Star Wars with occasional sarcasm
I don’t know why Hasbro is doing a 4-figure The Last Command action figure set in 2024 – the book turned 30 last year – but here we are. The Black Series set (aka 6-inch figures) features Luke Skywalker, Mara Jade, Joruus C’baoth and Luuke from the book’s final confrontation.
Continue reading “Hasbro flashes back to the 90s with The Last Command action figure set”
Remember the Star Wars Monopoly game that launched the #WheresRey campaign? Despite Hasbro’s promises, it turns out that Rey never made to the U.S. version of the game “due to insufficient interest” from retailers, a Hasbro spokewoman told the AP.
People who buy the game here can request a piece from Hasbro – they’ve had just over a hundred requests in North America. The Rey game piece can be found (sometimes) in five other markets, including the U.K. and France.
The #WheresRey campaign did seem to have an impact on Rogue One marketing – Jyn Erso toys did not seem to be in any short supply, and hopefully the trend will hold for The Last Jedi.
Despite early leads by Darth Talon and Starkiller, Jaina Solo won Hasbro’s 2016 fan choice figure poll. (Here’s the percentages just before the poll closed.)
Jaina, the oldest child and only daughter of Leia Organa and Han Solo in decanonized Legends timeline, has had at least one figure from Hasbro in the past, plus a Bishoujo-style statue from Kotobukiya. The new figure will take some time: The fruits of last year’s poll – Darth Revan and Sabine Wren – aren’t expected to hit the shelves until late this year.
Hasbro announced several new figures at SDCC, including a 6′ Hera Syndulla and an Imperial Royal Guard inspired in part by the (also Legends) comic Crimson Empire.
And getting a 3.75 figure, the newly canonized Grand Admiral Thrawn, who will appear in the upcoming third season of Rebels. (His rank will be correct on the final figure.)
The Star Wars Fan Figure vote finalists are in, and it’s a Legends-heavy field this year: Jaina Solo, The Force Unleashed’s Starkiller, Darth Talon from the Legacy comics and even our own namesake Mara Jade. Rounding out the choices are The Clone Wars’ Captain Rex and bounty hunter Dengar.
(Were certain Legends zealots doing some targeted ballot-stuffing to ensure this outcome? Oh, definitely. Yet in the grand scheme of things, they clearly followed the rules, and there’s no malice to be done here. An action figure hurts no one, so let them have their fun.)
Mara won this a couple years back, and even the resulting figure was something of a disappointment, I don’t really feel tempted to vote for her again. (That Fan’s Choice was her third Hasbro figure, and every single one had to be wearing that silly catsuit, apparently.) Having three women in the finals might be unprecedented, but I don’t find any of the choices all that exciting. Vote as you will: The winner will be announced at Hasbro’s SDCC panel on Friday.
Entertainment Weekly has revealed Hasbro’s Maz Kanata action figure, which will debut at Toy Fair this weekend.
Sadly, for the established collectors, Maz won’t be available on her own. She’ll be released this spring as part of a “Takodana Encounter” playset along with Rey, BB-8 and Finn, for $19.99. Two female characters in one pack? Hasbro, you’re trying!
Just like they did last year, Hasbro won’t be showing any toys from Rogue One at Toy Fair this year, per a statement from the company. On the other hand, we do expect lots and lots of The Force Awakens stuff!
Meanwhile, for the rumor hounds, Making Star Wars has a pair of reports. The first pertains to an all-new villain and his striking wardrobe, while the second has to do with hero disguises and code names.
Here’s some good news for fans hungry for more ladies in the toy aisle – There’ll be a Princess Leia figure based on her Rebels appearance from Hasbro. The 3¾ figure will be in stores this fall.
In less happy toy news, there’s a new report that lays the cause of the lack of Rey toys at the feet of Lucasfilm themselves. A purported insider described a January 2015 vendor meeting with the company to the blog Sweatpants and Coffee:
The insider, who was at those meetings, described how initial versions of many of the products presented to Lucasfilm featured Rey prominently. At first, discussions were positive, but as the meetings wore on, one or more individuals raised concerns about the presence of female characters in the Star Wars products. Eventually, the product vendors were specifically directed to exclude the Rey character from all Star Wars-related merchandise, said the insider.
“We know what sells,” the industry insider was told. “No boy wants to be given a product with a female character on it.”
Hasbro is releasing more toys with Rey and other female characters, like Leia, aren’t being left out entirely. (And note that while there are certainly far less Rey items, she wasn’t totally excluded from the first wave of products.) But the report does show there’s a lot of work to be done at every level.
Today we’re one month away from The Force Awakens. Well, those of us who have tickets for the December 17th showings do as I post this. (Check your local theater – they likely still have tickets.)
→ Star Wars is forever and ever (and ever) Wired reminds us, in another article from their Star Wars issue. (Remember the J.J. interview?) There’s not any real news here if you’ve been paying attention, but it is a good look at the new mega movie franchise blueprint. Elsewhere, a look at the Disney empire and their gatefold Millennium Falcon cover.
→ Fashion designers are reinterpreting looks from the Force Awakens that will be auctioned for charity. The Force 4 Fashion looks will be revealed on December 2.
→ Greg Grunberg on shooting The Force Awakens. J.J. Abrams is mean.
→ Hasbro says demand for The Force Awakens toys was higher than they expected. “No shit,” say collectors everywhere, rolling their eyes.
Fast Company has a profile of Hasbro Star Wars design director Steve Evans, focusing on The Force Awakens rollout. Of special interest to us, some words on the changing market:
“I’m actually very, very fond of the three-and-three-quarter inch Rey figure,” Evans says. It’s an appropriate choice, and not just for the fact that Rey is one of the main characters in the next Star Wars chapter. That figure symbolizes a radical shift in the action figure market—and the Star Wars toys market in particular.
“It’s because of what it stands for,” says Evans. “Just because of the way it’s embracing girls into the brand more. I have a son and two twin daughters and my girls are infatuated with Rey. They think she’s brilliant.”
Back in the ’70s and ’80s Star Wars action figures were thought of as something to be made just for boys. But Evans says that’s all changed now. And not only are the artificial gender action figure barriers are coming down, now they’re designed to appeal to people of all ages.
As for The Force Awakens, “as we lead up to December 18, there’s a certain amount that gets released,” says Evans. “There are certain surprises from our product line that no one knows about, that we’ll release leading up to the movie, at the movie, and beyond the movie.”
To the surprise of, well, everyone, there weren’t a whole mass of The Force Awakens toy reveals at the Hasbro panel at SDCC. But what they did show was pretty cool – and rather large: A 6″ scale TIE fighter, with “elite” pilot. (There’s a pretty neat display case recreating a scene from the trailer on the show floor now.)
As expected, Knights of the Old Republic‘s Revan won the 2015 Fan’s Choice poll by a landslide, but the results for Rebels Sabine Wren were so good that she’s going to be made as a 6″ Black Series figure, too! They also revealed that a Kanan Jarrus figure is coming to the Black Series as well. Other new 6″ figures include Rebels Ahsoka, a Tatooine Luke Skywalker, a Jango Fett, and one of the new Inquisitors (the dude) from S2 of Rebels. Check the StarWars.com liveblog for pics (very small, with bigger ones coming) and other details.
YAAS QUEEN! #SDCC #StarWars #BlackSeries pic.twitter.com/2sXQPXHq8G
— AMANDAJEANNN (@AMANDAJEANNN) July 10, 2015