1. This question may be a few years or couple of Ewok articulated wrists too late, but I'm wondering, what, if any, vintage figures do you believe could fit into the modern line (POTF2 and up) with only minor modifications to things like articulation and paint? (Okay, the paint can be a major do over.)
--Matthew

The short answer is no, not really. The sculpts of the old figures are, by and large, pretty weak by today's standards and while a lot of us remember them fondly, fact is that 1984 Barada (while awesome) doesn't really stack up. IG-88 and EV-9D9 were released in 1996 and 1997, respectively, and they were essentially repainted and partially retooled versions of the original figures. For their time, they were OK, but future incarnations of IG-88 were greatly improved.

The only figures I think might get a pass are the Ewoks, but as we've recently seen with Graak and Romba and Chief Chirpa, the old ones are far too large. While some vintage figures are about as good as their modern counterparts, the only one I'd say might be nice to bring back is Sy Snootles just because I don't think there's any other way Hasbro will give us a 1983 style one otherwise. The rest of the line may have been great for its time, but it's mostly best left in the past.

2. I was wondering what ever happened to the Master Replicas' Force FX Build-Your-Own Lightsaber. I remember seeing some early buzz and pictures about it, but have never seen them for sale on Master Replica's website or anywhere else (trustworthy, at least) for that matter. Is this product already dead? When does Master Replica's license expire and will that affect the release of the Build-Your-Own lightsaber kit? Same goes for a Mara Jade release; was that just a hallucination or did I really see rumors about this one too?
--Chad

Master Replicas' license ended at the first of the year-- it's done, finito, over. You may still find items in retail channels but no new product is shipping from Master Replicas at this point. The DIY FX Lightsaber was a Radio Shack exclusive for a short period of time. Some Radio Shack stores still have them, Radio Shack sold them on their web site, and you can find them on eBay for about $130.

Mara Jade will never come out from Master Replicas, as far as rumors go there are rumors about everything. Hasbro will be picking up the FX Lightsaber license-- and rightly so, it's more of a high-end toy than a low-end prop-- so start sending them your suggestions for new FX releases.

3. I was wondering what you thought were some of the weaker/worse figures from the last few years. The reason I ask is that I was fortunate enought to receive BOTH Target Ultimate Battle Packs (awesome value on these) for Christmas and one such figure is included (in my opinion). I remember being excited to get the "new" Hoth trooper when it came out back in '04? But once I opened it and discovered his pygmie stature, he almost went immediately to the box of outdated and undesireable figures, an instant waste of money. I had almost forgotten how bad it was until I opened my Hoth Battle pack. Anywhoo, where does he rank on your list, or who do you think is worse?
--Mike

That Hoth Trooper... man. That's a stinker. When he first came out a lot of fans thought he was the POTF2 sculpt from 1997, but with a new head. Turns out he was shorter, too, but a new sculpt that just more or less stank. For me, the #1 all-time disappointment was the 1997 Rebel Fleet Trooper. He was taller than Darth Vader, ridiculously bulked up, and his pants coloring is off. It was just bad on so many levels, especially since it was the first-ever figure based on the trooper. They more or less got Grand Moff Tarkin right on the first try, so really, that was just sad.

A few other figures stank, but depending on the context they weren't big disappointments. 1999 Boss Nass wasn't as good as 2000 Boss Nass, but in 1999, nobody really cared. The 1995 figures weren't great, but at least they were consistent across the first few waves. It's not like any one or two stuck out like an extra-sore thumb. Even those weird deluxe figures had their place, they weren't meant to be authentic replicas of a figure in a movie. So yeah, Rebel Fleet Trooper-- you suck extra hard because your peers were so great. 1997's figures were mostly really good, that original Bossk figure has a sculpt that's not really all that much different than the 2007 Vintage figure. (Well, there's more articulation, but the quality of sculpt is there.)

There were also a number of redundant figures, but that's best left to another rant.

4. The Lego Star Wars videogames are pretty much the best thing ever. I would love to have a real collection of Lego Star Wars figures, but have neither the interest nor money to track them all down. What are the chances of seeing some Lego Star Wars figure packs? Give me 4-5 figures for 10 bucks and I'm a happy camper!

P.S. I was shocked at how large the Mightly Muggs are! For $10 a piece they seem like a bargain...because if they were actual urban vinyl they'd cost like $50 each!
--Rob

Allow me to shine some truth into that last comment-- urban vinyl sucks. People think that it's hip and cool and trendy because that's what the newspaper articles by people who don't buy toys say, but the thing is most of the figures don't sell out very quickly, and I personally have yet to meet anyone who has informed me that they own any of it. With runs of 500 or so pieces, most real urban vinyl doesn't sell very well-- I don't count the licensed stuff because Gorillaz is Gorillaz, urban vinyl or no. For what you get, Mighty Muggs are a toss-up-- it's a figure with no real extras or articulation to speak of and it costs almost as much as a Spawn figure. I don't think they're a remotely good deal given the same body will be used for the entire line with maybe a gun or a helmet to make each figure unique, other than that they're just repaints. I don't fault people for liking them, they're a unique collectible and a great gift for a fan or something to put on your desk. But I think they've got just slightly more legs than any of the other offshoots that fail in the first year.

It's my understanding that LEGO figure-only packs don't happen anymore because of licensing issues-- without the construction element, they pretty much are under the same classification as Hasbro action figures, and that would probably be a licensing conflict. LEGO has discovered a loophole by putting out small vehicles with 4 figures for $10, but I doubt these will become the norm because there's a lot of people who will buy a large set just for the figures. Heck, I did when I was a kid (Blacktron forever, represent!), and I'm sure today's kids do too. It makes more sense for LEGO to crank out larger sets because, as most people have proven, fans will shell out the green just to get all the figures. It doesn't mean we won't see some more mini-rig-ish sets in the future where you can get just figures, but right now it seems that LEGO is firmly entrenched in the realm of construction play. Otherwise, they'd be action figures, or Galactic Heroes.

5. I would like to hear your thoughts (or stories, or rumors, etc.) on how Hasbro and LucasFilms balance the line between keeping the Star Wars product line fresh and appealing to certain wants of collectors and keeping the items that make it to the pegs rated somewhere between a "G" and a "PG". Violence is part and parcel to the toy line - hence burnt Anakin of 2005 and torture Han of 2007 (both in my collection). But what about things with content of a mild sexual nature? Leia and Padme seem fairly safe ground i.e. Jabba's prisoner Leia, leather outfit Padme, (also both in my collection), etc. But Maris Brood, the rumored Darth Talon, some comics (but maybe not those that make into the packs) with a little suggestive content? Its an interesting path - none of these are any different in degree from comic hero-themed toys or WWE toys on adjacent pegs but I figure LucasFilms would be pretty protective with the brand (not that there aren't plenty of other Star Wars products out there that aren't edgy i.e. Unleashed Padme and Leia, Gentle Giant stuff etc., and not that there's anything wrong with that).
--John

I personally don't think anything in Star Wars is any more racy than what you see elsewhere in the culture or toy aisles. Now, if leather outfit Padme came with a whip and an alternate mask head for Anakin, OK, yes, that would be completely inappropriate. But Maris Brood? Well, it's not like she's showing off that much more skin than a Britney Spears doll would have nearly eight years ago. There's a lot of Barbie dolls, or Bratz, that probably push the "let's try to be sexy" envelope more. Plus, McFarlane Toys pushed that envelope a few years ago with all sorts of anatomy showing. As far as sex goes, Star Wars isn't particularly sexy. Even the Slave Leia figures were pretty tame compared to what they could have been in the right (wrong?) designer's hands. It's essentially a family property across the board, which is why there's very little overtly graphic in the stories or the merchandise.

The violence? Well, I don't know-- the toys don't do anything that aren't in the movies. You can dismember Anakin Skywalker, hack off the arms of a Wampa, Ponda Baba, Darth Vader, and others, or even stab poor Koffi Anara through the chest with a sword being held by Darth Vader's severed arm. There's some pretty gnarly stuff, but it isn't particularly gory or gruesome, which, again, seems to be where most people draw the line. You can be sexy, but don't show any sex organs or naughty female bits. You can be violent, but don't poke anyone's eyes out or have organs spilling out their midsections.

There's also the issue of the buyer. Who's probably going to buy Maris Brood? Gamers. Gamers tend to be a little older, and if you have access to an Xbox 360 or Playstation 3, odds are you've seen far worse things than a chick with-- what?-- maybe an AA cup in a kinda tight sports bra thing. I have yet to play the game but I don't believe her purpose is to bang the game's hero, and she's not dressed all that much differently from Aayla Secura. Darth Talon seems to be wearing more clothes than some of the Twi'lek figures released for the prequels thus far. Heck, Ayy Vida seemed pretty much naked unless you really examined her up close. I don't expect the new TV shows to show us much more than we've already seen because Star Wars is and will probably always be a family brand, and it doesn't benefit Lucas to have his billion dollar baby suddenly only appeal to people who as a demographic don't buy a lot of licensed merchandise. Kids are king in this space, although you can do fairly well catering to us old farts.

Then again, I'm sort of anything goes. I've got toys for toddlers that come with a fully stocked bar and a spittoon. My employer previously sold anatomically correct action figures of real life adult film stars. There's really nothing that shocks me personally as far as toys go, and as long as they stay within the confines of what we see in George Lucas' vision, whatever that may be, it'll probably fit within culturally acceptable norms.

Unleashed Padme? Well, she's special. But again, that was designed for an older teenage or 20something fan.

6. Pretty interesting how the suggested ideal Clone Wars wave you suggested (and I largely agreed with) sometime in the second half of 2007 in your column appears to be on its way to reality as part of TAC 2008. I'm thrilled by that - its just another indication that the Star Wars team at Hasbro really is pretty good at generating product ideas that I'll purchase. I'd ask if your ideas made it to to the product line team but I figure you'd probably tell me that great minds think alike at times.
--Lips

(I usually don't post compliments but hey, I need to fill space and I'm on deadline.)

Thanks for the kind words, but there's always a chance of coincidence. Oh, and it isn't confirmed yet, I'm just assuming for the sake of the column that Rebelscum's list was right. When I blabbed on about what I wanted from Clone Wars, I basically just hit on the most memorable characters that I don't have. It makes sense that anyone would basically do the same-- that Kit Fisto episode was all sorts of awesome, and a lot of kids (especially me) go bonkers over undersea toys. Everybody wanted a good Obi-Wan in Clone armor. And Clones, well, no-brainers.

There's a finite number of "A" figures to do, and Hasbro did them all already. We're going to see new versions of "A"-level figures, but let's face, it, EU as a whole is basically "B" or "C" level stuff at best-- not everybody will recognize it, cool as it may be. All those weird aliens are pretty unrecognizable too. It only makes sense that Hasbro would go with figures that fans might recognize at a glance, characters which are familiar yet different, and very appealing.

If it's legit, man, I'm stoked. I don't think you get how stoked I am. If Hasbro never did another Clone Wars product, I'd be pretty happy with this wave to cap it all off. Although if they did keep doing stuff, what I'd want is vehicles.

7. I have heard that the new clone wars figures are going to be animated and not like the figures that we have been collecting. Is there any truth to this? I mean as a collector I did not by the others from the first clone wars just because I felt they looked odd. I know mixing things up and giving people a variety is good and keep the line going but I am like everybody else out there that my collecting dollars can only go so far and if you are saying that there are new jedi and clones I do not know where to save as I said I have stuck with the original line since 1977.
--brad

They're great, aren't they? Here's hoping they come out exactly as reported because as assortments go, if that ends up being accurate and final, it's pretty stellar..

I personally really hope they're realistic because while I admire the animated style (and bought the Gentle Giant maquettes to prove it), I like my toys realistic. I expect all basic waves until the TV tie-in line starts to be realistic-- and as far as the TV line goes, I really hope they're realistic, too. But I'm not hopeful.

8. Regarding the rumored "Build-A-Droid" wave in the future, do you have any speculation what said droid would be?
--PT

I actually don't have any specific knowledge on this one-- there are indeed rumors that several droids will be available in several waves, but what? Will they be based on the new TV show, old movie designs that were deemed unworthy of a $7 release, or what? I have no idea. I personally expect Battle Droids and Protocol Droids (as a mold exists with removable limbs already for both) and it would make sense that they shoehorn in some other droid designs as the line goes on if it does indeed happen.

Seeing as how Hasbro has been pretty good about Droid variety as of late, there's not much I personally would cross my fingers for except maybe R3-01 or some wacky new made-up droids ala the original Kenner Droid Factory. If there is any truth to this rumor, I'm sure we'll start seeing something more solid or official within the next month and change.

9. I have achieved vintage finality. A near perfect Amanaman arrived and I am now ready to display all the original figures. (I have a seperate plan for Yakface and Blue Snaggletooth) I plan to include Max and the band and Jabba in this display. Thoughts? In a case? Flat against the wall? In a diorama? Display like the card backs on yellow? Display like the Sear/Best catalogs or posters of the day?
--Tony

For my vintage set, I purchased a custom-made display case with name tags, foot pegs, and opening doors for about $100 back in 1990 or so. (Well, my parents did for me, bless them both.) It has a green felt backdrop, wooden shelves, metal foot pegs, and it's just plain awesome. You should totally get one. For the original line, I'd do something like this-- a custom case. For the new line, I'm still trying to figure out the best way to go, but I think it's going to be a giant wall of shelves.

10. Do you know if Toy R Us is still shipping it's exclusives from 2008? I was unable to procure duplicates of the ships and the Galactic Heroes Cinema Scenes and my local TRU is out of them.
--Orbles

I assume you mean 2007. And if you do, "maybe." Toys "R" Us gets multiple shipments of most if not all of their exclusives from over the years, and I haven't really seen a lot of these Galactic Heroes sets since the initial shipment. It's entirely possible they'll do another round, but unfortunately this is up to Toys "R" Us to order more of them. If you aren't asking your local stores, dropping notes in the suggestion boxes, and so on, you should. They were available via ToysRUs.com and when they were, they were $24.99 a whack. When it comes to exclusives, my advice is and will always be do not wait for clearance. You never know when you won't see them again.

FIN

I'm on vacation! I wrote this before I headed out to go on a crazy toy run. Some people go to theme parks, I go to Wal-Marts. Lots of them. It's going to be great, I'd take you all with me but I don't think you'd fit in the rental. Feel free to send in your questions so I have something to do when I come back!

Got questions? I bet you do. Email me with "Q&A" somewhere in the subject line and hopefully I'll get to yours in the next column!

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