MASTER REPLICAS
By Adam Pawlus and Joseph Collier
Photography by Mike Sullenger

SAN DIEGO JULY 15, 2005-- While in San Diego, California, Master Replicas unveiled new product concepts to the public, and hinted at some new items with all the subtlety of a brick to the head. Several of our reporters were on the scene with staff members, and we were told a variety of interesting products were on the way. 

The Booth  

Master Replicas' booth always looks like it could have just as easily been run by a guy who ran into the Lucasfilm model shop and grabbed a bunch of goodies and set up shop-- and this is, of course, meant in the kindest possible way. Things could have stepped right off the screen, like the Signature Edition AT-AT. Phil Tippet signed this piece, which includes a snow base, crashed snowspeeder, and a little extra snow deco to go the extra mile. To say the least, it turned out nicely. New helmets of Darth Vader, Clone Troopers, and various weapons were shown as well, and fans were lining up around the booth for a glimpse. 

With the items being produced in such a short supply, some items-- like those Clone helmets-- are long pre-sold out, so this may be the only chance fans will have for a look at them. While other licenses like Narnia drew some attention, one of the slickest prizes was a big box that was there as a prize in a "Live The Dream" contest. As an edition that's as limited as they come-- one piece-- fans will no doubt fight over the Sith Lords Prop Case Collection if it ever hit eBay. A total of five sabers were included in a specially cut foam case indicating that it was, in fact, a contest prize and no, you probably will never have one. It's gorgeous, though, and a great way to make fans drool in your booth, possibly causing slippage and/or personal injury. 

General News

For starters, during the Q&A session, numerous questions were asked about the expensive nature of their products. Apparently "stunt sabers," cheaper replicas of the full-size weapons used to make the move, are in the works as a possibility for less than $100, possibly $75 or so. More FX lightsabers are on the way soon, too, but like most products, the recurring answer to the question had to do with flooding the market with too much product. After producing full-size prop replicas, FX sabers, .45 scale sabers, and more, Master Replicas is fully aware that it's currently flooding the market with goodies in all shapes and sizes, but the surprising thing is they seem to have found numerous ways to branch out beyond their current offerings. So while many of you will be happy to know they confirmed Qui-Gon Jinn's lightsaber in multiple sizes as being on the drawing board, there are other, far more surprising items in the works at Master Replicas labs-- and who knows if they'll ever see the light of day. 

Darth Maul fans are in for a treat as the FX version of his weapon is on the way-- and they found a clever way to make it so you can buy just half, or the whole thing. You can unscrew the ends, and connect two "half" sabers together to form his full weapon-- clever! While it unfortunately means a full-sized one will be quite expensive, it does help their bottom line quite a bit and it does offer an option to have such a weapon rather than having to just go without. And surely, any fan can appreciate knowing that at least the option's on the table. The company seems to have a wide range of licenses for all sorts of prop replicas. At the convention, it was made plainly obvious that Han Solo's belt and holster was just found in the archive, scanned by Master Replicas, and that their license covered the release of a replica of such a product. They also said that a Trilogy-based R2-D2, full-size, with several retracting arms was also something their license covered, more or out of the blue. Could these be on tap for 2006? Well, no dates were given-- but for those wanting something really different, especially with Don Post Studios no longer making full-size Droid replicas, there seems to be hope. 

After displaying new versions of the AT-AT prop replica, our reporters let us know that the TIE Fighter, Millennium Falcon, and Y-Wing Fighter are on tap for future releases in the high-end model line. Even more surprising, they're pursuing Harrison Ford to offer his John Hancock to his signature vehicle, which will undoubtedly make it an extra-special signature edition! Further details were not yet available, but it seems the company is fully aware that there's a void in vehicle-based collectibles out there as of late and will be jumping at the chance to offer some of the biggest and best out there. Costumers are in for a treat as well, as new and deluxe versions of Boba Fett's blaster and helmet are on the way as well-- could the rocket pack and the rest of the suit be far behind? Fans can but hope-- while the 501st does a great job of doing it themselves, not everyone is so inclined with tools, and there's always someone looking for ways to make a newer, better suit for their living room or personal needs. 

The Q&A session did confirm that they were wanting to offer such products, but there's a problem-- they're not in the apparel business. One fan's waist may be far larger than the next, or one fan could be, as the saying goes, a little short for a stormtrooper. While this doesn't mean there's no hope for future releases of the costume nature, it seems a new way of selling them would have to be discovered first, possibly resulting in fans ordering piece-by-piece.