STORMTROOPER Ralph McQuarrie Concept
30th Anniversary Collection Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 87500 No. 87319
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #3009
Includes: Blaster, lightsaber, shield (stand not included)
Action Feature: Blaster fits in holster, shield clips onto back
Retail: $6.99
Availability: March 2007
Appearances: n/a

Bio: This stormtrooper is based on a conceptual art from the film A New Hope, depicting the Empire's shock troopers in a corridor of the Death Star as they hunt down the escaping Luke, Han, Chewbacca and Princess Leia. While armed with blaster pistols or blaster rifles in the movie, this Imperial soldier is unusual because he holds a lightsaber, the weapon of a Jedi. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' photo studio. Please note that the display stand came from Hasbro Toy Shop's pack of stands, and is not included with any version of the figure known to be available at this time.

Commentary: 2003 sculpt, 2007 paint. Most of what makes the McQuarrie Concept Stormtrooper interesting this time around is the fact that they took the trouble to actually look at the painting on which he was based, and color him accordingly. Rather than being white with black markings, the figure has some light grey, lots of panel lines, a few red marks, and some little designs we can't quite identify. Perhaps they're early Imperial markings-- I don't know. Because of the new paint job, this figure looks like it fits in with the modern releases slightly better than the somewhat sloppily painted 2003 version, but the previous release is significantly different enough to the point where I'd suggest collectors who are after something truly unique to get both versions. After all, the figure was originally made as a Fan's Choice winner back in the day, and it's worthy of being part of your growing collection.

As far as the toy goes, it's nothing too fancy. He has ball-jointed shoulders, swivel elbows, and normal joints at the neck, waist, and hips. He has a massively bulky holster which can hold his blaster, and a big "grenade" on the back of his belt which you can clip his shield to when it isn't clipped to his arm. It's well-accessorized, but it's missing the super-cool "Death Star"-style base that was included with the 2003 version. As such, I wouldn't say this is clearly better than the original release, but as far as accessories go, the 2003 version is superior. Its lightsaber actually glows in the dark, although faintly. This one we can't get much glow out of.

Collector's Notes: The McQuarrie Concept Stormtrooper was a hugely popular and hard to get figure in 2003, despite being packed at 2 per case. In 2007, it was shipped on and off all year at 1 per case which pretty much guaranteed there would never be a glut of them on the shelves. As part of the mini-line of McQuarrie figures, it's quite popular still and will no doubt be something fans continue to desire years down the road, until they get bored and move on to something else.

Day 610: January 6, 2008