Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,948: Purple R4-Series Astromech Droid

R4-SERIES ASTROMECH DROID White Dome with Purple Panels
Star Tours Droid Factory Customizable Figure
Item No.: No. ???
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Head, 2 legs, torso, central third leg, optional hat
Action Feature: Comes apart
Retail: $10-$12
Availability: 2012
Appearances: n/a

Bio: These figures do not have specific packaging or configurations.  As such, we will be treating each dome as a unique "figure" as that part is the most plentiful.   At this time there are 25 domes and while Hasbro sometimes seems to indicate they are not Hasbro product, they do have Hasbro copyright markings and as such we are classifying them under the Hasbro banner.

Image: Adam's photo hole.

Commentary: For whatever reason, the R4-series Astromech Droid domes were in short supply when I was in Orlando for my Disney overpriced shopping adventure last August, and my pal Shannon was goodly enough to drop in after the convention ended to paw through their restock and get me the ones I missed.  Good man, Shannon, I owe you still.

The dome is similar to the one used for the Droid Factory figures in 2008, except now it's got a hole in the head for any hat you may wish him to wear.  Well, not any hat, but there are optional Mickey Mouse ears or a fedora or a pirate hate, to name a few.  The Goofy ears look best.  Anyway.  The purple R4 looks a lot like the blue R4, except for the color.  The big eye looks curious and inviting, silver panels on the dome break up this otherwise way-too-pale little guy nicely.   There's not a whole heck of a lot to say here other than I appreciate them augmenting the ranks of the R4 cone-head droids, which has always felt a little on the lacking side to me.  If memory serves (I'm on a plane writing this) there were 5 R4s based on the original body design, and another 5 based on the build-a-droid chassis.  They're all pretty neat, the purple one is a little too clean but still nifty.

Collector's Notes:  This item was a customizable release at Disney Hollywood Studios in Orlando, and you can configure them any way you wish. Again, with one purple body, this is the one to get.  Unless someone cranked out an all-purple plastic body with white panels by now.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,948: November 30, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,947: Purple R6-Series Astromech Droid

R6-SERIES ASTROMECH DROID White Dome with Purple Panels
Star Tours Droid Factory Customizable Figure
Item No.: No. ???
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Head, 2 legs, torso, central third leg, optional hat
Action Feature: Comes apart
Retail: $10-$12
Availability: 2012
Appearances: n/a

Bio: These figures do not have specific packaging or configurations.  As such, we will be treating each dome as a unique "figure" as that part is the most plentiful.   At this time there are 25 domes and while Hasbro sometimes seems to indicate they are not Hasbro product, they do have Hasbro copyright markings and as such we are classifying them under the Hasbro banner.

Image: Adam's photo hole.

Commentary: Of the exclusive Disney domes, the R6 droid is the best.  It looks like it fell out of the late 1980s, and the purple panels do look quite nice on this one.  The trapezoidal head fits nicely (but not perfectly) on the droid body, and the colors do match quite well.  Detail feels a little soft here, but it's not like you'll notice.  The body has much crisper sculpting, but the paint distracts you from any rounded corners or softer lines.  Really, it's just a mass of white with purple bringing it to life, plus some nice red lights to break it up a bit.  The purple may be a smidgen too dark, as it obscures the round black eye in the center of its face.

If you can only get a couple of these droids, I'd put this one near the top of the list.  Distinctive and chipper, the R6 droid feels like it came out of a Star Wars sequel trilogy we'll sadly never see get made.

Collector's Notes:  This item was a customizable release at Disney Hollywood Studios in Orlando, and you can configure them any way you wish. This is the best configuration.  And yeah, we're looking at another purple astromech in the next FOTD too.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,947: November 29, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,946: Purple R3-Series Astromech Droid

R3-SERIES ASTROMECH DROID Clear Dome with Purple Panels
Star Tours Droid Factory Customizable Figure
Item No.: No. ???
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Head, 2 legs, torso, central third leg, optional hat
Action Feature: Comes apart
Retail: $10-$12
Availability: 2012
Appearances: n/a

Bio: These figures do not have specific packaging or configurations.  As such, we will be treating each dome as a unique "figure" as that part is the most plentiful.   At this time there are 25 domes and while Hasbro sometimes seems to indicate they are not Hasbro product, they do have Hasbro copyright markings and as such we are classifying them under the Hasbro banner.

Image: Adam's photo hole.

Commentary: With only one purple body, the R3-Series Astromech Droid purple dome really only makes sense on this frame.  Unless you're six and still have an imagination, I gotta color-coordinate these things or my head will explode.

With essentially the same layout as the clear red R3 dome, the purple one was more than a bit of a surprise given that we all know that Hasbro has made purple the official color of Mace Windu and Mace already has a droid.  Star Tours added three more to the mix, and I like it because unlike R3-M3 this one has a crystal-clear dome.  You can actually see all the junk on the body, which is slightly less cool than it sounds because unlike the regular Hasbro "Droid Factory" bodies, there's little extraneous deco here.  Those gears and guts are just silver on the Disney releases, but hey, at last the dome looks cool.  It's a different design from the traditional build-a-droid R3 head, as there's a hole in it for a hat, but it looks quite similar.  The paint job is nice and clean on the head, so I dig this one.

Collector's Notes:  This item was a customizable release at Disney Hollywood Studios in Orlando, and you can configure them any way you wish.  But really, this is the best way to do it right now.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,946: November 28, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,945: Watto

WATTO Wal-Mart Exclusive
30th Anniversary Collection Droid Factory
Item No.: Asst. 12980 No. 87756
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: 5 of 6
Includes: R2-T0, datapad, piece of C-3PX
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $9.99
Availability: May 2008
Appearances: The Phantom Menace

Image: Adam's toy shelves.

Bio: Watto sells used droids and mechanical parts in his shop on Tatooine. One of the droids for sale is R2-T0.  (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Commentary: When I walked out of The Phantom Menace, I thought Watto and Sebulba were probably the best effects in the movie as digital characters went.  Watto had the added (dubious) benefit of being mildly controversial, I particularly enjoyed watching reactions pour in from around the world where each region had different opinions of just which race he was knocking.  I was also quite surprised to see him left out of the 2012 Phantom Menace merchandise completely, with no Hasbro products featuring the character.  Not even Fighter Pods.  It's a good thing Hasbro made their best-ever Watto in 2008 as a cheap Walmart exclusive with a swell Astromech droid.

This Watto, which legend has it was sculpted by Art Asylum (and the quality shows), began life as a 1999 release which was treated to a bluer, better redeco as part of the first Droid Factory packs.  He still sports his accessory on his belt, and his datapad, but the figure itself is the gem here.  The paint masks look closer to the movie, and this bulbous fellow has dirty skin and webbed feet. I daresay it's more realistic than the movie, he still has a lot of personality in his face and is packaged with one of Hasbro's best astromech droids.   If you only get one Watto, make it this one.  Even though he has five points of articulation and the legs don't do you much good, it's just a wonderful figure.

Collector's Notes:  This set (and this wave) had variable distribution in 2008, but I had no problems finding them around Los Angeles.   While some complained of unavailability, the price of all the C-3PX Droid Factory sets have remained quite low while the figures in these sets are inarguably more interesting than the 2009 Darktrooper Droid Factory sets.   If you're so inclined, I'd suggest getting the entire 2008 set, especially Watto with R2-T0.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,945: November 27, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,944: Anakin Skywalker

ANAKIN SKYWALKER  Clone Wars
The Vintage Collection Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 37499 No.  37507  
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #VC92
Includes: Lightsaber, hilt
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $9.99
Availability: April 2012
Appearances: Clone Wars

Bio: Celebrate the legendary Star Wars saga that changed the universe forever! This collection brings to life the incredible story of good versus evil that captured our imagination and took us to a galaxy far, far away. Iconic Star Wars heroes and villains are captured with incredible detail and premium features to commemorate each epic tale in the Star Wars saga. May the Force be with you!  (Taken from the figure's packaging.  No specific character information.)

Image: Adam's photo dump.

Commentary: I often kid that the best way to get a Star Wars fan to demand a product is to tell them they can't have one.  This Anakin Skywalker was born out of a concept that almost resulted in the 2008 cartoon line being entirely "realistic," Hasbro instead went for a hybrid design with more realistic human proportions but an ultimately animated sculpting style.  A prototype Anakin was sculpted in a "realistic" style, and this is sort of its descendant.  It's a good figure, and Hasbro said we'd probably be getting around one figure from the cartoons in this style per wave for a while now.

This figure is really well made, if there was a "Pawlus' Law of Action Figure Design" booklet I would wager he hits all the right marks.  Each wrist has bend-and-swivel articulation, and the cloth lower-half of the figure looks pretty good while allowing his legs to move freely for posing or vehicle piloting.   His sculpt is sharp, if you zoom in you may see all sorts of subtle creases and folds, particularly on the "vest" part of his chest.  The armor looks great, the gloves are top-notch, and I love the fact he can angle his wrists up and down for dueling or just pointing his weapon at people.  A holt is also included, and it's a nice touch.  The head sculpt has a lot of personality too, so overall it's a good figure.  But...

Collector's Notes: ...it's a crying shame that this, and most 2012 Vintage figures, remain hard to get.  This is one of the few that seems to turn up at retail (I've seen him a few times) and I just don't get why Hasbro doesn't take a mulligan on 2012 and repackage some of these guys next year.  You may still be able to get this figure, either online at fine sponsors like Entertainment Earth or if they're dumped somewhere.  Which I figure they have to be eventually, too few of these seem to have got out.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,944: November 26, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,943: Clone Trooper Echo (Kamino)

CLONE TROOPER ECHO Defend Kamino
The Clone Wars Battle Packs
Item No.: Asst. 35566 No. 28533
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Gun, helmet, stand, more figures
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $26.99
Availability: July 2011
Appearances: The Clone Wars

Bio:    CT-21-0408, nicknamed "Echo," as he was known for "echoing" the standard rules and procedures established for clones, was a clone trooper who served in the Grand Army of the Republic during the Clone Wars.   (Stolen from Wookieepedia.)

Image: Adam's photo area.

Commentary: I've got way too many clone trooper figures, and Clone Trooper Echo is technically the third release of just this figure.  Two different handprints were on the original armor (one for mass release, another as a Walmart-exclusive 2-pack with Cody) and this one is a big departure from that release with a much more ornate paint job.  I like this one a lot, and the "Defend Kamino" set should be tops on your wish list.  This time around the figure retains the removable helmet, and is built with ankle joints (which were out of fashion at the time of its release.)   With a nice tampo on his thigh reading "For Hevy," the popular trooper has some blue stripes on his armor and, of course, Rex' handprint from their adventures on an outpost with freakishly huge land eels.

If you like the deco here, you owe it to yourself to get this figure. As someone who has a few hundred clone figures, this is one of the designs that stands out as being nifty to me.  I dig it.  Go get one.

Collector's Notes:  This set was probably the best of the 2011 Battle Packs, which reduced the figure count per set to 3.  Clone Trooper Fives looked similar to Echo, and is cool too, but ARC Trooper Blitz is another solid reason to buy the set.  If you stumble on this one on the cheap, get it.  Even for $20-$25, it's going to be worth it in the long run.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,943: November 23, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,942: Obi-Wan Kenobi

OBI-WAN KENOBI Series 1
Clone Wars Cartoon Network / Tartakovsky Animated Series Action Figures
Item No.: Asst. 85003 No. 85217
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Lightsaber, display stand
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $6.99
Availability: Late 2004
Appearances: Clone Wars 2003 series

Bio: Through the creative vision of Lucasfilm Ltd. and the Cartoon Network, the Clone Wars are brought to life in an exciting new series of short animated chapters. A unique animation style captures the drama of this epic period in galactic history along with its outstanding heroes and adversaries. Noble Jedi warriors lead Clone Troopers into battle against the evil Separatist forces and their droid armies. Anakin, Obi-Wan, Yoda and their comrades struggle against the rising power of the dark side and confront personal challenges against a backdrop of war-torn planets.   (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo dump.

Commentary: Here's a fun bit of trivia: I write a lot of these on planes.  The reason I bought a laptop a few years ago was specifically so I can make the best use of the time in the air, and let me tell you, the ad money from FOTD barely pays for the electricity.  Anyway, Obi-Wan Kenobi was one of the early animated figures with a notable action pose.  The angled right shoulder is unusual in that it lets the arm swing across the body and easily double-grip the figure's lightsaber.

Lacking in traditional detail, the figure instead goes for a highly stylized look with angular facial hair and a sharp haircut.  The figure's boots and hands are very blocky, giving this action figure the air of a nice, cheap animated maquette rather than a toy.  It's a gutsy move on Hasbro's part to make figures like this, and as much as I'd like to say the gambit paid off it really didn't.  The figures sold just fine during their time on the pegs, but the secondary market has not been kind to this now very cheap and totally worth owning action figure.

Collector's Notes: You should have no problem securing this figure for a couple of bucks on eBay, especially in a lot or as part of a collection.   As I'm fond of saying, I'm a big fan of this sub-line and at the price, you can probably score the entire collection for the upper double-digits.  It ain't bad.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,942: November 22, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,941: Princess Leia (Sandstorm)

PRINCESS LEIA  Sandstorm Outfit
The Vintage Collection Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 37499 No.  49688  
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #VC88
Includes: Cloth poncho, plastic wrap, goggles, plastic hood, pike
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $9.99
Availability: February 2012
Appearances: Return of the Jedi deleted scene

Bio: Celebrate the legendary Star Wars saga that changed the universe forever! This collection brings to life the incredible story of good versus evil that captured our imagination and took us to a galaxy far, far away. Iconic Star Wars heroes and villains are captured with incredible detail and premium features to commemorate each epic tale in the Star Wars saga. May the Force be with you!  (Taken from the figure's packaging.  No specific character information.)

Image: Adam's toy shelf.

Commentary: Since Princess Leia in her slave outfit has moved from a boner-inducing fantasy object of a generation to a tired old convention trope, I have to say it's actually refreshing to see Hasbro's latest take on the outfit.  Covering up Slave Leia may well be the only way to make the costume interesting again, as Hasbro pretty much perfected her in 2009.   This release is, for all intents and purposes, the same as the 2009 release without the optional "sitting" legs and neck chain.

This time around, Hasbro gave the figure some rags to act as wrappings, keeping the sandstorm from a deleted scene out of her face and hair.  A cloth poncho covers the figure, and plastic goggles fit snug over her eyes.  Topping it off is a plastic hood, which, honestly, looks way better than a cloth one would have.  It fits well, and her ponytail pokes out the side.   With 12 points of articulation she looks pretty fantastic, even if she's covered up.  But hey, you've got a shelf full of Slave Leia toys, be thankful we got something different.  Her staff looks cool too, being designed in more than one color gives it a little more life on the shelf and, of course, spoils us for future releases.  Two colors of metal on one accessory?  How can anything less compare?

Collector's Notes:  If you were an active toy hunter in February and March of 2012, you saw these figures on the shelves a few times.  The "Blu-Ray Wave" actually got pretty good distribution if you were there on the right day, Target and Walmart were (briefly) lousy with the things.  That didn't last long, by April you were pretty much out of luck if you wanted to find these at a big box store.  Today you should shop online to find this Leia, or you can try your chances at banging your head into a wall and seeing if that does you any good. 

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,941: November 21, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,940: Nuna

NUNA  Swamp Creatures
Discover the Force Walmart Exclusive Battle Packs
Item No.: Asst. 63349  No.  63354  
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Tool, bag, Shaak, Pikobi, Faamba
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $9.99
Availability: May 1999
Appearances: The Phantom Menace

Bio: The Nuna, or "Swamp Turkey," is a two-legged blob of meat.  Baby Nuna hatchlings are pretty tiny, and coincidentally the full adult size of the Dwarf Nuna.  While designed as a Naboo creature, you can see Jabba delight in flicking them to their deaths on Tatooine.  There's also an awesome book called "The Wildlife of Star Wars" that features these and other creatures from the saga (and beyond) in great detail, which, honestly, I think you'll enjoy more than this figure.

Image: Adam's photo dump.

Commentary: 1999 was an orgy of delights when it comes to Star Wars as a licensed product.  There's so much stuff from so many companies that the mainstream press picked up on it, and Us Magazine (now Us Weekly) even called putzes like me to be quoted on how these would succeed or fail.  (I predicted a few turkeys, so I consider that bragging rights.  It also was the "Hunks of Summer" issue so you can bet I used that line on the few dates I could con women into going on... to no great effect.)

Anyway, Nuna.   This little guy was part of a sub-line of little plastic figures, unpainted, roughly 2-inches long.  "Battle Bags" were a bizarre carded packet, with the four figures completely obscured but fully identified in a black sack with this powdery slime that turns to gel when you submerge the bag in water.  It's a proper "toy" from a time when we saw the transition of Star Wars merchandise take a hard turn away from kid stuff, and man, this set was total kid stuff.  These figures were not really scaled to the figures on the whole, but the Nuna was pretty close to proper action figure size.

The little guy was molded in a creamy plastic and painted with some varying shades of green and given red eyes.  It's a fat little guy with bulbous toes and a strange wattle, standing near 2-inches high.  Since there's no articulation to speak of you probably aren't going to do a heck of a lot with him, but man, look at it.  It's neat!  One of the areas where I feel the prequels were shortchanged were its creature design, with bafflingly great creatures based on classic movie monsters, real-world sea creatures, and goodness knows what sort of nightmares were in the artist heads.  The Nuna was one of the many bipedal, arm/wing-free creatures and I just love it.  We'll probably never see more of the monsters from the first prequel as big toys, which saddens me, but I am really glad we got a more or less properly-sized Nuna for our action figures.  It's cute.  I love it.  I think you will, too.

Collector's Notes:  There were few times that were as glorious for toy hunting as the late 1990s and early 2000s, as massive clearance sales were almost the norm starting late December 1999.  The Battle Bags were dumped at Target for 75% off - that's when I got mine - as I was in a period where I thought I might actually be exiting Star Wars collecting, it was more of an afterthought purchase.  Today these sets aren't worth too much, but it surprised me they can still command $10 on eBay.  They're neat, for four little guys it seems a smidgen expensive but hey, I'd have paid $10 for this one.  I'm stoked Hasbro took a chance on this weird concept so I got a Sando Aqua Monster and numerous Naboo fish, even if the sizes aren't quite what I might have preferred.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,940: November 20, 2012