Q&A Megathon III: Prices Will Never Be This Low Again
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1 Hey, what is the deal with this new Duros figure? How many Duros were in the cantina? I thought there were just the two, Bringe and Probos, Imperial Scouts and tract mates from the Duro Star System. I got that from the Star Wars Screen Entertainment. I know Decipher named one Ellors Madak though. What's his story? Are there any more? Thanks. =) -Curt
There were at least two Duros in the Cantina. If I recall, the toy is based on Ellors Madak. No Baniss Keeg just yet... or probably ever. (So buy two and pretend.)
Star Wars Screen Entertainment-- if I recall, I haven't had it installed on the a computer for at least three years-- got a lot of its info from the Expanded Universe offerings of the time. Role-playing games, comics, that sort of thing. I think most people go by "Duro #1" and "Duro #2", but those that don't typically go by Decipher's naming system. There's multiple stories for the characters, so feel free to pick your favorite and be sure to add in a reference to the Bionic Six. (See how easy it is?)
Basically-- and this'll frustrate some of you-- there's a lot of spots in the continuity which are blurry. When things like this pop up, well, there ya go. Which brings up the question of "well, what's in the official continuity and what isn't?"
In a nutshell, the only people that set the continuity are the fans and the writers. (Obvious, no?) The main writer-- The Great Flanneled One-- has decreed that the only official continuity is whatever the final version is of his films. At one point, it also included the radio dramas and novelizations, but this is no longer the case. Since I've got some time to waste-- yours (tee-hee)-- I've gots examples, yo.
The Original Star Wars: A New Hope: In the original novelization of Star Wars, there's some earthy references. The one that always seems to get the groan is "What's a duck?" from Luke to Obi-Wan. The radio drama also included numerous scenes that were either never filmed or never shown, and anyone who's seen the Special Edition of the film probably remembers the added Biggs scene near the end.
The Empire Strikes Back: Well, nothing comes to mind. The added stuff in the special edition and the comics didn't really change anything in terms of the overall story... just a little detail here or a dead Wampa there. A cut scene/promo shot has Luke firing a cannon in Echo Base, presumably at a Wampa... um... yeah. So pretty much what you see is what you get.
Return Of The Jedi: Lots and lots of goodies here. The novelization says Owen and Obi-Wan are brothers. The radio dramas make numerous references to Shadows of the Empire, a novel between ESB and ROJ which is sometimes considered part of the continuity... and sometimes not. (Now, not.) The comics... well, not much to speak of in the comics. But the novelization of ROJ has at least one giant continuity item. While originally more or less a throwaway line, the fact that Owen will appear in Episode II means that this will probably be dealt with. Unfortunately, if there isn't a line that comes right out and says they are or they aren't, this is going to be something debated for years after the final film. (One or two, until the interested parties get bored with Star Wars and move to Babylon 5, which will then be retro-hip.)
Now, why mention the Anakin/Obi-Wan thing? Simple. If it isn't directly-- and I mean Obi-Wan saying "It's nice to see you again, brother" or "Who are you, he who has half of the Far Side's author's last name?"-- for all intents and purposes, the outer continuity remains undisturbed. Some might have stories written that deal with it one way, and some might have it written another. But since it-- hypothetically-- hasn't appeared on film, then what?
And because of this nature of fandom, your blue headed goons in the bar can be whatever you want. There's young adult continuities, Marvel comic continuities, the daily comic strips, those 3D comics nobody talks about, Dark Horse's stuff (which I love 99 out of 100 times), and, of course, off-the-wall stuff like the Star Wars Tales comic which has stories that can be (and often are) better than stuff I've seen elsewhere in years. And they're meant to be outside the continuity.
So, true beliver, forge your own storyline. Just don't include fanfic.
2 What are your thoughts on custom figures? Do you like/dislike them? Have you ever tried your hand at creating any? Do you own any that you have purchased? And, what do you think of people buying/selling them? And what about custom packaging?? -dave
I've always seen custom figures as a sort of pop art. This, of course, is if they're good. There's also a lot of lousy figures out there.
As pop art, folk art, or whatever you want to call it, I think selling them should be no real problem. If it's stuff Hasbro won't make and it's very well made and clearly labeled a custom when being sold, hey, great. If it's a third-rate custom of something coming out... well, that kinda stinks. If it's being passed off as a prototype or some advance special, then we have a problem.
Custom packaging? Well, same deal. Make sure people know what they're buying and I'm fine with it. I don't own many, and I've only made one, but hey, they're neat. It's a sign of an interested fanbase, and this sort of thing should be supported.
3 When should we expect to see some prototypes for Episode 2 figures? I don't mean life-size RealScans, but 3 3/4" versions. -NATUREB116
Our friends at Hasbro told us last week that we can expect to see regular release E2 toys on the same timetable as last time-- in other words, early May '02 for in-store releases.
On the more realistic side, the question probably is "well, what about mail-in previews or leaked stuff?"
Hasbro's getting better about stuff not leaking out too much before it's shipped to the US from Asia or elsewhere. Better, of course, is also worse because we don't get a good look at what's coming out more than a few weeks or a couple months in advance. If there's another huge stockpile of E2 product like there was for Episode One, then we should expect to see all sorts of photos leaked early yet again.
Mum's the official word on previews, but sources hint that we will see at least one Episode Two figure before year's end, somewhere. (Where, we don't know for sure.)
4
They were unique to the games. More or less.
Anakin was the same as Tatooine/Pilot Anakin, except the helmet was part of the head mold and not removable. Darth was more or less the same as the Sith Speeder version of the figure but with some dirt highlights. Ric Olie would have been Ric Olie with his helmet stuck to his head.
They aren't really reissues, but they do kinda suck.
5 Whatever happened to the Jedi Knight Obi-Wan game that Lucas Arts was coming out for the PC? -Dan
It's now the Jedi Knight Obi-Wan game for the PlayStation 2, coming... soon?
6
They could, and might. A running change is on the way for the Scout Trooper, with some added dirt and grime. (Actually, I'm told it should be out now, but I sure as heck haven't seen it.)
7
Lots of previews/demos of Rogue Squadron-esque gameplay based on the classic flicks have shown up and word out of some gaming mags is that yes, this will be an actual launch/near-launch title.
8
While Hasbro and its newly-obtained Fan Club will be having offers in the future, the organization is still in a transitional stage and nothing is solid yet. There will be new exclusive figures eventually.
There are no plans to offer the Freeze Chamber at retail. Then again, there were no plans for the 12" Chancellor Vallorum and Senate Guard two-pack from the Fan Club to show up at Kay-Bee, either... so it's hard to know for sure.
9
[Looking up from magazine.] Hunh? Sure, whatever.
10
What is your advice on preordering merchandise? I have seen several
websites that offer this.
The vehicles have shown up on a few sell sheets for a few stores in a few countries. This would leave me to believe that even though Hasbro ain't talking about 'em, they very well could be open stock vehicles OR as-of-yet unassigned exclusives. The Skiff and Y-Wing were offered everywhere before Hasbro pulled back and made them exclusives for some reason or another.
Preordering? Do you trust the store? I'll give two case studies. The caseworker: Me.
ENTERTAINMENT EARTH: Been around since 1996. If they say they can get it, nine times out of ten, you'll get it. They've had their own exclusives and aren't going away anytime soon.
TOYS "R" US: while I've preordered my Nintendo 64 and many games for various consoles over the years from them and had no problems to speak of, they really fouled up on Star Wars during Episode One. They presold electronic 12" figures, at least one of the playsets, and the Mos Espa Encounter, and I can't recall a single report of a fan being pleased with how things turned out. They've also had a bunch of exclusives and aren't going away anytime soon. Their toy preordering just blows, that's all.
TRU's fantastic about getting stuff in stores... eventually. I don't think they plan on doing more toy pre-sells. I haven't heard much about most online stores in this sort of thing, but if they've been around for a while and you've dealt with them in the past, odds are you won't have a problem. Just be sure that you feel safe ordering from the store. If you don't, you're better off hunting on your own.
FIN However, what determines a figure's name? Is it a name on the back of a cardback? Because they're often changed, I'd say no. In 1998, some Collection 1 cardbacks said Yak Face's other name was Sealt Marie. Later, Saelt-Marae. (Sure, they're both much worse, but stick with me.) They were later corrected, but the correct name was always on the front of the package, and later, on the Freeze Frame. While mistakes happen, unless they're obvious, I always stick with the name under the photo or gimmick on the front. If the Force File says her name is Jonas, then dagnabbit, that's what she'll be called until it's corrected. (With a parenthetical statement mentioning that Jonas bears a striking resemblance to Queen Amidala.) So for now, she's Theed Invasion Amidala. If they change the card front, she's either... or in the case of this column and our checklists, she's both-- to avoid confusion. In another notable bit of nomenclature trivia (or trivial nomenclature), Darth Vader (Dagobah) is called Dark Spirit on the flip side of his Force File. If you ask me, Dark Spirit is a better name from a fanboy/collector point of view because in that scene, this figure is not really Darth Vader. ...and one more for the road: an insert in an early 1980s Darth Vader head action figure carry case lists the Rebel Soldier under a much more descriptive monniker: Rebel Snow Soldier. Now, nobody actually calls it that when the official name comes up, but Kenner (now part of Hasbro) has a history of name swappin'. (They drop the "g", too.) I found out my email address since 1995 is going bye-bye. apawlus@primenet.com is no more as of real soon. So send me email at apawlus@16bit.com or adam@rebelscum.com. More tomorrow? You'll just have to wait and see.... if there's an update tomorrow, the Megathon is on. If not... well, maybe I'm just tired and will get to it later.
This question relates to your latest posting: Why is Shadows of the Empire not currently part of the SW continuity, and who decided this? It seemed that Lucasfilm had put such great effort into pushing this storyline, it's strange to me that they would suddenly disavow all knowledge. -EjG3
It's not so much Shadows as it is anything that isn't in the films. Sure, the Star Wars: Special Edition has the Outrider in it as well as the Swoop. But if an event doesn't appear on screen, it may not be considered when establishing any "official" timeline. It might... but it might not. Coruscant/Imperial Center first appeared in the comics and Zahn novels after appearing (apparently) nameless in early drafts of Return of the Jedi. Lucas later decided to include the planet with the name given to it either by Zahn or the people who dole out names and continuity stuff at LucasFilm.
The treatment of the Sith kinda works as they were shown in the various Golden Age of Sith books. The whole backstory more or less fits why there's only two in Episode One. Other comics have characters doing some out-of-character stuff... with one exception in Star Wars (which may have been a production glitch) no Sith Lord has ever taken a lightsaber to anybody EXCEPT in a duel. Seeing Vader (or even Maul) hopping around killing enemies with the Jedi/Sith weapon doesn't jive with what we saw on screen-- granted, we never saw them make a case to NOT use their sabers whenever they darn well pleased, but Vader pretty much always choked somebody in the scenes, cut or otherwise, where he needed to hurt somebody.
Shadows... well, there's two ways to look at the official continuity. Anything not appearing on screen is insignificant, or anything not denied by a film belongs in the continuity. Officially, the continuity is the Special Editions of the trilogy and whatever final incarnation the prequels take on.
If you like Shadows, great. If not, great. As long as nobody makes it look like there's no Black Sun, odds are it will fit the film continuity.
2 What kind of accessories/articulation would you like to see on an ultimate Jedi Luke in 3 3/4 inch version? Do you think this is something Hasbro could do to the caliber of the 300th Fett? -Royalguard
An excellent question. Based on what some of you have mentioned (and what I've seen), this is-- if it were up to me-- what you'd get.
FIGURE: Luke would have at least a dozen points of articulation if not more. Ball neck and shoulders (REAL balls, not the pseudo-ones we get), wrists, biceps, forearms (if possible), waist, knees, shins, ankles, and anything else they can do. It might look a little goofy with some of the folds in the outfit, but hey, that's OK. The tough part is deciding on the torso: Jedi robes from the beginning, or the shirt from the end? (Or perhaps a removable vest.) It's hard to say. But it's not hard to say we need a new head sculpt.
ACCESSORIES: First, the lightsaber: multiple paint applications are a must, as well as a fully removable blade and the ability to attatch the hilt to his belt. Next, the cloak. Cloth, of course. I'd probably also toss in a blaster or two, an interchangable right hand, the Endor poncho and helmet, some sort of communicator... that should do it.
This figure would rely heavily on accessories and articulation, two areas Hasbro's been pretty weak on as of late. Seeing the price of $40-$50 and up for the Ultimate 12" Luke, it seems feasable to do something like the hypothetical Jedi Luke could be done for $15 or less. Preferably $10.
I'm sure they could do something on the level of the special Fett, but why stop there? Gimme articulation and make it a toy. The Fett is great as a product marketed to older fans who play with their toys. It's got a firing rocket, awesome detail, and a high level of articulation. Luke would need more.
3 So I go to Wal-Mart yesterday and there's one lone POTJ figure; a Wave 1 Collection 1 Darth Maul (from May 3rd, 1999) haphazardly re-packaged on a Darth Maul Sith Apprentice backer with the Force File replaced backwards. Now I realize some insidious/inventive collector just swapped the old cheap Maul for the newest, more expensive Maul and is effectively getting a creative $4-$5 "rebate" (I'm using polite terms). But my question to you is, "Would Adam do this?" And not just once, but almost habitually. I've seen figures from the first wave of POTF2 (1995) returned at this particular store time and again with a cannibalized UPC taped to the backer. Is this just "Stickin' it to the man" or is it "Stickin' it to your fellow collector?" I have visions of some greasy toy monger taking inventory of his investments and thinking "Whoops, bought too many Monkey-head Leias. I'll have to return those... somehow." Shall I alert the Customer Service Department, or let Wal-Mart suffer in its own ignorance?
What would Adam do?
While corporate America should suffer for its ignorance, this is a weird situation. Accepting an opened figure as a return is a rarity these days, but I remember seeing it a lot back in the days of Ninja Turtles. If they guy swapped it out in the store, this is a pretty ballsy collector. If he returned it, the employees really shouldn't have taken it.
Would I? Nah. I buy what I see for what it costs. If I don't like the price, I wait for a sale, clearance, or something to be mismarked. ($2.25 each for Simpsons figures Otto, Sunday Best Homer, and Kamp Krusty Bart.)
Swapping out figures is bad for several reasons. One, morons write me thinking they found something rare. "Hey Adam, I found a RARE A-Wing with an X-Wing Luke in it!!! What can I get for it???" Another is that stores probably can't sell a resealed figure, taped shut or otherwise. Going back to Ninja Turtles, the figures that were opened were usually shrinkwrapped shut and marked down about a quarter-- hardly enough to make it more attractive than a sealed one just a peg over. So the store gets stuck with product, which they have to get rid of at a loss. Maybe give it away, maybe a clearance, or maybe they'll just leave it there. Which brings me to #3: unsold product=no new product. Savvy (i.e., not mentally lacking) collectors can usually tell a damaged product when they see it, and it won't sell. Parents might see a tampered toy and stay away. Even to kids, it just looks sloppy. That figure ain't goin' nowhere.
So no, I don't think there's really much to gain from it just because those figures aren't going anywhere. Just this weekend I saw a Qui-Gon (POTJ) missing his poncho and an Obi-Wan (POTJ) that had the cloak and saber removed. Both were taped shut. Unless the store just gets rid of these, I'm fairly sure they'll still be there next time, and when a store has enough unsold product, well, you can see where the rant is a-headed.
4
Hunh, they sure do seem that way, don't they?
5 I know the answer to this is probably fairly obvious, but I'll ask anyway. How come Hasbro has never released a 5 or 10 pack of stromtroopers or Battledroids. It would be cool if they were released that way as a squadron instead of having to buy them all individually to build an army. I know the obvious business answer is that they could make more moola if they sell multiple individually carded figs, but I have seen these become peg warmers in many stores. I think it would almost make good business sense to actually sell 5 in one shot than to have 1 or 2 sell and get a bunch shipped back for credit. -Patricia
A lot of product ideas come and go, but for some reason, this sort of thing never made it to final production stages. Today, I think Hasbro would have a harder time selling a multipack of the same guy, or variations on a theme. (Next year, who knows?) If there was no price break, and typically there isn't one, it might not do too well.
Sure, a pack of different Rebel Pilots would sell-- in theory. In reality, I can get you as many as you want for $9.99 at my local Kay-Bees. Each of at least 10 or so that I visit on a semi-regular basis are loaded with them. (Porkins is sitting, and this is why Dak sucks-- he's not new.)
Now, a pack of Stormtroopers? I think that's a bit more like it, but even then... how would it do? A two-pack for $10 would do great. A four-pack for $24? I don't think so.
If they got army builders out in quantity, well, it's hard to say what would happen. Nobody bought the Tusken Raiders. A lot of people bought the Red Security Battle Droid, as well as the Boomer Damage one... although the second seemed to sell pretty slowly when I saw it. Now, the Scout Troopers I've seen twice, maybe three times, for a grand total of about five. Hasbro could probably put 2-3 in a case from now until the end of Summer and they'd move fairly well. But would more Battle Droids sell? Perhaps... I'd buy another Red one if I saw it. (Only got one, methinks.) I bought three Senate Guards and would probably buy three more if I saw 'em again... and had some dough to blow. But how many Boomer Damage droids do I need? How many "different" Rebel Pilots can they do? Heck, how many generic Imperial Officers do I really need? (Tons, yeah, but they need Stormtroopers to command, dagnabbit!)
So... yes, it's an obvious vacancy, but not one that necessarily needs to be filled. Stormtrooper batallions would probably do great, and if a pack of Battle Droids was cheap enough (like six of the cheap foreign ones and a commander for $20) I could see them flying off shelves as well. But well, is the interest really there? That's the question... I think the upcoming intentional variants are the best we'll get. (And yes, Hasbro did confirm the dirty Scout Trooper for those who asked.)
6
I missed out on it-- forgot the end date. It was a Japanese Star Wars Nintendo Famicom cart by Namcot. I've been chasing this one for years. Apparently Vader turns into a giant crab you have to fight at the end.
7
Many of us do. There's not much they can do, but then again, what can they do? Hasbro's been piss poor about getting things so you can play with the figures. There were what, two classic vehicles in '00, a few coming in '01 (Hasbro has yet to comment on what they are), so really these figures aren't meant to be played with. If they were, we'd probably see more articulation or some vehicles... this is a key problem with the line: it's obviously not being marketed to kids.
Another part of it: you're an old fogey now, about 25 or so I guess. I used to play with my figures all day long as well, but then I turned 10 and played a little less. Chalk it up to rose colored glasses and the fact you can't do ANYTHING with the new Amidala but move her arms and nudge her head. (Sure, she's got a waist joint, like it matters....)
8
Our friends at Hasbro say they have not ruled out making more Expanded Universe guys in the future, but current plans just have it at the current few choices like the two new Mauls and the new Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon.
9
Realistically? Zero. The issue of cost is one reason they went to a generic cardback with a sticker and a Force File to identify the contents. A boxed figure like Fett has a specialized insert, bubble, cardboard insert, die-cut window boxing, and so forth. Granted, a castrated version of the packaging could be made pretty easily, but let's face it: why change it? It'd cost more, figures would be less uniform to collect and display (as so many have hung figures on the wall or placed them in comic boxes) and well, it's very different.
When there's a deluxe item to push, I'm all for it. Hasbro is pretty good about making packages accentuate the special features and bonuses on their products from Batman to TransFormers (Battle for the Spark, snoogans) and having every package be "special" would kinda ruin the point of specialized packaging. The point is to make one product more appealing than the other at the point-of-sale, not to look cool on our shelves. (Fett, of course, a notable exception.)
Seeing Mega Action figures on the shelves doesn't leave me to inspired for a new package. Keep the prices down (now that they're mostly $6 or less again) and the figures good. I've said it before, I'll say it again: they could ship these to stores in little plastic baggies stapled to pieces of driftwood, and I'd be just as interested... and odds are, so would you. (Alla you.)
Criticsize as we do, would a classic style cardback do much to boost sales? Would deluxe packaging really be worth the extra three or four bucks when you think that two figures might cost the same as three? And most important of all: do we really want development time taken away from toys and placed on the box? Some of you might. But well, unless it helps to market the toy at retail (the box is a form of advertising, remember) I can't see why.
Then again, I can't see why Hasbro or somebody hasn't stuck a little LED on the box that blinks so they stand out no matter what. Hey, it worked for Logitech...
10
It's a chuck, duh.
Female figures are always a point of interest to many collectors... as are bounty hunters and weird aliens. What you have here is a manifestation of what makes a lot of figures appealing rolled all into one. If they had a new Boba Fett with boobs, you can bet that'd sell too.
After one version of an alien is made, it usually takes something big to do another one. In the old days, we had Cinemascenes... so we got two different sculpts for Ponda Baba. Hence the demand for the Aqualish Senators or the guy you mention is about zero.
This, of course, isn't all that great. We've gotten three different ewoks (one's a repaint) and a fourth is FINALLY coming. We still haven't gotten the other Klaatu that was made in the vintage line (and one of my favorite figures), and who knows if we'll ever get that blasted Wookiee Senator. I'd be all over that... I mean, dude, it's like Chewbacca, but he's wearing pants. A robe. Whatever.
Aurra Sing-- like Fett-- is one of those characters made to appeal to fans, most likely. The Star Wars Insider was ready with a feature shortly after Episode One, buzz is we'll see her again, and they did a 12" figure of her pretty quickly. It's obvious they're cashing in on the character while they can... you never know if her role in the remaining films will be meaty or not. Fett's hype in the old days made him seem like another Vader, and while history (and the fan community) has more or less done this, well, he isn't the major player Kenner boasted back in the '70s. People like to get excited about stuff, and well, Aurra's stuff.
FIN I found out my email address since 1995 is going bye-bye. apawlus@primenet.com is no more as of real soon. So send me email at apawlus@16bit.com or adam@rebelscum.com. More tomorrow? You'll just have to wait and see.... if there's an update tomorrow, the Megathon is on. If not... well, maybe I'm just tired and will get to it later.
the new line of figures rock, but i have to say that my passion will always lie in the vintage toys. i remember losing it at toys r us a few years back when that classic four pack came out. it was just so cool to see the toys from my youth at TRU again. then the dealer backlash, "our vintage figures won't sell if you re-release them! boycott.. blah blah blah." so kenner caves in and says "no more then!" which just sucks, stupid dealers. but now this masters of the universe classic line creates a big buzz on the street. so i'm wondering, think hasbro can see past the ridiculous complaints of gougers, and give us a classic re-release line, maybe for the 25th anniversary? -jeffrey
Rereleases suck worse than BoShek.
Call me crazy-- but the original Star Wars line isn't rare. It isn't. There are MILLIONS of these things out there, and while they aren't available on a silver platter for $4.99 each, they can be had, with a few exceptions, pretty cheaply.
It wasn't dealers-- or at least, just dealers-- who were displeased with the Classic Four Pack. I was, a lot of people I knew were, as they were weak. Chewie's legs were different lengths, the guns were REALLY flimsy, and Vader... well, Vader was great, really. As far as repros go.
Some agree with me, some don't, but I think "reproductions" are distasteful. Of course, I also think making "collector" items is as well... I mean, I got into the line to buy kid's toys. Then I bought other figures, because they were kid's toys. For me, that's the appeal-- weird little plastic things to mess with. If Hasbro remade the originals, it'd just plain suck-- resources would be diverted from legitimate new product, odds are the interest isn't all that high (not as much as a, say, new Jedi Luke), and I assure you they wouldn't be dirt cheap. The He-Man reissues-- while limited-- are $10-$20 per depending on where you shop. And the quality is, well, kinda weak from the look of them.
Would two or three remakes or a few vintage-esque new figures be cool? Sure. Would it put a dent in old stuff? Not hardly-- if they do a remake, it'll be a little different, be it an altered cardback (small parts warnings, for one) or some sort of outer collector's box.
If you want the originals, save some money, and snag 'em. Madine's still cheap, $20 or less carded. You know you want one...
2 Hey. The Saesee Tinn figure photos I've seen on the internet and on the cardbacks show the lightsaber as having a silver handle. My figure's, however, is black. Is this the way it's actually being produced or is it a variation? I like the silver version myself since it matches the movie prop shown in the booklet that comes with the figure and just looks nice. -Robert
I've seen a few, all of which had black handles.
3 Now that we have some confirmation that Hasbro will release the B-Wing and Tie Interceptor, what are the odds that we'll see the Imperial Shuttle? Or for that matter, some more Expanded Universe vehicles (ex: E-Wing, AT-PT, etc.) Or will Hasbro jump right into Episode II vehicles? -JediTemple
Right now, even though they aren't saying anything officially, Hasbro has at least a few classic vehicles in development, and so far none of them are Expanded Universey stuff. I wouldn't hold my breath for these if I were you.
4
It's very possible, the distribution of older stuff seems pretty up-in-the-air so far. I think there's a bunch more stuff we still might see, but it wouldn't be a bad idea to snag 'em if you see 'em for the right price.
5 With next year being the 25th anniversary for our beloved religion, what are the odds of the big H puttting out all the normal POTJ (discluding the assumed separate line of E2 figs) in an awesome retro style package. Try this on for size, each card has the title of the movie for which the piece is made with an awesomely sculpted figure and have the card back look like the vintage stuff with a big picture of the character on it. I see a gold foil commemorative stamp and on the back they could have the pic of all the POTJ line like the old style. I would love this...tell me you wouldnt love this....where is my poll...we want this...i know i am not alone here.
And do you have any clue what color the E2 cards are going to be...any
speculation...i would love to see blue...like a mandalorian...maybe up in the
right hand corner....hmmm...
Rumor has it that retro styling is one of many things being heavily considered for next year's line. But rumors is rumors. Retro packaging is cool, yes. But packaging is to sell figures at retail, and the old style isn't cheap or especially eye popping. With all the colorful boxes at stores, POTJ isn't much of a "wow" either, but it does what it does. If they did retro packaging, it'd be for collectors, and next year might be good for that. Since it's both a new film and a major anniversary, who knows what they might come up with?
As far as E2's packaging goes, yes. I am, after all, psychic.
Hasbro's POTJ concepts went through dozens of revisions, names, and designs before we got what we did... some of which weren't like the final product. I don't know what the E2 concepts are, and if I did, I'd have sold the information to the tabloids by now. Jango would be cool, but I doubt it'd be him...
6
Shadows is definitely worth reading. I enjoyed it, and read it over a long weekend when it first came out... it's quick, and I can't think of anything that made me go "man, that's lame" like... well, we just won't bash all things bad in the Vader's Quest comic series just yet.
Zahn's first three books with Thrawn and friends are right up there, but to be honest, not many of the other books had all that much "zing." The short story collections were great for what they were, but the other books... eh. I'd say snag Andy Mangels' Essential Guide to Characters, read that, and see if anything in their descriptions sounds compelling. It's pre-SOTE, but it's got a lot of good stuff in it, plus a lot of nice artwork.
7
Because if they were a 1:1 assortment, you'd complain. For instance, the Biker Scout was 4:4:4 with Han Bespin and Boomer Battle Droid. Fat lot of good it did anybody, popular figures will always fly off the shelves.
Assortments are made months-- if not many, many months-- ahead of schedule. Hasbro's best guess at the time is all they have to go on, and while some things seem obvious (more Scout Troopers), others don't. Who knew the awesome new Tusken figure would sit in some areas? Could anyone have guessed Aurra's popularity wasn't definitely just some random fluke? And could anybody have forseen that Porkins wouldn't sell-- well, maybe that one.
Thing is, not all collectors will buy all figures, or just one of each figure, or an equal number of each figure. With POTJ, I've had a reduction in what I can buy, so I buy one of everybody and extras of the Scout Troopers and a few army builders. So well, there's that. It's just a matter of needing more product on shelves. For all the complaining, people sure seem to want to buy that figure...
8
Hasbro's answer for the price increases are "cost of materials" ever since the "shocking" $1 mark-up with the Freeze Frames in 1998.
As far as licensing goes, I'm not sure how the whole deal breaks down. Hasbro paid a rumored/reported (one of the two) $600 million for the Star Wars figure license before Episode One. That's all the movies for (methinks) quite a while, with no extra licensing for each new flick. There may be some sort of royalty, like a buck from each figure going to Lucas, but I doubt it.
Now Batman and Star Wars cost the same in many stores... which seems reasonable. Star Wars figures are smaller, more detailled, have more articulation, but fewer acessories. Bats has loads of weapons, is a bit taller, and well, is the same freaking figure seventy times over. (Not really, but I like to exaggerate.) McFarlane makes great figures... but these aren't toys by any stretch of the imagination.
There's a lot of questions to be asked about quality. POTJ figures will take some abuse from a kid. Vash won't. Vash looks awesome beyond awesome. POTJ Anakin... not so much. But I can chuck Anakin at a wall and he won't shatter.
9
Have you seen the Devo figures from Vital Toys? I ask because I know someone
(hello, Rose) who did see them at Toy Fair. The problem: the Vital Toys site
has no pix. And none of the sites (of which I am aware) covering Toy Fair
have posted pix. I must see these toys. If you've seen 'em online, please
point me and other interested spuds in the right direction.
For the sake of remaining on topic: I- who once visited Wal-Mart every dang
morning at 6AM sharp in search of SW figure cases- have suddenly found
myself without even half the desire to buy Hasbro's pitifully small and
pathetically overpriced SW figures. Where did the excitement go? And will it
return?
You don't even need to bother trying to answer such abstract, subjective
nonsense. I just need to know about the Devo figures.
I saw Jerry in one of the Toy Fair '01 articles in a magazine (ferget which) and a few of the toy sites posted pics. Not bad.
10
Never trust a release schedule. Lately, Hasbro's been very conservative, which is good because it looks like stuff is showing up earlier. Anybody who's been with POTF2 since the beginning can spin a few yarns about delays...
It's possible there could be a summer dry spell. Possible. Keep in mind Hasbro has been insanely tight-lipped about this year's exclusives and things get moved around all the time that we might not hear about. And if there's a break... good. Catch-up time.
Regarding resculpts, I've mentioned they're a necessary evil in today's toy market. Why they just don't crank out more Removable Helmet Vaders is beyond me (people WANT THEM), but a new Anakin or Obi-Wan isn't always a bad idea to get kids. While it's true that the Qui-Gon resculpts might not be quite as popular as Hasbro's production makes it look, when push comes to shove, Qui-Gon will probably sell before a minor alien to the fan who won't buy everything anyway.
We don't "need" any of this junk, but some resculpts seem like a good thing. Jedi Duel vs. Naboo Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon are very different looking figures. Was there anybody that thought the new Fett was a mistake? I agree that too much too soon is a problem (like 28 Lukes from 1995 to 1998), but spread out, eh, sure. A Maul a year? Not a problem. 13 Mauls in two years? Uhhhh...
As far as minor characters go, I think Rebels are at the bottom of the stack in terms of visual flair. I mean, they're humans. C'mon. Any droid, alien, or Imperial is considerably cooler than any rebel except Major "Cliff Clavin" Derlin. Madine... honestly, aside from the fact he was in the vintage line, does anybody REALLY have a burning desire to buy the old man in the beard? Or Dodonna, the other man in the beard? Or Rieekan, the man with no beard?
George Lucas gave the Rebels the most appealing characters in that the protagonists are dynamic, changing people. His designers gave the faceless Empire a look that appeals to anybody with the slightest interest in sci-fi, even though most of the enemies are about as deep as a finger bowl. Then we're left with the Rebels, boring mostly white folk in boring uniforms that look like other figures we already have.
The Ion operator is a neat idea, but well, it's basically Hoth Leia with a clear window. Whooopeee. If it lit up, came with some random Droid, maybe talked... now you're on to something.
But then again, what do I know? If you get enough support, the companies will listen. A petition at Yakface's Realm had like 10,000+ signatures to get a Wuher made. A lot of small "we want Porkins" pages went up. If a collector base really wants to see a figure made, there are ways to go about doing it. But (as I've said before), is there any one minor figure that 10,000 online fans would rally behind these days?
FIN Like the conspiracy to get you to come back tomorrow for more Q&A! (How's that for a segue?)
Okay, I really cant understand why people are complaining that we've gotten too many Luke's. There is ONE Luke figure in particular that we have seen over and over again, and that is Tatooine Luke. Beyond that, Luke has barely been done, I mean we are just now getting an ANH X Wing Luke, we are just now getting a Bacta tank Luke. There is to date ONE version of Bespin Luke, ONE version of a carded Jedi Luke (the others have been these pathetic pack in's). Let me put it this way, when was the last time you talked into a store and saw a Luke with a lightsaber? I can understand collectors being sick of Tatooine Luke.......but what about the rest!? Geez.....I'd Love a new Jedi Luke and or Bespin Luke. -Jay
Burnout.
As I've mentioned before, we got like 28 Lukes in the line's first four years-- most of which were in the first three. That's a bunch, considering it took Batman-- and just Batman-- something like six or seven years at Kenner to get to 100.
Considering Leia has more outfits than Luke and we're getting revisions of Lukes before the first versions of some Leias, well, the complaints aren't without justification. But not having a Luke out for kids to buy-- especially not a good one like Jedi or Bespin Luke-- seems pretty odd. There is a new Bespin Luke on tap, as I hear the CD ROM one will be out on a card in 2002. Bacta Luke, while great for collectors, would have been about as exciting as dirt if I were a kid. Wait, I take that back-- I used to play in the dirt a lot. It'd be LESS exciting than dirt. (There.)
I've heard of a lot of people complaining about the lack of "proper" weapons with figures. CommTech Stormtrooper, CommTech Luke, CommTech Vader... um... hunh. There's a pattern if I ever saw one.
And with that...
2 what's your opinion of the forthcoming Luke X-wing pilot with removable helmet? do we really need this figure? i mean, i thought the original one was decent. all this one will be is the same figure, slightly resculpted with the helmet off. big deal, i says. what says you? -abel
Well, as an anal fan boy, yes. The figure we got in 1995 (LATE 1995) was Snowspeeder Luke. And he hasn't shipped since at least 1997.
Do we need a new Rebel Pilot in any form? I'd say no. We've gotten quite a few... but this is Luke. And it looks fantastic-- the sculpt is really something. (It's on our Toy Fair section for those who missed it.) The way I see it, if a figure's good-- ANY character-- it's good. The Man-Spider from the new Spider-Man Classics line is often mocked, but you know what? It's really nice. Pretty amazing stuff, really, as far as toys go, and oh yes, it is a toy.
So, as always, save your six bucks if you really don't like it. It can buy ya another stormtrooper if they ever make them available in a decent quantity again.
3 I know the action fleet line is sort of dead right now, but do you know if Hasbro will bring it back for EII. It would be a terrible shame not to continue this beautiful line of toys after all the great product they(Galoob) have already made. -Jason
Our friends at Hasbro have informed us that they are currently looking at the scales for Episode II. There will be the traditional 12" and 4" lines, it's looking like we might see a new 6" range, and yes, they are looking into smaller sizes as well, but as to what they are we don't know.
Personally, I'd rather see some deformed oddball figures closer to the Kubrick toys or even the Kenner Preschool stuff from the Ewoks.
4
Last summer, the folk from Hasbro informed me that these were not shipped to any US warehouses, meaning if they do show up, it would be one heck of a fluke. Never say never, but saying "not bloodly likely" seems to be a good thing to say...
5 Do you think we'll see a new X-wing before the line ends? Or have we had it, having had two already? I mean, we're getting a new Snowspeeder. I'd really like to see one that a) looked fantastic and b) allowed you to seat a figure inside. The previous versions lacked one or other of these qualities. -Georrge
Well, like you said, we already got two. It's possible Hasbro might have the chance to revisit the signature vehicle with two films left and lots of filler time for remakes of old products, but you never can be sure.
6
Rumor is that they weren't thrilled with the E1 performance, but still have the license. What will happen? Stay tuned...
7
All of them were printed this way. Not sure why, but they are.
8
Well, if you don't take good care of the figures. you never know what could happen over two years. I'd probably try something else... what, I don't know. I've seen packing peanuts "melt" to opened toys over time, and newspaper... well, it's newspaper.
If I were you, I'd keep looking for an alternative... unless your vintage stuff is boxed anyway, then it probably would be OK.
9
Well, I've been speculating that for a while. There's no one character I think fans the world over would go bonkers for. But there's enough aliens and resculpts to keep it going for a while.
10
While most of the changes would really help make the movies tie in, things like special editions ruin the work of the originals. Shaw is a real-deal actor, hacking him out seems kinda disrespectful... and Sir Alec... well, he's Obi-Wan. And always will be.
Sure, Anakin sounds American in TPM. Leia sounds like a fake brit in ANH, but has a more normal US accent in ESB and ROJ. So having an accent shift shouldn't cause a big stir-- I'm sure whatever the final name of Natalie Portman's character is going to sound a bit less funky in Episode Two.
You're quite right about the mattes-- the Rancor sequence, some stuff in the final battle, and a few other things here and there don't really work. While "Jedi Rocks" was a nifty sequence for what it was, it kills the pacing of the film. There's a lot of stuff that could benefit from a few jabs of digital swabbin', and well, if the rumors about a new cut of each film on the DVDs is true, there ya go.
(Hopefully all the original effects folks will remain credited... that's the problem with new editions of things. Credit's always been a sore spot for me.)
FIN
I'm a huge fan of the Pepsi Lifesize Promo Figures/statues (Darth Maul, Yoda, Watto - not really the Jar Jar). How'd they fare with the public? Do you think they'll dream up the same type of promo Idea for Ep.II? Also, I have seen pics of an Anakin Skywalker statue standing on a large Rock with his Podracing helmet on. Did they also make him, and was he included in the Pepsi line? -Tony
As far as I know, the public didn't much care one way or the other-- supposedly quite a few of these show up and go nowhere. They weren't meant for collectors really anyway, just a really fancy kind of in-store signage that a lot of us want.
Anakin with the helmet was, I think, a Don Post item. I know it wasn't made with Pepsi in mind, but you never know when these places share sculpting talent or something like that.
Episode II? Well, anything's possible...
2 What do you think the chances are for 12" figure accessory packs? I know they have been rumored for a while, but with your basic GIJOE/Ultimate Soldier figures going for like 7 bucks; It seems like a prime way of getting outfits for figures we wouldn't normally get like a Scanning Crew Member or Rebel Fleet Trooper. I know the 12" line is basically dead with all of the resculpts/reused parts as of late, but it is my favorite part of the SW line. Do you think this is something that would renew interest in the 12" line or just another missed opportunity by the big H? -Scott
The accessory packs for the 12" line are a rumor that won't die. It's entirely possible since the line's death is greatly exaggerated that these will, in fact, show up some day. It's not a confirmed item, but the rumors hinting for these in a year or so just won't go away.
To date, Hasbro has really dragged their feet when it comes to making 12" Star Wars both cheap and good. The current $8 Joe body is pretty good, especially when compared to what we've been given for Star Wars over the past few years. Since the line is continuing, it's not out of the question. Since the 4" line of accessory packs crashed and burned pretty hard I doubt that it's really likely, but you never know.
I wouldn't go as far as to saying it's a missed opportunity. Even the great 12" Speederbike was clearanced out in many areas of the country, and I don't think there's a single collector that had anything but praise for that piece.
3 You mentioned no Sith lord has used a light saber outside of duel except for one instance. I can't seem to recall this. When and why would it be a production error? -Mike
In Star Wars: A New Hope, after Vader kills Obi-Wan, he walks toward the closing blast doors with his saber extended, however it is unlit. Other than that, Vader and Maul only use their sabers on camera when fighting other people with lightsabers.
4
B-Wing
TIE Interceptor
TIE Bomber
Snowspeeder
"Unnamed" Crashed ship
Cloud Car
AT-ST
Would you be a stickler for "To scale" versions? Or are reissues ok? The
skiff seemed fine to me, though a scale one would've been GREAT
All those vehicles would not be absurdly large made to scale, and the
snowspeeder we have NOW is actually OVER the proper size, and should be
smaller! (hard to believe that, but true)
This is a frequent discussion among us customizers, I myself prefer scale,
what's your take?
First, reissues are never simply "OK." I complain like crazy whenever they do it because, well, let's face it: that old Skiff was out of scale and a little fragile... not much of a toy. The POTF2 Landspeeder had some pretty significant modifications, and it's hard not to like it. But the AT-ST... oooh, new paint. Perhaps that's why it-- in 1995 and 1996-- was the first ship to show up in most areas as well as the very first peg/shelfwarmer in the new line.
Fact is we can't get "to scale" versions because the things would be prohibitively expensive... and large. Ain't nobody gonna pay for a full-size B-Wing these days.
And you're quite right about the Snowspeeder-- pretty much all of the toys have been oversized so far.
When it comes to vehicles, well, right now we aren't getting any at the stores. I'd rather have 'em done right, but let's face it, it's just not realistic nowadays.
5 Curious why they never made a Lando in his white and black vest (ala Han) att he end of Empire? -Evan
They just didn't. I don't think it's all that interesting a design... I mean, essentially it's a Han with a Lando head. I expect to see it in the next few years as they really start to scrape the bottom of the classic character barrel, but if you want one soon, it's one of the easiest custom jobs out there.
6
Tibanna Gas.
7
When it comes to food storage, the real questions is this: what are you collecting? The packaging or the food?
I have seen sealed cans of Coke with Disney characters that have lasted just fine for years. However, keep in mind that accidents can and often will happen, and odds are the last thing you need is a rogue boxed toy falling on a can and staining your entire collection with the sugary cola. Or worse, Mountain Dew.
I've heard a lot of collectors poke a hole or two in the can and let the soda drain out. I think this is the best option, because it leaves no chance of the product damaging something else should it get loose somehow. I'm not so sure about the corrosion thing... but if it can eat through a can, I need to stop drinking the stuff.
8
Heck if I know. I still haven't gotten my issue of #52 in the mail, people are getting #53, and the magazine is a lot less hefty than it was a year ago. The exclusive products for members only rumor would probably be the only real incentive to join for a lot of people these days...
9
It's a neat promo item, and while not common, it's not really rare either. It's just a cool addition to any collection-- that sculpt was always a favorite of mine.
10
Thing is, I had the Tomy catalog that allegedly confirmed this: and I didn't see it in there.
There was some "Gungan Sacred Place" set rumored, but obviously, it didn't happen. No matter which sources confirm it, if Hasbro ain't one of 'em, it really doesn't matter too much unless they have a picture.
FIN
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