Q & A Archive for week of October 18, 1999
Attacked By Snakes!


Questions for October 18, 1999

1
Would'nt it be safe to say that with [Hasbro's] contract to make classic figures at least until 2006 with an average of 10 per year that all the original figures from the original line will be eventually produced? Even with rescultps, would'nt there still be good odds for fulfilling collectors dreams of owning a complete set of figures to match there original figures?
  -James

No, just because some figures (Madine & Imperial Dignitary) are about as exciting as plain white bread. If Hasbro decided to make the remaining vintage guys as, say, Internet guys or Fan Club guys, it could really work out well. If there was an Ewok 2-pack every year or two, sure. Heck, I can't think of a single collector who wouldn't buy an Amanaman... but Bespin Security Guards would only be sold to a slightly smaller (if ready-to-army-build) audience.

Heck, when it comes to POTF2 guys that aren't Luke, I'm ready to spend money. While there are so few remaining vintage guys (see list below) that it would seem like Hasbro would be stupid to not make them... well, who knows? I don't think a kid in America would go to the store and pick a Cloud Car pilot up (especially since we don't have a Cloud Car)... but we live in topsy-turvy times where kids ask for Pokemon cards despite signs up saying "No, we don't have any."

VINTAGE DUDES YET TO BE IN POTF2:
__ Bespin Security Guard (black)
__ Bespin Security Guard (white)
__ Chief Chirpa
__ Cloud Car Pilot
__ FX-7
__ General Madine
__ Imperial Dignitary
__ Klaatu (Palace outfit)
__ Lumat
__ Paploo
__ Rebel Commander (unless you count the carded Hoth Rebel)
__ Romba
__ Squid Head
__ Teebo
__ Warok

VINTAGE DUDES YET TO BE IN POTF2 (technically):
__ Princess Leia (Bespin outfit)


2
What's the dumbest question you've ever been asked?
  -Deedlit

When I was working in a store in 1995, I was asked "Do you have new Star Wars?" I said "Sure, whatcha need?" "I want a Landspeederbike." I asked the kid which one-- "The Landspeeder or the Speederbike?" He repeated he wanted a Landspeederbike. I informed him no such toy exists today nor will it ever exist. He persisted. I hung up.


3
Hi, any plans for Hasbro to do a Jawa Sandcrawler vehicle? It could have an exclusive Jawa figure to go with it or a few droids to go with it. If I remember correctly they never actually made a Sandcrawler vehicle except for the remote control Sandcrawler.
  -Joseph

Hasbro doesn't have any plans that they've made anyone aware of to release a new Sandcrawler. I'd go bonkers for one, but then again, I'll buy multiples of all things related to the wilds of Tatooine. (Or so he said 3 Banthas, 5 Rontos, and around 20 Jawas later.)

The vintage Sandcrawler was a remote control toy, but since it was compatible with the action figures (actually, it was designed to be used with them) it's a heck of a nice toy. I highly reccomend one to anyone who can afford it.

Other Sandcrawlers: Galoob made a few, for Action Fleet, the MicroMachines line, the X-Ray line (painted for JC Penny and unpainted elsewhere), and a die-cast metal one, to name a few. The Action Fleet one rocks, and shows up on a semi-regular basis in at least a few Kay-Bees.

4
Have you heard when a Shmi Skywalker 3 3/4" figure is to be released by Hasbro?
  -Gary

Check aisle 7C sometime next year.


5
Is it possible to get unpainted figures from the hasbro factory?
  -Rob

Legally? Nope. While they do leak out from time to time, they're considered stolen property since Hasbro's been in charge. It wasn't quite like that in "the old days," or so I've been told.

6
I am wondering if the 58 freeze frames made include the 2 that came w/the mail a way binoculars? I ask this because I just found out in your forum ( a much appreciated one) that there are 60 slots in the freeze frame album.
  -Dave

Okay, just to keep this clear:

The Frame Holders have 12 slots each-- there's no "album", just these holders that hold 12 frames per.

The tally does include the two that came with the binoculars.

The two blank spots are a result of the Hot Dog Theory-- that is, you'll probably end up with more dogs than buns or vice versa if you shop at the Costco.

7
I was wondering if you can find out if Hasbro might have plans to have a section on their Net where They will sell certain Figures that were hardly seen in many Areas like the Expanded Universe Line.
  -Chris

Mos Espa (i.e., the Fan Club) is it. Your one and only place to get these guys on a "primary" market level... well, unless you bumble accross them at stores, and it does happen-- rarely. (And when I say rare, I mean the real definition, not the Ebay one.)

8
i read the hasbro interview and there was no mention of the imperial shuttle. it seems to me that this was second most requested ship, next to the skiff. now they have announced the y-wing, which is great, but my most desired ship is the shuttle. any word?
  -aaron

Hasbro has not made their plans known for 2000 beyond the middle of the year. Anything beyond that is pretty much unknown, so while a Shuttle could theoretically happen, well, I wouldn't place any bets on it. It's too big to be genuinely successful unless everybody bought one.

9
Am I the only one that wants to see a BLACK Bespin Security Guard made? How can they have neglected him!? Any plans to rectify this oversight?
  -Andy

Well, in POTF2, Hasbro neglected ALL of the Bespin Security Guards, but they did make him in the vintage line. (I think I've got 2 or 3.) So he wasn't really neglected in any real sense of the word.

10
I heard that there was a rumor that Harrison Ford would be in E2 or E3 as Han Solo's Father, is this true?
  -ZoolJ77

No. And before you say "How do you know that?" allow me to tell you that I don't have official word that George Lucas CGed DEVO somewhere in Episode One either. Some things are just really, really safe bets.

FIN
Get up puppet boy

You got a job to do

Even so you're free to go

Where your master tells you to

  
  Adam Pawlus

Questions for October 20, 1999

1
Is there any chance we will ever see any of the TIE fighters (other than the one from '95) produced by Hasbro? A TIE Interceptor would be great due to the rarity(?) of the original or even better yet a TIE Defender, TIE Bomber, TIE Advanced ( from the X-wing vs. TIE fighter game) or the Phantom TIE from the Rebel Assault game.
  -Chris

No plans exist to make more TIEs. It could happen, but why hold your breath?


2
do you know the date that the new queen amidala's mothership is coming out.  i have the TRU reserve slip, it said on there the 15th, but i havent heard of anyone getting thiers yet.  please just let me know.
  -Jeff

Whenever it shows up-- Hasbro never meets dates, just "estimates", and even with video games, Toys "R" Us is not always able to get the product on time. I'd expect it next month, but you never know-- all kinds of things show up early.


3
What do you think it would take to get HASBRO to release a complete set of Freeze Frames from the POTF2 line. Some people didn't buy duplicate figures but liked the FF (like me for instance), and some people never got some that were available at retail (Weequay, AT-ST Driver, Boba Fett, etc.). What can we do?
  -Chuck

Hasbro's said, on many occasions, there are no plans to do any special reissues of the Freeze Frames. What can you do? Get the Canadian versions nobody wants at a reduced price, and crack those puppies open.

4
Do you think Boba Fett's a chick?
  -pete

I think everybody thinks Boba Fett's a chick at some point in their lives.


5
The new B-wing pilot from the Pilot 3-pack is wearing a Gray jumpsuit. From the old line the B-wing pilot is wearing a red jumpsuit. Did Hasbro mess up?
  -Tim

Ten Nunb images from LucasFilm show him in a white jumpsuit. Therefore, he's correct... from a certain point of view.

6
Do you think that a DiaNoga trash monster and playset could be in the works??
  -Jedi2

Everything could be in the works. Now, will we see it in stores? That's another story. There haven't been any rumblings about Dianogas... well, ever. Unfortunately, I haven't heard of any new Death Star Playsets in any form, a shame, I'd be up for one in LEGO or Hasbro form.

7
Is anyone going to buy the Darth Sidious hologram figure other than completists?
  -Christopher

Quite a few people are more interested in the Holo Sidious than the first release of the figure. Even though it's about as typical a repaints as you can expect... it's cool.

8
i read the hasbro interview and there was no mention of the imperial shuttle. it seems to me that this was second most requested ship, next to the skiff. now they have announced the y-wing, which is great, but my most desired ship is the shuttle. any word?
  -aaron

Hasbro has not made their plans known for 2000 beyond the middle of the year. Anything beyond that is pretty much unknown, so while a Shuttle could theoretically happen, well, I wouldn't place any bets on it. It's too big to be genuinely successful unless everybody bought one.

9
Hasbro had made a remote control Landspeeder for a toy fair a few years ago. Any word on if it will ever be produced?
  -Bill

This toy ain't gonna happen.

10
I don't know if it's been asked before, and I haven't come across it in the archives of the Q&A, but I was wondering if the CommTech Reader was going to be re-released on POTF2 packaging?
  -Ken

I've heard nothing like that happening. It would be a huge mistake considering how many readers are on shelves not selling as of today.

FIN
Po pi ba bee yo po pi ba bi po pi ba bi ba yum yam chobaka chaka yo choco yum yam cho baka choco yo!

(You shouldn't know that one yet... it's from something that won't be out until next week. :)

  
  Adam Pawlus

Questions for October 22, 1999

1
when can we expect to see some pictures of the [LEGO] falcon?
  -Chris

When they're posted.


2
Will Hasbro continue to subject us to more re-sculpts of Anakin and Jar Jar?
  -Greg

I take it you're new here.


3
I recently acquired a nice vintage shuttle tyderrium which I was very excited to get. It does have some yellowish discoloration on it though. Do you know of any solvent which restores plastics to their original colors?
  -Dave

Nope. When that stuff turns yellow, the plastic *is* yellow. There's probably a way to alter the color of the plastic, but I don't want to take any responsibility for (or bother to look for) whatever information might do that.

4
Will we see the new legos.....A-Wing, B-Wing, Slave 1 etc.....before the new year or after?
  -Paul

Will they show up early? It could happen-- I picked up some of the 1999 Space Shuttle sets over my Winter break last year, and saw some '99 Adventurers around the same time. So keep them peepers peeled, I expect at least one or two to show up around that time of year.


5
Arvel Crynyd is identified as an A-wing pilot in the bio of the Rebel Pilots Multi-Pack.  However, according to the massive Star Wars Chronicles book (page 258), the helmet worn by Crynyd is that of a Y-wing pilot.  Did someone goof? 
  -Ken

Hasbro did. Arvel's supposed to be a Y-Wing pilot, they refer to him as a Y-Wing pilot internally, so the box is just another classic Hasbro typo.

6
The word is that Hasbro is makeing a second run of EU's Darktrooper and Spacetrooper figures, is this true?
  -Flip

While I have yet to hear it straight from the horse's mouth, Hasbro has said they'll be making more of some popular figures for the fan club as long as there's demand. And for those two, there's plenty of demand.

7
Adam I was wondering if you had an email address for George Lucas?
  -David

Yes. Yes I do. {snicker} All of us SW guys have it {hehehehe}.

8
Both the POTF2 and 12" AC Snowtroopers had dirty uniforms, but in the film, the snowtroopers had clean uniforms! I don't know why Hasbro made the uniforms dirty - any ideas?
  -Modern English

It's Hasbro. It's the Rhode Island division. They do some funky stuff... if I think about it too long, things get ugly. (Anyone who reissues a toy and forgets to change the date from 1983 to 1996, and makes things to carry figures that cannot hold the figures is not worth too much of your time. :)

9
On the cover of the new novel, Vector Prime, it mentions Mara Jade as Leia's sister-in-law. I have read all of the SW novels and just a few of the comics but do not remember Luke and Mara getting married. Can you tell me where that story line is covered.
  -Tom

Mike "X-Wing" Stackpole is working on a comic for release, last I heard, later this year. It focuses on Luke's quest as a "Fly Honeys of Coruscant" calendar photographer.

10
It seems to me that the only other obvious choice for a Darth Maul figure that nobody has mentioned is the Holographic version from when he is first introduced in TPM. With the fixation on producing this particular character over and over, any thoughts on why this version has been overlooked so far?
  -Shane

Well, personally, I'm sick of Maul. I've had enough Mauls... 4 carded ones in less than a year is PLENTY. A Holo one is... well, I think most of us would pick one up, but man, is it dull. Holo Sidious makes sense since he appears as such so much... but right now, I think Hasbro is weird for making new Mauls since the current ones sell so well. He'll probably come out in 2000 or 2001, after all, Hasbro has until 2002 to fill with rehashes new and original figures.

Gimme something else. Naboo Pilots, Jedi Masters... Cherry Coke Head, while an awesome character design, is starting to get just a wee bit old. The holo version is truly the last original way to present the character without going the "Malibu Stacy" route and giving him a new hat.

FIN
Yo dudes and dudettes! Don't foget K-Mart has all Lego stuff on sale for buy-one, get one half-off this week.