Figure of the Day: Day 266: Uncle Owen Lars

UNCLE OWEN LARS Purchase of the Droids
Power of the Force Cinema Scenes Assortment
Item No.: Asst. 69650 No. 69778
Number: n/a
Includes: Display Base
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $14.99-$19.99
Availability: 1998

Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: Owen Lars was the son of moisture farmer Cliegg Lars and the stepbrother of Anakin Skywalker. He married Beru Whitesun, and after his father's death, he inherited his job as a moisture farmer. Eventually, Beru convinced Owen to adopt Anakin's son, Luke Skywalker, as Anakin had turned to the dark side and became the infamous Darth Vader. (Stolen from Wookieepedia.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' toy shelves.

Commentary: Who'd have guessed it? In 1998, Hasbro gave us Uncle Owen finally, and we were only too happy to take him. The plastic used for his (and the Luke from his set's) face is a little weird, being somewhat translucent-- but the sculpting work was excellent, giving a certain knowing smile that we've all come to know through the publicity photos we've seen on a million trading cards, magazine articles, and wiki sites. The figure has the basic six points of articulation, and has an outfit that has exceptional-- for 1998-- cloth texture. The figure itself tends to draw different reactions from different fans. Some saw him as a decent stand-in for the Wuher figure we assumed we'd never get. Others see it as a joke, a lame figure of a lame character posed to "pull my finger." I find it a decent figure, although I do have some issues with the quality of materials used to make it. By using a slightly better plastic for the head, it might have been possible to never hear another fan request for a new Owen from the original film-- but in its current state, there's obviously some room for limited improvement.

Collector's Notes: Uncle Owen was a figure a lot of fans didn't expect to see, but Hasbro showed off a prototype in 1997 that made fans very happy. Of course, since then, they've been asking for two more Owen figures-- a young version based on Episode II, which seems possible some day, and a fried-to-a-crisp version which started as a joke, but the endless echo of "me too" makes it seem as if the joke has worn off. The original release of Owen was still easily had online (and in some backwater stores) up until 2006, proving it was a bit of a slow seller. The complete Purchase of the Droids boxed set, along with Luke and C-3PO, can be had for under $10. It's also worth noting it was blown out at Kay-Bee toys on the cheap in the year 2000.

Day 266: January 27, 2007