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1970s

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Posts posted by 1970s

  1. I know what you mean Mike.

    They don't want to pay anyone at the lower levels in the toy industry anything decent. All the money stay up with the Big Wigs and the Sales Reps! You just end up being a pair of hands for your boss. I have since left the industry and Work with my Dad and brother in Construction - we build residental homes here in CT. It's been a lot less stressful.

    Thanks,

    jack v.

  2. Dear Mike,

    I went to art school - I'm a graduate of FIT Toy Design School. I am living proof that someone can do art work through skill without talent. I was very interested in toys and I learned to produce art work through skill - being taught how. I went to school with some individuals who were very talented! They were to type of people who didn't need any type of formal art training they were born with the talent. Art school just refined their skills.

    When you work in commercial art - those who are talented make beautiful work very quickly and don't need to labor over their work. Below is a couple of drawings I did in Toy Design School.

    Thanks,

    jack v.

    RedFox@optonline.net

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  3. Dear BraksBuddy

    Don't get me wrong - I have no beef with any of the makers - and am not trying to say they are talentless individuals. I just feel that everyone talks about them as if they sculpted the armor. The fact remains that they copied a set of armor - weather it is from an original ROTJ set or ANH - that's all they have done. If you go on Jez's sight - there is some guy who sculpted up the whole C3PO costume and got it vac-metalized - it looks perfect - Now that's Talent!!!

    Now I would agree that there is talent if any of these individuals could adjust the ROTJ armor and turn it into accurate ANH armor - but I have yet to see that. Anyone can make claims - Heck, I could say I own the original ANH armor that Han Solo was wearing - but unless I show real photos that can back up my claims - it doesn't mean anything. Gino is claiming his current set of armor is perfect - and it might be. I've seen photos of what I guess is an older version - that was near perfect but still had details that were not accurate to ANH. He said he is going to show us photos of his current armor - and I'm sure he will - but until then I am skeptical of all who claim they have correct ANH armor - especial TE, TE2, AP, and SDS - because they don't. By the way - you've got a great website.

    Thanks,

    Jack V.

    RedFox@optonline.net

  4. Skill - YES - some people do modeling better than others because of skill.

    Talent - NO! - To purchase armor (skins) and remold them - no talent needed there, just some good modeling skills.

    There's Talent in being original - not in copying.

    jv

  5. COME ON!

    I don't get it - It's not like these guys actually sculpted the armor! If you all are talking about "Great work" for their model building skills - assembling the armor and vacforming - then sure! But great work for Copying (recasting something) come on!!!!! ARE YOU ALL INSANE.

    The Difference is - How many of you can pick up a pencil and draw a perfect illustration of darth vaders helmet - and how many of you can get a piece of tracing paper and trace it over a photo? Recasting is like tracing - almost anyone could do it - all they need is some basic modeling skills and a vacuformer. It is real skill if you could sculpt the armor correctly! And untill I see photos of a ROTJ armor that has been adjusted to Make A 100% accurate ANH armor - I don't want to here about who copied who - your all are hacks for copying A.A.'s original costume (not the crappy one he sells today the originals from ANH)!

    jv

  6. Dear Gino,

    I Apologize - Your name is Gino and I was thinking GF -armor. My mistake - I know there is a difference between Gino and GF. I owned 2 sets of GF around 2000. If possible Could We still see some pictures of your ANH armor. The Photos I've seen on Jez's site are not too close up which makes it hard to see detail. Also, the reason we are discussing armor that is ANH accurate and available is because if you go back to the first couple of posts in this thread - Rolf is taking about upgrading his armor and what is readily availble to do that - Since yours was not being produced it was not part of the discussion. Just like my older GF - not made anymore so we were not considering it here as an alternative. By no means did I mean to exclude your armor from the discussion on purpose.

    Thanks,

    Jack Vartuli

    Redfox@optonline.net

  7. Dear Mike,

    I did not mean to start a war or degrade anyone elses armor. There is nothing wrong with TE, TE2, AP, SDS armors (I'm not speaking about helmets) - they are all fine. But if we are having a discussion of being accurate (ANH) - they are all not screen accurate. If you don't care about that - than that's fine, those are very good kits and all nicely done. If you are some who want as much ANH accurate as you can get (weather it is completely or not is debatable but it is much closer than the above metioned kits) than all I'm saying is TM is the way to go. Just my opionion. Bearden521 seems to want to Mock me and say FX is more "Cannon". As far as availabilty - He's on this forum - several months ago I just PM him and it seemed be no problem as far as availablity. I'm just trying to help others who are looking for as close as they can get to screen accurate - if they don't care about that - than that's fine. But I'm not making Mocking comments to anyone here, and if I came across that way - it was not my intent! - I'm trying to be helpful to those who don't know not degrade what people have.

    Thanks,

    Jack Vartuli

    RedFox@optonline.net

  8. Dear Gino,

    I have a pretty good idea of what is film accurate with armor - But if you have the time and would like to share - could you explain what makes a Helmet film accurate (pictures would be helpful too if possible). I'm really more interested in the Stunt version than the Hero but I'm sure others would like to no what makes a Hero version Film accurate.

    Thanks,

    Jack Vartuli

    RedFox@optonline.net

  9. Dear Jez,

    Maybe you can reorganize it - instead of giving names of the makers like TE or SDS - you could call them Armor Type 1 Fan Made, Armor Type 2 Fan Made ...etc. So the makers will not have any trouble and people could see the differences. Just a suggestion - It's a Great Website.

    Thanks,

    jack v.

    RedFox@optonline.net

  10. Dear Jez,

    I'm no photographer but if you want any of my SDS photo's - go for them - I don't need any credit - I should be paying you for all the time I've spent on your website and for the questions you've helped me out with in the past - thanks my friend!

    Thank you,

    Jack Vartuli,

    RedFox@optonline.net

  11. Dear Rolf,

    SDS is very nice armor but it is not ANH accurate at all. As far as kit armor go - I have owned Marco Entertainment armor, FX armor, 2 GF sets of armor, and now SDS. Of all THOSE kits - SDS is the best. My GF kits which I understand are basicly the same as the AP kits of today were not nearly as nice as the SDS. The SDS is assembled much better and the strapping is much better than when you puchase those kits fully assembled. Also - my major problem with the other kits I owned previous to SDS was that the abdominal plate and the lower back plate were not made large enough to join and have a closed seam like in ANH. Those kits all had a gap at your side which I truly hated. Also - those kits would have the belt attached to the abdominal plate - which is not ANH correct.

    Now SDS as far as accurate ANH armor - not at all. It does not even come close. It is assembled really nice, the milky white color is the best armor color I have seen so far, and the strapping while not correct to ANH is pretty good. Now A.A. makes claims that he has the original skins to the molds from ANH - which he created the armor from - untrue! There is way to many inconsistancies with the armor for it to have been remade from original skins. I would say it is definatly ROTJ recast.

    Here are some of the inconsistancies to ANH armor I have found:

    1) On the Ab plate - the molded line above the center box does not go all the way up to the top of the ab plate.

    2) On the Ab plate - under the small set of buttons on the side of the ab plate the armor should have a grove molded into it. You can see this groove on Sandtroopers because they have 3 buttons but it is harder to see on Stormtroopers because of them having 4 buttons - his armor does not have the groove.

    3) The strapping is not correct to ANH at all.

    4) The belt that comes with the armor is plastic - now you have an option to purchase a leather belt (which I have) and both are not correct to ANH. I put a sew line on the top and bottom of my leather belt to match the movie more - but please note it does not come that way.

    5) The only parts that have been fitted with stripps is the front of the upper and lower leg armor. In ANH the stripps were also on the backs of the upper and lower legs and front and back of the lower arms, front and back of the middle arms all of which are not on SDS.

    6) The stripps on the upper leg fronts - these stripps should stop about an inch or so above the end of the armor at the knee. The armor above the knee is rounded on ANH armor and the stripps should basicly go up against this rounded raised surface leaving a seam on the bottom of the upper leg armor above the knee. SDS has these stripps go right to the bottom - incorrect. Now the reason he is doing this is because when you are using ROTJ armor the seams overlap. This rounded molded area above the knee has been ajusted for the overlapping. So when the armor has been mottified to be ANH and stripps are added - this bottom rounded area is no longer rounded but flat. I have modified mine to be correct but it still does not even look completely right because of the rounded arear being made flat. - see my picutres below.

    7) The sniper plate is screwed on which is incorrect on SDS armor.

    The ab plate does not have the rivets in the sides holding it together like ANH amor.

    9) The lower back plate does not have the step cut into the lower corners. What I mean by this is where the lower back plate meets the ab plate - on the bottom there is what looks like a square of material missing. On ANH armor this missing square which makes a step (stairs) look is in the mold (it is not cut out of the material which I have done to make it correct). SDS is missing this in his armor.

    10) Now TM tells me there is something incorrect about the lower leggs. It has something to do with the right and left sides being used on the wrong side - I'm not sure what that one was so TM will have to give you that information.

    11) On the upper Back plate - the Gear that is molded in the center of the box - it is centered with the 2 upright "11" molded parts. On ANH armor the gear was not centered but a little lower. I asked A.A. about this and he said that the gear came off alot during the making of the ANH armor and it can be in many different spots - now if that is try why do ALL THE ON SCREEN SETS OF ARMOR have it in the same spot which is slightly lower thant the "11" and uncentered?

    12) Canister that attaches to the back of the belt - the original cansiter had 2 metal bands attached to it and then was clipped to the belt. SDS molds one large white piece of plastic to clip it to the belt - incorrect. Also, the white plate that is attached to the cylinder - there is what looks like a button on it. Most armor including SDS this button is molded out - giving a button look - on ANH armor the button is molded in - making what looks like a ring molded on the armor.

    13) the ribbs that connect the front chest plate and upper back plate are not correct. The ribbs on ANH armor have that square piece molded in the front end on the chest armor but in the back on the upper back armor this square is missing on the ANH armor. SDS has this square on both the front and back of the Ribbs. Also, in ANH the ribbs are connected to the front chest plate but they are not accually connect the the upper back plate. They just hang over it and are hiding what is underneath those 2 plate connecting them. SDS is using the ribbs to connect these 2 plates and hold them together like strapping. The problem with that besides not being correct - it does not take a lot of stress from movement and they always pop open. I have since corrected this on my SDS.

    These were all the non-accurate ANH things I could find - there is probably more.

    Thanks,

    Jack Vartuli

    RedFox@optonline.net

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