Wicket: Comics Spain vs Kenner

Many Star Wars collectors will be familiar with the Return of the Jedi Wicket, but the Kenner animated version of this character is harder to find. It is roughly the same size as the Comics Spain figure, but the sculpt is very different. I enjoy owning both versions of this character, and its debatable which version sports the better likeness - but the Comics Spain version certainly has better paint deco and detailing. While the Kenner animated version may appear more bland, the colors come straight from the cartoon, which makes him look a bit more accurate. The Comics Spain Wicket figures vary in color, but are all a bit too bright to match his appearance in the cartoon.

Comics Spain Oddities

Every once in awhile you'll bump into an oddity, whether it be an oddly painted error, a custom figure, or in this case a keychain. In the picture below, you'll see how a collector converted a Latara figure into a keychain - and while this was never released by Comics Spain, it certainly would have been an interesting idea.

Kez-Iban Comparison

Many Star Wars collectors will have seen the Kenner version of this character which is rather large (nearly 5 inches in height), in fact its about an inch taller than the Comics Spain version. I enjoy owning both versions of this character, and its debatable which version sports the better likeness - but the Comics Spain version certainly has better paint deco and detailing. While the color of the skin tone is nearly identical in both figures, the Comics Spain version uses a larger and more realistic color palette. Take the bandoleer / satchel for example - the Kenner version is solid blue, while the Comics Spain version is painted green, includes his medallion, and looks like the version that appeared in the show. Comics Spain also painted the belt, included the white stripes on his arms, and made his boots a different color than his skirt.

Kneesaa: Paint Error

A collector from the UK recently put his Comics Spain figures up for auction, and among them was a Kneesaa figure with a drastic paint error that I have never seen before. The stem of the flower that she is holding was painted brown on accident, instead of green. The collector specifically remembers picking the figure up in a toy shop in the 1980s, when he was a child - so this is a great example of an error that slipped out of the factory.

Latara: Paint Errors

The Latara figure (covered previously) has been seen, now multiple times, with a few very clear paint errors. The feather on her head is actually detailed in the error figure with a pattern similar to that of Paploo. You'll also notice that her inner ears are painted black as well. Since these were hand painted, its possible that a number of them were accidentally released with this deco, samples of the errors can be seen below.

Wicket: Comics Spain vs Disney / Star Tours

The Comics Spain Wicket figure has a similar counterpart made for the Disney / Star Tours theme park, and the figures are often confused. The Disney figure was actually released in 1990 instead of 1986 - but you cant tell this by looking at the copyright stamp because the Disney figure is undated, and is only marked "LFL made in China" on the bottom of one of his feet. Even though the colors vary between the Comics Spain and Disney figures, and the Disney version is slightly smaller - they are readily confused.





The best way to distinguish between the two types of figures is the deco and the texture of the sculpt - the paint is different for all the Comics Spain variations, save for the final version of the deco - which is most often confused for the Disney figure. The first 3 Wicket variations released by Comics Spain can be easily identified because they all have pink eyes - a color that was never used on the Disney figure. If you own a Wicket or are searching for one - the pink eyes will always indicate a figure made by Comics Spain. When it comes to the final Comics Spain variant (seen in the center of the picture below), the colors are nearly the same as the Disney figure and often cant be told apart unless compared side-by-side. You'll notice with the Comics Spain figure though, the brown fur is lighter and is actually the color of the pvc plastic - while the Disney version is brown paint. Its also pretty easy to see the raised detail in the sculpt of the Comics Spain figure - especially throughout the fur, while the Disney version is very smooth.

Wicket: Variations

Of all the Comics Spain figures, Wicket is the only one to undergo an 'evolution' when it comes to his deco. The original figure, which is featured in the previous post, covers all the basics about the figure - but what most collectors don't know is that the characters deco was changed 3 times in order to make the figure screen accurate, based on his appearance in the cartoon. The original version shown below on the top left (and the previous post) sports oddly colored fur on his stomach, face, and hands / feet which is grey - he also has unrealistic bright pink eyes and mouth. The second version of the figure (top right) has a clear deco change, removing all the grey fur and coloring it tan.



This change wasn't enough, so Comics Spain decided to lighten the pink on the eyes and mouth, change the nose to brown, and lighten the fur to a beige (as seen in the figure on the bottom left). You'll also notice with this figure that it features the only paint error I've seen on a Wicket figure - the fur right above his nose wasn't painted. The final version (bottom right) is Comics Spains last attempt at the figures deco. They removed all the pink and used the same color that he was given for his 'hair' and inner ears. Tracking down all these variations took some time, but it helps to show the history of these figures and how often deco plays a role in their development.