Hasbro Releasing The Clone Wars Early?
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Despite the launch date being two months away, the first packaged Hasbro items from The Clone Wars are starting to arrive in stores. Today at a Target in Los Angeles, I saw the otherwise dull basic lightsabers in the new movie-themed dress, so it's entirely possible things might start showing up very, very soon. Keep your eyes peeled!
Posted byAdam16bit at 6:11 PM 0 comments
Labels: Hasbro, Lightsabers, The Clone Wars (TV)
Packaged The Clone Wars Holo Grievous Found
Friday, May 30, 2008
The guys over at Jedi Insider posted some front- and back-of-package shots of what is apparently now confirmed to be Toys "R" Us' exclusive holographic General Grievous. All signs point to this being available very soon, most likely as part of the initial 7/26 release window. (For the record, sometimes these holographic exclusives showed up a smidge after the initial date.)
Posted byAdam16bit at 12:01 AM 0 comments
Labels: Action Figures, Exclusives, Hasbro, The Clone Wars (TV)
Hasbro Reveals AT-TE from The Clone Wars
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
The fine folks over at Hasbro added four pictures and a lot of tidbits on their new AT-TE vehicle, due in stores this July. This $100-ish behemoth has gun racks, space for 20 figures, electronic sounds, and all sorts of stuff to make you mad you weren't a child when this was released. Still, fans of all ages are likely to get a kick out of this one. Odds are you should click through and read all about it.
Posted byAdam16bit at 9:31 PM 0 comments
Q&A: It Never Ends
Monday, May 26, 2008
This week's menu: Mighty Muggs, Indiana Jones, G.I. Joe, movie-style figures, upcoming 2008 releases, and so much more. I gotta be somewhere, so just read on!
1. Is there any word on if Hasbro is going to go back to the presses on the first two series of Mighty Muggs? Series 1 and 2 sold out ridiculously fast before I even knew if I wanted to collect the line, and Muggs like the Stormtrooper are already sky-high on ebay! How can Hasbro expect this line to be successful if people who weren't sure if they wanted to collect it or not in the first few weeks are doomed to never get Stormtroopers, Vader, or Boba Fett?
--David
It's entirely possible. Hasbro is rotating its Marvel Mighty Muggs in and out of revision assortments all the time, so far we haven't seen much of this with Star Wars. Sometimes a line's success comes from people being unable to get certain characters-- it keeps interest high in future series if there are items that are "worth something" which serve as an example of what other figures may do. It's not my favorite business model, but I have seen it proven effective.
I just looked on eBay and see them closing at $15-$25, which, to me, seems somewhat reasonable. (SRP is $10-$12, factor in eBay fees, a box, and all that, it's not a terrible price.) Odds are Hasbro will bring them back at some point, but as to when, we presently have no evidence.
...also don't forget that repaints are always, always possible. Battle-damaged Stormtroopers, ESB-armor Boba Fett, and some deco tweaks on Darth Vader would be easy to do. And probably a smart move. A lot of collectible items have value only because of the "see-this-you-can't-have-it" factor, which, when removed, causes interest in the line to collapse. It's possible that's what's happening here.
2. About the Indiana Jones figures, is there any reason why Hasbro has focused their efforts into the Kingdom figures. Old Indy looks just like Harison Ford, but the Temple Indy looks like Bob the unknown. I mean he really doesn't look like Harison Ford at all.it escapes me who he does though. And I seem to be in the majority of Indy collectors that have left the Mutt figures to ROT on the shelves. That kid ruined Transformers and I hope he doesn't ruin Indy 4.
--Scott
Hasbro focuses their money on where the marketing dollars are going. In a "movie year," we tend to see a large amount of Hasbro's product development and marketing budget going toward items related to the big push-- in 2005, it was all about Revenge of the Sith. Given Hasbro sat on Indiana Jones until just now, we're probably fairly lucky to be seeing figures from other movies mixed in so soon. Wave 1 was Raiders, wave 3 is Last Crusade, it seems to me they're being pretty fair with the entire series as to toy creation.
As to Mutt? Well, it's early. The movie is just opening and some people actually really liked him in Transformers, and are buying this figure as a result of that film. If people warm up to him, he might be a big seller. If not, well, maybe we'll get Toht all the sooner.
3. [Regarding] Gi Joe figures, It seems that they are pretty scarce as of late, every thing is really. But I have seen the pics from the new movie and are they seriously going to put them all in these black power suits? What happened to the individuality each Joe had? Will the new movie sport figures based on this outfit and further, will the figures be compatible with the 25th line? I'm worried that Hasbro will put the new Joe Movie in the same scale as Iron Man and we will lose compatibility.
--Scott
Hasbro has confirmed the figures will be the same 3 3/4-inch scale we're enjoying with the 25th Anniversary line. With the relative success of Indy and of course Star Wars, plus Mattel's upcoming 3 3/4-inch DC Universe Infinite Heroes line, I think it's more likely we'll see more, and not fewer, figure lines in this scale.
As to individuality, and I say this as someone who likes G.I. Joe, they're not all that big on personality. Sure, some had accents and special skills, but if you swapped out one guy for another, you probably wouldn't see much of an impact in the storytelling. Sigma 6 showed us a crew of characters that all wore similar suits, and well, that didn't do too well. I expect characters from the movie to sport multiple costumes, plus it wouldn't surprise me to see a number of Hasbro-originated toy-only designs. If you look at the Transformers movie in 2007, there were 5 Autobots and 6 Decepticons. Toy toy line was massive, incorporating repaints of nearly every major character and tons of new paint jobs, original characters, and characters from the movie. Even if the entire cast of good guys dresses the same, it's a pretty safe bet we'll see the most popular characters in a number of military-style outfits. If there's room in Transformers for 1970s Bumblebee, 2000s Bumblebee, Stealth Bumblebee, Premium Bumblebee, and a red repaint of Cliffjumper in addition to battle-damaged and other deco variants, I'm sure Hasbro can come up with some amazing ways to keep the Joe movie line just as fresh-- if not fresher-- than the 25th Anniversary range.
...if you ask me, it seems Hasbro is intent on phasing out larger figures. At least with Marvel, they seem to be handling the line in such a way as to downplay the popular Marvel Legends scale.
4. What the low down on the Clone Wars figures with the Lancer droid,Quad Cannon Trooper,Scuba trooper to name a few.These were suppose to be wave 3.When do you think we can except these to hit?
--Chad
Most documentation I have seen points to a later Summer (August or later) or early Fall release for these... which are supposedly wave 2 of the new Legacy Collection line. I'm not sure what else there is as far as information goes, we'll know more as Hasbro gives information to online stores to put out there for preorders, or if they just plain show up on an Asian auction site.
5. Like many "old school" SW collectors I do not follow much of the EU stuff and tend to be mainly geared towards the classic trilogy stuff. There are exceptions for though and I would LOVE to see figures of the Timothy Zahn trilogy. I figures they have released in the past and intend to release later this year, however, are based on the comic adaptation (which I understand and do not fault Hasbro in anyway). I would be plenty interested in more "movie realistic" versions of Thrawn Jordus C'booth and others on single carded packages, even though these characters have never really appeared as "movie realistic". What do you think and what do you think the chances are?
--Jeff
Hasbro's Expanded Universe figures are largely "movie style," despite taking a cue from the comic books. Grand Admiral Thrawn has been very much designed in a "realistic" style, or as realistic as you can get for a blue-skinned, red-eyed humanoid. While it does take design cues from the comics, that's because Hasbro has elected to go with that as reference and not the book covers. (Which, really, don't offer much in the way of reference.) As such, what you're going to see are likely only in the comic packs-- if you don't like those, it might be another decade before Hasbro gives Thrawn another go. For a dead character who already had an action figure, it's pretty cool Hasbro is willing to give him another shot.
Single carded novel figures are not very likely, by Hasbro's own admission in their own columns. Very few Expanded Universe figures are made on individual packages per year, and the chances of any specific character are slim. Joruus C'boath, while a memorable character, doesn't get much love in the fan request department. We can only hope Hasbro makes him some day, and when they do I'd be willing to bet good money it's going to be in a comic pack.
6. Why doesn't Hasbro do a saga legends themed line for their titanium vehicles? It would be nice to see them rerelease some of the ships they've made in years past like the first version of the turbo tank, or some of the other republic gunships they've done before. I would really like to see them rerelease the first version they made of the turbo tank. It has always seemed like the titanium vehicles have done quite well, so it doesn't make sense to me why they do not keep some of the same ships on the shelves.
--Kris
It's entirely possible they might some day, but their assortments have really shifted since their 2005 debut. After their release in 2006, the assortments had a constant mix of new and old ships, much like the action figures. For the past several waves, each case has 2 sets of 6 each-- and any "old" ship would be repainted as part of one of those sets. Most likely, Hasbro is pushing these to be collectible, which would discourage reissues and making them reasonably easy to get. In short, I'd say any conspiracy theories you may have about Hot Wheels may apply to Titanium Series in at least some limited sense.
7. About a year ago, a website surfaced that contained some still shots of what looked an original trilogy cartoon made in the style of the upcoming clone wars cartoon. Nothing was ever said about it and I have never heard anything since. Any info that?
--David
I'm not sure if the intent was ever confirmed, but the product was a fan-made film which was actually in the style of the 2003 Clone Wars show and Gentle Giant's animated maquettes. It's absolutely not a Lucasfilm project, it's most likely just something fun made by some animation students at best or, at worst, an elaborate hoax to anger fans during last year's Star Wars Celebration, as it came out around that time. It was a neat idea, but was totally not a legit project.
8. I have been to all the major department chain stores: Target, Walmart, Kmart, KBToys, and Toys'urs, and the sections devoted to Iron Man, Indiana Jones, Hulk, and Batman are small in terms of actions figures, playsets, and vehicles. Do you think that the department stores will devote a bigger section for the new Star Wars movie?
--Ric
Traditionally, retail has supported Star Wars with larger sections of toys during a movie year. There's no reason to assume they won't, especially with a number of exclusives on the way, giant vehicles, and probably 100 or so figures which will hit over a short period of time. I expect to see a lot of stuff in stores, but maybe not as much as you saw for Revenge of the Sith. At least, not yet-- as the TV show progresses, the demand for more stuff might increase.
9. Lets say that the new computer anamation Star Wars movie and tv series was not coming out for a couple of years, and Hasbro decided to discontinue the Star Wars toy line this year. Do you think that the line was complete in terms of the new characters, rescuplted figures, and vechicles that are produced?
--CC
Absolutely. Opinions will vary from fan to fan, and you (or the rest of the fandom) may disagree, but the way I see it Star Wars is the biggest action figure line based on a movie license ever made. It's entirely possible it's the biggest action figure line, period. As such, despite any nagging character or two we never got, it's still the best action figure line out there in terms of variety and longevity. No Star Trek line ever made it to this size, nor did the Joes, TMNTs, Transformers, and so on. They're all great in their own rights-- Joe is one of the best toy lines ever conceived-- but as far as media-based toys go, nothing will ever be what Star Wars is today.
While we can all rattle off a dozen or two characters we'd like to see made, Hasbro did a bang-up job picking the most popular ones to translate into toys. During the 1990s, we saw fan-requested characters from the old days like Slave Leia, Tarkin, Wedge, and even a new version of Yak Face. Since then, Hasbro has been pretty good about making most of the significant characters from the new films within a year or so, plus more new obscure figures fans love.
To complain about the line if it ended tomorrow would be a pretty pointless endeavor. If it ended tomorrow, I'd be just as happy if it kept going. If it stops, I'll have time to go back and enjoy the collection I've built up over the past 13 years. If it keeps going, well, more droids for me! I couldn't have asked for a better run at this point.
10. I'm still looking for the reissue of the McQuarrie concept Rebel Trooper w/stand pack-in. I have seen a few on ebay so I know they are available on some level. What assortment is this figure shipping in and when should I expect to see it at retail? Thanks!
--Jeff
I've had mine for a while now. It's shipping in only one assortment as far as I know. If you absolutely positively need to have one, I'd suggest considering to pay up as the case won't be in circulation for too much longer, what with the reboot and all. Actually, trading would be the best way to go.
If you've seen R2-B1, Voolvif Monn, or Padme with stands, they all come from the same case. If you haven't, well, it might be time to start officially haunting your store's toy aisle.
FIN
I'd write more, but I had to crank this out a few days early in the middle of the night. More next time!
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!
Posted byAdam16bit at 10:48 AM 0 comments
Labels: QandA
Toys "R" Us Hoth Patrol Battle Pack Found
Saturday, May 24, 2008
After much searching, I found the Toys "R" Us exclusive Hoth Patrol Battle Pack. For $24.99, you get Luke Skywalker in Hoth Gear (based on 2006 tin release, blood-free face), a Wampa (redecorated 2004 release), and a Tauntaun. The Tauntaun is the new piece, more or less. The torso does not feature a split-open belly, nor does the leg "running" mechanism seem to be present.
UPDATE: Adding images to our wonderful Flickr account. Check these out as we add them.
Posted byAdam16bit at 12:53 AM 0 comments
Labels: Exclusives, Hasbro
Mighty Muggs Wave 4 Hitting
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Hot off the heels of wave 3's release (and wave 5's announcement), wave 4 of the Mighty Muggs are starting to be found. (I got mine!) The case includes one each of Yoda, the cyborg General Grievous, a battle-worn version of Luke Skywalker as seen on Cloud City, and a spiffy Emperor Palpatine. The packaging continues to be some of the best I've ever seen, if you like that sort of thing. Keep an eye out for these!
Posted byAdam16bit at 6:18 PM 0 comments
Labels: Hasbro, Mighty Muggs
Hasbro.com Millennium Falcon Announcement
The big, official, with-pictures announcemnt for the big giant Millennium Falcon has been posted at Hasbro. If you've been following the rumblings and leaks, you've probably heard all about the two bonus figures, the added mini-starfighter vehicle, the enhanced smuggling compartments, and all the lights and sounds. If you haven't, then you need to go read this.
Posted byAdam16bit at 9:28 AM 0 comments
Comic Book Review: Star Wars Dark Times #10
Script: Mick Harrison
Art: David Ross
Colors: Alex Wald
Cover art: Zach Howard
Publication date: April 16, 2008
In what would seem to have been one of the most exciting concepts in Star Wars original fiction, the series Dark Times focuses on-- you guessed it-- the rarely chronicled dark ages before the events of the original Star Wars film. Building off a single line by Obi-Wan Kenobi, fans had visions of an era where intergalactic totalitarianism reigned supreme and genocide was something that very likely could happen to you. Dark Horse's comic based on the summary does indeed remind one of pain and suffering, but it mostly comes from the story's slow nature and fairly uninteresting premise.
The "Parallels" arc followed two stories. As the name implies, these similar tales follow the slowly crumbling relationships a galaxy apart-- a single mother separated from her padawan son has joined a crew of rogues, while the kid is stranded on a planet with fan favorite character K'Kruhk and an entire ship of kids. All of these people are being pursued by space pirates of some sort, with the bulk of the characters originating in previous comic series or are fairly uninspired aliens you've seen with nose piercings or, perhaps, new hats.
The Jedi hero of the previous arc, Dass Jennir, is nowhere to be seen. His dinosaur-like sidekick takes a more central role here, and there's a lot of fighting, explosions, and other obligatory let's-wrap-up-the-story elements here. In short, this is a comic written for its upcoming trade paperback, and as a result the story isn't much fun. Were this the 1980s, each story would probably be on its own and take one, perhaps two issues at the most. Due to the modern comics business model, which relies heavily on those collected books, we're being given stories which go on much longer than necessary only to give us fairly hollow tales.
K'Kruhk's post-Order 66 adventures are the reason to pick up this book, and the arc as a whole. If you enjoyed him over the past decade's worth of prequel-era comics, you will probably want to see him here-- but he's pretty lifeless compared to previous outings, and really the primary Star Wars-y component of the story. Aside from borrowing numerous character and vehicle designs from the movies, there story and events really don't expand the universe in any meaningful way. There's a lot of treading water here, which is a shame.
The Dark Times book has also been tormented with incredible delays. Issue #1 hit in November 2006, and was the start of what I believe was initially solicited as a monthly series. Obviously, that didn't work out too well.
Next time in Dark Times #11: The Vector crossover hits the post-prequel era, and the covers promise more of Darth Vader doing stuff. Will it be cool?
Posted byAdam16bit at 12:34 AM 0 comments
Labels: Comics, Comics: Dark Times, Dark Horse
Star Wars Customizable FX Lightsaber
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
As part of my day job, I do some wacky low-budget videos. Here's another one.
It's for the Master Replicas (who no longer has the Star Wars license, by the way) Star Wars Force FX Lightsaber Construction Set I just got. Well, I, we, whatever. I have one, and it's in the video. It's a lot like the regular FX Lightsabers, although the light-up sequence is slightly different, the handle is customizable and made of metal and plastic bits, and you can switch up the colors.
The item was originally sold at Radio Shacks, but in my neck of the woods they're long gone. And rightly so, this is a really fun big item. It's not quite as heavy as the regular versions, and it does lack the ice-cold all-metal feel of the other releases, but it's a fair trade-off for the blade's color changing abilities. That alone makes this far more entertaining than it should be. If I had the means, I'd buy one of these for pretty much everybody I know. It's just a weird fun item to own.
Hasbro recently confirmed they would be reintroducing some of the FX lightsabers later this year, but did not give any information on if this would be one of the ones remade. It's a fine item, and it makes Hasbro's customizable lightsaber a whole lot less exciting-- the big H will have a new one out this July with parts of various Clone Wars and Force Unleashed characters' weapons.
Posted byAdam16bit at 11:36 PM 0 comments
Labels: Lightsabers, Master Replicas, Prop Replicas, Star Wars
Entertainment Earth Spring Sale ends Thursday Night
Ad: The Entertainment Earth Spring Sale is almost over! Save big on hundreds of items from Gentle Giant, Hasbro, Kotobukiya, Master Replicas, Code 3 Collectibles, and more. Click through for pricing and availability.
Posted byAdam16bit at 12:29 PM 0 comments
More Exclusive Clearances at Target
On the way around town this morning I spotted the Target Exclusive Aayla Secura's Jedi Starfighter on the 50% off pile at-- you guessed it-- Target. You may find these on the endcaps next to the Galactic Heroes sets, which are also 30%-50% off. Happy hunting!
Posted byAdam16bit at 12:27 PM 0 comments
Labels: Deals, Hasbro, Vehicles
New Millennium Falcon Featured at WIRED
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
The folks over at Wired have added a blurb on this giant vehicle. There's not much news here, other than the fact there's going to be flickering, dimming lights to better simulate the sputtering feel of the ship in the movie. And that sounds pretty cool to me.
Posted byAdam16bit at 11:42 AM 0 comments
Exclusive Galactic Heroes Clearance at Target
Monday, May 19, 2008
Your local Target may have a deal for you. The Mustafar and Endor exclusive Galactic Hunter sets are being marked down in some Targets, and prices vary from store to store. This weekend, I have personally spotted figures at full price, 30% off, and 50% off. As such, your mileage may vary-- I suggest you get out and hunt, and get your cheap adorable Ewoks while the getting is good!
Posted byAdam16bit at 2:01 PM 0 comments
Labels: Deals
Figure of the Day Blog
Adam Pawlus (hey, that's me!) is presently posting his entire archives of Figure of the Day from Galactic Hunter on a Figure of the Day Blogspot Blog with images being showcased on Flickr. This should make it easier to search the long, long, long-running column.
Posted byAdam16bit at 1:57 PM 0 comments
Q&A: Indy, Repaints, Helmets, & More
Today in Q&A, we examine all sorts of goodies. Are helmets too snug? Will Indiana Jones see Evolutions? And what's the deal with Sandtroopers? All this and more await you when you read on!
1. I have a vintage question for you. A while back I saw an auciton on ebay for a loose mini rig that came with the original box and a little booklet called a planetary map. Well, back in the day I got the Power of the Force vintage Sand Skiff for my birthday and I always remembered that it came with a planetary map of Tatooine, which I lost at some point. Friends have told me for years that I'm on crack and that I imagined it. Do you recall the planetary map? If so, what do you think the chances are that hasbro would reprint these, or come up with new ones? Planetary maps with guides to famous battles of the clone wars would be so cool.
--Duncan
Planetary Maps were a sort of re-branded product catalog used by Kenner in the waning days of the original line. You'll find them in a limited number of Power of the Force and Droids items-- I'm fairly sure no Ewoks items were packaged with them. There were three versions: Tatooine, Death Star, and Endor. On one side was a more or less complete list of the entire Kenner line, showcasing such gems as the A-Wing, the Tatooine Skiff, and some Power of the Force mock-ups of items which never actually sported that logo.
On the other side was a map with some paintings, some more or less tracings, showing areas of the planet and some key events that happened there. They're pretty neat. I think the chances of Hasbro reprinting them is roughly zero, due to the fact one side is outdated product information. (Hasbro assumes-- correctly-- that fans and kids can't tell the difference between a collectible reprint and an actual piece of marketing to sell currently available product.) As the line marches on toward infinity or oblivion, it's entirely possible Hasbro will decide to rebrand their product catalogs into something more collectible just like this-- but no such plans have been made yet.
2. Ok, so i have been going from store to store (even store websites) to try and find a copy of Star Wars Galaxies..... None of the stores around here have it.. They all seem to have a strategy guide for the game, but not the game itself.... Ive checked the Toys r Us , Best Buy, and EB Games websites: and none have the game.... Can i only buy this online from SOE?
--J
Depending on the stores you have in your area, this may be the case. It seems there are a few people selling the title online (I just checked Google's shopping portal) and it seems some new (and used) copies are out there to be bought. It seems it's not super-common, but one can be found with a little bit of extra digging... which may explain why it isn't the #1 MMO thee days. If you can get it from Sony, you might want to do that.
3. I'd like to ask if there will ever be a release or a re-release of the Fett Legacy ESB Boba Fett in the near future, in the mould and paint work as shown the Powerpoint slide prototype released in 2007. It had the nice paint apps as one expects out of the modern exclusive Vintage Line, and moreover it had the better wider and studier looking helmet. The current helmet is not only too narrow but hugs onto the figure's nose like spandex. As there's a lot of fans of both Boba and Jango, do you think or can you ask Hasbro this question for us. I have heard somewhere that Hasbro may re-release this Fett Legacy pack again with the chest insignia but do you know 1. when and 2. if there will be the above essential changes?
--Lim
The item is what it is. While Hasbro has already confirmed they will rerelease it with the added chest insignia, there are no plans to change the sculpts, or anything on Jango. Running changes happen all the time but I wouldn't expect anything this significant. Deco changes are cheap, mold changes are going to cost you. I agree, it sucks that Boba's helmet is too snug-- my Boba Fett has a white ding on its nose which was put there before I even opened it. Design flaws happen quite a bit in the modern line, but if you had a line with over 1,000 figures, odds are there would be a few goofs no matter who was working on it.
4. It seemes that holographic figures have come a long way since the POTF spirit of Obi-Wan way back in the late 90's. These have always been some of my favorite figures to collect. I especially love the new Galactic Heroes Spirit of Obi-Wan. Do you think that LEGO would ever get on board with holographic figures? I would LOVE to see Spirits of Yoda, Obi-Wan, and Anakin from the Ewok celebration in Return of the Jedi.
--mandalorre
You may be in the minority, as most fans see clear figures as an obvious cash-in which allows Hasbro to make a new figure cheaply and with fewer resources (no paint) than the normal figure. I agree they can be cool... but I think it's something that's more tolerated than loved. So far, LEGO has made no plans known to do an entirely clear Star Wars figure, but that might be neat-- they did appear in the video game, after all.
5. will there be any evolutions sets for indiana jones like the legacy of the indy lady?
--Sophia
Nothing that Hasbro has announced. There haven't been any rumblings of multipacks beyond the deluxe figures at this point, so I'd not expect anything in the immediate future. For Star Wars, Evolutions makes a lot of sense due to the incredible selection of characters and the insatiable appetite of fans for new product. In the case of what I perceive you to be asking for-- as that was the whole email-- I wouldn't bank on it. Hasbro already has two versions of Marion available along with Elsa on the way. Willie Scott is expected in an upcoming Temple of Doom wave, so really, the bases are covered-- for the fans who just prefer a boxed set format, odds are you're not going to see anything like this unless Hasbro sees massive success with Indy to the point where higher-end, completely collector-driven product is a strong possibility.
I'd bank on "never."
6. can you tell me if there are any differences between the carded version of Commander Neyo and the one relased in the "Treachery on Saleucami" battle pack last year?
--Daniel
On the surface, these figures are identical. They have the same body, paint job, articulation, and were made but a few months apart.
The hardcore fanatic will notice there is, however, one slight difference. Due to how the Battle Pack version was packaged, the figure has a slightly wider stance-- his legs were stretched out just a little bit. Since the basic carded figure was not packaged sitting on a bike, his legs were not stretched. The "stretching" can be corrected-- or added-- with the use of appropriately hot boiling water, which will soften the plastic and allow you to reshape it ever so slightly. If you're a one-of-everybody loose figure fan, one or the other will do-- there's no reason to get both.
7. So what's left for the 30th Anniversary Collection before the switch to the Legacy Collection? As far as I know, there's that "Clones & Commanders" TRU gift pack that's all repacks and a silver figure, and a couple more Force Unleashed things (the Rancor, and 2 Wal-mart 3-packs with new stormtroopers). Oh, and that Stormtrooper Commander. Did anyone find out what the deal with that one was? Last I heard it was an exclusive somewhere, but I don't remember if anyone said where.
--Brian
Since the last time someone asked, it appears to me that very little is left. First, that "Clones & Commanders" set isn't coming to the USA-- it was a European exclusive which was mistakenly listed on a few web sites. The box set was just a series of repackaged figures with (as far as I've been told) absolutely no changes to the product inside the box. Don't expect to see those.
The Stormtrooper Commander is still on the way and nobody knows what the deal is. My money is on a gift-with-purchase at Toys "R" Us, Best Buy, or GameStop. Hasbro has been particularly cozy with Best Buy lately, so anything could happen here. I'm not expecting it until September at the earliest.
The Battle on Mygeeto Battle Pack is still on the way, and features several unique figures. As such, it's still coming too.
The Battle Rancor just hit, as did the two Toys "R" Us exclusive Battle Packs. (Availability may be spotty, they're just rolling out.) The Wal-Mart 3-packs for the Force Unleashed are, according to most data, not coming until the game hits. Which may mean September, but leaks happen all the time and these sets are starting to show up via overseas auctions in the package and out. It looks like some stuff might start hitting in June/July, like the Droid Factory figures, but one can only trust Hasbro's dates so much-- I wouldn't bank on a whole heck of a lot of anything until July 26 unless it got leaked. Some stores are crazy about holding things for a big street date, even if that particular SKU is not tied to said street date.
8. In response to last weeks #3, Hasbro had this response back on April 8th:
SW Collector April 8, 2008
1.) Hasbro, do you have any updates on the remaining Saga Legends Sandtroopers that you said we might see this spring? I tried to jot down all the "forthcoming" ones mentioned after the main four in the fall and here's what I came up with:
5. Dirty with black pauldron and probably Evolutions but maybe TSC body
6. Super-dirty Evolutions to be possibly released as a last shot
7. Clean with black (unpainted white) pauldron Corporal with TSC body.
Some claim the clean-black was a short run error that was quickly corrected but its existence caused a demand that made you consider turning it into an official running change at some point.
So, have any of these been released or are they going to be released this year, and can you settle for us whether or not the mysterious clean-black was ever released at the retail level or did all of the existing specimens come directly from Hasbro sources?
ANSWER: There are five types of Sandtroopers total. The final (fifth) will be the clean with black (unpainted) TSC body, and our response was indeed to correct the very short run of error figures by getting it into wider distribution. Look for them to be showing up within the next month or so. The other two will not be coming out.
That says to me, the clean with black should be coming out, but you can't find it anywhere. I've tried every online retailer I can think of and ebay, nothing. Do you think this figure is still coming out?
--JD
I stand by what I said. Hasbro has shipped pretty much every action figure assortment for Saga Legends that they've announced. There might be one revision that has not yet shown up, but Hasbro's solicitations (which you can see on fine online stores who sell by the case) show no Sandtroopers in the box. Unless Hasbro suddenly changes a figure in an existing mix-- which they have not done with the various Saga Legends variants so far-- it's entirely possible this figure will never actually show up. There's nowhere for it to go.
If I'm wrong, I'm wrong-- I'm aware of what Hasbro said but when it comes to variants, especially repaints as of late, what Hasbro has planned and what their factories actually do don't always mesh. I expected this figure to show up in the same cases as the super-articulated 501st Clone Troopers, and since they didn't, my hopes are pretty low.
9. I just found out my employer has started a recycling program for employees to bring waste from home and recycle. Can the plastic and cardboard packaging from figures and vehicles be recycled? It seems like you may have addressed this in the column before, and if so, I'm sorry for the repeat. Like you, I think the excess packaging could easily be reduced, and I hope Hasbro and other manufacturers take that to heart to keep costs down and help the environment.
--Miles
I'm no expert on recycling-- all I know is that there's too much junk in a basic Star Wars figure card. As the items are not clearly labeled, I can't say for sure if they can be-- I'm fairly sure that the cardboard can be recycled in some capacity, but I have no idea when it comes to the plastic.
If nothing else, you may be able to reuse bits of the packaging. I actually used the bubbles off of Comic Packs to act as packing material in boxes I had to send out, and they did a fine job of keeping the items secure. While it's not the same as recycling it, finding additional uses for this stuff is a good start.
10. Why does Hasbro only produce deluxe figures wether Indiana Jones or Star Wars during movie years? With that said do you think we will be seeing Deluxe Clone Wars figures this year or deluxe Joes next year? On a side note the Deluxe German Soldier 2 pack from the Indy line is fantastic. Two mostly SA army builders for $10.
--barbara
I'd say it has to do with a better understanding of the marketplace. Generic "Nazi" or "Commie" figures are a pretty tough sell at $8 a pop, but two for $10 sounds reasonable and probably one of the only ways you can move product.
Meanwhile, in G.I. Joe and Star Wars, army builders sell and sell well. For Indy, if they do well, I'm sure we'll never see a deal like this again. At this time there are no known plans for deluxe figures in the other ranges, and my guess is that since Hasbro has proven they can get $10 out of us for a single figure, we probably won't see them any time soon. Outside a store exclusive, maybe, kinda like the Order 66 packs.
FIN
I've got a lot planned over the next week, so if you want to see a column next Monday, I suggest you send in any questions you've been holding back immediately. Otherwise, I get a week off, and you wouldn't want that would you?
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!
Posted byAdam16bit at 12:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: QandA
