cinderellaboy

Hi Josh, I started a thread about the mannequin I bought for my armour, which I think is an amazing "one size fits all", fully poseable 1:1 action figure which doesn't have a metal bar sticking out of his back for support. Being virtually indestructible and doing everything it can do it cost a bit more than a wire/foam one. I put the email address of the guy who makes them up. Check with him for the latest price. Here's a link to the thread: http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=20217&hl=&fromsearch=1 The maker's email address again: Contact: jason.march@hawkstructures.com

Mathias. Thanks for staying with me on this. I know it must be boring to many. The saga will probably never be resolved. I'm keen to learn about the various versions of the truth. Thanks for the photo. Similar to the one BM uses for obvious reasons. So why does BM claim that he cannot prove the existence of the prototype studio suit??? Or is it just the COMPLETE SHEET of armour parts made in-house that there is no photo of? Surely the suit is enough? This photo would appear to prove that the armour was already completely designed before it went out to AA, confirming BM's version and discounting AA's claims that he produced it months after BM had left the picture when the studio abandoned its efforts to produce the armour. Is this photo proven to be pre-SDS in-house armour? Is the helmet in-house too??? I'm sure I'm not the only one left scratching their head over this...

Hi all, Sorry if this is old hat for many of you. Please, remember I'm completely new to this world. I've just been back to the SDS site and read AA's version over again. It was what convinced me to buy SDS in the first place. At that time, I was, of course, unaware of BM and his claims against AA. Sorry....I'd missed the part that said the armour wasn't to be part of the proceedings against AA after it was compared to a set from the archive the day before the case started. Regards the helmet, it would seem to be a case of who you believe sculpted the "terracotta" helmet. I assume there are no photos in any archive showing LM working on it a la BM working on the Death Star Droid or it would have been an open and shut case. The court decided it wasn't LM on the basis of the colour of the clay used, despite the fact that the terracotta appears to be the same colour as the studio clay in BM's photo. When compared to the photo AA uses, BM's seems untouched when you look at GL's skin tone. I just can't get my head around how this verdict was reached on the colour alone...?????? With regard to the armour, AA claims that he was given 'some' plaster casts (presumably of BM's sculptures) but they in no way constituted a full set of armour and would not serve to make moulds. He implies that he had to all but start from scratch sculpting the armour from the metallic compound he used for the helmet and also using wooden parts as seen in his video. This of course contradicts BM who insists that the studio had managed to produce a complete set of armour. Is there any photographic evidence of this? Again, it seems to be all about who you believe to be telling the truth.

Does anyone have any more info on the Vader mask and breastplate AA is selling now? I assume he's vac forming them himself as the original maker...?

Thanks a million to everyone who responded to my request for more info on AA. I have read through the threads I was directed to and of course, the one that hit me between the eyes was the BM one. I am incredulous. Please, correct me if I'm wrong, but according to BM, AA won his case because the credit for the "sculpting" of the terracotta and grey helmets was switched. I say "sculpting" as the grey helmet is not even the grey clay used by the studio, but spray painted components(!), obvious from the photo. Furthermore, NP who was erroneously credited with sculpting the terracotta, which was obviously created by a sculptor of great ability (eg. LM) and bears a far closer resemblance to the final helmet, had no sculpting ability and asked somebody else to create the composite one(!) As far as I understand it, the whole case hinged on NP having sculpted the terracotta himself (with practical production changes made later by AA - undercuts etc.) and, as NP was not employed by LFL or the studio, the intellectual property did not belong to LFL. That is why the photo of GL choosing the terracotta sculpture was produced in court as the crucial evidence. This was until this argument was rendered irrelevant when the judge ruled that props are not artistic creations (???!!!). As BM shows, the terracotta clay was not even terracotta, but the same clay used by the studio and by BM to sculpt the Death Star Droid. AA won when LM's boyfriend testified she always used grey and not terracotta, even when BM's photo shows the true colour of the clay. They took LM's boyfriend's word over BM's (and any other witnesses who claimed LM sculpted the terracotta). Am I right in my understanding of the case? If so, how did this get past the judge (and jury?), regardless of the final ruling on props not being art.I I have also read allegations that AA recast another prop maker's armour, at least in part, and is passing it off as armour which was cast from an original suit as he claims. If AA's claim is true, given BM's take on AA, I assume AA is copying BM's (and others'?) work without attributing credit or financial recompense. And he is only able to do this because of the "prop not art" ruling. My head hurts... Please, correct me if I'm wrong.

Thanks to Matt for the links... I'll get on them.

Thanks, Rob. I'll do as you suggest. If anyone has anything new to add....

As a novice prop collector and non trooper, I'm surprised at the level of anti Andrew Ainsworth feeling in this thread. When looking for a helmet and set of armour solely for display, I plumped for the SDS armour as I figured you can't get more authentic than one made by the original maker from the original moulds. Was I naive in buying the sales pitch? There will be few if any people reading this who have less experience than me and I know many have an encyclopaedic knowledge of the subject. I would greatly appreciate any member(s) taking the time to give me a wider perspective. Why is Ainsworth held in contempt by his detractors? What percentage share of 501st armour and helmets does each maker hold? Is one maker generally considered "the best". Any education you can offer will be warmly received. Thanks.

Looks like its ABS without the acrylic cap and it's CNC'd to reduce costs...

Hi Sergiu, That's the current price? Like I said... Horses for courses...I needed sth adjustable cos I had to cut down my leg armour... And I want to display my vader (maul etc in future) so size adjustment and extreme posing were important...I dont have space to display more than one at a time or store a vader sized mannequin so this was perfect for me. And as I told you in my mail, I just don't like the way the armour looked on my foam one.... It's all about personal preference and budget. I know that the steel and aluminium will never fail on me.... I've got it for life .... And if I do decide to sell it, it has great resale value...

Sorry... Forgot the request to post info. They are made by a British structural steel company called Hawk Structures... Contact: jason.march@hawkstructures.com Best

Hi Jim, Checked out your videos of the poseable Chinese mannequin. They are the standard fayre that most people will have. I had one but sold it when it was superseded by the one in my first post.... I upgraded for all the reasons listed above. I didn't want to scrimp on the display after spending £1,000 on my SDS armour. I'm currently building the carbon freezing chamber inspired plinth I mentioned... Just attached the plate which came with it and goes into his heel. Will post pics when I'm done... For a bit more money I got sth that is COMPLETELY adjustable to fit pretty much all body shapes and costumes, has no visible support, like a giant action figure.... It even flies... If you're on a budget, you can't beat the cheap Chinese wire and foam ones. Horses for courses etc etc

The poses are almost limitless and the frame is rock solid steel and aliminium, precision engineered.Not to mention the fact that you can adjust the girth and length of the limbs and trunk to match your own more closely. He can go up to Vader height, and the shoulders and hips extend outwards. The guy who designed it wanted a "one stop shop" as he has various character costumes from Boushh to Vader. It is the ultimate life size action figure...

Glad you like it too. I would have paid double, considering what it can do. Especially when wire and foam ones, which in my opinion look nothing like a real person in the armour, are around £300 (GBP). If you want the name of the company that makes them, drop me an email. All the best

oops click photos for larger views, of course....like i said, im new to this...

Hi all... I'm a newbie, so please play nice... Hope I'm posting this in the right place... I just got a new mannequin for my SDS stormtrooper armour which I think is really unique ... I'm putting up a few (small) pics, but here are a few of the reasons why I chose it over a wire and foam one or shop window dummy.... - It was designed specifically for stormtrooper armour and other 1:1 Star Wars costumes - It's extremely poseable(see photos!) It's articulated in the same places as a 12" Medicom (etc) figure... It's really a life size Star Wars action figure, which was my dream as a kid...big kids, big toys...You know how it is.... - It's got a really rugged steel/aluminium/injection moulded plastic construction... Some of those poseable foam/wire mannequins come with a warning not to pose them too much cos they'll break! - It's adjustable in height from approx 5'8" to 6'6" (172-198cm)... I'll start with my stormtrooper costume on it at my height, but then I can put it up to full height and swap out the 'trooper for my Vader when I get bored... - The arms and legs are adjustable in length and girth so I can match it pretty much exactly to my dimensions, so it fits my armour... Handy when you have short legs like mine... - The upper and lower torso are adjustable for length and girth...which is also great as I'm not getting any thinner... - The fingers are fully poseable and the wrists lock into three positions...the right hand also has a clip to secure a blaster or lightsaber extremely firmly ... No dropping that expensive prop E11... Or your Hasbro/Doopydoos (see photo)... Must get round to finishing that! - It came with a sturdy steel disk base which has a "prong" which goes through the heel of the right boot so there's no visible support... Looks like a giant version of the old Palitoy/Kenner action figures with their plastic disk display stands... -There is a second, alternative "prong" on a small steel plate with bolt holes in it... The idea is that it can be attached to a diarama.. I'm going to build a podium modelled on the Bespin carbon freezing scene with the yellow/orange strip lights to stand him on. The plate will be pretty much hidden under the heel of the boot... - Another cool thing is that the "skin" is white and the internal bits are black, which mirrors the Stormtrooper armour/bodysuit... Yes, I am a bit OCD! Lol - It came as a kit and was easy to put together... Just needed an electric screwdriver, also useful for adjusting the girth of the arms/legs/torso, which only takes seconds - It's fun to get it into some extreme poses, and it still stays absolutely solid. I want to get a Darth Maul eventually, especially as it can handle the high kicking martial arts pose easily (see photo… Note broom handle Darth Maul “lightsaberâ€â€¦) - On the subject of Sith/Jedi costumes, there is an extension to the stand which raises the mannequin up so it looks like it’s jumping/flying (see photo)…I was thinking of the Obi Wan/Darth Maul battle for these poses.... Would be cool for Boba/Jango too… Basically, it's awesome ! Well, that's pretty much it... Hope you like the pics... If you have any questions or would like larger copies of the photos, PLEASE EMAIL ME at cinderellaboy@hotmail.co.uk Thanks for looking Cinderellaboy