Via the Star Wars Galactic Hunter Figure of the Day Blog: Han Solo (Endor, The Retro Collection). The skin color of modern retro guys aren't as good as the originals, but the sculpt is excellent and so is the coat. Given the coat covers most of this somewhat hard-to-find 1984 figure, I'd say it's worth getting aboard the "good enough" train. Toot toot.

Also happy 40th birthday to Return of the Jedi, the milestone that reminds the VHS generation of fans that they are now old.

Read on!

Via the Star Wars Galactic Hunter Figure of the Day Blog: 4-LOM (The Retro Collection). The original isn't too expensive, and it isn't changed too much either. But if you don't have the original, this is a pretty good substitute with the requisite slightly washed-out sculpted detail. But hey, what matters is the robes cover most of it and they did a good job replicating the old fabric, so you'll probably love it. Read on!

Numerous reports from around social media state that former Kenner and Hasbro designer Mark Boudreaux, known for engineering so many vehicles, Titanium Series Transformers, the vehicles and playsets in Care Bears, and even a lot of work on the HasLab Sail Barge, has died. I have not found a primary source or mainstream news outlet to report this at this time, but he has been reported hospitalized for quite some time and has been suffering lung damage from COVID-19 and a ventilator.

In an exciting bit of price disparity, the same toy is $20 cheaper at Hasbro Pulse. Click here to pre-order the Star Wars Retro Collection Star Wars: A New Hope Collectible Figures Multipack at Hasbro Pulse for $69.99. Or, you can click here to get it for $89.99 at Shop Disney. Why the difference? I have no idea - Hasbro's price is more in line with the current $11.99-ish retail price per figure elsewhere.

While Shop Disney has no date, Hasbro Pulse says to expect it around June 5. Supposedly these have hit US warehouses, so it should be a fun time soon to see how the clicking mechanism in R2-D2's head translated to new production... or how it compares to the Stan Solo droid remakes.

Via the Star Wars Galactic Hunter Figure of the Day Blog: Zuckuss (The Retro Collection). They fixed the hand to better hold the blaster and changed the color a bit - that's good! But the sculpted details are still pretty soft - that's not ideal. But at least it's interesting and different than the 1982 original. Read on!

Via the Star Wars Galactic Hunter Figure of the Day Blog: Biker Scout (The Retro Collection). If you have the 1983 original and his variants, this will look familiar - and weird. The helmet is a little distorted, and Hasbro made some curious deco decisions at the factory level, but it's not awful. It could be better - but the pistol is good and it looks like a Scout Trooper. Read on!

Via the Star Wars Galactic Hunter Figure of the Day Blog: Luke Skywalker (Jedi Knight, The Retro Collection). This is a reissue of a figure that I first got in 1983, and with the new head I'd go as far as to say it seems more like an interesting new variant. The same figure mold - possibly with a recolored cloak, that's inconclusive - will be sold later this year as a The Book of Boba Fett Jedi Academy Luke Skywalker figure. Which seems like something Kenner would've done by the late 1980s. Read on!

Sometimes Dr. Zaius is right - you might not like what you find. Gamespot posted a reveal of Book Of Boba Fett's Luke Skywalker Gets Star Wars Retro Figure without acknowledging that they didn't. It is, in fact, a repack of the reissue of Luke Skywalker (Jedi Knight) from Kenner way back in 1983. It's a packaging variant for what I assume will be a popular figure with lots of demand, so that's good - but he doesn't have Luke's new shirt or boots. It's the same old thing.  Some pictures show a brown cloak, and some show black, so it's possible you might get a new black cloak here.

It's not even just different enough to make you mad - it's a real Kenner-style package logo/photo variation.  I should have seen it coming - it's a good economical idea for a business, less so for those of us who were hoping we might get the first post-trilogy Kenner-style Luke figure we've been wanting since the 1980s.

The review of the Return of the Jedi reissue - seemingly identical and shipping now - will be posted here on Thursday. (It's good.)

Surprise! Hasbro's Kenner's The Retro Collection The Mandalorian (Prototype) figures are showing up in Phoenix, AZ for $14.99 each. (I found them, so it's a legit sighting.) Take care to examine both sides of the rifle for stress marks before making a purchase.   The figure has a gray cape and Kenner blue blasts, so it might be of interest to customizers and open toy collectors just for that.

Via the Star Wars Galactic Hunter Figure of the Day Blog: Princess Leia Organa (Boushh, The Retro Collection). She looks different, and different is good - the head has a different personality from the original, making this seem like a long-lost variant made a mere 40 years later. Read on!

Ad/news: Amazon's exclusive STAR WARS Retro Collection 4-LOM & Zuckuss, 2-Pack, The Empire Strikes Back 3.75-Inch Collectible Action Figures, Ages 4 and Up (Amazon Exclusive) (F6983) is set to be released April 1, which means you'll probably have it in a week or so. If you haven't ordered it yet, now is a good time. The other Bounty Hunter 2-packs have also been cut by a couple of dollars. As these are Amazon affiliate links, we may get a comission as a percentage of the sale prices of any items you may purchase.

Via the Star Wars Galactic Hunter Figure of the Day Blog: The Emperor (The Retro Collection). It's very similar to the originals, which, oddly, are pretty cheap on eBay. The 2023 reissue has smoothed out the textures on the robes and the wrinkles on the hands and face are less wrinkly. If you have an open original you probably don't need the reissue, which looks incredibly similar to the genuine article unless you squint. Read on!

Via the Star Wars Galactic Hunter Figure of the Day Blog: Lando Calrissian (Skiff Guard, The Retro Collection). It's not as good as the original - the level of detail is a lot lower, and the eyes on mine are a little weird - but in a shelf, wearing a helmet, near an old Jabba, he still looks cool. Why the details are so soft, I don't know - but some slight variations in color will make it even more clear that this isn't the figure you've owned since 1983. Read on!

Today Hasbro (and Yahoo) revealed 7 of 8 previously announced Star Wars: The Retro Collection Kenner-style action figures from The Book of Boba Fett.   Check them out in: 'Mandalorian' and 'Boba Fett' go retro for latest action figure lineup (exclusive).  The whole wave - or at least we've seen - is pretty excellent with what seems to be three existing sculpts with deco/accessory changes, four newly sculpted figures, and one missing.

Not shown was a new Luke Jedi figure - maybe they'll just repackage the old one. (It's what Kenner would have done!)  New figure reveals today include Krrsantan, Fennec Shand, Boba Fett, Cad Bane, Grogu, a Tusken Raider, and The Mandalorian.   There isn't a new vinyl cape in the bunch, but it appears Grogu just has a new accessory - the blue training backpack - and Mando may be the same as the 2022 version, but with the 2021 Moff Gideon Darksaber accessory.  You be the judge.

While not Star Wars, this one probably crosses over with those of you who are 40 or older, and love Kenner-style figures.  Hasbro's Steve Evans posted on Instagram that their nifty Marvel Legends Retro 375 line is "resting."  A lot of lines have years-long hiatuses - Zoids disappeared for almost 20 years (and barely reappeared), Indiana Jones took a nap for over a decade, so all is not without hope.

As there are no plans to release any more, you can probably afford to go back and buy the entire line somewhat cheaply Various lots and collections on eBay have been ranging from an average of $4-$10 per figure in some cases (this is how I got a lot of mine), so I'd recommend checking them out if you're into this sort of thing.  The packaging has a thicker cardstock and better overal art than the Star Wars line, and while the figures share a ton of parts they're still pretty excellent.

I've been posting weekly reviews of them over at 16bit.com because I thought they were neat.  This week is Wolverine!

The Instagram Post in question is embedded after the break.