Luke in Robes discovery?

[cfawcett]

Ok, so I'm looking through Stephane's Meccano book and I notice something interesting. On page 107, there is a catalog picture of new ROTJ figures. This is the picture usually cited showing the black caped Squidhead.

But I was looking at it and noticed the Luke Jedi figure. The picture clearly shows a cloak on him like the production figure, but a completely different figure underneath. THis looks like it might be a Ben Kenobi, but the face looks more like a Luke figure. So I pull of pics of the Luke in Robes and notice something else. Look at the figures right leg. The Luke in Robe has this swoosh of material on the right leg that makes this catalog picture look more like this figure than the Ben figure. See how the right leg "hem" is higher than the left leg? THe kenobi figure is not like that.

Can anyone who might have this catalog make a decent sized scan of that figure?

Could this be a mystery solved? Comments?

Cj

 

[AJ_van_Zelst]

That's most defenitly a Luke in robe!

Look at the pictures:

1) Luke in Meccano book
2) Ben Kenobi
3) Luke in Robe from TRG site

Fantastic discovery! So, no POTF after all!

Plus, it's red and painted!

-Alex

 

[JohnA]

Holy crap!! This is huge. Great eye, CJ.

Now, the question is, what's the story? I know there's an alternate sculpt of Luke Jedi and that was much stiffer than the one released. Could this be an even earlier attempt at Luke Jedi? Is it possible this is another blue Snag in that Kenner didn't have good visuals yet?

John

 

[MicroRob]

It looks like the Luke in robes to me!

Good eyes Chris!

 

[skye]

Great find in a great book. Yet another reason that I am so glad to Stephane produced it.

It should be said that despite the great scan from AJ, the color does not come through that well. In the book, it is suprisingly red.

So, what is the probable origin of this photo? Kenner, Palitoy, Meccano? I assume not Meccano, as it says "Luke" and not the usual "Luc." If it is Kenner, why is it only found here?

 

[Jarrod_Zutton79]

Great work! That's awesome!

 

[ChrisGeorgoulias]

Fantastic discovery! So, no POTF after all!

Yeah, I've seen indications where it was a "Revenge" figure which meant it was early, not later.

Plus, it's red and painted!

I believe that's the color scheme on the design drawing that Lisa & Vic have in their collection. Which I don't have a photo of that's handy. It was always pretty close, but not quite dead-on with the figure. At least that's what I used to think.

Good eye, Cj! It's incredible to see it in released literature like that.

-chris

 

[Christian]

Wow CJ - sharp eyes!

This got me thinking though, does the evidence point towards the possibility (or probability ?) that this piece was in France at some stage? (I'm thinking along the lines of the Speeder Bike model that had obviously clocked up some serious airmiles!)

Anyone know the names of the Meccano marketing staff in 1983?

Cheers,
Christian.

 

[Matt_T]

Kudos CJ!

So how many of this figure have surfaced so far, just the one in Gus's collection?

 

[Commtech_Guide]

That is a cool find!

Here is a custom Luke In Robes figure...

 

[Yehuda_K]

great eye!!
I'm looking at the picture in my copy now.
I wonder if this figure came closer to production then we thought.

 

[ChrisGeorgoulias]

So how many of this figure have surfaced so far, just the one in Gus's collection?

Four.

-chris

 

[James_Gallo]

To further add to Chris' comments there are
2 complete
1 Missing a head
1 Missing a head and 1 hand.

Great find CJ.
I think with a lot of the information that has come out over recent years that this is an early figure similar to the blad Emperor and not late like Gargan.

James G

 

[Rebojazz]

If it came from Meccano, possibly. I'd like to see the rest of the full picture. If it is a type of painted Luke in Robes it would be nice to find out where it is, if it still exhists...

Awesome find CJ!!!

 

[ScottyC]

WOW! Thats a Wicked Find!

The Sculpt Looks Amazing! That Custom is pretty wicked to!

 

[ecl]

i agree, i love that sculpt!

 

[Phil72]

Superb discovery!

 

[Leif_G]

Wow! Excellent! The right hand is very obviously not Kenobi's too.

 

[Leif_G]

Is it possible this is another blue Snag in that Kenner didn't have good visuals yet?

John

I think that's an interesting and very plausible idea John. It's almost like the figure's scuptor envisioned Luke wearing full inner and outer Kenobi-like robes instead of just the outer robe actually worn in the movie.

 

[ThorOakenfelder]

Man, that's really interesting. Truly new things are found all of the time.

 

[Nick_Macarty]

Awesome Find!

Could this really be Luke in Jedi Robes?

Could it not be a figure to follow the last 17?

After all, it was only at the end of "Return of the Jedi" he became a Full Jedi Knight. Interesting none the less.

It also seems to fit the style of the Bald Headed Emperor , that was rumoured to of come with a cloak also.

-Nick

 

[JohnA]

Could this really be Luke in Jedi Robes?

Could it not be a figure to follow the last 17?

Chris says he saw info pointing to it being a *Revenge* figure which would put this early. Cj says a black caped Squidhead is also in the pic which is an earlier piece. I think it's more than likely an early piece like the bald Emperor as others have voiced here.

The blueprint that Chris mentioned belongs to a collector who also has a bald Emperor blueprint. Now that this pic has been identified I think it's more than coincidence. The Emperor was heavily resculpted and this looks like it was probably a total resculpt. I'm really leaning towards thinking Kenner may not have had enough information when they started work. I'd loved to see a pic of a robed Emperor turn up from the same time frame.

*EDIT* I was looking for this thread yesterday but couldn't find it:
Luke in "Jedi Robes"?... Not likely
Though the pics are gone the content is pretty thorough. Vic mentions that on his blueprint the main color is rust and it has a cape. It's also dated *before* his bald Emperor blueprint. I think that info paired with this pic is pretty solid.

John

 

[darthprime7]

Hello folks! A few years ago I bought at ebay the custom vintage luke in robes of this picture, I was under the impression it was unique, do you have another luke figure or just the pictures?
thanks, and great discovery!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Tim_Z]

Well spotted indeed!

Surely this is what became the Luke Jedi figure then (as opposed to a seperate Luke in Jedi Robes figure)

Lack of visuals (as John A. has already suggested) makes a lot of sense.

The fact Luke is painted Rust coloured (like the Ben figure) and that Ben had both robes and hooded cape in the movie (as this pictured figure has via sculpt and accessory cape) look to confirm it.

An interesting side point is that the Ben in Robes from one of the modern lines (POTJ ?) has a similar "swoop" or "curl" on it's robe.

Finally, the idea of a EU figure seems unlikely to me (This is Kenner not Hasbro after all

.) Would Kenner have even thought about another line in the dwindling years of the POTF series and with no new SW movies on the horizon ?

 

[Nick_Macarty]

*EDIT* I was looking for this thread yesterday but couldn't find it:
Luke in "Jedi Robes"?... Not likely
Though the pics are gone the content is pretty thorough. Vic mentions that on his blueprint the main color is rust and it has a cape. It's also dated *before* his bald Emperor blueprint. I think that info paired with this pic is pretty solid.

John

So John, does that mean the Bald Headed Emperor and the Now Jedi Robe Luke, are from roughly the same time?

Or maybe from a New wave of figures, that never got further from the Conceptual Sculpts?

-Nick



-Nick

 

[Shane Turgeon]

Finally, the idea of a EU figure seems unlikely to me (This is Kenner not Hasbro after all

.) Would Kenner have even thought about another line in the dwindling years of the POTF series and with no new SW movies on the horizon ?

Yup.

http://www.toysrgus.com/images-speci/85LineExt/index.html

 

[ChrisGeorgoulias]

So John, does that mean the Bald Headed Emperor and the Now Jedi Robe Luke, are from roughly the same time?

That's what the man said.

Or maybe from a New wave of figures, that never got further from the Conceptual Sculpts?

Nope!

Even Gargan wasn't for some unprouced post-POTF line. It was another figure done at the same time as some ROTJ and POTF figures, just never used. I have Kenner paperwork showing such.

-chris

 

[JohnA]

So John, does that mean the Bald Headed Emperor and the Now Jedi Robe Luke, are from roughly the same time?

Man, what do I find these threads for, my health?

Read the thread, and also read what I said.

John

 

[Mattias_Rendahl]

It looks like the picture is taken on the same photo session as this swedish
ROTJ poster. The lightning is the same, many hardcopies are the same, the
tubes are the same and some name tags are the same. But on my poster
the Luke Jedi have the final body sculpt (but black cape and totally different
face/head sculpt.

You can find some close-ups in this old thread

Considering some figures are switched on the images (for example the Royal Guard
is an "early" version on the swedish poster but in the french catalog its the final version)
one theory could be that a final decision on wich figure who was going to be produced
wasnt made, so the photographer had to switch the figures so that they had an
image of every possible final figures. Its very common that the final desicions
isnt made when photographing prototypes in general, in my profession mostly due
to technical question marks.

Mattias


PS. These images were quite well used in Europe between 1984-85, they
can be found on both the Trilogo poster and the different european POTF
catalogs from Palitoy/General Mills

 

[Nick_Macarty]

So John, does that mean the Bald Headed Emperor and the Now Jedi Robe Luke, are from roughly the same time?

Man, what do I find these threads for, my health?

Read the thread, and also read what I said.

John

Yeah I saw that, it just got me thinking when you said that the Luke in Robes, was dated "Before" the Bald Headed Emperor. I didnt realise how closely dated the two where.

Still interesting though. What does the whole picture of the Luke in Robes, with cape look like? (from the mecano Book)

Or should I buy the Book

-Nick

 

[Tim_Z]

Finally, the idea of a EU figure seems unlikely to me (This is Kenner not Hasbro after all

.) Would Kenner have even thought about another line in the dwindling years of the POTF series and with no new SW movies on the horizon ?

Yup.

http://www.toysrgus.com/images-speci/85LineExt/index.html

Well that's me proved wrong

Cheers Shane, always good to learn something new.

I've heard about/seen the Mongo before and if I had thought a bit more would have realised such a figure would have to come post squidhead which implies POTF line at the very least. I've also seen that Bantha art on the archive too.

That said I'm happy to stick with my analysis on the Luke Jedi.

 

[ChrisGeorgoulias]

Or should I buy the Book

Duh.

-chris

 

[Nick_Macarty]

Or should I buy the Book

Duh.

-chris

 

[AlexSWE]

Sharp eyes.

Interesting to se now if it in some way will be possible to trace this figure.
Let´s hope that it still exist and in one piece!

 

[Brody_Walker]

Looks like a volume two could be in the works Stephane!

That is a fantastic spot CJ. Damn you pay good attention to detail.

Brody

 

[Dave_Macleod]

Nice work CJ.

This is what makes vintage SW collecting rock. Just when you think all the facts are known, there is somthing new & undiscovered around the corner...

Keep up the great work boys...

-Dave

 

[Phil72]

I fully agree, all these years down the line & still things are being discovered & firing us all up. Every day i learn something new & interesting, nice one guys!

 

[Superdan]

This is awesome news!
Someone please slash Will's tyres so I can beat him to the next Malvern Fair and find this figure

 

[Tommy_Garvey]

Here's a shot of the slide with the blueprint on it, from the C3 collector panel. I didn't take this pic, it's part of the RS C3 feature:

Luke Jedi slide

Tommy

 

[JohnA]

I'll do you one better Tommy, well, two better.

http://www.toysrgus.com/johna/RustLukeBlueprint.jpg
(This is *big* so click the link)

I emailed Vic early this morning to send him the link. I figured after all these years he'd like to know his hunches were correct. He sent me back these pics and said I could add them back to the thread. Thanx Vic!

John