WALRUS MAN Kenner Take Two
The Retro Collection Target Exclusive 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure Set
Item No.: No. G1082
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $59.99
Availability: April May 2025
Appearances: Star Wars
Bio: The Star Wars Retro Collection features design and detailing inspired by the original 1970s Star Wars figures and features original figure design and detailing! Continue your collection from a galaxy far, far away. (Stolen from the marketing copy. Packaging has no bio.)
Image: Adam's photo lab.
Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!
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Commentary: I can't imagine how Hasbro selects its
The Retro Collection releases without massive internal squabbling. Who do you pick? Do you remake a rare figure like Yak Face? Do you put out somebody who will interest the masses like Yoda? Or do you put out
Walrus Man, a strange figure in a weird toy line that not only cares not for style guides but also available relatively cheaply off-the-card? Given that he's in a set with
five new molds, I think Hasbro made the right choice to release him as the pill with a treat wrapped around it.
As a kid I was trying to find Walrus Man at flea markets or garage sales. Not because of any specific love for the movie character, but because I wanted the wet suit-wearing alien weirdo figure that Kenner made as a toy. He looked like fun, and that's why I had to have him. Also all the ones I've ever owned had weird eyes, which they fixed for the 2025 rerelease... that's probably a good thing. It gave the old figure some personality, but I doubt side-eye was the intent of the original sculptor and designer Stephen Geddes. (Yeah, we actually know the name of the sculptor from 47 years ago!) I've occasionally been given a collection or spotted more at a garage sale, so I've got three originals in my orbit. It's just such a great design, so colorful and striking. I know many fans wanted a more accurate Ponda Baba figure - which we got later - but there's so little color in the original
Star Wars line that a design like this really stands out.
There's some generation loss. Since Hasbro scanned the figures, you're getting some softer details. Had Hasbro made an all-new sculpt, like Rocket Firing Boba Fett, it would look a smidgen different but you could probably replicate the wrinkles, cuts, and hairy textures from the 1979 original. It's not as obvious that the new one has a beard, but most of the major landmarks are present - just not as sharp. The pose is still good, though, and the plastic finish is not nearly as glossy as an original.
The plastic colors are very close - but the original is more saturated. 2025's blue almost looks slightly Sun-damaged, with an orange that looks a bit more faded. The greens are a bit brighter, the black matches very nicely, and the peach is kind of fascinating. It's more saturated, but it also uses a paint mask that was a lot cleaner. There's some fading and gaps around the 1979 figures' faces, but here it's clean. Similarly, the eyes are more consistent with a bigger, more centered black dot in each. The greens of the eyes also seem brighter.
The figure feels very much like the original. The plastic's a little bendy, the joints move well. He has no problems holding his included Stormtrooper E-11 blaster, but he has some problems holding the gray Evazan blaster from this set. It's loose in his hand - 1979 Walrus Man can grip it more tightly. I've since noticed this with other figures. 2019 Retro Han can't hold his gun, but weirdly, 1978 Han can hold the 2019 blaster and 2019 Han can hold the 1978 blaster. The parts tolerances were close, but not perfect, and that may be related to the generation loss in the sculpted detail. It looks good as a digital model, but it needs a little more refinement than it's getting when going into the tooling phase.
I wasn't remotely excited to get another Walrus Man, but Hasbro made enough changes (and included a bonus blaster with Evazan) that it's interesting again. The eyes give hm a new personality, the mouth is very different, and the colors are so, so close - but not exact. It feels like this figure came from molds Kenner and Hasbro kept running for 45 years, wore out, cleaned up, fixed some paint masks, and it's an imperfect match - I admire that. I recommend this figure if you don't have the original, but even if you do? It's not bad. The ribbing at the top of the boot is painted better this time, and it's worth the asking price.
Collector's Notes: I got mine from Target.
--Adam Pawlus
Day 3,253: June 26, 2025
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