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 Tri-Weekly Q&A Session, here's a handy guide to help you get all the info.
Don't forget to check
Rebelscum's Q&A Session as well!
From CollectionStation.com: 1) Now that you've confirmed that there will be 4 new concept figures in '09, that one of them is Anakin, and that they'll be from both OT and PT sources, could you confirm whether the other 3 concept figures will be based on major characters (i.e. Vader, Obi-Wan, Yoda, Maul) or can we expect to see some obscure character and even alien design concepts, such as the Mon Calamari Dancer from the Galaxies Opera House or the Revwien alien from original Cantina alien drawings?
2) Now that The Clone Wars TV series has a set schedule, in the future could you possibly coordinate Hasbro's Clone Wars figure releases to coincide with the episodes those figures are in context to? We understand there's a long lead time on figure production, but there's also a long lead on episode production. Seeing a character on the series one day and then being able find the figure in the store the next day would help drive sales, don't you think? For instance, R3-S6 "Goldie" appeared in 2 episodes in early and mid November '08, but the R3-S6 "Goldie" figure isn't due until around February '09. Wouldn't the figures have more appeal with the characters fresh in kids' and casual collectors' minds? Would coordination like that be possible?
3) For vehicles that must have dedicated, non-removable astromech droid domes - such as the Ep 2 Jedi Starfighter, Y-wing, V-wing, and Naboo Fighter - might it be possible to get future revisits to have at least removable droid domes? Thanks to Build-A-Droid, we now have lots of different droid dome molds available, so if they were interchangeable on those dedicated droid slots it would add considerable play and display value for kids and collectors alike while taking advantage of existing elements and decreasing manufacturing costs slightly (it's gotta be cheaper to just pop a peg into a hole than to screw a dome permanently into a ship).
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NEW: From Galactic Hunter: 1) How soon might we expect to get the last two Seperatist characters: Tikkes and Rogwa Wodrata? Do they have a good Lord Malevalchance of being made to complete this group soon, or are they pretty far down on your priority list? Am I being too optmistic in thinking that the headsculpt on the new Clone Wars Quarren Soldier was designed for potential re-use on Tikkes later on, or perhaps Senator Tundra Dowmeia or an upgraded Tessek from Jabba's Palace?
2) Hypothetically, if you were to release Jacen Solo (who could also become the Sith Lord Darth Caedus) and Jaina Solo in a particular carded wave next year, might Anakin Solo be released with them? Does he have a much lesser chance of being made?
3) If you had to bet on one racer from the Boonta Eve Pod Race Challenge, who would you (the team) most like to see win?
4) How long are we going to have to wait to find out what this "unique" ROTJ Princess Leia is??? It's killing us!
5) Wouldn't it be really nice if we could somehow celebrate Life Day next year?
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From Han's Hideout: 1) Thanks for the info on the 2009 Legacy basic figure plan. Now that we know to plan for 54 new Legacy figures in 2009, how about a ballpark for the Clone Wars basic figures planned for 2009? Still in the 36-40 figure (6-8 waves) range for 2009?
2) OK, the site is called "Han’s Hideout", so it should come as no surprise that we love to see new Han figures. One thing that we were pondering today is the apparent lack of Han Solo figures in the Comic Packs line. When are we going to get our hands on a sweet, sweet Marvel Star Wars # 15 Han Solo & Crimson Jack Comic Pack? Or how about a Marvel Star Wars # 28 Han Solo & 'Jabba the Hut' (you know, Marvel's non-slug looking Jabba) Comic Pack?
3) A few weeks ago, you sent out pictures of a pair of upcoming TRU exclusive Clone Wars vehicles with pack-in figures (Hailfire Droid and V-Wing). Any update on when these are scheduled to appear on the shelves?
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From Imperial Shipyards: 1) Will we be getting Nute Gunray and Wat Tambor figures in the Clone Wars 3D line?
2) What are the chances of a Bacta Tank General Grievous being released in a comic two pack from the Visionaries comic story The Eyes of Revolution, accompanied with say a new San Hill sculpt and a Nexu cub as an accessory?
3) Is the Super Vulture Droid that's being released in the Clone Wars 3D line the same thing as the Hyena Droid Bomber?
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NEW: From Jedi Defender: 1) Expanded Universe waves of figures have come into vogue it seems, and while 2007 saw a mix/match wave of EU figures, the 2008 wave of Clone Wars 2D figures has me wondering if the next EU wave we could get will be a mix of characters from various sources, or if it will be a specific source that all the figures come from (IE: all Knights of the Old Republic characters hypothetically). Do you happen to have any information you could share on that, and the thought process that goes into the EU picking for a single wave?
2) With the awesome Yavin IV scramble pack coming, is there a chance the sled from it could get re-used for an Echo Base scramble pack in the future as well? I'm pretty sure a large segment of collectors wouldn't mind that at all!
3) Last year's "Ultimate Battle Pack" for Hoth featured the incredibly cool and large Hoth Turret. It makes me wonder though, will this item will ever make a re-release somehow, as the UBP was pretty pricey to pick up multiples? I can't really think of how off-hand, but I know I'd love a crack at more of this cool piece at a lower price if I could get them, as it's probably one of my favorite larger pieces in the collection.
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From Jedi Insider: 1) Is there any chance you will re-release the "Hunt for Grievous" Battle Pack? If no, what is the reason for not doing it with so many other Battle Packs getting re-released?
2) Any chance of Darth Revan and Darth Malak being re-released, maybe as a comic pack or paired with a third figure such as Bastila Shan for a new Evolutions set?
3) Images of new Battlefront II Battle Packs surfaced recently. Can you tell us how, when and where these sets will be released?
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From JediNews.co.uk: 1) A lot of collectors no doubt have a list of figures / vehicles / playsets / creatures etc. that they would love to see made, but is there anything on your own personal lists of wanted items that a) you know will be made and you can reveal to us and b) you can say categorically, is never going to see the light of day?
2) You mentioned recently that a Galactic Heroes Snowspeeder is in the pipeline, and with that in mind, can you share an image of what the new 2009 Galactic Heroes Snowspeeder will look like and tell us what figure(s) it will come packaged with? Can you also advise what the likely date for UK availability will be?
3) There are lots of new characters coming out of The Clone Wars, but in particular I would like to know if Hasbro will be releasing a Senate Commando figure (the blue armoured variant of the Senate Guard)? If so, how likely are we to see a red variant as an "off camera" Red Guard Commando?
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From Jedi Temple Archives: 1) Dark Horse comics has recently launched a CLONE WARS comic series as a companion to the animated series. Can we expect a related offering in the Expanded Universe Comic 2-Packs that utilizes the animated style figures?
2) The CLONE WARS series seems to be a fountain of new characters with every passing episode. Can you give us some insight on how the Hasbro Star Wars team is able to plan the figure line in conjunction with Lucasfilm for an ongoing television series? Is the Star Wars team seeing episodes in advance or preliminary artwork? And on a related front has the team seen any preliminary artwork or plans for the live action television series?
3) In a March Q&A session with 4-Inches.De Hasbro stated the following:
"We really like the Rebel Pilots, and can guarantee that not too far down the road there will be a red-suited Sullustan pilot."
Our tracking of the Q&A sessions has indicated that there are still some spots in the early 2009 RETURN OF THE JEDI wave which have yet to be filled. Could we see this previously mentioned red-suited Sullustan pilot in the basic figure line? And could it in fact be an update on Nien Nunb? The previous version is a 1997 figure and is in dire need of being brought up to the current aesthetic.
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From MouseDroid.com: 1) Dear Hasbro, After this year of collecting I have been introduced to the Mighty Mugg. These are very cool toys. My question is will we see the likes of Kit Fisto, Saesee Tiin etc from the prequel movies. Also will we ever get more EU ones as I expect the new Darth Revan MM to be extremely popular especially here in Australia. A lot of Forums are already asking for a Darth Malak to go with him but a Quinlin Voss or Master K'Kruhk would also be very, very welcomed.
Can you please shed a little on future ideas for these cool figures? Also, due to the limitation of the one basic shape, have you had any thoughts about releasing a new design, i.e. Mighty Muggs Version 2.0?
2) The surprise announcement last round on Mousedroid of a twin pack featuring Coleman Trebor got me thinking. Rather than do items like Build-a-Droid, Comic or Order 66 packs, could you make twin packs into build a scene? That is, make a wave have inclusions or bases that join together to create a scene. e.g. Coleman facing off a droid, Secura with Super Battledroid, etc, etc, etc and the entire wave joining together to form part of the Geonosis Arena.
3) Next year it is rumored that we will be getting four concept figures from four different artists. Can you please confirm if we will be getting Plo Koon from Jun? Also is there any chance of more concept figures in 2010 and beyond scattered through a series like 2007's TAC? These were all very, very cool figures which would be fantastic to get more as some of the ideas are great for favorite characters.
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NEW: From Raving Toy Maniac: 1) Do the same factories that produce Star Wars produce GI Joes, too? If not, when can they start? :) I ask because soft goods jackets, detail, etc can be applied to Joes and Cobras, and vice versa with articulation, and that would be a nice cross-pollination of toy concepts.
2) What is the policy on creating figures based on "no-named" characters? Is it possible for us to get an generic "Imperial Commander" or a "Rebel Hoth Trooper" that isn't based directly on a named character? Or does Hasbro feel that the fans need the name? I'm looking forward to getting Lt. Renz, but I'd hate to think that he's going to be the only black-tunic'd officer representative in my Imperial army.
3) The decision to make the latest B-Wing with squadron colors from the Rebellion comic series threw many for a loop. At a time where the design team seems to be having some fun with designs, is it possible to see some fun repaints of older vehicles? I for one would love to see Wedge's X-Wing in his Bacta War paint job.
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From Sandtroopers.com: 1) One vehicle that is getting quite a bit of screen time in the new Clone Wars series is Padme Amidala's Naboo yacht. This vehicle is pretty important in the Prequels, bringing Padme and Anakin to Geonosis, taking Padme and Yoda to Ilum, and now being pretty prominent in the last Malevolence episode and on Rodia. This ship isn't really that big, about the size of the Sith Infiltrator toy, and could easily retail for $20. All it would consist of would be the cockpit and boarding ramp really. What are the chances of this happening?
2) By now I'm sure you've seen some of the many talented people out in cyberspace that make custom figures, whether it be simple repaints (which I'm sure you're verrry familiar with) or actual sculpted from scratch action figures. My question is this: how would one go about applying to a position with Hasbro to help make toys? What type of education/degree would one need? And then, how would someone actually go about applying? Bring a portfolio of work to a convention that Hasbro attends? Send an email to a particular person at Hasbro HQ?
3) What's the possibility of a Naboo Queen Evolution Set with Queen Apilana Queen Jamillia and a new Queen Amidala figure, or just the first two being released?
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From Sir Steve's Guide: 1) In the Comic-Con presentation, the Clone Wars Magnaguard was shown to include an alternate, cloak-wearing head. Now that carded images have shown up, it appears as though this extra head is not included. Is it actually included and just hidden behind the insert, or is it another case of an accessory being taken out due to cost? If it is the latter, then can we expect a variant down the road?
2) Assuming you do decide to make the Corporate Alliance Tank Droid, which last you told us was likely since it is in the Clone Wars cartoon, would it have a cockpit and working treads? What other features would you put into it?
3) With the upcoming Wioslea figure, we have another Jedi-style outfit with soft-goods cloth robe and "skirt", but the upper tunic remains sculpted to the torso and thus doesn't match the color or design of the "skirt" that is supposed to continue the tunic. Don't get us wrong, Wioslea's outer robe looks far better than the oversized VOTC Obi-Wan's robe, soft-goods cloth does have its place in the line. But for matching the "skirt" to the top half of tunic, have you ever considered doing a figure with the tunic entirely as soft-goods? Would you consider doing a major super-articulated Jedi figure with a cloth tunic this way?
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NEW: From Star Wars Action News: 1) What is the initial read on the success of the AT-TE and Falcon? Has the sell-through met expectations? And with the release of the Costcoexclusive AT-TE, can you tell us specifically which figures (by number, i.e. Clone Wars figure #7, etc) have been repacked in that set, and if there are any new figures (repaints or new molds) exclusive to that set?
2) With the economy being in a slump and a slow down in consumer spending and the price of oil dropping per barrel how does this affect Hasbro with the production, pricing, and release of action figures? Will we continue to see the large quantities of figures release per year (60+) that seems to have been the norm since 2006, or will we see the amount of releases/waves/number of products contracting? A lot of collectors are watching their wallets and would hate to have to miss out or have to keep up with a deluge of product in these financially uncertain times.
3) The Mighty Muggs seem to have turned out to be a popular take on the urban vinyl meets Star Wars. There seem to be quite a few that are must haves such as Lando with his winning smile. One thing that had me slightly disappointed was the lack of a weapon to go with the Return of the Jedi version of Boba Fett. If Boba was to be revisited in his Empire attire, would it be possible to include two guns so one can be given to his RotJ brother? Boba needs his signature blaster and other Muggs like Jango and Grevious came with multiple weapons. Alternatively would it be possible to have an online/exclusive accessory set? Something to contain extra light sabers or other add on pieces like pilot gear, cloaks, and extra blasters for the characters that have no weapons or could use more armaments like clones?
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From SW Collector: 1) Any movement yet towards new product designs for the Force FX lightsaber line?
2) The light-pipe eyes on The Clone Wars C-3PO are quite striking. Could we see this feature in a future movie-styled Threepio figure?
3) The Force Unleashed game seems to have generated some renewed interest in Shadows of the Empire, because of their similar "bridging" themes. With a new comic pack already out, can we expect anything else from SOTE down the line, such as a Guri or a new Dash Rendar figure?
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From TheJawa.com:1) With oil being so much cheaper of late (under $50 a barrel) will Hasbro forgo it's decision to include only four figures per battlepack and return to including fifth figure?
2) Any chance of seeing a figure made of the Droid Commando or any of the other "new" Battle Droids that were recently featured in the Clone Wars series?
3) The RotS 2-1B figure was one of the most out-of-scale in Hasbro's history: it was far too small and I noticed a few collectors saying that they would only buy it when it went on clearance because the tiny size didn't justify buying it at regular retail price (I skipped it entirely). What happened here? You've mentioned in the past that sometimes a figure turns out smaller due to issues with the material or the tooling, but this one seemed too tiny for it to be just error. Was it cost-saving due to higher plastic costs? And can you promise us that an eventual TESB 2-1B will be correctly scaled?
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From Yakface: 1) Will you be updating the Stormtrooper mold in 2009/2010 to include the new style blaster holster utilized on the new Han and Luke Stormtrooper figures? Also, are there plans to upgrade the stormtrooper to give it the new ball wrist and hip joints like the Commander Gree has from TAC 2008?
2) Dear Hasbro, you've done an outstanding job in giving us new takes on previously release figures in terms of sculpt, detailing and accessories. One figure (or series of figures) that have yet to receive today's level of modernizing are the Bith. Can we expect to see an all new Cantina Band Member released in the Fall 2009 EIV wave?
3) Now that we have a better sculpted Ep3 Clone Pilot in the Evolution line, when can we expect to see named pilots such as Oddball and Capt. Jag' Gakaar from Ep3 in the Legacy Collection as I have a few Republic Gun Ships and ARC-170s with no crew members? Also on the topic of Clone Pilots do you have any plans to release or re-release the Ep2 Clone Pilot any time soon in the legacy or Saga Legends collection? The 2002 Saga version is becoming impossible to find anywhere thesedays at a fair common sense price.
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From Yoda's News: 1) Are we going to see more Galactic Heroes based off the Clone Wars line (specifically from the new Animated Series). And if so, will we also see some sets specific to certain episodes and adventures?
2) Again related to the GH line. Many children (and collectors) enjoy army building with these little guys as well, any chance we will see 4 packs if solid clone and solid battle droids in the future?
3) In keeping with the GH theme, can GH fans look forward to any type of mail away offer for the line (like the Indiana Jones on Horse one this past summer)? I think it would be well received with younger fans who may not have yet had the chance at a "mail away" offer as well as collector friendly.
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INDIANA JONES Questions
From Indiana Jones Collectors: 1) Hasbsro wrote IndianaJonescollectors.com not so long ago that Hasbro had the plan to release in 2009; a special re-release line for Indiana Jones with their latest 'Raiders of the lost Ark' figures on the Kenner cards that were made in 1982 (with the large photo of the particular character on the card). Unfortunately the "death" of the Indiana Jones Line is coming at the end of the year. Is there still a change that Hasbro will release this special line? Hasbro has already the 'Raiders of the lost ark' figures and perhaps also still the 1982 'Kenner' cards.
2) We saw on the Internet, the Hasbro 'Raiders of the lost ark' Cargo Truck in a different box; from the Cairo scene. Will Hasbro release this other version of the Cargo Truck?
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