Glad you asked! Incredibly cool, I'd say. The whole idea of various alien Jedi is just too cool to be passed up, and sadly, Hasbro has yet to announce any intent of the characters to be made as figures.

I can't speak for everybody (maybe we can run a poll that'd help), but I went nuts when they showed the Tusken Raider Jedi (and later, the Whipid) in the ongoing Star Wars books. With so many unmade film characters in demand by fans (like Aurra Sing, Depa Bilaba, and the unquestionably lame Ben Quadrinaros), odds are we won't see prequel based Episode One for a while. (Like after Episode Three.) But if Hasbro were to offer me a Tusken Raider like (and odds are I'm spelling this wrong) A'Sharad Hett with lightsaber and all... I'd be running to the stores and unless it'd really suck, it'd probably make my all-time top 10 favorites instantly. Just the whole idea of random alien Jedi is friggin' appealing to read about, I can only imagine how awesome the toys would be.

It'd be a great way to expand on the whole "Power of the Jedi" thing.

6
How are price guides determined, who uses them, and for what? I doubt there's somewhere you go to cash in on figures for that price. Obviously, value is only determined by what someone is willing to pay for it.
  -Larry

Typically, random sampling of various collectible stores around the country. Most guides don't update often enough to be accurate, and some items simply can't be priced due to their volitile nature of jumping in price (POTF1 Anakin, Vlix.) They're typically used by people looking to make money on their toys-- either figuring out what to buy, or what from their collection might be better off sold. People used to use them to trade, but that's pretty rare these days.

Some magazines, like Lee's Aciton Figure News and Toy Review, are used by some stores as a fairly accurate guide of most carded vintage figures. Then again, there were people who used Magazine A to sell and the former White's Guide to buy. Basically, they're worth whatever you're willing to believe... and for me, that's typically retail or whatever something goes for on ebay.

7
I just saw something in a toy store that I have never seen or heard of before. It was a 12" Palpatine with a tab on the front that says "Includes Glow In The Dark Lightsaber" (Like the Jedi Luke would) but the back of the box is just like the normal Palpatine. On the same shelf I also saw the normal "Fully Posable" one. What gives???
  -Gene

Well... correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that tab a sticker? A sticker which can a) be removed and replaced or b) goofed up in any factory? It's neat. It's an error. Fun for your collection, but ultimately worth something only to those who have one... most people don't seek sticker variants out.

8
Is there any chance of Lucas printing his ideas for Episode VII-XI? Or perhaps writing VII-XI as novels?
  -The Meaneys

While a 12-episode outline has surfaced and had been attributed to Gary Kurtz, in all honesty, I have serious doubts that Lucas really knows what those movies would have been about. Every few years, he has a new idea about what these movies are, and well, basically don't bet on it. The original quote from Lucas in the Bantha Tracks Fan Club Magazine-- the predecessor to the LucasFilm Fan Club (which was the original title to the Star Wars Insider)-- was that they were to be about "the character that survives Episode III and his adventures" or words to that effect. What does this mean? Heck if I know. Ultimately nothing considering that was pre-ROJ (pre-ESB if I recall) and Lucas has a lot of new ideas. (Jar Jar didn't speak his unique dialect until quite a ways down the writing process, for instance.)

9
I know it's been repeated many times that KIDS (or their parents) usually only buy main characters. However I wonder if you know why Hasbro keeps making Darth Maul? Jedi Duel and Tatooine are plentiful at TRU $1.97 bins and the POTJ version is usually the last figure sitting on the shelf. The problem I have is there are 12 figures at present and that is more that the scenes or set pieces he was in. I set my figures up in dioramas so I am running out of scenes to put them in! Is this some secret Hasbro code that there will be mass Maul clones in Episode 2 and we aren't getting it? What's the deal?
  -Brian

Sales speak louder than common sense. Fact is, until this year, Maul anything sold pretty well. Even in the dead zone last year, Maul stuff tended to move over time unlike many of the other figures. Now they sit. And hopefully Hasbro is changing pace to accomodate this... for instance, I think there's one new POTJ Maul on tap for next year. While for me this is another one too many, I can understand it from the standpoint of sales. With about 18 months until Episode II, odds are this could also be one of the last Maul figures, which would be pretty nice.

10
I was wondering, what was the deal with the last three Micro Machines Epic Collections (Sets 4-6)? Were they released in the US? Do I have to sell my soul to get these?
  -Warren

Pretty much. The only outlet I've ever seen those items sold at was Galoob direct. That's where I got mine, and they were a pretty pricey $8 or so each. Production was said to be under 30,000. How far under 30,000 remains to be seen, but I'd go out on a limb and say that in the grand scheme of things, these are probably actual "rare" Star Wars collectibles.

It is entirely possible that Europe or Asia got 'em in stores, but I don't remember hearing about that, so short of a warehouse find, eBay and toy shows are your only hopes.

FIN
Got questions? Send 'em in.

Was anybody here in Las Vegas spoken to by a yellow puppet in/near the strip on Saturday night? (Not that I know of any events pertaining to this, just curious.)

The megathon continues tomorrow!

1
what do you think the chances might be of the r2-d2 with holographic leia and eopie with qui-gonn jinn becoming fan club exclusives? also, what is the future for the obi wan and oom 9 trophy assortment figures? ( if there is a future.)
  -K

About zilch on both. Supposedly not too many Eopies were actually made (plenty, but not tons) and Hasbro has made it known they aren't making more. Or at least they implied this. As I've said before, the R2s are real, they have been made, and they will show up as soon as somebody blows out those cases to Kay-Bee or someone. Buzz has it Toys "R" Us will be getting them before year's end, but this is informed speculation from third party contacts and not official.

As far as the Trophy guys go, glad you asked. A reader who shall remain nameless (unless he wants to be named) wrote in stating that he saw the items available in a catalog from New Zealand. I hope he's got some scans, because I need that Obi-Wan figure. (You don't understand. I need that figure in my collection.) So since actual production has surfaced, and there's this new rumor, I'd say it's a definite maybe.

2
What are the chances, if any, of a Star Wars cartoon to rejuvenate the line after Ep.3? Have you ever heard any rumblings that would pont in this direction?
  -Dominick

Rumblings of a young Jedi based show airing on Fox Kids have been around for a few years, and of course there was the absolutely ridiculous and widely believed rumor of Jar Jar Binks appearing on saturday morning TV as a Pod Racer. But beyond Episode III? Are you guys just saying "hey, I'll come up with a question which not only does nobody know the answer to, but odds are it wouldn't even be decided for a few years?" C'mon. Up to a year, I might know. Especially with toys. But beyond that, and yer gettin' out there.

3
Adam, I've read somewhere that a Bespin Darth Vader is in the works. Can you describe exactly what this figure is? Does this Vader come in a pose that is unique to the Bespin scenes, like the saber duel when he says "You have learned much young one." or "If you only knew the power of the dark side." I know his shoulder got scorched by Luke at Bespin, but I don't think that would be really make this Vader unique. While were on this subject, what the heck is this Jedi Armor Qui-Gon???
  -mark

Bespin Darth Vader-- according to Hasbro-- is Bespin Darth Vader. And that's all the official word I've got. My guess is it would be a modified version of the upcoming Dagobah Darth Vader, but considering that Bespin Luke looks like an all-new figure, perhaps not.

Jedi Armor Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon appeared on a recent list attributed to Hasbro. These lists come through the marketing department and often include product ideas that will never see production, like Attack C-3PO, Xizor's Battlewing, and a 12" Garindan. So the answer could very well be "vaporware." Over the past few years, original ideas from Hasbro and Kenner that change the look of most characters are nixed. Attack R2-D2 and C-3PO were allegedly dumped because they did not accurately portray the characters. It's entirely possible that the idea has already been nixed for Jedi Armor, but the one thing we know for sure is this: I don't know what Jedi Armor is going to be.

4
Here's one for you. Until I can move to a bigger house to display my figures I am storing them in cardboard boxes, multiple figures per box. The boxes are fairly rigid and protect the figures well, any potential issues with doing this?
  -Corey

Carded or loose? Either way, POTF2 carded figures are pretty sturdy. The figures themselves, though, I'd be careful with. I found out recently that the paint from Qui-Gon's saber hilt will come off on his brown robes, and the slightly rubbery plastic can bend. So be careful with those loose guys.

5
Why is the Homer Simpson King Kong figure grey when the box shows him as brown? Is this a Toy's R Us exclusive?

What is up with the POTJ Collection 2 distribution? Is it a case of retailers buying more of Collection 1 than 2, or did Hasbro produce them in different quantities? I could see a big retail chain buying more of one than the other, but even the web stores have very few pieces of this product.
  -Scott

Well, there's a "Toys "R" Us Exclusive" logo on the box, so yeah, it is. No brown Homer has surfaced as of yet. He's grey because (all together now) that's how he looks on the show.

POTJ C2 distribution sucks. Most local stores have a disgusting quantity of Obi-Wan and Maul, a few R2s and Anakins, and nobody else. (Again, still no blue senate guards on shelves.) Hasbro typically pushes C1 to stores since they have main characters that are expected to sell. This time, other than R2-D2, nobody seems to be particularly appealing in C1. Hopefully the same "problem" will happen with the new Qui-Gon and Leia figures. Collection 2 is probably coming eventually... it's just friggin' slow.

6
On the vintage Bespin Han card I could never figure out where Han is.When I was a little kid it looked to me like he was standind on the back of a train.I narrowed the locale down to either Echo Base or in the depths of the Falcon(just before the scene where Han kisses Leia and C-3PO inturrupts them).
  -Shawn

Most if not all classic card photos were publicity shots, but by looking at the lighting and archetecture, I'm guessing it's probably Bespin. I could be wrong. (Watch, it's Hoth, and I get another 750 correction notes tomorrow.)

7
Sorry for my poor English, I'm French You wrote recently that Porkins was made as Action Figure for one reason : he is fat.
Don't you think, as Yoda could say "no, ther is another !" : this figure will be very usefull for the actor who played Jek Porkins : he is able now to sign at every convention (just as Richard Le Parmentier for Motti).
It is a good reason, isn't it ?
  -Antoine

Oh boy, someone else gets to make a mint signing their name because they were in a movie for thirty-seven seconds. While I do think it's cool you can get your figures signed by the actors (especially obscure characters), the whole "man-is-this-guy-a-great-amazing-incredible-actor" thing that tends to accompany it bugs me. A guy has three lines, and articles are written that go on for pages about what a fantastic thespian he is...

...but on topic, I will buy the Porkins figure. Any distinctive figure is welcome in the toy box. It's great they're making him, I never said it wasn't. But as an open-stock figure... man, they're asking for it.

8
Does the new 3" maul on the green card split in two? He has the pose like the Maul/Obiwan 2-pack, but it does not say anything on the package.
  -Tony

This is why you open your figures.

He sure does, it's similar to the two-pack one but he stays together a little better. I believe someone wrote on Rebelscum that a running change with a sticker explaining this feature will be added to the packaging soon.

9
I know you refused to buy Episode I on VHS due to the lack of a DVD release. What are your thoughts on buying it on VCD? Aside from having to switch discs halfway through, you get pretty good quality on those buggers
  -Steven

But VCDs are pan-and-scan. And I hate pan-and-scan. Letterbox or nada.

10
Was there ever mentioned a figure of Greedo with blaster burns on him, or Quigon Jinn with a hole through his chest?
  -Chris

While no plans are known regarding Qui-Gon, the CommTech Greedo sports blaster burns under his vest. (Again, open your toys, people.)

FIN
Got questions? Send 'em in.

The megathon continues tomorrow!

Questions for October 25, 2000

1
I'm a member of the Lego club and wiuld like to join Starwars also send me some info.
  -Lego Freak

I swear I did not make this up.

2
Is the removable limbs threepio (3 3/4 inch) figure head removable as well? I know in the scene from the movie the ugnaughts play catch with it.
  -NYJORELL

The POTF2 Freeze Frame C-3PO does have a removable head, although the vintage one has a head that is only removable once.

3
The wide screen is supposed to give you a full view of the actual movie and all parts that were seen on the big screen as opposed to the regular version (Pan & Scan?) that doesen't. I got into a debate with my dad because he feels that the pan and scan give you a much bigger view and you see more. He hates the wides screen because the picture is smaller and you "can't see as much." Since you're such a big fan of the widescreen, would you kindly explain why the widescreen is actually a more full picutre. I'm beginning to think ole pop is right!
  -rob

Actually, sometimes it depends on the film.

Some films are cropped before being released to theaters to fit the rather wide rectangular screen, and this image is again cropped for TV (i.e., "regular") viewing. Sometimes TV gets an image that includes some of the "missing" top and bottom areas. Basically, it's a really big issue that goes beyond a simple answer.

My reason for being a widescreen freak is that with the rumored exception of some Stanley Kubrick films, widescreen is the format in which the director supposedly wants the film to be seen.

So there's a bunch of stuff you can argue, but ultimately, I want to own the movie I saw at the movie theater.

4
Was the scene from ESB (special edition) where Vader arrives at his Star Destroyer via a shuttle originally shot for ROJ or was this a scene done for the Special Edition of ESB? It looks to me like it could have been shot for ROJ. I thought I even saw the same commander there to greet Vader when he got off the shuttle.
  -Duane

The shuttle bay is-- from all I've heard-- an alternate version of the ROJ shuttle sequence. While I remember getting a bunch of people insisting that Vader was on the Death Star at the end of ESB, this is not the case.

The sequence where Vader walks to the shuttle that isn't old was shot new for the film. (The outdoors stuff.)

5
Have you heard about an E.T. senator figure?
  -CIRCUSJEDI

I was told flat out that there will not be an E.T. figure in the Star Wars line. While some ET figures are supposed to be in production for the upcoming Special Edition, any scale similarities with Star Wars would be coincidental.

6
Is the new POTJ Fode & Beed the same as the one that was slated to come with Jabba? And if not, what's the difference?.
  -Bob

They do look similar, but differences like the head and deco stick out pretty clearly. I'm not positive if they share other body parts, but it's a safe bet.

7
It seems that there are always "pack-ins" with action figures. Are you satisfied with the current "pack-ins" of "Force Files"? If not what do you think would be an ideal pack-in?

Also, how would you feel if Hasbro made a resculpt of Tatooine Luke, Darth Vader, & Obi-Wan Kenobi from A New Hope; in the new POTJ line in which all had the retractable lightsaber feature of the original vintage line?
  -Antoine

If the prices were immediately dropped, I'd be fine with no pack-ins. Force Files are kinda nifty and show some neat pictures that otherwise might go unseen by fans. So they do serve a purpose. (Although I'd pack in Pit Droids if it were me.)

The original retractable sabers kinda sucked. Now, if the sabers had removable blades similar to the Sith Lord Darth Maul, I'd be all over that idea-- as long as the sculpts were good. If Luke had more articulation, a new head, soft goods, and was released after Episode II, I think it'd be a cool figure. (Hey, any figure done right, even a resculpt, can be good.)

8
Hi Adam, was just wondering if you remember what your very first Star Wars toy was? Mine was a C-3PO figure.
  -Jason

A Wampa. (Yeah, I got my first SW toy around ESB.)

9
I know this isn't Star Wars related,but, I figured being a Lucasfilm property, it was close enough. With the 20th anniversary of "Raiders of the Lost Ark" around the corner(summer 2001?), have you heard any rumblings about the possibility of a 3 3/4" Indy line?
  -Jason

Actually, the owner of the Indy Master Toy License is unknown at this point. The last company in North America to make Indy stuff-- Galoob-- is now owned by Hasbro. So assuming they had it before, Hasbro probably has it now.

While fans really do seem to want Indy toys, nobody seems to want to fill that void. When there are plans, I will make sure that the news reaches you guys. Trust me.

10
I've always wondered why kenner made two Bespin guards in the vintage line. I assumed at the time that kenner came under pressure to be more ' pc' and release a black human figure into the line. This sits o.k. until one remembers that we already had Lando at that point. So what gives? Is it as I always thought or another kenner mystery?
  -Oggy

First, I have no official answer to this question. If any of the guys who are researching the vintage line have an answer, please send it in.

My guess is that is has to do with the old days. Back then, it was assumed kids would buy extras of certain figures, and since ESB was a pretty thin film in terms of characters, it's understandable that they would want another figure in the line, especially one that kids might buy two or three of. (After all, how many ESB figures were totally new as of POTF2? ESB didn't seem to have that many great choices that didn't get made. I mean, c'mon, we got all the bounty hunters, R2 & 3PO resculpts, everybody in Hoth gear... they really made sure to get most of the main and minor characters out there. Slim pickings must've been the case in 1982.)

FIN
Got questions? Send 'em in.

The megathon continues tomorrow! It may, however, end this week.

Questions for October 26, 2000

1
On the subject of mail in promotions...I can't believe Hasbro has been slacking since like 98 since the last mail in promotion? (Mace Windu...if I'm correct.) What a waste that EP1 came and went, and it's been like a year and a half and they haven't done anything? I've said it before...SW is Hasbro's goose laying the old golden eggs, and for what they shelled out for the license... shouldn't they be more mindful of what they're doing.
  -Shedmaster

Well, mail-ins are typically indicative of a successful line aimed at kids. While Hasbro had tons of these offers in the 1980s through GI Joe and TransFormers, those days seem to be long gone. They typically act to support kids' lines, and I'd say that anyone who insists Star Wars is still a kiddie line is nuts.

Of course, even with this in mind, there's still hope for more offers. Hasbro knows we want another cereal offer, and frankly I'm a little surprised the last one we had was in 1995/1996. Another mail-in offer-- according to tradition-- should pop up late next year for the Episode II preview figure, assuming they don't just stick it in the POTJ assortments, which they very well could (and frankly should) do.

With the state the line is in today, I think the lack of a mail-in makes sense. It's being restructured and there's a new movie on the way, so this seems like a weird time to offer something. Unless they wanted to promote POTJ to kids and have a brand spankin' new awesome figure to send away for that would drive kids to stores in droves to mail away for and start collecting their very own complete Power of the Jedi collection, but again, everything I've seen so far aside from the abundance of the first four Collection 1 figures makes me think this new line is aimed squarely at the older market and because of that they don't need to offer "free" figures.

2
i know you don't like the "what's it worth" questions but this is different. what ten POTF2/E1 items do you think are rare now and will stay very rare in the far future?
  -Miscus555

With the barrage of random clearances, it's impossible to say what will be worth what you paid for it at the store this time next year. The Eopie seems to be staying tough to get, but I have a sneaking suspicion Jabba could show up again some day. Actually, the Eopie is the only item I'd call "rare" right now, and that could very well change because new stuff could show up at any time.

3
Why did Kenner change the name of Death Squad Commander to Star Destroyer Commander? Was it the Word "Death," Being to violent or to connected to the Death Star in ANH?
  -Charles

This one always bugged me too, but I never heard a definitive answer. (Or one I can remember.) My guess is they changed it due to there being no "Death Squads" to be seen, plus it is a little harsh sounding.

4
Ok I'll bite on question 9 from today (Oct. 4). Who are the Mongo Beefhead Tribesmen?
  -Gary

An alien from the unmade 1986 line of Star Wars that was little more than a modified Squid Head with Hammerhead arms and a Zuckuss... erm... torso belt thingy. The idea is that these were some sort of friendly desert creature that would fit into the storyline Kenner came up with for the toys that would have gone beyond Return of the Jedi, and there was some pretty neat stuff that could have been made.

5
Are there going to be more Jedi council figures released? Speaking of which what ever happened to the Yaddle Figure? I think I saw one out in stores shortly after the release of the movie then he seemed to have disappeared from stores and web sites altogether?
  -Chris

The surest sign that something doesn't actually exist is a complete and total lack of any sort of record of its existance. Yaddle seems to be a good example of this. No figure was announced, produced, or as far as I can recall, even rumored... which surprises me, this seems like a shoo-in to sell. (If it were out, it'd be on our checklists, no matter how hard it is to find.)

More Jedi are on the way, with Saesae Tinn and Plo Koon on the way for later this year or early next year. Beyond that... we'll just have to wait and see. Most of the Jedi Council would make great figures, with such distinctive aliens as the pin-headed Yarel Poof or the diminutive Yaddle. We've got 18 months until Episode II, and I think we'll see some of these guys in the prequel sequel as well, so while it might take until 2006, we'll probably see all of these guys in plastic.

6
When I first saw Star Wars (ANH) there is a real goofy looking white protocol droid that is seen walking around Mos Eisley and I think he's also seen in the sandcrawler as well. I have no idea what his name is but I'm wondering why there hasn't been a grass roots effort to get this guy immortalized in plastic. What is his name and has anybody ever wanted to see him as a figure but me?
  -Eric

I believe you're referring to CZ-3. As far as to why nobody has written a petition yet... well, maybe because nobody both cares and has the time? While any new alien or droid is welcome as an action figure, this one doesn't seem to be likely any time soon. I'd buy two, though.

7
The new POTJ figures look smaller than the POTF2 and EP1 figures. Are they actually smaller or does the new packaging just make them appear smaller?
  -Tom

They're about the same size as far as I can tell.

8
I have watched both the original trilogy and the special edition and still feel the original is my favorite. I was wondering which version you like better and have you heard if Lucas will release both verisions on DVD?
  -David

I have serious doubts that the originals will ever be rereleased on DVD, or for that matter, in any format. While I find the originals more fun to watch simply because I don't get taken out of the movie everytime something new shows up, the SEs are not without their charm. Namely the really crappy C-3PO on the back of the Landspeeder as it enters Mos Eisley...

As far as DVD goes, I hope the releases of the original trilogy will correspond with Episode II. At least that way there's a definite hype for Star Wars when the fans are asked to buy the same films for the 27th time. Classic version would be nice... but I don't think George wants those around no more.

9
At one time, I heard there was going to be a Paploo w/Speeder Bike. Where there ever pictures, or did it not get that far into production?
  -Scott

It was just a rumor that persisted due to there being three different figure combos with the Speederbike. It was never confirmed for production, and I don't know if it was even considered for development.

10
I feel like the only one who is/was distracted ever since my first viewing of Episode 1, by Ewan McGregor's shape-shifting, colour-changing hair in the film. Who should be sacked for that? I think his hair goes back, forth, back again, and through about 3 or 4 styles, and at least a couple of colours. I'm not the kind of person who even notices what people wear, much less what they do with their hair( listen, comrade...) but this example of shoddy continuity must have been someone's responbility. It can't have gone un-noticed in dailies.
  -Chris

Well, there were a lot of pick-up shots and the film was shot at different times on different locales. Something like this doesn't seem all that unusual with all the stuff going on, but it is a little surprising they didn't try to do some digital swabbing or something to fix it. Eh, it happens, and I'm sure people will use this when they write their film school papers on "Why Empire is Fifty Million Times Better Than Episode One."

FIN
Got questions? Send 'em in.

Frequent comment: "I don't want to have to buy another version of this figure." Well, to you: stop buying them. I'm not overly thrilled either, but let's face it: you want them or you don't. Me, I do. If it does something cool, bring it on. If not... well...

The megathon continues tomorrow!

Questions for October 27, 2000

1
I just got an Ishi Tib figure and I was going to put it with all th aliens from Jabba's palace; but I noticed that the card says thay he is a rebel and it has a slide of the Rebels in ROTJ. Do you know what's this all about?
  -Venepe

Ishi Tib did appear in the Rebel Briefing, amazingly. Photography of the Rebel outfit that they made the figure from was shown in the amazing Star Wars Chronicles book alongside the pink/purple one we're used to from Jabba's Palace.

Legend has it there were three versions of the outfit. (What that means is that there were probably 3 versions in the book and I can only remember two.)

2
Hey Adam, since Hasbro's POTF vehicles are cast from the original Kenner molds, I was wondering if there are any molds which have been destroyed since the original line when off-line around 1985.
  -mark

Actually, I think you've got that wrong. I'm fairly sure the POTF2 vehicles were case from actual production toys since the folk at Hasbro contantly talk about how all the originals were unavailable.

3
Any idea what happened to the Queen decoy Sabe, or the Shimi Skywalker figures?
  -Lgweishaar

They've been postponed, most likely to be released in 2001.

4
What, in your opinion, is the coolest toy ever made, Star Wars or not?
  -jcavie

For Star Wars, the 12" Speederbike is winning the short-term. It's just too freaking cool to not love. As far as any figure line ever goes... probably the USS Flagg from GI Joe. (How I want one of those. It's so big it's obscene.) As far as any toy, ever... hmmmmmm... tough call. I'll have to get back to you on that.

5
If Lucas was so perturbed by the cheap Werewolf mask in the ANH cantina scene, why did he approve a Lak Sivrak figure? Any guesses as to why he didn't say "no, make a figure of that weird looking CGI head I added instead" ??
  -Brain

I'm fairly sure that since the figure came out in early '98, it started being developed in late '96 or very early '97. So theoretically Hasbro/Kenner might not have known what was being edited out, but yeah, they did know what was being added to some extent due to the Beast Assortment released in 1997. The new alien (dubbed Ketwol by the EU and Slurpy by the creature shop folk) was in production at some point, supposedly for the 1998 line. How far he got along is unknown, but I'd like to see one in plastic some day.

6
I recently purchased a four CD-set (“Relaxing to the Classics”) in a pathetic attempt to expand my cultural awareness beyond my current pop culture limitations. Anyway, as played disc four I was shocked to hear a song that bore a striking similarity to “Duel of the Fates.” As it turns out this song was the introduction to a work by Carl Orff from his “Carmina Burana.” Now this may be common knowledge to everyone else, but I was a bit surprised. After a little (unverified) research it seems this same piece was also used in the film 'Excalibur' and Oliver Stone's "The Doors" and in countless movie trailers including "Glory.” Were you aware of this similarity?
  -Zoe

Odds are someone at LFL knows about it, I've heard about a similarity a while back, but since I'm not the world's biggest fan of classical music, well, you get the idea. (OZZY RULES!!!) But anyway, it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if it was a homage or a quote. Devo has a riff from Daytripper in "The Fourth Dimension" on the Shout album... and the Plastics quote the Beatles a few times on Origato Plastico, which is pretty damned good. Especially for like five bucks.

But I digress. Yeah, score music tends to borrow from classical or opera or something. ("One Winged Angel" from Final Fantasy VII comes to mind.) If anybody knows about a Williams interview on the "Duel of the Fates" issue, don't hesitate to send us a URL.

7
Do you know if Hasbro has ever approached Disney (or vice versa) about doing park-exclusive figures of the droids from Star Tours?
  -Brian

Actually, I think Disney would have to approach Hasbro. I'd love to buy a tour shuttle toy, complete with R2-D2 socket. Heck, any figures from anything I don't have is just fine with me... but I think there's a lot involved in getting 4" exclusives. Who knows anymore, with all the oldmolds being recycled these days.

8
Do these new Ultrarama displays come with the backdrop? Or are we supposed to make hem out of something? im not sure where to get them is this is the case
  -NYJORELL

It has four places for backdrops and four backdrops: 1 space, 1 desert, 1 snow, 1 forest. So there's not much in the way of variety, or a big double desert or something. I'm thinking some scanned and enlarged CCG cards from Decipher would make some nice backgrounds.

9
Do you think that we already have seen enough R2-D2 resculpts. I hate having to pay $7 (prices have not come down in New York City) for another resculpt of "him."
  -Neil

So don't buy it.

As far as R2-D2 specifically, I think that if done right, yeah, they could very well crank out another version or three. A bartender version is notably absent, as are planet-specific repaints... but to be honest, gimme a bartender harness and that's probably more than enough for me. Unless they do one with some really well done retractable gadgets.

10
In the intervening time I have grown fond of my big collection of carded and boxed items, it has a toy shop feel (I have the figures stacked on pegs) which really takes me back to that moment I saw each new figure for the first time. I would like to open them all but I could never afford to buy another set. What I want in the future is an unglued package, something I can open, but can put back, with some kind of broken seal or clearly noticed sign of opening that would protect against false ratings.

Could this be a popular feature? Do you see any chance of this happening with future releases? Why not?
  -Chris

Well, you can always just slice the bubbles open, very carefully, for your own amusement.

In Japan, a lot of figures have a bubble that slides over the card and is held on by tape, so it's pretty easy to re-card a figure after opening it, should one want to display them in such a manner. Believe it or not, this was brought up in a Q&A session with Hasbro in ages back, and this wasn't a direction in which they wanted to go at the time. Probably theft issues or something. Cost, maybe.

FIN
Got questions? Send 'em in.

We've gotten a wide variety of answers regarding the Death Squad Commander name change issue, involving groups in El Salvador, the relationship between the figure and Leia being scheduled to be executed, and a particularly interesting anecdote that maybe it had something to do with the release of the ESB Darth Vader's Star Destroyer playset. (After all, a few-- few being the operative word-- Death Squad Commanders exist, named as such, on ESB cards.) Which, if any, are true? Not sure.

Someone asked what I thought of the poll results we're runnin' for the Phantom Menace figures. Being the pretentious shmoe I am, I figgered I might as well write it here.

Glad to see: Yaddle, Senator Yarua, the Amidalas & Padmes, Swokes Swokes, the Jedi... heck, most of them.
Ugh: Ben Quadrineros... uhhh, I think that's about it.

Based on Episode Two rumblings, it seems that at least a few of these characters will be featured in an expanded role... meaning if we don't get a figure for some of these guys before E2, we'll get 'em for R2. I have doubts that many of the Pod Racers will return, though, so it could be now or never. Never, of course, meaning two or possibly three years from now.

The megathon continues next week!