Figure of the Day: Day 1,361: Bossk

BOSSK The Vintage Collection
The Saga Collection 2007 Vintage
Item No.: Asst. 87295 No. 87308
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $12.99
Availability: 2007
Appearances: The Empire Strikes Back

Bio: Bossk (meaning "Devours His Prey" in Dosh) was a Trandoshan bounty hunter and the pilot of the Hound's Tooth. He also held the title of Monarch of the Qotile system. He was particularly unfond of Chewbacca and his Human partner Han Solo. (Stolen from Wookieepedia.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' bathroom. He is standing next to the 2010 "Saga Legends" reissue, which is basically the same figure with more guns, a display stand, and a lower price tag.

Commentary: In the entirety of the modern line, one figure tends to always be an example of Hasbro's best work. Bossk never disappoints, or at least, he hasn't with any figure released thus far. The 1997 figure wasn't a crazy muscular release, and he had such great deco that fans were surprised he got a new sculpt in 2004-- which added lots of articulation and even more detail. It seemed completely unnecessary to upgrade him, but they did, he's great, and here he is. The sculpt has even more detail than before, the face conveys more personality than the rubber mask in the movies, and Bossk now sports 14 points of articulation. In short, Hasbro has no reason to ever upgrade the figure.

The one shortcoming is the odd red ring around his neck and the silver element dangling down. Rather than a static sculpted piece, it rotates freely and is removable. I'd rather it be glued down, but that's me-- it's still the finest Bossk money can buy, so if you need one, you may as well get this one. Of course, they're all very good, so you can't go wrong collecting Bossks throughout the ages.

Collector's Notes: The 2007 Vintage Bossk has Vintage Packaging. The 2010 Saga Legends one does not, but you get a baggie of guns and a display base-- so openers, get the 2010 one. Carded fans, get whatever tickles your fancy.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,361: September 1, 2010

Figure of the Day: Day 889: Han Solo (Hoth)

HAN SOLO Hoth Outfit
30th Anniversary Collection Vintage Collection
Item No.: Asst. 87295 No. 87307
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Thermal hat, macrobinoculars, blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $9.99
Availability: Spring 2007
Appearances: The Empire Strikes Back

Bio: Han Solo was a Human from Corellia who achieved galactic fame as a member of the Rebel Alliance and later the New Republic. Solo then entered the Imperial Academy at Carida, serving with distinction. He was kicked out, however, when he stopped an Imperial officer from beating a Wookiee named Chewbacca. In gratitude, the Wookiee swore a life debt to Solo. He became a smuggler once again, with Chewbacca at his side. Piloting the Millennium Falcon, he was known as one of the best smugglers in the galaxy. (Stolen from Wookieepedia.)

Image: A desk.

Commentary: Hasbro's luck with Han Solo in Hoth gear hasn't been so great. The first one was a pegwarmer of stellar proportions. Others had variant jackets, bad likenesses, or other things fans took issues with-- although some of those were designed to sit on a Tauntaun released years earlier. This one wasn't. As an action figure for collectors, this may be the best Hoth Han Solo ever designed, but as a toy, it's not very good. Sure, he can stand-- but he can't sit, he can't pilot any vehicles, and he can't ride a Tauntaun. Still, he does have super articulation... but the design of the figure's coat restricts much of the lower body movement. In a way, it's a shame Hasbro is putting emphasis on looks above functionality, while the 1990s figures were more primitive, they certainly made for better playthings. While the detail on this figure is fantastic, and the likeness is good, its inability to perform basic toy functions is a bit of a downer. Also, its thermal hat is pretty worthless-- why Hasbro and Kenner seem insistent on making this a key feature of the character is beyond me. When the first Hoth Han figure from Kenner's modern line came out, a lot of fans weren't even entirely sure why it was there-- we always saw him with his hood up, or down, paying no attention to the hat. So if you get this, odds are you can ignore that particular accessory. Thankfully, his blaster is a perfect fit in his holster, and he has no problem holding his gun.

Collector's Notes: The first public showing of this figure included a variant head with a hood up-- which Hasbro took down within minutes, as they claimed LucasFilm did not approve it. A "hood-up" version of the figure would come out in 2008, first in Wal-Mart's exclusive Droid Factory collection, and again in the Hoth Recon Battle Pack. This particular figure wasn't hard to get in the slightest and could be found on clearance in some places. As an aside, I had a breakage issue with my first figure-- it snapped at the waist. My second one was fine, but I was able to find out other collectors had breakage issues. As such, be careful with it if you open a packaged sample. A blue variant figure was sold in a Target exclusive Battle Pack, if you prefer that color.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 889: November 10, 2008

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 410: Han Solo (Trenchcoat)

HAN SOLO Trench Coat
The Saga Collection Vintage Figures
Item No.: Asst. 87129 No. 87062
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster, coat
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $9.99-$12.99
Availability: Spring 2006
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio: Han Solo was a cocky Corellian with a wry wit, dry humor, sometimes reckless disposition, and technological savvy, who began his career as a smuggler. He later became a general in the Rebel Alliance and eventually married Leia Organa, with whom he had three children, Jaina, Jacen and Anakin. (Stolen from Wookieepedia.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' toy shelves.

Commentary: Sometimes an accessory helps, sometimes it hurts. Han Solo's Endor Trench Coat is a little baggy and hides the fact that underneath is a very good figure with a removable best, an innovative waist joint, and the best all-around articulation you can expect out of a Han figure. While his coat is a little big, and his holster is a little loose compared to earlier releases, the figure has 14 points of articulation including a ball-jointed waist that Hasbro hasn't really ever bothered to bring back with other new human figures. He seems a little thin, but other than that this is a great release who can stand up, be posed, hold his gun, sit, and do all those things that good action figures should do. Since it's cheap (especially if it's in damaged packaging due to the mail-away offer running at the time), you should probably get one. It's totally worth $7 or so as far as being a good figure goes, so get one if you have the chance.

Collector's Notes: The figure, as said above, is some old parts and some new parts. The upper arms, feet, lower legs, and upper legs are the same mold as the 2004 Vintage Han Solo, even keeping the original copyright stamp on the feet. The hands and neck area seem based on the 2004 figure with heavy modifications, while everything else seems new-ish. Han Solo sold fairly poorly in 2006, which is a shame as it's really a good figure. Hasbro could totally tweak this figure for a future Han Solo Carbonite release.

Day 410: June 20, 2007

Figure of the Day: Day 379: Tusken Raider

TUSKEN RAIDER Sand People
The Saga Collection Vintage Collection
Item No.: Asst. 87129 No. 87065
Number: n/a
Includes: Rifle, cloak, gaffi stick
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $10.99
Availability: Summer 2006
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: Holy crap, Tusken Raiders are cool. And freaky. Kids love their howls. (Taken from the figure's cardback, I swear.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' toy shelves, specifically the Early Bird Kit stage. Man I love that thing.

Commentary: One thing I love about the Tusken Raider is that this particular action figure looks a lot like Kenner's early concept drawings-- just click on the picture to see. It isn't identical, but it does look pretty slick. This new Tusken Raider features real cloth robes for the very first time, which is arguably a good thing. The cloak is very bulky, and the inner cloak (skirt) is excessively so. Still, the figure has a great range of articulation and if you futz with it, it looks better than almost anything else you can buy in the way of Tusken Raiders. The figure's deco is excellent, the texture of the soft goods is incredible, and the figure has 14 points of articulation-- but the elbows aren't ball joints, so fans will no doubt say "hey Hasbro, you can give it another try and we're still interested." Because they can, and we are.

The texture sculpted on the figure's chest is good, the paint wipe brings out a lot of detail you might not ordinarily see. However, the bulky cloak obscures this fine craftsmanship, resulting in a figure that looks less stunning and more... meh. When I first saw the figure I didn't much care for it, but it's a lot of fun to play with and it does look good in dioramas. With awesome packaging, two weapons, and the best articulation of any Tusken on the market today, this is an awesome figure you just gotta get. Thankfully for you, you've got options.

Collector's Notes: The 2006 Vintage line wasn't quite a huge hit, with two figures (Luke X-Wing, Biker Scout) being hugely popular, two figures (Han Solo, Greedo) being not very popular, and this one was popular or not, depending on the store. I had no problem finding them, and in 2007, the figure was repackaged with the Toys "R" Us exclusive Bantha & Tusken Raiders Battle Pack for $44.99. As such, if you want the figure and a Bantha, consider the Battle Pack. A downside, though, is the legs on the Battle Pack version are spread a little bit more than the regular version, so you may still wish to own both even though there are no significant changes between the two. (There is a red/dark brown variant, though, and we'll get to that one later.)

For those who don't know: modern "vintage" figures are brand new figures made with the latest toy techniques, but are packaged on replicas of the packaging used from 1978-1984 (so far). These provide a cheaper, and in some cases more interesting looking, alternative to the original Kenner products which often fetch tens or hundreds of dollars. In 2007, Hasbro will release six more of these "vintage" figures, including Bossk, IG-88, a Snowtrooper, Luke Skywalker (Bespin Fatigues), Han Solo (Hoth Battle Gear), and Princess Leia Organa (Battle Poncho). These should be available this May or June, and you can pre-order them online now at stores like Entertainment Earth-- but they should be available everywhere fine toys are sold. (And in some cases, the 2006 figures are still available at some toy stores.)

Day 379: May 20, 2007

Figure of the Day: Day 220: Biker Scout (Scout Trooper)

BIKER SCOUT Return of the Jedi
The Saga Collection Vintage Assortment
Item No.: Asst. 87129 No. 87066
Number: n/a
Includes: Scout pistol
Action Feature: Holster holds pistol securely
Retail: $9.99-$12.99
Availability: Spring 2006
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio: A scout trooper was an Imperial stormtrooper that had been specially trained for scouting and reconnaissance. (Stolen from Wookieepedia.)

Image: Adam's coffee table.

Commentary: Reactions to the 2004 "Vintage" figures were mostly positive, but in 2006, fans were a little less mirthful. The Biker Scout (or Scout Trooper to non-vintage people) was the best received, and early photos made him look a little chunky. Due to the amount of articulation, which allows for a little more subtlety in the poses, the figure is loaded with personality. You can make him look confused, curious, and downright mean depending on how you position him and his 14 points of articulation. The sculpt refines the previous Power of the Jedi figure to a great extent, adding new details right in the plastic, which are fleshed out with a new level of paint decoration. The "cloth" midsection was colored in an off-white color, setting it apart from the hard plastic armor bits. (Of course on the toy, it's all plastic.) This may be the best new sculpt of 2006 according to most fans, because it seems after years of questionable Scouts (or none at all), Hasbro finally nailed it.

Collector's Notes: In Spring 2006, Hasbro shipped this figure on a retro-Return of the Jedi cardback. In the Fall of 2006, the same basic figure shipped as part of a gift set in a tin, but had a resculpted head with a flip-up helmet. Both are quite popular. Fans have been demanding more of this figure, and even the frighteningly high price point of $10-$13 wasn't enough to keep army builders away-- and fans still want more!

More versions of the Scout exist in the modern line. In 1996, one was packaged with a Speeder Bike, and this one had articulated knees, a unique neck joint, and a strange pose. In 2000, one was made for Power of the Jedi, and three major versions exist: one is clean, and one is battle-damaged. The third was sold in 2002 as a Target Exclusive Accessory Pack, and you can tell this one because it's quite literally ass-backwards-- a factory error resulted in the lower torso piece being assembled incorrectly. This same sculpt was resculpted to have a flip-up helmet and was sold with the AT-AT in 2006. And finally, another version was released as a "Battlefront Exclusive" with a unique rifle, but as the gun is available elsewhere, we don't consider it a truly different figure. So if you want one of every major Scout Trooper release in the modern line, you'll need at least 7, 8 if you count Battlefront.

Day 220: December 12, 2006