Figure of the Day: Day 29: Chewbacca

CHEWBACCA Power of the Force
Power of the Force Collection
Item No.: Asst. 69570 No. 69578
Number: n/a
Includes: Bowcaster, Blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $4.99
Availability: July/August 1995

Bio: As Han Solo's partner, Chewbacca the Wookiee (or Chewie, as Solo calls him) distinguished himself as a talented pilot, starship mechanic and smuggler. After being rescued from Imperial slavers by Solo, Chewbacca pledged a life debt to the rogue pilot and followed him to several different planets as their relationship grew and the two became close friends and partners. When Solo acquired the light freighter Millennium Falcon, he and Chewbacca began their career as intergalactic smugglers. Chewbacca's reputation as a brawler gave him a distinct advantage in shady business negotiations, and it was he who initiated the deal to transport Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker from Tatooine to Alderaan. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Like many action figures, they are viewed in their natural habitat: the shelves of Adam Pawlus.

Commentary: A little beefy, a little short, and not quite as shaggy as one might hope for, the blue-eyed Wookiee's first modern action figure had a bowcaster, an extra gun, and for the first time ever, a separate mold for the head and a waist joint. Sure, Chewie's waist narrows to the point you might think he has a thing for corsets, but who am I to judge? This figure was a little more ferocious than the original, and actually did look like he might pull a droid's arm out of its socket. That's a fearsome beast, but when you get right down to it he doesn't look a whole lot like Chewbacca. A bandolier, crossbow, and blue eyes do not a Wookiee make. At the time, this "taller" version of Chewie was a hit, and the weird guns made of cobbled together old Ghostbusters and G.I. Joe molds were not exactly greeted with open arms, but the figure was hot. Since he couldn't fit in the Millennium Falcon's cockpit with Han, a lot of the complaints leveled against him were deserved, and as such, this figure isn't even close to the definitive Chewbacca figure.

Collector's Notes: In 1995, Star Wars figures came back and despite their odd look, sold out. Everywhere. "Planet of the Apes Chewie," as he was often referred, was a huge hit but today nobody seems to care and you can pick him up easily and cheaply on either his orange-striped or green-striped card. Like most of the 1995-1996 figures, he's been upgraded with new sculpts many times over now and this figure is really only worth getting if you like bizarre interpretations of Star Wars characters or if you're one of us who likes to "collect them all."

Day 29: June 4, 2006