It's LEGO Jim, but not as we know it.....

OK, so I lied - it's actually not LEGO at all - but I still think it's cool so I get to blog about it.....

I stumbled upon Gentle Giant LEGO Star Wars maquettes a couple of years back and immediately fell in love with them. For the uninitiated, they're a series of limited edition, large-scale metal models of LEGO Star Wars Minifigs. My favourite is probably Boba Fett (pics below - click to enlarge) although really I like them all.

Just to give you an idea of scale, I've posed the maquette next to the original LEGO minifig which inspired it in the picture below.

The maquettes come in 3 or 4 pieces depending on the particular figure. In the case of Boba Fett the torso, stand and blaster come as one molded piece, and the "LEGO Star Wars" plaque and head attach via magnets. The detachable head can even be posed to some extent.

I'm aware that these maquettes aren't everybody's cup of tea - some people just don't "get it", others don't like the way that the legs and arms are bent in an 'unnatural' way for a minifig. I however think they look great, and consider them to be an amusing homage to what seems to be an increasingly significant revenue generator for the LEGO company - Star Wars minifigs. I've previously blogged about the burgeoning popularity of the LEGO minifig, and nowhere is this more true than for the Star Wars minifig which seems to be able to shift as many sets as the actual model in the box, if not more in some cases.

"Are you lookin' at me....?"

Other maquettes in the range include Darth Vader (pic below), Luke Skywalker in his orange flight suit, a standard Stormtrooper, and a Blackhole Stormtrooper (click the links to check out CopMike's photo reviews of these guys on Eurobricks). Just to drive collectors into an even greater frenzy, some of the Stormtroopers are a Limited Edition Limited Edition (!) because the box contains Han Solo's head in addition to the standard Stormtrooper head, both of which attach with magnets (but not, of course, at the same time...).

The main problem with these guys is trying to get hold of them. Given that (1) they potentially appeal to fans of both LEGO and Star Wars, and (2) they were made in relatively small numbers, most of them sold out in double quick time and can now only only be bought from resellers at eye-watering prices. The Luke Skywalker maquette can be had for less than the others as there are more in circulation, but the rest (particularly the Blackhole Stormtrooper) cost a fortune now. If however you're feeling like treating yourself, eBay's probably your best bet.

If you want to read more about the Boba Fett maquette and see a ton more pictures, feel free check out my Boba Fett maquette review on Eurobricks.

Thinking about it, it's been a few years since Gentle Giant released these LEGO Star Wars maquettes. It's not as if there's a shortage of subject matter, given that there are literally hundreds of LEGO Star Wars minifigs to choose from. So how about it, Gentle Giant ? The fans are waiting.....