Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,074: Oola (Custom)

OOLA (Custom)
Fan-Produced Custom Figure
Item No.: No. n/a
Manufacturer: n/a
Number: n/a
Includes: n/a
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $39.54
Availability: ca. March 2022
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio: A great figure to add to your vintage display. The figures are moulded colour plastic. These are custom collectables for adults and not toys for children. (Stolen from the Stan Solo Creations web site. There is no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: I'd say these exist in a gray area, but I assume most people see this Kenner-style Oola and are either immediately delighted that there's a figure for their 1983 Jabba the Hutt action playset collar, or are disgusted that they are being tempted to buy a bootleg custom of good quality. It's not quite perfectly accurate, but it does seem enough like an old Kenner figure that I doubt you would care. The goal of a good Kenner-style figure is to get the essence of the character's look with some wiggle-room for accuracy. This one also has some wiggle-room for Kenner-ness, which you may or may not like.

Overall, the figure does a decent job replicating what a reasonable person thinks Kenner or Palitoy may have cranked out in 1986. You get no accessories, 5 joints, and a limited amount of paint. She has whites on her eyes - an unusual feature - with fully-painted black mesh for her costume which leaves much more to the imagination. I was surprised they painted her toenails, as that wasn't something we really saw back in the Kenner days. Painted sandals, sure, but for some reason they kept the straps painted in the wrong color but gave the soles no paint. Go figure! You could argue it's a pretty Kenner choice too - the more wrong it is, the more right it is. Usually. Honestly, it bugs me a bit but not enough to not recommend this figure to the other aging Kenner kids out there. The sculptors and factory did a nice job giving us a figure that a) Lucasfilm and Disney would likely never ever make, and b) ensuring it feels like it was designed to play with the old stuff. That's hard to do well.

The head is where it's a little off. The facial features aren't quite right, the forehead seems a little on the big side, and the headdress flat-out is wrong. The conical protrusions/horns/ears aren't quite pointy enough, the straps on the side of her head to cover up the lekku head piece is now a helmet. The ornament over her forehead was smoothed out and doesn't really look like official figures or the movie costume... and maybe that's the point. It's like the original, but is changed enough that you could argue Kenner would also have missed those details, or for legal reasons, it's probably about 20% in the wrong direction. Maybe more, I'm bad at math.

If you need a perfectly perfect Oola figure, you're never going to get a new one from Hasbro - but this is a good one for Kenner fans of old. Kenner made a great one for 1998 too, and another excellent one was made by Hasbro in 2010 that's probably peak Oola. Right now, the POTF2 one is your cheapest bet but this is pretty good too - each one serves a unique function, and it is really weird to pick up an action figure like this Kenner-style Oola and say "Wow, they can't make them like this anymore." It makes sense given the nature of the character and the new parent company, but I don't know that I heard anybody complain either. Well, at least (so far) the fan-made stuff is being allowed to continue so it's not like they're taking any money out of the official sources' mouths, so go ahead and get this one if you're OK paying four times a fair asking price.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from one of Stan Solo's US resellers.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,074: October 19, 2023

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,777: Oola

OOLA with Jabba the Hutt
The Legacy Collection Wal-Mart Exclusive
Item No.: No. 94727
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Salacious Crumb and Jabba the Hutt figures, throne, throw pillows, pipe, bowl, railing
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $34.97
Availability: August 2010
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio: Jabba the Hutt and Salacious Crumb sit on a throne as Oola dances for the crime lord. The loathsome Hutt is momentarily entertained by the Twi'lek dancer's graceful performance. His monkey-lizard cackles with glee, knowing that Jabba will soon turn to some other amusement, such as throwing another victim to the hungry rancor. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' TV.

Commentary: Over the last few years, the value of a dollar has changed a lot as toys go. Now, a basic figure is $9 or $10, deluxe Transformers start at about $13, and it seems the era of a $5 action figure has ended. So the fact that Oola was sold as part of a quasi-pricey exclusive stings a little bit less, but it still ain't cheap. This figure is about on par with any Vintage release, including the requisite articulation, soft goods outfit, and anatomically incorrect nipple-free but exposable breasts. I'm not sure if this was a nod to a scene in the movie, or just the way things worked out to maximize authenticity and blah blah blah. Due ot the figure's facial construction, I'd say she looks a little younger than the last release or Femi Taylor, the actress/dancer who portrayed her on the big screen. The arms are a little thick in spots, but that's more or less normal when you have a lot of articulation. Nearly her entire outfit is made of a net-like material which exaggerates the size of the holes significantly, but there's only so much you can do as you scale a costume down. The sculpt is wonderful, and her collar has a fairly long rope tied to it, so Jabba can yank her around and do whatever. You know, dirty Hutt things. (In the Hutt?)

As the second Oola figure, she's pretty great. I won't say you should toss out your 1998 Oola to get this one, but since you're going to want Jabba and his throne you may as well. If this figure were sold on a Vintage card, you'd happily buy it while kids ignored it, so it's probably for the best that Hasbro stuck it in this gift set. If you can find it at a good price, get it. If she ever is repackaged on a single card, you should probably pick her up... but odds are you'll want the throne, so yeah, get the big set too. Hasbro could probably have done a slightly better figure if they reduced articulation in the arms and replaced the net dress with a sculpted dancer's outfit, but this particular figure has a nifty range of motion and a unique feel you probably won't see anywhere else in this (or any other) action figure line. Seriously, where else can you push aside a costume and see what amounts to a mutilated green breast?

Collector's Notes: Initially exclusive to Walmart stores in 2010, this set showed up at online store Entertainment Earth in 2011. (You can order it at the link below, unless they ran out, there was a run on them it seems. I get a teeny cut of it, so really, your buying one is basically charity.) The set was tough to find in many Walmarts, so if you missed it on the first go-round, get one now. It's possible but incredibly unlikely she may remain at a Walmart near you, so the stories of rural America tell me.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,777: April 5, 2012

Figure of the Day: Day 129: Oola

OOLA & Salacious Crumb
The Power of the Force Collection, Fan Club Exclusive
Item No.: No. 69871
Number: n/a
Includes: Salacious Crumb
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $12.99
Availability: 1998
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio: Oola was a Twi'lek dancer in Jabba the Hutt's court. She was the daughter of a clan chieftain on Ryloth and was kidnapped and trained by Bib Fortuna and Jerris Rudd as a gift to Jabba. (Stolen from Wookieepedia.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' toy shelf.

Commentary: Originally hitting the Fan Club in 1998, Oola was received as a great figure. With some of the first modern "soft goods" on her legs, a chain, and a pretty great sculpt, this figure has six points of articulation and is (so far) the only figure made of the character, although rumors persist Hasbro has a finished resculpt almost finished and ready-to-go when they're so inclined. While the cloth pieces do look a little out of place, and will probably decay over time, it's still a fantastic figure 8 years later and one you should absolutely add to your collection if you can get one. The main appeal to collectors will be the "hot chick" angle and the "Jabba's Palace" angle, although we expect the latter more than the former in most cases. (Every figure line has hot chicks. Few have Jabba's Palace.)

Collector's Notes: While a fan-made signed "variant" was made, there aren't really any major variations to speak of on this box set. Today, the figure set can be had shipped for about what it cost originally-- $12.99 or so. Happy hunting! The figure came in a window box, which itself was packaged in a white sleeve that was taped to the box. A file card appears on the back.

Day 129: September 12, 2006