Figure of the Day: Day 435: Jawa

JAWA Original Trilogy Collection
Original Trilogy Collection
Item No.: Asst. 84715 No. 85374
Number: OTC-24
Includes: Blasters, base, other Jawa
Action Feature: Light-up eye port on head
Retail: $4.99
Availability: Fall 2004
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: Jawas are scavengers who live on Tatooine, home of the heroic Rebel Luke Skywalker. Jawas ride through the desert in their huge sandcrawler vehicles searching for wayward droids and discarded scrap. They trade and sell their equipment and hardware throughout the colonies. Jawas capture R2-D2 and C-3PO when the droids land on Tatooine, and sell them to Luke's uncle. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' photo studio area.

Commentary: Repaints-- fun or menace? Hasbro's 2004 Jawas are the 1996 figures with a much, much filthier paint job. There is significantly more detail to be had here, and these guys look more at home with your other, post-2002 action figure collection than the single-color-of-brown figures sold in 1996 (and with the Sandcrawler). The added dirt and grime brings out the fairly significant amount of detail on an older figure, proving once more that a little paint can go a long way from making a figure merely OK or nearly awesome. The figure has a mere three useful points of articulation, but it's not like there's a lot a Jawa can do-- the "leg" joint seems forced because, well, it's not like he can really sit for anything or has a need to sit in anything. The light-up eyes are still here, and the one thing that makes the figures feel a little cheap-- a battery with lights would be nice, or a painted-over head with painted yellow eyes might make it look just a little bit sharper. Still, people loved those light-up eyes in 1996, and odds are you'll probably dig them as well. I'm just saying I wouldn't mind if they didn't come back for another round, is all.

Collector's Notes: The figures were pretty popular-- I bought a few packs as I saw them during 2004, but they never seemed too common. We've since received a superior sculpt with similar deco, so these Jawas fit nicely with the 2007 Jawa sculpt-- so it might benefit you to get these guys, the new one, and a Sandcrawler. The figure comes on an awesome cardback featuring the scene where the Sandcrawler sucks up R2-D2, so you should probably get one of these to keep carded as well-- it's just very, very nice.

Day 435: July 15, 2007