SIDESHOW LIFE-SIZE SALACIOUS D. CRUMB

I can't afford much of life-size anything when it comes to collectibles. Life-size Star Wars? Maybe a bust, or weapon replica. But nothing affordable has ever grabbed hard enough to demand my attention, until now.... affordable may be in the eye of the beholder but I actually sold off a collectible to get this- something I never ever do. It was worth every penny.

I didn’t have Star Wars toys as a kid, at least not any I can remember. I saw the movies a bunch and loved the characters but it wasn’t until I was an adult that I started caring about them as collectibles. Now I own an oversize Jabba with Throne Room, and a few other Empire Strikes back characters. Empire is my favorite film of the series by a long shot. It utilizes just enough muppetry in its practical effects and clunky creature makeup to embody the playful atmosphere that people associate with space oaters but resists using such things to the point where they become ludicrous. In short it offers, in my opinion, the most fully realized world of the series in spite of George Lucas’ empty efforts to recreate the magic by tinkering with CGI.

And, Yoda excepted, my favorite muppety creation in the SW universe has always been Salacious D. Crumb, the nasty little hanger-on whose cackling laugh and beady eyes were offset by a melted Chihuahua physique and bird beak nose. When I found out Sideshow was doing a life-size replica it wasn’t a question of if I could afford it but how. The thought of this guy perched next to me as I worked and greeting visitors to my office was just too much.

The packaging was fabulous. There wasn’t a mark anywhere on this thing. I had thought this figure would be made out of vinyl and that the cost was in the sculpt and hair application. The thing I don’t like about vinyl is that it is really easy to spoil the finish and even the paint off of a product. My Jabba has several marks where things have bumped into it. Needless to say I was pleasantly surprised to find Salacious constructed from fiberglass and polystone. Of course any Sideshow piece demands you be careful in handling. Be aware there are lots of skinny fingers, toes and ears here, as well as a lot of hand-layed hair that can get caught on clothing, bumped and or broken in transit from box to display. At 17 inches by 18 inches by 20 inches you’ll want to make sure there is lots of room around this piece.

The sculpt and paintjob on this thing are absolutely dead-on which isn’t surprising given that the sculptor is Tony McVey who was one of Salacious primary creators. The figure itself comes in two separate parts, a full body and a tail. You’ll want to position the tail AFTER you get the rest of Salacious perched on the classy fabric pillow and plain black base.

Should there have been an audio option here? Hard to say anything but yes. But then again I do a mean Salacious cackle so I’m happy to provide sound effects myself. I can’t see the value of anything this beautifully rendered doing anything but increasing over time but you’ll have to hit the secondary market if you want one or get on Sideshows wait list.