It's very common for a collectibles company to produce various single-figure statues and busts. And while we enjoy this form of art, we are also really intrigued with the opportunity to tell stories. With Forest Fight we wanted to take an iconic moment and freeze it in time. Today we want to pull back the curtain and share more about how we developed this beautiful statue.
Forest Fight is the first statue in a series that we are calling The Forgotten Heroes. When we first sat down and decided to branch into this form of art, we knew that we wanted to make something beautiful and unique. And we also knew from the beginning that we wanted each piece to tell a self-contained story. 2023 is the 40th anniversary of ROTJ, and we decided to start by telling a story from that film.
In an ironic sort of way, Ewoks are both prominent and simultaneously under-represented. They were the first characters to earn their own TV Show, but they also weren't addressed on the big screen again until a brief scene in ROS. Which is a shame because they are both endearing and heroic. The heroic side of the Ewok is what spoke to us the most. When George created the Ewok, he took inspiration from the actions of the Vietcong guerrillas that fought against American soldiers during the Vietnam War. While small, the Ewok is strong and courageous. Capable of overpowering an Imperial Trooper that is more than twice its size. This is what we decided to capture with Forest Fight.
If you've followed Merlin Models for very long, you'll know that we have an Studio Scale ROTJ ATST that is releasing in Q1 of 2024. We took that model and proceeded to appropriately "alter it" for Forest Fight. In the movies, you'll remember scenes of Ewoks unleashing giant tree trunks to crush and destroy the ATST chicken walkers that the Imperial Troops were using on the battlefield. Our scene is set right after this occurs.
Right after the ATST falls to the ground, the Ewoks descend! In our scene, one Trooper climbs on top of the fallen walker and is promptly attacked. Another Trooper peeks out of the wreckage and suddenly finds himself in the firm grasp of a determined Ewok. An additional Ewok takes up a overwatch position to ensure that the enemy will not escape!
We know that many of you are skilled artists and that you enjoy bringing your own collections to life. Others enjoy the process of collecting and displaying. We want to make sure that Forest Fight satisfies both groups. For those that want to assemble and paint this statue themselves, that option is available. And then for those that just want a finished collectible, we've partnered with Don Suratos to offer a hand-painted version that is ready to be displayed!
Overall, we are extremely please with the end result. Forest Fight truly captures a moment in time that can be enjoyed over and over. And the Ewok finally gets the spotlight that it truly deserves! Our pre-sale for Forest Fight begins on Nov 27th 2023. And our next statue in this series will become available for pre-order in early 2024! We are starting at the end of the Original Trilogy and working our way back to the beginning. The next statue will feature a scene from ESB. Every purchase of Forest Fight will include a $50-off coupon for the next statue in The Forgotten Heroes series. It's been 40 years since the Original Trilogy released, and it's never been a better time to be a collector!