A good question. Short answer: I think he'll sell.

The long answer is much more fun. First, I'd like to take some more unfair potshots at Porkins. I wasn't really behind the whole movement to make this figure, as he was one of the few I could care less if they did (or didn't). He wasn't much to look at as a character, and the only thing that made him more visually distinctive than Biggs or any of the pilots we already got was that he was a fat guy. Nothing wrong with that, and I though the "X-Wing Pilots: Now Available In Extra Large" ad was funny, but thing is... who really wanted this guy? Sure, there were like three petitions going, but eh, who knows. They made 'im. If this is who the fans want, great. I wanted Wuher and people still harp on me about that, but hey, I don't care. My bar now has a bartender. I'm sure a lot of fans are thrilled to finally have their Porkins.

Amanaman is going to be interesting for a variety of reasons. First, he could very well be in the new "deluxe" assortment. Meaning weird shipping stuff. As in stores could order too many cases of the assortment (i.e., Probe Droid) or not enough (Vader Gunner Station for quite a while). So regardless of demand, the chance that he'll be shipping in a new assortment is going to make a BIG impact on the figure's demand. If he's too expensive, people will pass. If he's packed too highly, people will pass. Unless the demand of the assortment is underestimated, which could very well happen.

As far as legitimate fan interest is concerned, many fans truly do want this giant alien which happens to look like some sort of vegetable. Even though I've had the original for quite some time now, I've had him displayed on my wall for over a decade and when I look at it, I'm still impressed by how nifty he looks. A new one would be hard pressed to suck. So that's one point.

He's one of the final vintage figures from the original line that has yet to be rereleased in POTF2/POTJ. A lot of people want to see all the originals made in new versions, and even though I rip on Madine and the Dignitary, it would be nice to have a "new" version of every original figure. (That list: Amanaman, B-Wing Pilot [human], Bespin Guard [black], Chief Chirpa, Cloud Car Pilot, Death Star Droid [silver], FX-7, General Madine, Imperial Dignitary, Klaatu, Logray, Lumat, Paploo, Rebel Commander [technically], Romba, Teebo, Warok)

So there's two points going for it. #3: it's a distinctive looking, big, ugly alien. Meaning I'll be buying them to give out to people as gifts come birthdays or other holidays, kids will go "cool, an alien!", and non-vintage collectors will probably be interested as it looks different than the hundreds of figures they've already bought. Porkins, on the other hand, looks almost just like a half dozen figures on the market.

So as compared to Porkins, he should fare slightly better. But if the deluxe assortment is too pricey, well, that'll hurt the entire assortment regardless of how cool the figures may be.

6
Now that it's offical that Hasbro will do the Bacha Tank w/ Luke. Do you think there is a possablity that we will see an FX-7 figure produced in the near future?
  -Michael

My answer to all "will this figure come out" question for two weeks will be: "Wait until Toy Fair."

That should give a clearer picture for upcoming toys.

7
Hi Adam, i'm a spanish SW fan. I would like to ask if you know about future updates to the Riddell helmets collection. I'd like that they'd feature the helmet which wear the rebel soldiers at the Tantive IV, i LOVE those huge helmets, they just ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  -Elektro

As great as they are, the line is long gone-- there will be no releases beyond the initial five.

8
Hey, another question in the dozens I am sure you get about Wizards of the Coast Star Wars Fan Club....

Where can I order from the Fan Club online? www.mosespa.com does not work anymore.
  -The Time Traveling Viking Robots

The URL in ish #51 of the Star Wars Insider is as follows...

store.wizards.com/jawa

Not much there... Oola and some high priced CommTech guys.

9
Hey Adam, do you know why Hasbro added articulation to the newer figs (Ep 1 and later)? I have this thing about toys, I want them all to be made the same. I hate getting a Luke in 1998, then getting a Darth Maul in 2000 and standing them together. They just look off, kinda like because there from different planets, they have different body structers.
  -rammstein

Well, it's called evolution. And it's best explained by... a historic example.

1978: the first Star Wars figures hit shelves. Three of them include Lightsabers that "magically" disappear into the arm, despite having a little bit sticking out of the arm. R2-D2 looks... ridiculous. (It does, it just does.)

1985: Power of of the Force released. The very first Luke is shamed by the Lukes that would follow, with Jedi Luke and Battle Poncho Luke upping the ante on sculpt and overall appearance (i.e., no lightsaber "hole".) The only characters NOT to see significant improvements are R2-D2 and C-3PO, but at least C-3PO was adequate to start with.

So in almost any long-running toy line, there's going to be improved sculpts and features. Some people enjoy seeing figures improve over time, others should be locked in a basement with no food and water with rats as their only contact with life. (Just kidding about that last part. I'd allow some mice, too.)

So my advice: if you don't like putting a figure from one movie series and one from (more or less) another, don't display them as a group.

10
I have been a loyal reader for over a year now & have only now decided to write. Why?, almost everything has been asked & thoroughly answered. Keep up the great work!

I want to know 3 basic & simple things:

1. Why does it not seem as if Lucas's people or even himself seem to not have much of a concern or presence about the way Hasbro has conducted their production and/or marketing? Lets face it..... interest between movies is primarily carried by the additions of new figures (NOT resculps); one would think that Lucas's team would pay more attention to what is maintaining or ruining the Star Wars interest level.

2. Seriously, why is it that at the very least Hasbro has yet to finish producing the remaining 6-10 figures from the '77-'86 era?

3. I am interested in your thoughts.....If I could have it my way, I would like every character to be eventually transformed into plastic. As a collector in the purist form of the word, a Star Wars collection would be truly disappointing without the opportunity to have at least 95% made. I would even venture to say that many more than you think would buy, even a Dannik! Its the characters even more so than vehicles, playsets, & accessories that really make Star Wars live on, think about it. Oh, Yeah...one last thing........bring back the cinema scenes to provide true Star Wars enthusiasts with the more obscure & minor figures that even I would pay double for!
  -Adam

1. Most figures seem to be selling pretty well overall. POTJ is being advertised in print, frequently. (Dark Horse Comics, SW Insider, toy mags, etc.) They're reaching their adult audiences, and frankly, I think they know that's who carries the line through the thin times, like now. I agree, there's next to no real promotion on kiddie TV, but hey, it's not my job.

2. Because POTF2/POTJ is a separate entity. When Kenner/Hasbro/LucasFilm said "hey, let's make more figures," their decision was to make an entirely new line. At no time did they say "we should remake all the originals, then maybe do some new ones." I have few doubts that we'll see most of the originals remade (except Ewoks, which I want to see), but keep in mind that Episode 3 is still years away, and there's a lot of time to fill with existing characters.

3. I agree, I'd buy any minor character they throw at me. But Dannik Jeriko sucks, and Cinemascenes in practice also suck. Disagree? Case study:

EPISODE ONE: Three Cinema scenes are made. Two of the three are comprised exclusively of figures that are available elsewhere. The third has one resculpt and two new characters. So it's good.

POTF2 [1999]: Four scenes are released. Two have new and new-to-POTF2 figures, one is a repaint box (granted, I like the Jedi Spirits, but they weren't new characters), and the last one had one remake and two all-new figures, never seen ANYWHERE before this set. So in 1999, they were great. These were also the sets that were all around on clearance.

POTF2 [1997-1999]: Death Star Escape: no new characters. Cantina Showdown: one new character which many die-hard fans would like to see resulpted, along with a pegwarmer and a so-so sculpt of a core character. Final Jedi Duel: three available characters, but everybody liked it for the most part because it turned out so durn well. Purchase of the Droids: mixed reviews, and the only set I've ever seen inspire laughter from non-collectors... but it had one never-before-made figure. Jabba's Dancers... three new figures, no complaints. Mynock Hunt... no new figures, but one of them was just so fantastic that it's a shame people can't get it.

Overall, while collectors seem to like them, I'd say there was more wrong than right with these three-packs. Sure, some were cool, and they got more attention than a lot of other product, but I don't think it's the way to go to do the minor guys. I agree, I want characters and lots of them, but not if I'm going to be force fed one or two other figures I may already have just to get a new guy. (Example: I want Wuher. I don't want Wuher, a new Luke, and a new C-3PO.)

You say you would pay double. You are a fool. (Well, not really a fool, but I've got a point.) I don't want to pay more for these figures. Think about it: we've gotten nearly 300 figures in the past five or six years including the prequels, pack-ins, and everything else. If you have a complete set, you've probably paid at least $1800. I don't need to be paying more, and neither does anyone else.

Although I do think Cinemascenes are not without merit. Nothing would be cooler for an Episode 2 preview toy, and there are scenes that would make a great set. But does the market want them? That's the question for the ages. Or pundits. Or retaillers, since Toys "R" Us has almost as much to do with what gets cancelled as sales among all the retaillers.

FIN
Apparently I'm not making myself clear on how the off-topic aspect of Q&A works.

A lot of people are sending in He-Man and Simpsons news to Rebelscum and wondering why it won't be posted. Rebelscum is a wholly Star Wars (and, to an extent, LucasFilm) toy web site. Sometimes it includes non-toy stuff, but thing is, our intent is for the site to be primarily Star Wars.

Q&A (which is short for Questions & Adam) is my column where I'm more or less given free reign, and while I typically keep it 90%+ Star Wars, I'll go off-topic if there's an important question (or six) and there aren't many Star Wars questions I'm just dying to answer.

In other words...

Weird, off-beat, and random toy news will be posted to my site, 16bit.com. (But probably not He-Man.) (We did just update our checklists with the recently released Series III Simpsons figures and playsets, and we'll be updating our archives this week with the playsets.)

That said, more Q&A on Wednesday.

1
I just saw the pictures posted on your web site of aurra sing. What the heck were they thinking with her arms?
  -greg

There's some sort of ball joints on her shoulders, so she's not as ridiculous as one might think. But that is one funky pose to use to sell a figure in the package...

2
Hey, I am in desperate need of an answer. Can you explain to me the differences between the VHS (and the laser disc) version of A New Hope and the theater version? I need an answer to this because I have a trivia question that says you can only find the answer in the theater version of ANH. If you must know, the question is this: "There is a hint in Episode 4 about the disappearance of Jedi. Unfortunately you cannot see it on VHS or laserdisc, you can only see it on the big screen."

Any clue??
  -SunCrusher

Does anybody have a clue what he means by this?

3
Sorry if this has been asked of you before, but I wish to remove the batteries from my electronic 12" figures while trying not to violate their "mintness" too much. Can you tell me where the battery slots are located on the various figures (Vader, the Emperor, the droids etc) and the possibility of removing the batteries without removing the figures from their backing cards?
  -Obi-John

Not unless there's some sort of battery disintegration device I've yet to be made aware of. If you keep them in a cool dry place, that'll probably slow the problems, but more than likely something, somewhere, will start to corrode at some point.

(Toy companies, if you're reading, we really don't mind if you drop "try me" packaging.)

4
Okay...We've finally got Amanaman. Which is going to be one big hunk o' plastic. We also have Graxxol Kelvynn, which is another one. So where's Hermi Odle? Now he would make a cool addition for the Jabba's Palace diorama-rama.
  -Mike

Indeed he would, and he's one ugly sonova somethingorother. Unfortunately, the demand for him is kinda slim. With Grax, well, Hasbro just gave him to us, and for that, we are thankful. (Well, the six of us that could find the set, anyway.) Amanaman is a weird, distinctive alien, but I'd be lying if I thought most of the demand for this figure stemmed from anything but the fact he was a nifty vintage guy.

Hermi Odle (and my fave Ephant Mon) were both in the (as far as I can tell) completely fabricated cinemascene with Amanaman. Cool, yes. And with the new deluxe assortment and a probable need for exclusives, anything could happen. But-- like I said Monday-- Toy Fair is in the next coupla weeks, so we'll have to see what happens.

5
Adam, I need your help (ala Dr. Laura, ask Dr. Adam?) I recently aquired a POTF2 Green tinted C-3PO. I open nearly all of my figures except for the ocasional cool double I manage to find,(such as the second Swimming Jar Jar I managed to snag) I can't decide if I should open it to display or not because it is not really a double, and I have no intentions of eve selling it or care what it is worth, but it does have the neat Japanese stickers on it. Do you have one? If you do have one, what did you do? Would you open it?
  -JasonC

I've been compared to Rush Limbaugh, "the worst toy reporter ever," and the devil. However, this Dr. Laura comment put me off when I read it yesterday morning.

I, like you, have only one green C-3PO. And since it cost me ten bucks, I decided it should stay on the card mostly because it isn't that interesting a variation, and frankly, I'm worried the finish could get rubbed off and its uniqueness would be shot all to heck.

When it comes to variations, espcially foreign carded stuff, I say leave it in the box. Now, don't get me wrong-- foreign exclusives I'll open. (My Eopie is very happy because of this.) But when a little bit of color is all that separates this from any other opened figure, well, those Japanese stickers (and in some cases, THX booklet) make a compelling argument to just leave it in the package.

Of course-- and this is the most important thing to remember-- it's your collection. As such, you should do what makes you happy and fits your collection the best. For instance, if you display variations outta-the-box next to other variations, the choice is clear. If you just want to examine it, that's entirely up to you. But whatever you do, do what you want to do-- after all, it's your toy.

6
I guess I just wanted to hear you opinion on something I recently discussed with a friend:

We (collectors) all gripe about the amount of resculpts and abundance of core characters, but my friend saw this scene in TRU the other day:

Kid and Mom are looking at SW figures. All that's on the rack are CT Vaders, CT Luke and CT Solo. The mom keeps showing the kid the CT Luke, but he keeps refusing because "I want one with a lightsaber!". Of course Mom looks through every figure to no avail.

So, the kid's bummed that he can only get a toy of Luke with a toy. All he wants is a darned lightsaber. What good is Luke without his saber?

If Hasbro's going to continue to make resculpts based on the assumption that they're for the kids, they should at least try to give the kids what they want...
  -Dylan

All very good points. I've mentioned to Hasbro that I thought it was weird they would pack an alleged kiddie favorite like Swamp Jar Jar at one per case, which dooms it to being a collector figure regardless of our opinions on the character. Basically, I guess the only thing that's safe to say is that Hasbro has yet to determine who their market is, be it us, the young 'uns, or some combination of the two. I think we may see a lot of CommTech Vaders in the bins now that they're showing up (and sitting in my neck of the woods) for that reason. No lightsaber? What good is that?

Of course, there are cheap accessories via other figures and the board game's gun pack, but let's face it, Luke needs a lightsaber.

7
I was wondering if you need to be a member of the Star Wars Fan Club, (i.e. subscribe to the Star Wars Insider), to be able to purchase "exclusive" items they have to offer, or can you just buy the magazine off the newsstand, or go online, and order the desired item?
  -Harry

I remember them making a big deal about the Cantina Band Member when it was time to pre-order, but anybody could order anything after that one. It's unknown if any changes are in store with the new management.

8
I read with interest your speculation about how well the Amanaman figure will sell. Your appraisal seems tentatively optimistic; but speculation about how it might fare as a deluxe figure is difficult, given that we don't know what the pricing of the line will be. Nevertheless, would you give Amanaman better odds if the figure were packed with a second one? Maybe something like Bubo the frogdog would enhance the product's appeal and provide a reasonable value-to-price ratio...
  -The Night Phantom

Funny you should mention that, as I've discussed the topic with a few people.

I think an added figure like Bubo, Rappertunie, even a Jawa with a fan or a new Salacious Crumb would be icing on whatever kind of Amanaman cake they'll be selling us. Plus it'd give them a chance to show their stuff on little figures we might not otherwise be given the chance to see. I'm all for it, and while I don't think it'd make Amanaman a better and more desirable figure... well, wait a minute. Who wouldn't buy it for Salacious Crumb? Heck, as a kid I asked for the entire Jabba set just for Crumb. (After writing/begging Kenner to sell me one separately. I was young and stupid, sue me.) It might be just what the doctor ordered. And by doctor, I mean goofy fan with too much time to think. (And by goofy fan with too much time to think, I mean me.)

9
The other day I was rumaging through my figures reminising about the day I got this figure and how happy I was, only for it to be sent off to the figure box never to see the light off day again. Anyways, can you seriously tell me what is different about the R2-D2 Naboo Escape from all the other R2's. There's no cool holo chic, no third wheel, no crazy attachments. It's. . .just an . . .R2!
  -Boba

Eh? Naboo Escape R2 is the one with the wheels and the third leg. And a really spiffy sculpt.

10
At the end of your friday column, I noticed a very interesting statement: " Does anybody know if those Red Dwarf figures ever came out in the U.K.?" Are there actually Red Dwarf figures planned finally?

Oh, and to make this a legitimate Star Wars toys question: Why is there no Darth Vader in that Millenium Coin Collection and no Han in the Flashback series?
  -Martinez

On Red Dwarf, a few websites showed prototypes of toys last year from the UK Toy Fair. I have yet to find out if they were actually produced, but it looks like no.

And for #2, "because." Vader was an oddball omission, but with Han, well, there was a long period of no new Han figures. For instance, there were no regular carded Han figures from Bespin Han (late Summer 1997) to CommTech Han (early Fall 1999).

FIN
Another frequently-asked-question here is "Why don't you send a reply to every question you get?" The answer is because, well, if I did I'd probably be writing a lot of questions about clearances again and again. And frankly, my hands aren't up to it. (I need them for some hardcore Gradius action, yo.)

A lot of people are asking about the authenticity of the new POTJ list (Snowbi-Wan Kenobi???) and how they'll look. Well, nowadays if I've seen it, that means it's on the web somewhere. And I've not seen most of these guys, but I can vouch for the authenticity of many-- not all-- of them. And as I've said before, Toy Fair starts a week from Sunday. And a coupla guys from Rebelscum-- not me, because there's probably some restraining order which nobody told me about yet-- are going to report on the whole thing. Well, the Star Wars chunk, anyway. So be here then for images and news. ("Here" is "the main page" by the way.)

More Friday. LOTS more Friday. You guys sent in some great questions this week!

Questions for February 2, 2001

1
Adam, It seems that it looks like Hasbro has sculpted a accurate Imperial blaster rifle for the Bespin escape Leia. How can collectors like myself go about obtaining them to outfit our troops? I need about 80 of them just for my various types of Stormtroopers. Please don't say buy 80 Leias. I'd pay up to 25 cents for them, knowing the fan club they would charge $2.00 each. What can we do to get parts like this?
  -Glenn

While Kenner did make some weapons available to fans in the old days, that was then and this is now. I want extra double-handled stormtrooper guns for my Han Stormtroopers.

So you'll probably be buying a whole mess of Leias.

2
I read your reviews of the Simpsons figs on 16bit.com. I noticed you went on and on about the accessories included with them. It inspired me to look around at some of the other figures on my next toy hunt. Well I'll be darned, those other guys come with a ton of accessories too. X-men all get a real neat accessory, Chicken Run figures (although on clearance) come with a whole slough of them... what's the deal? Not to turn this into a whole "Why are Star Wars Toy's So Expensive" question, but these toys are all cheaper that Star Wars ones. Why not drop the Force Files or other pack in's in favor of a load of accessories. Flashback Yoda's the only one I can think of with a healthy number of goodies. Geez you could package Luke with a saber, blaster, floppy hat, remote trainer.... the list goes on and on. What are we talking 5 cents worth of plastic?

Also, what are the odds of getting Jabba's Palace Drummer 2-pack (with big freakin' drum of course?) The new deluxe line seems the perfect home for it. Maybe even throw in a Rappertunie.
  -Steven

Playmates has always been kinda generous with accessories, be it Ninja Turtles, Barnyard Commandos, Star Trek, or Earthworm Jim. I think it has to do with the way the company works... Playmates is usually good when it comes to making figures that should be played with, and Toy Biz ain't bad either.

Believe it or not, Hasbro is as well. Sometimes. GI Joe has been generously outfitted in the past, but with Star Wars (especially Power of the Jedi) they're one miserly company. No gun with Porkins, only *one* gun with IG-88 (when he should have two)... and look at CommTech. No lightsaber on Luke or Vader, the (arguably) wrong gun on the Stormtrooper, and the asinine decision to include a gun *rack* ("I do not have a gun, let alone many guns to necessitate an entire rack") leaves many fans wondering... well, that's not a suitable phrase for such a family-oriented column.

Since day 1 of POTF2, Hasbro included at least some accessory with an action-oriented figure. Remember the unusual rifles with Chewbacca, Luke, Han Solo, and the magnificent TIE Fighter Pilot rifle of imminent doom? Well, a lot of fans complained. And it seems Hasbro may have listened, dropping the bulk of non-film accessories and in many cases, only packing accessories with figures that more or less require it for whatever "scene" it's representing.

Unfortunately, this means we'll be getting Lukes and Vaders without lightsabers, Chewies without bowcasters, and completely unarmed figures. Personally, I'd like to see some little pistol with Mas Amedda just because, but that's me. It probably has something to do with getting us interested in resculpts.

I'd say odds aren't bad, but not good either. Special Edition Fever ended shortly after the arrival of the first batch of Beast Assortment guys and the Jabba's Dancers, and while I would say they're necessary to finishing the scene, I wouldn't expect to see them anytime soon.

3
I just saw the new line of 12" figures....DD droid, Trooper Han, And the the DD offoicer. Whats with the friggin heads man? They look like bad saturday morning cartoon characters. I've always wanted one of those oversize helmeted DD officer guys but seein the photo was a real pisser. Marmit Marmit Marmit....we need more and we need them now!!!! Do you know if they will make Marmit vader? Heres a Marmit wish list......Imperial Gunner, Snowtrooper, Biker Scout, AT-AT Driver, And Zuckuss. MAKE THEM.....MAKE THEM NOW!!!!!!!
  -Matt

Some would say if a thing's worth doing, it's worth doing right. Hasbro's Rhode Island division (New Ventures, Kid Dimension, Hasbro Direct, etc.) is their LC or letter of credit division. (For the uninitiated, a letter of credit is something that tells retaillers that the second-rate toys they're about to buy won't be supported by any advertising and they usually need to pick them up in Asia or whereever.)

I'm genuinely surprised they're reusing chunks of that first 12" C-3PO yet again before... well, any other character. Han looks pretty rotten, and the Death Star Trooper... ugh. The 12" line needs a shot in the arm. Or in the head. Either way.

A 12" Marmit Vader is supposedly in development, but no pictures have surfaced. Other than of a fake one.

4
Dear Adam; What's up with the next SW 12" wave? The folks at Hasbro Consumer Affairs ( 1-800-255-5516 ) say they have SEVEN 12" figs. scheduled to ship in April; Han(Stormtrooper), Death Star Trooper, Death Star Droid, Gamorrean Guard, Oola w. Salacious Crumb, Lando(Skiff Guard) & Weequay! This is impossible! Hasbro would NEVER release this many at once! What's goin' on? I'd appreciate your investigation & feedback on this.
  -Mark

Unknown. While all of those figures were listed in the upcoming assortment at one point or another, the buzz I'm hearing is that we won't be seeing most of them, ever. I can say, though, that only three figures will be in the next assortment.

5
There are a few figures that I currently don't have and I don't know if I should spend the time/money to get them. I was wondering if you could give me your opinion of the following?:

1. Vintage Yak Face (he's the only one missing from my vintage collection)
2. Masters of the Dark Side 2-pack with Vader & Maul
3. Any of the Power FX figures

Thanks!
  -RSS

Yak was also the last figure I needed, and he's a nice figure. Good sculpt, nicely painted, and worth it even as "the last figure." Heck, if I only need one figure to complete a set, regardless of the quality, I'll usually just buy it anyway. (Eventually.)

The two-pack is neat. Vader's pretty cool, and Maul's got shoulder joints like the Spacetrooper and CommTech Stormtrooper. It's worth getting if the price is right.

The Power FX guys... well... if you like how they look, get them. I'd give a high reccomendation on R2-D2 (light AND sound AND magnets) and a moderate one on the others.

6
What is the big deal about this stupid Aurra sing character?
I mean she was in Episode 1 for at least 3 seconds? In Jabbas Palace you see some Aqualish guy for like 10 and they don't make some huge deal out of him? Whats the point of aurra sing?
  -paul

Like Boba Fett in days of old, she's said to have a role of importance in the sequel and she's a visually distinctive bounty hunter. And more importantly, she's a she. (Not many chicks on the SW aisles. I mean that in all possible ways.)

She just looks neat, and that's worth a lot. We've got Aqualish, we've got Weequay, we're getting Tessek... it's a nice piece of variety.

7
I think I read somewhere on the web that Hasbro said they'd cut back on toys with Episode II because of how Episode I sold. Well, I think they went over board with Episode I which scared the various vendors into not buying so much of the later shipments. So, do you think Hasbro will cut back production so far that it will be hard to find the toys (like the Jar Jar swimming cases, etc.) or will they make adequate amounts but the vendors will still be hesitant in selling them making it hard to find them?
  -Michael

There were fewer ESB items back in the day (heck, today), so I would say we'd see some sort of reduction in product just because of history and the obscenity of Epside One's selection.

Retaillers know that fans will go nuts for new toys for at least a few weeks, so there will be stuff out there. Power of the Jedi continues to trickle out, albiet slowly, so I wouldn't worry too much about another round of hard-to-find figures at the end.

8
Wasn't the Naboo Escape R2-D2 figure supposed to have a "name reveal" feature similar to the Commtech Stormtrooper's battle damage?
  -Tom

According to some fabricated rumors, sure.

9
I just bought the Mon Calimari Officer and I noticed something interesting: his tennis shoes. How does a Mon Calimari, with their webbed fingers, manage to tie the laces?
  -Steven

Self-tying boots. Mon Calamari are deathly afraid of velcro and similar alternatives.

10
12" Death Star Droid? What a waist. I won't buy the Han stormtrooper either since I have one in the KB 2-pack. If Hasbro wants my money they've got to give me something. Hammerhead, Dengar, Zuckas, Endor Luke, Endor Leia, Lando Skiff, Weequay, Barada all come to mind. I'd buy those. But not a death Star Droid. What's that for? So I can reenact the pivitol scene when Luke, Han and Chewie get in the elevator? Get real.
  -Scott

The Hasbro 12" line is notorious for reusing existing molds. The entire 1998 open-stock line (save for two figures) was from other exclusives, R2-D2... well, all R2s seem derived from a single sculpt, that C-3PO body's been used on three C-3POs, TC-14, and parts of it on the Death Star Droid (it seems) and 4-LOM... it's sick.

But it's the nature of getting out product quickly and cheaply. Old molds, repaints, and repackaged figures... and lots of them. The incessant rehashing, exclusives, and all-around odd choices of characters turned me off of the line, but hey, some people love it and prefer it over the others. They do some really great stuff... but it's far and few between the latest new, unimproved Chewbaccas and Mauls. At least these figures are easy to customize via supersoldier and Dragon bodies...

Of course, who knows what the future holds? With the interest in the 12" scale from kids, Hasbro would be almost foolish not to aim 12" Star Wars at the kiddies. But then again...

FIN
Another week, another weekend. This weekend will probably not have much new to offer, but next weekend starts Toy Fair '01. (Toy Fare is a magazine. Nobody understands the difference.)

Be back Monday, same bat-time, same bat-URL.