So many questions, so little space... Many other
Star Wars collecting sites also submitted questions you need answered, so if you want to know the latest answers from this week's Hasbro
Star Wars Weekly Q&A Session, here's a handy guide to help you get all the info.
From Action Figs: 1) With Hasbro concentrating on mid-sized vehicles, will we ever see an AT-ST with more accurate details, ie: opening eye windows?
2) You recently talked about the extra expense of hinged knees in action figures due to having to use nylon pins riveted through the parts. Why can't you just use a rivetless design and snap them into place the way you do with some of the Transformers line's hinges? If it's a choke-concern, most of the figures come with choke-hazard warnings anyway.
3) When will Hasbro make a new sculpt of the Dewback? There's no reason why it couldn't be done to scale with the 3.75" figures and be the ultimate version.
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From Jedi Defender: 1) Moff Jerjerrod from the 2006 Saga Collection had, shall we say, an interesting face (fairly angry) and a wide leg stance. The character in the film didn't do much but stand around and take a lot of flak from Vader, but his figure looks like he's ready to dish out trouble. Was this figure's sculpt an attempt to make it a more interesting looking character on the pegs or was it just artistic license from the sculptors/designers?
2) The Droideka is a figure that fans have always wanted to see in a "collapsible" form, one that is able to fold up into a ball shape. With the skill put into the Star Wars Transformers designs, I imagine a folding Destroyer Droid is now possible on some level in the 3.75" line. Are you guys considering giving it a try, maybe in the Titanium Series figure line (like those transforming Titanium Transformers you've got out now)?
3) At Comic-Con, you mentioned that each of the 2007 waves 1-8 will have a McQuarrie concept figure. Are these concept figures just limited to designs from Star Wars (Episode 4 aka A New Hope) or will there be a chance at a McQuarrie design from The Empire Strikes Back or Return of the Jedi as well?
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From Jedi Temple Archives: 1) Would you consider the mail-away premium George Lucas figure a successful campaign? What are the plans (if any) for future mail-away exclusive items? Any plans on venturing outside the action figure arena and maybe offering something like display stands or other unique accessories like we saw during the vintage days?
2) Will the distribution of the Caucasian and African American Endor Rebel Trooper be a running change and have they been produced in equal numbers?
3) We saw some images of the Han Solo / Chewbacca Transformer with gold Titanium pack-ins a while back. Can you give us information on when and where that will be sold?
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From Sandtroopers.com: 1) Can we once again look forward to Army Builder 4-packs? With so many new Clone versions, new sculpts on old favorites (Sandtroopers!), Are there plans to bring this concept back?
2) What is the top 3 things that Hasbro has wanted to do, but were shot down, whether it be by LFL, costs, time, etc?
3) Bothans are widely talked about in the Star Wars universe, yet we have never seen a definitive image of one, nor have we ever gotten a figure of one. Can we ever hope to see some Bothans?
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From Sir Steve's Guide: 1) What does Hasbro think the current number of "collectors" versus "casual buyers" (kids, and parents who buy for them) are in Hasbro's Star Wars line?
2) Star Wars collecting has always had heavy interest in its vehicles, the figures are 3.75" tall because that size would best allow action figures to interact with toy versions of the vehicles (a Millennium Falcon for 6" figures would be the size of a sofa, way too big). Lewis Galoob Toys made its mark on Star Wars with 2 major lines: Micro Machines and Action Fleet, both were vehicles supplimented by little mini-figures, and in their heyday Galoob was the 3rd-largest toymaker behind Hasbro but ahead of LEGO (all Star Wars licensees, perhaps not a coincidence?). In late 1998, Hasbro bought Galoob and within a couple years cancelled all the Micro Machines Star Wars lines (Micro Machines, Die-Cast, and Action Fleet), effectively ending consumers' access to Star Wars vehicle toys - many of which could never have been done in the 3.75" line. Hasbro has made several attempts to rejuvenate these Micro Machines concepts, often with sub-par results, but so far the only attempt that has not failed is the Titanium Series 3" vehicle line (which admittedly deserves many accolades, and its future appears to be getting even brighter); Micro Machines vehicles have not been re-attempted at all, while several Action Fleet relaunch attempts have lacked vehicle features and mini-figures resulting in slow sales - both the Saga Action Fleet and Titanium Series 6" Ultra Vehicles started slow with weak entries and higher prices only to pick up steam and fans right as the lines were cancelled. Star Wars collecting again lacks access to those sizes of vehicles, with that in mind, why did Hasbro buy Galoob toys if that company's main line did not meet Hasbro's sales expectations and its core lines were cast aside?
3) Will Hasbro consider making more "clean" army builders such as the ARC trooper, Sandtrooper, Republic Commando, Clone Commander, Galactic Marine, Airborne Trooper, etc., in an army building white color scheme, e.g. no color markings or non-removable pauldrons?
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NEW: From Star Wars Action News: 1) We were told at San Diego Comic Con that not all Titanium Forged Figures will have a patina (or vintage finish) version, but so far most have. Are patina versions of IG-88, the 501st Trooper, and the Target Exclusive Lava Reflection Vader shipping or planned? And how, in the future, will decisions about which figures get the vintage finish treatment be decided?
2) Are there any plans for exploring post-movie EU ships for the 3" Titanium series, such as the Outrider, Lando's Lady Luck, Talon Karrde's Wild Karrde, etc?
3) Some collectors have noticed that some figures have the peg holes in the heel of their foot while others have them closer to the toes. Why is this?
4) You have made a great variety of characters over the past 11 years but two original trilogy fan favorites, the Tonninka sisters from the Mos Eisley Cantina, have never been represented in plastic. There have been a lot of rumors and stories as to why which are so pervasive as to pretty much be considered fact by the collecting community. So, why have these two long-desired characters never been made, and can we expect to see them represented in plastic any time soon?
5) In a case of "You can't please all the people all of the time" as soon as you announced the highly anticipated U shaped piece of the cantina bar questions arose if the bar "center" or back piece with the pipes and distilling equipment will be released as well. Will it?
6) The new comic pack idea is great. When choosing comic packs, which comes first - choosing the comic or choosing the characters/figures?
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From SW Collector: 1) Since Hasbro is doing some of the SCI-FI Channel's Battlestar Galactica ships as Titaniums, will you be doing any action figures from the new series or the old TV series? Would they be in the same 3 3/4-inch scale as Star Wars figures if you did?
2) I know current figures based on the Cartoon Network Clone Wars cartoons are being done in realistic (i.e. "film style") sculpts. Will figures based on the upcoming CGI-animated series also be sculpted "film style," or will they reflect the new character designs from the show?
3) We're getting the Sith Starfighter and Vader's astromech droid from the novel
Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader. Any chance of action figures based on characters from the book, such as Senator Fang Zar (who was also seen in
Revenge of the Sith), or Jedi Roan Shryne and Padawan Olee Starstone?
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From The Jawa: 1) Many a collector is impatient to get what they might refer to as an "Ultimate" versions of major characters and the somewhat iconic background characters of the Saga. How does this concept mesh with Hasbro's need to hold the collecting community's interest for the remainder of the Star Wars toy license?
2) Can we expect an entire wave or waves of the 30th Anniversary Collection to be devoted to Clone Wars, or can we expect some sort of mixed EU wave?
3) 'Playsets' have been a recurring theme in the QnAs, but what about cardboard dioramas (like the two from the POTF2 days)? Both of them were very well done and are a great for displaying figures.
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From Yakface: 1) Since we're supposedly getting the curved part to the cantina bar in '07, is there any chance we'll see a Wuher or some cantina character that comes with some sort of drink dispenser piece to add to our cantina bar sections? I was kinda disappointed that the second or third release of the Wuher figure didn't come with something like this. You could even kit-bash it from IG-88's noggin for that extra bit of accuracy.
2) Well, Hasbro, you have confirmed that there will be a new Qui-Gon next year. You've also confirmed that there will be a new Mace Windu, as well. Now can you tell us if a brand new Luke Skywalker (in his Death Star 2 outfit) is coming next year?
3) I'm sure Hasbro is aware but are there any plans to give Commander Cody a much more well deserved scuplt. All of us collectors wonder why he seems to be shorter then the other clones? The articulation is pretty awesome but his height could've been better.
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