mold with ease. Generally, a sculptor would begin by roughing out a clay form that approximated the shape he was aiming for in the final figure. A silicon mold would then be made of this clay, into which the wax for the final version would be poured and allowed to harden. Into this wax the sculptor would then add his final detailing, working the figure until it reached a state of finish equivalent to that of the Gamorrean Guard sculpting that you see above (from one of the unproduced Jabba playsets). The principal use of such wax 4-ups was in the production of urethane hardcopies, which were created from yet another silicon mold made using the finished wax sculpt as a master. Although many figures from unproduced sets appear to have never made it to the hardcopy stage, 4-ups of the Gamorrean Guard figure have surfaced, and are featured elsewhere on this archive. The small figure pictured alongside this sculpting is not a Micro Collection figure, but a piece to the Battle at Sarlaac Pit game. When it comes to pre-production material, something like this Gamorrean sculpt is a real treasure; it represents the original point of creation of the figure, and thus would have been the basis for every one of these figures had they been produced and sold throughout North America. Unfortunately, nearly no original sculptings have survived, most having been destroyed during the production process, or--quite horribly--melted down after their functions were met. This scarcity, however, only serves to make these sculptings all the more impressive, and helps to emphasize the quality of work that the craftsmen at Kenner put into these toys.

Description by:	Ron Salvatore
Photo:	Will Grief
From the collection of:	Andy Loney
Country:	United States
Film:	Return of the Jedi
Licensee:	Kenner
Year:	1983
Category:	Prototypes / Micro Collection

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