Dewback

Recommended music: America – Horse With No Name

It’s another #FunkoFriday, so let’s have some fun! Today, instead of discussing articulation or paint, let’s talk about the Funko Pop! Vinyl: Star Wars Dewback!

The introduction of the Dewback was a cornerstone of world-building in the original Star Wars. First appearing on Tatooine before the many alien costumes in the cantina, these unnamed reptilian mounts established the “used universe” aesthetic, showing that even the Galactic Empire relies on primitive biology when high-tech machinery fails in the harsh desert heat.

Though they received an action figure in the vintage Kenner toyline and a close-up on a Topps trading card, in the original 1977 cut, Dewbacks were represented by static, practical puppets. Their transformation in the 1997 Special Edition into active CGI models marked a pivotal, and controversial, moment in George Lucas’s push for digital filmmaking and the polishing of the Original Trilogy.

Funko released the Dewback as a 2-pack “Pop Set!” with a Sandtrooper as a Wal-Mart exclusive in 2015. While the Sandtrooper has had further releases with improved eyes on the Stormtrooper helmet, this big bobble-head is the only Dewback in the line to date.

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