Figure of the Day: Day 945: Doda Bodonawieedo

DODA BODONAWIEEDO Max Rebo Band Pairs
Power of the Force Wal-Mart Exclusive
Item No.: Asst. 69670 No. 84021
Manufacturer: Kenner
Number: 3 of 3
Includes: Rodian slitherhorn, Max Rebo
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $11.99
Availability: Fall 1998
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio: Doda Bodonawieedo was a Rodian slitherhorn (traz) player for the Max Rebo Band. He was also an information broker and was a part of the Shawpee Gang. (Stolen from Wookieepedia.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' now-dead tower.

Commentary: Seeing an opportunity to make sure fans get the most musicians, Kenner cranked out a trio of two-packs in 1998 for Wal-Mart. Each set had an "original" and "special edition" member, meaning if you were an older fan you had to buy Doda Bodonawieedo in order to get the truly awesome Max Rebo. While not awesome, Doda most certainly doesn't suck. He's colorful, has a good sculpt, and his head is a little tiny when compared to any and all Rodian figures released since 1999 (like Greedo and Pax Bonkik.) He'll fit right in any diorama you might elect to make, but he has a little problem standing. Articulation is limited to a mere six points, two of which are completely obstructed by his long tunic or dress or whatever you want to call it. While sculpted to hold on to his Rodian slitherhorn (really, that's the name) his hands are sculpted a little too large to keep a solid grip on the instrument, meaning you might want to be very careful when setting him up. Heck, break out the clear rubber bands, you'll be glad you did. It's very unlikely Hasbro will revisit this figure, so it's not a bad idea to assume this is the only sculpt you'll ever see and buy it.

Collector's Notes: Depending on your luck, you might have seen him around in 1998 and again in 2007/2008. The 1998 release was packaged with Max Rebo, and the 2007 boxed set had those figures as well as Sy Snootles, Droopy McCool, and Barquin D'an. Don't overpay for this one, but I'd say the 2007 release will probably give you more bang for your buck. Joh Yowza, Rappertunie, and the various dancers are in a separate 2007 5-pack, or sold in other configurations. Oh, and you can get Ak-Rev and Umpass-Stay, the two drummers, as individually carded figures from 2007 and 2008. You might as well, really, as alien musicians are super cool.

Day 945: January 27, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 944: Obi-Wan Kenobi

OBI-WAN KENOBI Jedi Knight
Episode I Collection 1
Item No.: Asst. 84085 No. 84244
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Lightsaber, comm unit, CommTech chip
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $6.99
Availability: January 2000
Appearances: The Phantom Menace

Bio: As the invasion of Naboo rages outside, Jedi apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi battles the evil Sith Lord, Darth Maul, in a fierce lightsaber duel. The outcome could change the galaxy forever! (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' desk.

Commentary: In 1999, Hasbro decided its Jedi figures should have elbow and wrist joints. By 2000, they were eliminated as seen on this Obi-Wan Kenobi figure which was a sort of a mixed bag as progress goes. Hasbro wisely included what it referred to as "soft goods"-- that is, cloth and fake hair-- to distinguish the figure from other, similar releases. In the photo, you can see a rooted hair Jedi braid as well as a cloth skirt piece which allows for enhanced movement. Sadly, the figure only has six total joints, making it about on par with your average figure from 1995-1998. The likeness is really no better or worse than other figures from the era, although there's obviously room for improvement. You might also notice Obi-Wan Kenobi has a slightly more muscular build than other releases, leading one to wonder if this figure was developed earlier and just released after Hasbro put its best foot forward.

Accessory fans will no doubt enjoy the fact that this figure has a communicator which can be held in his hand (see picture) or attached to a peg on his belt for storage. This kind of little bonus feature goes a long way into making a figure more fun, giving you another way to play with it beyond "stand," "sit," and "fight." Sadly, this sort of interactivity was dropped from the action figures except for the occasional lightsaber hilt which could be pegged to a belt, leaving weapons to be the only extras you generally got to have to hang off your figures. Ah well. Still, it's neat and totally worth getting for this unique gimmick. As one of the figures from that transitional period where Hasbro started adding more and more articulation and long skirt pieces which hindered movement, this one stands out as a rare foray into making the figure function better as a plaything at the expense of making it more collector-friendly, and personally I think it worked out nicely.

Collector's Notes: While somewhat difficult to get at first, the figure eventually trickled out enough to be considered mostly widely available. As far as sitting in a vehicle goes, you will never find a better Obi-Wan figure from the first prequel. Or at least, you won't as far as the space-time continuum works in the whole unknown future thing. A new version of Obi-Wan from the first prequel is scheduled for 2009, if the rumor and information mill is accurate.

Day 944: January 26, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 943: Battle Droid

BATTLE DROID Sith Lord Attack
30th Anniversary Collection Battle Packs
Item No.: Asst. 87503 No. 87195
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Backpack, blaster, blast effect, 4 more figures
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $19.99
Availability: November 2006
Appearances: The Phantom Menace

Bio: The simple-minded drone warriors of the Trade Federation were easily dealt with by the Jedi, but were nonetheless fearsome because of their overwhelming numbers. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' desk.

Commentary: In this Battle Pack, most of the figures were pretty much straight reissues or had a new accessory. This Battle Droid is a modified version of at least one previously released figure, seeming to be the most like the 2000 "Boomer damage" version of the trooper. With about 9 points of articulation, this figure will stand out as a similar-but-different trooper in your growing separatist army. If nothing else, he's like the Boomer figure minus the dirt damage and "energy" pieces. His added blast-effect gun is nice, and for those who have to have everything I'd consider this one different enough to be a worthy addition to your horde. You basically know what to expect in articulation-- shoulders, elbows, hips, knees, and head-- and that's about it. He may have some difficulty standing, but at least he has a few more joints than other, recent Battle Droids from the 2-packs. It's not a particularly stunning Battle Droid, but it's one of the better ones. As such, buy if you can get it at the right price, or need other figures from the Sith Lord Attack Battle Pack anyway.

Collector's Notes: First released in late 2006, the set includes Darth Maul (POTJ 2-pack), Red Security Battle Droid (POTJ), Obi-Wan Kenobi (modified 2000 soft goods version) and Qui-Gon Jinn (2000 soft goods version). It's not stunning, but it does look nice in the box. Loose figure fans won't have much to get excited about here.

Day 943: January 23, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 942: Jango Fett

JANGO FETT with a real poncho, or maybe a Sears poncho
30th Anniversary Collection Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 87500 No. 87459
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #3057
Includes: Poncho, holsters, blasters, helmet, backpack, greaves
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $6.99
Availability: November 2007
Appearances: Attack of the Clones

Bio: When Jango Fett and Obi-Wan Kenobi meet, the Jedi's questions and the bounty hunter's replies are civil and bland. But beneath the surface of this polite conversation runs an undercurrent of suspicion and menace as they size each other up, both anticipating that they will meet again under less agreeable circumstances. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' desk.

Commentary: When a character is introduced in a film and killed within two hours, what do you do? There are toys to sell, so Hasbro took a while to get to different versions of Jango Fett. This particular one takes a cue from the various quick-change outfit figures from Kenner and Hasbro over the years, in which you have a fairly mundane Jango figure with snap-on armor, guns, the poncho, and the whole deal. In some respects it's neat, but he's still got his boots on when you take off the other parts of his boots. Which looks weird. It's like Bruce Wayne having on Batman's gloves-- it ain't right. Out of his armor, he looks like an average guy with boring pants and a blue shirt, giving you one of very few alternate outfits for the galaxy's favorite bounty hunter's dad. The poncho fits, but is a little baggy, and it's a royal pain to remove the holsters and belt. It's such a pain that I'd suggest buying two of this figure with one permanently dressed in his armor and the other permanently not, so you can best avoid breakage of what I presume will be a fragile accessory as time goes on. I really do expect the belt parts to bust here-- they're tight.

So it's an OK figure. I think Jango fans will like it as their 3rd or 4th Jango, but if it was their one-and-only it kind of sucks. Get a real good, armored one and this one only as an extra.

Collector's Notes: First released in late 2007, the figure was repackaged in "Saga Legends" 2008-style packaging. It's still shipping, as far as I know the figure has had no significant changes.

Day 942: January 22, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 941: Galactic Marine

GALACTIC MARINE Wal-Mart Exclusive Clone Trooper
30th Anniversary Collection Comic Packs
Item No.: Asst. 87557 No. 87559
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster, Backpack, Helmet, Commander Keller figure, comic book
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $11.87
Availability: January 2008
Appearances: Dark Horse comics

Bio: The Clone Wars are over. The Galactic Republic army is defeated, and Order 66 has eliminated most of the Jedi or forced them into hiding. Wild rumors are spreading that the Jedi tried to overthrow the government and cannot be trusted. On the planet Toola in the Outer Rim, Commander Keller is hunting down two fugitive Jedi who survived Order 66. With the help of a Galactic Marine, Keller tracks them through the deep snow as they head toward Ithaqua Station. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' desk.

Commentary: When fans saw the purple version of this figure, they demanded a snow-friendly Galactic Marine for their very own. And rightly so-- it's a shame it had to end up as a comic pack retail exclusive, but hey, you got one. Consider yourself lucky. The figure is basically the same as the standard Galactic Marine except now it's largely an off-white color with some grey. He's super-articulated, but his skirt prevents much leg movement. Also, his feet are fairly rounded at the bottom of the boots, meaning he's likely to fall over without careful support or the right pose. It's tricky, but it's a great figure from a brief scene in a fairly nice comic book. If you bought the previous versions you know exactly what to expect here-- the head is more or less based on Bodhi Taylor's, the gun is the newer, thinner one, and he could almost stand in for a Snowtrooper in the right diorama. The deco is sharp, and it didn't turn out sloppy-- It's a keeper. Hopefully Hasbro will make single ones for the army builders some day.

Collector's Notes: The roll-out for this figure, and his wave of exclusives, was more than a little strange. Depending on where you lived and shopped, it could pop up at any time over several months. For all I know, your local stores may still have these.

Day 941: January 21, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 940: Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi

BEN (OBI-WAN) KENOBI 1995 Edition!
Power of the Force Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 69570 No. 69576
Manufacturer: Kenner
Number: n/a
Includes: Lightsaber, cloak
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $4.99
Availability: August 1995
Appearances: Star Wars

Image: Adam Pawlus' desk.

Bio: Trained by the Jedi Master Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi learned the ways of the Force and became a Jedi Knight. He successfully defended teh Old Republic in the Clone Wars and was hailed as a hero. He took on his own apprentice, the young Anakin Skywalker. (Taken from the figure's cardback. It goes on like this for a paragraph and change.)

Commentary: Back in 1995 fans were elated to have new Star Wars figures for the first time in nearly 10 years. As such, as a group we gobbled up figures like this Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi action figure like nobody's business. The likeness was very good, and continues to be above average even in 2008. A few attempts to redo the character's head haven't improved his look much, although it's possible the one due out any day now will be superior. This version has a hard, clamshell plastic robe covering his body which, sadly, doesn't stand too well. He tends to topple over unless posed with a base or leaning against something, so be careful here. He has only six points of articulation, and his pose is fairly benign. He won't be doing any cool action poses, but at least he doesn't look like he's dancing. Of the first seven figures to hit stores (you'll recall Leia and C-3PO were delayed), I'd argue Obi-Wan's sculpting and likeness have stood the test of time better than any of the others. He isn't overly muscular, his face doesn't have a strange expression on it, and there isn't anything really missing in his costume like Vader's "skirt" or Leia's second X chromosome. While versions with greater articulation have been released, few are truly greater than this figure-- as such, I'd say get one if you can do so cheaply, as we'll continue to get newer versions over time and, eventually, one of them should be unquestionably better than this one-- but I haven't seen it yet.

Collector's Notes: Several variants exist. You can get him with a short lightsaber, or a long one. He comes on an orange or a green cardback, and the green cardback could have a sticker, a photo, or a Freeze Frame on it. And there's more variants on top of that-- which is why nobody cares for them these days. The figure can be had for basically free. If you know a collector with one and ask nicely, he may be sick of it and give it to you. Or you can get it on eBay for about a dollar.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 940: January 20, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 939: Anakin Skywalker

ANAKIN SKYWALKER with Assassin Droid
30th Anniversary Collection Comic Packs
Item No.: Asst. 87504 No. 87528
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #11
Includes: Comic, lightsaber, Assassin Droid
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $9.99
Availability: Fall 2007
Appearances: Clone Wars

Image: Adam Pawlus' desk.

Bio: The battle is going badly for the Republic on Jabiim. Separatist forces are launching their final strike, and Republic forces are in retreat. Only a handful of Padawans, whose Masters have been killed in battle, stand between the Republic forces and the approaching Separatists with their Pollux A-Series Assassin Droids. The Padawans decide to fight the Separatists, giving the Republic forces time to escape. Anakin chooses to join them in their brave yet futile last stand, but fate has other plans for young Skywalker. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Commentary: As Anakin Skywalker figures go this is another favorite. The numerous comics and books allow for dozens of variations on his regular costume, this one allowing him to trade in his floor-length robes for a sort of a quasi duster instead. While this stiff plastic coat does get in the way of him sitting, it does make him look especially cool. While not a movie figure, it looks like it could be and that's part of its brilliance. Most of the costume appears to be taken straight from the films, with added mud and dirt to simulate his time during the rainy war on Jabiim. Articulation fans will largely be pleased here, as he is almost super articulated. The only thing missing are ankle joints, and his "skirt" blocks some of the hip movement. This is a figure that's mostly going to be doing standing and fighting, so if you aren't bothered by his inability to sit you're going to like this one. While there are many Anakin figures from the Clone Wars era, they're mostly all pretty fantastic-- this one is no exception. As such, I think you'd like it if you got one, especially since he has a wonderful companion droid figure.

Collector's Notes: A popular set, it was repackaged in 2008 and offered for quite a while. If you aren't picky as to the packaging, you can get this one for a cheap price.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 939: January 19, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 938: R4-J1

R4-J1 Astromech Droid
The Legacy Collection Basic Figures Build-A-Droid
Item No.: Asst. 87535
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: n/a
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: n/a
Availability: July 26, 2008
Appearances: Attack of the Clones

Image: Adam Pawlus' TV tray.

Bio: Purchased by an Outer Rim scavenger decades before the Battle of Yavin, R4-J1 scoured junkyards for parts after developing a scavenging rountine of its own. During this time, the droid developed an unusual trait that caused it to jury-rig devices it was supposed to repair. Seen in Mos Espa when Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala are riding the rickshaw RIC-920 to find Watto on Tatooine. (Stolen from Wookieepedia.)

Commentary: Hasbro's desire to give us droids, and our desire to take them, finally met up in 2008. This R4-J1 was a figure most fans assumed was a Hasbro creation, but I have it on decent authority you can actually see it in Mos Espa. I need to look, but rather than do the research, I'll just write about the toy. Taking the same R4 mold we got in the first wave of figures, it's now a creamy color with green splotches. I think it's wonderful. The figure has a head that pops into a hole in the body, and the three legs pop in as you'd expect. Since it's a new mold, the sculpting is years beyond the R4 body we've been given since 2001-- note that this one has actual wires on the feet and a slightly less skinny body. As pack-ins go, this one is great-- get one for your droid shelf, and hold on to it for the day Hasbro or someone gets the sense to release ships with more droid sockets. Otherwise, what you have here is a great addition to nearly any diorama.

Collector's Notes: His parts and pieces come with the SCUBA Clone Trooper, Obi-Wan Kenobi in Clone armor, IG Lancer Droid, and the Heavy Gunner Clone Trooper. He shipped only with Wave 2 figures, so he may be tough to get in the long run.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 938: January 16, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 937: Count Dooku

COUNT DOOKU Wal-Mart Exclusive Comic Version
30th Anniversary Collection Comic Packs
Item No.: Asst. 87504 No. 87792
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Lightsaber, Anakin figure, comic book
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $11.87
Availability: May 2008
Appearances: Dark Horse comics

Bio: The Separatists have kidnapped Chancellor Palpatine and are fleeing Coruscant with their hostage. Boarding the enemy vessel, Anakin and Obi-Wan battle their way to the Chancellor and are challenged by Count Dooku, who is eager for another lightsaber duel with the two Jedi. Dooku defeats Obi-Wan, but is overpowered by Anakin when the chancellor urges young Skywalker to use the power of the dark side. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' desk.

Commentary: Hasbro struck gold with its comic pack line, taking new figures and new comicy versions of old favorites. The problem is that some of them are overwhelmingly dull, like Count Dooku here. He's different than the standard release from the basic 2005 Revenge of the Sith figure, but you might not notice that at first. It's worth noting that his beard is all white, his colors are darker, and his cape liner is much, much more dark and red than the basic carded version. There's not much else to mention here that hasn't been said about the basic figure, showing that Hasbro kind of missed what made comic pack figures interesting. This is, of course, new deco and accessories or wildly distinctive decoration. This figure is a great Count Dooku if you just want one, as it has good articulation and a decent likeness. But for comic fans, there's really nothing special here. Move along.

Collector's Notes: The roll-out for this figure, and his wave of exclusives, was more than a little strange. Depending on where you lived and shopped, it could pop up at any time over several months. For all I know, your local stores may still have these.

Day 937: January 15, 2009