Why the Han head swap?

Cronker · Jul 11, 2017

Does anyone know the reason behind the pin-head to big head Han? Just interested, as I had both and thought the pin headed version was far better.
Also, I'm not sure if it was a thing back then, but don't the actors have to approve items with their likeness? I'm sure Harrison Ford would have approved of anything for his cheque, but still...

Michael Sith · Jul 11, 2017

Lots of theories about this

Interesting reading on this RS thread....

http://forum.rebelscum.com/showthread.php?t=812748

pizzathehutt · Jul 11, 2017

which do people prefer? I had the big headed one growing up but also like the small headed one

im a bit on the fence with this

Robstyley · Jul 11, 2017

I thought it was because the pin head version was not enough of a likeness to Harrison Ford and also that the head was too small.

Robstyley · Jul 11, 2017

pizzathehutt said:
which do people prefer? I had the big headed one growing up but also like the small headed one

im a bit on the fence with this

I don't think either have a great head sculpt but I prefer the big head, it's the one I remember from childhood. I think Han Bespin has the best Han head sculpt, that would look cool on a first twelve body.

Cronker · Jul 11, 2017

Agreed, I always thought Han Bespin was one of the best figures they ever made. Just so cool. But then, I thought the entire range of Bespin figures (apart from Lobot and the guards) were a fantastic range.

x-pack · Jul 11, 2017

I always thought the big head (the ugly one) came first, and that was the reason they changed it - so ugly. Harrison Ford cannot have been impressed.

Han Bespin is the coolest, closely followed by Endor Han. Both nice sculpts

pizzathehutt · Jul 11, 2017

I always thought the han endor and carbonites had the best Harrison ford like heads

peekaygee73 · Jul 11, 2017

pizzathehutt said:
which do people prefer? I had the big headed one growing up but also like the small headed one

im a bit on the fence with this

I prefer the pinhead. My brother had the big head figure when we were kids and for some reason it always reminded me more of Jim Dale from the Carry On films than it ever did Harrison Ford! :lol:

edd_jedi · Jul 11, 2017

It seems to depend on your era. I only got in to Star Wars in the Jedi era so have no recollection of small head Han, mine was a large head. Those around for the first toys in 78 are probably the opposite. I assume the change was because it looked too small.

SAVORY100 · Jul 11, 2017

Not sure of the fascination... terrible figure, you should all throw them away... my way... :lol:

My focus is predominately Big Head, I do have a few pin head MOC and loose and although its the better likeness, I prefer the onion head myself as that was my childhood Han

pizzathehutt · Jul 11, 2017

I take it pin head moc are difficult to find and go for a lot of money?

Don't think I've ever seen one in the flesh

Palifan · Jul 11, 2017

pizzathehutt said:
I take it pin head moc are difficult to find and go for a lot of money?

Don't think I've ever seen one in the flesh

It's the other way around for the Palitoy 12 back Han, the large head version is super rare.

Ian

Palifan · Jul 11, 2017

edd_jedi said:
It seems to depend on your era. I only got in to Star Wars in the Jedi era so have no recollection of small head Han, mine was a large head. Those around for the first toys in 78 are probably the opposite. I assume the change was because it looked too small.

Strangely I had the large head Han growing up in the late 70's and that came from a 12 back card. I'd never even seen a pin head one until 2000 or something close to that as all the kids I knew who had one had a large head.

Ian

Snaketibe · Jul 11, 2017

Palifan said:
edd_jedi said:

It seems to depend on your era. I only got in to Star Wars in the Jedi era so have no recollection of small head Han, mine was a large head. Those around for the first toys in 78 are probably the opposite. I assume the change was because it looked too small.

Click to expand...

Strangely I had the large head Han growing up in the late 70's and that came from a 12 back card. I'd never even seen a pin head one until 2000 or something close to that as all the kids I knew who had one had a large head.

Ian

Yes, I've often wondered why the large head Han on a 12-back is so rare these days. When I was looking for a pin-head Han in 1978/9, I couldn't find one carded anywhere. All my local toy shop had were balloon-head Hans on 12 backs. I never bought a pin-head carded from the shops because I never saw one! My childhood pin-head eventually came in a swap with a friend of my brother, because I could only find balloon-heads in the shops, and even as a child of 6, I thought they looked shite and didn't want one!

But all that begs the question, why are the balloon-heads so hard to find on 12 backs these days, yet the pin-heads on 12 back are (relatively) quite common?

palitoyjunky · Jul 11, 2017

Yep defo depends on ur era as said. I got into SW during late Empire early Jedi so it's large head all the way for me :wink: Only discovered the small head when I got into serious collecting in the 90s.

Indeed when it comes to the Palitoy 12 back, the large head example is v rare compared to the small head only because they revised the head v late on during the 12 back era :!: What I would love to see would be a Palitoy Empire carded or indeed Jedi carded small head Han 8) There are a few Kenner small head Empires out there but to see a factory sealed Palitoy example would be magic

Will prob never happen though

tobedesu · Jul 11, 2017

I have the big head Han from when I was a kid.
At that time I wasn't aware of another one. My cardback with that figure is a ROTJ one.
I don't remember my friends having g a small head one.
Its only in years gone by that I was made aware of the small head one and when I got ba k into collecting I bought a loose one.

To be honest, the big head one just looks odd IMO.
The small head Han looks better for me.
Agree Han Bespin is the best Han with the Han carbonate being the worst.

Tickion · Jul 12, 2017

Aged 9, circa 1978/9, my rationale for the large head was that a new actor must be taking over the role of Han Solo in the nest movie so they had to change the figure likeness....

Palifan · Jul 12, 2017

Snaketibe said:
Palifan said:

edd_jedi said:

It seems to depend on your era. I only got in to Star Wars in the Jedi era so have no recollection of small head Han, mine was a large head. Those around for the first toys in 78 are probably the opposite. I assume the change was because it looked too small.

Click to expand...

Strangely I had the large head Han growing up in the late 70's and that came from a 12 back card. I'd never even seen a pin head one until 2000 or something close to that as all the kids I knew who had one had a large head.

Ian

Click to expand...

Yes, I've often wondered why the large head Han on a 12-back is so rare these days. When I was looking for a pin-head Han in 1978/9, I couldn't find one carded anywhere. All my local toy shop had were balloon-head Hans on 12 backs. I never bought a pin-head carded from the shops because I never saw one! My childhood pin-head eventually came in a swap with a friend of my brother, because I could only find balloon-heads in the shops, and even as a child of 6, I thought they looked shite and didn't want one!

But all that begs the question, why are the balloon-heads so hard to find on 12 backs these days, yet the pin-heads on 12 back are (relatively) quite common?

That really is strange that there are so few large head Palitoy 12 backs still out there (that we know of), yet you had a similar experience to me with seeing only this one at the time of release. it doesn't really make much sense unless you're also from Bristol and they all went to that one place and nobody kept them.

Ian

Awl Skulkerkey · Jul 12, 2017

[Han Solo features one of the most obvious variations. Kenner first released Han with a small head, which was replaced by a larger head that looked a bit more like Harrison Ford. Kenner seems to have overdone themselves since the second head looks a bit too large. The small head was mostly packed with the early cards, so it appears to be less common than the large head].

Excerpt from Starwars.com

Why the Han head swap?

Padawan

Grand Master

Sith Lord

Sith Lord

Sith Lord

Padawan

Grand Master

Sith Lord

Sith Lord

Moderator

Sith Lord

Sith Lord

Sith Lord

Sith Lord

Grand Master

Sith Lord

Jedi Knight

Padawan

Sith Lord

Padawan

Attachments

Similar threads