I always thought it odd, all those dodgy looking helmets yet their scout is regarded as one of the best available
Well, here's the story as Steve Altmann told it to me.
His prototype Vader, Stormtrooper, and TIE Pilots were way, way closer to the original (actually that "new" Vader helmet Jez showed is way better than the licensed one). He presented those helmets along with the others to LFL. LFL came back and said, no good...make this and this alteration to them which basically led to wider lenses (so nobody gets hurt wearing them), shorter necks, and a funkier look. Altmann was not happy about the changes, but was told they "didn't want competition for Don Post." The only way he could get the Southeast Asian market was to agree to the changes.
Now...at the time of Altmann going for the license (which mind you took some years) Don Post had not yet offered the Biker, Death Star Trooper, Emperor Guard, X-Wing or Rebel Fleet Trooper helmets so when Altmann submitted those for approval they were approved pretty much as the far more accurate helmets you see.
Keep in mind they are ALL original sculpts, he didn't have anything to pull from or copy from and worked off pictures. He had a lot of pics of the actual props, including many that were shown in Japan. That was pretty much how all his stuff was made.
At the end of his run he was going to release the X-Wing helmets for the other pilots, a Tusken mask, and a really good Boushh, however his personal life went to hell in a lot of ways and things fell apart for him.
I know he pulled his life back together and still enjoyed doing props, but the last I heard (some years ago) he had lost his license and was now just doing it for fun once again.
The helmets are incredibly solid, very well made, and in that regard far superior to the Don Posts (even the Deluxe). Except for the Vader, Stormtrooper, TIE and AT-AT the rest are very well done and not that far from being accurate. Definitely worth getting if you can find them.
