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) Recently, pictures of the TPM wave surfaced online, and they seem to be of final production samples. We've seen a trend in the last few years of deco work becoming steadily weaker and weaker, with the Gungan Warrior sporting a particularly weak deco. On all previous Gungans, the colored parts of the arms have been detailed and accurate to the film and the different colors on the face have blended together well; on this new version, the paint seems sloppy, with no details on the arms and a stark contrast between the dark and light colors. While we understand that you've cut back on weathering and other details due to cost issues, this Gungan seems a bit much. Will we continue to see increasingly poor paint applications as the line continues, is there too much budget given to articulation at the expense of deco, and if so, what reasons are behind these issues? Will the line's deco get cheaper and more toyetic as the prices increase due to ever-tightening budgetary issues?
2) Hasbro has had a long history of packing new figures or improved sculpts in various multipacks with re-released figures. This essentially makes longtime collectors choose between re-purchasing figures they may have multiple times already (Vader and Han Solo are notable repeat offenders), or completely miss out on the new figures in the sets. This has, unfortunately, caused many unscrupulous collectors to purchase the sets, remove the figures or accessories they want, replace them with older, less desirable figures, and return them to the store for full credit. Though honest collectors will bring this to the attention of store management, many times the tampered-with items are back on the shelf the next day for whatever reason. Though we understand the business sense behind offering the new with the old, the practice of figure-swapping-to-return theft is steadily on the rise and far less rare than it should be, while employees are less able or diligent to keep that tampered product off their shelves. Isn't there anything you can do to potentially slow the problem, both the initial swapping and the employees re-stocking the tampered items after it's been brought to their attention?
3) A recent disassembly of your Titanium Series V-19 Starfighter led to the surprising discovery of a detailed cockpit underneath the opaque yellow canopy. Why was this item released with the opaque canopy rather than a transparent one which would have shown off the detailing underneath? You guys are paying to design, sculpt, and tool up that interior, so why hide it? Will this be addressed in some sort of re-release before the line's end?
Click
here for the answers to these questions.
WELCOME: Dewback Patrol: 1) Now that we see packaging for the 501st Clonetrooper 2 pack can we expect to see 2 packs of current and older production Imperial troopers and Rebel soldiers. Like Gen Veers in armor with a Snowtrooper, or AT-AT driver. Even 2 packs of Stormtrooper & Bikerscout. For the Rebels we can have 2 packs of Hoth Rebel soldiers and Snowspeeder pilots- you get the idea but it be a great way to fill the ranks out.
2) Hasbro, you recently expressed interest in redoing all the Kenner figures that are in need of a refresh. Does that include figures from multipacks such as: Max Rebo, Sy Snootles, Droopy McCool, Uncle Owen, Oola, Labria, Nabrun Leids, Dr Evazan, Klaatu, Nikto, and Barada? These figures really have not stood the test of time as well as some others and could use the update.
3) With the success of the Scamble on Yavin battle pack (it flew off the shelves) has any more thought gone into producing more quality sets based on the OT?
Click
here for the answers to these questions.
From Galactic Hunter: 1) With Pons Limbic, Hasbro now has the tooling for Cantina tables. If the team simply put together the existing table; VotC Han Solo, VotC Greedo (with a plastic vest this time), and the seating for the booth, you'd have a cool Battle Pack for a Cantina shootout. How about it? Or what about adding a little battery powered table lamp to the table? It would enhance the Greedo-killing mood (yes, I can dream...). You would of course have to call this Battle Pack Cantina Encounter: Han Shoots First!?! Diorama builders would definitely like to get more seating for their Cantinas.
2) The modern Star Wars line from Hasbro/Kenner has been dominating the toy aisles for almost 14 years, and yet we still don't have an accurate and complete representation of the iconic Jabba the Hutt and His Dais from Return of the Jedi. What is Princess Leia [as Jabba's Slave] (which leaked last week) going to sit on? C'mon guys, don't hold out on me, and please send photos of Big Daddy Jabba the Hutt in honor of Father's Day or something.
3) Since you probably have most of your 2010 lineup planned by now, and you indicated last year that we might get a Sandstorm Leia and Sandstorm Lando in 2010 to round out the sandstorm group, can you give us an update on that projection? Is a sandstorm version of the upcoming Slave Leia in the running for the 2010 line?
Click
here for the answers to these questions.
From Imperial Shipyards: 1) We are all really liking the new Hoth Rebel Soldier from the Legacy Empire Strikes Back wave. Several Shipyards members have noticed a rather wide stance in the leg portion that makes him a no brainer to ride a taun taun. Would there be any likelihood that we will see a new taun taun as a battlepack or multifigure pack in the future, perhaps similar to the gelagrub battlepack that is coming out?
2) We have seen pictures of the new Y-Wing prototype. Does the droid socket fit a regular size droid completely?
3) We have seen pictures of the upcoming TRU exclusive Crumb Bomber gunship and I was wondering if you could give us a clue or a pic of the paint apps on the upcoming Walmart exclusive gunship?
Click
here for the answers to these questions.
From Jedi Defender: 1) A lot of the new Clone Wars Clones have been been getting some nifty wrist articulation. What are the changes of seeing that wrist joint on more figures outside the realm of the armored guys?
2) In an earlier Q&A, you mentioned plans for the VOTC Chewbacca to ship in the Saga Legends line this Fall, but the figure that we're getting appears to be the Legacy Sandstorm Chewie sculpt instead. What happened? Are there any new plans to get the VOTC or the Early Bird Chewbacca versions back onto the pegs somehow?
3) Can you explain to us a bit about the injection molding process that is used to create the ball/socket joints on knees and things? It seems like the pin is molded with a more rigid plastic and then the accompanying body part is cast in a more soft PVC-type plastic OVER the pin itself somehow. Anything you can share on how those joints are built?
Click
here for the answers to these questions.
NEW: From JediNews.co.uk: 1) We know that a lot of exclusive products are not being taken up by UK retailers. Is there any way that we can get Hasbro/UK retailers to change their minds over these products - what would we have to do to convince you/them? In these difficult times all the sales for these items are going to eBay sellers instead of helping to prop up the UK economy which seems crazy, especially when the high street is suffering so badly.
2) We've seen some great pictures of the new Galactic Heroes Slave I and some great new Scenes as well (Max Rebo Band, Medal Ceremony etc) will these products all be available in the UK? Also, you've told us previously that the AT-AT, seen at the UK and Canadian Toy Fairs earlier this year, will be delayed until 2010 - is that to coincide with the 10th Anniversary of Empire, if not will it definitely be coming next year?
3) We're finally getting a new Slave Leia and one that reclines too (with swappable legs) and it looks amazing! We're getting LOTS of e-mails asking us again and again when we'll finally see a new Jabba with throne from Return of the Jedi - it's the final piece that people are waiting on to complete their Jabba dioramas/environments. How long will we have to wait (it's been around 25 years since the last release)?
Click
here for the answers to these questions.
From Jedi Temple Archives: 1) Reissues are something that many collectors have grown accustomed to over the years. Most notably with the vehicle line. However there are some vehicles that have only seen limited release or re-release. And some have never seen wide release at all. Among them?
-AT-ST (general release in the 1990's / Toys R Us / Target exclusives)
-Landspeeder (Toys R Us exclusive)
-TIE Bomber (WalMart exclusive)
-Tatooine Skiff (Target exclusive)
-Y-Wing (Target/Toys R Us exclusives)
Can you elaborate on what makes it more difficult to bring these vehicles to the general release market? And might we see any of these vehicles re-released in the near term?
2) Collectors are still a little puzzled about the Return of the Jedi wave that was previewed in the Star Wars Insider. Where in the schedule does this wave fall now? Has the name on the Sullustan B-Wing pilot from this wave been settled? And is there any chance of a look at that one?
3) I know that the Clone Wars is the hot ticket right now but where is the love for the Legacy? The line of deluxe figures from the Clone Wars looks solid for the fans of that line. For those fans of the Legacy collection we feel left out. It has been about six years (four if you count EIII) since we have gotten deluxe figures. Will the deluxe figure ever show up for the Legacy some day?
Click
here for the answers to these questions.
From Raving Toy Maniac: 1) With Wal*Mart cutting its shelf space for toys, what is going to become of the exclusives that the retailer has picked up? My local store is already overflowing with old product without the aisle reduction, and I'm concerned if they'll be passed over because of it.
2) It has been strongly hinted that new mini-rigs are coming. Would these be based on the old Kenner designs or brand new ones?
3) The upcoming Leia as Jabba's prisoner figure features separate removable legs which allow her to be displayed in a lounging position. Is a "Return of the Jedi accurate" Jabba the Hutt (and his throne) currently in any stage of planning or production to display alongside Leia? How about Jabba's throne?
Click
here for the answers to these questions.
From Sir Steve's Guide: 1) There's been a great focus on troop-building with prequel- and Clone Wars-themed battle packs, especially lately, with even more on the way. Reasonable, after all, it is "Star *Wars*". However, this tactic hasn't been done all that much with the Original Trilogy troops, there are no squad packs or anything of that nature (except perhaps for the Tantive IV pack). Understanding that there is more troop-oriented storytelling going on with the Clone Wars era, there are still plenty of kids and casual collectors who want to set up battles with Stormtroopers and Rebel Troopers from all 3 OT films, the battle packs themselves can help do the storytelling to guide play. So why aren't we seeing more troop-building Battle Packs for the OT?
2) Having worked on the modern line for some time now, you've no doubt had to look back at the original Kenner line's grand history many times when deciding what the future of the modern line will be. So you've seen it all and made yourselves familiar with figures, vehicles, accessories, cards, boxes, and even baggies from the '78 - '85 Star Wars line. With that in mind, what does the current team consider some of the most oddball, head-scratching entries from that original Kenner line? What types of things do you guys look back and you can't even imagine doing with the modern line? (And should we give Mark Boudreaux a free pass since he actually DID work on that original line, or pull a "Sophie's Choice" and make him take sides?)
3) Recently, pictures surfaced of a few Clone Wars two-packs based around specific episodes, including characters from "Ambush" and "Rookies". While these look to be great ways to expand episode-specific collections, they also cover existing or already-planned ground. Why were some one-off clones like Thire and Echo chosen for inclusion in these sets when they're also being released via other avenues? It seems like it would make more sense to keep these characters unique to one release so that collectors wouldn't have to choose between releases. Will we be seeing more of these screen scene-type 2-packs, and will they be covering more types of characters beyond just clones? Out of the 4 two-packs we've seen so far, the only non-clone is Yoda.
Click
here for the answers to these questions.
From Snowtroopers.ca: 1) Everyone has heard stories about toys being manufactured in Asia with manpower working in despeacable conditions, as some factories often employ children to minimize their costs overhead. With people being more and more sensible about these questions, and sometimes willing to change their buying habits based on such matters, how does Hasbro ensure that the toys produced by their overseas factories meet the basic human rights? Is this even a concern at all for your company?
2) THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! for the 'Build-A-Droid' figures. I LOVE THEM ALL! Will we see this continue into next year and maybe the year after? Will Hasbro ever consider releasing a pack of just re-used, re-painted droid parts so fans can make up their own droids? Yes, I LOVE my DROIDS! And how about a re-pained R4-G9 with clean R2-D2 colours and a silver (not chrome) dome? THANKS AGAIN!
3) I love my Clone Wars Obi-Wan Delta Starfighter but, dang it, all I have is an R2-D2 or R3-S6 to navigate. When can we expect to see a Clone Wars R4-P17? Obi-Wan refuses to go on any missions without R4 despite his claims that he never owned a droid.
Also, seeing as you are re-issuing the Clone Wars General Grievous in the new red packaging, do you consider this to be the best, most accurate effort given to getting his likeness to the fans? As one of the most imposing villains in The Clone Wars his current figure seems rather petite and non-functional. Any chance Grievous will get the treatment he deserves soon?
Click
here for the answers to these questions.
NEW: From Star Wars Action News: 1) We're seeing a trend (especially in the last AOTC Wave of Build-A-Droid) of figures from the Evolutions or Order 66 series of figures making their way to their individual cardback releases. This includes:
BD #29 327th Star Corps Clone Trooper (from Evolutons: Clone Trooper to Stormtrooper)
BD #50 Anakin Skywalker (from Evolutions: Anakin to Vader)
BD #51 Jango Fett (from Evolutions: The Fett Legacy)
BD #52 Clone Pilot (from Evolutions: Imperial Pilot Legacy)
BD #53 ARC Trooper (from Order 66: Anakin & ARC Trooper)
Are these considered to be Greatest Hits figures, and can we expect to see more of these types of repacks in future lines - perhaps with more specialized figures like Mandalore, one or more from the Padmé Amidala Legacy, Darth Bane, Darth Nihilus, or perhaps even Tsui Choi?
2) The Qui-Gon Jinn Mighty Mugg has a decal on the back showing his green lightsaber accessory. As the word "Lightsaber" is printed on the box, I'm guessing perhaps the wrong color is underneath the decal? As I cannot remove the decal without destroying it, can you tell us what is under the saber decal, and if it was a wrong color what color it was?
3) I don't know if anyone on the team involved in the Q&A at present was involved with the relaunch of Star Wars figures way back in 95, but if so I was wondering if you could share with us what the mindset was to provide the overly-muscular depictions of the Star Wars characters, such as the "He-Luke", etc. Was it a trend in toys at the time, an attempt to make the toys more relevant, etc?
Click
here for the answers to these questions.
From SWCollector.com: 1) As a person who grew up during the original trilogy era, nostalgia plays big part in my Star Wars collecting, as I'm sure it does for many other collectors in my age bracket. Things like the Kenner line, the Ewok craze of the mid 80's, the first Star Wars animated cartoons and even the Holiday Special provided lasting and cherished memories of the first 10 years of Star Wars. Now I know that those times are long gone, but as great as the modern line is, isn't it about time for some sort of 'blast from the past' salute that just screams 70's and 80's Star Wars? There are lots of possibilities for things that you could try: retro packaging, modern takes on some Ewoks or Droids characters, a character or two from the Ewok movies like Kaink or Chukha-Trok, or even an exclusive never before released vintage figure like
this Luke. I'm sure you could come up with something great!
2) It was announced since Toy Fair that Shaak Ti and the other "The Force Unleashed" wave 2 figures would be released as retailer exclusives. What are the other figures, and which retailer will they be available through? Any images yet?
3) With so many Cantina Aliens getting new sculpts or their first figures, isn't it about time for updated versions of that pair of ruffians, Dr. Evazan and Ponda Baba?
Click
here for the answers to these questions.
From Yakface.com: 1) Images have shown up online giving us a glimpse at the new Slave Leia and her interchangeable leg accessory allowing her to sit by Jabba's side. The execution looks great and I think this is an excellent way to create a scene specific figure and it also give collectors more options on how we display our figures. Are there any other plans for an accessory of this type (legs or arms) to be used with other figures? The first one that comes to mind is the possibility of creating a true "Kneeling Darth Vader" as seen in The Empire Strike Back during his communications with the Emperor. It would give us (collectors) a new take on the Dark Lord while keeping a top tier character like Vader available to kids.
2) Hey Hasbro, any chance of seeing a Blurrg in the deluxe or battlepack line from the Clone Wars 3-part storyline that takes place on Ryloth? Blurrgs have been seen in the Clone Wars cartoon, video games, and even the made-for-tv Ewok movie!
3) Dear Hasbro, there has been some confusion in regards to the second version of the Ugnaught to be released later this year. Will he include the same accessories as the first run Ugnaught or might he have a different pack-in? How about a repainted version of the Han in Carbonite block without the thawing effect? I think the inclusion of this accessory would advantageous from a cost standpoint as there is no new tooling, it gives an a "new" version of an existing "core" character and its slim enough to fit in the new form factor packaging. What say you?
Click
here for the answers to these questions.
