by Adam Pawlus and Mike Sullenger
It's that time again. Time for our annual Galactic Hunter Best of the Year. Time to give kudos to the toys and collectibles which shined above the rest. While it certainly wasn't an easy task, there was some fairly superb swag from our friends at Hasbro which made the choices quite easy to make. From the launch of the new Clone Wars assortment to a Saga line rejuvenated by exciting new categories such as the excellent Screen Scenes and Ultra lines, Hasbro did not disappoint. This despite beginning the year with collectors frustrated with sparse distribution and empty pegs and major retail partners such as Wal-Mart ordering down and backing out of exclusive commitments. By the time the summer conventions rolled around, Hasbro shifted to overdrive, addressing the distribution issues, and announcing exciting new plans such as Classic Trilogy theme based assortments continuing into '04.
It was the year of the Clone Wars. We were treated to a comprehensive and exciting multimedia campaign from Lucasfilm and their partners. From various books, comics, video games, and toys, the grand intergalactic civil war was in the forefront of The Force, essentially filling in the gap between Episode II and III, and eventually culminating by year's end into the fantastic animated micro-series by the Cartoon Network.
The Star Wars Fan Club got back in the swing of things under the direction of longtime fan and collector Lisa Stevens of Paizo Publishing. Besides revamping The Insider, the new and improved club offered neat exclusives such as the Silver Convention Boba Fett and Holiday Edition Yoda. To the Fan Club's credit, stock availability for these two items were robust enough to where every fan who wanted one, got one.
Other licensors also brought great new offerings to the table in '03. LEGO added a fresh new scale to their Star Wars line with an assortment of affordable mini-vehicles. Gentle Giant follows up the success of their minibust line with a deluxe assortment of Clone Trooper busts, complete with color rankings and interchangeable arms. Their first exclusive, a Clone Trooper Lieutenant bust, was the hottest collectible of the summer conventions. A new high end collection of die cast vehicles was launched by Code 3, beginning with the Millennium Falcon and X-Wing Fighter, and Master Replicas continues to churn out their limited edition prop collectibles, offering new alternatives such as the Jedi Training Remote.
Across the Pacific, Medicom and Kotobukiya are producing unique and refreshing approaches to Star Wars collectibles. Medicom in particular launched their new line of Star Wars Kubricks beginning with an nifty Kenneresque Early Bird package and a first series based on the five ESB bounty hunters.
Without further adieu, here are the year's best. We've changed around a few of the categories, particularly the exclusion of the dearly departed Action Fleet assortment. Added are new categories for best exclusive, value, Unleashed, and foreign collectible.While 2003 disappointed and frustrated on some levels, it was certainly a non-movie year which distinguished itself through the Clone Wars campaign. If this foray into the expanded universe, particularly the cartoons, can further broaden its appeal to the masses, it could be the first real step towards a viable plan in continuing the Saga post Episode III.
Can Star Wars truly be forever? We can only hope.
-Michael Sullenger
Editor In Chief
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