Figure of the Day: Day 966: Jawa

JAWA & WED Treadwell Droid
The Legacy Collection Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 87535 No. 87837
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #BD33
Includes: Jawa, WED Septoid Treadwell Droid, blaster, bandolier, droid caller
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $7.99
Availability: January 2009
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: The Jawas come to the Lars homestead to offer droids for sale. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' TV tray.

Commentary: The original Star Wars is a well Hasbro goes back to constantly for new old figures. For example, there have been a great many Jawa releases. At least 5 distinct molds have been created, many of which have been repainted or tweaked and reissued-- like this one, which is based on the 2007 Jawa action figure. There were so many variations on the basic Jawa design in the original Star Wars film that it's not surprising that we're on, by my count, #8. The core figure is essentially identical to the 2007 release, which is a good one to build off of if you're looking to do a good job. Our new friend here has ball-jointed shoulders and elbows, a ball head, plus standard wrist joints and an articulated waist. It's pretty good, really, but you know what to expect if you got last year's version. The big difference here is that the vest now matches the rest of his rags, and there's a new blaster with a bandolier attached to it. Oh, and there's a little droid caller thing with it too. This figure is darker and less toy-like than its previous incarnation, and I dare use the phrase "more realistic." Unlike most other Jawa molds, he doesn't have the light-up eyeport. (I see this as an improvement. Your mileage may vary.) If you're a fan that owns a Sandcrawler or the Lars Homestead environment, you owe it to yourself to pick up this figure set. I'll talk about the droid later, but really, either of the two figures is enough to warrant its purchase.

Collector's Notes: The first shipments of this figure come with the torso of R5-A2. As to the future, who knows.

Day 966: February 25, 2008

Figure of the Day: Day 965: Super Battle Droid

SUPER BATTLE DROID STAP Attack
30th Anniversary Collection Toys "R" Us Exclusive Battle Packs
Item No.: Asst. 87604 No. 87754
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: STAP vehicle, additional toys
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $24.99 (part of a set)
Availability: May 2008
Appearances: Clone Wars

Bio: Battle droids swarm into combat on Geonosis, a vast army under the control of the Separatists. Armed with blaster rifles, the battle droids face the clone troopers in combat: two forces both programmed to act with unwavering loyalty toward their creators. (Taken from the figure's box.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' carpet.

Commentary: Fact: Hasbro loves this Super Battle Droid mold. Since its movie-colored debut in 2008, we got a brown repaint, this silver repaint, a really hard-to-get shadowy Mygeeto version, a blue remold, and probably another I'm forgetting. It makes sense, though, because it's a pretty fantastic figure just a few notches short of being perfect. While the coloring doesn't really look like anything from the movies (or comics, or elsewhere) it's still pretty neat. There's some mud on its feet, and a fair amount of grime all over. It retains the articulation you've come to expect-- ball shoulders, swivel and bending elbows, waist, knees, and hips-- but keeps the holes for reasons I can't really fathom. The unique texture of this droid comes through from its silvery plastic, which I really hope doesn't become horribly brittle and shatter over time like other gold or silver toys have been known to do. (Be careful with this one.) There's not much here you haven't seen if you're keeping up with your army droids, so get it if you like the color or also want the STAPs and Battle Droids from the set. It's worth it for what you get.

Collector's Notes: Nearly 9 months after hitting stores, you can probably get one at your local Toys "R" Us. These things tend to sit, despite being pretty great.

Day 965: February 24, 2008

Figure of the Day: Day 964: Graak (the Ewok)

GRAAK & Romba
30th Anniversary Collection Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 87500 No. 87409
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #3043
Includes: Bow, arrows, hood, Romba figure, coin (2007), display stand (2008)
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $6.99
Availability: Fall 2007
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Image: Adam Pawlus' Endor shelf.

Bio: When the Ewoks mistake C-3PO for a god, Han Leia, and Chewie use this misunderstanding to get past the Ewok's initial distrust of them. The Ewoks eventually welcome the Rebels into their tribe and help them destroy the shield generatior protecting the Death Star. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Commentary: One of the more rewarding things about the modern Star Wars line is assembling a big group of something. Sure, troopers are nice, but what I really love is that Hasbro does numerous takes on Tusken Raiders, Jawas, and yes, even Ewoks like Graak here. The little guy is pretty awesome, showcasing Hasbro's ability to add articulation to a figure that doesn't need it while keeping its appearance reasonably nice. In the old days, Ewoks had 4 joints, meaning you got arms and legs and that's it. This guy builds on that, adding neck articulation, wrist articulation, a waist joint, plus ball-jointed ankles. WOW. That's above and beyond the call of duty for any figure in a 2-pack, so it's really stunning that Hasbro decided to do it for the supposedly unpopular Ewok. He has no problems standing, and I suppose were Hasbro to make any modern-era Ewok vehicles or playsets that aren't a catapult or a glider, he'd be able to interact with it quite nicely.

As far as his gear goes, Hasbro hit it out of the park with a removable hood with a quiver molded to it. You can remove the arrows if you want to, but you probably won't-- they're too small for him to grip easily. It's a wonderful figure and one that you should absolutely add to your Ewok tribe, if you have one. If you don't, I'd suggest getting this 2-pack and see if the notion of having more of these appeals to you. This is some of Hasbro's finest work in the realm of Ewoks, so give it a whirl if you have the means to do so. (And they're cheap, so you should.)

Collector's Notes: Graak seems like he was created with future repaints in mind. The figure was initially named "Lumat" according to a sticker sheet released by Hasbro for a display stand set, which is interesting as the figure has more than a passing resemblance for the vintage-era Kenner Lumat figure. To date, we still don't have Lumat (and there seems to be more than one furball to claim ownership of the name) but it'll be easy for Hasbro to do it when they feel like it. A later list of names had this guy dubbed "Garak," which, as a fan of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, I found to be quite funny. This figure was rereleased in 2008 with a display stand instead of a coin.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 964: February 23, 2008

Figure of the Day: Day 963: Tusken Raider

TUSKEN RAIDER Tatooine Camp Ambush
Saga Collection 2
Item No.: Asst. 84861 No. 84921
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #0306
Includes: Gaffi stick, robes, display stand, head
Action Feature: Magnetized head can be knocked off
Retail: $4.99
Availability: January 2003
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: Nomadic tribespeople, Tusken Raiders scavenge and pilfer the sparsely populated areas of Tatooine. Also known as Sand People, they are a vicious lot, frequently raiding unsuspecting moisture farms in the desert regions. On one of these barbarous raids, Tuskens seize the helpless Shmi Skywalker and imprison her within an isolated encampment. Warding off previous rescue attempts by local moisture farmers, the Sand People are unprepared for Anakin Skywalker's discovery of their camp and the young Jedi's uncontrollable act of vengeance. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' TV tray.

Commentary: As one of the first figures Kenner made back in the 1970s, it isn't surprising that the Tusken Raider keeps finding its way to retail in new and interesting ways. What may be surprising is just how many we've seen. Hasbro introduced is to a red and a tan clan last year, but before that we've had basic figures, more articulated figures, female and baby figures, and now even two Jedi members of a Tusken clan. It's an astonishingly diverse alien tribe, and one that a collector could probably drop hundreds of dollars on and still have more goodies to pick up. Naturally, this figure is another great addition to the family.

In Episode I, most of the Tusken Raiders were missing a little canister beneath their chins which makes the figure look like it's missing something when Hasbro leaves it off. This release keeps the gizmo, which makes the figure look just as much like an original trilogy Tusken as you could hope for. The sculpt is incredible, as is the detail, but unfortunately this figure was released in 2003 before things like shoulder ball joints became basically standard, and before Hasbro really upped the ante on the quality of paint on a figure. It's basically a really cool and fun statue, as it stands fine, it has a display stand, and sports a fair degree of arm articulation. (Well, for its time.) His coloring is a little more orange than other Tuskens, meaning he stands out as a sort of an oddball on a shelf of warriors. Since these nomads tended to use whatever scrap they could find, it isn't out of the question that there should be some inconsistency in the coloring, but it's a shame that he doesn't match his brothers and sisters. I don't think Hasbro has made a more lively looking Tusken warrior, and this figure looks (key word: LOOKS) better than the vintage version which would follow a few years later, plus it tends to hold together better despite having a head designed to fall off. (That says a lot.) If for some reason you decide to only buy one Tusken Raider action figure, I'd say you should consider this one. He may not have knee joints, but I'll dare you to find one that looks more awesome.

Collector's Notes: This figure has never been reissued, repainted, or otherwise returned to retail. It's a shame, as it's a great sculpt and would really have been a nice entry in those Tusken and Bantha camp battle packs at Toys "R" Us in 2008.

Day 963: February 20, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 962: Wioslea

WIOSLEA of Spaceport Speeders
The Legacy Collection Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 87535 No. 87840
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #BD36
Includes: Blaster, robes
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $7.99
Availability: January 2009
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: Wioslea is a salesperson for Spacesport [sic] Speeders, a used landspeer lot in Mos Eisley. Swayed by Kenobi's Jedi mind trick, the female Vuvrian offers Luke 2,000 credits for his landspeeder, which he sells to pay for the trip to Alderaan. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' TV tray.

Commentary: The first thing I noticed about Wioslea is that she has a very disturbing looking mouth. Other jokes I'd like to make about it aren't remotely appropriate for what I presume the readership of this column to be, so let's move on to another inappropriate, but probably not for this column, observation. She's got boobs. I went looking for some pictures of the alien from Star Wars and I can honestly say that it did not appear to have anything in the way of chesticles, although the figure certainly does. She's basically as super-articulated as one can expect, and is able to sit just fine. She does not, however, have knee joints.

Hasbro's sculptors managed to capture the alien design's bizarre head-- and yes, it is a weird head even for Star Wars-- complete with the eyes looking in multiple directions. I guess I never really gave the character much of an extended look, but damn she be ugly. Thankfully, there's a robe to cover her head if you like, complete with holes to put her dangly antenna through. It fits perfectly, which is unusual for any Hasbro cloth robes. Seriously, it doesn't get better than this. The soft goods for the lower part of her robes are also perfect so far, and the body seems like it could have made a perfect template for a female Jedi figure with some modifications in the lower legs, forearms, and of course head. This figure is great. I know some of you disagree with me on this particular issue, but I'm generally glad Hasbro has put off making a lot of the minor characters until now, when the figures are genuinely great. I don't think Hasbro could go back and remake this as a better figure, really, or at least not in the next 5-10 years.

Collector's Notes: She's new! As such you're probably just now finding her, or just now getting annoyed that Wave 6 isn't already out. She shipped along with a whopping 7 other basic figures, 2 of which were 2-packs, and almost all of which were requested by fans for a while now. This almost makes up for the lack of everything endearing non-$100+ that was 2008. Hasbro's internal photographers goofed up and put Obi-Wan Kenobi's lightsaber with her, leading to numerous ridiculous arguments concerning the character's status as a Jedi. She isn't a Jedi. A photographer just put the wrong accessory with her in one official picture. Get over it, missy.

Day 962: February 19, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 961: R2-A6

R2-A6 Astromech Droid Pack Series II
The Saga Collection Entertainment Earth Exclusive
Item No.: Asst. 87055 No. 87057
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: n/a
Action Feature: Twist dome to extend or retract third leg
Retail: $39.99
Availability: January 2006
Appearances: The Phantom Menace

Bio: Assists fighter pilot Ric Olié during the Battle of Naboo. (Taken from the figure's box.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' carpet.

Commentary: The droid R2-A6 held the distinction of being one of very few figures released by Hasbro as a 12-inch figure and then not being made as a 3 3/4-inch figure almost immediately. Bespin Luke came out about a year before his smaller counterpart, but R2-A6 saw release in the larger scale in 1999. The smaller figure wouldn't be made until 7 years later, and that's because it was requested by an online store's goofy new employee as a part of an exclusive set. (Which is awesome that it turned out OK.) Of all the astromechs in the exclusive boxed sets, this is one of about three that I'd say turned out as good as or far, far better than I could have hoped for. It isn't my favorite, but I can't argue with quality. There are so many tiny details on this figure that don't appear on other repaints of R4-G9 that it's really quite stunning. Around his holographic projector, there's a gold line. His big eye is painted black, and despite being the same colored plastic, Hasbro actually took the time to paint the center circle on the top of his dome green as to match the other panels. (Often, they leave it black.) There's a big yellow dot on the back of his head, and his non-vac metal silver dome looks gorgeous. Really, this R2-A6 is everything I want in an R2-D2 but I still haven't got it. Since the figure is form Naboo, it's appropriately clean, the paint colors are sharp and vibrant, and the white parts are pretty gosh darned white. Usually I can find a nit to pick or some detail I'd like to have seen done better, but here, I can't say that would be true. Hasbro nailed it, and as such, I can't say anything bad about it. Other than it belongs to Ric Olie, the other balding space pilot from the Star Wars saga.

Collector's Notes: Sold out, not yet reissued, and not expected to be. There's really no good reason to put this guy out again unless Hasbro comes up with a Naboo fighter with a droid socket or something. (They won't, I'm just saying.) The larger R2-A6 holds the distinction of being the only R2 unit other than Hasbro to be made in the larger size. (R5-D4 being the only other astromech made in that scale.) Interestingly, the large R2-A6 has a vac-metal dome, a feature the larger R2-D2s do not. The little guy now goes for about $10 on eBay if you can find it.

Day 961: February 18, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 960: Chewbacca

CHEWBACCA Cloud City Capture
Saga Collection 1
Item No.: Asst. 84851 No. 84890
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #0238
Includes: Imperial Blaster, C-3PO parts, bag
Action Feature: C-3PO's eyes light up when head is pushed down on body.
Retail: $4.99
Availability: Fall 2002
Appearances: The Empire Strikes Back

Bio: Captured upon their arrival at Cloud City, Chewbacca and his Rebel companions are apprehended by Darth Vader in hopes of luring their Jedi friend, Luke Skywalker, into a trap. While in solitary confinement, Chewbacca takes solace in reassembling the dismantled C-3PO. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' desk. Note: the version pictures is the 2006 The Saga Collection release. As far as I can tell it's the same as the 2002 Saga release.

Commentary: Is this one figure or two? I decided this Chewbacca would be just one, since the C-3PO parts aren't enough to really do anything with. But since there are two characters here, there's some more writing to do. Starting with Chewie, for the time, this was the best-ever Star Wars Chewbacca. Given the figure is meant to be from The Empire Strikes Back, this may bother some folks. The hair is really the big thing which indicates which movie he's from, and with his hair back he has more in common with the vintage toy than the 2001 "mechanic" figure-- which was really slick. Anyway, is this figure any good? Heck yeah. He has ball-jointed shoulders, elbow joints, and wrist joints-- this was, until 2004, the best Chewbacca you could possibly hope to get. He can lean back and scream in agony, he can fire his gun at the Empire, and he can be posed to "fix" C-3PO. Our friend, however, can not swivel at the waist. He can sit, he can stand, he can emote, plus his fur is sculpted to look more like fur and less like some sort of clumped mess. With his black nose, blue eyes, and expressive mouth, this is a sign that Hasbro was really heading in the right direction after the first push for Attack of the Clones. Even more amazing, there's more to this figure.

Back in 1982, Kenner made a C-3PO with removable limbs for Chewbacca to carry around on his back. (Kenner did a new version of this in 1998.) However in 2002, they decided to give fans a head, a body, and a pile of junk to represent the disassembled droid as accessories. You can even "repair" C-3PO like Chewie did in the movies-- push the head into the body, and the eyes will light up. It's pretty amazing, although the light isn't one of Hasbro's finest. Still, it's hard to be picky-- the sculptor for these parts obviously snagged an existing protocol droid mold, chopped it up, and cast the results. This gives us a C-3PO that looks like C-3PO, and it avoids some of the problems we've seen with vehicles and astromech domes that are incredibly off-model.

In addition to the one-and-a-half figures, you get a standard Stormtrooper blaster (the same "small" one that has been in circulation since 2001), and a cloth net bag with a little piece of elastic. I have to say that it's a little tricky to get the most out of the bag, but you can still get Chewie to fit it on his back. As toys go, the entire package is a shining example of some of Hasbro's finest work. I assume this was a more expensive figure to make, as it incorporates kid features (lights), core characters, added articulation, plus accessories. Hasbro could have just as easily made one version with the net backpack, and a separate one to represent the time in the Cloud City cell where Chewie was at work. If you never got this figure, you should rectify this ASAP.

Collector's Notes: The figure was a decent seller when it debuted around September 2002, and it was good enough for Hasbro to reissue, mostly unchanged, in the 2006 line. C-3PO retained the eye feature, and Hasbro tossed in a bonus display stand. I do not consider these to be different figures, but packaging variant hunters will no doubt want both versions. The 2006 packaging is, if you ask me, better. The C-3PO seems to be based on the TC-14 mold, but chopped up. Chewbacca was recolored for numerous figures in exclusive multi-packs, like a Hoth version in 2003 and a bizarrely recolored Endor version in 2008. If you look back at this figure, it was a pretty amazing deal. Actually, if Hasbro sold this figure today for eight bucks, it'd still be a pretty solid deal.

Day 960: February 17, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 959: Jango Fett

JANGO FETT Kamino Escape
Saga Collection 1
Item No.: Asst. 84851 No. 84857
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #0213
Includes: Pistols, helmet, backpack, rocket, firing rocket, claw-on-a-rope
Action Feature: Rifle fits in holster
Retail: $4.99
Availability: April 2002
Appearances: Attack of the Clones

Bio: Resourceful and dangerous, Jango Fett is known throughout the criminal underworld as the best bounty hunter in the galaxy. Equipped with an arsenal of weapons including his missile-firing jetpack, Jango attempts to take out Obi-Wan Kenobi as he and Boba Fett escape from Tipoca City. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' TV tray.

Commentary: While not the first Jango Fett, it was early enough to be memorable, popular, and easily the most accessorized version of the character. Since it's from the era where Hasbro was working from Gentle Giant scan data, the armor and proportions are all pretty great. Unfortunately, this was the era before ball-jointed shoulders, so the figure is pretty limited in its movement capabilities. This particular release has 8 points of articulation, which sounds weak, but the accessories make up for it. The little grapple thing is a blast to play with, and the removable helmet is a nice touch. This particular Jango has no real problems standing or sitting, and it seems the 2002 release of the Slave I was designed with this specific figure in mind. There's an area to hang his jetpack and everything.

Considering the decent level of detail in the armor, the adequate likeness in the face, and all the gear, it's a figure you'd probably enjoy having to play with. It certainly isn't the most articulated, but it's fun to play with and that's worth a lot to me. I suggest you give it a shot, especially if you can get it at or around $5. Hopefully as the line progresses, we'll see all this gear added to a super-articulated body.

Collector's Notes: This Jango was not only popular, and was not only reissued a few times, but it was also tweaked to make several other figures. There's a 2003 repackaged version, there's a 2006 repackaged version with a display stand. The figure was reissued without most of its accessories and packaged with other figures in a tin in late 2006. Magnets were added to his gauntlets and he was packaged with an accessory to make him "fly" in 2003. Needless to say, it's pretty easy to get, but it's also surprisingly in-demand from fans as it is one of the better Jango figures.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 959: February 16, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 958: Bane Malar

BANE MALAR Helmet Dude
The Legacy Collection Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 87535 No. 87679
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #BD07
Includes: Droid piece, blaster, rifle
Action Feature: Rifle fits in holster
Retail: $7.99
Availability: July 2008
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio: The mysterious bounty hunter Bane Malar occasionally visits Jabba's palace on the Western Dune Sea. He reveals little of himself, causing suspicion among the Hutt's hangers-on and rumors that Malar is a telepath who steals people's secrets to use against them later. (Taken from the set's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' TV tray.

Commentary: As far as anyone can tell, Bane Malar was a costume designed for Return of the Jedi and is nowhere to be seen in the finished film. A similar character does appear on screen, but this isn't him. One might wonder why make a figure of this guy first, or why fans requested it, or even more baffling-- why some fans said this was a favorite character. I assume hyperbole plays a big role, but the important thing is what we have here is a pretty great figure that will be right at home in any diorama featuring Jabba the Hutt. He's a little shorter than most other figures, but has all the articulation that you might reasonably be able to hope for. This dark-blue suited... creature seems to be a labor of love from Hasbro as he's loaded with detail. The folds of his flight suit and the unique shape of his helmet all look fantastic, no doubt helped by the fact that this action figure may be the first or only look collectors have of the guy. With no face to muck up, Hasbro spent its time creating a fantastic costume and making sure we as fans have a figure that is likely to be the best (and only) release the character ever sees. With this in mind, all fans of Jabba's palace probably need to have one or more of this guy, but if you're trying to save room in your collection for characters that you actually know and recognize, well, this ain't it.

Collector's Notes: Given his nearly anonymous status in the film, it's more than a little shocking that this was a strong seller. Shipped from the same wave that gave us Yarna da'l' Gargan, and in the same ratio, it's a little surprising that the character known in the credits as "Fat Dancer" not only had more recognition, but huge fan demand. What is surprising is that she didn't sell too well, and Bane Malar tended to move fairly briskly. I guess it just goes to show that even fans don't always know what we really want.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 958: February 13, 2009