JEK PORKINS The Fat One, Yavin Pilot PackDiscover the Force Toys R Us Exclusive
Item No.: Asst. A0790 No. A0792
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster and helmet, packaged with R5-D8, Tiree, Davish Krail, and Mauler Mithel figures
Action Feature: Removable helmet
Retail: $39.99
Availability: August 2012
Appearances: Star Wars
Bio: The Battle of Yavin is a decisive battle in the fight to free the galaxy. The Rebels achieve an important victory when they destroy the Death Star. The pilots of Red Squadron and Gold Squadron, supported by their trusty Astromech Droids, take on the menacing Imperial pilots in a ferocious space dogfight around the battle station. (Taken from the set's box.)
Image: Adam's photo hole.
Commentary: For years, Jek Porkins was something of a joke-- quite possibly the first "joke figure" requested more by fans due to their belief that Hasbro would never make him-- yet he's had several toys, including Galactic Heroes, an action figure, Action Fleet, and now a second action figure. The 2000 action figure was astonishing in that it existed, although he was quite obese and his flight suit was sculpted in a way that made him seem even more portly. For a character whose callsign was "Piggy" it's not surprising, but geez, it didn't make him look all that great.
The 2012 release is significantly thinner, but it does make him look a little less cartoony. William Hootkins was a gentleman of some girth, but this figure makes him look a little bit less like Jabba the Hutt. The thinner build is less distracting and makes him seem more in line with other figures on your ever-growing Rebel Pilot shelf, although his smaller blaster barely fits in his left hand and won't stay in his right. The helmet has an open chin strap, and the deco is exceptional. Yellow stripes in the red fields look fantastic, although the coloring is done in such a way where the yellow Rebel symbol seems a bit translucent, with the red shining through. So it's good, but not perfect.
As with most pilots, his straps on his legs hinder hip movement so while this figure is great for standing around, sitting isn't quite his best ability. Of course, there's no X-wing on the market right now so odds are this set will be going to collectors who will keep him in the box or shelve him immediately. With an improved head sculpt and a decent, uh, upsized torso, he is a decent looking figure which is potentially worth tracking down.
Collector's Notes: Given the price of the set, it's tough to know if I should advise you to get it or not. Basically it's 4 figures and a build-a-droid, which should be about $32-$36 before tax, and the new Imperial pilot is something of a turkey. Given the novelty of Porkins and Hasbro's deciding to give him his very own astromech droid (with a different deco than the Galactic Heroes equivalent from ca. 2008), I'm glad I got it but not giddy. At $30, I'd be thrilled. $35, happy. $40 is begrudging, despite the fact that it had 4 good new figures and 1 that I don't mind having. Without question, it's a worthwhile upgrade and quite literally the centerpiece in this boxed set.
--Adam Pawlus
Day 1,869: August 13, 2012
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