For those who have never seen any of the original Star Wars films, Jabba the Hutt is basically a large, slug-like alien, or as some like to say, a cross between a toad and the Cheshire Cat, who first appeared in Return of the Jedi (1983), though he is mentioned in A New Hope (1977) and The Empire Strikes Back (1980). The puppet required three puppeteers to operate, making it one of the largest ever used in a motion picture. Stuart Freeborn designed the puppet, while John Coppinger sculpted its latex, clay, and foam pieces. Puppeteers included David Alan Barclay, Toby Philpott, and Mike Edmonds, who were members of Jim Henson’s Muppet group. Barclay operated the right arm and mouth and read the character’s English dialogue, while Philpott controlled the left arm, head, and tongue. Edmonds, the shortest of the three men (he also played the Ewok Logray in later scenes) was responsible for the movement of Jabba’s tail. Tony Cox, who also played an Ewok, would assist as well. The eyes and facial expressions were operated by radio control. Continue reading for more fascinating photos.
18. Double Exposure Photograph
17. Paris Tribute Around the World After Attacks
16. Redwood Tree vs. Human
15. Force Awakens Poster in Classic Format
14. National Library of Prague
13. Space Shuttle Endeavor Flight Deck
12. Human Circulatory System
11. Wind Turbine Blade Casting Mold
10. Florian Monastery, Austria
9. Abraham Lincoln’S Top Hat from the Night He was Shot
8. Han Solo: Then and Now
7. Staring Into the Eye of Infinity
6. How Mark Hamill Signs Trading Cards
5. Edible Water Capsule
4. Jupiter Cake
3. 140-Year-Old Tortoise with 5-Day-Old Son
2. Veteran’s Day Memorial Only Aligns Once Per Year
1. Wolf Hybrid
