At this point, I don’t need to convince you all how popular Baby Yoda is. You’ve shown me. Every article I write on the little green muppet gets about three times as much traffic as my other pieces, even though I of course love all *my* babies equally. But now it seems I may finally be able to write about a baby not named Yoda, thanks to artist Leonardo Viti giving me a reprieve in the form of Baby Jabba.
Leonardo Viti is a 3D artist and sculptor that focuses on highly stylized, yet detailed cartoon renderings of both original and existing characters. His previous work includes Venom, an orc with striking similarities to The Hobbit’s Azog, and Thanos. But in late November of last year, the artist posted a new character to his Instagram, undercutting The Mandalorian’s release with his own competing babified Star Wars icon: Baby Jabba.
Though it’s been some time since Viti let Baby Jabba out of his crib, the Huttlet is only now starting to trend, thanks to actress Olivia Munn posting him to her Instagram after seeing him on Reddit over the long holiday weekend. Unfortunately, she only credits the aggregator site in general for the work as opposed to Viti in particular, but his work is now taking over social media nonetheless.
Which is funny, as this isn’t the first time we’ve seen a Baby Jabba. Around the same time as Viti’s take on the concept, artist Seby Menyhei released a far creepier take on an infant Jabba to his artstation, which while much more in line with the films, wasn’t exactly cute. Meanwhile, the official Clone Wars cartoon actually premiered with a film focused on Jabba the Hutt’s son, which while not the same thing as a Baby Jabba, gives us an idea of what canon thinks a Baby Jabba would look like.
Both of these interpretations seem to take the “gross cute†approach that Joe Dante’s Gremlins or the right Digimon might. But like a carefully crafted Pokemon, Viti’s Baby Jabba instead goes straight for the heartstrings, with a rounded face, stubby and curious little arms, big eyes, chubby cheeks, a little spittle, and just the right complexion. This is Jabba before the sleaze, and maybe that explains why Twitter is loving it so much.
This Baby Jabba looks like the baby from “Dinosaurs†and I’m okay with that https://t.co/iBykUG4uVU pic.twitter.com/miFOka3jni
— Todd Mitchum (@ToddMitchum) January 20, 2020
Take this user, who aptly compares Baby Jabba to Baby Sinclair from Jim Henson’s Dinosaurs. Gotta love him!
Baby Jabba is relatable. #BabyJabba pic.twitter.com/lSFUCSmmhC
— ï½‡ï½‰ï½Žï½ (@ownby_gina) January 20, 2020
Or this user, who sees themself in the soon-to-be crime lord’s nascent gluttony.
I don’t really know about you… but I’d punch it… #BabyJabba pic.twitter.com/E5JzNo5RnS
— Allister (@Ghosty291) January 20, 2020
Of course, not everyone loves Baby Jabba, but given Viti didn’t have $5 million to spare on a puppet, I’m pretty impressed. Moreover, as much as I love Baby Yoda, I think Baby Jabba and his little spittle maybe speaks to millennials and our trash queen sentimentalities just a touch more. If Baby Yoda is a bright-eyed hero of the 2010s, Baby Jabba has seen the horrors of the last decade and is ready to take over for the dark times sure to come in the 2020s.
Until then, let us eat, drink, and try not to get thrown into Sarlaac pits. When do you think Disney+ is going to reboot Muppet Babies with Star Wars characters?
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