The 2005 San Diego International Comic Con is almost upon us! We thought we'd kick the coverage off with a bit of a pre-game show, starting with the lowdown on some of the Star Wars convention exclusives:

Checkout our first exclusive item available at the show added to our Photo Archives today. Master Replicas continues the series of dark chrome .45 Scaled Replicas with the Yoda Lightsaber from Revenge of the Sith. This exclusive variant, or "chase" saber will have a dark chrome finish, be limited in number, and available only at the MR booth. Five percent of the the allotment will be random gold variants. $35 at the booth during the show.

Friday, July 15, 2005 Steve Dymszo, Vice-President of Product Design, will be giving al presentation on Star Wars Props. Discover the magic, determination, and passion it takes to bring your favorite iconic prop replicas to life. 2:30 PM -- 3:30 PM , Room 9, Lucas Pavilion.

Look for these specials in the Master Replicas booth during the show:

Hasbro has produced a new holographic Princess Leia figure, appearing as a transparent image projected by R2-D2 in A New Hope. Back on June 1st these were available for pre-order on the ShopStarWars.com website, which would allow fans the option to skip the long line and pick up the figure in a "fast-pass" type lane in the Star Wars pavilion. The pre-order window has closed, but that doesn't mean you won't be able to snag this figure at the ShopStarWars booth (though it does mean you may have to brave some long lines).

Leia comes on a card in the style of the retro Original Trilogy Collection, featuring the Comic-Con logo and scene from A New Hope displayed behind the figure.

This summer's Comic-Con exclusive from Gentle Giant is a silver version of the Jango Fett from the Bust-Ups line. Click on the thumbnail for more info, and Collectors Club members should keep their eyes out for the latest newsletter with details on Series 4, Simpsons Bust-Ups, and the Clone Wars Anakin Skywalker Maquette.

From Star Wars: A New Hope, an SDCC Exclusive version of the Luke Skywalker Premium Format 1/4 Scale figure. Growing up on the desert planet Tatooine, the young moisture farmer, Luke Skywalker, would often wear his poncho, floppy hat and goggles to protect himself from the harsh rays of the twin suns. Limited to only 500 pcs. Luke here was available for pre-order on the Sideshow website, and is, needless to say, long gone. It's not, however, too late to get on the waiting list.

For more information on all of Sideshow's exclusives, click here

From the Star Wars Insider comes Vader: The Ultimate Guide, a glossy full colour magazine that takes a long hard look behind the mask of the ultimate evil in the galaxy, and delves in to the mystery and legend of the Darth Vader. This complete cradle-to-grave biography will debut at SDCC and will be available to purchase from the Star Wars Pavilion.

Keeping to the Vader theme is the the Vader Lives t-shirt, available from the StarWarsShop.com booth at the convention. Keep the spirit of 1977 alive and remind everyone that "Star Wars is forever" with this retro-style piece of apparel that is sure to make your friends green with envy.

A more complete rundown of all the Comic Con toy exclusives can be seen at Julius Marx's Action Figure Insider.

Want to know more about the convention itself? There's a nifty article on The "Secret Origin" of San Diego's Comic-Con International - right here.