Club Jade

Just in time for Halloween, io9 spotted these unique and kind of awesome collector Barbies: The Battlefield-Earth-meets-Poison-Ivy Empress of the Aliens and the ghostly Haunted Beauty. They’re both limited editions and clearly not for kids, though given some of the crazy expensive Star Wars stuff we’ve seen, $100 doesn’t seem all that steep. Or maybe that’s just the 8-year-old Barbie lover in me speaking.

Bree Brouwer blogged about another wacky sci-fi Barbie, Goddess of the Galaxy, who’s got a Lady Gaga/Elizabeth I vibe. Pretty nifty!

There are bound to be tons of announcements out of Toy Fair this week (people seem awfully excited about Hasbro’s new AT-AT.) But what I personally find most interesting is a computer engineer Barbie. On the one hand, I was surprised that Mattel hasn’t gone there already, and that it took a “popular vote” to get her there. (The “girls vote” went to ‘news anchor.’) On the other hand… I’m not surprised at all. Not even that her laptop is pink. But a step is a step, right?

Wait a minute:

“Girls who discover their futures through Barbie will learn that they – just like engineers – are free to explore infinite possibilities, and that their dreams can go as far as their imaginations take them,” said Nora Lin, President, Society of Women Engineers. “As a computer engineer, Barbie will show girls that women can design products that have an important and positive impact on people’s everyday lives, such as inventing a technology to conserve home energy or programming a newborn monitoring device.”

Baby monitors. Not that there’s something wrong with baby monitors, but how does that even make the top ten of exciting things to do with computers? Aim for the stars, girls!

Topless Robot lists off the 12 greatest Barbie dolls for nerds, including multiple Treks. Who better to wear those short skirts?

As we’ve already addressed many times, I’m the furthest thing there is from a collecting expert, but I don’t think we’ve ever seen a legitimate Star Wars Barbie produced. (Somehow I doubt Kenner or Hasbro even allowed Mattel to think about it.) Which is really a pity, considering how many outfits the prequels produced. And yes, there is Sideshow, but there’s just something about Barbie, in all her opiate-of-the-masses glory.

Scrap the Maker? The relaunched Sci-Fi Wire (now in blog form!) has come up with nine reasons for George Lucas to retire already. Cinematical then made a poll out of it, and ‘yes, please’ is winning. Your thoughts? I honestly don’t care all that much as long as he sticks to the prequel/intertrilogy era.

• 501st: The Heart of an Empire documentary is now available on DVD.

• Fanmade: Check out this homemade Princess Leia outfit for Barbie, complete with bun hat!
• Wait, what? Obi-Wan (Guinness version) is one of Idol Chatter’s top ten Jewish movie characters. I don’t see it, but okay.
• Ballot-stuffing time: Han Solo and Boba Fett are up MTV’s Greatest Badass Search. Who to vote for? Well, only one of them exited stage left by falling down a tentacle hole, and the other one is played by the same guy as Indiana Jones. Or, Darth Vader. Your choice.
• Merchandise: The retail season of Valentine’s Day is night, so of course there are Clone Wars and Indy IV valentines.

The Barbie Tarot! Pretty impressive – all the suit cards are there, too!

Other pop culture Tarot sets of note: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Discworld, Eighties, Harry Potter and an oldie but goodie, Dave McKean’s Vertigo Tarot.

I am inspired. Actually, somewhere I have a notebook with ideas and the entire Major Arcana for a Star Wars version plotted out…

Wait, did I just get geekier? Damn it…

• TOSblog spotted a Barbie in Carbonite on Etsy. Disturbling awesome! (Of course, it’s been sold already.) For the less morbid, they also found some instructions on making a Millennium Falcon cat bed.
• Interview with Death Star co-author Michael Reeves in Sunday’s Washington Post.
• In addition to prompting kids to want to grow up and fly (or design) jets in the first place, Star Wars inspires Royal Air Force helmets.
• Speaking of the U.K., Return of the Jedi’s Richard Marquand will be spotlighted on Welsh TV next week.
• The 501st invades Spain’s beautiful La Sagrada Familia church.
• Hey, collectors: According to CHUD’s review, George Lucas’ appearance is among the gems on the Best of the Colbert Report DVD, which should be majestically appearing in stores on Tuesday.

I swear I have a battered hand-me-down Barbie case (this one, in blue) that looks a lot like the Gilmore Girls complete series case. Honestly I’m not sure if that’s a homage or an insult. GG isn’t The Sopranos or anything, but Barbie?