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 Prop Darth Vader Helmet and Armor

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sithtoys
Imperial Officer
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sithtoys

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Join date : 2012-03-04

Prop Darth Vader Helmet and Armor   Empty
PostSubject: Prop Darth Vader Helmet and Armor    Prop Darth Vader Helmet and Armor   I_icon_minitimeSun Oct 21, 2012 10:47 am

Not specifically a toy, but certainly vintage, I thought you all would enjoy seeing a rare public limelight
of some very cool Darth Vader pieces:

Prop Darth Vader Helmet and Armor   VaderHelmet_ArrmorCOPYRIGHTED_

This helmet was originally created in 1991 for the George Lucas Superlive Adventure, then went on to be featured in the
first MGM/Star Wars Weekends, and ultimately in rotation at Disney Hollywood, before being retired a little after 2000.
It is absolutely amazing that it not only survived, but considering it served triple duty as a prop in nearly unheard of.
I was also fortunate enough to find the matching chest and shoulder armor from the hero/promotional pics that were
published for the Episode 1 material

Prop Darth Vader Helmet and Armor   Vader_Eps1

(notably - this armor is specific to this helmet. It is much narrower than the regular armor by nearly 2" on each side, which
can be seen in both pictures.

I have a full write up on my site, with additional details here:
http://www.sithtoys.com/PropHelmet1.html
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curch
Imperial Admiral
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curch

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Age : 48
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PostSubject: Re: Prop Darth Vader Helmet and Armor    Prop Darth Vader Helmet and Armor   I_icon_minitimeSun Oct 21, 2012 11:06 am

That's awesome! Thanks for sharing
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starwarsaw
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starwarsaw

Posts : 91
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Location : Warszawa

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PostSubject: Re: Prop Darth Vader Helmet and Armor    Prop Darth Vader Helmet and Armor   I_icon_minitimeSun Oct 21, 2012 11:10 am

Do not understand, why the link to this this thread was spammed by darthberizing to my private e-mail... Money?

Jakub
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Darth Jaxx
Imperial Recruit
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Darth Jaxx

Posts : 24
Join date : 2012-05-31
Location : USA

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PostSubject: Re: Prop Darth Vader Helmet and Armor    Prop Darth Vader Helmet and Armor   I_icon_minitimeSun Oct 21, 2012 11:24 am

Very cool additions, Mr. McBride!
Nice write up, too!

Prop Darth Vader Helmet and Armor   Icon_more_cheers
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olisuds
Imperial Commander
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olisuds

Posts : 460
Join date : 2010-09-09
Age : 49
Location : U.K.

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PostSubject: Re: Prop Darth Vader Helmet and Armor    Prop Darth Vader Helmet and Armor   I_icon_minitimeSun Oct 21, 2012 11:29 am

Bill, thats pretty awesome. Thanks for sharing

starwarsaw wrote:
Do not understand, why the link to this this thread was spammed by darthberizing to my private e-mail... Money?

Jakub

Harsh!

Or maybe the humor was just lost in translation!?
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emperorburns
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emperorburns

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Age : 53
Location : lancashire uk

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PostSubject: Re: Prop Darth Vader Helmet and Armor    Prop Darth Vader Helmet and Armor   I_icon_minitimeSun Oct 21, 2012 11:39 am

hmmmm i just replied to this post and it's not appeared No so i'll try again Smile the email went straight to my spam box also,i don't know why,but i think all the emails i get from tig telling me about new posts go straight to spam affraid still thats an awesome piece bill cheers congrats on getting such a piece :Drool: its a great centerpiece for any sw collection let alone a darth vader collection.thanks for showing the pics :clap: i must say the pic of darth maul and darth vader looks like maul had just cracked a joke and vader is laughing lol!

daren
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kisstour03
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kisstour03

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PostSubject: Re: Prop Darth Vader Helmet and Armor    Prop Darth Vader Helmet and Armor   I_icon_minitimeSun Oct 21, 2012 11:41 am

Very cool Bill.
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DarthTad
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DarthTad

Posts : 530
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PostSubject: Re: Prop Darth Vader Helmet and Armor    Prop Darth Vader Helmet and Armor   I_icon_minitimeSun Oct 21, 2012 12:02 pm

Dear Bill. I hate you. That is all.




Man what a kick-ass addition.


Also, I know there's a racist joke in there somewhere about it being made for the Japanese Super Live Adventure and the shoulders being narrower. But I'm not.....sure....where.....

lol!
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sithtoys
Imperial Officer
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sithtoys

Posts : 123
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PostSubject: Re: Prop Darth Vader Helmet and Armor    Prop Darth Vader Helmet and Armor   I_icon_minitimeSun Oct 21, 2012 12:16 pm

DarthTad wrote:
Dear Bill. I hate you. That is all.
Man what a kick-ass addition.
Also, I know there's a racist joke in there somewhere about it being made for the Japanese Super Live Adventure and the shoulders being narrower. But I'm not.....sure....where.....
lol!

Thanks Tad Wink LOL

The shoulder and chest armor are from Disney Hollywood, and not SLA production. From what I have heard, the SLA costumes (and armor) were so heavily modified by the Feld production/prop dept. that really none of it was deemed usable by MGM. There is an article in one of the older SW Insiders that mentions specifically that GL himself saw and approved the costumes, so I'm not sure what happened along the way.
The extra cut outs and screens on the Vader helmet were typical of what was done with the other armor pieces, so on stage no one would have seen these details. (especially on the Stormtrooper suits). The main difference with the Vader being that it was made from hand laid fiberglass vs the thinner, vacumformed pieces for the other characters.

Jakub - I spoke directly with DB about sharing this piece here, so that is the reason for the email. Unless you are connected with me personally on FB (or when I finally get around to posting updates on my site Wink), this is the only public venue that I'm posting this to. I have decided to no longer share pics or pieces from my collection to any forum or site, other than my own. (So, no money involved, but I'm thinking about putting
a Paypal button for donations on my site Wink) LOL

Bill


Last edited by sithtoys on Sun Oct 21, 2012 4:33 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Dark Sith Lord
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Dark Sith Lord

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PostSubject: Re: Prop Darth Vader Helmet and Armor    Prop Darth Vader Helmet and Armor   I_icon_minitimeSun Oct 21, 2012 12:45 pm

Fantastic Stuff Mate Awesome! Cool
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The_Dark_Artist
Sith Apprentice
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The_Dark_Artist

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PostSubject: Re: Prop Darth Vader Helmet and Armor    Prop Darth Vader Helmet and Armor   I_icon_minitimeSun Oct 21, 2012 3:22 pm

And finally the world gets to see your new GRAIL Bill : )
I can only say WOW! What a fantastic piece of history to add to your already amazing Vader collection. GREAT job and thanks for sharing as I know how everyone really appreciates what you have put together.
I do have one question that I didn't ask you originally when you sent me photos, but did you put the helmet on before setting it up for display???? : ) Come on, you can tell us if you did : )
-Steve
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DarthBerizing
Johnpaul Ragusa
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DarthBerizing

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PostSubject: Re: Prop Darth Vader Helmet and Armor    Prop Darth Vader Helmet and Armor   I_icon_minitimeSun Oct 21, 2012 3:43 pm

Bill - Thanks for sharing this here. I'm the first to admit I'd be walking around the house in it LOL

What amazes me is that these props and such make it to collectors. You imagine a Disney not even letting this go into the secondary market so that alone is impressive.

As an aside is anyone gets these announcements sent to spam it's because the email is blinded to everyone (your name isn't in the "To" line) so Email assumes the worst. Just mark the sender as okay and you'll be fine. As for money, the site generates zero revenue.

Again Bill congrats and thanks for sharing!!!

_________________________________________________
SHEESH!!!!i am not raping anyones childhood!!!! - Darren
P.S. I'm glad you didn't get your toy - Baytrooper
wow WOW! he brings more cowbell to every forum!! - Ross_C
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sithtoys
Imperial Officer
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sithtoys

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PostSubject: Re: Prop Darth Vader Helmet and Armor    Prop Darth Vader Helmet and Armor   I_icon_minitimeSun Oct 21, 2012 4:59 pm

Thanks again everyone Smile I think that is the #1 question/statement I get DB Wink
Not that it hasn't crossed my mind, but these aren't made to put on without a team
effort. The interior of the helmet also has some of the original base padding and other
details from the SLA era, so it's certainly going to be preserved as-is.

If you think about these items in the context of some prototype toys, they are exactly
the same. They are made for function first, and are considered disposable. What doesn't
get appreciated is the singular craftsmanship, and artistry that is required to make these
types of items. Even a side by side comparison with a high end replica 1:1 scale helmet,
these are just on a different plane. It's something that is hard to describe, but it just has
a certain "feeling" to it.

Bill
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JesseVader08
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PostSubject: Re: Prop Darth Vader Helmet and Armor    Prop Darth Vader Helmet and Armor   I_icon_minitimeMon Oct 22, 2012 12:38 am

Wow, that's an amazing acquisition Bill! It blows my mind that this armour and helmet are in such good condition considering how much they were used. Congrats!
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Jedi Blueberry
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Jedi Blueberry

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PostSubject: Re: Prop Darth Vader Helmet and Armor    Prop Darth Vader Helmet and Armor   I_icon_minitimeMon Oct 22, 2012 4:04 am

Great, thanks for the info! study
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shoenix
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PostSubject: Re: Prop Darth Vader Helmet and Armor    Prop Darth Vader Helmet and Armor   I_icon_minitimeMon Oct 22, 2012 6:24 am

Hey Bill, wanna trade with me ? I've got one with a voice-changer! And it's MIB ! Smile

Awesome piece! I'm sooo jealous Wink
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Dr Dengar
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PostSubject: Re: Prop Darth Vader Helmet and Armor    Prop Darth Vader Helmet and Armor   I_icon_minitimeMon Oct 22, 2012 1:20 pm


What a grail piece, Bill!!! Very Happy

Thanks for sharing here at TIG.

LOL at the picture.

Prop Darth Vader Helmet and Armor   Vader_Eps1

Darth Maul appears small and insignificant compared to the true Dark Lord. Almost reflecting how the Prequels compare to the Original Trilogy.








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sithtoys
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sithtoys

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PostSubject: Re: Prop Darth Vader Helmet and Armor    Prop Darth Vader Helmet and Armor   I_icon_minitimeMon Oct 22, 2012 2:50 pm

JesseVader08 wrote:
Wow, that's an amazing acquisition Bill! It blows my mind that this armour and helmet are in such good condition considering how much they were used. Congrats!

Thanks again everyone !! That is another great point about these pieces - the degree of maintenance and upkeep that was required.
- The helmet, as it began life is the RotJ version, but with the addition of the screens, the bottom part of the helmet was
painted black to conceal these alterations. From the production pictures, the center gill/screen is very clear, but it's very
difficult to make out the two additional screens. As part of the rehab, and use for MGM/Disney the helmet was given a color
correct paint job, which you see now. The eye screens are also original, and if anyone has seen clips from the SLA production,
it's pretty easy to see why they chose to use the screen mash vs. the tinted eye lenses - the actor would haven't been able to
see anything. There is also a fair amount of action that takes place, so these were absolutely necessary. It certainly is a testament
to the craftsmanship that it has held up so long. There are some minor issues, but nothing I feel would warrant any sort of restoration
or modification. it's also quite possible this could be one of the few major prop pieces in existence from the SLA (Feld Productions)
still remaining.

- The Disney armor was also maintained, and rehabbed by the Disney prop shop. The really cool thing about these pieces are that they made
from a military grade plastic, and thermformed from master castings. This process is still used today, but with my military background I
though it was great to see what type of plastic they used. Another cool feature about the chest armor is that each one if slightly
different to accommodate the different actors. So it's easier to think of them in terms of Small/Medium/Large. The specific armor I have
shown is a great example of the "small" size, but this was done to an extreme. It's narrower on both sides by about 2", and if you look
at how it's painted, the ends should have one silver bar on both sides, but this was cut down so much, the end stripe is black.

Needless to say, it's certainly one of my grails for a very long time. However the prop world requires a level of research and study that
really took me back once I started. I really had to educate myself about a lot of different areas of the hobby. Let's just say Google really
can be your best friend Smile Still, I think from start to finish, even with my level of experience I think there is a total of 2 years spent just on
research.

Bill
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dcarty
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PostSubject: Re: Prop Darth Vader Helmet and Armor    Prop Darth Vader Helmet and Armor   I_icon_minitimeWed Oct 24, 2012 12:53 pm

Another notch on your Lightsaber hilt!

Interesting and cool acquisition Cool That is some funkay looking armor and helmet to be sure.
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