Questions for June 16, 2006
Q&A Archive

A little bit of clarification here; last week a question was asked about buying a full case to get two Scorch figures vs. possibly buying them at a convention this summer. In my answer I had left the impression with a couple readers that I condoned or endorsed the practice of returning figures purchased on-line to your local retail chain (with a valid receipt) for credit or cash. I, in fact do not suggest this as a way complete your collection as it can result in a glut at retail and slow the flow of product. Obviously there's a hornets nest of collector issues here and no real right or wrong answers, but in the end it's only the collector that gets hurt where this practice is employed.

Also, Tim V. send word that the mystery alien in Palpatine's company during the theater scene in Revenge of the Sith is a Vurk by the name of Sweitt Concorkill. For those interested, this is apparently confirmed in one of the recent Insider magazines, the one featuring an article on the Delegation of 2000. Thanks Tim!

On with the show:

1
Will we ever see a hologram [Commander] Cody action figure? I think that would be cool, they show Cody as a hologram in ROTS as he is taking the order 66.

Hasbro needs to make a battle pack of the Republic Commandos, Delta squad & omega squad that would be awesome.

One never knows what Hasbro might have up their sleeve, but considering we have holograms of Ki-Adi Mundi, Yoda, and Aayla Secura, Cody would be the last piece of the puzzle to complete the scene where he reports Grievous' forces have been engaged. This is probably a better fit for a potential Cody hologram figure, Hasbro can just re-cast the current basic version in clear blue plastic, but I wouldn't mind a mini-hologram version of him either. I think the chances are good as long as fans make some noise about it.

Unless Hasbro plans to have some kind of variation in mold between the different Commando characters, I don't see them creating a Battle Pack using the same mold for each figure. It might not be a bad idea to cap off the Commando series; maybe throw in a few other characters/aliens from the game and the last Commando… Until then I think we can expect a couple repaints in the basic line and maybe an all white troop building commando.


2
Can you please list the places that sell Bust-Ups? I am looking for retailers and I live in Los Angeles. I know Suncoast sold them about a year ago, but they haven't had any in while. -Ryan G.

Aside from places like Suncoast and Hot Topic, you should be able to find Bust-Ups at your local comic/collectible shop. Of course if that fails you can order online from sites like Entertainment Earth, but if you're not interested in buying by the case, comic shops are the way to go. Call around, if none of your local shops carry the line, you might be able to convince them to order for you through Diamond.


3
I am wondering, since Hasbro is releasing Mace Windu's Jedi Starfighter, as well as a Battle Pack, is there going to be headgear for him to pilot the vehicle, or maybe another Mace that is more cockpit friendly? Whattaya think? It would be nice if Hasbro had the forethought to put the headgear in the Battle Pack or something.... -JediTray

While it certainly would have been a nice thought, there's been no indication Jedi pilot head gear will be included with the fighter or the Battle Pack. In a pinch you could probably borrow a headset from the Obi-Wan Red Leader figure, Anakin's green Jedi Starfighter (TRU), or the 2003 Clone Wars Anakin. As for a Mace Windu figure that's more cockpit friendly, try the 2003 Screen Scene Mace with soft goods. I honestly wouldn't hold my breath waiting for Hasbro to make a Super Articulated Mace Windu Pilot figure, this think this (or a re-release of this figure) is about the best we can expect for now.


4
Is there any chance of a repack of POTF2 figures or even some vintage figures? -Cameron

Given the look of the collection has changed considerably from the 'hulkier' figures released back in '95, I wouldn't expect certain items from the POTF2 line to be re-released. Although, there has already been a number of repaint/repacks from that segment of the line (this year's Barada for instance), and I expect we'll continue to see some of the more natural looking POTF2 figures upgraded put out in the years ahead.

As for vintage re-releases, in the past Hasbro has expressed concern that this might leave vintage collectors feeling their long cherished collections have been devalued, but it has been (and I assume continues to be) considered. If Hasbro could find a way to pull something like this off without alienating the vintage community, I think they would go forward. As stands right now the vintage style figures are somewhat of a compromise, but there's no telling if somewhere down the road this might make for a fun new collection.


5
Hey Mark do you think there is a chance we'll see a super articulated Mace Windu action figure because all of the other Mace Windu action figures have sucked. To be honest I think it would be really cool to have a Mace Windu that was as pose-able as the red leader pilot obi wan. -Phil (UK)

As I kinda/sorta hinted at above, I wouldn't hold breath for a Super-A Mace Windu. In talking with the folks at Hasbro about 'other' Mace Windu items, I got the distinct impression that they don't consider the character to be all that important. Because of this, I have a hard time seeing them put much effort into perfecting the action figure form. I think we'll continue to see re-releases of the figures they've already produced, some with a few minor improvements, but that's the most that I expect from here on out. Hopefully I'm proven wrong; so far most of the Mace Windu's have been pretty bad, I would love to see them do something with the figure along the lines of the Obi-Wan pilot, I just don't have a lot of faith that Hasbro sees the point of it.


6
I am a huge collector of the miniatures game, and I used to store all my minis in a big tin, but my collection is getting so big I cannot keep them all in there, plus it takes me like 20 minutes to find one mini. So I need to find a new storage source that I can divide each faction into, like empire rebel etc. I was going to use plastic bins but in an old Question Mark I read that plastic helps discolor and deteriorate them faster, so I am worried for my collection. Do you know a cheap great source that I can use for minis storage that will also help me preserve my collection? Also, I recently read about an upcoming Darth Plageius novel on starwars.com and it said that the great Sith Lord was really a Muun. Is this really official? It is hard for me to picture probably one of the greatest Sith Lords as a goofy guy like San Hill. Are there any thoughts from fans or you guys about this? Thanks. - Gene

As long as the bin you're using isn't airtight you should be fine. If you're actively playing with the miniatures, they're probably in more danger from oils on your fingers than they are their storage conditions, but that's the point of having toys and game pieces in the first place. The Plano storage/tackle boxes are one way to go; there are a number of different sizes and in most the compartments are adjustable. If you really want to look into it, check out your local Container Store (or shop online at The Container Store.com…) and see what they have to offer. I know they have a good selection of clear acrylic storage containers, nice clear plastic, lots of compartments, I'm sure you'll find something that works for you.

Yeah, that San Hill type seems a little on the wormy side for a great Sith Lord, eh? You know, give it a chance I guess, until the story is written you never know what to expect. The nice thing about the Expanded Universe (for me at least), is that if don't particularly care for a certain story, plot, or explanation you can just block it out. I could go on all day about how I feel the EU is sucking the imagination out of Star Wars fans, but I understand there are plenty of fans that truly enjoy their EU experience and I think that's great for them.


7
Hey, the "Hunt for Grievous" battle pack I ordered from Amazon.com has not been shipped yet, although the item is unavailable for purchase. What's going on? Is amazon.com slow to start shipping? Did amazon.com get these packs yet or is Hasbro still holding on to them? Lastly, am I the only one this has happened to? -Andrew T.

This happens every so often with Amazon; if an item is delayed beyond its expected ship date it throws the whole system into a panic. I'm guessing the system is designed to purge unshipped orders past a certain period and this all gets generated automatically. Obviously the sets are shipping to Toys 'R' Us stores, and presumably to the Amazon warehouses, they just didn't get there in the allotted time frame. Rest assured you are not the only one caught in the this vicious cycle of collectible torture (is it coming, is it not coming, what do I do?!), do keep an eye on your order, check status with Amazon on a regular basis, and by all means keep an eye out for this set at your local TRU. At this point anything could happen, Amazon could honor your order just as easily as they could cancel it outright. If you don't want to miss out on the set, you're gonna have to be a little proactive.


8
I wondered what your thoughts are on the re-use of older molds for the current vintage Saga figures e.g. Trench coat Han¹s head and legs from the VOTC Han, and Greedo¹s head and hands are from the Commtech/Cantina set/OTC Greedo head and hands sculpts, just adapted for the new articulation. Even the new Sandperson and Biker Scout heads appear to be based on old molds. In the first VOTC series, there was no re-use of older sculpts at all. While I feel that if Hasbro totally nails a sculpt like Greedo, it¹s okay to re-use it (though I think Saga AT-ST Han¹s head would have been a better re-use choice for trench coat Han), many people have griped that it¹s not okay on a $10 "premium" figure.

Also, was the release of the Titanium Boba Fett figure the most anti-climactic, unheralded reveal of a major Star Wars character¹s face ever? I believe this is the first official toy to reveal the face of the adult Boba Fett. I¹m not sure how many EU artists have taken a crack at imagining Boba¹s face, but this toy reveals it as a poorly sculpted, poorly painted Pete Sampras look-alike. I realize he¹s a clone, so he has to look basically like all the clones we¹ve seen, but couldn¹t there have been some Lucasfilm design involvement here to customize things away from the generic clone look and reveal the "souvenirs" of his shadowy adventures some facial tattoos, some braids, some scars, an eye missing or something? Something that makes the drawing aside of 25 years of mystique a little more exciting? -Duncan

With the extensive library of parts that Hasbro has amassed over the last decade+, I can't fault them for using a few existing parts to help them fashion new figures. It's not necessarily like they're taking apart old molds and piecing together new ones, it's more like they're using what they have to help them build all new molds. Some parts may look the same, but in most cases these molds are brand new. It may seem like a short cut to some, but if it saves time and money and helps take a particular figure to a new level, I'm fine with that.

Yeah, the Titanium Fett was a bit of a let down. Hasbro basically slapped a Jango Fett head on there and said Ta-da! Given the sorted history and reputation the character is supposed to have I would have hoped for something a little more, but oh well… Cool idea to be sure, just didn't grab fans the way it could have. Hopefully when they get around to doing this for the basic figure line they can take a little more time and build a little more 'character' into the head sculpt.


9
As far as EE customs go, assuming the first two sold well (have they?), more astromechs seem like a no-brainer -- in particular now that there's a decent head mould for an R5 unit. That opens up a lot more nifty possibilities. An R5-only pack, consisting of, say, R5-A1 (the black one from the second Death Star), R5-A2 (the orange-headed guy from Mos Eisley), R5-A7 (the one that gets blown off the Queen's ship's hull in TPM), R5-K6 (Red leader's nifty red-and-black one) and R5-M2 (the black-headed one from Echo Base) would be great. And, of course, there are still other R2 and R3 units (though they may have done all the R4s now). Might they give us a sequel sometime in the (near) future?

Near future - not likely. Eventually, maybe so. I'd assume that all the R5 ideas you've thrown out have been recognized as potential for a new droid set, it just may take some time before we see anything put together. In the mean time I'm sure Hasbro has recognized the desire from collectors to have more R5 designs, and will most likely consider some of these versions in the years to come. While it might be nice to get set of them in shot, I'm confident that within time we'll be able to build a nice collection of R5 droids.

10
Mark, StarWarsShop.com is listing a "new" Boba Fett figure from Medicom in the RotJ gear. Do you know if this figure/packaging would be identical to what was originally released by Tomy/Medicom in 2004, or would there be a considerable difference worth basically buying this yet again? -Michael

Michael, as near as I can tell there is nothing "new" about this Medicom Fett other than the fact that it's new to this (the U.S.) market. Two versions of the VCD (Vinyl Collectible Doll) Boba Fett have been available for over a year now; one in Return of the Jedi deco, the other in Empire Strikes Back deco. Both can actually be seen side by side in this post from the WCC20 Convention last June. The package that is being shopped at StarWarsShop looks identical to the box the original ROTJ Fett came in, black with the die-cut Fett icon window, without closer inspection I can't tell any difference. I'm a pretty big Fett collector, I've got both versions of the VCD figure already, there's nothing about the one being offered at StarWarsShop that makes me feel I need to buy this piece yet again.


Until next time...


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