Quickdraw Han and articulated Greedo

[Clarkspie&chips]

I used to check the 9holygrailsinarow website regularly and now follow them on Instagram and have always been amazed at the stuff they showcase.

Today they posted this on instagram and I'm a little bit sceptical:

I've never heard of anything like this before and always thought Kenner were committed to the 5 points of articulation from day one. On the other hand these 2 would make perfect sense to go with the cantina playset which was released to coincide with the second wave of figs including Greedo.

What do you guys think of it? April fools day is still a couple of weeks away!

 

[yoda]

I believe it's someone's handy work. I am looking at Greedos knees the cutting isn't uniform for a machine. It looks like someone put in a few hrs with a great little idea. It would have been cool though if these were made for the cantina scene as you say.

 

[Mini99]

I think that these are the real deal, I'm sure that I have seen the Han before in an old SW book, don't remember which one.
Can't remember seeing the Greedo though.
Neat figures, I assume late in the range?

 

[Clarkspie&chips]

Good points ladds. Yoda that's some keen eyes! But being a prototype you'd expect It to be hand made.

Mini99 that makes a lot more sense, Kenner we're really grasping at straws at the end of the line with the likes of the Mongo beefhead and that **** but this would have been great.

 

[Snaketibe]

Sorry, and with the greatest possible respect to Mini99's memory, but I simply don't believe these for one moment. I've seen a lot of pictures of Star Wars prototypes down the years and have never ever seen either of these before. Also, as has been pointed out, Greedo's knees are extremely uneven, but moreover, why on earth would Kenner suddenly see the light after years and years of inflicting old balloon-head Han on the world, and instead revert to good old Pin-head Han for this effort? Plus, with all Kenner's other unreleased post-POTF figures, the images we see are of newly sculpted figures that never saw production (Gargan, Luke Jedi robes, etc.). None of the post-POTF ones are kit-bashed from earlier figures.

I'm prepared to be proved wrong if someone can produce a book with these shown in them, but otherwise I'd say these are about as real as a three pound note balanced atop Donald Trump's 'hair' standing next to a unicorn.

 

[poncho]

ive seen that han solo been talked about before somewhere

 

[Palifan]

ive seen that han solo been talked about before somewhere

The same here for me on the Han, it's either from Plastic Galaxy or in a book but I have seen it before and i think it was made using a Kenner Indy sprung arm mechanism. I might be wrong about the Indy part but it is the same type of idea as the Indy figure and maybe this is where that idea came from.

As for the figure pictured being the actual one I've seen I can't say and I don't remember the Greedo but it could be possible.

I'm sure someone on here will remember about these.

Ian

 

[Robstyley]

That's a fan made custom.

 

[Joe]

but being a prototype you'd expect It to be hand made.

Usually but not always. Sometimes to demonstrate an idea or a mechanism designers would just use what was on hand at the time. Kit bashed prototypes using parts from other toy lines is a good example of that kind of thing but they were also routinely sent large amounts of first shots and production toys too. I believe the quick draw Han & Greedo were directly sourced from a Kenner employee and as has been stated, they've also appeared in a prototype book. I wouldn't think Gus or Duncan would include any item that they weren't 100% sure was genuine.

It's always good to be sceptical of course, especially when you see something for the first time but for the most part all of the prototypes out there are well documented at this point even if not widely known about.

 

[hellhippie]

ive seen that solo as well , cannot be real . if kenner was so committed to changing figure for cost efficiency ( think painted legs han solo or molded legs han hoth ) then why on earth would they even fool with the idea of this . cool to see though but this is a fan made gimmick for sure

 

[subzero]

They went through the hassle of producing a spring loaded exploding speeder bike and a proto rocket firing Fett, why not a quick draw Han?

Could easily be legit!

Wouldn't have worked out well anyway with how poor these figures hold onto their weapons even when stationary, imagine that with a spring loaded arm. :lol: Either way it's a cool and interesting piece.

 

[edd_jedi]

Never seen either of those before. I'd probably believe the Han more if there was no knee articulation. Of course it's entirely possible a Kenner employee was playing around in the 70s and decided to try these out, however as Blue Harvest proved it's equally likely Kenner employees have realised that their old handy work is now changing hands for tens of thousands of dollars, and are capitalising on that. As Joe said provenance is key with pieces like this but IMO the fact something came from somebody who used to work at Kenner doesn't 100% prove it's a period prototype. I find it hard to believe a piece like this wouldn't have been mentioned in any of the early collector books like all other well known variations were.

 

[Clarkspie&chips]

Thanks for the confirmation Joe. I've been following 9holygrailsinarow for sometime and never had any reason to believe they would post fakes. This was a bit out there though and I'd never seen or heard about it before.

Edit: Good point about the blue harvest edd, certainly with prices as they are these days I'd be very suspicious of any new discoveries from ex employees

 

[Dannywhiteley]

These are real I've seen them years ago. Think they are in Gus's collection possibly. Came from a Kenner source, think they were just ideas that one of the engineers was kicking around and decided to try it out. All hand carved in a lunch hour most probably hence the roughness.

 

[Richard_H]

These are indeed real and are in Phidias' collection from memory. They feature in the Gus and Duncan prototype book.
I think it was believed they were planned for the Cantina set so the figures could sit down.

 

[Snaketibe]

Well then it looks like I was quite wrong and these are real Kenner prototypes after all. My apologies for my scepticism and especially for doubting the clearly excellent memory of Mini99!

If these were indeed sculpted by a Kenner employee, and especially if done so 'unofficially', perhaps that explains why they aren't more well-known. It would certainly explain why they aren't more polished. And if they were made with the Cantina set in mind (i.e. circa 1978/9), perhaps that also explains why they were kit-bashed from original figures rather than new sculpts, and also why Pin-Head Han was used rather than Balloon head.

This is a perfect example of why I love this hobby! There's always something new to learn :-D

...Now if you'll excuse me, I must retrieve that three pound note from Donald's Trump's wig before he rides off with it on that unicorn :lol:

 

[Michael Sith]

Donald Trump wears a wig :shock:

 

[Snaketibe]

Donald Trump wears a wig :shock:

My apologies once again. When I said 'wig', what I actually meant was 'entirely natural and totally convincing hair which is 100% his own and in no way augmented or combed over in any way, and which no intelligent or right-thinking person could ever have any reason to doubt, and which in no way makes him look like a ludicrous, bald arse.'

I hope that sets the record straight.

 

[Clarkspie&chips]

Thanks for confirming again Danny and Rich

 

[SAVORY100]

Look up Kenner Butch cassidy Toy. Same mechanism.
Seen the Han before (pretty sure there are two examples in differing states of condition), Greedo though was new to me when this popped up