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By Julian H. Betancourt |
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CLONE WARS ANIMATED RORON COROBB
"We’ re going to be closing the door on the Clone Wars maquettes Those were Gentle Giant's words in 2006 regarding the future of the Clone Wars maquettes. They were meant to be a finite series because of the time needed for the development of other lines, so they said. However it has been rumored quite frequently that it was in fact Lucasfilm the one pulling the plug on these, no longer wanting to split the profits with Cartoon Network and asking license holders ( ACME, GG) to stop making Clone Wars merchandise. Therefore, in June 2007 Gentle Giant released Roron Corobb, the first one of what would be the last three maquettes in their Clone Wars line.
Unlike
the Original Trilogy maquettes, which are an interpreted view of the
characters' physiology had they been made in animation form, the Clone
Wars maquettes actually emulated the signature Tartakovsky style seen in
the groundbreaking Cartoon Network's animated series. Their poses were
nothing short of dynamic capturing the essence of the show and the
likeness of the characters was just as good as if they had jumped off
the small screen.
Full
of action and heroic moments Clone Wars The Animated
Series introduced its viewers to some new and never before seen Star
Wars characters. Roron Corobb, the brave Ithor born Master Jedi was one
of these characters brought to our TV screens in an almost magnetic
style of visual appeal.
Roron
was one of three Jedi created for Cartoon Network's "Choose Your Jedi"
fan contest where the winner would be featured in Chapter 20 of the
series. While he did not win, Corobb was later added to future chapters.
The character was featured as a brave Ithorian, trained as Yarael Poof's
Padawan before ascending to the rank of Master himself. He was assigned
to take Supreme Chancellor Palpatine to safety while Coruscant was under
attack but he was intercepted and killed along with Talz Jedi Master
Foul Moudama by General Grievous in Chapter 25, the final of the Clone
Wars series.
Corobb's
species wasn't unfamiliar to us. A brief appearance in ANH gave us the
first look of an Ithorian named Momaw Nadon AKA Hammerhead as part of
the many creatures in the amazing Mos Eisley's Cantina scene. Hammerhead
was originally designed by concept artist Ron Cobb, hence the Clone Wars
character being called Roron Corobb, inspired by the designer's
name.
CLONE WARS ANIMATED RORON COROBB: THE MAQUETTE
Tagged
as the first character in the third and final Wave of Clone Wars
maquettes, Roron was showcased during Toy Fair 2006, but did not ship
until almost 16 months after this first appearance.The long delay was
mainly due to Gentle Giant's quick change of pace to introduce 6 other
characters as part of their newly developed Line of Original Trilogy
Maquettes.
The
poly-resin Corobb's maquette was offered in a low edition size of just
2,500 units and packed with a hand-numbered certificate of authenticity.
Based on the sample I received, the glossy brown skin pigmentation and
color of the outfit are precise and there is no bleeding among colors.
The metal peg at the end of the blue lightsaber blade fits very snuggly
into the hilt's opening, securing it from falling. That was something
that put some minds at ease after reports of the previous OT Vader's
lightsaber blade not staying in place and falling off.
Roron's
pose captures very well the brave essence of the character. Fearlessly
he stands over a thick, black base decisively holding with his left
hand an ignited blue lightsaber while his right arm is extended in front
of him, ending in an open hand with fingers slightly curled as he
prepares to Force-push an unseen adversary. The four toe-broad flat
feet- barefooted herbivore's body rests on an outwardly spread pair of
legs that help him keep his balance. Corobb's body is covered by a tailored tan
and cream outfit made of bell bottomed pants and a wide-cuffs robe that
gets strapped at the waist by a white belt. The head sculpt clearly
defines its "Hammer" T-shape, stretched and bent like a ladle over a
long, curving neck. His blue pupil eyes look to the right and are set at
opposite sides of the hammer-shaped top portion of the head. Roron's
lipless twin mouths are subtlety opened on each side of the sloping part
of his neck as if they were getting ready to powerfully project out air,
aided by his four throats and vocal implementation of the Force,
creating one of the famously devastating Ithorian shock waves capable
to shatter iron and destroy walls.
CLONE WARS ANIMATED RORON COROBB MAQUETTE: FINAL
THOUGHT
It
is a given fact maquettes serve the purpose of guiding animators define
the most significant look of a character. Their poses for the most part
are passive ones, limiting artistic interpretation. However, Clone Wars
maquettes (and most of the OT maquettes as well) offered more than just
dull stances. The Roron Maquette is a good example of how the Gentle
Giant sculptors have been able to inject in its 3-D design the visual
style that bridges the gap between anime and traditional animation and
the self contained action of the Clone Wars stories.
Roron
Corobb is a worthy addition to the Clone Wars Maquette line. Its
authentic look and low edition size gives that extra feeling we've
gotten a hold of a truly unique art piece. While its MSRP is somewhere
around $80.00, there are deals to be had out there. If you loved the
Animated series and you wish to have something up to great quality
standards, you won't regret buying one of these.
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