As part of Hasbro's bi-weekly Q&A session, Rebelscum passed on 3 of your burning questions and now we've got the answers for you.

Rebelscum: Has Hasbro ever considered making action figures from the TV live-action Ewok Adventures? Many fans would like an updated Wicket (with prominent pupils, as seen in the first Ewok Adventure), as well as the main protagonist Cindel Towani, and the fan-favorite from the second movie, Teek. He even cameos in Star Tours.

Hasbro: We have to admit that we haven't taken a look at Ewoks (or Droids) for some time but as these are out there on DVD, and fans are showing very high enthusiasm for Ewoks (and Droids) lately, they do merit another look to see if there's a way to bring some of them to life. Right now there are no specific plans for tie-ins, but you never know. Thanks for the suggestion.

Rebelscum: I know it's pretty early to be asking, but will the basic line this year end at 60? Or will there be another couple of rehash/repaint/exclusive waves at the end like 2006 taking us upto 70+. I really hope this won't be the case, for the last 2-3 waves of ROTS and TSC were impossible to find here in the UK, and as far as I know all across Europe. If the last TAC wave is indeed The Force Unleashed wave this should at least keep the main retailers interested as there is something out there to directly help marketing.

Hasbro: It's still murky, but we're working the details of what the changes mean. With The Force Unleashed moving out to Spring 2008 (exact date TBD), we are moving around our waves to make sure that there is a steady flow of figures. Also, like last year with TSC extending into Spring, there is a possibility that the 30th Anniversary line look (TAC) will extend as well throughout the Spring. We are committed to delivering a collection of 60 figures with coins, hopefully all in this calendar year, a wave of coin figures may go into 2008. What is for certain is that there are additional waves for Spring (including now TFU wave) that may or may not have coins. We know that the basic figures continue to do really well in Europe and that demand has remained high, which could relate to your perceived scarcity comment. We are continually working with our international counterparts to make sure that European collectors can get the complete offering and get a mix to retail that matches demand, and will keep passing your comments to them.

Rebelscum: I have question about the figures design and production: On average, how long does it take a brand new figure (like the Firespeeder Pilot) to go from the idea stage, through design, and then to first shipment to stores, and where would a figure's production tend to get "bogged down" the most? I know some ideas for figures have been kicked around for a few years before design, and some have been prototyped way before production, but I'm asking for a general average timeframe.

Hasbro: Actual line planning, laying out wave by wave an entire year actually happens a long time in advance of figure development, so for example we may have had the idea to to a "Han Solo with torture rack" figure way back in late 2005 when we were planning 2007, but a specific figure actually won't get on shelf for 12-24 months later depending on where the wave falls in the rollout. An average time frame from the time our design team starts working on a concept for a newly tooled figure (actually drawing it up, with proposed articulation and accessories) is typicaly 12-13 months before the intended on-shelf date. This is for less complicated figures usually. Vintage takes longer because the sculpting usually requires more time, and role play (new lightsabers), vehicles and Star Wars Transformers take longer (up to 15 months) depending on the complexity of the engineering required to ensure the features work. Repaint waves, when we try and cover a long anticipated gap in the figure delivery schedule, happen on a much shorter time frame because they rely on existing tools and deco can be done more quickly.


Got any burning Star Wars questions you need answered straight from the source? If so, post your questions in this thread in our forums, and with any luck, you'll get your answers next week!