CUSTOM TOY DISPLAYS AT COLLECTORS GUIDE TO THE GALAXY: STAR WARS MULTI DISPLAY AT PROMENADE-JABBA'S SAIL BARGE

[D. MARQUIS]

Photos by D.Marquis 

WE TAKE A LOOK AT ONE OF THE OTHER AMAZING STAR WARS DISPLAYS WE WERE ABLE TO PULL OFF FROM ONE OF THE BEST SCENES FROM "RETURN OF THE JEDI"- THE FIGHT ON THE AIR SKIFF AND JABBA'S SAIL BARGE OVER THE SARLACC PIT. OF COURSE WHAT MADE THIS PROJECT GREAT WAS THE FACT NEITHER OF THESE VEHICLES WERE EVER CREATED AND PRODUCED ON THE MARKET. SO BY STUDYING PHOTOS OF THESE VEHICLES I WAS ABLE TO REPLICATE THEM OUT OF CARDBOARD. I MADE THE SKIFF WHILE WE WERE OPEN AT TOPANGA (WHERE THIS DISPLAY WAS PROTO-TYPED. ONCE WE GOT INTO THE MUCH MUCH LARGER SPACE AT PROMENADE MALL-

WERE WERE ABLE TO MAKE CORRECTIONS ON THE SARLACC PIT (WHICH KENNY BUILT A SOMEWHAT COMPLEX STRUCTURE TO ALLOW THE PIT TO ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE THE MOVIE)-BUT HERE I WAS ABLE TO METICULOUSLY CONSTRUCT A NEAR PERFECT REPLICA OF JABBA'S SAIL BARGE. OF COURSE PAUL OUR PAINTER DID AN AMAZING JOB AS USUAL- HANGING THIS THING IN PLACE TOOK FOREVER-BUT I WAS ALWAYS WILLING TO PUT IN THE TIME TO BRING THE BEST POSES FOR THE VEHICLES AND FIGURES.
SO IF WE TAKE A LOOK AT THE PIC ABOVE YOU CAN SEE THAT WE WERE ABLE TO GET TWO (2)GAMMOREAN GUARDS,KLATTU(GUNNER),JABBA,PRINCESS LEIA IN HER SEXY-ASS COSTUME (DID JABBA HIT DAT?), R2 AND C3PO, AND OF COURSE JABBA'S PERSONAL SERVANT- BIB FORTUNA- ALL ATOP OF THE BARGE WHILE EVERYONE PANICS CAUSE THEY ARE ALL ABOUT TO DIE...ESPECIALLY JABBA. I CRAFTED A TONGUE FOR HIM AND PUT SOME HOT GLUE OVER IT TO MOCK THE SLIME HE SPEWED AS HE MET HIS END. THE BOBA FETT FIGURE FLYING OFF THE SAIL BARGE TO ENGAGE LUKE SKYWALKER ACTUALLY WAS THE CENTERPIECE OF THIS DISPLAY. I USED TO SIT BACK AT THE REGISTER AT PROMENADE AND WATCH UR CUSTOMERS REACTIONS TO THIS DISPLAY. THE MAJORITY OF THEM WOULD IMMEDIATELY YELL-"BOBA FETT!"- THEN THEIR EYES WOULD JUST FOLLOW THE ACTION TO THE SMALLER SKIFF BELOW

THIS DISPLAY FEATURED LOTS OF HARD-TO-GET FIGURES AND VEHICLES THAT WERE A PART OF THE TATTOINE LANDSCAPE(EVEN IF THEY WEREN'T IN THIS PARTICULAR SCENE.) 1.)IMPERIAL TROOP CARRIER (ORIGINAL 1979-80 TOY LINE) BOTTOM RIGHT (PARTIAL PIC) 2.) RED SPEEDER BIKER FROM SHADOWS OF THE EMPIRE (COMIC BOOK) 3.) BANTHA ANIMAL (ATOP SAND DUNE) 4.) ORIGINAL JAWA SAND CRAWLER PLAYSET 5.)TONS OF HARD-TO-GET- FIGURES FORTUNATELY STAR WARS SAW A RESURGENCE OF FIGURE RELEASES AT THIS TIME DUE TO THE RELEASE OF "PHANTOM MENACE" SO WE GOT A LOT OF RE-RELEASES AS WELL AS A WHOLE BUNCH OF FIGURES WE'D NEVER SEEN BEFORE -SO THAT REALLY HELPED OUR DISPLAYS- ESPECIALLY THIS ONE.

AS YOU CAN SEE -THIS SCENE IS THE SAME ACTION- JUST IN TOYS (ASK LANDO IN THE PIC!). THIS IS WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO TO. EVEN TOY CONVENTIONS TODAY ARE STILL ONLY DISPLAYING THE TOYS BEHIND GLASS OR IN BASIC POSES. WE WANTED TO PUSH THE LIMIT AND KEEP THE ACTION MOVING THROUGH THE TOYS. I'M GLAD WE GOT TO TRY IT- AND THAT YOU GUYS WERE A PART OF IT-AT WHATEVER PHASE YOU CAME IN TO CGG. I ESPECIALLY WANT TO THANK ROBIN ACKERMAN (OUR TOYMOM)-FOR HER GREAT SUGGESTIONS ON THESE PARTICULAR DISPLAYS AND MEGS AND JASON ACKERMAN (WHO WERE TATER TOTS AT THE TIME AND WOULD ALWAYS BE WILLING TO DO SUPPLY RUNS FOR ME OR WANT TO HELP IN SOME WAY-THANKS GUYS.)