Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,136: LOM-Series Protocol Droid (Black, Droid Factory)

LOM-SERIES PROTOCOL DROID Black with Silver Head Highlights
Star Tours Droid Factory Customizable Figure
Item No.: ???
Manufacturer: Disney?
Number: n/a
Includes: n/a
Action Feature: Removable limbs
Retail: $12.95
Availability: April 2017
Appearances: n/a

Bio: The LOM-series protocol droid, also known as a LOM-series droid was a model of protocol droid manufactured by Industrial Automaton. They were designed with insectile features to emulate the species they were created to serve, the sentient Gand. (Stolen from Wookieepedia.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.   

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: I do - and don't - miss the Disney bins. Their Black LOM-Series Protocol Droid doesn't really exist, but it looks cool. Disney put parts in bins with glossy black plastic and silver highlights, and you can mix and match them to make something new if you like. And I got something! I just took about seven years to do anything with it, which really just says how we have too many figures coming at me to enjoy, let alone fully absorb and reflect upon. He's been in a box since I got him and opened him - it's kind of sad, actually.

This particular sample looks like the kind of thing Kenner might have made in the 1980s if they rushed the figure out the door. The official Kenner figure is a little off-model, but this one is gleefully wrong in fun ways. A shiny black exterior with limited paint gives you a figure that could be in the Death Star playset that you probably don't have or the Star Destroyer that probably won't get made, but if it did, you'd be ready for it. It looks like a real toy - like something you'd see in a store and go "that looks cool" and pay whatever it would have cost. That era seems long over, but at least we got a lifetime's worth of figures to track down. Seriously, if you aren't already someone with a complete collection, it's going to take you actual years to get everything unless you happen to come into a complete collection auction some day. And you very well might as fans get older and exit this hobby.

My build uses the same arms as C-3PO with a LOM head and torso, but my pal selected the Death Star Droid-style legs. I like it! It's not "wrong" because there's no actual black droid to copy, and all the parts fit together perfectly. I was going to write "seamlessly" but that's not true - you can see the seams where the joints fit together, giving you about 20 points of articulation. I wish the figure had slightly more paint - none of the facial elements other than his eyes got any decoration, but it admittedly doesn't need a lot of embellishment. The big silver eyes pop really nicely, and it looks like the kind of thing that might be walking around off-camera on the original Death Star.

The figure included no accessories, and since you could pick the arms and legs I have no idea what you might actually find should one pop up on eBay. Hopefully it's similar to mine - it looks cool enough on its own to capture the feel of Star Wars without the actual grit, which is more or less how I think most of us saw the Empire much of the time. I'd recommend it at a fair price - which I guess would mean under $40 nowadays. Good luck, these are not common figures.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Disney Hollywood Studios. Thanks Shannon!

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,136: May 23, 2024