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Sideshow presents the Wampa™ Designer Vinyl Figure, an officially licensed Star Wars™ collectible based on the exaggerated, storytelling-rich style of artist James Groman.
Measuring 12" tall x 8" deep x 17.5" wide, the Wampa™ Designer Vinyl Figure takes fans back to a terrifying first encounter in the tundra. Groman's particular knack for elongated and oversized designs is showcased here in his rendering of Hoth's monstrous predator, featuring articulated shoulders which end in massive paws and huge, razor-sharp claws. The Wampa™ Designer Vinyl Figure clutches a severed tauntaun skull and spine in its hand, bones picked clean by the wampa’s many teeth. Fully sculpted and cast in vinyl, this Star Wars designer figure has layers of grimy white fur to blend into its snow-streaked environment.
Come in from the cold — the Wampa™ Designer Vinyl Figure by Sideshow and Groman is waiting!
Star Wars Wampa Monster Artist Statement
Well, it has finally happened. I have finally gotten to concept and design a vinyl toy of the infamous Wampa snow creature from my favorite film in the Star Wars™ franchise, The Empire Strikes Back™. And best of all, I got to do it for my talented friends at Sideshow Collectibles as a follow-up to the vinyl Rancor monster I had previously designed for them.
As I’ve said in the past, Star Wars has been a very important part of my lengthy toy design career, having had the opportunity to not only create the sculpture patterns for a couple of the franchise’s alien monsters early on, but work at Hasbro Toys as Design Lead on their Playskool Jedi Force line of preschool toys. I’ve always been partial to the non-human alien species and monsters from the Star Wars universe, and took every chance I had to pitch a Wampa of my own design, whether it be action figure, model kit, or sofubi.
When Sideshow first contacted me a few years ago, we put together a list of alien species that could benefit from my detailed, exaggerated style. The Wampa was the second creature on that list, right after the Rancor Monster. Although the Wampa appears only briefly in the film, I believe it has always captured the imagination of Star Wars fans. The creature projects such power and menace in this short sequence that it becomes an unforgettable part of Episode V.
Since the creature is glimpsed so quickly in the film, it gave me an opportunity to go back and research all the initial design work for the snow beast. I revisited drawings, concept paintings, sculptural maquettes, portrait busts, and even images and film footage of the actual oversized costume itself.
There also exists the rough cut of another action sequence where the Wampa appears that never made it into the final version of the film. In this unused scene, Han, Chewbacca, Leia, and C-3PO are being pursued by Imperial Snowtroopers through the halls of the Rebel Base on Hoth. C-3PO removes a sign on a door that warns that the Tauntaun stables have been infiltrated by rampaging Wampas. When the troopers unknowingly open the door to check for Rebels, they are attacked by the gigantic snow monsters. I absolutely love how clever and hilarious this scene is, but the bulky and unwieldy Wampa costume does not look very effective in the scene, which is why it does not appear in the final cut of the film.
As it ends up, the piece of reference material I found most valuable was a beautifully detailed bust of the beast created by the one and only master of creature design himself, Mr. Phil Tippett, complete with sharp yellowed teeth, slobber, and realistic snow-matted fur. The bust is gnarly, ferocious, and terrifying — everything that I felt my Wampa needed to channel as I ran it through the James Groman vinyl toy design filtering system. The Wampa’s paws and feet are massive on the costume, with wickedly curved black claws. I love to exaggerate the hands and feet of my figures most of the time anyway, so here was an opportunity to do that with a vengeance.
Another design trait I have become known for is adding a bit of narrative storytelling to my designs. A small detail that harkens back to a particular scene in a film or alludes to a personality trait of the chosen character. In this instance I was inspired by the unused sequence from Episode V that I mentioned earlier, intrigued by the thought of the horrors that must be transpiring in the dark places behind that stable door on Hoth. An image of a bloodthirsty Wampa, holding the skull and spinal cord of an unfortunate Tauntaun, a remnant of the snow beast’s most recent and grisly meal. Perhaps this was the very last thing those horrified Snowtroopers saw before being pulled inside by the Wampa’s massive talons.
I like to think so. And now you can see it too.
Shoutout to Steve Schumacher, the incredible sculptor who meticulously translated my detailed schematics into this fantastic vinyl figure. I also must mention the stellar paint work expertly executed by Chie Izuma, one of the best in the business.
So, after all these years I finally got to design my Wampa, and I cannot think of a more talented team than the folks at Sideshow Collectibles to bring this beastie to life.
James Groman