Review of Figrin D'an - Star Wars mini-bust

Introduction

Every Star Wars fan loves the Cantina scene from A New Hope. And of all the funky characters hanging out in the bar that day, none are quite as funkelicious as Figrin D'an, the leader of the band.

Long time collectors will remember when Wal-mart had the exclusive full set of sixth scale band members from Hasbro, and the hunt consumed every waking moment. Out of the set, D'an was the most popular of course, although like most 'hot' items, you can find him pretty easily on ebay these days.

Gentle Giant has now added him to their long series of Star Wars mini-busts, producing him in an edition size of 1650. He just started shipping, and runs $50 - $60 at most retailers. No word on whether we'll get other band members, but perhaps we'll see something as a convention exclusive.

Packaging - ***1/2
The usual window box with nifty baseball card style Certificate of Authenticity is what you'll get. I appreciate the inclusion of the window, because while most folks might buy this guy online, there's still plenty of collectors that will wait to see him at a local shop or show. And when they do, it's nice to see the actual bust you're getting.

I'm a big fan of the COA's that Gentle Giant uses, and they have become collectible all by themselves. Yep, I know some people that don't even buy the busts, but hunt down the COA's. That's a cool COA!

Sculpting - ***
In photos, I thought the sculpt was pretty spot on, but in person I had a few issues.

The face is very flat and wide, much more so than I've seen with other versions. In person, I thought it was a bit odd looking, particularly in profile. It's not a major issue, but one that was distracting.

While there's some nice detail work in the sculpt, including the small sculpted skin bumps on his head, the overall impression I get from this bust is one of plainness. I suspect that's not an impression created as much by the bust itself, but rather by the very obvious pose. Gentle Giant was pretty locked into this pose I'm sure - it's not like D'an did much else other than blow his horn. Unfortunately, that one dimensional nature of the character - and a pretty dull dimension at that - hurts the bust for me.

Paint - ***1/2
When I first pulled this guy out of the box, I wasn't particularly impressed with the paint work. It's clean enough, but it seemed too washed out - too plain. With all that black on the costume and all that light skin tone on the head, he seemed pretty dull.

But on closer inspection, some of the details started to show through. There's a nice wash on the hands that highlights the detailed sculpt there, along with some rather disgusting something something on the claws. There's small detail work on his instrument, including the tiny buttons, and his various 'moles' are slightly darker. He might want to see a doctor about that.

The eyes have a very high gloss finish that sets them apart from the matte black on the costume.

But the one detail that I missed at first that really adds something to the look is the subtle veining on the head. In bright light, it's very hard to see, and perhaps it really is too subtle. But once you realize it's there, it adds a bunch to the quality of the appearance. It helps break up the expansive color of huge melon head. There's also some slight tonal changes in the skin, but these are also very subtle.

While there's a little slop here and there, the only real complaint I have is that the black of the costume and black of the standard base are identical. They needed to do something, either in tone or finish, to break these two up.

Value - ***
You can find this guy under $50 if you look hard enough, and even without trying you can find him for around $55. Considering that other similar collectibles with much higher edition sizes are going for 30 - 40% more right now, I'd say this is a pretty solid value.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing. There's nothing to attach or swap here, so there's less chance of breaking him with normal handling.

Overall - ***
This is a good bust - solid work of a classic character. He's a nice add to the display, and I'm all for getting more aliens in the mix.

My only real issue here is the flat face, and the lack of differentiation in the paint between the costume and base. These issues end up making a somewhat plain bust even duller. They did a nice job adding in the subtle veins on the head, but they're a smidge too subtle to really make an impact. He's nice, but there's simply no 'wow' factor.

Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***1/2
Sculpting - ***
Paint - ***1/2
Value - ***
Overall - ***

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Entertainment Earth has him at $60.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
I haven't reviewed as many Star Wars busts as I've bought, that's for sure, but there's a few:

- most recent was my review of the Darth Talon bust.

- Other GG Star Wars mini-busts I've covered include Shaak-Ti and Aayla Secura, the Tusken Raider, the pair of Jawas, Dengar, Zuckuss, Chewbacca and Darth Maul, Jedi Luke, Qui-Gon Jinn, Palpatine and Skiff Lando.

You should also hit the Search Reviews page, in case any other applicable reviews were done after this one was published.

Discussion:
Want to chat about this review?  Try out one of these terrific forums where I'll be discussing it!

Enjoyed this review? Be sure to head back to the main page to find thousands more just like it!