Figure Of The Day: Day 197: Ishi Tib

ISHI TIB with Blaster Rifle
Power of the Force Collection 3
Item No.: Asst. 69705 No. 69754
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $5.99
Availability: Spring 1998
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio: The Ishi Tib cahracters come from the planet Tibrin, where they live in the cities built atop coral reefs. Ardent freedom lovers, several Ishi Tibs offered their talents in service to the Rebel Alliance. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam's toy shelves, again.

Commentary: Return of the Jedi has so many aliens, fans at first didn't know what to expect out of the Ishi Tib figure beyond it being from Jabba's Palace. Shockingly, it wasn't-- it came from the Rebel Briefing. The figure has a sort of "clamshell" cloak that covers its body, a watermelon-esque head, and the traditional six points of articulation. The cloak sometimes hangs open (a frequent problem from this type of plastic garment), and really can't do much other than stand. The costume's texture is quite good, although the paint is very simple and for its day, was pretty good. A redeco of the mold could result in a truly spectacular looking figure, but that won't change the fact that this good-for-1998 figure is basically still just that-- a good figure for its day. There aren't a lot of fine details over which to dote, but like most aliens, collectors will no doubt wish to make sure one is in their private collections. (Especially as the species has yet to be revisited.)

Collector's Notes: It's notable to say that there are multiple members of this species in the films, and this one is a Rebel version. A Jabba's Palace-specific costume exists as a tiny Galoob figure but Hasbro has yet to revisit the species as an action figure, despite its reputation as being somewhat rare. (It's not really-- it's quite cheap on the secondary market.) The figure was released alongside the very first Darth Vader with Removable helmet (at 4 per case), Captain Piett (2 per case), Zuckuss (2 per case), and of course 2 Ishi Tibs per case as well as some retreads. This is a figure worth owning, but it's going to be more famous for its being hard to find rather than its being excellent for its time.

Day 197: November 19, 2006