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Ralph McQuarrie’s Chewbacca Got Busted for a Comic-Con Exclusive

If you’re a diehard Star Wars fan, chances are it’s one of your lifelong dreams to hug Chewbacca. Heck, on the set of The Force Awakens, at least one Wookiee costume got worn out because of all the hugs the younger cast and crew members wanted to give ol’ Chewie. But would he have been quite so huggable if he’d looked like the original design?

Ralph McQuarrie‘s Chewbacca looks like some sort of hellbeast, with those yellow eyes and bared fangs–it’s hard to imagine old Obi-Wan would have warmed to this guy quite so quickly in Mos Eisley. But while you can see why George Lucas toned him down to be more dog-like, a lot of elements from the original eventually made it elsewhere. The triangular mouth is reminiscent of Vader, and the pointy ears and rocky brow bring Yoda to mind. More significantly, though, Zeb from Star Wars Rebels is pretty clearly just a slight reworking of the prototype’s overall look, big gun included.

Gentle Giant has now immortalized this historical design in hand-painted polystone as a Comic-Con exclusive for this year. With a limited run of 400 and a price of $120, the 6.5″ by 7″ by 5″ bust is likely to go fast, as McQuarrie designs often do; Gentle Giant Premiere Guild members, however, may preorder now (not a Guild member and want to be? You can still make that happen, too). While most Gentle Giant busts are based on laser scans of the actor and props in question, this Chewie never made it past the drawing board, so the company’s digital sculptors got to craft every detail themselves, based on the classic reference material (check out said details in our gallery below). Each one comes individually numbered, with a certificate of authenticity. (Laughing mom not included–the degree to which your maternal unit may be amused cannot be accurately gauged in advance.)

Will this bust be a boom for your collection? Tell us what you think in comments!

Images: Gentle Giant

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