Star Wars Action Figures. Collect all 92!
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
File under "Bad Ideas."
The slogan was updated constantly and emblazoned on nearly every Kenner Star Wars product for the better part of a decade. Understanding fans before they knew what was going on, the Ohio-based toy giant encouraged fans to collect them all, and as they grew up and got jobs, a lot of them did exactly that. After all, 92 figures on the final figure cardbacks in 1985, plus a few others which weren't shown, wasn't going to be cheap.
Flash forward to 2008 and Hasbro, after buying Kenner, has done a pretty good job updating the entire line. There's a mix of figure which haven't been made yet, and were made a little inaccurately in the original line. Now that we're almost done updating the figures in name, how about accurately representing them as their 1978-1985 plastic selves-- correct or otherwise?
Make way for a real Vintage collection of modern figures! After the McQuarrie Concept line, I can't think of a better line-within-a-line to appeal to old-school original trilogy fans!
Yak Face
The 1998 figure, while arguably an improvement over the supremely rare original, wears a distinctive and different costume. The original Kenner release didn't have the long duster, and the costume coloring was a little different. Since there hasn't been a Yak Face for sale since 1998, why not go retro next time?
R2-D2 (plain, with Sensorscope, with Pop-up Lightsaber)
The original had a body which was created with a big sticker, a wildly inaccurate head, and a height deficiency. The label wouldn't really look good with the rest of the line, but it might be fun to see Hasbro engineers retool a 21st-century take on the original R2-D2 head on a modern body. The giant saucer eye may have been the stuff a good Hungarian bootleg would be based on, but it's also an iconic part of how an entire generation of kids played with the droid. It's also an excuse to do another R2-D2 without lava reflection paint or ash stains or some other minor deco variant.
Han Solo (Carbonite)
While there have indeed been multiple Han Solo figures with the big metal ice block, none have been made in clear brown plastic. None have been molded with his hands at his sides, either. Since a new mold would be needed to make a Kenner-style block (plus it's quite inaccurate), it seems unlikely Hasbro would want to attempt this design-- but hey, why not? Han sells, and the Carbonite has been out of circulation since 2006. This would be a supremely fun Vintage figure!
Warok (Ewok)
To date, this figure has not been done in any modern capacity.
Imperial Dignitary (Sim Aloo)
Again, the figure has not been done in any modern toy line.
Barada (Kithaba)
Supposedly on the short list from Hasbro, the vintage 1984 figure named "Barada" has been since renamed "Kithaba." He's distinctive from the modern Barada figures because he has a slightly different torso and red pants-- this one could be an easy redeco of Barada, although it might be preferable to see a post-Kenner design of the character as a figure.
Lumat (Ewok)
Initially planned to be released in 2007, apparently Hasbro got cold feet and repainted (and renamed) the figure to "Graak." As such, a satisfactory vintage-style Lumat figure is as simple as repainting an existing mold.
Bib Fortuna
After a few tries, Hasbro nailed the movie version of this character-- but the odd looking Kenner original (and the prototype) haven't been done yet. While the movie character had a black robe, the original had a brown robe, and a prototype had a dark red robe. What's more he was armed with a staff which, to date, seems to have originated with Kenner's designers. (Sideshow remade it for their 12-inch figure recently.) As such, there's another opportunity to do another figure to look more like the Kenner original, but even I doubt they'd consider this one.
Emperor's Royal Guard
While there have been three figures of the movie guard in the modern line, none replicated the elegance of the original. The figure could stand guard, hold a large force pike, and sported a cloth robe. It's so simple, and yet we're not quite there yet-- but we came close in 2005 with the Revenge of the Sith figure. Were Hasbro to retool the arms and give him a new weapon, they could make an update of the Kenner orignal (with accessory) and a movie-perfect version with a shorter pike in one easy release.
Nikto
The modern-era figure from 1999 doesn't match the 1983 original at all. An entirely new sculpt may not be required, but really all that's potentially salvageable is the head. They may as well go for broke and start from scratch here.
Luke Skywalker (Hoth Gear)
Even though there hasn't been an ultimate super-articulated version of the movie version of the costume, the suprisingly different Kenner figure from 1982 hasn't been touched in the modern line yet. The perfect companion to your blue costume Hoth Han Solo figures, a new Kenner version would have dark goggles, dark brown boots, and a red scarf around his hat and neck. Retro-tastic!
Bespin Security Guard (Black, Arguably Asian)
While an acceptable Bespin Guard was released in 2001, it didn't look a thing like the original. It didn't have a moustache, and it wasn't black. It also didn't have his jacket closed. For this reason, there's not one but two opportunities to do old-fashioned versions of this guard, both of which could be made from a single mold except for the head. Two for one here, Hasbro!
Darth Vader (and the same comments apply to Obi-Wan Kenobi)
While seemingly every possible variation on Darth Vader has been done, there's one action feature which has never been touched on-- the telescoping lightsaber built in to the arm. All that would be required here for a "Kenner" style release would be a new arm with a lightsaber inside and, if they were feeling saucy, the strange over-the-shoulders cape. Which is really closer to being a floor-length vest with something resembling a hood. Either way, it's another way to sell Darth Vader and cash in on that oh-so-delicious 1978 Kenner nostalgia all at once.
TIE Fighter Pilot
Not only has Hasbro still not yet delivered a super-articulated version of the pilot, the 1982 Kenner orignal really doesn't look anything like the movie aside from the fact that it was black. It features a misshapen helmet design, black gloves, little bits and pieces on his costume, and he was pretty stocky. When every possible version of the TIE Pilot from the movies has been exhausted-- which, I should add, it hasn't yet been-- here's another way to redo the classic.
Greedo
While sales of the Vintage figure in 2006 may have squashed any hope for a new version, the 1979 release had a strange green jumpsuit with big green boots. The head could be reused, as could the hands and maybe bits of the limbs. A whole new torso might be worth a shot in an attempt to create the Kenner original.
Snaggletooth
Like Greedo, it seems Kenner designed much of the costume on their own. His red costume seems only to share the color and the belt with an on-screen counterpart, and his head qualified as close enough. It's time for Kenner to go back to the well and recreate the barefoot, gloveless, grey-furred shorty from the bar.
Boba Fett
The no-brainer of the year! With different colored right and left gauntlets, a unique jetpack, no cape, and a blue body suit, this might be the best possible candidate for Kenner-ization. The original figure was fairly off-model from the final film figure, and the 12-inch Kenner figure from the same time was also pretty unique. Heck, there's two versions right here.
Imperial Officer
Despite there being dozens of Imperial Officer figures, none of them replicated the look of the 1980s original with its pressed uniform, gloves, and hat. Hasbro could easily recolor Moff Jerjerrod to make a figure that's close enough, and that's what they're doing in late 2008. But will it be enough? (Probably.)
Hoth Rebel Solier
Simply put, none of the modern ones have been great. Six points of articulation, tops, and height problems are part of a large list of grievances. After the perfect movie-authentic version of the figure comes to be, Hasbro might want to do a version with a brown parka like the original. The fans would appreciate it.
Rebel Commander
To go with the soldiers, a new commander might be nice. Essentially Major Derlin with a dark moustache and a one-color costume, this should be an easy figure to recreate as a repaint of Major Derlin. Heck, the 2007 Target exclusive rerelease is quite close as it is.
Death Squad Commander/Star Destroyer Commander
Despite being one of the original 12 figures, he's always getting the short end of the figure stick. A good version was released in 2007, but it had a black jumpsuit-- Kenner's figure was clearly grey. This could be either a simple recolor, or something a little more creative. The 2007 figure's hat fits perfectly on Officer Cass, which could mean Hasbro could crank this one out with little to no effort.
FX-7
The 1980s version and the 2001 version are so different it really isn't funny. While some of the original Kenner figures are unique due to misinformation or conscious choices in style, this one seems to be chalked up to the technology of 1980s toys not being up to snuff. Were Hasbro so inclined, they certainly could make one with fewer arms and a slightly different head like this original release. "Could" being the key word-- it's a big step back, so it probably would never happen.
Walrus Man
While we've received several Ponda Baba figures since 1997, all were based on the same basic mold, and none of them were as weird as the original from 1979. Green skin, swim fins, a blue rubber diver suit, and some sort of an orange garment make this another twisted parody of the real deal. Were this sold in eastern Europe today, it would probably be viewed as an outrageously goofy bootleg, but because it was a Kenner original, it actually has a limited amount of respect from fans. By reusing some G.I. Joe parts, Hasbro could easily crank out the brightly colored version for the 21st century collector.
Hammerhead
Much like Walrus Man and their Cantina pals, ol' Hammerhead looks very little like his movie cousin outside his head and skin color. While the Kenner original was much thinner than the modern figures, Hasbro could easily make the version in the blue garment without too much trouble-- just take and modify the 1997 mold by giving him a new body and new coloring. Presto-- classic Kenner Hammerhead!
Jawa
Two words: cloth robes. The original figure was pretty cool, but covered by a single cloth garment which rendered all the work of the sculptors invisible. Hasbro could go for a double-dip here, including the original plastic cape as well, appealing to figure fans in a whole new (and goofy) way. However, the 2007 version has a brown jacket/vest that may be close enough to the plastic cape to count for even the most critical Kenner fans.
Yoda
The 2004 Vintage release was close, but no cigar. Where's the big goofy grin, the knobby belt, and the neon orange snake? Some new cloth pieces and revised accessories could make this one a reality lickety-split. And I can't imagine Kenner turning down another Yoda variation.
Power Droid
While similar to the 1997 version, the 1979 release had a blue body and a lot more color. There's no reason Hasbro couldn't replicate the original Power Droid just by using the original mold and some paint. It's so easy, it's almost frightening that it didn't come out with a Jawa four years ago.
BONUS ROUND: Kenner Accessories!
A lot of figures have been released, but lack the unique, original, and/or wacky accessories of the originals. While some have found their way in other figure releases (like the grey Biker Scout pistol), others have never seen a modern update. Here's a quick list of what would still be fun to see.
Paploo's staff
Imperial Gunner's gun (also A-Wing Pilot, Endor Leia, etc.)
Bib Fortuna's staff
Emperor's Royal Guard's staff
Boushh's rifle (with handle)
Squid Head's grey blaster
Nien Nunb's block black blaster
Ree-Yees' gold rifle
2-1B's sharp grey probe
Bossk's gun
Admiral Ackbar's staff
Luke Skywalker's yellow lighsabers
So there you have it! Appealing to old toy collectors has never been easier-- just market the mistakes from the old days. I'm only partially kidding here-- I really do think there's a market for several of these figures, and if there was a burst on the packaging boasting "ORIGINAL KENNER-STYLE WEAPONS!" I'd be excited enough to pay up for some new versions of old figures.
...if any of these happen, well, please accept my apologies or a sarcastic "You're welcome!" in advance. As you can see, there really is no end to the ways Hasbro can go back to the well just for the original trilogy. And if they go back to the well to update barely adequate modern figures like Paploo, Nien Nunb, and so forth, this could go on forever.
Posted byAdam16bit at 11:59 PM
Labels: Action Figures, Editorials, Hasbro, Kenner
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