Club Jade

Sales haven’t been good for one of the few sources for Expanded Universe action figures, so the line won’t continue in regular stores through the Spring. Here’s what Hasbro said in a Q&A last month:

We can confirm that the Comic Packs will be discontinued after Spring 2010 (meaning no packs for Fall 2010). The Wal-Mart exclusive Comic Pack program has been cancelled after the last ones ship this Fall. Wave 3, including the pack with Tholme and T’ra Saa, will now be on shelf approximately March in the U.S. along with the rest of the Fall Comic Packs shown at Comic Con. This schedule should hold unless there are further delays. The Spring 2010 Wave 1 packs shown at Comic Con, including the Darth Nihl & Deliah Blue pack, may not make it out at all based on the current rate of sale, but we remain hopeful. The Camie/Fixer pack will be a convention exclusive next year.

This doesn’t bode well for EU figures, though it doesn’t effect the Jacen and Jaina figures (they’re part of Legacy Collection, an entirely different line.)

CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Crafting corner. There are two Mara Jade items in this roundup, and here’s the first one. Rebecca aka Sorakirei, whose first lightsaber scarf we featured earlier in the month, has another made another one. The Mara Jade lightsaber scarf was a commission – could it be from one of our readers? It’s a big internet… She’s also done a ROTJ Luke saber since we last looked…

The Blogside: Joe Schreiber on haunted houses and Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff on musical parody.

Action figures: A closer look at Jacen and Jaina.

Previews: Legacy #40, Knights of the Old Republic #46 and Invasion #4, which gives us our first look at (a fairly generic and perhaps Renaissance-Fair attending) Mara.

Lists: Topless Robot has a very Marvel-heavy list of the eleven least necessary Star Wars comics. Yes, its another one of those lists that was probably compiled by hitting the random button on the Wookieepedia, but I’m considering doing a novel version. (Since I’ve actually, like, read a lot of them. Imagine that. The New Rebellion, are your ears stinging yet?)

Really, Hasbro? No one objected to this? Yes, we know where the ultimate blame falls, but still. Really?

In less wince-worthy toy stuff, get up close and personal with the repackaged Comic Packs, as well as the news ones such as Darth Krayt & Sigel Dare, Lumiya & Luke, Beefy the Vong & Kyle Katarn and the news-to-me Emperor’s Hand Imperial Shuttle.

Fine, I cave: I’ll be updating this throughout the afternoon/evening, at least until the Spectacular… Unless something huge breaks!

The sun says hello. Afternoon for me, anyway: All this was morning for California, and you can tell because StarWars.com has snapshots from the Fan Club Breakfast, and more from TFN. (5:20e)

All the wonderful toys. They also have Hasbro’s presentation. The Comic Packs are mostly things we’ve already seen, but I think the Exar Kun and Ulic Qel Droma are new. Walmart is getting an exclusive Corran Horn/Whistler and Rouge Squadron #1 two-pack (Dllr Nep and Plourr Ilo?) while Target will have a Wedge with X-Wing.

But the biggest news in here for us is that they’re adding Jacen and Jaina Solo to the Droid Factory line in 2010! Meanwhile, future Comic Packs will include Legacy’s Delia Blue/Darth Nihl and KOTOR’s Jarael/Rohlan Dyre. (5:20e)

Something something in 3-D. EU Cantina was tweeting live from The Clone Wars panel. Tidbits include S2 tone, comments on rogue Jedi and the unlikliness of a second movie. (5:20e)

Look who’s debuting. Among the new items Sideshow is bringing to Con? A 12″ figure of an old pal of ours, Grand Admiral Thrawn! And some other guys.

From the floor. Mary Franklin and her minions are hard at work already, setting up the Lucasfilm Pavilion! There’s a peek at a few more of The Clone Wars bounty hunters as well, including two brand-new characters.

• Memories. Fan testimonials from earlier in the year.

• Hey, gamers! The Clone Wars: Repulic Heroes launch trailer is here.
• Funny business What Comic-Con means to Seth Green, things people say to him on the floor and his guide to costumes. On that note, Green is joined by partners-in-humor Matthew Senreich and Breckin Meyer to talk about the new Robot Chicken DVD and their SDCC skate party.
• The Empire Muggs Back. Amy Pronovost’s Jaxxon and Sarah Wilkinson’s Shaak Ti.
• Fan sites. TFN and company will be twittering at the con and holding a live chat during the Spectacular.

• Toys: Rebelscum has pictures of Hasbro’s evolution of the Sith set, including shirtless Maul, Darth Nihilus, and the please-someone-get-him-a-tissue Darth Bane, right.

• The blogside: Artist Dustin Weaver writes a bit about his cover for Dark Times #16.
• Interviews: French site Star Wars Universe interviews Lucasfilm continuity guru Leland Chee, while NJOE has Essential Atlas author Dan Wallace.
• The Clone Wars: There’s going to be another video game, Republic Heroes. I’m shocked! Well, not that shocked.

Rebelscum has a couple of galleries from Toy Fair… Not much EUish from Diamond Select. (Though their Jedi Luke looks nice.) The real gems, as usual, come from Hasbro and their comic packs. There’s a bunch of Clone Wars stuff I can’t even begin to catagorize… And a Marvel-era Luke and Lumiya! (Removable head? How apt!)

Heading into a more modern comic era, Legacy’s Darth Krayt and an Imperial Knight who I believe is Sigil Dare, plus Kyle Katarn and Beefy the Vong (probably not his real name,) above. (Based on a late Tales storyline?)

Here’s the Hasbro press release and official images. And here is their Star Wars presentation, shedding a little more light on their offerings… Including a Wal-Mart exclusive Corran Horn figure!

UPDATE: A report on the Turbo Tank and more photos from StarWars.com.

• Interviews: John Ostrander talks up Vector and Legacy at Comic Book Resources, while The Clone Wars’ Karen Miller headlines SWbooks.

• Upcoming: Dan Wallace has a blog entry on The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia. It’ll be out in a little over a week (Dec. 9) but at least one of the Amazons is already shipping it…
• Toys: Up close and personal with some of the new comic packs: Wedge Antilles, Borsk Fey’lya, Luke Skywalker, Deena Shan, Ki-Adi-Mundi and Sharad Hett.

• Interviews: StarWars.com catches up with Ben Harper about Obsessed With Star Wars.

• TFU: Preview Dark Horse’s The Force Unleashed adaption; See novel adaption author Sean Williams in Malibu.
• Toys: Expanded Universe Comic Pack pictures at Rebelscum.

Pity them or envy them, the StarWars.com crew are off for their second con in two weeks – and here’s their SDCC setup gallery. Also attending? Marco Andretti ‘s Clone Wars car. Rebelscum is pulling double duty as well, and they’ve already got several galleries from preview night up. EU fans will probably be most interested in Hasbro’s comic packs.

Meanwhile, Del Rey’s Suvudo blog has images and a a video tour of the con floor. (But what’s up with the elevator music?)