Wheeeeeeeeee
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Assuming you agree with the idea, what do you think might be the best way to bring a live-action Darth Maul story to the small screen (i.e. televison) : a featurette (i.e. 60 minutes) that could possibly be included on TPM DVD as a bonus extra or a FOX Television Network movie? Seeing as how well both the comic and the Shadowhunter book have done, there seems to be some evidence for this character's persistent appeal. Of course, this isn't a mandate for Lucasfilm to even consider this, but then again, why not? -Gus
The marriage of Star Wars and Television is-- if you ask me-- cursed. Granted, the curse can be broken. But so far, I have yet to see much of anything that has made me want to see a Star Wars for the small screen again. (Well, that's not entirely true. More episodes of Droids would be quite nice.)
While a Star Wars TV special featuring original SW fiction would be nice... well, to be honest, I don't think Maul is the way to go, and to be even more honest, I think there's next to no chance of it happening until after Episode III. Sure, there's interest. Sure, there's a good reason to do it-- to promote Episode II. But are there resources? And is there a compelling story to tell? (And after FOX's Dr. Who movie, do we REALLY know what we're asking for?)
2 Howdy, Adam! I was wondering about Alec Guinness and his aversion to all things Star Wars. Do you know when, if ever, he stopped signing autographs for Star Wars fans? There was a poster for sale in an autograph shop in Hollywood that purported to have Sir Alec Guinness' autograph on it, but it was a 1995 reprint of the Empire advance 1-sheet. Were they full of crap or what? Thanks! -Joe
Unless they can provide you with proof-- and I mean real proof, not a "Certificate of Authenticity" or something easily faked-- I'd be wary.
I'm not sure exactly when he stopped signing, but I know he did at some point. Since I don't know the store, haven't seen the autograph, and cannot vouch for any flights of fancy from Alec Guiness temporarily changing his mind, I cannot tell you if it's real or not. But if you're lacking a gut feeling and would like one, I'd advise against adding a piece like that to your collection unless you're certain it is what they say it is.
A local theater had a poster dealer selling his wares around the Special Editions and had a Special Edition poster with Dave Prowse, Mark Hamil, James Earl Jones, Harrison Ford, and a few others... considering some of the autographs didn't even match the real ones I've seen, well, you can guess the loud verbal mockery that continued while I was in the area.
3 What's the deal with Wuher? He's not on the star wars online store anymore. And I've heard rumors he's been discontinued. -nate
The Fan Club has said that Wuher is no longer available.
4
Also -- I've been crafting a diorama of the "final jedi duel" of TPM, and
was hoping you could provide some suggestions for me. Which Final Duel
(Maul/Kenobi/Qui) figures are your personal favorites? If you could, please
mention both a splitting and a non-splitting Maul.
I found Leia and Chewie at a Wal-Mart in Phoenix this weekend (one of four I visited [and one of over a dozen retaillers I've visited searching for Aurra [didn't find her] or the new Classic Spider-Man [him either]). And I gotta say, Chewie's huge... roughly a head taller than previous versions. Leia is tiny. REAL small. If you think she looks small in the picture, you have no idea.
As of today, Hasbro has announced no intent to produce a new Rebel Fleet Trooper. As far as I can tell, there is no definitive "scale" plan in place-- figures can be and often are all over the place. (Odds are we wouldn't notice if there weren't so many resculpts at new and exciting heights.)
I like the Soft Goods figures just because they look the most dynamic with the least amount of visible joints, should one do a diorama. As for Split Maul... well, I like the face paint better on the POTJ carded one.
5 What does the C-scale (C-1, C-10) mean that I see on ebay? -Mitch
The largely arbitrary ratings are assigned on a scale of 1-10. To some people, to get C-10, the figure must be perfect, if it's vintage it must be unpunched, and there must be no visible flaw on the package. Others think a punch is just OK.
There's no assigned ratings, but if it's below 6, odds are it will be in "just open it and put it out of its misery" condition. A loose, mint figure is happier than a carded figure on a trashed package.
6
That's about what the average retailler has to pay per figure, give or take. The discounters (Toys "R" Us, Target, Wal-Mart, K-Mart) generally add $1 per figure on top of that, smaller chains, Kay-Bee, and FAO add a bit more.
7
In the USA, about $19.99. European collectors supposedly were charged $30-$40 at retail for them.
$50's a bit high, but then again, not as high as the original.
8
That's a great idea-- who wouldn't buy a Stormtrooper with tons of armaments, or a Jedi Luke with a cloth cloak, multiple Sabers (on/off), guns, helmets, and so on?
As far as how many, well, one would assume four were up for the next wave. Many names were tossed around, and without Hasbro saying what they would have been (and so far, they haven't) all we have to go on are the price lists. I remember seeing a "Stormtrooper" set, and I think a Hoth set... but everything else is a little fuzzy.
9
I've asked about this in the past, and so far, it doesn't seem like it might happen. Personally, I think it's the ultimate solution-- $10-$20 environments spread over a year or three can make both collectors and kids happy, especially if they combine into something really special.
Right now, getting any playsets would be nice.
10
Not sure. I remember people finding Leia both ways, most likely through an error, so odds are Maul could have very well shipped both ways.
FIN
A while back, I purchased figures of Obi-Wan and Adult Anakin in Spirit Form that were supposedly made as a Japanese exclusive. They are regular 3-3/4" size, but they have no articulation at all. They are both different sculpts from the US cinema scene versions. Do you know where these figures came from (are they really Japanese exclusives?), if there's a Yoda to go with them, and about how many were made? I will send pictures if you need them to identify the figures... -dave
These guys are a source of frequent argument between me and the rest of the civilized world.
Thousands of years ago, in 1997 if I recall correctly, Joe Leung's web site used to post all sorts of neat toys. Star Wars, Batman, Zoids... it was a haven for all things that I like to spend my money on. Before most people even knew this thing existed, he posted it and called it a fan made exclusive. In other words, a custom with a high production run.
Later, someone said they were exclusive to the Japanese Fan Club. Same sculpts and all, but a change of where they came from. So far, I have yet to hear anything but third-party info to verify this. Not a single advertisment, scan of a magazine page, or piece of signage has surfaced to verify this claim. Considering I can get pictures of Takara's new Web Diver toys with next to no problem, I find this more than a little conspicuous.
What these are-- as far as I can tell-- are very limited and sought-after customs. Not as limited as some of the stuff Gary Weaver does, but still, limited as far as toys go. There is a Yoda to go with them, pretty much everything I've ever heard has the trio being sold as a set.
Popular concensus is that these are, in fact, Japanese exclusives. From what I remember hearing and a lack of physical evidence, that doesn't seem to be true.
For the curious: I do not have a set, nor do I know where you can get a set.
2 Hi again. I have a question for you. I got the electronic speeder game with 3 3/4" Maul today and I saw the picture for the Naboo game with Naboo pilot on the back. I remember this thing, but I need to know if it was ever produced? -Curt
It wasn't.
3 Back in the day, Kenner seemed to have alot more promotions and advertisements. What's with Hasbro's marketing philosophy? I haven't seen a commercial in a while nor any type of mail away offer. Do they ever plan to do anything with these "Jedi Points"? Any future surprises? -John
Possibly-- if they're surprises, I sure as heck don't know about them.
Star Wars is not alone in the recent trend in marketing. There used to be Batman, GI Joe, MASK, Star Wars, Predator, [Kenner] Action Masters, Earthworm Jim, Star Trek, and all sorts of offers where someone can redeem *something* for a special figure. Sometimes you had to buy some videos, sometimes a game, usually it was figures. In the past few years, the only mail-in offers I can recall were a gold C-3PO from Action Masters, the Ambush Predator from Aliens vs. Predator, Han Trooper & Spirit Ben... ummm... without going back before 1994, I'm a little sketchy.
*NO COMPANY* has offered much in the way of a mail-in figure with the sole exception of... you guessed it, Hasbro. Mace Windu was the last "send-in-figure-UPCs-and-get-something" offer I can remember hitting the market. McFarlane sells figures via its collector club (Terry Fitzgerald, Flukeman) rather than doing something to redeem for a freebie.
My uneducated, troglodyte guess is that ToyFare has managed to take away the need for the mail-in. The "neat-but-not-neat-enough-for-retail" special figure seems to be available only as a PREVIEWS exclusive or a ToyFare mail-in these days. Figures like the upcoming Pin Pal Mr. Burns (coming in ToyFare #46, start savin' those nickels) would be perfect mail-away fodder. But well, you know where they're going. Given how many collectors are loath to open figures to get the UPCs these days (a number which seems to be shrinking [placing me in a majority again {dammit}]), selling the "free" figure makes a whole lot of sense.
And yes, there are no plans for Jedi Points in North America. So I don't have to answer that question for another week. (Fair warning: it is no longer cute to respond to "I'm not gonna answer X" statements with "Tee-hee, X! X!!! X, X, X, X!!! Just kidding. ;)" I'm serious. The joke is over, it's not even the slightest bit amusing when you've heard it 100 times in the course of a week.)
4
I'm terribly sorry my message at the top of this column wasn't clear. What it says is "Please note that Rebelscum Q&A will not answers regarding the secondary market value of your collection."
What I meant it to say is "Bo, please write Adam and ask about the prices of your stuff. You're special, so special, and deserve special treatment despite what the friendly graphic at the top of the column says. Can I loan you some money? My car? My all-knowing Computer Tiki? And if you need to know the price on something, hey, that's why I'm here. After all, I'm here doing this column for free so I can help you, the oh-so-special Bo, make some money while I continue to whine about not being able to find work on a regular basis."
(Times like this I'm frustrated my vocabulary for this column is more or less limited to that of NBC's 8 p.m. weeknight time slot. Sheesh.)
5 I overheard two guys at Electronics Boutique talking about a Star Wars computer game(I am guessing it takes place after Episode 1) and one of them said that Darth Maul was not dead. One of them said that in the game you can fight hidden characters and one of them is Half-A-Darth Maul as he walks around on spider like legs. He was explaining that he moves around really fast and he has his (half) single "Red" Bladed lightsaber. Is there any truth to this? If so, can you tell me what game this is from? -Dave S.
Sounds like either your leg is being pulled, someone made a really neat Quake-mod, or they have information which has completely slipped under the ol' Adam Radar. I'm gonna go with the first of the three choices.
Now, I don't mean this to be rude, and I'm many game store employees are great, great people. There are also some genuine blithering idiots who think they know about games. The people that insisted a 2D CastleVania was a launch title for the Dreamcast. The people that swear Square is making games for.... Dreamcast. The people that really believed that the PS2 launch library would be good. There are responsible employees. And there are those shouting the praises of the X-Box and its software library, making up all sorts of interesting things about games that, at the time (and at this time) were never confirmed.
Toys "R" Us and Wal-Mart employees are getting to be pretty knowledgable in toy collecting in my recent trips. However for video game news, I'll stick to the internet, where there are thousands of gamers on usenet who will jump down the throats of a website that posts inaccurate news.
6
I think it's a neat idea. Much better than making two barely-different figures.
7
"Couple" is "two."
The beast assortment was cancelled. The Deluxe Figures are something new.
There will be ships and vehicles. And you'll be quite pleased. Just be patient.
If it's in the archives packaged, that means it was made in some quantity. If it was one of the AF toys shown at San Diego Comic Con last year, then no, it's gone, and you'll probably never see it in stores.
Heck if I know.
8
When it comes to polls, that's Mark's game.
A word of advice: in the world, when given the chance to vote, vote for what *you want.* Not for what you think you should vote for because something else is "so obviously going to be made." Remember the Duro/Amanaman thing? The second poll was apparently the last chance for the figure to happen since we said "no, I want this instead" last time.
Rebelscum polls aren't binding. Or scientific. It's just a survey, kinda neat, and passed along to the big H. Odds are the Jedi Council figures and Pod Racers will continue to be requested by fans until Hasbro gets the lead out and makes more of them. Frankly, I'm a little surprised we've gotten what, three pod racers? Ody, three Sebulbas, Anakin... kinda pathetic.
The Jedi Council seems to be progressing nicely. 2 Maces, Adi Gallia, Ki-Adi Mundi, Plo Koon, Saesae Tinn, and Yoda are out so far-- that's half. Not bad. Yarael seems like a good choice to do sometime soon, Yaddle's absence surprises me, and the rest... I think they'll happen. Back in the day-- you remember "the day"-- the Bounty Hunters took a while to come out. Boba Fett hit in 1979. And then a few appeared each year until the final two, 4-LOM and Zuckuss, appeared in 1982. Considering the less constricted focus of the line these days, not limiting new figures to the current film, I think our chances are good for getting the rest of the Council.
Now-- what was your question? Classic. Right. We probably will, but sad fact is, there's very little left in classic that fans can actively get behind and agree that they want. Actually, I take that back. There is nothing fandom at large will say they want anymore. I think the only thing they would agree on is a regular release of the remaining "unmade" figures until the vintage line has been completely POTF2-ed. Or POTJ-ed. More Ewoks seem necessary, and while Madine and the Dignitary are boring old farts (no offense to the boring old farts reading this column, you rock) I would like to see them if for no reason other than to never, ever hear anyone ask the question "Why, oh why, has Hasbro not made the obvious choice to remake the entire vintage line yet?"
But seriously, are there ANY figures that people really want to see? We've got the Bespin Escape Leia, and Bacta Luke's on the way. We're getting Amanaman. If Yak's lists were right, we could end up with FX-7 this year. I'd like to see a new R5-D4 (and I know there's a few people who would agree with me [Carl, I'm looking at you here]) and the original "Death Star Droid"-- the silver one on the sandcrawler. But those are basically remakes of POTF2 figures, so well, hunh. I honestly cannot think of a single character I've heard fans want to see. We got Wuher, the new Fett, Porkins, Duro's coming, Amanaman's coming, Bespin Escape Leia we got, new Lando's coming, new Bespin Guard's coming... the more I look at the Hasbro/Kenner Star Wars range, the more I like it. Other than the whole availability thing, they've been great about giving us the characters we want. A three pack of scantily clad alien dancers? A really pale chick with an antenna on her head? A fat guy in an orange suit? Not one, but *two* slave girls? White guys in identical grey suits? A Vader whose head you can actually *snap off*? This is some amazing stuff here, folks. HUNDREDS of figures, many of which were made to please collectors, have been thrown our way since 1995. And I think short of remaking some Lukes (c'mon, you all want an "Ultimate Jedi Luke" as much as I do) or producing every character no matter how minor, POTF2 has had a great run. It's the sci-fi toy line. The vintage line was good... Playmates' Trek line had some nifty figures... but no toy line, and I mean no toy line has managed to crank out as many good (yes, good) figures as the current Star Wars range. They gave us what we want, so all we have left is to want more. Which, I guess, is good for business.
9
(Remember folks, Adam *likes* EU because he's nuts and actually reads all of the comics and a few of the novels and thinks the idea of a new figure based on some random wookiee is a good idea.)
The new Qui-Gon appears in a suit very similar to early concept designs for the Jedi uniforms for Episode One.
"Crusader" Maul, the deluxe one, and good God, I can't believe they're doing this, is from the Darth Maul comic series in which he appears without a shirt. As a concept, I utterly despise the figure. Considering it'll not only be more expensive, but based on what I feel is a pretty lame idea, it might very well be a nicely sculpted figure. And they might be able to do it.
Maul in the armor is based on the "art of" concepts for Maul. I say "based on" because it takes elements from the original sketches and the final design of the character. Which I think is kinda neat.
Obi-Wan in the snow stuff is based on a comic book that got axed, but the figure was far enough along in production to keep it going.
A "training" Obi-Wan was in production and appears to have been axed.
10
There's a few Lego stores in the USA. I know I've heard of one in the Mall of America and a few others... umm... check your yeller pages?
FIN |
