Figure of the Day: Day 186: Ree-Yees

Ree-Yees with Blaster Pistols
Power of the Force Collection 3
Item No.: Asst. 69705 No. 69839
Number: n/a
Includes: 2 pistols, Freeze Frame action slide
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $5.99
Availability: Summer 1998
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio: Even with a court full of conspirators, Jabba the Hutt never suspected Ree-Yees as a potential assassin. Ree-Yees cut a deal with the Empire to destroy Jabba, but fate would save that role for Princess Leia. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' toy shelf.

Commentary: Another great Return of the Jedi figure reimagined for the modern era, Ree-Yees was both nothing special and a very special figure all at once. Eight years later, the sculpt is still very good but figures like Ask Aak prove Hasbro is capable of creating his species, the Gran, with a higher level of detail than Kenner was way back when. The vintage figure was very good, and this modern figure is also particularly nice... and notoriously hard to find. With the standard six points of articulation, his pose is just awkward enough to prevent him from piloting most vehicles. His meaty paws can hold a gun nicely, and the quilts of his leathery uniform are painted in the metallic purplish color you've probably come to love, or come to shoot in the Dark Forces games. There's a lot to like in this three-eyed, goat-faced member of Jabba's court and since Hasbro hasn't made much buzz about revisiting this one, I think you might be well served to make sure you have one sitting in your collection.

Collector's Notes: This figure represented a sort of "beginning of the end." While the McFarlane-inspired mentality of fear kicked off the line in 1995, by 1998, pretty much everybody could get any figure they wanted if they waited a few weeks. Along with the Death Star Trooper, Ree-Yees were very short shipped as they came as the last new "Collection 3" figures to hit retail-- the next wave was to have been delayed for months and released as Fan Club exclusives. The end-of-the-line 1998 figures were very tough to come by unless you were lucky, so this figure managed to be quite rare. Interestingly enough, its price never really shot up all that much and today can be had for about $10 or less.

Day 186: November 8, 2006

Figure of the Day: Day 185: Chief Chirpa

CHIEF CHIRPA Battle of Endor
The Saga Collection
Item No.: Asst. 85770 No. 86910
Number: 039
Includes: Headdress, staff, knife, stand, bonus holographic figure
Action Feature: Knife fits in holster on belt
Retail: $6.99
Availability: Summer 2006
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio: Chief Chirpa is the wise, gray-furred leader of the Ewok tribe that befriended a Rebel strike team sent to the forest moon of Endor to destroy the Imperial shield generator. After some initial hostilities, it was he who accepted the Rebels into his tribe. A fierce defender of his people, he had been looking for a means to effectively resist the Imperial occupation, and did not hesitate to assist the Rebels by committing his forces to battle. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' toy shelf. The 2006 Trilogy shelf.

Commentary: It's no secret I'm a fan of the Ewoks. Chief Chirpa is the newest plastic entry in this race of space guinea pigs, and he was also one of the very first two Ewoks made in 1983 (along with Logray). This time around, though, he's much shorter, much more detailed, and yes, totally out of scale with the rest of the Ewok toys ever made. Old or new. Which is good and bad-- he's probably the closest to the "right" size any modern Ewok has been, and he's absolutely perfect. Or darn close to it. He has a ball-jointed neck plus the normal articulation at the shoulders, hips, and wrists. He can move just enough to keep the same awkward positioning as see in the movie, and his accessories are surprisingly well done too! What you see is basically what you get, but it's worth noting that he's also very very small. Compared to other new sculpted figures in 2006, you will feel like you got a bad deal. Still, if you're like me and when it comes to basic figures, money is almost no object (as long as it's "fair"), this is a spectacular action figure that is well worth buying for any fan of Endor, aliens, tubby little rodent people, and so on.

Collector's Notes: This figure proved to be fairly popular at release and it's not expected to have a long run at retail. As such, buy it if you see it if you care. Otherwise, save $7.

Day 185: November 7, 2006

Figure of the Day: Day 184: Princess Leia in Boushh Disguise

PRINCESS LEIA Boushh Disguise
The Saga Collection
Item No.: Asst. 85770 No. 85801
Number: 001
Includes: Helmet, staff, thermal detonator, stand, bonus holographic figure
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $6.99
Availability: January 2006
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio: The brave and beautiful Princess Leia Organa disguises herself as the bounty hunter, Boushh, to sneak into Jabba The Hutt's Palace. Once inside, Leia frees Han Solo from the confines of his carbonite casing. Her actions, however, are anticipated and Jabba turns the tables, capturing Leia and forcing her to become a slave. Little does Jabba know that Leia and her powerful friends will have the last laugh... (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' toy shelf. The 2006 Trilogy shelf.

Commentary: Back in 1996, fans were elated to see Kenner improve the quality of their sculpts-- for a while. 10 years later, most fans consider those figures to be pretty awful, which is why few complained particularly loudly when Hasbro decided now would be a good time to revisit Princess Leia in her awesome Boushh disguise. Part of a really good wave, Leia was a much needed shorter, better articulated figure with loads of accessories and vastly superior decoration. The figure is awesome for many reasons, including the fact she's the first-ever 3 3/4-inch Boushh with the braid hanging out of the helmet, she has a removable thermal detonator, ball-jointed pretty much everything, there's pretty much nothing that this figure didn't improve over previous releases. I hesitate to use words like "perfect" because, obviously, there are things that can be improved-- but there aren't many, and this figure will most likely be the go-to sculpt every time Hasbro decides to release the figure from now on. The only real big area for improvement here is the face-- Carrie Fisher had some rough years, but this figure doesn't do much to make her look any better. Hasbro could repaint the face for an improved, softer look which would be welcome by this collector if we were going to be re-sold this figure again in the future. (Of course, at this point, I'd rather let this release be the end of it.)

Of all the resculpts in 2006-- and let me tell you, there were a lot-- this is probably the most improved modern resculpt. Do not miss this figure while it's at retail.

Collector's Notes: While some of Hasbro's early publicity shots for this figure (and the companion Chewbacca) had "Boushh" spelled incorrectly, collectors have yet to prove it has entered circulation. As far as can be told, there's only one (technically two) version of the figure except for red and blue "good guy" holograph bonus variants.

Day 184: November 6, 2006

Figure of the Day: Day 183: C-3PO

C-3PO with Realistic Metalized Body
Power of the Force Collection
Item No.: Asst. 69570 No. 69573
Number: n/a
Includes: n/a
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $4.99
Availability: October 1995
Appearances: The Star Wars Trilogy

Bio: Designed as a protocol droid, C-3PO's main programming function is to interact with human society. He is an interpreter fluent in over six million galactic languages, specializing in the areas of etiquette and translation - especially important during diplomatic missions. To aid in these tasks, he is equipped with microwave and olfactory sensors, photoreceptors, vocabulator speech units, energy transducers and broad-band antenna receivers. He was programmed with an elegant, human sounding voice, but more often than not C-3PO is heard whining and bickering with his companion, the astromech droid R2-D2. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' toy shelf. Specifically, by some Star Tours figures.

Commentary: The last of the initial 1995 wave of figures, C-3PO was a hugely popular figure mostly due to his being difficult to get. (But more on that later.) This figure has a vac-metal body with the typical six points of articulation. His coloring was better than the original figures from the vintage line, and his sculpting and pose were improved significantly. Actually, for the days of the muscle-bound figures, this figure was one of the best of the initial offerings, but was later eclipsed several times over. It didn't have a silver leg, a number of details on the costume were wrong, and it was still a little "muscular" for a droid of this nature. Still, when it came out, it was hot stuff-- new figures were just five bucks, and after C-3PO's late release, there weren't any new figures due out for another two or three months. So he was top of the collector heap in the Spawn-driven, speculator-happy, scalper-friendly market that was 1995. The next time you feel like shelling out $40 for a "rare figure," remember that this one once fit the bill back when there were but 9 figures in the entire line. Obviously, "rare" in the modern line is a very temporary distinction.

Collector's Notes: This was once a rare figure-- for a time, the rarest in the line. Delayed from the first wave of the modern line slightly, this figure came out in around October of 1995 and that caused a panic. "Lead paint!" They screamed a number of oddball rumors that had no basis in reality. This was a pretty good figure for the time, and commanded a fair chunk of change for many months after release. Today, it's worth a dollar or two as better versions have been released. Also, there are many variations on it. A "green tint" release was sold in Japan. The packaging itself was changed to green in 1997, and there were more changes to be had: the bubble was either squared off or slanted, and there was (or was not) a holographic sticker. At this time, none of the variants seems to command any extra attention, but you can collect them all if you'd like.

Day 183: November 5, 2006

Figure of the Day: Day 182: Pit Droid

PIT DROID Bonus Figure
Episode I Collection 1
Item No.: Asst. 84085
Number: n/a
Includes: Storage Box
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: ???
Availability: 2000
Appearances: The Phantom Menace

Bio: Small in stature and mechanically adept, pit droids scurry to service Podracers in the height of competition. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' toy shelf. Specifically, in front of Energon Ultra Magnus for reasons I'm not sure of. I guess because he was there and the only flat surface I had handy.

Commentary: These little buggers were the bane of my existence for about four years. Due to ridiculous prices on eBay, the bonus Pit Droid figures are famous as being on a short list of items most collectors dare not touch. A lot of tail-end Episode I stuff proved impossible to get in the US market, and these six droids were on the short list. This particular one was released as a "bonus figure" with Darth Maul, Anakin Skywalker, or Obi-Wan Kenobi in 2000, instead of a CommTech Chip. This figure comes in a pretty basic pose and redecoes of it were also sold with the figures-- so each of the aforementioned Force-sensitive characters could be packaged with this figure in any of three styles, for 9 combinations. This figure has Anakin Skywalker-style markings and, at this time, is exclusive to these bonus packs. The figure has typical joints at the shoulders and hips as well as a ball-jointed neck.

Collector's Notes: I owe my set of these to a fluke mispriced item at a Comic Con a few years back and the rest to a benefactor who got out of the hobby. While these weren't too expensive upon release, they came and went quickly and will cost you, at the very least, an Andrew Jackson (or a couple of Alexander Hamiltons.) And keep in mind, that this figure is part of the more common series of bonus Pit Droids. Depending on the market's whims, a set of all six in any configuration with other figures can cost several hundred dollars, making these-- until a reissue, of course-- the most expensive non-variant, non-prototype, production action figures of the modern line.

Day 182: November 4, 2006

Figure of the Day: Day 181: R4-M9 (Star Tours)

R4-M9 Star Tours Exclusive
Star Tours Collection 2
Item No.: No. 10242
Number: n/a
Includes: n/a
Action Feature: Light-up eyeport
Retail: $10.00
Availability: 2002
Appearances: Star Tours

Bio: Whenever your plans call for intergalactic transport, call on STAR TOURS for state of the art travel excitement! Tour the galaxy aboard the STARSPEEDER 3000, the most advanced transport vessel of its kind, and experience the expertise of the sector's newest and most reliable Droid pilots! Reservations are limited, so book your STAR TOURS adventure today! (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' toy shelf.

Commentary: While some fans expected a reissue when they heard the name, this particular R4-M9 is the same mold as the first one, but with new paint and no accessories or companion droids. For $10, this one isn't much to look at-- it's a teal redeco that will appeal mostly to hardcore droid fans. Jointed at the "legs," "ankles," and "neck," the toy also has a retractable third leg and uses the same basic body construction used for all cone head R4 units, most clear dome R3 units, and select R2 units from 2001-2004. It's a little thinner and taller than the now-standard proportions seen on the likes of R5-D4, R2-X2, and R4-G9, but it's still quite good and the best body we have for this style of robot. Since the droid itself has been covered previously, the best thing there is to say here is "it's an Expanded Universe figure" and that it offers the same play value as other versions of this mold.

Collector's Notes: Released on a Power of the Jedi style package during Episode II's run, this unique droid can be had on eBay for less than the $10 Disney parks asked for this exclusive item. For kids or fans, it's not much to speak of because you get more interesting looking figures in the Entertainment Earth or Toys "R" Us gift sets, or the plain POTJ carded R4-M9 with grey panels. As it includes a mouse droid. There's nothing wrong with the figure, it's actually quite nice-- it just isn't particularly remarkable given the price or the amount of work you likely had to put into getting one.

Day 181: November 3, 2006

Figure of the Day: Day 180: Yoda

YODA Original Trilogy Collection
Original Trilogy Collection
Item No.: Asst. 84715 No. 84779
Number: OTC #02
Includes: Cane, backpack piece, display base
Action Feature: Splits at waist, can be carried in backpack by Luke
Retail: $4.99
Availability: Summer 2004
Appearances: The Empire Strikes Back

Bio: A friend of the Rebel Alliance, Yoda trains Luke Skywalker to be a Jedi Knight. Hiding from the evil Empire on the planet Dagobah, Yoda teaches Luke to use the power of the Force. He wants Luke to be strong enough to fight Darth Vader, who is a powerful leader of the Empire. Yoda tries to teach Luke all the skills he will need for the coming battles. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' toy shelf.

Commentary: After initial cries of "oh, another Yoda?" fans warmed up to this release fairly quickly-- especially since it came out shortly before the $10 "Vintage" Yoda, which was, by all estimates, an inferior figure. This release had a ball-jointed neck, articulated wrists, the ability to split in two, above average arm articulation, and the absolute best modern Trilogy Yoda sculpt. Ever. It's just awesome. It's sad Hasbro didn't sell this figure beyond 2005, because it really is just that good-- it has a great base, and can be carried around by Luke (if you buy a Luke, that is), and the figure just oozes with personality. Few figures look like they might have something to say, but because Hasbro did such a great job on the pose and the face, it's unlikely we'll see another Yoda this good any time soon. Even the Revenge of the Sith ones, while good, just aren't this good.

Collector's Notes: This figure was also released in the "POTC", a line of OTC-style packaging that didn't sport the OTC logo in early 2005. That release is much harder to find but is essentially identical to the first one, except for a few bits on the package. A regular OTC Yoda can be had for about $5 on eBay, but if you get one, I must demand you get a matching OTC Dagobah Luke to go with it. You'll be glad you did.

Day 180: November 2, 2006

Figure of the Day: Day 179: Spacetrooper

SPACETROOPER Expanded Universe
Power of the Force Expanded Universe, Collection 2
Item No.: Asst. 69605 No. 69892
Number: n/a
Includes: n/a
Action Feature: Hidden arm gun, adjustable space pack
Retail: $5.99
Availability: Fall 1998
Appearances: Heir to the Empire

Bio: Five years after the Battle of Endor, the Rebel Alliance has driven the evil Empire into a distant corner of the galaxy. But a new danger has arisen: the last of the Emperor's warlords has devised a battle plan that could destroy the New Republic. The ability of spacetroopers to operate exclusively in space made them a valuable asset to the warlord, Grand Admiral Thrawn. These heavily armed stormtroopers wear full-body armor and have equipment that enables them to function as personal space-capable assault vehicles. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' toy shelf.

Commentary: When first announced, fans weren't entirely sure where this Spacetrooper came from-- eventually, it was revealed to be the comics for Heir to the Empire, where it was really not what would you call obvious. This figure was one of the very first with ball-jointed shoulders, which was a great addition as before this, it was unheard of. The figure has a pearly white finish, and has a few "action features" in the form of a hidden wrist blaster and a jet pack you can adjust. The sculpting is pretty basic and nothing too amazing, but for the time it was an exciting release and a fairly good figure. Along with the Darktrooper, these were the two last figures to be made before the Power of the Force collection was consolidated down to one assortment, and were the final "official" comic/game/novel Expanded Universe figures for a few years.

Collector's Notes: Upon release, "Collection 2" assortments were hard to come by due to unsold figures from 1997 and 1998 lingering on shelves-- like Malakili, the Rancor Keeper, and Nien Nunb. I myself only saw this figure in a store once, and that's because I found it, on clearance, in a Toys "R" Us shopping cart (abandoned for more than 10 minutes, I should add) on New Year's Day after I was out on a party all night. And never saw one again. The Darktrooper, which shipped alongside this figure, holds the distinction of being the first (and only) basic assortment action figure I never once saw on store shelves. But I digress. This is a great figure and even though it's not quite what most fans were expecting when Hasbro (then Kenner) told us Thrawn, Mara Jade, and Dark Empire Luke were on the way, it's still a heck of a nice figure and you should totally go get one.

Day 179: November 1, 2006

Figure of the Day: Day 178: Cloud Car Pilot (Concept)

CLOUD CAR PILOT Expanded Universe
Power of the Force Expanded Universe
Item No.: Asst. 69620 No. 69786
Number: n/a
Includes: Cloud Car with Firing Projectile
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $14.99
Availability: Fall 1998
Appearances: The Art Of The Empire Strikes Back

Bio: Cloud cars are atmospheric vessels that employ both repulsorlifts and ion engines, filling the important gap between airspeeders and starfighters. Functional in many ways, twin-cockpit, patrol cars escorted the Millennium Falcon and her crew onto Cloud City during The Empire Strikes Back. It was here that Darth Vader had Han Solo frozen in carbonite while Princess Leia, Chewbacca, and C-3PO were held prisoners of the Empire. This single cockpit cloud car was designed and built based on production sketches found in The Art of Star Wars; its brainchild was renown Star Wars artist, Ralph McQuarrie. (Taken from the figure's box.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' toy shelf.

Commentary: While this figure is indeed sold as a Cloud Car Pilot, the concept art for this figure wasn't originally intended for that purpose. (I'm also not entirely sure it was designed by Ralph McQuarrie*.) The figure itself looks more like a futuristic fast food employee, with stupid had and matching uniform. The figure is arguably the weakest (and absolutely the shortest) of the Expanded Universe Vehicles pilot line, with the standard six points of articulation. Oh, and a "molting" problem-- even if properly cared for, I've seen examples of the figure become somewhat sticky. The sculpting isn't anything too exciting, but neither is the source material. It's nice to have what essentially amounts to "Cloud City Citizen", but ultimately what you see is what you get here. The figure really offers no surprises, aside from being a 1998 figure with very tiny hands (something we see more of today) and an unusually short stature. As far as I know, the face was not meant to resemble anyone, but you have to admit it looks a smidge like Anthony Daniels in this picture.

Collector's Notes: *= I had the distinct pleasure of meeting Mr. McQuarrie briefly at a convention in 1997, and was in the room when someone showed him one of the items. Most amusing was hearing him look at it and go "this one wasn't one of mine, this was Joe's" (or something to that effect) but I didn't get a good look at to what he was referring. (Probably the Speeder Bike before packaging was finalized, but still, amusing.) Why am I bringing this up now? Well, the rumor going around for 2007 is that all the "concept" figures are Ralph McQuarrie's, but there were more than a few concepts done by the likes of Joe Johnston, John Mollo, and Nilo Rodis-Jamero, to name a few. So don't be too shocked if something is labeled incorrectly going forward. And to be clear, I popped through some reference books and unfortunately did not find any information on who developed the Cloud Car. I'm fairly sure this figure is not a McQuarrie design, but unfortunately The Star Wars Chronicles doesn't help me here. (And all my art of books are in boxes. Let that be a lesson to you, kids, a well-stored library is a happy library.) This isn't a figure that's especially great in and of itself, but seeing how few concept vehicles exist, and how small the entire Expanded Universe line was in 1998, it's still worth snagging for collectors. If nothing else, it's still a fun little toy.

Day 178: October 31, 2006