Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,021: General Grievous

GENERAL GRIEVOUS Carded Version
Clone Wars Cartoon Network / Tartakovsky Animated Series Action Figures
Item No.: Asst. 85661 No.    85469
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: 2 lightsabers, display stand
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $6.99
Availability: Early 2005
Appearances: Clone Wars 2003 series

Bio: Through the creative vision of Lucasfilm Ltd. and the Cartoon Network, the Clone Wars are brought to life in an exciting new series of short animated chapters. A unique animation style captures the drama of this epic period in galactic history along with its outstanding heroes and adversaries. Noble Jedi warriors lead Clone Troopers into battle against the evil Separatist forces and their droid armies. Anakin, Obi-Wan, Yoda and their comrades struggle against the rising power of the dark side and confront personal challenges against a backdrop of war-torn planets.   (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo hole.

Commentary: One of the strange side effects of their being so much Star Wars is we get to see characters evolve in both merchandise and on the screen.  This General Grievous is painted quite differently from the version in the movie (and the cartoon version in the subsequent animated 3-pack), but it matches his first cartoon appearance pretty well.  The figure is pretty much the same from either release except deco, with this release (the first one) having a bluish body with a cream cape lining, and the 3-pack version being more of a bone color with a red cape lining.  You can't miss it.

Essentially a good (and cheap) maquette, the figure has moving arms and an articulated neck, plus a swivel waist.  You can get some pretty good poses out of the mold, although its lack of hip articulation can get annoying as his big legs aren't necessarily flush with the ground.  It's good... it could be better.  As a carded collectible or a desk-based display piece I give it high marks.  As a toy?  Heck no.

Collector's Notes: The secondary market pretty much confirms that this wasn't a figure people were really wanting.  It's pretty cheap, and was even cheaper in December of last year.  I'm not saying don't buy it... just don't overpay for it.  Ten bucks or so is about right.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,021: March 13, 2013

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,013: Clone Trooper

CLONE TROOPER Blue Variant / Lieutenant
Clone Wars Cartoon Network / Tartakovsky Animated Series Action Figures
Item No.: Asst. 85661 No. 85655
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Rifle, display stand
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $6.99
Availability: Early 2005
Appearances: Clone Wars 2003 series

Bio: Through the creative vision of Lucasfilm Ltd. and the Cartoon Network, the Clone Wars are brought to life in an exciting new series of short animated chapters. A unique animation style captures the drama of this epic period in galactic history along with its outstanding heroes and adversaries. Noble Jedi warriors lead Clone Troopers into battle against the evil Separatist forces and their droid armies. Anakin, Obi-Wan, Yoda and their comrades struggle against the rising power of the dark side and confront personal challenges against a backdrop of war-torn planets.   (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo hole.

Commentary: Third verse, same as the first: this Clone Trooper was one of three uniquely colored repaints to come later down the line, which gives you a nice figure based on a good sculpt with some excellent panel lines.  There's not a lot of articulation here, but it does show that when Hasbro has a white plastic figure, and then paints it white, it looks better.  It really does - it's almost ridiculous what a difference a coating of paint makes, although I'm sure these sort of cost-adding measures will never be seen on a Hasbro toy again.  Actually outside the Tartakovsky clones, I don't think I can name a white plastic figure that was also painted white on top of it.  I think Jorg Sacul had orange paint on an orange figure, and it really did make him look and feel a little more expensive.

With swivel shoulders and elbows, there isn't a lot you can do with this guy other than have him stand around and look cool.  As a line of mini maquettes rather than toys, this was another great experiment in action figures from Hasbro.  The company wasn't shy about making things that looked cool but were terrible toys from 2001-2005, and it really is neat to see something like this come to life and exist in a closet in my basement.  It's not exactly a grand fate, but it's better than being in a box somewhere.  I like this figure for what it is, but I've never had any urge to futz with it.  You open it, you take a picture of it... you've done all you can do with it.

Collector's Notes: The bulk of this sub-line is pretty easily obtained on eBay on the cheap, and as such it's worth it.  While by no means an impressive toy, it represents part of a really cool, really under-represented TV project and I'm a big sucker for Star Wars on television in any form.  If you can get it cheap, do so.  You probably can.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,013: March 1, 2013

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,987: Mace Windu

MACE WINDU Series 1
Clone Wars Cartoon Network / Tartakovsky Animated Series Action Figures
Item No.: Asst. 85003 No.     85223
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Lightsaber, display stand
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $6.99
Availability: Late 2004
Appearances: Clone Wars 2003 series

Bio: Through the creative vision of Lucasfilm Ltd. and the Cartoon Network, the Clone Wars are brought to life in an exciting new series of short animated chapters. A unique animation style captures the drama of this epic period in galactic history along with its outstanding heroes and adversaries. Noble Jedi warriors lead Clone Troopers into battle against the evil Separatist forces and their droid armies. Anakin, Obi-Wan, Yoda and their comrades struggle against the rising power of the dark side and confront personal challenges against a backdrop of war-torn planets.   (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo hole.

Commentary: The 2003 Clone Wars series gave some characters pretty memorable adventures, including 2 short episodes where Mace Windu kicked the snot out of droid armies using the Force and what I assume must have been some serious rage issues.   For the series, his costume added Clone armor elements and kept the awesome purple lightsaber.   His arms and neck are jointed, but like the rest o this line he's basically a statue with limited movement.   He looks amazing and that lightsaber looks really cool, plus the figure retains the simplified, blocky-in-spots look seen in the cartoons.  I wish the face had a little more paint or a few painted black lines to make the details pop more, but it's still a nice figure.   Some darker eyebrows would've been nice, though, as the figure has some nifty personality sculpted into the head which could use some exaggerating.

Collector's Notes: Since this line sort of fell off the fan radar, you should be able to get this figure cheap.  And if you can't, email me, I might have a spare.  A realistic version of this figure was released in late 2003 and was one of the first ball-joint headed figures in the line.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,987: January 24, 2013

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,980: Asajj Ventress

ASAJJ VENTRESS Series 1
Clone Wars Cartoon Network / Tartakovsky Animated Series Action Figures
Item No.: Asst. 85003 No.     85219
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: 2 Lightsabers, display stand
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $6.99
Availability: Late 2004
Appearances: Clone Wars 2003 series

Bio: Through the creative vision of Lucasfilm Ltd. and the Cartoon Network, the Clone Wars are brought to life in an exciting new series of short animated chapters. A unique animation style captures the drama of this epic period in galactic history along with its outstanding heroes and adversaries. Noble Jedi warriors lead Clone Troopers into battle against the evil Separatist forces and their droid armies. Anakin, Obi-Wan, Yoda and their comrades struggle against the rising power of the dark side and confront personal challenges against a backdrop of war-torn planets.   (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo dump.

Commentary: She's become a heck of a lot more popular since her 2003 debut. Asajj Ventress really broke out last year on the current Clone Wars TV show, where she's become a slightly more conflicted villain rather than the two-dimensional "let's kill all the Jedi for some reason" witchy warrior from the old series.   In that old show, she had a great look with empty white eyes lined by a thick black line.  Her blue/grey lips are drawn down, with her eyebrows raised high giving her a look more of detached scorn over anything else.  Her outfit is sculpted quite nicely, with painted ridges around her neck, sculpted quilting in her chest armor, and a slick flowing dress.  The black part really flows nicely, and was in line with a short 2-year run of really bulky, really cool sculpted dresses on numerous lady figures.  Her coloring isn't quite as ornate, nor is her face as mean, as her animated counterpart but she's quite good and I'm sure you could paint her to be an A++ instead of the A-level figure she turned out to be as it is.  Get her if you can!

The lightsabers fit right into her hands, with swivel shoulders and a ball-jointed neck giving her limited ability to move.   The sparks of the ignited lightsabers look great, plus a companion Yavin IV battle Anakin Skywalker exists so the two can duke it out.  (He even comes with one of her sabers!)  The included display stand is icing on the cake.

Collector's Notes: This figure sells for under $5 on eBay, a couple of bucks as part of a lot.  She costs a little more on Amazon, I would suggest not paying more than $10.  Not because she isn't worth it, but rather because you should be able to get a screaming deal without too much trouble.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,980: January 15, 2013

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,977: Obi-Wan Kenobi

OBI-WAN KENOBI Commemorative DVD Collection
Clone Wars Cartoon Network / Tartakovsky Animated Series Action Figures
Item No.: Asst. 34542 No.     34577
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Lightsabers, display stand, Commander Cody, General Grievous figures
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $14.99
Availability: Spring 2005
Appearances: Clone Wars 2003 series

Bio: Through the creative vision of Lucasfilm Ltd. and the Cartoon Network, the Clone Wars are brought to life in an exciting new series of short animated chapters. A unique animation style captures the drama of this epic period in galactic history along with its outstanding heroes and adversaries. Noble Jedi warriors lead Clone Troopers into battle against the evil Separatist forces and their droid armies. Anakin, Obi-Wan, Yoda and their comrades struggle against the rising power of the dark side and confront personal challenges against a backdrop of war-torn planets.   (Yes, this press release was taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo hole.

Commentary: Sooooo Obi-Wan Kenobi.  It's the previous one with a new head.  That's really all you need to know, but hey, we have space.   The figure has jointed shoulders and a jointed neck which allow you to pose him with both hands on his weapon, but little else.  It's effectively a nice statue at a low price.  The detail on the head is a decent translation of the 2D design into the third dimension, and given the reasonably low price of this set it's not like you're going to feel ripped off.  It's not a bad figure, but it doesn't deliver that much in the way of a different experience.  If you like what you see, you should get it.  If not... well, the rest of the set is pretty sweet, so get it anyway.

Collector's Notes: Cheap on eBay! Get it before people realize what they're missing!

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,977: January 10, 2013

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,942: Obi-Wan Kenobi

OBI-WAN KENOBI Series 1
Clone Wars Cartoon Network / Tartakovsky Animated Series Action Figures
Item No.: Asst. 85003 No. 85217
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Lightsaber, display stand
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $6.99
Availability: Late 2004
Appearances: Clone Wars 2003 series

Bio: Through the creative vision of Lucasfilm Ltd. and the Cartoon Network, the Clone Wars are brought to life in an exciting new series of short animated chapters. A unique animation style captures the drama of this epic period in galactic history along with its outstanding heroes and adversaries. Noble Jedi warriors lead Clone Troopers into battle against the evil Separatist forces and their droid armies. Anakin, Obi-Wan, Yoda and their comrades struggle against the rising power of the dark side and confront personal challenges against a backdrop of war-torn planets.   (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo dump.

Commentary: Here's a fun bit of trivia: I write a lot of these on planes.  The reason I bought a laptop a few years ago was specifically so I can make the best use of the time in the air, and let me tell you, the ad money from FOTD barely pays for the electricity.  Anyway, Obi-Wan Kenobi was one of the early animated figures with a notable action pose.  The angled right shoulder is unusual in that it lets the arm swing across the body and easily double-grip the figure's lightsaber.

Lacking in traditional detail, the figure instead goes for a highly stylized look with angular facial hair and a sharp haircut.  The figure's boots and hands are very blocky, giving this action figure the air of a nice, cheap animated maquette rather than a toy.  It's a gutsy move on Hasbro's part to make figures like this, and as much as I'd like to say the gambit paid off it really didn't.  The figures sold just fine during their time on the pegs, but the secondary market has not been kind to this now very cheap and totally worth owning action figure.

Collector's Notes: You should have no problem securing this figure for a couple of bucks on eBay, especially in a lot or as part of a collection.   As I'm fond of saying, I'm a big fan of this sub-line and at the price, you can probably score the entire collection for the upper double-digits.  It ain't bad.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,942: November 22, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,933: Anakin Skywalker

ANAKIN SKYWALKER Commemorative DVD Collection
Clone Wars Cartoon Network / Tartakovsky Animated Series Action Figures
Item No.: Asst. 34542 No. 34576
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Lightsaber, display stand, Saesee Tiin, Clone Trooper figures
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $14.99
Availability: Spring 2005
Appearances: Clone Wars 2003 series

Bio: Through the creative vision of Lucasfilm Ltd. and the Cartoon Network, the Clone Wars are brought to life in an exciting new series of short animated chapters. A unique animation style captures the drama of this epic period in galactic history along with its outstanding heroes and adversaries. Noble Jedi warriors lead Clone Troopers into battle against the evil Separatist forces and their droid armies. Anakin, Obi-Wan, Yoda and their comrades struggle against the rising power of the dark side and confront personal challenges against a backdrop of war-torn planets.   (Yes, this press release was taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo hole.

Commentary: As part of the last batch of cartoony figures, Anakin Skywalker replicates his look on Nelvaan quite nicely.  A somewhat clever reuse of the previously-released Yavin duel version, this Jedi-in-the-making five four points of articulation and is basically a cool-looking and cheap statue.  The outfit isn't unique to this figure, a "realistic" take on this costume came out in 2007 so you've got choices if you dig this outfit.   The leech marks (or tattoos) on his skin are nicely done, painted in blue and they match the animation model pretty nicely.  Torn robes and pants are present, as is the robotic fist of Ghost Hand.    There's no articulation below the waist, so as toys go, this isn't a good one.  It's a nice display piece or desk accessory, and since it's pretty cheap I'd say it's a worthwhile purchase.

Collector's Notes:  This set is cheap on eBay, so yeah, no excuses for skipping it unless you flat-out don't want it.  Which is weird, I never saw this set at retail and got mine at a comic shop at basically SRP.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,933: November 9, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,927: General Grievous

GENERAL GRIEVOUS Commemorative DVD Collection
Clone Wars Cartoon Network / Tartakovsky Animated Series Action Figures
Item No.: Asst. 34542 No.     34577
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: 2 lightsabers, display stand, Commander Cody, Obi-Wan Kenobi figures
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $14.99
Availability: Spring 2005
Appearances: Clone Wars 2003 series

Bio: Through the creative vision of Lucasfilm Ltd. and the Cartoon Network, the Clone Wars are brought to life in an exciting new series of short animated chapters. A unique animation style captures the drama of this epic period in galactic history along with its outstanding heroes and adversaries. Noble Jedi warriors lead Clone Troopers into battle against the evil Separatist forces and their droid armies. Anakin, Obi-Wan, Yoda and their comrades struggle against the rising power of the dark side and confront personal challenges against a backdrop of war-torn planets.   (Yes, this press release was taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo hole.

Commentary: While a smidgen awkward, General Grievous looks really cool as an animated figure.  Due to his evolving style, this version - the later, 3-pack release - looks more like the movie with its red-lined cape and warmer colors. The single-carded release looks cold, while this one looks like a cartooned-up version of the movie character.  I like this one a little more, even if the other one is arguably more interesting due to its overall weirdness.

The figure is a textbook definition of "action pose."  With his giant feet and complete lack of articulation below the waist, the photo is pretty much how he's going to look.  You can get a fair amount of motion out of his swivel waist, swivel shoulders, and ball-jointed neck, but it's still basically going to look pretty close.  The lines are simple and clean, with few extraneous details.  There are lightsabers on his belt, yellow eyes with a red organic lining, and a whole mess of armor under a cloth cape.  It's not easy to see in the picture but the action-packed cyborg is posed hunched over severely, giving him a lot of extra character that is pretty lacking in... well, frankly every other Grievous figure Hasbro has made.   While essentially a statue, it's neat.  I've got a shelf full of these animated guys and I love 'em, and if you're a Grievous fan (or know one) keep in mind that...

Collector's Notes: ...this figure, in all his styles, is close to worthless.  The 3-packs are worth significantly less than issue price and look pretty fantastic.  I get endless emails from fans going on how much they love that 2003-2005 animated Clone Wars cartoon, yet few bought the figures.  They're great.  Let's be honest, most of you aren't playing with these anyway, and they look fantastic.  You've got a desk at work, right?  Get some of these.  You won't be sorry, especially since they're significantly cheaper than the higher-end maquettes Gentle Giant put out.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,927: November 1, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,920: Clone Trooper

CLONE TROOPER Series 2
Clone Wars Cartoon Network / Tartakovsky Animated Series Action Figures
Item No.: Asst. 85003 No. 85218
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Rifle, display stand
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $6.99
Availability: Late 2003
Appearances: Clone Wars 2003 series

Bio: Through the creative vision of Lucasfilm Ltd. and the Cartoon Network, the Clone Wars are brought to life in an exciting new series of short animated chapters. A unique animation style captures the drama of this epic period in galactic history along with its outstanding heroes and adversaries. Noble Jedi warriors lead Clone Troopers into battle against the evil Separatist forces and their droid armies. Anakin, Obi-Wan, Yoda and their comrades struggle against the rising power of the dark side and confront personal challenges against a backdrop of war-torn planets.   (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo hole.

Commentary: You might be under the impression that there are too many Clone Trooper figures, and you'd be right.  This mold alone-- being an obscure one-- has three repaints plus two remolds for a grand total of 6 figures with this basic body template.  The funny thing, I could stand to buy more if the existed.  The plain white Clone debuted as a Target exclusive in late 2004 before rolling out to other stores later.  He is limited in articulation, with a mere 3 joints. The shoulders and neck move, and that's it.  With his bent arm and pointed figure, you can still squeeze some cool poses out of the simple, if elegant, design.  It's super-white and the deco is great-- there's room for improvement, as more panel lines could have really brought out even more detail.  The belt is a little darker than the character art model, but hey-- it's still cool.  The price is right, and for those of you seeking subcategories to collect in their entirety, the 2004-ish animated figures may be the perfect place to go.  I mean, they even filled in lines on their boots!  That's nothing to sneeze at.

Collector's Notes:  It's cheap on eBay.  The recolors in red, yellow, and blue are much tougher to find and received wonky distribution compared to the other figures in this line... I have yet to open mine, as I got them  before a move, and they're in a box somewhere.  Hopefully I'll find them soon!

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,920: October 23, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,917: Count Dooku

COUNT DOOKU Series 2
Clone Wars Cartoon Network / Tartakovsky Animated Series Action Figures
Item No.: Asst. 85003 No.     85220
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Lightsaber, display stand
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $6.99
Availability: Late 2003
Appearances: Clone Wars 2003 series

Bio: Through the creative vision of Lucasfilm Ltd. and the Cartoon Network, the Clone Wars are brought to life in an exciting new series of short animated chapters. A unique animation style captures the drama of this epic period in galactic history along with its outstanding heroes and adversaries. Noble Jedi warriors lead Clone Troopers into battle against the evil Separatist forces and their droid armies. Anakin, Obi-Wan, Yoda and their comrades struggle against the rising power of the dark side and confront personal challenges against a backdrop of war-torn planets.   (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo hole.

Commentary: There's something delightful about Count Dooku, beyond the fact that "dropping a Count Dooku" was synonymous with taking a dump on one of my favorite TV shows, Venture Bros.   This figure is based on the early cartoons and makes a decent display piece-- like his siblings, it's basically a nicely-painted, semi-articulated statue.  On many levels, I think this direction would be a good way to go for this and other collector-driven lines as it emphasizes pose and sculpt over broken promises of playability.  (16 points of articulation doesn't guarantee he can still stand or hold his gun!)  This figure can swing is lightsaber, twist his neck and waist... and not much else.   Given the cheaper figures of his day, the slightly higher price point was tough to swallow at first but if there's one thing I've learned, time is good at correcting the "value" of things.   Despite the high-quality of this figure, made of stiff plastic with a great display stand, it's really cheap on eBay.  Never mind the fact he stands well, or looks good, or is part of a really excellent but small sub-line.  Ah well!  If you've got the scratch, this is worth getting.

Collector's Notes:  Samples on eBay-- loose or carded-- go for as little as $1-$2.  Lots of this line are priced similarly.  Unless you're a cheapskate or a terrible online toy shopper, you can afford this one and probably the entire line for a fraction of what it will cost you to buy a typical Vintage wave these days.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,917: October 18, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,881: Clone Trooper

CLONE TROOPER Red Variant / Captain
Clone Wars Cartoon Network / Tartakovsky Animated Series Action Figures
Item No.: Asst.     85655 No. 85661
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Rifle, display stand
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $6.99
Availability: Early 2005
Appearances: Clone Wars 2003 series

Bio: Through the creative vision of Lucasfilm Ltd. and the Cartoon Network, the Clone Wars are brought to life in an exciting new series of short animated chapters. A unique animation style captures the drama of this epic period in galactic history along with its outstanding heroes and adversaries. Noble Jedi warriors lead Clone Troopers into battle against the evil Separatist forces and their droid armies. Anakin, Obi-Wan, Yoda and their comrades struggle against the rising power of the dark side and confront personal challenges against a backdrop of war-torn planets.   (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo hole.

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,878: Durge

DURGE Series 2
Clone Wars Cartoon Network / Tartakovsky Animated Series Action Figures
Item No.: Asst. 85003 No. 85221
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Lance, display stand
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $6.99
Availability: Late 2003
Appearances: Clone Wars 2003 series

Bio: Through the creative vision of Lucasfilm Ltd. and the Cartoon Network, the Clone Wars are brought to life in an exciting new series of short animated chapters. A unique animation style captures the drama of this epic period in galactic history along with its outstanding heroes and adversaries. Noble Jedi warriors lead Clone Troopers into battle against the evil Separatist forces and their droid armies. Anakin, Obi-Wan, Yoda and their comrades struggle against the rising power of the dark side and confront personal challenges against a backdrop of war-torn planets.   (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo hole.

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,870: Yoda

YODA Series 2
Clone Wars Cartoon Network / Tartakovsky Animated Series Action Figures
Item No.: Asst. 85003 No.     85222
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Lightsaber, display stand
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $6.99
Availability: Late 2003
Appearances: Clone Wars 2003 series

Bio: Through the creative vision of Lucasfilm Ltd. and the Cartoon Network, the Clone Wars are brought to life in an exciting new series of short animated chapters. A unique animation style captures the drama of this epic period in galactic history along with its outstanding heroes and adversaries. Noble Jedi warriors lead Clone Troopers into battle against the evil Separatist forces and their droid armies. Anakin, Obi-Wan, Yoda and their comrades struggle against the rising power of the dark side and confront personal challenges against a backdrop of war-torn planets.   (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo hole.

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,863: Clone Commandery Cody

CLONE COMMANDER CODY Commemorative DVD Collection
Clone Wars Cartoon Network / Tartakovsky Animated Series Action Figures
Item No.: Asst. 34542 No.     34577
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Rifle, display stand, General Grievous, Obi-Wan Kenobi figures
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $14.99
Availability: Spring 2005
Appearances: Clone Wars 2003 series

Bio: Through the creative vision of Lucasfilm Ltd. and the Cartoon Network, the Clone Wars are brought to life in an exciting new series of short animated chapters. A unique animation style captures the drama of this epic period in galactic history along with its outstanding heroes and adversaries. Noble Jedi warriors lead Clone Troopers into battle against the evil Separatist forces and their droid armies. Anakin, Obi-Wan, Yoda and their comrades struggle against the rising power of the dark side and confront personal challenges against a backdrop of war-torn planets.   (Yes, this press release was taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' photo area.

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,853: Anakin Skywalker

ANAKIN SKYWALKER Series 1
Clone Wars Cartoon Network / Tartakovsky Animated Series Action Figures
Item No.: Asst. 85003 No. 85216
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Lightsaber, display stand
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $6.99
Availability: Late 2004
Appearances: Clone Wars 2003 series

Bio: Through the creative vision of Lucasfilm Ltd. and the Cartoon Network, the Clone Wars are brought to life in an exciting new series of short animated chapters. A unique animation style captures the drama of this epic period in galactic history along with its outstanding heroes and adversaries. Noble Jedi warriors lead Clone Troopers into battle against the evil Separatist forces and their droid armies. Anakin, Obi-Wan, Yoda and their comrades struggle against the rising power of the dark side and confront personal challenges against a backdrop of war-torn planets.   (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' photo area.

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,833: Clone Trooper

CLONE TROOPER Commemorative DVD Collection
Clone Wars Cartoon Network / Tartakovsky Animated Series Action Figures
Item No.: Asst. 34542 No. 34576
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Rifle, display stand, Anakin Skywalker, Saesee Tiin figures
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $14.99
Availability: Spring 2005
Appearances: Clone Wars 2003 series

Bio: Through the creative vision of Lucasfilm Ltd. and the Cartoon Network, the Clone Wars are brought to life in an exciting new series of short animated chapters. A unique animation style captures the drama of this epic period in galactic history along with its outstanding heroes and adversaries. Noble Jedi warriors lead Clone Troopers into battle against the evil Separatist forces and their droid armies. Anakin, Obi-Wan, Yoda and their comrades struggle against the rising power of the dark side and confront personal challenges against a backdrop of war-torn planets.   (Yes, this press release was taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's closet.  It's a nice closet.

Commentary:  From 2002-2005, Hasbro came to the realization that they could sell action figures which were, on some levels, effectively statues.  This Clone Trooper is one such release, based on the earlier, Samurai Jack-esque animated series.  For all intents and purposes he's jointed only at the neck and shoulders, so he can basically pose at attention.  And that's it.  The figure has a grey belt and some black markings, but is mostly a bright white plastic.   The design is the same as the Phase I Clone Trooper, but with a new head.  (Really, why not do that?)  This is a decent enough figure and another fine display piece, but as a toy you can't do much with it.  I know you don't need articulation for a great figure, but hip joints can compensate for bum molding if the legs are uneven, so it's a good thing this figure includes a display stand.  It's a nice looking figure and unbelievably cheaper than buying a high-end cold cast statue.

Collector's Notes: When I first got these sets I was pretty proud to have found them in a comic shop in Tempe for about $15 each.  "What luck!" I said, "I never once saw these in Walmarts despite daily visits during their supposed release while I was in Los Angeles!"  Well, I'm the chump, historically speaking.  These sets now go for $1-$5, boxed, on eBay.  The pair of 3-packs is under $15. Don't I feel smart?  Argh.  Well, learn from my mistake and if you can, go buy them for $1 or whatever it is.  Maybe it's free and it comes with a free milkshake or something.  Whatever man.


--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,833: June 22, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,733: Saesee Tiin

SAESEE TIIN Commemorative DVD Collection
Clone Wars Cartoon Network / Tartakovsky Animated Series Action Figures
Item No.: Asst. 34542 No. 34576
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Lightsaber, display stand, Anakin Skywalker, Clone Trooper figures
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $14.99
Availability: Spring 2005
Appearances: Clone Wars 2003 series

Bio: Through the creative vision of Lucasfilm Ltd. and the Cartoon Network, the Clone Wars are brought to life in an exciting new series of short animated chapters. A unique animation style captures the drama of this epic period in galactic history along with its outstanding heroes and adversaries. Noble Jedi warriors lead Clone Troopers into battle against the evil Separatist forces and their droid armies. Anakin, Obi-Wan, Yoda and their comrades struggle against the rising power of the dark side and confront personal challenges against a backdrop of war-torn planets. (Yes, this press release was taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' desk.

Commentary: I did not pass on, but missed Saesee Tiin as part of the Wal-Mart exclusive, supposedly-had-a-street-date, DVD-companion figure sets. I was livid-- I checked several stores for days before, during, and after the release and there was no real sign that they had ever been there, which is the kind of thing that toughens you up real quick when it comes to having to search for stuff. Since the sets were basically repaints or retools, I waited and I'm more or less glad I did. Secondary market prices spiked quickly, and the figure, while good, isn't really worth the insane attention that it got for a while.

Based on the animated version of Obi-Wan Kenobi, the figure has the same articulation (and body) as the other Jedi. A new head was created, new deco was applied, and presto-- new figure. Even the same ribbing sculpted on the forearms is present, giving-- at first glance-- the illusion of this being a new figure. The package art shows Saesee's amazing armored outfit, which sadly did not get an animated figure, but at least this nifty design retained the broken horn and did a bang-up job capturing his scowl. The articulation is particularly strange, given the figure's statue-like appearance. His waist and neck joints are perfectly normal, but his left arm swings from the left to the right, as opposed to rotating up and down like most figures. He can hold a saber with both hands, and the squared-off, stylized sculpt does a great job of replicating the look and feel of the animated series. I like this collection of figures as a subset, and while it's a terrible toy it makes for a nice display piece.

The head is the neatest thing about the figure, with his distinctive head markings and horns giving him the bulk of his personality. I wish it was in his clone armor, but well, sometimes Hasbro's desire to release something quick and on the cheap trumps something being superbly cool. As it is, it's just OK-- a nice piece of a good set.

Collector's Notes: Today, this set sells for about $15-$25. I got mine at a comic shop for $13, which was about as good as I could hope for. As a subset, the animated Clone Wars line is one I'd suggest new collectors jump on-- not only is it gorgeous, but it's small and relatively cheap. Roughly 17 figures, including Grievous and Clone variations, should set you back about $100 if not much less. There are various packaging variations and multipacks, but just getting a set of the figures to crack open is fairly cheap and, most importantly, this is a dead line. You can get 'em all and rest easy that, according to Hasbro, they will not be making any more in this style.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,733: February 3, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,729: ARC Trooper (Fordo)

ARC TROOPER Season III Series
Clone Wars Cartoon Network / Tartakovsky Animated Series Action Figures
Item No.: Asst. 85661 No. 85471
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Two blasters, display stand
Action Feature: Working holsters
Retail: $6.99
Availability: Early 2005
Appearances: Clone Wars 2003 series

Bio: Through the creative vision of Lucasfilm Ltd. and the Cartoon Network, the Clone Wars are brought to life in an exciting new series of short animated chapters. A unique animation style captures the drama of this epic period in galactic history along with its outstanding heroes and adversaries. Noble Jedi warriors lead Clone Troopers into battle against the evil Separatist forces and their droid armies. Anakin, Obi-Wan, Yoda and their comrades struggle against the rising power of the dark side and confront personal challenges against a backdrop of war-torn planets. (Yes, this press release was taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's desk.

Commentary: Fans are still asking for the perfect movie-style ARC Trooper based on the original animation designs from the Clone Wars cartoon series of old, and we've had a few close ones. Of course, so many of us forget there was an animated figure based on this series in 2005, and it-- plus the rare 2010 CG-based release-- are both excellent takes on this fan favorite. Everybody loves Fordo, the red ARC Trooper commander. If anyone says otherwise they are lying, please punch them in the incisors for me.

For various reasons, I did not have this figure in my collection until late 2011. As with the other figures in the line, it's more of a collectible figure or statue than a plastic plaything. The ARC Trooper has four points of articulation, including a ball-jointed head which is fantastic for display purposes. His bright red armor markings come through crystal-clear, plus my favorite thing about the figure is his sculpt. Hasbro did a really good job ensuring that he can signal with his right hand and, were you so inclined, it can also hold his second blaster. Both blasters can fit in his holsters, but just barely-- it's a tight squeeze.

The detail closely matches the series, save for one thing: the animation model has tons of black lines detailing armor, bringing it to life as a delightful drawing. The action figure has very little of this, and I'd be curious to see if a fan customized this figure with a Gundam marker bringing out those panel lines and seeing just how much better (or worse) it looks. While the helmet isn't perfect, it's quite good and the figure makes for an excellent, low-cost desk decoration.

Collector's Notes: The figure has sold for as little as 99 cents on eBay, and was also sold in a 3-pack as well as individually. I would suggest buying it in a lot with other figures from this animated line to keep your costs down, plus they're all neat enough to warrant your wanting the entire collection. It's a small line, and they're all unusually timeless for Hasbro figures-- they look just as good today as they did in 2005, although I still believe another nickel spent on deco would make them even better. They are worth your while. Buy them.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,729: January 30, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,721: Anakin Skywalker

ANAKIN SKYWALKER Season III Series
Clone Wars Cartoon Network / Tartakovsky Animated Series Action Figures
Item No.: Asst. 85661 No. 85470
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Anakin lightsaber, Ventress lightsaber, display stand
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $6.99
Availability: Early 2005
Appearances: Clone Wars 2003 series

Image: Adam Pawlus' photo area.

Bio: Through the creative vision of Lucasfilm Ltd. and the Cartoon Network, the Clone Wars are brought to life in an exciting new series of short animated chapters. A unique animation style captures the drama of this epic period in galactic history along with its outstanding heroes and adversaries. Noble Jedi warriors lead Clone Troopers into battle against the evil Separatist forces and their droid armies. Anakin, Obi-Wan, Yoda and their comrades struggle against the rising power of the dark side and confront personal challenges against a backdrop of war-torn planets. (Yes, this press release was taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's toy room.

Commentary: Despite not being from Season 3 of the original Clone Wars animated program, this Anakin Skywalker was put in stores around the same time that it aired. While I previously did not feature this line, popular demand from a poll in 2011 said you wanted to read about these-- so here you go. This Anakin was a collector's figure, having less in common with action figures than with statues. Packaged with no twist ties or rubber bands, the card art was slick, clean, and gorgeous. The back had animation art from the episode as well as pencil sketches, with lots of white and big bold colors. As packaging goes, this may be some of Hasbro's most graphically pleasing work, despite never having been hailed as a fan-favorite sub-line. This line of animated figures came out long after the announcement of "realistic" Clone Wars toys, and were designed with collectors in mind. (That means they're not going to fit in vehicles.)

Modeled after his fight in the rain with Asajj Ventress, this action figure is wet in appearance with an angry face and matted-down hair. He is well-muscled, visibly in touch with his dark side, and features a mere 5 strategically placed joints. Each shoulder is poseable, as is his robotic wrist, his neck, and his waist-- other than that, he's a statue. I liked this line because it provided maquette-like collectibles at action figure prices, allowing limited articulation to give the character some personality without burdening the design with cuts all over the place. It looks spectacular and was the first version of Anakin in this costume to be made as an action figure, with a realistic (and dorky-looking) version coming later in 2005.

The figure reminds me a lot of Chuck Jones' art, for some reason, so I dig it. With big sparks coming out of the lightsaber hilts, bold poses, and lots of personality sculpted into the face, these are unlike any other figures in the Hasbro canon and there are only about 14 carded figures and an additional 6 figures exclusive to 3-packs, counting all major variants. It's a tiny line you may wish to collect as it doesn't take up a lot of room.

Collector's Notes: The figure was sold single-carded only, and was available for a short window of time. (The initial two series were Target exclusives-- this wave was the first batch of new figures to be sold everywhere.) Due to the coming of Revenge of the Sith, the line came and went quickly. Today, the figure sells anywhere from $0.01 (seriously, plus shipping, it closed for this) to as high as $10 on the secondary market. I would suggest seeing if you can buy the entire line-- or close to it-- as a cheaply priced collection. It is extremely unlikely that Hasbro will ever return to this style of product.

Other Notes: Due to some communication errors, I was supposed to be mailed one of these in 2005 and it never came. I didn't actually get this figure until late 2011, over 6 1/2 years after its release. Interestingly, I found it on eBay in a lot with the other figures from the line I skipped plus several extras I didn't need, and the price of the entire lot was significantly lower than buying the 3 figures I needed individually. So as you can see, I followed my own advice in Q&A which you people keep calling me out for offering, and it actually paid off. Sometimes, yes, it DOES pay to wait a few years and buy a whole collection rather than 2-4 individual figures.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,721: January 18, 2012