Back in 2014, Hasbro released the two versions of the intergalactic galactic crime lord Jabba the Hutt in their 6” Black Series line. The standard retail version that was just Jabba in a box, and an exclusive SDCC version that came with extra accessories. Anyway, sometime later that year I actually came across the SDCC exclusive version in ToysRus during a trip to Hong Kong. But I didn’t bother getting it since at the time I wasn’t all in on the Black Series line. This was a decision I would end up regretting a whole lot years later.
As the years passed, Hasbro slowly started releasing more characters from the Jabba palace scene in Return of the Jedi. It eventually came to the point where there was enough characters to merit their own special display . So for the past couple months I became obsessed with building my own Jabba’s throne room diorama.
Once it was complete, there were two crucial characters missing. The first on was Jabba’s majordomo Bib Fortuna. His absence was understandable since up to this point we have yet to receive any decent 6” plastic representation of this creepy Twi'lek from any toy company.
The second missing character though was even more frustrating because an actual action figure of him did exist, and I had a good opportunity to get him but didn’t. Yup, the SDCC exclusive version of Jabba the Hutt that I passed on a few years prior included as one of its special accessories, Jabba’s pet Kowakian monkey-lizard, Salacious B. Crumb. And now that set was selling for crazy prices on the secondary market. So as much as I wanted that stupid little cackling idiot for my display, I was not going to buy another Jabba the Hutt for an arm and a leg just to get him. So I began my search for other possible alternatives.
My first plan was to get a vintage version of SBC which were quite plentiful on eBay for relatively cheap prices. Apparently, even if it was meant for 3.75” figures, he was a little oversized and it could “pass” in a 6” display. And even if he wasn’t as detailed as I'd liked, I figured I could get a local customizer to give him a more realistic paint job. Unfortunately he was only being sold by US sellers so the international shipping just made this option a little less attractive. So I did a little more digging.
I asked around Star Wars collector groups on Facebook and a number of them pointed me to the website called Outer Rim Traders, which basically made custom pieces for 6” Star Wars collectors. Their store catalogue is quite impressive, filled with casts of small and large diorama pieces as well as tons of unique head sculpts and full figure kits...including one for monkey lizard I was looking for. Now for the longest time I went back and forth on this option because since this was a US based store as well, the shipping would be expensive. But it was a VERY nice sculpt. Ultimately I decided to look around a little bit more, since this site got me thinking. I decided to look into the 3D printing route.
A quick Google image search then led me to this link for a downloadable 3D model file of SBC being sold at this site.
I passed off the link to a local 3D printer and fellow Star Wars fan and he confirmed that he could print out the file. So I proposed to do an x-deal with him. I would purchase the file and pass it off to him to print me out an SBC for free. He could then keep the file to print out more SBCs to sell to others. So with everything worked out, I soon had a nicely 3D printed Salacious Crumb done in a couple weeks.
I then passed on the 3D print out to another of my favorite customizers to paint up and I finally got a proper Salacious Crumb for my palace display without breaking the bank! He may be basically a little statue with no poseability whatsoever, but that’s completely fine with me. SBC was never known to do anything but sit by Jabba’s side and cackle anyway.
So that basically ends my search for an SBC for my display. Now if Hasbro (Mafex or SH Figuarts) would just hurry up and give us a Bib Fortuna please?
