Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,842: Jorg Sacul

JORG SACUL  Rebel Pilot
Saga Celebration II Exclusive
Item No.: n/a  
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: MicroMachines X-Wing Starfighter, stand, helmet, blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $10.00
Availability: April 2002
Appearances: n/a

Bio:  Among X-Wing pilots, Commander Jorg Sacul is renowned for his inner strength, his ability to remain calm under fire, and his mentoring of younger Squadron members. Once a reckless dreamer, his life changed course after a near fatal crash in his T-16 Skyhopper on his homeworld of Tatooine. He went off to the Academy and emerged as the top pilot in his class and a natural leader. A visionary storyteller, he entertains the pilots in his command with far-flung tales of distant galaxies thousands of years before the Republic. Rumored to be Force sensitive, many say Sacul would have become a great Jedi... if only he had been born in a different time.   (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam's photo area.

Commentary: If you want to start feeling old, remember this: Jorg Sacul was the hard-to-find golden figure of 2002, just over 10 years ago.   The figure was the very first fan convention exclusive, and aside from the ridiculous wait in line to get him, this was the best execution of the idea.  You take a figure which already exists' body, Biggs Darklighter.   You put George Lucas' head on it, which never appeared in the movies hand him Captain Typho's gun and the 2000 X-Wing Luke's helmet.   Add a little paint (the figure has some orange plastic with orange paint on it, which makes it look better) and presto: you've made an exclusive which fans who went to the show will love, and hardcore fans may not care about enough to purchase since he's not a movie character.  It was an incredibly clever way to make a product which (in theory) would not infuriate collectors while delighting the fans who made it to the show.  (Of course, those of us who want everything are always going to be frustrated.)

Since 1998 bodies like Biggs' were pretty long-in-the-tooth prior to this figure's release, it was viewed by fans as a sort of cheap exclusive, and it was.  Heck, I applaud this.  Since George Lucas was supposedly on record as saying he didn't want an action figure of himself made as "Mr. Flannel Director Guy" this was the next best thing, which gave him a body closer to what he had during the original trilogy plus a head which looked like a younger sculpt with a little more grey.  Back in 2002 it was a delightful head sculpt, and it aged a bit since then.  He has only 6 points of articulation, but the little bonus X-Wing and the fact it's George Lucas as an X-Wing Pilot make it a delightfully goofy and fun exclusive.   Subsequent exclusives were hit and miss, with some selling well and others being horrible failures which you can probably get below cost to this day.  While I do love my McQuarrie Droids, this is probably my favorite overall show exclusive.  It's simple, clever, and fun, plus it provided a reminder that the 2002 line would still have connections to the original trilogy during the onslaught of Attack of the Clones releases.   Oh, the good old days.

Collector's Notes: This figure came out at $10, shot up to $60 (or more), and is now closer to $20.  $20's about right.  If memory serves it was only sold at the Celebration II store, which had a miserably long wait, and a limit of 2 per person.  Of course, you could jump between the normal line, and then the cash-only 2 figures for $20 line and get around those limits pretty easily.  Given some people were waiting in the line each day for 6 hours, I don't regret doing this.  The level of white in the beard varied from figure to figure, and some people will pay a premium for a whiter beard.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,842: July 5, 2012

Figure of the Day: Day 500: George Lucas in Stormtrooper Disguise

GEORGE LUCAS in Stormtrooper Disguise
The Saga Collection Vintage Mail-In Premium
Item No.: No. 87069
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster, Helmet
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $4.95 + 5 Proofs of Purchase
Availability: Spring 2006-2007
Appearances: None

Bio: Celebrate the legendary Star Wars films that changed the universe forever, with The Saga Collection. This collection brings to life the incredible story of good versus evil that captured our imagination and transported us to a galaxy far, far away. To commemorate these landmark films, we are honoring their creator, George Lucas. We pay homage to both his remarkable accomplishments in film as well as the legions of Star Wars fans that he inspired by presenting a likeness of the director himself, clad in one of the saga's most iconic designs - the distinctive armor of an Imperial stormtrooper. May the Force be with you! (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' toy shelves.

Commentary: There's a strange mentality among collectors that if you can't buy something in a store, that's it's automatically more valuable. Not so-- a lot of mail-in figures tend to be produced in big numbers and are rarely completely redeemed, meaning Hasbro has, in a warehouse somewhere, a bunch of these sitting around or waiting to be donated or something. I'm not saying this is the case with George Lucas in Stormtrooper Disguise, I'm just saying if history is any indication, you'll be seeing these again down the road.

So what is this figure? Well, it's the 1999/2000 CommTech Stormtrooper, which was pretty nice for its day, with a removable helmet (which I believe is a unique sculpt to this figure as it doesn't match other releases), plus an all-new George Lucas head that looks like he did around 1976-- although idealized slightly. For example, he has no glasses, black hair, and no flannel. The helmet fits snuggly, and at first glance you wouldn't even be able to tell that the face underneath is a future billionaire who indirectly determined where we shop for the remainder of our natural lives. The sculpt itself is decent-- it looks like George Lucas, the Stormtrooper looks like a Stormtrooper, in short, there are no surprises here. A lot of fans were hoping for a super-articulated body like that used for the 2007 Stormtrooper or 2004 Stormtrooper, but well, we don't always get what we want. The figure comes packaged on a faux-vintage cardback in a clamshell, which was shipped in a white mailer box-- so you'll probably want one to keep carded in addition to one to open.

Collector's Notes: At first, Hasbro made you buy one of each of five different figures to send away for this one, and on top of that, they charged you five bucks. This was obscene, and caused overpaying on the secondary market. Today, it's a little bit cheaper, but still hard to get as it's assumed by some that what's out is it-- but don't be surprised to see more show up over time. It's a nice one, a neat collector item (as in, collectors will dig this more than kids), and I personally think every fan who wants something unique in their collection ought to get one. I mean, it's George Lucas-- who, to date, has been released as a Rebel pilot and as a victim of Mr. Wonka's chocolate factory.

Day 500: September 18, 2007

Figure of the Day: Day 228: Zett Jukassa

ZETT JUKASSA Jedi Padawan
Revenge of the Sith Collection 2 & The Saga Collection Lucas Family Collector Set
Item No.: Asst. 85174 No. 85566
Number: III-52
Includes: Lightsaber, display base
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $5.25-$6.99; $34.99
Availability: Summer 2005
Appearances: Revenge of the Sith

Bio: This ten-year old Padawan is one of the most promising students in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. The young boy finds himself in the middle of a dark act of betrayal by a trusted member of the Jedi Order. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' toy shelves.

Commentary: Minor character lovers, and fans of cameos, here's one for you. Zett Jukassa was played in the movie by George Lucas' son, and he existed for no reason other than to get shot after killing a bunch of Clones in front of the Jedi Temple. With articulation at the usual places and then some, this multi-jointed wonder can stand around and... well, pose with his lightsaber. The deco is true to the movie, and the look of the figure is close-- he's a little pale, but otherwise looks fairly close to his photograph on the packaging. There aren't many minor human Jedi to get action figures, so this one is pretty special-- obviously, there's a reason he got made, and the figure is cool enough to warrant buying if such things interest you.

In the end he's just a human Jedi, but the backstory in the movie and from behind-the-scenes make this a nifty addition to any collection.

Collector's Notes: The figure was repackaged in 2006 in the Lucas Family Collector Set, but this time around it had no display base. Since the boxed set has 3 unique sculpts currently available nowhere else, the ShopStarWars.com exclusive gift set is probably the best way to get Zett since, well, you probably want the other figures like Blue George Lucas too.

Day 228: December 20, 2006

Figure Of The Day: Day 194: Chi Eekway

CHI EEKWAY Lucas Collector's Set
The Saga Collection ShopStarWars.com Exclusive
Item No.: No. 80060
Number: n/a
Includes: Removable cloak
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $34.99
Availability: 2006
Appearances: Revenge of the Sith

Bio: This Twi'lek Senator from Wroona is extremely wary of Palpatine's intentions and growing power. She works quietly behind the scenes to oppose him. (Taken from the figure's box.)

Image: Adam's TV tray. I actually took this around the first week of the column and just never wrote it up.

Commentary: While I was initially thrilled when I heard Chi Eekway was coming out in a nifty exclusive box set, most collectors seem to disagree with me that this was a good thing. Sure, the figure has limited articulation and little in the way of accessories, but she may well be the first non-half-naked Twi'lek female, which is surely a dubious distinction but a distinction either way. If you like the picture, that's what it's like to own the toy-- she can't really sit, but she has excellent deco, a good sculpt, and managed to make the exclusive set not feel like a rip-off. I don't ask for much, just give me something I can call "new" without laughing. For augmenting your displays, this is a must-own figure. For those looking for cool aliens, don't pass this one up. If you're on a budget, though, you can probably live with waiting on this one a while longer.

Collector's Notes: This item was expensive, but more or less worth it-- $35 for 4 figures with 3 new sculpts is up there, especially for "collectors" who bought Zett Jukassa in 2005, but at least there are some interesting figures here to make it a little less painful. So far, it seems the item hasn't been a spectacular seller, and you can get it in a bundle with the Republic Commando set on the cheap-- and it isn't a bad deal. The set is worth it if you're a fan of the prequels and like figures with a good back story.

Day 194: November 16, 2006

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 6: Baron Papanoida

BARON PAPANOIDA- Lucas Collector's Set
The Saga Collection Lucas Collector's Set
Item No.: No. 80060
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Cane
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $29.99-$34.99
Availability: May 2006
Appearances: Revenge of the Sith, The Clone Wars

Bio: This influential Wroonian guild baron has earned fame throughout the Republic for his vastly popular holodramas.  He is also rumored to have an information network that rials the Bothans.   (Taken from the figure's box.)

Image: Posed carefully atop a TV tray next to Jorg Sacul as you'll no doubt wish to compare the two.

Commentary: When rumored that George Lucas would make an appearance in Revenge of the Sith after trying some of Willy Wonka's gum, fans were hoping for an action figure.   Wasting no time, Hasbro and the Fan Club delivered this figure in a box set-- but for the purposes of this feature, we're only going to be looking at one figure today.

Posed to look pretty much exactly like every publicity still we've seen, the figure takes few risks and doesn't disappoint.   For every fan that likes silly hats, this may be one of the best figures you can buy.  Articulated at the shoulders, elbows, waist, wrists, and neck, he can assume a few poses but not too many due to his cape blocking movement.   His cane is made of a stiffer-than-usual plastic making it seem like it was made by toymakers who remember how to make great toys.   In terms of materials, this feels largely like a quality figure.  The face design doesn't quite match some of the images we've seen, with the red markings on the face being rendered nearly invisible on both samples we've inspected.  Harumph.   The figure itself can't do much other than stand, but as a figure explicitly designed for collectors, it delivers what it should.

Collector's Notes: While George Lucas has been hesitant to make a "George Lucas: The Director" figure, he's been a little more liberal about lending his likeness to toys as of late.   The first figure to carry his likeness was Jorg Sacul in 2002, which had the same name as a passenger being paged in Star Tours.   Baron Papanoida is the first of two Lucas figures in 2006, the second being the mail-in George Lucas in Stormtrooper Disguise action figure.   A minor character, this isn't a figure you might feel is "missing" if you skip it, but as it's a director cameo figure, it's hard not to recommend picking up as it's just such a fun-- if somewhat silly-- design.

The cane itself has an easter egg-- if you look at the "knob" part, it's quite obviously the Death Star from the original Star Wars film.   We're not sure if its a nod to his "information network" or just a cute in-joke, but we're sure someone out there has decided this is a major plot point and important aspect of the mythos and has a 32-page fanfic to tell you about.

Also, this figure is listed as a "Wroonian."   Which, frankly, is a new race to me.   Apparently there's Wroonian Twi'leks as well, as Chi Eekway has been listed as both.   I guess if Gran can represent tons of planets, Wroona can support numerous species, too.

Revisited 01/06/2013: This set had a big price drop as this Fan Club exclusive tanked, hard.  You should have no problems getting it for around $15 shipped.  It's worth that, easily.  The character itself - and this entire set - has gone through some retconning, as his species is now "Pantoran" and the entire Revenge of the Sith-era backstory for this boxed set is pretty much null and void as a result of his appearance in The Clone Wars in the season 3 episode "Sphere of Influence."  While I really dug the figure at the time, I've since soured on it a bit.  I think I prefer Jorg Sacul as my George Lucas-as-action-figure.

Day 6: May 12, 2006