Questions for February 16, 2004
Q&A Archive

Lots to get through today, it's been a while since the last update, so I made sure this edition was extra long… Thanks to everyone for their questions, they're always appreciated.

Couple feedback points to hit before we get started; Starfox wrote in to report that he'd found a case of preview figures that featured a different ratio than the one I'd mentioned. It looks like Hasbro has two assortments shipping now, one with 4x Grievous/Wookiee and 2x Tion/R4, and one with just the opposite, 4x Tion/R4 and 2x Grievous/Wookiee Warrior. Also, Dave Stolte sends this regarding the much questioned about Twin Pod Cloud Car:

"I personally spoke with a representative from Hasbro at Comic-Con last summer and asked him a simple, two-word question point-blank: "Cloud Car?" He told me that of all the vintage vehicles, the Cloud Car was the only one where the original molds were damaged (or lost, I forget) in storage. In order to produce a new Cloud Car, they'd have to completely resculpt it from scratch and the expense of doing so would push the vehicle into a price range that the current market just wouldn't bear.

He told me to get a vintage one off eBay & paint it up to look fresh."

So I guess that should lay any hopes that Hasbro would re-visit this classic vehicle to rest… Twin Pod Cloud Car - R.I.P.

On with the show:

1
The episode 3 packaging is a completely new design for Hasbro. Card-backs have been more or less rectangular and uniform in size. Are the new style card-backs larger or smaller than the traditional "rectangular" card-back? Will the new card-back fit into a standard Starcase? -Paul

and

I was fortunate enough to find all four of the Sneak Preview figures over the past weekend at the TRU at Northgate Mall in Seattle, but have since come to realize that the new packaging does not fit in the typical Star Cases that many collectors use for protection of carded figures. Do you have any suggestions for alternates? -Jeff

and

Not sure if you've already covered this before. I recently picked up the E3 sneak preview wave and was surprised to see just how different the card style is--especially when I realized these figs wouldn't fit in a standard Star Case. Are all standard E3 figures going to have the same card style? If so, do you know if a Star Case for these card types is going to be produced or if there's something comparable I can use to protect these figures? -MAF

At this point nothing is available, however we have heard something may be on the market by mid March. For the time being sit tight, as soon as a product has been announced we will run it in the news.


2
I have a question concerning Master Replicas Force FX Lightsabers. They say that they are not considered prop replicas due to the fact that they need to take into account the electronics, blade etc., internally. I assumed this would make them slightly larger to accommodate the components, however in the photo archives I noticed that they are actually smaller than the replica hilts. This seems odd. Wouldn't it be a better idea to make them accurate and larger? Wouldn't this allow them to handle the interior elements better as well as the blade... Even possibly making it removable? Either way it would make it more accurate and possibly considered a pretty cool replica with or without the blade. -M

Interesting, looking at my collection it appears the diameters are all wider on the F/X sabers than the regular prop pieces, with the exception of the Darth Vader saber, which is pretty darn close. Obviously, having to put something inside the hilt would naturally require more space; if MR felt they needed to shorten the hilt up a bit (for whatever reason), I can't fault them there. I'm sure there are a lot of things MR would like to do with the Force F/X sabers, but because they're more of a novelty item than a true replica, they have to do what makes the most sense.


3
I will like to know if HASBRO will sell Star Wars Action Fleet and Micro Machines this year (2005). I love the miniatures figures and ships, but Can you write me WHY HASBRO cancelled the Action Fleet line? -Orlando González Colmenares (Ensenada, B.C. México and Guaymas, Sonora, México)

So far there has been no definitive word on Action Fleet or MicroMachines. There are a number of Galoob products that have been lined up as exclusives; Wal-Mart's die-cast Titanium Series, and Target's Micro line, but so far nothing in the way of the traditional MicroMachine sets or Action Fleet has been announced. While it's not looking too good at this point, Hasbro did say they would consider Action Fleet for Episode III so we'll just have to wait and see.

Why Hasbro cancelled the line is actually quite simple. A number of products were lined up for 2003, some very cool ones in fact, but Wal-Mart and Target both passed on the line. Some say it's because the older re-released vehicles ended up clogging the shelves and retarding sales, while others point to the reduced shelf space given to the overall line. Unfortunately either reason ends with the same result. Though it wasn't enough to make a difference at the time, both the on-line retail community and Toys 'R' Us were there to support the line, it just didn't make financial sense for Hasbro to produce the line without support from Target and Wal-Mart.


4
Just last night I found the 05' cantina wave. On the pegs was a Myo with the Myo name sticker put on upside down on the top of the bubble. I know that you have answered questions about mistakes like this and their worth and that these mistakes are valuable of you find the right person. I am wondering if this mistake is easily duplicated by a knowledgeable collector that would make this mistake/variation worthless? -Jason

Sticker variations like this are usually quite simple to duplicate, and should never be considered a valid variation. As it is, it may be lighthearted conversation piece, but its collectible value will never exceed that of the correct version.


5
I have seen the busts for Darth Vader, Chewie and C3-P0 from Gentle Giant that are approx 1/6 scale.... they are full size busts and look quite impressive...when will we know if Gentle Giant plans to continue the line to include even more classics, specifically Boba Fett. And are these made in limited quantities? -Brett S.

Pretty sure you mean the statues, and I have to agree they are very impressive, unfortunately there has been no mention of any follow up pieces yet. Assuming the line does well with collectors and for GGS, I'd think we could count on more in 2006, but what's next is anyone's guess at this stage. We may find out more about Gentle Giants future plans at Toy Fair, if not though I'd look for more news around Comic Con. Looking at the property and what Attakus has done previously, should the line continue I would think Boba Fett is a sure thing. As for limited edition size; it varies per piece, but yes they are limited.


6
Can you tell me how to tell the difference between the regular stormtrooper bust up box and the blackhole stormtrooper box?

There is no difference; the Blackhole Stormtroopers are randomly packed with the standard troopers in the same style 'StarWarsShop' exclusive box, you just have to open it up to find out if you got one. Good luck!


7
Are there plans for any ROTS Galactic Hero-style figures? I've missed it if plans for those were revealed... I love those figures; we need some form Episode 3! -spike

Yes! Images of three Revenge of the Sith sets recently made the rounds, while I've seen documentation that indicates there could be as many as thirteen Galactic Hero 2-packs this year, we still don't know which other figures Hasbro plans to release. While I'm sure figures from other parts of the saga will make up part of those thirteen sets, there's a very good chance we'll see more ROTS 2-packs in there as well. Stay tuned, it looks like Hasbro is firmly behind the Galactic Heroes line in 2005.


8
Picked up the Ep3 Sneak Preview General Grievous this week, and while I think it's a really cool figure, I'm wondering what happened to the 2nd lightsaber he was supposed to have (the flyer included in the package even say this.) But what I was more disappointed to see was that the lightsaber was the 2-piece kind used for most of the Episode 2 figures. PLEASE tell me Hasbro's not going back to this version. I mean, a detachable blade's a nice idea, but the peg that holds the two pieces together is just way too small & fragile. It'd be far better to make the hilt a hollow piece (rubber, pvc, metal, whatever) and have the peg on the blade piece be almost as wide as the blade itself (or even the same width) and be long enough to fit inside the entire hilt. Most of the pegs on my lightsabers are either bent or broken off, and if this is the best that Hasbro's designers can do, I'd rather just have one-piece lightsabers. -Geof

No idea what happened to the second saber with the Preview Grievous, I would guess it was a cost cutting move, or done to set the figure apart from one or both of the standard ROTS versions coming later this year. Again, I guess it just all goes back to the old saying; product subject to change without notice… As for the saber construction, I have to agree, I'm not overjoyed to see the two pieces sabers at all. I'm sure a lot of collectors experienced the same problems with them that you described (I know I did), but Hasbro is always more likely to go with something they have rather than design something new. To be perfectly honest, I'd have been much happier with a one-piece 'activated' saber and a 'de-activated' hilt, but I suppose that would have required more work and possibly a little more money.


9
Why has Hasbro ditched the figure stands (the greatest pack in to date!)? For the money we're plopping down, I want my stand!

If Hasbro is just so afraid of making EU stuff, why don't they let another company do it then? Does Hasbro HAVE to make all the figures? Another company making EU figures in the same scale as Hasbro's is welcomed in my book. I don't want two companies making the movie figures though! And besides, if Hasbro is so afraid that people won't buy the EU figures, then why do they keep releasing their crappy cantina han-esque rehash figures which we all don't want!? I believe that when Kenner's EU figures made their ways to stores, I don't recall any of them ever warming shelves or sitting in a clearance aisle. The dark trooper was one of the coolest, and hardest to find, figures ever!

If they don't want to release EU figures in stores, then make them online exclusives! I'd say let EE do them, but then again, I don't like paying out the butt for figures either. Or do your little polls on your site and release an EU figure that way. At least then you'll know what the majority of us want.

If Star Wars comes to the small screen, thats gonna be EU (anything other than the movies)!! Is Hasbro still gonna be affraid to produce figures for it! NOPE!! -Bryan K. Day

It would appear from several of the leaked figure images that Hasbro is actually going back to the molded display bases rather then the generic stands. A number of the figures I've seen (collection 2 for the most part) have bases with them; they just haven't really been featured yet. Not quite sure what the deal will be with collection 1, but I assume the money you're plopping down is actually going towards the action feature rather than the stand.

Farming out EU? There's no way Hasbro would invite outside competition within the action figure market, not even for Expanded Universe toys. Look at it this way, all the Star Wars licensees - that big happy family giving us all those great collectibles, are all competing for our Star Wars dollars. The more products out there, the greater the chance we won't buy as much of the product we buy now. As nice as it might be for EU fans to finally get figures made of their favorite characters, it's just not in the cards unless they come from Hasbro.

Hasbro afraid of Han Solo? As a main character, Hasbro will never be afraid of putting Han out on the shelf, even if it's the same darn sculpt time after time, after time…

On-line Exclusive EU? Without retail support, Hasbro would be forced to spread their development costs over a much smaller market. As a result, any on-line EU exclusives would run higher than the standard $6.00+ per figure. A good example of this is the EE Clone Trooper set, very pricey for what it is, and those are from existing tools… At an elevated price, with limited exposure, there's serious concern on Hasbro's part (and any potential e-tailer) that the effort put into the EU toys would not pay off. No one in the toy business wants to lose money, and no one really wants to just break even either, it just doesn't make financial sense.

Small screen EU? Product support is the number one issue when it comes to Expanded Universe. A television show is much more accessible than a book, comic, or video game, and typically attracts a much broader audience. Should Star Wars come to television the odds that toys will be made from that show are very good (look at the Cartoon Network figures), but unless some of our favorite EU characters make an appearance it doesn't do much to help their cause.

10
I'm not sure if this was asked before, but I have a question about the recent Droids and Ewoks DVDs. As we all know, all of the episodes of the cartoon were not included on these two DVDs. Is Lucas planning on releasing a follow up set with the remaining episodes??

No plans have been announced that I'm aware of, at this point I think it's a wait and see proposition. However, if the desire to do so wasn't there, I doubt LFL would have released the DVDs at all. Sales of the first two disks will probably determine if they move forward with the collection, so for now keep your fingers crossed.

11
I was wondering if you know when Hasbro will be releasing the EIII line of figures? Not the Sneak Preview Figures. The regular Figures and how many on that date? When EII came out I got 30 figures at the Midnight Madness at Toys 'R' Us do you know if Toys 'R' Us will have another Midnight Madness? -Freddy

Street date for the Episode III line has been set at April 2nd, but there's been no official announcement regarding which toys we should expect to find that day. However, I have seen Hasbro sheets that indicate the bulk of the line will ship between the months of February and March. Potentially, we could end up seeing all but a few of the toys we know about so far on the 2nd. Of course this all depends on how well retail distributes their inventory to the store level, but things are already moving… I don't think Toys 'R' Us has announced any plans for another Midnight Madness, it may come down to the individual stores to decide, but I imagine some will participate. If I were you, I'd ask at your local store and see how they plan to handle it. If we get any info from TRU, we'll definitely pass that along to our readers.

12
In the upcoming movie Star Wars Revenge of the Sith, do you think we will know who is Anakin Skywalker's father? -Ric

I honestly don't think we'll ever know, nor do I think there's anything to find out. Lucas based a lot of Anakin's development on mythic lore. One recurring theme throughout ancient myth is the idea that the hero is the spawn of gods. For his purposes I'm sure Lucas is content with the idea that Anakin is the spawn of the Force, the "Chosen One," and not at all interested in explaining it any more than that. At this point in the story it doesn't really require more of an answer than that, and point of fact, if there were an answer (Sidious, Dooku, etc…) it would only call into question whether Anakin was the "Chosen One" or not. Personally, like Midichlorians, this is just one of those aspects of Star Wars where fans will have to take a leap of faith.

13
I was wondering why Hasbro is worried about shelf space for this [Death Star] playset when you got SAMS CLUB and BJS CLUB. It cannot be any worse than that HUGE box Darth Vader's shuttle came in from FAO SWARTZ. I do not have any figures or vehicles from 1976-1985 until they started coming out in 1994. I was only 7 years old when the first Star Wars movie came out. So I only now about them what I hear and see in pictures. So why is Hasbro remaking less than half of the toys and not all of them?

Even with distribution at the big "Club" stores, there's simply not enough exposure to justify the cost of re-releasing this playset. Vader's Shuttle is a good example. Yes, FAO offered it, but look where it's ended up; on-line retail has it, I think K-Mart had it… After FAO tanked, remaining stock was unloaded on whoever was willing to take it. This was not a great success story for FAO or Hasbro; in fact it's a glaring example of why the Death Star set can't be released without broad range retail support. It's clearly a shame, of the vintage toys this is by far one of the most requested pieces from modern collectors, it just comes from a previous time when the industry was much different than it is today.

14
Will Master Replicas produce the lightsabre of my favorite Jedi Qui Gon Jinn? I think it would be a popular choice. A .45 scale version would be fine with me. I'm hoping for a Qui Gon Unleashed figure as well. Have any plans been made for this figure? -Paul

So far there have been no official plans for a Qui-Gon saber; Prop Replica, Force F/X, .45 scale or otherwise. However, Master Replicas has the Star Wars license for a few more years at least, and at this point I have to think anything is possible.

Considering what Hasbro is doing now with the Unleashed line, I think it's high time they look at a Qui-Gon, Maul, Obi-Wan trio, or at least Qui-Gon/Maul pair. Unfortunately nothing has been announced for this year, and considering this year's focus on Episode III, I wouldn't expect anything like that until 2006 at the earliest. Keep your fingers crossed…

15
Will Hasbro ever re-release the Boba Fett Unleashed (Pit of Carkoon)??? They have re-packaged and re-released Darth Sidious, Count Dooku, Darth Vader to name a few and put them in with current waves. I've been watching e-bay and the Boba Fett is fetching close to $40 to $50 (even the loose ones). It seems like this one is being overlooked by Hasbro, since there is a huge demand. But this does NOT surprise me when it comes to Hasbro; alot of there marketing decisions make no sense. -Darth Ubiquitous

In my opinion, the re-releases have a lot to do with the new style artwork featured on the card and wider distribution at Target and Wal*Mart. Since Fett was one of the figures to usher in this new style and availability, I have a hard time seeing Hasbro re-releasing him. Still, anything is possible, but for my piece of mind I'm not sure I'd be willing to bank on that happening.

16
Why does the new Star Wars Trilogy DVD set have such a darker appearance then the VHS releases, darker meaning hard to see, plus big differences in some of the bright blue and green color lights. When you watch the movies it feels like you're at the drive in movie theaters, it's really hard to see and there are a lot of shadows. I have compared this with other friend's of mine trilogy DVD sets, TV's and VHS sets all to the same result. The VHS set has a brighter/easier to see look. Is there a manufacturing error, or is this the highest quality? Has anyone else said anything? I do not notice any problems with visibility difference with the new movies DVD's compared to their VHS counterparts. -Allen

Well, there's been no mention of a manufacturing error, and yours is the first email I've received mentioning a problem with the color. I think what you are seeing here is just the differentiation between the two mediums. DVD being true digital should naturally be more intense than VHS videocassette. While I'm sure LFL played around with the color, no one else has really had a complaint so far. The only suggestion I have for you is to adjust the setting on your television until you're happy with what you see. Had there been an issue with the disks, I'm sure LFL would have addressed it by now.

17
I was just wondering if there was a current list of the figures that were coming out on the 2nd of April. Do we also know how many in this first wave? -Brad

Unfortunately, at this point we don't have a definitive list. We may have a better idea coming out of Toy Fair, but I'm sure Hasbro can't even be sure what will actually make it to the shelf come April 2nd. The biggest determining factor will be retail's ability to get the toys from their warehouse to the stores, I'm sure there will be new product, probably a lot of it, but specifics can't be nailed down just yet.

18
A Few Fast Questions:
1) Any chance we'll ever get a Moff Jerjerrod character? Somebody has to run the Death Star! (I guess this goes along with asking, will they still be making characters from the original trilogy they haven't made yet? Like Hermie Odel / Captain Needa and other cool background characters.)

2) Any word (or chance) they'll release General Veers on a card so we don't have to buy an AT-AT to get him?

3) Dark Horse made an awesome Anime Star Wars comic book series a few years back. I haven't heard of any AOTC of ROTS series coming out to complete the set. Have you? -Girlofgod

Jerjerrod is one of those characters you can't really be too sure about when it comes to an action figure. Yes, he was "in charge" of the second Death Star, but he didn't command the type of attention Peter Cushing did as Tarkin. I would think it would be a simple figure to whip up, there's certainly existing figures Hasbro could add a new head sculpt to, I just don't get a good feeling he's on the 'hot' list. As for Original Trilogy figures in general; yes, Hasbro will continue to offer OT figures as long as they are producing a Star Wars line.

No word on Veers as a carded figure yet, though I hope if and when they do, they won't simply re-package the AT-AT pack-in. That would just be sick and wrong…

While I'm usually up to date on what's happening with Dark Horse, I have to admit I've fallen behind a bit lately. To the best of my knowledge Anime versions of Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith have not been announced yet, but considering their popularity I would think it's only a matter of time. I'll ask around, we have a few friends at Dark Horse; hopefully they'll either shed a little light on this, or point out what I missed...

That was quick; just got an email from Dan (Curto) who tells me there are no current plans for Anime style AOTC or ROTS comics, and we probably won't see anything like that this year. Thanks Dan!

19
I was curious if there are any rumors of Hasbro releasing any of the Imperial vehicles in the Galactic Heroes line. My four year old has every set that has come out so far, and it is his favorite toy. He has asked if there are any "bad guy" space ships like in the movies. He bugged me so much with this question, I went out and bought a TIE fighter from the classic series to pacify him a bit, but he gets mad at it because he can't put "Darf Fader" in the ship.

I hear ya, we gave our twin 2-year olds each a Galactic Heroes X-wing for Christmas (their older brother already had the '02 Playskool X-Wing and Falcon - which all three play with now), and they are constantly asking me for a "bad-guy-ships." Unfortunately, for them and for your son, there's been no word yet. Hasbro stated in San Diego that they would like to open the line with the figure two packs and eventually work up to some vehicles, but I haven't seen anything past what's currently on the shelf. In light of what the line has to offer, I would think a Vader's TIE and AT-AT would be up for consideration, and of course a Jedi Starfighter from Revenge of the Sith. For now we just have to wait, but let's hope Hasbro has something planed before too long.

20
Hi, I would like to know if Hasbro is going to release more VOTC 3 3/4" action figures this or the next year.

Plans for 2006 are in development right now, as far as I know nothing indicates Hasbro will be bringing the VOTC line back, though it seems like a good enough idea to me. One milestone event that stands out as a perfect excuse to re-visit the VOTC is Star Wars' 30th anniversary in 2007, but that's quite a ways off. Stay tuned though, while I don't expect we'll hear anything out of Toy Fair, Hasbro usually shares more information about the following years line at Comic Con.

21
I was wondering if there is a list of characters from the original trilogy that have not been made that are more than just a face or a flash of a second on the screen. My example is Moff Jerjerrod. He had quite the mini-role in ROTJ. Anyone else you can think of that would fit into the category of "Those-That-Should-Be-Made"? -cw

"Those-That-Should-Be-Made," now that's one of those subjective lists that vary widely from fan to fan. I'm sure there are lists out there, but I doubt there's one list that everyone would agree on. When I started my old site, I was kind of heading in that direction, but I've kinda let it go to pot in the last few years. If I were to make a list though, these are some of the names I would put on it:

ANH -
Genral Tagge
Chief Bast
Colonel Wulf Yalaren
R5-D4
Arcona
Garvin Dreis (Red Leader)

ESB -
Major Bren Derlin
Toryn Farr
General Veers
Captain Needa
Bespin Guard (2)
Lando (Falcon Captain)

ROTJ -
Hermi Odle
Yarna d' al' Gargan
Klaatu
Skiff Master
Moff Jerjerrod
Chief Chirpa
Romba
Warok
Lumat
Sim Aloo (Dignitary)

There's plenty more, but at least it's a start…

22
I've noticed that a lot of people keep asking about the chances of seeing figures of the same well-known but minor characters (Tonnika Sisters, Luke & Leia at the end of ESB). The odds never sound too good, and your explanation as to why Hasbro might not consider doing these figures has a lot to do with potential sales (which makes sense, from Hasbro's point of view).

Since there are a lot of Star Wars fans that collect the figures, there *is* a market for these guys, just not on the same scale as the store-based figures (main characters, repacks, etc).

Has the Star Wars Fan Club ever considered having Hasbro produce an actual "Collectors' Line" of some of these minor (but wanted!) figz? They could produce a limited number, geared toward collectors and only available at the official online Star Wars store? They used to offer exclusive figures (Oola, Muftak & Kabe) on the Fan Club website...

Just a thought, 'cause I'd love to see these over-requested figures made too (esp. the Ice Cream Maker Guy - had to plug my favorite)! -Jason Marlatt

Hopefully I'm completely wrong about this, but here's a thumbnail history and my take on this idea. A long time ago, when the Fan Club was actually run by 'fans' the thought of offering fan favorite/exclusive figures was somewhat of a priority. I had a few conversations and shared emails with Dan Madsen who genuinely wanted the Fan Club to offer these kinds of items. However, considering the number of figures Hasbro insists upon as their minimum order quantity, and the price threshold collectors are willing to pay for them, it's essentially a loosing proposition from the start. We all know what happened to the Fan Club following Episode I; we all remember the Oola and Muftak & Kabe sets that trickled down to the .99-cent stores or other clearance shops. Heck, even Wizards of the Coast had problems in this area, and they're a Hasbro company. Plain and simple, for the number of collectors, the price they're willing to pay, and the quantity Hasbro feels they have to produce; you just can't break even. Now, jump to 2004/2005, the Fan Club is "back home" at Lucasfilm, has anything changed? Might there be a chance this idea could flourish again? Absolutely not. Above all else LFL is a business, a very wise, shrewd business; I'm sure they see the pitfalls in getting involved with this idea, and have no interest in getting themselves behind the eight ball. To their credit, Hasbro has done a valiant job of filling this niche with their Fan Choice figures, but even looking at their track record, these types of figures (one way or another) are a hard sell.


Until next time...


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