Attacktix Jabba the Hutt Prototype

I first posted about the Attacktix Jabba the Hutt figure (on the right above) more than 3 years ago. The prototype on the left would have been used at some point in the production process for that figure. In some cases, the figures called “prototypes” in eBay auctions are actually just bootleg versions of figures that people working in the Chinese factory have made using leftover plastic for the express purpose of selling on eBay. They’re interesting curiosities, but weren’t actually used in the production of the figure. And of course it’s not unheard of for someone to simply remove the paint from a production figure to try and pass it off as a prototype as well.

There are couple of things that lead me to believe that this one is a legitimate prototype. One is the lack of any copyright information on the bottom. It’s also missing the painted text, but the copyright information is part of the plastic itself and is often missing from prototypes.

It also uses a different colored plastic for the lever on the back (white instead of green). (On the production figure, the white on Jabba’s front is actually paint that has been applied over the green plastic.) I got one of the blue balls that Jabba fires with this prototype, and it’s also a slightly different color than the production balls (a darker blue).

The internal mechanism is also white. Part of it actually has a marble pattern, which I thought was interesting.

Here it is with the unreleased Gamorrean Guard figure that I posted about a while ago. (The Gamorrean, I now notice, has copyright info on it as well as paint on the base, which might indicate that it was from later in the production process.) Anyway, I enjoy finding these kinds of unpainted prototypes since they’re rare and give you a little glimpse into the production process.