*Picture shows Hot Toys ANH Farmboy Luke & Sideshow R2-D2
Doubt there is any need to share the Jawa's story like how a new thread was always kicked off with an intro of the character/thing for the post in this Blog. This little pest - or "trader", "scavenger", "opportunists" spanned across most, if not all of Star Wars Live Action film or Television series and doing what they did, as always. Very consistent little buggers. I find them, cute. Really.
And there is nothing much to say about that "Gonk Gonk... " EG-6 droid either. All it does was to walk past in the background emitting some low frequency, low pitch mechanical sound. Walking like it could fall by the side anytime and looking dumb.Incidentally, the sound "Gonk" literally translated to "Stupid" or "Dumb" in my local Hokkien dialect and aptly so. For that, I love the Gonk Droid.
Now about this Hot Toys MMS554 set, some "Could've been" and "Why" passing through my head. Read on for further elaboration within this post.
In 2019, Hot Toys (HT) announced their version of Jawa, The latest and greatest? Prior to Hot Toys's Jawa, Hasbro, Medicom and Sideshow have made their versions in sequence, specifically 1/6 scale articulated and with fabric garb. Used to have 4pcs of Hasbro's version bought at Toys R'Us for $10 a piece. Posing them carrying a stunned R2-D2 and have fun for a while. Until I begin to despise the very rough made and kiddy accessories ie fully molded chest rigs, rubbery stun blaster and the lack of articulations. This annoying pest need to be upgraded.
Medicom came along (Apr 2009) with the next best thing under their "Vinyl Collection Dolls" (VCD). It has limited articulations eg swinging the shoulder joint up down. It has a fixed stance pose. Not perfect but a reason to own in order to wiped off the "disgraceful" Hasbro's version from my collection. It is safe to say I have never seen it available for sale whether as an open PO or in the secondary market.
Sideshow eventually roll their version out (Sep 2016), as a twin pack, and this is the definitive one in my opinion. Sickening that none of the local hobby shops carry Sideshow 1/6 products anymore due to their high pricing and they were generally "rejected" by local collectors. But these are the ones to keep... This is very rare locally and when it is available in the secondary market, prices are way high.
HT finally announced their version 3 years after Sideshow's. Instead of having a 2 pcs Jawa set, HT decides to package it with a Gonk Droid. It is not an out of whack combination but I reckon a 2 pcs Jawas pack will be more attractive to collectors for putting down that PO. One of these collectors were me. HT is asking for an MSRP on the high side. Collectors start comparing the type of figures that can be had at that asking price and seemingly more "worth it". Ordering rate is low for this set.
I just want to upgrade my Hasbro's Jawa and I want to have at least a couple - just like the Sideshow offering - but HT only gave one. Another consideration is of the high price point when the Gonk Droid is never something I'd even thought of owning in 1/6 scale. So it seem like paying a full price for half a figure. I decided to sit it out as well... looks like my Jawa curse continues.
Then in Aug 2024, I chanced upon a seller in Carousell wanting to let go of his new unopened set at 30% off original MSRP. Now that is workable for me and HT Jawa (and Gonk Droid) secured.
EG-6 Power Droid accompany it's captor Jawa came packaged inside a standard HT 1/6 scale product box. Although not in my want list ever never, still a nice fuzzy feeling to own a 1/6 high quality sample from HT no less.
You don't need artistic imagination to tell that this "droid" is cobbled up with 2x huge plastic tubs glued together upright/downside. Can't unsee it no matter what. Perhaps there is always a thought that this can be easily custom make therefore paying money for one is never on the cards. It is what it is...
Jumping right into the strip down review :
DESIGN -
JAWA - 3/5
CLOAK - Amount of worn is lacking. Whatever the wear and tear seems to be meticulously created. fizzle at the end of the cloak, end of the sleeves has a uniformed start point. No holes or tear in and around the cloak.
I'm not 100% sure but reckon the hood is a single piece with the rest of the cloak. It can be better design to have it as a separate piece so that it allows more freedom in articulation of the head maintaining the hood's opening always in the front of the face. With those 2 long flaps on each side of the hood for wrapping around the neck, the separated hood can be easily concealed.
LIGHT UP EYES - I bet no one has ever really know exactly how the Jawa's face look under the hood. All the Jawa I've seen has flat out eyes or just a sight convex to give some distinction from the flat out face.
HT chose to make them protrude in an announced way, likened to a goldfish's eyes...
HT's eyes design does not cause a problem. Aesthetically, it looks good. The place HT's designer decided to install the light source is a problem. It is placed right at the back of the head.
You get to see both eyes lit up by looking at Jawa's face directly (blue arrow). But when seen on the sides (both grey arrows), only the side of the eyes lit up. That spherical eyeball from the other side simply could not translate the light at that angle. Fact that HT opaque up portion of the eyes is not helping the cause.
Such eye design really need individual light source to fully realize the light up to full expected result.
HT Jawa requires 3x LR621 button batteries for the eyes to fully lights up. This was pre USB-C times so there are addition hassle to put in / remove the batteries (at the back of the head). Rule of thumb, always remove the batteries when not using the light up function.
IONIZATION BLASTER - Based on my researched done online, there are basically 2 main type of Ionization Blaster the Jawa uses.
Jawa Ionization Blaster. I couldn't find any make or model for this version with information showing that the Jawa created this weapon using parts they scavenge. This is a customized weapon!
One of the picture I scoured from the internet had a title to this weapon that said "ROTJ Jawa Blaster". Now it kinda make sense cos I truly did not remember seeing this version in A New Hope. If there is any truth to it, HT has chosen the wrong weapon for their Jawa.
Second point that I find HT lacking is the absence of the Ion pack and hose. Although it is conflicting if this weapon really need an ion pack or not as many pictures in the internet sometimes show a Jawa with the pack and hose, some without. Benefit of a doubt in terms of accuracy, I will not penalize HT on this. However, I feel there is absolutely no harm to include this small details to allow collectors to decide whether to use it or not.
Medicom VCD Jawa is also having this blaster.
GONK - 5/5
Simple design with simple expectation. All this droid need is a full range of articulation for the "legs" and it display this in full. Full score of course.
SCULPTING -
JAWA - No Score
Not much sculpting to comments here. Jawa's face are all that can be commented when all we can see from the movies or TV Series are a blank black mask with lit up eyes.
Hasbro and Medicom attempted some sculpting to reflect bandages head, like the Tusken Raiders. Sideshow's less. HT I believe uses a "balaclava" shape sculpting concept.
No basis to compare for accuracy therefore giving score here isn't fair.
The other prominent sculpting are on the "shoes" or feet. Nicely done but is just like a walk in the park for HT. It is constantly concealed under the robe and a score really wouldn't matte
GONK - No Score
Basically no sculpting for the droid. Everything Injection molding. Shaped formed inside the mold.
PAINTING -
JAWA - 2/5
CLOAK - What about the cloak? Well HT attempted "weathering" on the cloak and what they did was the lazy way. Using an airbrush to rudimentary go a few pass randomly. That is not weathering, that is not even camouflage. I don't know what it is.
ION BLASTER - This is what I call weathering. Nicely done on the blaster but nothing new to HT. Another walk in the park.
GONK - 4/5
The paint job enabled a used droid doing dirty work all it's "life". And occasionally received a rudimentary clean up from it's handler. "Its just a power droid, just keep it clean enough so that dirt do not clog up the circuits and broke it down. We need it to work non stop"... poor thing. Definitely one of the lowest "life" form in the Star Wars universe.
But HT reproduced it almost perfectly to reflect its sorry state. Well done HT for this little fella.
ARTICULATION
JAWA - 3.5/5
HT Jawa is on a smaller body probably first time HT does a child stature body type - if I remember correctly. Nevertheless, standard or small body, a human-esque body has it's standard point of articulations. Jawa has it all. Expectation met.
But 1 point to nit pick on is the head articulation. Just a small angle ie 5° elevation. When making small stature 1/6 figure, head elevation I feel is important when posed talking to a standing 6ft tall human, the head looks up. HT Jawa has limitation like this. Not a really big deal though when posing inside glass cabinet with a 1000 yard stare.
GONK - 5/5
Recycled comments from "Design" section - "Simple design with simple expectation. All this droid need is a full
range of articulation for the "legs" and it display this in full. Full
score of course".
ACCESSORIES
JAWA - 3/5
The set came with 1x Communicator, 1x Welding device, 1x Ion Blaster, 2x Clamshell molded sand rock "diorama" base.
Much maligned sand rock base made with cheap flimsy clamshell, albeit nicely painted to mimick a rocky sand platform. It is suppose to lay on top of a standard hexagonal base. I couldn't imagine any other material to use to achieve this method of display. Collectors expected the base to be a fully molded piece with some weight. I don't think is a high demand given the price point of this set - at that time in 2019. HT is in luck with me for I am never an accessory guy. Just the basic, even without base, is fine for me.
My only beef is on the blaster without the hose and Ion pack. To me, it is incomplete and it is serious. But with conflicting images in the internet, it is still a grey area for this specific weapon. So I am cutting HT some slack here.
Jawa had a L & R relaxed hand factory mounted. And it came with extra hands in 1x R Trigger finger hand, 1x L Welding device holding hand and 1x L Trigger finger hand.
A belt slot were meant for storage of the communicator but no place for storage of the Welding device on the figure...
GONK - No Scoring
This guy... erm Droid, has nothing to its name. Poor thing... Definitely one of the lowest "life" form in the Star Wars universe. (insert sad emoticon)
OVERALL - 3.5/5
That GONK droid is a surprise sleeper hit that help salvage this set in some ways. Not saying the Jawa is no good or is bad, it is a one of the best 1/6 representation you can find that money can (still) buy. For a Star Wars 1/6 figure collector, this is one of those need to have... I stopped short of "must have".
Main gripe is I feel the Jawa is too clean, too off-the-factory type of clean with half hearted low grade weathering - and so they called it - on the robe that is already feel like manufactured level of used.
However I don't believe there will be another 1/6 Jawa from a company that can surpass the glow and brand like Hot Toys. Perhaps a 3rd party unknown brand that made a few Padmes could be making this but it is always just a gut feel. Nothing concrete.
So collectors, if you want a Jawa, my first choice will be the Sideshow one. If money is an issue, HT one isn't bad. Forget about Hasbro's and Medicom's.
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