Q&A For April 5, 2004

1. Any word on an exclusive figure for the next Star Wars Convention in Indianapolis?
--Gary

While you and I would like to know this as much in advance as possible, Hasbro operates under the false impression that all fans want to be surprised at the show. Frankly, I think this is nuts, but courtesy of things like leaks, just like before Celebration II with Jorg Sacul, we can find some things out a little early.

With the convention roughly a year away from this very update, no, I don't know what it is and I'd also be under the impression that if you were to ask Hasbro, and they were totally honest with you, they would say they're still deciding. I'll be very surprised if we hear what it is before Spring of 2005 unless they decide to tell you what it is when you order tickets. (And hopefully, are smart enough to make them available when ordering tickets-- prepay for figures, and it's much easier to impose limits if that is to be done.)

I have no idea what it is or any guesses as to what it could be. Hasbro's started making silver figures for conventions, and frankly, I think that would be inadequate for what may be the last official Star Wars convention. Based on Celebration II, it would be safe to assume it'd be something only hardcore fans would like and that wouldn't be a big hit as an exclusive elsewhere. As such... I'm at a loss. Jorg Sacul was a downright creative idea and may well be my favorite con exclusive out of every toy line I follow, so how do you follow this? While I'd like to see a Director George Lucas, Hasbro explained to me why they couldn't (and didn't) do one before... and their reasons were pretty sound.

If it were up to me, I'd probably do a prequel character in the New Vintage style. Darth Maul on a vintage-ish cardback with full articulation and a clamshell case... can you possibly get anything better than that? I think it would be difficult. As such, that'd be my top choice.

2. Do they plan on releasing any more waves to the Animated Clone Wars figures anytime soon?

With all of the characters we have and will see, there is the potential for at least 20 more characters, not including those in different costumes.

I have all 8 from the first two waves and hope that there are more on the way.
--Jess

I think that while there are many opportunities for more animated Clone Wars, the chances of our seeing more of them are very low. While rumors of two more waves persist, the entire animated program will have run its course by the end of the week. With the focus heavily on the Original Trilogy for the end of 2004, it seems that it would be unlikely, but not unthinkable for more Clone Wars toys. I wouldn't hold my breath, is all I'm saying.

3. Do you know which version of Elan Sleazebaggano had a higher production run, with ears or without?
--Christopher

Hasbro's intent was the usual allocation of 50/50, and it seems that with a little work you can still find both on shelves. As such, I'd say both are just as common.

4. While Iım not a fan of the prequel films (Kid Greedo and Midoclorians ­ Œnuff said), for me theyıve ensured a steady supply of classic trilogy toys. Between the jar jars, Yaddles, and endless Mauls, Iıve enjoyed the steadily improving sculpts and articulation of classic characters, both at 3 3/4 and 12" scale, culminating in the recent batches (including Rieekan, Luke Palace and R-3PO) which are near-perfect.

Then I realized it was only about a year until May 2005, and it suddenly dawned on me that Episode III is it for Star Wars filmsŠ and most likely also for Star Wars toys. For the first time since 1996, there will not be a new Star Wars release or Special Edition re-release in the near future. That whatever talk swirls around about Star Wars "spin-offs" and continuing game and novel releases, that the modern era of Star Wars collecting was preparing to dim just ten years after it started. I freaked and began hoping for things like the new Cloud Car and 12" Rebo Band to see light of day before the shutters started rolling down.

What are your thoughts on this? While Star Wars seems invincible now, remember that the classic trilogy was a true cultural phenomenon and yet the Star Wars toy line was already dying only a year or so after "Jedi" was released in1983, despite numerous spin-offs. Will the new trilogy be any different? Whatever spin-off there is (animated or otherwise), it surely wonıt sustain the constant stream of toys we have enjoyed (and gotten used to) for years ­ only new theatrical movies could do that. And Lucas is getting too old to handle another three films (and has said so), and too protective to hand the franchise off.

Will 2006 be the new 1984, the year that an era of Star Wars collecting begins to die? Are the amazing toys we are finally now seeing the beginning of the end? Will the line be just scaled back or slashed drastically - and will it happen slowly or abruptly?
--D. Kennedy

Given what we saw for the previous two films, it could happen quickly. But then again, Hasbro's riding on a lot of goodwill on the old movies, so they could squeeze more out of it depending on how they handle the line. It all depends on what they have planned for 2006, if anything, and retail support. Frankly, it's retail support that worries me. A healthy toy line can go from pretty big to jack squat if retaillers aren't buying into it, and Wal-Mart and Toys "R" Us do have the power to make some lines come and go. If their buyers don't believe the The Force has legs, that's the main problem. It seems their faith is lacking now, with empty pegs of figures at numerous stores.

It's impossible to know how or even if things will end. Hasbro has proven that they can sell through a small number of exclusives and figures to make fans happy, so there's really no reason the line can't continue for as long as people like you and me continue to buy these toys and not wait for clearance on everything.

You say the animated program can't possibly support the fanbase the movies brought, and you're probably right. Due to how kids buy toys, I think it'd be difficult to convince them that action figures are the way to go, looking at the insane level of sales TransFormers and robot toys are doing these days.

If Hasbro wanted to, they could basically produce the line "under the radar" for another decade. This is to say, direct market only. With the right case pack-outs, they could sell online exclusively and odds are we'd be quite happy with the results... for example, if every new case had six new figures packed at two per, wouldn't that be great? But I digress.

As far as a "constant stream of toys," I'd say we barely have one now. New figures come and go so quickly, and new vehicles are far and few between. So with this in mind, I'd say we probably wouldn't even notice a reduction in vehicles. I mean, it's not like we're getting many as it is... although this Fall looks promising. So if all we received in 2006 were 3 or 4 vehicles as exclusives, we're really no worse off than we seem to be now, especially if these were completely new vehicles and not "TIE Fighter Redux." I would wager that Toys "R" Us and Target will still carry the line and some exclusives for a while, and I know online sellers like Entertainment Earth are behind Star Wars and, if Hasbro let them, would probably be the exclusive sellers of the entire line. If Hasbro wants to, they could easily sell the line to us for years to come, but looking at 2007-- the 30th Anniversary of Star Wars-- I'd be really amazed to see toys in stores en masse at that point unless some major, major pushes in non-movie areas come to fruition.

While in 1984, two Ewok TV-movies and an Ewoks toon alongside a Droids toon didn't do much because they skewed too young and, let's face it, those were some funky toy lines. The Ewoks action figures from the cartoon had two Ewoks and a whopping four Duloks-- initially, I was wondering why I should even bother looking at those. Same with Droids, the main characters we knew were merely repaints (and R2-D2 didn't have much to work with) alongside a bunch of pseudo-Punk Rocker types.

Let's say they set a new show between episodes III and IV. Possibilities include following characters we know, killing off any Jedi that are left, young Han and Chewie, Darth Vader as a young tyrant... I could go on. Even the construction of the Death Star could be a show. If LucasFilm really wanted to, they could come up with something that would help keep Star Wars in the minds of the public forever. But should they? I'm not so sure. If that's what they want to do, I say keep it coming. Interest for the Clone Wars cartoons seems high, and I have no gripes about them other than length. Still, the question remains of how much Star Wars should the market take? Should it be shelved for a few years to return to a rabid, hungry fanbase? It worked once...

5. I'm not sure if you can help me. I recently purchased a vintage Princess Leia figure on Ebay. She looked okay overall but was obviously in a smokers environment as she had discoloration and smells like cigars. After a lot of work I got her cleaned up and she looks great, but still smells like cigars. Any suggestion to get rid of the odor? Thanks.
--Jim

I bought a trio of Fisher Price Alien Creature prototypes from the old Alpha Star set a few years ago with this exact problem-- thankfully, the smoke didn't seem to cause too much discoloration, if any, beyond the normal aging. What did I do? I left 'em out on a high shelf for a few months, and eventually the smell more or less went away. My advice to you is to just let it air out for a long time... and I mean a long time in some cases. Traces will probably always be present, but less smoky smell is better than a lot of smokey smell.

6. After seeing some of what is in store for the toy aisles this year at toy fair, I have a question or two. First, when you look at a $4.99 Star Wars fig next to a $5.99 LOTR fig I wonder why a Hasbro fig costs so much? I always hear more articulation costs so much more, and that it costs so much to have so many hits of paint applied to produce a figure. How can Toy Biz produce a huge figure that has more plastic with soooooo much articulation, a generally very nice paint job and action features that tend to actually work for just a dollar more? Hasbro has come a long way recently with stands and a few extra accessories like the bar pieces for the Outlander Club figs, and the articulation has increased with a few more points of articulation (Super poseable Clone Trooper might be one of the best figs ever!). But I still feel Toy Biz gives you a bit more for your dollar. Though it sounds like I am complaining, I'm not. Cause some of the Toy Biz articulation is pretty gawdy and unsightly in their super hero figs and few LOTR figs. But the math just doesn't add up in my opinion. Am I way off in this comparison?
--Chris

Well, let me ask you-- which do you want? The amount of plastic used for the figure supposedly doesn't make up as much of the cost as the packaging and the amount of space it takes to ship. Hence the new LOTR cardbacks-- they're small, you can fit a lot in a tight space. Also, the number of paint ops has been reduced on many figures, with some weapons looking downright odd compared to their $8.99 counterparts just two years ago. There's also the matter of licensing, and the fact that Hasbro gave us this scale for a reason, namely that they could still make ships and playsets affordable for it.

My main beef a few years ago were those McFarlane Monsters playsets. You know, two super-detailled figures and a playset, $10. Nobody ever could explain to me how a SW figure was worth $6-$7 by comparison.

What it boils down to is this-- what do you want to own? SW guys are smaller, yes, but they probably cost a similar amount of scratch to make as the bigger guys. The only other toy line priced the same as Star Wars today is The Simpsons, and those are $6 at most stores, and on their way out. Also keep in mind rising costs made Star Wars figures $6-$7, and Hasbro either found a way to drop the price or did some sort of magic to get them cheaper while increasing articulation. I hate to sound like I'm dismissing your question, but given where we've been and where we are now, I just can't see cost as a factor in the purchase of toys from these flicks.

7. With the return of the original trilogy Falcon TIE and X-wing we see three wenty year old toys come back to the shelves. Anyone ever thought of bringing back the Micro Collections? Micro machines were nowhere as cool as their vintage counterparts. I see these on Ebay and a really nice set goes for a decent penny. Anyone else out there want to see these come back or am I the only one? The ION Cannon set and all of the Bespin sets are really fanastic pieces and they don't take up a ton of space! Maybe there isn't a huge demand for miniatures, but I haven't heard anyone mention this classic toyline as a possible comeback.
--West

Micro is a weird trend in the toy biz which seems to be making a comeback with the "Phat" cars, MicroMachines, Speedeez, and whatever the heck other imitators are out there now. The micro figure trend never seemed all that big, though, and I have my doubts it'll be like it was a long time ago. Those MicroCollection toys were nothing short of amazing, and I always wish they scaled them up for our action figure collections. A big, mostly hollow Ion Cannon playset with one big cannon and a few limited features couldn't be all that expensive to make, and it'd look wonderful.

I seriously doubt we'd ever see these kind of sets, complete with metal figures, ever again. Competing scales are a big issue in Star Wars and you can see that it seems, like Sith Lords, we can have two. 12" is hurting, but Unleashed is doing decent enough. As such, I think miniature toys are going to be a ways off, but it would be nice to see some for the last movie.

8. Didn't you have some corrections to make?
--Doctor Acula

Why yes, good doctor, I do.

First, it appears that a third wave if Art Asylum Trek figures is coming, and it will be based on the original series' various aliens. Thanks to Rob, we know it includes the Orion Slave Girl and Gorn, with others to be announced soon.

While I did receive a few links to photo archives, I did not find a Chef Boyardee Clone Wars checklist. As such, the quest continues.

9. When does the Silver Clone freebie start?
--Ham Salad

That would be yesterday. The item should be free with a $14.99 purchase but some stores have them out for a mere $4.99 each instead.

10. So is R1-G4 shipping again later or what?
--Top Cat

While the droid isn't up for release as part of the OTC, and isn't listed as part of any of the upcoming assortments for 2004 that have as of yet been made public, he is shipping again now. In the past week, in my area, I've seen a few pop up at Target and Toys "R" Us stores.

FIN

This was a super-slow week for questions, I must say, and now my backlog is totally empty. I'm looking into taking a vacation from the Web writing thing in the near future, but I think I can crank out a few more updates with help from you, the readers. So please, send those questions in.

Since we're in a questions mood, I have one for you. Let's say you were making one, or perhaps several, Abraham Lincoln Playmobil customs for you and your friends. You need some sort of heavy vinyl or thin, somewhat flexible plastic to make a long coat for him, and have the means of dismantling a figure so he can wear it. What would you use? Where would you find it? And would you put this Lincoln figure in situations where he's gambling? (I would.) But anyway, thanks for your advice on that one.

That's all for this week. So get those questions in for next week. Just email me with your inquiry, and we'll see what we can do.