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Rumor Mill: Playmobil's 2011 and 2012 Product Lines

Adam16bit — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:29:00 -0800

Over on Playmofriends is an English translation of the German forum Klickywelt concerning possible lines for 2011 (Germany). These include:
- Modern life/subway
- Winter Sports
- Fairy Tale
- Western
- Race Cars

While completely within levels of reason concerning what is (and isn't) on the market, remember, nothing is official until Playmobil says it is, or the right catalog scans hit the web. It sure would be nice to see Western again, wouldn't it?

New 2010 Sets at the DB, New Dragon Knights in DE (not Delaware)

Adam16bit — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 06:26:00 -0800

Looking to see some new sets you can't buy yet, you American scum you?

First up: PlaymoDB.org posted a number of scans from a catalog of 2010 German releases. 27 new planes, Easter Eggs, vacation homes, zoo animals, and other items were added. Of note, we particularly liked the "Ferienhaus" which looks like about 70% of the restaurants in Scottsdale, AZ.

Also new: Playmofriends has a thread with new Dragon Knights from Germany. These are 4 unique figure packs, with 1 or 3 in each. They come in green and red, and should augment the sets which will be coming out in the USA about this time next year. Enjoy waiting! We won't.

Playmobil.com Free Shipping Offer (US)

Adam16bit — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:54:00 -0700

Playmobil USA is offering free shipping on orders of $75 or more through October 31, 2009. Unfortunately there aren't many new sets to exploit this, but hey, Egypt. Specials. (But no Africa yet, dagnabbit.)

Target Toys "R" Us Playmobil Sales This Week

Adam16bit — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 12:53:00 -0700

At Target: The Knights 5864 Roleplay Shield is on sale for $20, normally $29.99, through Saturday. In addition to this, almost the entire Playmobil section is also about 10% off. The good news is you can save some scratch on new items, the bad news is that 10% off a $2.99 blister is probably not doing anybody any favors.

At Toys "R" Us: Save 20% on select items. Specifically, items from the Nautical Expedition line and the Vet office theme. Good stuff, if you haven't yet got it, we suggest the whale.

Promotional 7969 Ghost Pirate Set: Germany

Adam16bit — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 18:24:00 -0700

Currently a premium set when you order from the direct service department in Germany, this nifty set as scanned to Klickywelt includes an exclusive red three-headed sea serpent, a unique ghost, and several colorful barrels of what we presume is rum. It's a safe bet this is going to be offered in the USA (if it isn't already) but if you haven't seen it, here it is!

The same link also shows a promotional animal set with cheetah cubs (or kitten repaints) plus a baby gorilla in a diaper. Truly, you can't go wrong.

Extensive Drachenritterwelt (Dragon Castle World) Galleries

Adam16bit — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:25:00 -0700

The good folks at Klickywelt, a primarily German forum for Playmobil discussion and trading-- you can tell it's German because unlike English ones, there's decent traffic (and it's in German)-- posted a ton of shots of the new Dragon sets, recently released in Germany and expected in the USA in 2010. While some small sets in a similar style have been out and about since last year, these new ones are huge and seem to have more in common with American fantasy-based castle toy lines like Masters of the Universe than most recent Playmobil releases.

Several new dragons and castles are showcased, and unless these show up as part of a mass market line, expect them in your stores about a year from now. If you can't wait, some forerunners of the line are still in some mass-market stores like Toys "R" Us for fairly decent prices-- minus the giant super-fun looking castle things.

New Vikings, Pirates Blisters Found

Adam16bit — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:38:00 -0700

USA residents: your local Target stores may have two new sets for you to pick up at a mere $2.99 a hit.

5802 Pirates (seemingly inspired by but different from existing figures)
5848 Viking Warriors (seemingly recycled from existing sets)

Happy hunting!

Playmobil 2010 and 2011 Revealed!

Adam16bit — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 12:54:00 -0700

Fan forum Klickywelt.de has revealed a number of new sets for release in Germany in 2010 and worldwide in 2011, plus the new 2010 specials! Wow! Check out this thread (it's auf Deutsch, English speakers) for some images and links to the new sets. I pulled a couple of links for your perusal:

Family House and Recreation Sets
Includes an adult in a speedo, a woman in a bikini, a new pool, pool toys, a new camper, a new house, and a lot of other sets you may have never seen before.

New Zoo
Meerkats, Lions, Elephants, and Koalas! Some are new, some are old, but it's a good mix of critters.

Larger, better pictures-- including those of a new Spaceman and Mongolian Warrior-- can be found in the thread, so pop in, log in as needed, and check them all out!

Playmobil Divers Sale: 20% Off at Toys "R" Us

Adam16bit — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 10:50:00 -0700

Toys "R" Us stores in the USA-- apparently, one of the few places where something is going on with Playmobil these days-- have the Divers range for 20% off. You can get the whale set for $15.99, the Nautical Expedition Boat for $43.99, and others for less than you deserve to pay for them. Lucky you!

As we've picked up the entire range, we give them all high marks. (Particularly the SCUBA set with the swordfish and the whale.)

Toys "R" Us Sale This Week

Adam16bit — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 14:47:00 -0700

It seems we have a consistent source of goings-on in American Playmobil collecting, don't we?

This week (through Saturday closing), Toys "R" Us stores are selling Playmobil Castle/Knights and Pirates/Ghost Pirates for buy-one-get-one-half-price. As many new sets were recently released, this may be a great opportunity to get some what skeletons and derelict ships. Happy hunting!

Yet More New Sets at Toys "R" US (USA)

Adam16bit — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 10:39:00 -0700

Apparently the reset a few weeks ago with the Egypt series and the Ghost Pirates was just the tip of the iceberg-- more new sets are hitting your local Toys "R" Us stores! Assuming you live in the USA, that is. Here are some of the highlights:

Vet Blister Packs 5821 and 5822 (previously seen on eBay)
Log Cabin 5918 (reissue of 3826, may have slight modifications), $39.99
Fairy Tale Castle 5873, $29.99. A Unicorn Playset ($19.99) and a Carriage ($9.99) were also available.

Other new sets are expected, so happy hunting!

New Playmobil Hits Toys "R" Us... in the USA

Adam16bit — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 18:31:00 -0700

USA fans, check your local Toys "R" Us for some new themes. The holiday reset is starting now with a very healthy selection of Ghost Pirate and Ancient Egypt themed sets. You'll find the Whale Skeleton for about $30, the Pyramid, the Sphinx, and other sets starting at about $10. We're still researching what's out there, so if you're out and about this weekend see what you can find!

New Playmobil Blister Packs Appearing - Vets Galore!

Adam16bit — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 16:07:00 -0700

While previously the domain of 2-figure sets, new blisters are appearing on eBay. 5821 Vet with Dog features... a male vet with a dog. 5822 Vet with Cats includes a lady vet with a bunch of cats on some sort of cat condo thing.

These have not shown up yet but we're expecting them at US big box retailers-- specifically Target, Wal-Mart, and Toys "R" Us. We'll let you know when they show up!

New Playmobil Sets Revealed in New Catalog

Adam16bit — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 16:22:00 -0700

Playmodb has a pretty awesome list of new 2010 sets revealed in a new catalog. A new bikini figure body is pictured, as is a new ancient temple theme, new trucks, what seems to be a space ship of some sort, and new blister packs. Wow!

Thanks @playmodb!

Toys "R" Us has 25% Off Playmobil This Week

Adam16bit — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 04:07:00 -0700

Hey kids! Toys "R" Us stores in the USA have 25% off their existing Playmobil stock. Sounds like a great time to get something if you've been holding off.

Unintentionally Freaky Figure: Clown from 3553 Circus Arena

Adam16bit — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 15:49:00 -0700

One of the fun things about toy collecting-- or being a packrat-- is seeing old stuff in a new light when sorting through figures. I kept my "vintage" Playmobil-- the pre-1990 stuff from when I was a kid-- separate from the "modern" stuff, or "what I've bought since college." (There was a big gap in there.)

From the Red Circus Arena, the clown (pictured) is surprisingly freaky. The set is fairly standard fare-- a ring, a band, some nifty vac-metal instruments-- but holy crap, look at this thing. In a post-Dark Knight world the various lines and red markings are just a little more creepy, but here's where it gets really good. Those red lines on his face are not merely painted-- they're carved in. Not content to merely paint the face, Playmobil went the extra mile to really engrave the look on his face.

This sort of attention to detail-- molding elements versus painting them-- is something we'll look at a little more in the future. But for now, I gave the closest thing I've seen to a Playmobil slasher star one of my spare knives so he can HAUNT ALL YOUR DREAMS. Enjoy.

Playmobil Figure-Inspired Office Chair Design

Adam16bit — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 10:02:00 -0700

While not something you can readily buy, designer Rafael Morgan came up with the pictured chair as a design project. From his site, "The legs piece of the chair is the Playmobil King´s crown, turned upside down." Indeed!

Click the picture for more images and information, including angles which make the Playmobil figure's head a little more obvious.

Playmobil Sellers: Small Wonders

Adam16bit — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 19:29:00 -0700

Name: Small Wonders
Focus: Lots of plush, a little bit of LEGO, dolls, BRIO, etc.
Selection: Lots of specials, numerous retired sets dating back to as far as 1995. Massive wall of product will require you to be tall or be driven by someone who is.
Prices: On par with or slightly above Playmobil direct service
Location: 550 Deep Valley Drive, Suite 135
Promenade on the Peninsula
Rolling Hills Estates, California 90274

I haven't seen a store that had Playmobil sets with the "RETIRED" sticker slapped on them in ages, so seeing tons of them in Small Wonders really made my day. Not only is there a pretty great selection of new and recent sets, but the wall o' product has so much blue it'll make you tickled pink. Sorry, that sucked. There's a small amount of pink boxes there too, for those who like the dollhouse line.

I was particularly pleased to see tons of very large sets in addition to a vast quantity of specials and single-figure packs. 2002 sets were present, namely the zoo, and a ton of animal packs were also up for grabs. This is easily one of the best selections I've seen here in Southern California in a while, excepting Puzzle Zoo, particularly because the prices weren't terrible either.

For the record, I picked up a 4667 Magician Special set. Which ain't bad if you decide you need something with a rabbit, top hat, and a magic wand.

[ Small Wonders web site ]

In Case You Missed It (30 Years Ago): Vintage Bank Director

Adam16bit — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 18:01:00 -0700

Playmobil is older than I am, so I get a kick out of seeing a toy line that has basically outlived nearly every other toy figure ever produced without significant retooling. It's a real treat to go back and see what has come before... and that the developers always had a strong sense of humor.

This Bank Director was found on eBay Germany-- of course-- and has to be a report card gift if you weren't a quick study. The line included native Americans, cowboys, Knights... and a banker. This sealed, 1976 toy speaks volumes. It's rare a kid can't be bothered to play with a toy, and while the old-timey desk and bag are kinda neat, I can almost hear the crying children that received this one 33 years ago.

Custom Watch: Playmobil Elvis!

Adam16bit — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 17:10:00 -0700

Oh, those crafty Germans. A new find called "King of Rock 'n Roll" is another unofficial figure produced mostly with off-the-shelf parts. While we're not sure which Elvis this is supposed to be, the idea is solid.

Obviously, we won't be seeing Elvis in a Playmobil figure until long after he's entered the public domain, if ever, and we'll all be dead by then. So with that in mind, enjoy this item, presently for sale on German eBay by cubbuc2003.

New German Limited Edition Set: Family Van with Boat

Adam16bit — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:55:00 -0700

While SUVs are going out of style in the USA as of late, in Germany, there's a new LE Playmobil set that's surprisingly cheap and probably gets good mileage too. 4144 Familyvan mit Bootsanhänger (easy for you to say) includes a set of parents, two kids, a motorboat, a van, a dog, a toy sailboat, and a whole mess of stuff.

At press time there is no known release date in the USA-- or rather, we don't know what it is. It's 19.99 Euro, which is pretty preposterous given how much stuff comes in the box. We'll let you know when or if it shows up in the States, but for now you're going to need to call in some favors to get this one, which is also showing up elsewhere in Europe.

Playmobil Picture Post: Western 3786 Sheriff's Office

Adam16bit — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 11:53:00 -0700

Sold from 1994-2003, give or take a week. This set was taken in my back yard because the power went out and I didn't really have a better idea of what to do as I had some writing to do that couldn't be done.
[ See the gallery on Flickr ]

This set is pretty swell, and is the most recent all-new Sheriff's Office. The break-away wall is one of my favorite action features in any Western-themed set, plus the broom, buckets, spittoons, guns, more guns, and gun rack make for a good time. It cost me $47 at the Hobby Bench a few years ago, when I used to live across the street from a mall in Arizona. Let me tell you, that's good times. If you have the means to pick up the set, it's worth getting the original release due to the nifty accessories and the crook figure which has a black eye.

It was reissued recently as 7378 Sheriff's Office for about $30, but it's missing all the accessories which add to its charm. But if you already have guns, desks, and figures, it's certainly a cheaper way to get the same building.

Too Good To Be True: Custom Western Sets from Germany

Adam16bit — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 11:43:00 -0700

If you've ever spent hours looking up things in a language you don't understand as well as you probably should, having had classes for four years, you may understand why it's frustrating when you see something this awesome which you later realize is a fan-produced customized set.

How depressing.

German eBay sellers are making total conversions of older sets into some pretty amazing sets. Pictured is a Whiskey Distillery, which is made using some custom signs which have been circulating and a number of off-the-shelf kegs, barrels, and other parts and pieces.

Also up for grabs are some Undertaker kits, but those seem to have vanished. The means to make your own signs are still there though.

So enjoy, Klicky fans, these things which you simply will never see produced!

Playmobil Sellers: Toy Crazy in Malibu

Adam16bit — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 12:16:00 -0700

Name: Toy Crazy
Focus: Typical indie toy store-- Breyer horses, plastic dinosaurs, and an extremely limited quantity of normal mass-market toys from Hasbro and Mattel.
Selection: Extremely current Playmobil, few or no retired sets.
Prices: On par with or slightly above Playmobil direct service
Location: 23410 Civic Center Way
Malibu, CA 90265

If you're looking for a nice place close to the beach, they don't come much better than Malibu's Toy Crazy, a boutique with a lot of space, a lot of glass cases, and not much in the Playmobil department. I called them after checking their web site to see if they had a big selection or just a few things, and was told it was a pretty massive selection. It wasn't. Sure, they had a Zoo, a lot of the Nautical Expedition and Dinosaurs sets, and a basked mixed of about 3 specials, but this and a few random sets didn't really impress me in the way some other stores might.

It's well worth a stop if you're in the area, and it's not too far from Puzzle Zoo, which I also visited during this particular toy run.

For the record, I picked up a 4478 One-Man Submarine here for $16, roughly the going rate.

[ Toy Crazy web site ]

German Exclusive: 6103 Maggi Cook!

Adam16bit — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 16:42:00 -0700

One of the real downers about collecting Playmobil is that it's really tough to find solid information on the weird stuff. Exclusives, in particular, because bizarre little figures which are given away or sold cheaply at various German retailers simply do not make their way onto US eBay. This is unfortunate.

We discovered that something called "Maggi" has an exclusive branded figure featuring an apron and some sort of food packaging. If my German serves me, and it usually doesn't, the figure is a mail-in premium wherein you can choose the toy or some sort of kitchen scissors.

The bad news? The mail-in offer expired in March 2009. So we're basically out of luck here. But if anyone knows where one can find a supply of these, do let us know.

Image "borrowed" from eBay Germany, which you should totally go bid on stuff if you have the regional capability to do so.

Figure of the Day: Day 1,159: R7-Z0

Adam16bit — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:15:00 -0800

R7-Z0 Astromech Droid
The Legacy Collection Droid Factory
Item No.: Asst. 87730
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: n/a, parts are accessories which come with other figures
Action Feature: Collect the parts to build R7-T0
Retail: n/a
Availability: July 2008
Appearances: n/a

Bio: R7-Z0 was an R7-series astromech droid which was primarily colored white with a black dome and yellow-green access panels. (Stolen from Wookieepedia.)

Image: Adam's TV tray.

Commentary: There's little to no backstory for the droid R7-Z0, but at least he looks pretty cool. The first-ever R7 droid toy came out in 2008, and the design was indeed refreshing. the unique dome has ridges and ribs on it, plus a big and almost triangular eye. The body was redesigned with a whole suite of new panels, unlike the shared body type used in nearly every other astromech droid to date. With greenish yellow markings and a big red eye, it definitely stands out on a shelf, but isn't nearly as ornate as the repaint of this figure, R7-T1.

The figure, after assembly, has all the articulation you'd expect on a droid of this scale. The dome twists, the legs and ankles move, and the third leg can come off if it's getting in the way. Also, each leg has a plug-in rocket, much like R2-D2 in the prequels. It's a pretty good design overall, and it's great to see Hasbro finally make these little guys. It seems unlikely we'll see repaints of the R7 build-a-droid mold in the near future, but hey, at least these are still out there for those who are interested. It's also worth noting that, again as far as I can tell, this droid has not made any appearances outside a guide book as a line art illustration.

Collector's Notes: This figure's parts were available in July of 2008 with select figures like Ak-Rev, Bane Malar, Darth Vader, and Yarna D'al' Gargan, some of which may still be easily available at a store near you. Probably not Darth Vader, though.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,159: November 23, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 1,158: Queen Amidala

Adam16bit — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:37:00 -0800

QUEEN AMIDALA Battle) with Ascension Gun
Episode I Collection 2
Item No.: Asst. 84095 No. 84273
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Grapple gun, CommTech chip base
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $6.99
Availability: Spring 2000
Appearances: The Phantom Menace

Bio: Cornered in the Theed palace by battle droids, Queen Amidala and her entourage escape through a palace window. Using ascension guns, the heroes are pulled up to the throne room level to challenge the Viceroys for control of the palace. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's back yard.

Commentary: In the early days of the prequels, Hasbro wasn't shy about cranking out numerous Queen Amidala figures. It has since slowed down a bit, but in the first year there were about 4 figures based on Natalie Portman's character, two of which were basically the same. This figure wears the same costume as one released in 1999, but now it has a cloth dress piece ("soft goods"), a neck with an added joint to allow her to look up as she aims her gun, and a redesigned body to better work as an action-packed wall climber. The purple and gold outfit has all the detail you might expect, and the head sculpt is pretty good for its day. Sure, Hasbro could do better, but they haven't revisited any of the outfits from Episode I that have already been done as of this figure, and it seems unlikely that they ever will. As one of very few Natalie Portman figures with the ability to sit, she's probably worth picking up. Particularly if you have a Flash Speeder vehicle in need of butts to put in the seats.

Collector's Notes: This figure was surprisingly tough to get in 2000, and hasn't been in circulation since. She continues to have a high asking price, but nobody seems to be paying for it.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,158: November 20, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 1,157: Battle Droid

Adam16bit — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:32:00 -0800

BATTLE DROID Armored Scout Tank driver
The Clone Wars Figures and Vehicles Assortment
Item No.: Asst. 91349 No. 91364
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Backpack, 2 rockets, scout tank
Action Feature: Seat rocks, rockets fire
Retail: $16.99
Availability: August 2009
Appearances: The Clone Wars

Bio: Armored Scout Tanks (ASTs) are light reconnaissance vehicles driven by pilot droids. Specially programmed battle droids operate the vehicles and fire upon the enemy with twin laser cannons. These repulsorcrafts are deployed in small units for hit-and-run missions or used to support larger military campaigns during the Clone Wars. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's back yard.

Commentary: Included with the Armored Scout Tank, this Battle Droid features "pilot" coloring, just like in the movies. Its blue decoration sets it apart from other animated droids, despite having the same basic sculpt. You still get a good range of movement on this guy despite only having 8 points of articulation-- Hasbro really made them all count. He can sit or stand, plus pilot his vehicle as was the intent. If only he had a blaster!

The vehicle itself is also a repaint of an older toy originally sold in 2000. This time around, it's painted blue and silver, plus it costs $6-$7 more. At $17, it's priced very close to the full-size Federation Tank at some stores, so you may want to look twice before making a choice unless you're after this specific figure. While there's nothing wrong with this figure, it doesn't do or offer anything unique over its carded counterparts save for the blue shoulders, which, not surprisingly, is enough for me to want one.

Collector's Notes: Currently in rotation, odds are you'll be able to get these without too much trouble until early next year. And then who knows.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,157: November 19, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 1,156: Mace Windu

Adam16bit — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:19:00 -0800

MACE WINDU Force Combat!
Revenge of the Sith Collection 1
Item No.: Asst. 85173 No. 85283
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #III-10
Includes: Lightsaber, Sith lightning
Action Feature: Squeeze legs for swinging action
Retail: $5.24-$6.99
Availability: March 2005
Appearances: Revenge of the Sith

Bio: Mace Windu is a courageous fighter and respected member of the Jedi Council. In a desperate attempt to save the galaxy, Mace leads a daring confrontation against Supreme Chancellor Palpatine. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam's back yard.

Commentary: For whatever reason, Hasbro has struggled a little with Mace Windu. Sure, the 1998 mail-in figure looked great, but most of them since have been all over the place. This particular one had great arm articulation-- the best-ever for the character when released-- plus a great costume sculpt, which, of course, Hasbro had plenty of chances to nail down. Unfortunately, there seems to be a bit of difficulty making it look like Samuel L. Jackson's head, outside of being black and bald. This figure looks a little bit like him, but due to his exaggerated shoulders and very thick neck, doesn't really do the actor justice. The super-articulated version from 2007 is different, but doesn't exactly fare significantly better overall.

This figure's best selling point is its action feature. You can put some Sith Lightning on him, and squeeze his legs so he swings his arms and can shake it off. It's pretty neat, not necessarily useful in displays, but a fun little way to mess with the figure when you're bored and have one on your desk. Despite having a plastic "skirt" blocking his legs, the plastic is generally quite flexible, and can sit in some vehicles. Overall, this figure works well as a toy, so if you enjoy action features and unique accessories, it's worth picking up if you can get one for cheap. And most likely, you can.

Collector's Notes: This figure sold in 2005 and was repackaged in 2006. The same figure was reused for the Mace Windu's Attack Battalion Battle Pack for Target, but it swapped out the lightning for a cloth cloak.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,156: November 18, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 1,155: Luke Skywalker

Adam16bit — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:46:00 -0800

LUKE SKYWALKER Jedi Adventurer
The Legacy Collection Comic Packs
Item No.: Asst. 87504 No. 87970
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #07
Includes: Two lightsabers, Lumiya, comic book
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $12.99
Availability: September 2009
Appearances: Star Wars Marvel comic books

Bio: Luke Skywalker is defeated in a battle with Lumiya, the Dark Lady of the Sith, who wields her lightwhip with devastating precision. But this confrontation is far from over. Lumiya wants to punish the Jedi who caused her to become more cyborg than human, while Luke tries to persuade his opponent to turn away from the dark side. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam's back yard.

Commentary: Based on a storyline in the 90s of Marvel Comics, this super-articulated Luke Skywalker draws heavily from both new and existing figures. The legs are the same Jedi Luke legs Hasbro has been using since 2007, but the rest of it is new, or new enough. The upper torso is very similar to the Vintage Bespin figure, with new arms and a new lower torso. The head is also new, or at least modified a bit from previous releases. The figure has no problems standing or sitting, plus can hold weapons in both hands as long as the clear rubber bands in the package didn't do too much damage in transit. (They often do. And no, there's no easy way to tell.) Unlike previous comic 2-packs, this set seems like it may be colored realistically-- it isn't bright, crazy colors from the comic art, or if it is, Hasbro toned it down just enough to not look crazy. For this, I am glad.

Were I a kid, this would be my default Luke figure. Unlike other post-Return of the Jedi Luke Skywalker toys, he's actually capable of sitting, and it looks more like it stepped out of the 1980s. In short, it's a solid design and a surprisingly good toy that's ready to pilot any of your many vehicles. While I would have bought the set for Lumiya simply out of the desire to own a figure of the character, this Luke figure is a genuinely great one, perhaps one of Hasbro's best, and is absolutely worth picking up despite it not being in any of the movies. Because, c'mon-- two lightsabers!

Collector's Notes: This set is new, although it seems to be shipping in small numbers and/or is quite popular. It's expected to ship a while longer, as long as the comic pack line does well, but there's less and less expectation that it will continue in the future.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,155: November 17, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 1,154: Deena Shan

Adam16bit — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:40:00 -0800

DEENA SHAN in Rebel Commando Suit
The Legacy Collection Comic Packs
Item No.: Asst. 87504 No. 87773
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #15
Includes: Blaster, Luke, comic book
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $11.99
Availability: January 2009
Appearances: Star Wars Rebellion comic books

Bio: Luke receives a message from his old friend Janek Sunber, a lieutenant in the Imperial Army, saying he wants to join the Rebellion. Everyone thinks it's a trap except Luke. The Jedi goes on an unauthorized mission to find Sunber and is joined by Deena Shan, who is looking for adventure, and a chance to prove her worth. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam's carpet.

Commentary: There aren't a ton of comic book characters getting original sculpts, but it seems Hasbro really likes Deena Shan from the Star Wars: Rebellion and Star Wars: Empire comic book series. Why? I don't know. But here she is, in some skin-tight suit. While photographing the figure, she fell over, and I ended up noticing that Hasbro went out of their way to sculpt a really well-defined butt for her. Like, wow. You will be impressed. Luke, on the other hand, has zero definition. If you're going to spend some time making a nice ass, I think Hasbro's designers put their eggs in the right basket, so to speak.

Deena is essentially super-articulated and has a holster for her blaster. She can sit or stand, and the black suit with white, copper, and blue markings looks like it came out of the comic. Her hair and makeup were exaggerated slightly, which is probably better than understating it-- the last thing you want is a blonde man-boy with boobs. (Or maybe you do want that, who am I to judge?) The resulting figure is pretty good, and as she comes in a set with two newly sculpted heroes, it's not a bad buy. If you can find it, that is.

Collector's Notes: This set is newish. It just got repackaged and you shouldn't have too much trouble getting one.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,154: November 16, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 1,153: Saleucami Clone Trooper

Adam16bit — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:09:00 -0800

SALEUCAMI TROOPER Clone Trooper
The Legacy Collection Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 87535 No. 89602
Number: #BD20 (2008 blue card) #BD25 (2009 red card)
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Includes: Blaster, build-a-droid part
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $7.99
Availability: September 2008
Appearances: Revenge of the Sith

Image: Adam Pawlus' place.

Bio: During the final days of the Clone Wars, Stass Allie leads clone troopers on the desert world of Saleucami. While patrolling on a speeder bike, Allie is struck down by clone troopers who receive Order 66, which directs them to treat all Jedi as a threat to the Republic. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Commentary: The Saleucami Trooper started life as a Wal-Mart exclusive Commander Neyo-- only now he's missing the dirty battle damage, so that makes him the generic trooper. Nothing too fancy, I know, but that's how these things work. This trooper uses the body that was first used as the 2003 Super-Articulated Clone Trooper with a new helmet and new belt-- so you basically know you can expect 14 points of articulation, all sorts of ball joints, and other goodness. He can hold his gun just fine, he's bright white and seems less prone to discoloration as a result, but we can't prove this yet.

In short, if you picked up the Treachery at Saleucami Battle Pack, or the 2007 Commander Neyo, you basically have this figure. It is, however, different than those releases due to the missing battle damage and as such should prove worth picking up for those who build armies, collect variants, or, like me, still buy figures that are just different enough to make you mad.

Collector's Notes: Hasbro has been shipping this one on and off since his introduction on a basic cardback, so he shouldn't be too hard to get.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,153: November 13, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 1,152: Whorm Loathsam

Adam16bit — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:11:00 -0800

WHORM LOATHSOM Firing Missile Launcher
The Clone Wars Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 87638 No. 91230
Number: #CW15
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Includes: Pistol, rocket, launcher
Action Feature: Firing rocket
Retail: $7.99
Availability: August 2009
Appearances: The Clone Wars Movie

Image: Adam Pawlus' yard.

Bio: Separatist General Whorm Loathsom meets with Obi-Wan Kenobi to accept the Jedi General's surrender on Christophsis. Loathsom draws angry when the discussion drags on and, with his immense strength, throws a heavy table aside. He demands an end to the proceedings- which he gets, but it's not the conclusion he's expecting. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Commentary: Love him or hate him, Whorm Loathsom is a great example of what Hasbro is capable of with this cartoon line. He's big and colorful, bulky and articulated. Shaped incredibly differently than other releases, this guy has a goofy hat, tiny legs, and excellent arm articulation. While his legs are tiny, he still can fit in the top of the Federation Tanks, stand around and look neat, plus hold his smaller blaster just fine. (I didn't much care for the rocket firing one.) Its feel is very different than most other Hasbro Star Wars figures, so you might find it a little bizarre to futz with a figure that has giant elbow joints and little puny hands. The fact that he has two neck joints is a sign of good design, and let's face it, it's nice to get new aliens as toys in a line that's basically Jedi and over 50% repaints of a single figure. Good job on this one, Hasbro, please keep the other creatures coming!

Collector's Notes: A new one-timer (so far), there are no known plans to reissue this one since he just came out. I expect to see him again a few times, but I'd still get while the getting is good.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,152: November 12, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 1,151: AT-TE Gunner Clone Trooper

Adam16bit — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:03:00 -0800

AT-TE GUNNER AT-TE Assault Squad
The Clone Wars AT-TE Assault Squad Battle Pack
Item No.: Asst. 87752 No. 87881
Number: n/a
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Includes: Blaster, rifle, rocket, launcher, 3 more clones and accessories
Action Feature: Firing rocket
Retail: $23.99
Availability: Early 2009
Appearances: The Clone Wars Movie

Image: Adam Pawlus' yard.

Bio: The AT-TE Gunner aims his blasters at attacking battle droids and opens fire with calm deliberation and pinpoint accuracy. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Commentary: Hasbro realizes that fans love Clone Troopers, and this AT-TE Gunner was one "new" figure in a set of repaints. With a new head, torso, and shoulders, the figure stands apart from other clones released in his day in that he actually has armor on top of his armor. It's pretty cool, but one of the neater features that this revised Clone sports is the ability to hold his arms even closer to his body. This may not sound like much, and truth be told it isn't, but it's really neat to see Hasbro redesign a figure in such a way that they may have unintentionally improved its range of movement.

The gunner sports the same basic articulation structure as seen on every animated Clone Trooper from this line, and is decorated to match his squad mates. A newer, individually carded gunner suggests that Hasbro got it wrong with this one, but both look unique and are worth picking up for army builders. Just because the vehicles can fit so many figures, I'd suggest getting this set just to fill seats. Although if you're picky about all your clones matching and you prefer the 2009-style helmets, well, skip this one.

Collector's Notes: A pretty great set, the figure had a unique helmet sculpt which was never used again. Future similar figures had a retooled helmet mold with a different "chin" and other modifications. Similar clones using the new sculpt have been released on an individual card and with the Turbo Tank.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,151: November 11, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 1,150: Jabba the Hutt

Adam16bit — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:02:00 -0800

JABBA THE HUTT with TC-70
The Clone Wars Jabba's Palace Battle Pack
Item No.: Asst. 87752 No. 87782
Number: n/a
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Includes: TC-70 figure, railing
Action Feature: Move hands to open mouth
Retail: $23.99
Availability: Spring 2009
Appearances: The Clone Wars Movie
Image: Adam Pawlus' shelves.

Bio: The Hutt speaks in his native language of Huttese, so the calm and professional protocol droid TC-70 trtanslates for her master. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Commentary: There's a fine line between "figure" and "creature" or "vehicle," but since I tend to draw the line mostly at characters, Jabba the Hutt is a really cool figure. While lacking some important Jabba details, he is clearly the best-ever Jabba the Hutt Hasbro has engineered. My main gripe about this and all modern-era Jabba the Hutt figures is that they left off a key subtle detail that the original Kenner sculptors got right back in 1983, and that's Jabba's arm tattoo. There's a very specific design that the Kenner toy elves sculpted right into his arm, and Hasbro/Kenner missed these in their 1997, 1999, 2003, and now 2009 releases. It's rare that a company gets it right the first time and then messes it up, but well, there you go. Oops.

This release of Jabba is awesome if you can get past that one quibble in that Hasbro has finally put the attention needed into his most distinctive features-- his face, and his hands. Really, there's not much this giant sack of filth can do beyond talk, eat, glower, and gesture. This figure can basically do those things due to the smart choice to include a geared mechanism in the jaw that connects to his arms. This makes posing the figure a little tricky, but to see Jabba's mouth open and close so you can make him "talk" is tons of fun. I only wish they had an empty belly so he could eat stuff, too. It's a wonderful release and a smart design, although when Hasbro does this sort of rubbery plastic I do fear for its long-term survival and disintegration in harsh environs.

His arms have been carefully crafted as well, sporting ball-jointed shoulders and elbows in addition to swivel wrists. For a figure that usually only gets a shoulder joint, it's quite impressive-- although his hands do feel very tiny compared to previous releases. Such is life when you're dealing with stylized designs such as this! Either way, it's a lot of fun and well worth picking up.

Collector's Notes: A slow seller as the Battle Packs go, this set will likely be in demand as soon as Hasbro gets out more animated aliens and bounty hunters. Until then, it sticks out a little oddly in a series populated mostly by robots and white-armored troopers. In short, as of today, he's pretty much all alone when he should be the centerpiece of a toy box. Where are his henchmen? Or at least some thugs?

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,150: November 10, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 1,149: Clone Pilot

Adam16bit — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:10:00 -0800

CLONE PILOT Clone Trooper
The Legacy Collection Battle Packs
Item No.: Asst. 87752 No. 87990
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster, helmet, turret, second figure
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $23.99
Availability: August 2009
Appearances: Attack of the Clones

Image: Adam's back yard.

Bio: Clone Troopers arrive on Geonosis in Republic Gunships to support the Jedi, who are battling Geonosian warriors and battle droids. Troopers in armored spheres operate the bubble-turret cannons that extend with laser fire in this opening salvo of the Clone Wars. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Commentary: For whatever reason, Hasbro released a Clone Pilot with a turret in 2002 and then never reissued either ever again. Why? Is this out of spite? With five (soon to be six) Republic Gunships on the market, what's the reason for starving the market of these much-needed accessories? Finally in 2009, Hasbro released a giant turret with a pair of pilots. And odd combination, but it's still a pretty nice set.

The Clone Pilot is a retooled figure. The body and limbs are from the 2003 Super Articulated Clone Wars Clone Trooper, which has since been repackaged a kajillion times. The figure's neck was retooled with a Jango head, and now a removable helmet is present for your... helmet removing needs. With 14 points of articulation, this figure is based on the design which set the gold standard for movement on these action figures, so you're getting something good. Unlike most other Clone Pilots, the armor is totally clean. In short, it's the best-possible Attack of the Clones pilot you can buy on the market today. Both figures in this set are essentially identical, although one has its legs stretched out a little bit. Since the deco is the same, I consider both to be the same figure.

The one huge drawback with this set is its cost. In 2002, you could get a smaller turret and a pilot for $4.99. Here, two figures and a turret are $23.99, give or take a buck. To outfit your Gunship will set you back about $50, which is pretty unreasonable. Were Hasbro a little more crafty with the packaging, they could surely fit two into a single Battle Pack box, or perhaps one and one figure in the "Mini Rig" assortment. As it stands, the set is a pretty rotten value if you're looking to outfit a fleet. The actual Republic Gunship costs $50, and has sold for as little as $30. $25 for half the weapons needed to upgrade it is nothing short of obscene.

Collector's Notes: This set is scheduled to ship for a while longer and seems really popular-- since you need 2 turrets to outfit a single gunship, odds are this will be a good seller for as long as Hasbro produces it.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,149: November 9, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 1,148: Jawa

Adam16bit — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:46:00 -0800

JAWAS with Ion Blasters
The Clone Wars Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 87638 No. 87996
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #CW08
Includes: Ion Blasters
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $7.99
Availability: August 2009
Appearances: The Clone Wars

Image: Adam's TV tray.

Bio: These Tatooine scavengers hunt for lost or abandoned equipment- machinery, droids, or even starfighters that appear unoccupied. Jawas look almost identical to outsiders, but among each others, they can easily identify differences in lineage, health, and other details. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Commentary: 2-packs with at least one Jawa have been a modern line tradition since 1996. This is the first time we've seen cartoony ones, and it's worth noting that they're the most collector-friendly in a while. Today, we look at the taller of the two. The big Jawa has no light-up eye port, a working holster, and tons of articulation. There are ball-jointed elbows and shoulders, normal wrists, quasi-ankles, a waist, and a neck.

The sculpt is true to the animation model, with big bright eyes and brown (but not dingy) robes. He can hold his blaster just fine, although it is a little strange that the bottom of his robes don't touch the floor, and are pleated (creased? I don't know clothing lingo) like what I might expect in a dress. Maybe these are she-Jawas, or maybe they like dresses. I don't know which. But I do know that this figure has a lot of articulation and looks really slick, and it's nice to have as a figure in this animated line that isn't a clone, a robot, or a Jedi. So few aliens are in The Clone Wars toy line that it's a treat. Since you get two figures, it's a good deal too.

Collector's Notes: This 2-pack has been in heavy rotation since its introduction, and no doubt will continue to sell for a while. Still, get while the getting is good, as it's a great set. Here's hoping Hasbro has an excuse to do a Tusken Raider some day soon!

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,148: November 6, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 1,147: Darth Maul (Sith Training/Concept)

Adam16bit — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:32:00 -0800

DARTH MAUL Sith Training
Saga Basic Figures Collection 1
Item No.: Asst. 84851 No. 84905
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #0242, #053
Includes: Lightsaber, droid, droid stand, lightsaber blades, display stand (2006 only)
Action Feature: Turn dials for arm and wrist movement
Retail: $4.99-$6.99
Availability: September 2002, Late 2006
Appearances: n/a

Image: Adam's desk.

Bio: The chosen apprentice of the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, Darth Maul has undergone years of demanding and sometimes brutal training to become an incredible warrior for the ancient order of the Sith. After expertly wielding his lightsaber to prove his skill, he bows respectfully before his master. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Commentary: Why is it that Star Wars' most popular characters have the fewest costume changes? Hasbro must have been banging their heads against the wall before realizing they can mine the various behind-the-scenes books for new costumes for the likes of Darth Maul here. This costume was based on one of many, many illustrations generated of the Episode I Sith Lord. Trading in his traditional all-black robes, these new ones have red highlights. A new design gives the costume a leathery look, complete with gloves that seem similar to those of Darth Vader in the original film. It's nice to see Hasbro wasn't content just to make another black outfit, there are numerous alterations to the coat design.

This figure is particularly interesting in its design-- it's unlike anything else Hasbro has created. Rather than include the now-common ball joints or even the old hinges for the knees, Maul's legs are made of three separate swivel joints. The boot is one piece, the upper leg is another, with a third "knee" piece swiveling to allow for various standing and kneeling poses. Not matter what you do his legs are going to look somewhat bent, so you're pretty much guaranteed to get some sort of action pose out of this guy. The rotating arms are controlled by two dials on the figure's back, giving this action figure a puppet-like play feature. Generally, we get "squeeze the legs" or "push the button," so this is a feature unique to this figure.

The final feature on this figure is the magnetic wrist. Like many 2002 Jedi and Force-users, he has a magnet in the palm of his hand which can "grab" his metal lightsaber to varying degrees of success. On this figure, it basically works. There's a lot more going on with this Maul than most others, and while this isn't the definitive Sith for your collection it is so totally different than other figures you may have bought that you should totally pick it up to futz with it. I keep a spare on my desk at work.

Collector's Notes: This figure was available in blue Saga packaging in Fall of 2002. In very late 2006, it was introduced in black-and-silver The Saga Collection packaging as one of several repackaged and repainted figures. If you can only get one of the two, know that they're virtually identical but that the 2006 release also includes a stand. So all things being equal, the packaging and contents of the 2006 release are superior. The figures are virtually identical.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,147: November 5, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 1,146: Lando Calrissian (General/Pilot)

Adam16bit — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:28:00 -0800

LANDO CALRISSIAN in General's Gear
Power of the Force Basic Figures Collection 1
Item No.: Asst. 69570 No. 69756
Manufacturer: Kenner
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster, Cape, Freeze Frame Action Slide
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $7.99
Availability: January 1998
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Image: Adam's back yard.

Bio: Proving his impressive flying capabilities and natural leadership qualities during the battle of Taanab, Lando is appointed General in charge of the attack on the second Death Star. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Commentary: There was actually a time in the history of Star Wars where a sixth joint-- the waist joint-- was still a sign of improvement over the vintage era. This Lando Calrissian was released near the end of that era, as other joints were slowly being introduced to the line. This figure shows the transition of its day, as it's a figure with lots of sculpted details like a gun in a chest holster, a nifty fabric pattern on a plastic cape, and a nice rank badge on a body with a giant beefy chest. For some reason Kenner decided to make all its first Lando action figures with superhuman proportions, and this lasted until about 2001.

The figure does not hold up well, but the 2004 resculpt isn't much better. This is one of the rare releases where on more than one level, the 1985 release is arguably the best overall-- there's still room for a less-awkwardly posed figure with better likenesses and cloth capes. This figure's wide stance is borderline nuts, certainly not conducive to piloting the Millennium Falcon. The cape is easily removed, but it does tend to get in the way. The gun is huge, as are his hands, and this figure tends to be just a little more exaggerated than most of his peers from its era. It was released alongside an Endor Rebel Trooper, an Endor Dress Leia, and a Bespin Luke, and those three were more acceptable to fans in terms of their proportions. Why Lando gets the short shrift, nobody knows-- perhaps he was sculpted earlier and sat on for a few years?

Collector's Notes: Available briefly in 1998, this figure was never repackaged. There were some package variations, but guess what hippies? Nobody cares. It's basically worthless, so you can get one super cheap.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,146: November 4, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 1,145: Captain Argyus

Adam16bit — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:43:00 -0800

CAPTAIN ARGYUS Traitor
The Clone Wars Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 87638 No. 91273
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #CW31
Includes: Blaster, Helmet, Rocket Launcher, Rocket
Action Feature: Firing rocket launcher, removable helmet
Retail: $7.99
Availability: September 2009
Appearances: The Clone Wars

Image: Adam's back yard.

Bio: Senate commando Captain Argyus assists in the transportation of captured Separatist leader Nute Gunray. A member of the Senate Guard, Argyus fights the battle droids that have attacked the ship in an effort to free Gunray. But Argyus has a secret agenda that will jeopardize the successful completion of this important mission. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Commentary: At first glance it appears that Captain Argyus, the first (and so far only) Senate Guard from the cartoon line, is just a clever reuse of the Clone Trooper body, with some minor changes. Yes, even the cool wrists are here, allowing extra aiming and pointing possibilitites.

Hasbro caught some features and fixed them, like the elbow armor. You'll notice the excess armor is now connected to the forearm piece and not the bicep piece. The shoulder on the left has been significantly retooled with the larger, theoretically blaster-proof pauldrony thing. Also, there's a new head and helmet. This pretty much matches the show, where they reuse some digital models to save on costs. (There are some pretty fascinating ones, listen to the movie's DVD commentary to see some.)

The character looks a lot like the TV appearance, except for the hair-- which would not fit under the helmet, so Hasbro made a concession here. Most of the detail is translated fairly well to plastic, although the helmet itself is a little flimsy and prone to becoming misshapen if you aren't careful with it. As such, Hasbro may have been better served overall with swappable heads, like the 2008 Obi-Wan Kenobi (The Clone Wars) release. That way you can keep the big giant hair, and the helmet should be less flimsy. (Not that it's flimsy, of course, but it certainly is overly flexible.)

Collector's Notes: A one-case wonder so far, we eagerly await word of revision cases to know if this figure will make additional appearances at retail. He appears on and off at press time.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,145: November 3, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 1,144: Padme Amidala (Adventure Gear)

Adam16bit — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:24:00 -0800

PADME AMIDALA Grappling Hook Launcher
The Clone Wars Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 87638 No. 91277
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #CW35
Includes: Blaster, Grappling Hook Launcher
Action Feature: Hook launcher fires
Retail: $7.99
Availability: September 2009
Appearances: The Clone Wars

Image: Adam's back yard.

Bio: Padme becomes a hostage aboard the Malevolence, the deadly Separatist ship commanded by General Grievous. The courageous senator escapes her captors and contacts nearby Republic forces. She and C-3PO avoid battle droids to rendezvous with her rescuers, Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi. (Taken from the figure's cardback. The same outfit was on the Blue Shadow Virus episode too.)

Commentary: It seems after the first Padme Amidala figure Hasbro made for the cartoons, they took a lot of notes from fans. This one doesn't just have some articulation, but she's a full super-articulated animated figure-- except for the ankles. On a thin design like hers, it's quite impressive to see the whole thing come together and remain fairly sturdy, or as sturdy as one can expect for these things.

The first animated Padme from the CG-series seemed much more cartoonish, this figure's head sculpt is slightly more realistic. Not to the extent it might fit in with your movie collection, but pretty close. There's not a ton of special detail here, but there are numerous nice touches Hasbro included which makes her look more female than some other similarly sized figure. For example, she has eyeshadow. There's a little lipstick. Oh yeah, boobs too. She has little problem standing or sitting, and is an unusually thin action figure-- which actually may mean her proportions work better in some vehicles. (Or so was my finding when I trotted out my trusty PDT-8.) There's not a ton of excess color here, but the figure just plain clicks-- this is the best cartoon Padme you can get. So get it.

The rocket-firing accessory grapple thing is too big for the figure. It's well-designed, painted nicely, and fits the look and feel of all the Naboo guns we've seen over the past decade. It's just freaking huge.

Collector's Notes: She's pretty new, but Hasbro's history with female figures in this sub-line suggests that you should buy her on sight and not wait. She likely will go away quickly and shoot up on eBay as soon as she does.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,144: November 2, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 1,143: Dash Rendar

Adam16bit — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:04:00 -0700

DASH RENDAR with Heavy Weapons Pack
Shadows of the Empire Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 69605 No. 69561
Manufacturer: Kenner
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster, Heavy Weapons Pack
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $4.99
Availability: July 1996
Appearances: Shadows of the Empire

Image: Adam's back yard.

Bio: In all the galaxy there are few who can fly and shoot like Dash Rendar. Many years ago, as a cadet at the Imperial Acadmey, he continually impressed his superiors with the ability to push vessels beyond their usual limits, executing maneuvers his ships were never meant to perform. He held great promise as a future Imperial officer until a freight vessel piloted by his brother malfunctioned and crashed on Coruscant, destroying a private museum that housed many of the Emperor's treasures. Though the mishap was not the pilot's fault, the Emperor banished Rendar's family and had Dash expelled from the academy. Given his bold disregard for regulation and arrogant confidence, it is doubtful that Dash would have fit in well within the ranks of the Empire anyway. He never hesitates to boast of his skills as an expert pilot and gunner. After his dismissal from the academy, he began a career as a thief and gambler, but soon discovered that his exceptional flying skills were a great asset in the smuggling business. (Taken from the figure's cardback. It goes on but we're cutting it there.)

Commentary: The Shadows of the Empire story was an interesting one, particularly its development. At one point it was to take place between the first two films of the original trilogy, and then it was moved-- so now Han Solo was frozen. Enter Dash Rendar, a generic meatless off-the-shelf gluten-free Han Solo substitute. The fairly unmemorable character had a design that seemed very much of the 1990s by way of the 1980s, with lots of padding and huge guns. The giant gun pack wasn't particularly true to any of the licensed story tie-ins, and the character's head for Kenner's figure didn't really look like any of the other versions, either. He often appeared with bare arms, and this action figure was fully enclosed.

The character is so much like Han Solo that Kenner sculpted him in a nearly identical pose to its then-current action figure of the original Corellian smuggler, and Dash also sported the same difficulty standing that Han had. It's pretty amazing when you go back and look at it. Dash has six points of articulation, and none of his parts have been reused to create other figures.

Collector's Notes: To date, Dash Rendar has been released exactly once, but his poor sales kept him on pegs for a while. Xizor sold fare more poorly. He's the one and only, so unless Hasbro announces a new Dash Rendar soon (which is seemingly less likely with the future of comic packs in question), you'd better go after the original. On eBay, he sells for $1-$3. An update of this character is frequently requested by fans, particularly by those that grew up as part of the Nintendo 64 generation. The Shadows of the Empire video game resonated strongly with numerous fans from that era.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,143: October 30, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 1,142: Luke Skywalker (Medical Frigate)

Adam16bit — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:31:00 -0700

LUKE SKYWALKER Medical Frigate
The Legacy Collection Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 87535 No. 87571
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #BD38
Includes: Commlink, Lightsaber, Robes, Droid Part
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $7.99
Availability: April 2009
Appearances: The Empire Strikes Back

Image: Adam's Millennium Falcon.

Bio: Luke is treated for injuries while on Bespin, when Darth Vader cut off the young Jedi's right hand during their lightsaber duel. On board the Rebel Alliance's medical frigate Redemption, Luke is fitted with a cybernetic hand by a medical droid. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Commentary: There are so few versions of core original trilogy characters left to do that it's something of a stunner when Hasbro cranks out something new like Luke Skywalker Medical Frigate. This release is based from a very brief scene at the end of The Empire Strikes Back in which Luke gets a new robotic arm, or it foreshadows a potential descent into the footsteps of his father. Take your pick. The figure itself is a modified version of the 2004 Vintage Original Trilogy Collection release, best known for being able to remove its tunic and having exceptional articulation. Hasbro also resculpted the head, legs, and right arm to make the hand into a fist and to have open panels revealing the wiring inside. It's cool stuff.

Luke now has lateral leg movement, and aside from that, qualifies as super-articulated. There are two waist joints, and the added robes do a fine job of covering up these fleshy joints. Unfortunately, the robes are a little bulky so it's entirely possible that you won't like the look and feel provided by the soft goods garment, although I can't say a plastic one would have looked any better. This version of the young Skywalker is one of the best Lukes you can buy-- the head sculpt is pretty good, the accessories are abundant, and the articulation is better than pretty much every release Hasbro has ever done. No Jedi Knight or Hoth Luke has ever received lateral leg movement, and now we've got a massive number of joints for a figure who can only sit and stand. This was done to save on tooling, of course, but one has to wonder if Hasbro already has super-ultimate versions of other Lukes down the road given some of its more recent releases were a little lacking in some areas.

One odd thing about this figure, in terms of continuity, is the lightsaber. Luke comes with the weapon he lost when his hand got sliced off, rather than the one he would go on to build in Shadows of the Empire or the deleted (and most likely unfilmed) scene from Return of the Jedi... but it does appear in the Radio Drama. Anyway, I digress-- it's weird to have the blue lightsaber. This Luke figure a pretty great addition to your toy box as it's the only medical Luke you can buy from Hasbro. Thankfully, it's so well done you probably won't ever want a better release. Kudos for getting it right the first time.

Collector's Notes: Currently, this figure is a one-timer. Due to rotten distribution since its initial release, they still trickle out at a variety of retailers. Some stores are even receiving new stock at clearance prices, so watch your scanners. A rerelease is not expected, but old stock can take a while to get out there.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,142: October 29, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 1,141: Obi-Wan Kenobi (General)

Adam16bit — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:55:00 -0700

OBI-WAN KENOBI General of the Republic Army
Clone Wars Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 84851 No. 84826
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #0345
Includes: Harness, lightsaber
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $4.99
Availability: October 2003
Appearances: Clone Wars

Image: Adam's back yard.

Bio: As a general in the Republic Army, Obi-Wan Kenobi leads Clone Army warriors and ARC Troopers in ground battles throughout the galaxy. Coming up against the formidable Droid Army, Obi-Wan achieves hard-won victories against enemy forces. On the planet Muunilinst, home of the Intergalactic Banking Clan, he struggles to destroy the Hailfire Droid factories that are supplying the Separatist forces with their military forces. Armed with his lightsaber, survival gear, an array of new weapons and his innate resourcefulness, Obi-Wan attempts to strike a decisive blow against the enemy army. He also encounters a new enemy during the Clone Wars with the appearance of Durge, a bounty hunter
on a personal mission to destroy the clones because of their Mandalorian heritage. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Commentary: Hasbro's direction in 2003 with Clone Wars was pretty open-ended. Some of the figures were based on existing designs, while others were Hasbro making new versions and telling their own stories outside the comics, novels, animation, and games. Obi-Wan Kenobi took a modified version of the character as seen in Attack of the Clones and added some pockets to his shirt, some added dirt, and slightly more sturdy looking boots. A removable harness was added, as was a backpack which gave the figure a slightly more commando-ish look to it. After all, you need survival gear on the front, right?

The figure itself is about par for the course for its era. You get the basic six points of articulation we've all been used to for so long, plus some swivel elbows were added for good measure. The design seems fairly good for action-oriented stuff, but like most of the Kenner and Hasbro team's original designs these were phased out of future Clone Wars-inspired stories and collectibles. Which is a shame because I thought the pockets were pretty cool. Today, the figure shows many signs of age such as overly pale facial hair and pin-headdedness, so one could say that it didn't age especially well. (The same can be said of most Obi-Wan figures from 2002-2004.) As a toy, though, it's pretty neat because Hasbro did get a limited opportunity to create something new, and while I do wish they were allowed to go a little crazier with the design it does fit with the look and feel of the movies.

Collector's Notes: A nearly identical rerelease of this figure was sold around 2007 in the Battle of Geonosis Battle Pack. As the set has no new characters and changes on the others are very slight, either release should be suitable for any loose collector's needs. The mold was reused to make an Order 66 Obi-Wan Kenobi figure for Target in 2008.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,141: October 28, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 1,140: AT-AT Driver

Adam16bit — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:40:00 -0700

AT-AT DRIVER carded release
Power of the Force Collection 3 Fan Club Exclusive
Item No.: Asst. 69705 No. 69864
Manufacturer: Kenner
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster, Freeze Frame Action Slide
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $10.00
Availability: Late 1998
Appearances: The Empire Strikes Back

Image: Adam's back yard.

Bio: Drivers of the dreaded AT-AT walkers, specially trained "ground pilots", played a vital role during the Empire's assault on Hoth. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Commentary: While the big $100 AT-AT came with a single driver, Kenner decided that it would be a good idea to sell an individual version of the AT-AT Driver in stores. Due to the ginormous amount of SKUs being sold at the end of 1998, the figure instead went to the Official Star Wars Fan Club as an exclusive. This release was modified from the vehicle pack-in. For starters, he's shorter. Rather than having his limbs straight like the pack-in (and vintage) releases, this version has his legs and arms bent very slightly. The sculpt itself appears nearly identical to the pack-in version, and unless you had the two side-by-side odds are you would easily mistake one for the other. The differences are extremely subtle.

The figure's design and deco are spectacular for the time. He was designed to sit, and sit well-- there's no problems fitting this guy into the cockpit of your favorite vehicles. He has six points of articulation, and a very colorful chest panel. Even his back panel is loaded with detail, all sorts of lights and switches are there and painted quite carefully. This figure can't hold a candle to the 2006 (and upcoming 2009) releases, but it's quite good for its time and one of the best figures of its era. There's little need for you to revisit it today due to the more recent and clearly superior releases, but if you want to look at a fine example of what Kenner was doing well at the end of their branded run, this is it. (Pote Snitkin was also incredible.)

Collector's Notes: In the USA, this figure, the Death Star Droid, Hoth Princess Leia, and Pote Snitkin were sold as fairly expensive Fan Club exclusives. Internationally, they were standard releases.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,140: October 27, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 1,139: Pit Droid (Gasgano)

Adam16bit — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:31:00 -0700

PIT DROID also known as DUM-4
Episode I Collection 3
Item No.: Asst. 84105 No. 84116
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Gasgano figure, CommTech Chip
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $6.99
Availability: May 3, 1999
Appearances: The Phantom Menace

Image: Adam's desk.

Bio: With his multiple arms, thrill seeker Gasgano is uniquely suited for the extreme sport of pod racing. Piloting a cockpit pulled by two dangerously powerful engines, he relies on a crew of pit droids to keep him in the race when the action heats up. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Commentary: Rarely did Hasbro or Kenner nail it on the first try, but this Pit Droid was pretty much perfect right out the gate. While the pose was a little stiff, it was exactly what fans were asking for in those days, plus he had a ball-jointed head, which was fairly new in 1999. This little guy was the ideal Pit Droid mold, as he could stand, sit, or be gripped by the neck if another figure got angry with him. The coloring was a little pale, but the saucer-shaped head and spindly little limbs were just perfect recreations of what we saw in the movie. Short of enhanced articulation, which Hasbro has not gone back and done yet, this little guy is about as good as we've ever got. Subsequent Pit Droids were posed with their arms and legs at various angles, but the articulation never improved beyond this, the very first release.

At the risk of making this a boring review, Hasbro pretty much got it right-- so this one is totally worth buying. The figure also comes with the only release of Gasgano as an action figure, and that release also turned out very well for 1999.

Collector's Notes: A one-time release, this figure was widely available in 1999 and in some stores, 2000 as part of the insanity that was Episode I. Word from retailers was that Hasbro and Lucasfilm both prodded stores across the board to up their orders on everything because whatever they ordered wouldn't be enough-- and it seemed in some locations, this turned out to be true. While some have dismissed figures in that line for being old or worthless, several of them are genuinely excellent toys with this duo leading the pack. Be sure to score it if you have the means, as the figure set goes for about $1-$3 on eBay. I'd suggest picking up a collection (or "lot") of carded figures from that era as they tend to go cheap and there's quite a few gems in there, like the first Darth Sidious figure, Chancellor Valorum, Nute Gunray, and Rune Haako. (It's worth noting that most of the gems come in "Collection 2" and "Collection 3.") Hasbro will never make a better Pit Droid at this rate, so go ahead and spring for the original-- it's well worth it.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,139: October 26, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 1,138: Saesee Tiin

Adam16bit — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:46:00 -0700

SAESEE TIIN Jedi Master
Revenge of the Sith Collection 2 and beyond
Item No.: Asst. 85174 No. 85358
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #III-30
Includes: Lightsaber blade, lightsaber hilt, display stand (2005 only), cloak (2006 and beyond), coin (2007 only), clone gear (2008-2009)
Action Feature: Spring-loaded rocket launcher
Retail: $5.24-$7.99
Availability: August 2009
Appearances: The Clone Wars CG TV series

Image: Adam's TV tray. Version pictured is the Jedi vs. Darth Sidious Battle Pack release, which was the first with the cloth robes accessory.

Bio: Jedi Council member Saesee Tiin is well known for his exceptional starfighter piloting skills and daring space battles. His telepathic abilities and strong connection to the Force make him a powerful member of the Jedi Order. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Commentary: Arguably the best Jedi figure out of Hasbro's 2005 lineup, this amazing Saesee Tiin has been in circulation for quite some time. While the initial release lacked the cloak, this figure really worked well with the added garment packaged with later releases. If you're going to just get one of the releases, I do suggest you get the cloak because, as seen here, it actually wraps around his head nicely with his horns holding the hood in place. Unlike other figures, where the hood just sort of sits there awkwardly.

The figure itself is pretty close to perfection. While some fans may cry about the lack of ball-jointed elbows, or any ankle joints, Tiin pretty much has everything else more than taken care of. He can sit easily because Hasbro engineered a cloth lower body, his knees bend just fine, and he has no problem being posed in most battle-ready positions. The head can look around nicely, the detail in his garments is sculpted on par with anything you might see in stores today, and the deco is excellent. There's a good reason Hasbro kept this one in circulation over the past few years-- it's some of their finest work.

If Hasbro ever does go back and redo it, which history says they probably will, I would expect a lightsaber that can attach to the belt and some added articulation in the arms and legs. Perhaps some coloring may change slightly, but as it is this is one of the better Jedi Knights to come out of the Revenge of the Sith line, which was packed with some of the best Jedi figures ever seen before or since. This is a figure you should absolutely make sure is in your collection, even if it is rather common with all the reissues. Hasbro deserves a big pat on the back for this one.

Collector's Notes: This figure has been kept in circulation since 2005, appearing in the many incarnations of Saga Legends as well as in Battle Packs. The 2005 release includes a display stand, other releases include a cloth cloak (pictured) and sometimes a bonus accessory like a coin or a box of weaponry.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,138: October 23, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 1,137: Commander Gree

Adam16bit — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:34:00 -0700

COMMANDER GREE Firing Missile Launcher!
The Clone Wars Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 87638 No. 89467
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #CW09
Includes: Blaster, Helmet, Bandolier, Rocket Launcher, Rocket, Pistol
Action Feature: Spring-loaded rocket launcher
Retail: $7.99
Availability: August 2009
Appearances: The Clone Wars CG TV series

Image: Adam's TV tray.

Bio: This clone commander leads the Elite Corps and serves under Jedi General Yoda during the Clone Wars. His armor bears the distinct markings of the 41st Elite Corps, a unit Gree has nicknamed "Green Company." (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Commentary: Not one to waste time, Hasbro cranked out an animated version of Commander Gree early in the line's second year. The figure is based largely on Hasbro's normal Clone Trooper mold, except it has a removable helmet with a new head and a retooled belt with a pistol holster. Oh, and significantly new decoration.

The most notable thing about this figure is its head. With two mohawks, Gree is at least twice as cool as Mr. T. (Well, that's a tall order. Let's say his hair is twice as cool as Mr. T's.) The helmet fits on with no real problems, it isn't blatantly obvious that the head or helmet has been resized to fit the action feature. His firing rocket shoots fairly well, and is the same over-the-shoulder design we're seeing with Thire and other recently released Clone Trooper figures. The armor has been heavily decorated with green, giving the figure a distinctive look which goes well with the other animated green Clones you may have purchased.

Given his high marks in articulation, excellent array of accessories, and awesome head sculpt, this is one of my absolute favorite animated figures so far. It's well worth shelling out for, even if you already have a sea of white armored troopers.

Collector's Notes: To date, this is the first (and only) animated release of this charcter. It's a safe bet there will be more some day.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,137: October 22, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 1,136: Snowtrooper

Adam16bit — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:49:00 -0700

SNOWTROOPER with Imperial Issue Blaster Rifle
Power of the Force Collection 3
Item No.: Asst. 69705 No. 69632
Manufacturer: Kenner
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster, Backpack, Freeze Frame Action Slide (1998)
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $4.99
Availability: November 1997
Appearances: The Empire Strikes Back

Image: Adam's TV tray.

Bio: The ice planet Hoth was the site of the terrible conflict between Rebel and Imperial forces called the Battle of Hoth. Though the alliance resisted the Imperial assault for a short period, they were eventually forced to abandon the Echo Base headquarters as it became overrun with fearsome snowtroopers, the Empire's elite frozen-weather corps. (Taken from the figure's 1998 cardback.)

Commentary: The first modern carded basic Snowtrooper was not the first modern Snowtrooper-- a few months prior to its release, Hasbro released a really cool crouching version with a Tripod Laser Cannon. This version stood upright and had a really great sculpt for its day, and while it came off as a little tall it certainly looked really cool in an AT-AT. Due to its plastic "skirt" piece it couldn't sit down, but it's not like there were a lot of vehicles requiring this kind of movement anyway. The Snowtrooper can be posed at the waist, shoulders, and hips, with no neck movement or additional articulation. (It was, after all, 1997.)

Like many figures of its day, this release is not perfect, but fairly good. We've since received other super-articulated figures but the first basic release still holds up well in that it's a solid figure that holds together well under rough play. Back when it was first released, numerous fans on forums and Usenet expressed severe distaste at what was called a significant amount of dirt or damage. Looking at it today, it's tough to see where exactly the problem comes from because the figure doesn't really seem all that filthy. The sculpted bits look great, and the armor essentially matches the movie fairly well. With so many improved versions, this one has fallen out of favor, but if you're needing soldiers for massive dioramas this is an excellent and fairly cheap way to pack out the snowy plains on a budget.

Collector's Notes: The same mold was repainted in 1998 for the Toys "R" Us exclusive Millennium Minted Coin line. Parts of this figure were used in 2006 to make another basic carded Snowtrooper figure. The 1997 version was so abundant that around the end of 1998 it was actually possible to get an entire shopping cart full of them for $1 per figure-- and yes, I speak from experience. The figure was repackaged in 1998 with a Freeze Frame Action Slide, which did not provide fans with much (or any) action.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,136: October 21, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 1,135: Obi-Wan Kenobi

Adam16bit — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:16:00 -0700

OBI-WAN KENOBI Evolutions Reject
The Legacy Collection Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 87535 No. 92812
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #BD06
Includes: Cloak, lightsaber
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $7.99
Availability: September 2009
Appearances: The Phantom Menace

Image: Adam's TV tray.

Bio: Obi-Wan Kenobi battles Darth Maul after the mysterious Sith apprentice fatally wounds Kenobi's Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn. Kenobi calls upon his years of training to defeat this deadly opponent who is as skilled with the lightsaber as any Jedi. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Commentary: After ten years, Hasbro made Obi-Wan Kenobi with the kind of super-articulation you might come to expect-- mostly. Unlike his EpII (2009( and EpIII (2008) cousins, this figure does not have lateral hip movement. He does, however, have a great range of movement and a lightsaber accessory that, thankfully, isn't the pre-2002 pre-flare mold anymore. The head sculpt is closer to Ewan McGregor's, but is not perfect-- but hey, at this size, that's normal. Hasbro has pushed what "standard" is for their figures, and as such Kenobi has a hard time impressing simply because what was astonishing for 2005 is basically normal today. It's a great figure, but when it gets to its current level of goodness, there's not much for Hasbro to do in order to go beyond and be even more impressive. For a Jedi-in-training, the figure basically nails the look and feel of a figure for today. Considering the last truly new sculpting work on this character nearly eight years ago, this newly-sculpted version is a welcome addition to pretty much any collection.

If there's one area where this figure disappoints, it's accessories. The Episode IV Obi-Wan had a huge freaking table and holographic Princess Leia. The Episode II version had a communicator. This one doesn't have much special. A lightsaber and cloak are about as bare as you can get, a communicator would have been nice. A variant "wet" head for the diving bit in Naboo would be awesome, but let's not get crazy here.

Collector's Notes: This figure is a brand new sculpt, and was originally created to be sold as part of a never-released Obi-Wan Kenobi Evolutions boxed set.
--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,135: October 20, 2009

Lots and Lots and Lots of new G.I. Joes

Adam16bit — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 14:06:00 -0700

HISSTank.com added a new post with lots of new figures from upcoming comic packs, DVD packs, and other to-be-determined things. New Cobra Commander, Duke, Rock & Roll, and many other figure pictures await you there, so go check them out.

G.I. Joe "Bonus Wave" Wave 12 Pre-Orders

Adam16bit — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 01:58:00 -0700

Over at Entertainment Earth, wave 12 (the "bonus wave," a euphemism for a repaint wave) is coming soon! This case actually has a pretty good mix, and a couple of figures which qualify as new characters. Click here to see the breakdown, which includes a carded Tripwire, Cobra Commander, Ripper, Crimson Python Patrol Guard, red logo Cobra Trooper, Storm Shadow, and two new Cobra Divers.

G.I. Joe Crimson, Greenshirt Exclusive Sets Out

Adam16bit — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 01:49:00 -0700

The new Toys "R" Us exclusive Battle Packs have been spotted in Los Angeles. Choose from the Crimson Guard (4 guards and a commander) or Firefly vs. Greenshirts. Each pack is $24.99 and has what I consider to be some of the finest packaging out of Hasbro for this line yet.

New G.I. Joe Club Exclusives Revealed

Adam16bit — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 17:04:00 -0700

Because fans demanded it, the club will be getting 7 exclusive figures based on the aborted final wave of direct-to-consumer figures from a few years ago. Some are, anyway-- others like Python Patrol Copperhead are new. Also available are 2006-style Airtight, Outback, Lt. Falcon, Munitia, and new Troopers and Vipers. Seeing how insanely popular the 25th Anniversary line has been, we're quite surprised to see these coming.

Also new and exciting: the 2009 club freebies! 12-inch fans can get what they're calling a "Black Talking Commander," while 3 3/4-inch fans can get a super-cool Destro's Iron Grenadier-deco version of Undertow. Undertow, of course, being one of the finest figures Hasbro ever sculpted. Get one.

New G.I. Joe Comic Packs Available

Adam16bit — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 17:00:00 -0700

Target stores (and presumably others) are now receiving the latest batch of comic packs. Sets include Tripwire & Cobra Commander, Destro & Iron Grenadier, and Lt. Falcon & Nemesis Enforcer. Each is still only $9.99, give or take. We spotted the lot of them at a Los Angeles-area Target store. Happy hunting!

G.I. Joe Protective Cases at HasbroToyShop.com

Adam16bit — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 08:51:00 -0700

HasbroToyShop.com is now selling this fancy G.I. JOE Official Protective Cases (10-Pack). You get 10 cases for $9.99, which isn't too bad, really.

G.I. Joe 2008, Exclusive Images

Adam16bit — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 16:33:00 -0700

The fine fellows of HISSTank.com got their mitts on TONS of official Hasbro images of new, upcoming products.

Apparently there's going to be an Invisible Variant of Wraith, kind of annoying, but what are you going to do. We very much like the Serpentor DVD Set for a variety of reasons. Oh, and this Ultimate Battle Pack looks real nice too. What a great year!

G.I. Joe 25th Anniversary Figures Wave 9 Hitting

Adam16bit — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 12:14:00 -0700

If you're out and about, be sure to check the toy aisle because Wave 9 of the increasingly incorrectly named G.I. Joe 25th Anniversary Collection are hitting. New figures include the likes of Barbeque, Storm Shadow (Black, a.k.a. Ninja-Ku), Bazooka, and the insanely popular Cobra B.A.T. We've also started hearing that Target stores have upped the retail price to $7.99 each, so keep that in mind while making the rounds. Happy hunting!

G.I. Joe Voting Press Release

Adam16bit — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 04:12:00 -0700

This just in...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:

Mike Surabian

Hunter Public Relations

212-679-6600

msurabian@hunterpr.com

Dan Benkwitt

Hasbro, Inc.

401-727-5318

dbenkwitt@hasbro.com

WINNERS OF “HALL OF HEROES” ONLINE POLL

ANNOUNCED DURING ANNUAL GI JOE CONVENTION

Frisco, Texas -- June 28, 2008 – Hasbro announced the results of the online poll to determine the top 10

figures in the G.I. JOE vs. COBRA 3 ¾” single carded line, today at the annual International G.I. JOE

Collectors Convention.

Over the past 1 ½ years, 62 individual figures have been created in celebration of the wildly popular

storyline, as part of a collection commemorating the 25th Anniversary of the legendary G.I. JOE VS.

COBRA saga that has captivated kids and fans since it’s introduction in 1982. After 77,000 online votes

were cast, the winning figures to be inducted into the G.I. JOE “Hall of Heroes” are:

1 Snake Eyes and Timber (2007 Wave 1)

2 Firefly

3 B.A.T.

4 White Storm Shadow (2007 Wave 4)

5 Beach Head

6 Cobra Viper (2008 Wave 3)

7 Crimson Guard

8 Flint (2007 Wave 1)

9 Zartan (2007 Wave 3)

10 Snake Eyes in All Black (2008 Wave 1)

“The Hall of Heroes not only celebrates what the fans like most in the G.I. JOE vs. COBRA saga,” said

Michael Ritchie, Director of Marketing, G.I. JOE, “it is a bridge between the celebration of the storyline’s

25th anniversary and the kick-off to one of the most exciting years ever in the history of G.I. JOE”

With induction into the G.I. JOE Hall of Heroes comes a new version of the top ten figures. Each will be

released with unique deco and commemorative packaging. The “Hall of Heroes” line will be released in

spring 2009.

Additionally, G.I. JOE makes its debut as a major motion picture from Paramount Pictures and Hasbro on

August 7, 2009

# # #

Hasbro (NYSE:HAS) is a worldwide leader in children's and family leisure time entertainment products and services, including

the design, manufacture and marketing of games and toys ranging from traditional to high-tech. Both internationally and in the

U.S., its PLAYSKOOL, TONKA, MILTON BRADLEY, PARKER BROTHERS, TIGER, CRANIUM and WIZARDS OF

THE COAST brands and products provide the highest quality and most recognizable play experiences in the world.

Club Robot Rebellion Cobra Commander Available

Adam16bit — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 12:49:00 -0700

Based on the never-realized "Robot Rebellion" line which would have followed Valor vs. Venom, this unique Cobra Commander is a new mold you can only get from the club. If you're a member, or even if you aren't, it's available for order. If you're a member, it's as low as $20. If not, it's as high as $60. It's a neat piece of non-history, but it's worth a look.

Lee's Reveals Firebat with AVAC Vehicle

Adam16bit — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 12:45:00 -0700

The guys over at TNI posted a shot of a new issue of Lee's Toy Review which features the first-ever look at Hasbro's new AVAC vehicle, which seems to be similar to the old vehicle. It will be packaged with a Firebat figure, which is based on the recent Grand Slam and Sgt. Flash figures with a new head. Neat!

New G.I. Joe Comic Packs hitting

Adam16bit — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 16:32:00 -0700

In a toy run today, I found the 3 newest G.I. Joe 25th Anniversary Comic Packs. Technically making up wave 4, the three new entries include Firefly & Storm Shadow, Copperhead & Shipwreck, and Duke & Red Star. These were at a Target around Los Angeles, and each set was $9.99. Particularly notable about these sets is that the comic books appear to be sealed in plastic bags inside the packaging, which should help keep them in better condition.

Each set boasts a new comic by Larry Hama. I'll post images and impressions as time permits.

Transformers Club Revevals New Stuff

Adam16bit — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 16:17:00 -0700

If you go to the Transformers Club page, the cover of the next issue is up. Highlights:
- Universe Smokescreen
- Mighty Muggs Soundwave
- Universe Legends Cosmos
- RID Optimus Prime vs. Megatron Robot Heroes

In short, it's good times-- and word on the street has it that Warpath (Legends) may be announced soon, and that a new Hot Shot may be on display in these new pages. Exciting!

Transformers Wiki leaves Wikia

Adam16bit — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 16:04:00 -0700

This was big news last week, but the guys behind the Teletraan-1, the Transformers Wiki, moved to TFWiki.net. All you need to know is that this is the one you want to go to. It's run by some people I know of and know well, and is probably one of the better fan-specific sites of this nature you'll find.

It's totally worth your while to go spend many hours there. Seriously, it's highly entertaining. There's only one way to treat the material with respect, and these guys have figured it out nicely.

HasbroToyShop.com Gets Exclusive Transformers

Adam16bit — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 15:56:00 -0700

Fans looking for obscure repaints and overpriced repacks, rejoice! HasbroToyShop.com has four (and counting) exclusives for you. ACToys.net revealed the Optimus Prime and Megatron toys earlier today. These are repackaged 2006 "Ultimate Battle" figures, but with some changes. One, they're much more expensive at $15.99 a pop. Two, they come in awesome collector's boxes with a flap and velcro. (Snazzy.) Three, they're repainted. Optimus is barely changed, with a little more yellow and seemingly some alterations to the grey parts, plus his gun is no partially blue. Megatron, on the other hand, is no longer green and is now a very G1-ish silver, red, and grey. One could argue this is a step up.

Now, back to HasbroToyShop.com. Here's the links:
Optimus Prime
Megatron
Overkill (Grimlock redeco)

A fourth figure, Drag Strip, will be a repaint of Classics Mirage. ~~No photography of the toy has surfaced at this time.~~ You can see him here. We'd say the highlights thus far are Megatron and Overkill, particularly Overkill.

Oh, and one more thing-- the online shop has a ton of coupon codes floating around. We're told TF2009 will give you 10% off through 12/31/2009, which might start to cover your shipping charges.

New Transformers Animated Shockwave/Longarm Pictures

Adam16bit — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 16:52:00 -0700

A Decepticon secret agent has been revealed as a toy! Over at TF08.net you can see pictures of Shockwave, who can also turn into the Autobot Longarm. He has two different-ish robot and vehicle modes, making for what will likely be a memorable toy. Check it out!

Transformers Orange iPod Speaker Prime, Alternity Convoy Pictures

Adam16bit — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 08:39:00 -0700

Apparently there's a big show in Japan and there are new Transformers there! The C3X Hobby 2008 show is going on, and you can see pics of the new orange/red Convoy iPod speakers and the first full-color images of Alternity Convoy here, at TFW2005.

The silver Alternity Convoy doesn't really look like Optimus Prime at all, and early reports peg him at a "deluxe" size-- just a much higher price point. No word on a US release.

The burning flame version of the iPod speakers is pretty neat. It says "Excel Perfect Year 2008" on the side, which would make us think it's an elementary school reward, but it's probably not. Like the previous versions, it features a new head sculpt and is extremely unlikely to see a US release.

Target Exclusive Transformers Animated Boxed Set

Adam16bit — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 13:53:00 -0700

According to this post at The Allspark, Target is going to have an exclusive Rescue Ratchet toy-- in yellow. Why yellow? I don't know, but it includes Legends-class animated toys of Starscream and Prowl. Presumably, the boxed set will be $15-$20, but nothing is set in stone yet.

It's interesting. Let's leave it at that.

Transformers' Unicron Returns, With New Box

Adam16bit — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 01:43:00 -0700

We reported it before, but now ACToys.net has new, large photos of the packaging of Unicron! This exclusive reissue will be sold at Toys "R" Us and, so far, it appears to just be the Armada Unicron in a new box. It's worth noting that it's a large, reasonably fun toy so if you missed it the first time around you may wish to get one this year.

Transformers Animated Skywarp Revealed

Adam16bit — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 16:29:00 -0700

While more or less confirmed ages ago, images have now surfaced of Skywarp on TF08.net. It still has orange "glass," but now has that black, silver, and purple look everyone digs so much.

Transformers Club Skalor Revealed

Adam16bit — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:55:00 -0700

Over at the TFCC, you can now see Skalor! Photos and a file card were posted, so now you can see what you'll presumably be able to order shortly. It's not bad!

Hasbro Transformers Comic-Con PR, Prices, Artbook

Adam16bit — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:51:00 -0700

Over at Marketwatch is a big press release with all the exclusives and prices you can expect at Hasbro's Comic-Con store. Of note is an 80-page artbook filled with photos and doodads from the designers, which sounds pretty great. It also lists Nemesis Prime (Universe) as being $24.99 and Titanium Series Skywarp at $19.99.

Hasbro.com Reveals New Animated Activators

Adam16bit — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 08:48:00 -0700

Transformers.com has revealed three new animated activators toys. They are:
Lockdown
Optimus Prime
Ratchet

They all look pretty decent, take a look!

Transformers Universe Heavy Load Available

Adam16bit — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 03:52:00 -0700

On my toy hunting rounds, I noticed Target stores are also getting in the new Transformers Universe Voyager assortments. If your store is resetting, be sure to keep an eye out for Heavy Load and others.

Target Markdowns Continue: Movie!

Adam16bit — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 14:43:00 -0700

If you want some, but not all, Transformers movie toys go to Target. Select products are 50% off at some stores, and I've noticed a lot of Real Gear Robots. Happy hunting! The stores are resetting so new items are hitting as you read this.

Transformers Animated Season 1 DVD Non-News

Adam16bit — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 16:24:00 -0700

Awesome site TVShowsOnDVD.com has posted the back cover art for season one of Transformers: Animated on DVD. The good news: it looks nice.

They posted word of extras, and apparently, there really aren't any. So I guess if you were hoping for commentaries or interviews, the powers that be decided it wasn't worth doing. Boo, hiss. I was actually very much looking forward to hearing from the animation team and writers on this series, seeing as it's peppered with amazing voice actors, with some entertaining stories to boot.

Transformers Animated Bonus Packs Coming

Adam16bit — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 16:20:00 -0700

Chinese auction site Taobao has up two auctions you will want to see, presumably for Q4 exclusives. Toys "R" Us packaged "super value" sets of Leader Class Megatron with Activator Starscream and Leader Class Bulkhead with Activator Bumblebee are coming... but when? Were I a betting man, I'd say October or November. I'd also bet on them being $39.99 or less. As such, I'd say if you haven't yet bought the leader figures, it might be worth your while to wait. (I were going to buy Megatron, but now I'm holding off. Free seems like a good price for Activators.)

Kmart Exclusive Mini-Cons: Packaged on eBay

Adam16bit — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 16:19:00 -0700

Feast your eyes on this Kmart Exclusive Mini-Cons Pack coming this Fall. The packaging is really gorgeous, and this is the first Kmart exclusive in recent memory (or perhaps ever) from Hasbro to feature a sticker advertising the product as such. I typically don't swoon over a box, but wow. Yeah, this one's purty.

Toys "R" Us Canada Offering BOGO Animated Transformers

Adam16bit — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 04:48:00 -0700

Over at The Allspark, user Cybersnark mentioned that his local Toys "R" Us is having a buy-one-get-one-free offer on animated Transformers toys. It does not appear such a promotion is currently running in the USA.

Transformers BinalTech Arcee Gallery

Adam16bit — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 05:43:00 -0700

TF08.net posted a big gallery of Arcee in vehicle mode, complete with a shot of the head. Which, if you didn't know, confirms she's just a white Decepticharge repaint. Still, kinda neat.

Unicron Returns to Transformers Universe

Adam16bit — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 05:38:00 -0700

Fans of the giant planet eating robot, rejoice! Unicron is apparently coming back for a third repackaging, although some claim the toy showing up in the box on eBay isn't final. (We think it is.) Apparently a Toys "R" Us exclusive, this beast is probably going to appear some time this Fall. Want to know and see more? See the auction on eBay, or see the report on TFW2005.

Kay-Bee Toys gets Universe Deluxes

Adam16bit — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 05:34:00 -0700

The new Classics 2.0/Universe line of Transformers is, shockingly, hitting KB Toys. Each is $12.99, and includes Prowl, Sunstreaker, and Tankor. Happy hunting!

McDonalds McAnimated McTransformers McWebsite

Adam16bit — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 01:51:00 -0700

While I heard they would be available on Saturday, McDonalds posted this web site showing the six Animated toys and their transformations. Releases include Megatron, Lugnut, Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Starscream, and Ratchet. The toys include a coupon for $5 off a $19.99 purchase on the full-sized Hasbro toys, which would make buying a Happy Meal and throwing away the food a worthwhile purchase.

Henkei! Henkei! Transformers Convoy Clear Gallery

Adam16bit — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 13:37:00 -0700

Transformers supercollector Remy posted a spiffy gallery of the clear Optimus Prime (aka Convoy) coming to Japan like right now. It seems to be pretty solid, and there are loads of comparison shots. Check it out.

Transformers Animated Deluxe Wave 3 Out

Adam16bit — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 02:20:00 -0700

I spotted a lone Oil Slick at a Los Angeles-area Target on Friday morning. This should mean that Soundwave, Jazz, and Snarl are also in circulation. Happy hunting!

Transformers Marvel Crossovers Wave 1 Out

Adam16bit — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 02:18:00 -0700

Because Star Wars went so well with Transformers, we now have Marvel. You can find Venom, Spider-Man, and other characters at select Toys "R" Us stores, if you're lucky. We did not catch the retail price when we saw them yesterday.

Transformers Universe Robot Heroes Wave 1 Out

Adam16bit — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 02:16:00 -0700

Transformers Universe: Robot Heroes wave 1 are now out. I spotted all four packs at two different Toys "R" Us stores in Los Angeles, CA. They were $6.39 each, showing that price increases are starting to take a hit. The figures included Generation One and Beast Wars characters. Happy hunting!

Clone Wars Episode 2: Rising Malevolence

Adam16bit — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 02:00:00 -0700

Originally aired October 3, 2008 on Cartoon Network.

In short: The Republic is out to find Grievous' new super weapon. Plo Koon and a bunch of Jedi are stranded in a life pod after a battle, waiting to see if someone will pick them up. Similar plots were done on other shows (Star Trek: Enterprise comes to mind) to varying degrees of success, and it's unfortunate we're seeing such a common device used so early in the series' run.

In this episode, we see a heck of a lot of action. We get to see Anakin talk down to his new sidekick, we get to see R2-D2 doing R2 things, we see big ships get destroyed, we get to see escape pods, and all sorts of stuff. There's little time for exposition, as it seems the series' writers assume you already know the major players and don't need to introduce them or even name them on screen more than once or twice.

Things move along nicely, as there's a slight panic about a super weapon, there's some resentment of Anakin for going on a rescue mission, and there's more than a little tension in the voices of the two main Jedi heroes. Plo Koon, unfortunately, sounds almost like an old, bored super hero. He's very mellow, and can apparently be out in the vacuum of space for a brief period of time. Further, his dialogue propels the notion that by and large, the Jedi are very dull. A more alien voice saying fewer words could be interesting in a variety of ways, but it turns out after years of speculation, Plo Koon sounds just like any other Jedi might sound. Oh well.

This particular installment seemed more robust than the first, but it's still feeling a little light overall. Thankfully, we have two more weeks (at least) following this storyline and the super weapon: the galaxy's most dangerous ion cannon.

Appearing: 2-1B (or similar medic droid), R2-D2, Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, Commander Wollfe, Yularen, Clones, Plo Koon, Mace Windu, Count Dooku, General Grievous, Palpatine, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Battle Droids.

Pros: Mostly great voice acting, good sets, decent story, better pacing-- there's a lot of cuts between the Twilight and a ship wreckage, plus the Malevolence. Cutting away to something else makes everything better.

Cons: The Battle Droids have some very creepy scenes with the life pods, but due to the goofy nature of the characters the threat seems removed despite characters being in very real danger. The concept is a wonderfully eerie one, but the execution didn't work. Also, Plo Koon can breathe in space? Who does he think he is, Batman? Aside from clones, we're seeing few new characters-- this could be a problem.

Clone Wars Episode 1: Ambush

Adam16bit — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 01:55:00 -0700

Originally aired October 3, 2008 on Cartoon Network.

In short: Yoda goes to meet the king of the Toydarians (Watto's people) on a moon to join the Republic, but-- oh yes-- Count Dooku sends Asajj Ventress to issue a challenge to Yoda, which Yoda accepts, over the fate of the Toydarians. Of course, the Toydarians didn't have too much say either way but they seem to like the Jedi. It plays out like a mix of a fable, a few episodes of Transformers (which had similar plots), and a PBS kids show in how Yoda treats the clones. Very touchy-feely, and the Clones are put off by this-- which is probably the right thing to do as to not lose older kids.

The pacing was pretty slow, but I think the real problem is that it wasn't so much slow as it was repetitive-- you're on a single planet for a full episode without much variety. If this were a Star Trek, at least you'd cut back to the bridge of the Enterprise, or perhaps multiple away teams could go through different things. Also, Yoda and some clones vs. anything-- it's not only obvious who will win, but it's so uneven that it's a wonder the Clone Wars lasted more than a few weeks. The Jedi are superheroes, and they're fighting the worst droid army in the history of ever-- how come the war took so long to win?

At 23 minutes (minus commercials) I can see why George Lucas insisted the previous series be about 3-4 minutes an episode. Honestly, this story was so light on plot that it could have easily been done in that short amount of time

Appearing: Yoda, Dooku, Asajj Ventress, Lt. Thire (clone), more Clones, Battle Droids, Super Battle Droids, Destroyer Droids

Pros: Neat scenery (which Yoda actually comments on), good voice work, good designs.

Cons: No wacky and vaguely culturally insensitive accent for the Toydarians, been-there-done-that plot, entire show takes place on a single planet with very little cutting away to make up for it.

Post-The Force Unleashed

Adam16bit — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 17:55:00 -0700

I spent a lot of this past week not blogging, editing, and generally not doing what I should be. My backlog of columns shrank, and I can thank The Force Unleashed on my Xbox 360 for that. I've since finished it.

The game is unusual in that it manages to succeed in something and fail in that very same thing. Some examples:

Properly aging the characters. Bail Organa looks the same as he did in Revenge of the Sith despite a 16-year difference between the stories. Princess Leia, on the other hand, manages to look like a young Carrie Fisher, which is perfect for a story that takes place about 3 years before the original Star Wars.

No ability to skip cut scenes. The first time through, this is a blessing-- you want to see them, they're neat. However, after you've seen them all 2-3 times, sometimes you want to skip them so you can find Holocrons and unlock achievements. Guess what? You can't. You have to watch them every time, and this problem compounds when you want to skip to a new stage-- you have to do so from within a game level, meaning you have to (you guessed it) watch a cut scene for several minutes before regaining control.

Oh, and in the "bad" department...

Interface. The menus are largely well-designed, clear and easy to read. However, the loading time for these mostly text screens is quite significant, and the menus are pretty buggy. I've unpaused the game only to find the level started over, or I'm treated to the beginning of the level cut scene despite being in the middle of a stage.

Controls. Some parts are a little clunky, others are downright confusing-- despite the game telling you exactly which buttons to push, it isn't clear that you're always succeeding.

For what it aspired to do, I think it succeeded. You really do feel (more or less) like you can use the Force, despite some of the characters' equipment feeling less like an in-universe technology and more like an in-game cop-out. Some elements of Star Wars really don't mesh well with a good video game, simply because having super powers that essentially make you a god-like being would remove much of the game's challenge. Also, the very idea of troopers who can disappear just doesn't click for me.

I can nitpick at it, but I'd be lying if I said that the under 10 hour run time wasn't one of the most fun experiences I've had with a Star Wars game in years, and one of the more fun games I've played this year. But I'm extremely biased-- I might not have said the same thing if the setting was ancient Greece or, for example, NBC's Heroes. The final product feels very piecemeal, and there are some inconsistencies within the game itself. The Stormtroopers in the prologue are usually normal Stormtroopers, but in at least one cinema scene they're a hybrid of Stormtroopers and Revenge of the Sith clone troopers. It seems like a lot of it was farmed out to other developers or animators, giving the game a somewhat rough feel. Still, it's a decent Star Wars adventure that really aspires to be an interactive movie, and it seems LucasArts is making a lot of headway toward this goal. It's great to see a decent story in a game that isn't an RPG for a change.

Q&A: Post-The Force Unleashed Edition

Adam16bit — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 17:40:00 -0700

Now that The Force Unleashed is out and (for some of us) completed, let's look at Star Tours toys, Indiana Jones playsets, and yes, even Clone Trooper variations. All this, and much more, await you in this sorta-but-not-really exciting installment of Q&A!

1. Do you know if the Star Tours Droid Pack with R2-D2, C-3PO, WEG-1618, RX-24 ("Rex"), and DL-X2 ever materialized? I haven't been out to Disneyland or Disneyworld, and haven't been able to locate these on eBay.
--Gabriel

Well Gabriel, I have good news and bad news.

The good news? You're a very capable collector, able to do research and look at the best places for this kind of information on your own. For this, I give you applause and a favor if I can fill one for you at some point. Seriously, I appreciate it when people look for answers in the places that can give them immediate feedback-- which isn't something this column can easily do.

The bad news? You're right. It's not out yet. Hopefully it will show up again soon, but for the time being it doesn't seem too likely to be on the way. As Hasbro tends to give absolutely no information out about the products it develops with Disney-- seriously, none of its Star Tours products for the first few waves (or any of them, if memory serves) appeared on their own web site as news items-- searching eBay is your best bet. Well, that and collector sites like this one. (Or, let's be honest, other ones.)

2. Short and sweet: Is the mail-away Captain Rex the same figure/packaging as the new figure hitting stores now?
--DFR

No, but it fits under the "just different enough to make you mad" banner. The figure is from the same mold, but without the battle damage/dirt. The packaging is actually way better with the mail-in version, as it sports a rockin' fold-out diorama. It's so good I actually used a stupid slang word like "rockin'" to describe it-- that should tell you something. I'd suggest getting one just for that, but I've got a sack of UPCs and order forms and I'm not sending in for extras because, well, it's kinda bland overall. It seems a "clean" variant of Rex may be hitting retail stores as well, making the mail-in version merely a package variant and rendering the actual mail-in offer to be one of the more pointless in recent memory.

3. Is the clone trooper in Legacy wave 2 a member of the 501st and can therefore join Commanders Vill and Bow and 501st airborne trooper in my diarama?
--S

In Legacy Wave 2, there's the Heavy Gunner and SCUBA troopers, neither of which are explicitly in the 501st. The Heavy Gunner is part of the Muunilinst 10, a group you absolutely should consider getting a diorama together for.

As the 501st did not yet exist at the time of this cartoon's creation, it's a crapshoot as to if they could eventually be retoconned into the 501st or Obi-Wan's 212th attack battalion. As far as I can tell, this is just a specialized group unto itself.

4. [In a previous] q and a someone asked a question about not being able to get the figures before retail. To avoid this have you ever hidden the figures around toys r us, walmart etc ? do you think its wrong because ive benefited many times?
--Rich

I think it proves that you probably shouldn't be collecting unless you're doing this because you aren't old enough to have a job yet. If I can't afford something, I don't buy it. I actually cheap out on lots of things so I generally don't have to face the "lunch or toys?" question. Ideally, I'd say fans should avoid this kind of behavior simply because it screws up the store-- if a figure is "hidden," that means the store thinks it still has that item in inventory, and the automatic replenishment system won't tell the employees to order more or put more on the shelves. So basically, by doing this, you're throwing a wrench into the gears of that store, potentially preventing new shipments of product and causing other fans a lot of grief that could have been solved by your just putting it on layaway or simply charging it. Or, you know, doing without-- which is what I do when I can't justify buying something.

5. Whatever happened to the Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull 3 3/4" Lost Temple of Akator Playset? I can no longer find any listings of it anywhere on the internet and wonder if it was pulled from production. Did it ever come out and/or is it still on its way to stores?
--Todd

I have two suggestions.

Unless Hasbro surprises us, it's due out around the DVD release-- Hasbro makes it a point to have a second big "push" for the home video market, as that's when the kids typically see the movie for themselves. I'd expect to see it around that time.

FIN

OK, so I got and played through The Force Unleashed. The good news is that (for me anyway) it was compelling enough to hold my attention to the end... unfortunately, as you may have guessed, the end came quite quickly. I played through it on the second level of difficulty and am wondering if I should have started with the third. But I don't want to spoil the story, so let's just talk toys and the game.

I'd really like to know when the toys were developed against when the in-game character models were finalized. Some of the figures, like Rahm Kota and Starkiller, don't seem to look too much like the actors in the game. The most interesting thing I thought, though, was with the Incinerator Troopers. The red Wal-Mart exclusive figures leaked ages ago and my first thought when seeing how the stripes were painted was that a pauldron was missing-- and in the game, sure enough, they have a pauldron. So basically the figures aren't entirely accurate, meaning Hasbro has an excuse to crank out more. Also, most of the troops have blasters that don't quite match the game, which is unfortunate but it does give another reason to rerelease them with more game-accurate paint.

It's packed with a lot of familiar places (and faces) so if Hasbro wanted to, the game could have been a great excuse to reissue older figures. It's really a shame most of the toys were sold to a market who hadn't had the chance to play the game yet-- odds are Hasbro could have sold a lot more stuff with the game out. With any luck, the game will do well enough to justify additional toys as there seems to be enough good stuff in here for at least a few more figures. (Well, maybe not a ton. But some.) If you haven't had the chance to try the game out, I'd suggest giving it a shot if you have the means.

...also, a number of you wrote in concerning your experiences with GameStop and the Stormtrooper Commander. Some recurring themes:
- Employees were not aware a promotion was taking place
- Employees said "I'll take one or two myself if we get any in"
- Stores were not given enough to go around
- Stores were not informed what to do with them (at least a few readers were simply given one without purchase

Odds are it was a successful promotion from where Hasbro and GameStop stand, but it's basically cemented where I won't be taking my game business from here on out. I know most people who write in to me only let me know about the bad experiences, so I can only assume some of you got the figure like you were supposed to without any trouble. Here's hoping for a Hasbro reissue down the raod, I suppose.

Oh, and my backlog is empty-- I've got one column in the can, and all the questions I've earmarked have either been answered or deleted. So if you've still got one, you know what to do! Email me with "Q&A" somewhere in the subject line and hopefully I'll get to yours in the next column!

Q&A: Animation, Bad Investments, and More!

Adam16bit — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 17:05:00 -0700

This week, we answer another 5 questions! (Big surprise.) Topics include the alleged divide in figure collecting, the 10th anniversary of the prequels, and much more. Also: Why GameStop can suck it. Read on!

1. As you know, 2009 is the 10th anniversary of TPM. Consequently, do you suppose that Star Wars product in the original Episode I packaging will sell better on eBay next year? I'm wondering whether I should hold off my auctions.
--Edward

My initial reaction to this question was that it was someone setting me up for a great joke-- then I realized it's entirely possible that the world does not share my favorite stock answer, which was some variation on "burn them."

The bulk of the line from 1995-present was widely collected-- a number of fans bought one of everything to keep in the package, and many of them bought multiples. Episode I was overproduced to a ridiculous sense, and it's going to be more than 10 years before there will be any interest in it. I'd actually go with "forget it." Not all toys are destined to be collectible in the long run, actually very few are. For every old figure you can sell for a profit, remember that there are Playmates Star Trek figures worth a dollar or three each, years of now virtually worthless McFarlane figures, and piles of G.I. Joes which have outlived the collector attention span. The added problem with Star Wars is that many of the figures have since been reissued, often in superior forms.

The anniversary likely won't help. If you're seriously considering dumping your collection, my honest advice to you is to see if you can break even (or profit on) anything, and unload it. Give the rest to charity-- the $1-$3 per figure you will most likely get, less eBay and PayPal fees, is really not worth your time. The vast majority of recent collectibles based on the Lucas saga took a nose dive in terms of value and I think you'd be better off keeping it (hey, you might have kids some day) or setting fire to it.

...or if you're feeling saucy, hold on to all your vehicles for a while. If history is any indicator, fans will care about vehicles, and 5+ years later, they'll start being interested in the figures. I personally do not believe most modern figures will ever achieve any significant collector interest unless Hasbro stops bringing them out again, and again, and again with a series of improvements. Why should anyone pay you $7 for a Mace Windu from 1999 when Hasbro has a new one with a box of weapons, more articulation, a properly colored lightsaber, and a cloth cloak for $7 in stores now?

If you bought the stuff to get rich, well, breaking even is a really admirable goal. The figures aren't going to skyrocket next year (or likely ever) because so many people put them away 9 years ago that they will simply never be rare.

2. Where are the new build a droids from?any movie or EU? And how many will there be?My favorite astromech is now R7-Z0 with the triangular eye,reminds me of Plankton.
--ABarra9721

SO far, the build-a-droids come from a variety of sources. There are places you'll find the R4 units in the movies, you can look them up on resources like Wookieepedia or fan sites like this one. The R7s are squarely Expanded Universe, and little visual reference exists for them. The RA droids, well, you probably know the deal there.

As of now there is no final tally on how many build-a-droids will be made, as Hasbro has yet to confirm how long The Legacy Collection will be produced. Previous lines say we'll get 40-60 figures in a line, which means we're likely to get something like 10-12 droids-- unless Hasbro decides to keep it going, which we all hope they will.

3. I'm still not a huge fan of, nor will I be collecting in great numbers the animated style toys. I think they are great as a limited tie in with the show and do have a few which I will display in stylized ways, but aside from the vehicles they do not work with my existing collection and I simply can't (or don't want to) spare the room or cash for something that doesn't work with everything else I have.

Do you feel that this is a widespread attitude and will it translate to the line being a limited run not unlike the previous Clone Wars line? Do you think there is much longevity in the animated style figures or will Hasbro eventually merge the characters and give us realistically styled figures of characters in the show? I especially would LOVE to see a realistically styled phase 1 Scout trooper from the movie.
--Joshua

The ridiculous volume of releases since 2005 have basically made collecting Star Wars a nearly full-time job. (Thankfully, my full-time job requires that I pay attention to it.) More than boredom, fatigue, or anything else, we've all spent so much time and bought so much stuff that any deviation from the norm is almost enough to make a lot of fans throw in the towel. I've basically lost interest in the other toy lines I followed just because of the effort required to keep tabs on it all.

The obvious new divide-- animated vs. not-- may or may not be a good thing. A lot of fans said they won't buy any animated, but seem to be gradually warming up to the line. I just don't know where it's going to go. Frankly, I want one big line-- not two competing 3 3/4-inch lines. Seeing how the toony toys are dragging, it seems like a lot of fans probably won't be won over by the new releases because there really aren't any to go get. Being boring is typically what gets me to quit a toy line, a big gap means I stop paying attention and move on to something else.

Despite Hasbro's insisting that there won't be any (or many) realistic versions of cartoon figures, I disagree. Realistic clone repaints sell, and it makes sense that we'll eventually start seeing realistic versions of some of the animated clones. Or rather, it seems like a great, cheap repaint that would help Hasbro's bottom line-- why not do it?

I think they're pretty slick, but if Hasbro ended the cartoony line tomorrow I wouldn't miss it. I might change my tune eventually, but one consistent style is really where I think collectors want the line to go. I don't think that's where the money is, but I don't have access to Hasbro's books.

4. Do you know if the upcoming Ahsoka Tano Clone Wars figure will be smaller and more petite than the other figures in the line,like the more recent Princess Leia figures?
--Daniel

She's pretty dainty, but I have yet to play with a sample up close. I don't know if she'll be quite as small as the recent Leia figures, but she does seem to be smaller than other animated figures from what I saw at Comic-Con.

5. Do yo know of any good database or "pedia" type software for keeping track of your figure collection? I've reached the point I can't remember what I have and don't have anymore.
--Buntz

I have two suggestions.

1. Excel, or your favorite spreadsheet application. Nothing sorts, scales, or is as robust when collecting data. I love it for some things, and it is pretty widespread at offices across the world. You can always work on your collection lists at the office, for example.

2. If you don't know what you want, then you don't need it. No, really. This has worked wonders for me and other collectors. If you don't know what you're missing-- unless you're a variant hound who catalogs every minor change-- I would seriously consider letting those pieces go. Of course, this is coming from someone who has collected toys pretty much non-stop since 1989 and is at a point where he'd rather just enjoy the stuff he has for a while. But that's me.

A large personal investment of time is absolutely necessary to keep track of the line because no book (and as far as I can tell, no website) will ever mesh up with every collector's idea of what constitutes a "collection." Do you need all 3 TIE Bombers? Or the blue and red Battle Droids from Episode II in the deluxe and basic line? Your mileage may vary, and because of this I would suggest doing the research to write up a list of what you have and what you want on your own. If nothing else, you might be able to find some pieces you can skip.

FIN

You can skip this next part. You probably should. Seriously, this is just me being angry.

Man I hate GameStop. I used to love GameStop (and Babbages and its other stores)-- in high school and college, I made it a point to go to one or more locations weekly. I picked up something (a figure, a controller, etc.) pretty much every other time I stopped in, or went with someone who was buying. It's tapered off a little in recent years due to declining customer service... and you can probably guess why I'm pissed at them this week. You may have even had the same experience. I called a store on Saturday and asked if they had any of the Stormtroopers available with preorders. "Let me check," she said. Pause. "Yup, we've got a ton." I respond with "so I can come in today, right now, pre-order the game, and walk out with the figure?" "Yes you can." I informed her I'd be down there in a few minutes-- as I had not yet pre-ordered the game-- and I could get it. It takes me about 25 minutes to get there and park, and the guy behind the counter looks at me like I was insane. "Who did you talk to?" he asks. "Her, I assume" I respond, pointing to the only female employee in the store. He comes back and tells me that no, they don't have any. "She said you did-- and that's why I came here to give you my money." He just shrugs, she walks by and I say "so you don't have any despite my asking about it a few minutes ago?" and she says "nope."

Now that's fantastic customer service. I've been giving my business to other chains in recent years because of more and more incidents like this one. At least make it up to me or explain why you lied to me to get me in your store. Ugh. Well, here's hoping you had better luck getting your Stormtrooper Commander than I did. My guess is I'll be watching eBay until the market gets saturated or people get bored with them. Thanks for nothing, GameStop #3815, but I do appreciate your ensuring Target, Best Buy, Circuit City, and/or Toys "R" Us gets my gaming business from here on out. Oh, and by the way, none of your feedback forms work on your web site. Which I assume is intentional. Excellent work there.

Shockingly, though, I managed to find both of the Wal-Mart Force Unleashed Stormtrooper packs last weekend at $15 a pop. I know a lot of people are down on yet more repaints, but as repaints go, these are pretty good. The really interesting thing I noticed about them was that it seems on the packaging, one of the mock-ups of the Incinerator Troopers is a repainted POTJ-era Sandtrooper (or OTC Carry Case Stormtrooper/Saga Imperial Forces Stormtrooper), while one of the Shadow Stormtroopers is a repainted Evolutions Sandtrooper (or Tantive IV Battle Pack Stormtrooper). The actual product is simply repainted VOTC Stormtroopers, which works just fine. If you like these. (And I do.) Here's hoping Hasbro puts them out again in the future, even though the pricing here is about as good as we're likely to get. Supposedly even more Stormtrooper repaints are in the game, which I'm sure would make someone a nice exclusive some day.

I do like these, but then again, I'm easy. And at this time, I've only played the Force Unleashed demo, so for all I know the weapons are all wrong. Still, they're neat figures. I'd love to see more of them, as long as they looked pretty cool, especially if Hasbro started making mini-vehicles to go with them. (Hint, hint Hasbro.)

Got questions? I bet you do. Email me with "Q&A" somewhere in the subject line and hopefully I'll get to yours in the next column!

Q&A: Fan Wars, Droid Construction and Durge

Adam16bit — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 17:04:00 -0700

It's Monday, so before you start working, take a few minutes to read about plastic people! This week's questions include Durge, the never-ending debate on if fans like the new Animated Clone Wars toys, and so much more. I could tell you everything here, but that'd take up a lot of room-- so just click through for this week's column!

1. Given your knowledge of the action-figure retail world, would you hazard a guess to say the animated Clone Wars figures are selling a) better than the 'real' sculpt style, b) about even, or c) worse? I know it's hard to tell at most retail stores because they are all lumped together and stores (at least in my area) seem to have been shipped a *lot* of product (six weeks after the lines came out, you can still pretty much get any figure from Clone Wars line 1, the first two Legacy lines, and the Saga Legends first line; in fact I've seen first day of issue stickers loitering around even this week). Did Hasbro release too much product at once, and has that helped or hurt the Clone Wars line, do you think (I know there's intended support through next year, but then there was for Indiana Jones too and that line has *tanked* at retail)?

[snip]

I'm beginning to wonder if (what I perceive to be) a growing (and wholly asinine) aversion to the prequels isn't the cause. [snip] People are going to like what appeals to them. But it really feels like people are closing their eyes -- and minds -- to prequel stuff merely because it is prequel stuff, which to me seems, well, kind of stupid. SW is a BIG playground now and we all have areas that don't really grab us (I find most of the novels are pretty bad personally), so maybe this is just the whining of someone who thinks he's seeing a backlash against a part of SW lore he really likes (for the record, I really enjoyed Clone Wars and have seen it twice, can't wait for the show).
--Ed

The anti-prequel question is a bit of a doozy. I'm a big believer that most franchises have a sort of magical property about them that causes the real feelings toward one story to be transferred to a later installment. For example, the box office success of The Matrix and Pirates of the Caribbean sequels all came from the first strong film. Ditto the merchandise-- the reason POTC2 had such great toys and strong purchases were because of the love for the first picture. In this case, a lot of people hated the prequels but stuck out the movies-- and now that the story of the movies is over, a lot of the indifference or general distaste of the Old Republic is being fueled into The Clone Wars. Which, as far as I can tell, isn't entirely fair given that the cartoony movie didn't strike me as quite as indulgent as parts of the prequels.

I've seen no evidence that Star Wars toys are hurting in any way. LEGO and Hasbro products seem to be doing just fine, but the edition sizes on recent Gentle Giant and Sideshow items (really, over the past year) lead me to wonder what the heck is going on there. It's entirely possible that the success of Star Wars is largely driven by kids, because, let's face it, all we collectors do is complain. We don't typically go on forums and say things like "this new C-3PO figure is entirely wonderful!" And those prequel toys are selling to somebody.

Regarding product availability, what we're seeing here is fairly normal for a "launch." In 1999, with the exception of Darth Maul, those initial Episode I figures were widely available. Ditto 2002's Episode II line's first wave, and much of the first few waves of Episode III in 2005. Sure, some figures were popular, but a very short toy run could usually yield the entire first couple of dozen figures with limited problems. It would seem that the first day of issue stickers-- a really bad piece of marketing in light of the hundreds of dollars of new product, especially given that a sticker does not a "first day of issue" make-- continue to trickle in. I don't know if you pay attention to assortment breakdowns, but no single case has more than 4 first day sticker figures in it. So if anything, there's a certain level of BS/marketing to it, but those terms tend to be pretty swappable. (And I say this as someone in marketing.)

Star Wars was and continues to be a largely kid-driven franchise. It's just that kids grow up-- the reason it's so big today is that the children of what may be referred to as Generation X grew up and came back to it. It's hard to tell what today's kids are going to do, but it's entirely possible they'll grow out of Star Wars (like so many of us did from 1985-1991) and come back some day. Of course, Star Wars went away once, and it hasn't yet done so again. The toy line is consistently successful, the sheer quantity of product each year is gargantuan, and complain as they do, collectors still line up to buy.

I can't say I blame fans for hating on the prequels, or even the TV show, as long as they took the time to see it. The strangest reactions I've seen to the new Clone Wars project are something like this: "Lucas sold out. I'm not going to watch this cartoon crap, I'm just going to buy the toys."

...I'm a firm believer that there's a very large part of the fan base which will buy absolutely anything Hasbro cranks out, without exceptions. This isn't a huge number, but the number that'll buy every basic action figure-- I believe-- is pretty big. Backlash or no, we're in a hobby which survived Hurricane Episode I, several off-years, and countless competitors. No licensed movie figure line has lasted forever, but history shows that a lot of brands will go on even if the fans shift. Someone's going to buy this stuff no matter what we think.

2. How long do you think Hasbro will do the build-a-droid pack Ins? It seems as though continuing a program like that would force people to buy the whole wave, Right? I'm still debating whether it's worth it. I don't know how many times they can get me to buy repacks or repaints of figures i already have. Plus I'm not sure i want to collect figures from comics and other sources besides the movies and TV shows
I was also wondering since Hasbro has stated in recent Q&A's that the animated and legacy figures are going to remain separate (which is fine by me!) Do you think this will spawn 2 types of collectors.
How long before people stop belly-aching about the stylized look of the animated figures? Clone Wars is here to stay and has a long way to go before it ends right? With the release of the cartoon network preview the other night I'm baffled at the lack of excitement for this huge venture Lucusfilm and Hasbro are about to take us all on? I'm Excited are You?
--Chad

Right now the build-a-droid line looks like it's going to have a healthy 12-18 months of production, so right now I'd be surprised if it doesn't last until near the end of 2009. Hasbro might change this depending on sales and new cost factors, but if history tells us anything is that Hasbro won't keep it around forever.

While the Animation and Real/Other lines are separate, I don't know if it will split the collector base too much. I see a lot of people break down and buy into the toon figures because they want to buy something and no new "movie" figures are available, or because they heard some figures like R2-D2 are awesome. (He is, by the by.) As long as Hasbro keeps cartoon characters out of the realistic line, there's a very good chance both could thrive or at the very least co-exist for a while. Collectors seemingly embraced the cartoon line, with only 8 figures out there they seem to be doing just fine.

As far as complaining goes, never. A lot of collectors are pretty focused and anything that isn't what they love is going to be the target of much malice. You'll see the same thing in competing home video formats, video game consoles, and anything else that fans could argue over. Fan interest seems to be a little tepid, but that might have to do with expectations or people going into this not wanting to like it. I'm just a curious fan-- I'll watch something even if (or especially if) someone tells me it's bad. I just finally saw Star Trek Nemesis, for example. It's entirely possible fans will warm up to the show, but I'd be lying if I said I was crazy about the two separate lines-- I'd personally rather just see one, even if it meant shelving the classic movie figures for a while. Do we really need to have cartoony and real clones on the pegs next to one another?

...but to answer your question, I'm all about the TV show. It's a great medium, even if its golden age is behind us, and seeing the saga on TV could be really fun. And if an episode sucks, it's only going to be another 7 days until the next one. As someone who has watched many episodes of Star Trek, I can say that I wouldn't get your hopes too high-- even a beloved franchise can have multiple rotten episodes. That's no reason to knock the entire series, but it is worth mentioning that a 10-20% suck rate shouldn't be a big surprise on a good weekly sci-fi television program. especially if it skews young. (Plus we've had dozens of great [and awful] comics, games, and novels, so I'm expecting a mostly good mixed bag here.)

3. Also, some of the figures I have said first day of issue with the blue foil star wars logo. Will these be rarer than the non foil logo ones? Does it matter?
--Eddie

The intent of those "First Day of Issue" stickers on the first 8 The Clone Wars and first 12 The Legacy Collection figures were to drive sales and create a little extra buzz on an already buzzworthy line. It seems that under 20% of the production of each figure so far has the label, and it might be closer to 10% or less. The real question, which you asked, is if it matters-- I'd say probably not. Typically these "Ultimate Galactic Hunt"-style chase figures do well during slower seasons, but in the midst of a big push, they get lost in the shuffle. Many fans just don't care, and history shows us that this sort of thing doesn't generally have a lot of lasting interest with fans. By the time the next few waves hit, these will likely be forgotten.

If you think they're cool, I'd suggest getting a set. If I was on a budget and I could only pick one or the other, I'd skip the first days so I would be able to have a uniform looking packaged collection-- I'd want a uniform look, but that's me. Since it's just another figure with a sticker on it, it's a great way for the manufacturer to convince you to buy the same product again with minimal changes.

4. I recently picked up the Durge/ Anakin Comic 2 pack and was initially impressed by the Durge figure (not sure why). It sparked in me a desire to go back and pick up the other incarnations of Durge as I have, until the last year or two, been strictly an OT figure collector. I bought the original Clone Wars carded Durge as well as the Deluxe Durge with bike. I haven't had the opportunity to get a good look at the Deluxe (it hasn't arrived yet), but today I received the single carded figure and rushed to do a side-by-side comparison of the two (old and new) versions. At first I thought that the new version borrowed parts from the older version since some of the basic features are pretty similar. I was disappointed by this until I took a closer look and realized that the new version is not only all-new but, sculpt-wise (IMO) not as detailed as the original. The original has more paint apps and added details that the newer Durge is lacking. The 08 Durge is pretty plain in comparison and missing some of the oomph that the older one brings to the table. Sure, the newer figure has some more articulation (although there are no knee joints) but I am a bit surprised at how much cruder the newer version looks compared to the older Durge. I am not an EU guy and have therefore only seen the character in the Cartoon Network Clone Wars series as well as the comic book packaged with the 08 figure. Still, it just seems like the older figure packs a better punch. Is the new one more accurate in all of its ...blandness? Where does the Deluxe figure rate compared to the other two? Your thoughts?
--Dan

The deluxe Durge with his bike is my overall favorite-- best helmet, best articulation, and best accessories. He also holds together nicely. The 2003 basic figure has this weird fleshy patch on his arm, likely meant to be his arm, which doesn't really mesh with the character's appearances in the various comics and cartoons too well. The 2008 figure looks a lot like the 2003 one, but with less detail, a smaller head, and... well, it just doesn't sing. And it should.

Accuracy is tough to read. The character looks different in each incarnation, as artists take liberties with the design. I'd suggest checking out some Internet pages on the character for reference, or if you really don't follow the comics, just pick your favorite. I'm willing to give a little in terms of detail if it's more fun as a toy, which is why I think the deluxe model is the best.

I would agree that the new one is cruder, and it certainly needs something to make it better. Fanboys and girls, hold on to your 2003 figures if you got 'em.

5. So what do you suppose is the deal with [these guys from Asia selling figures by the lot on eBay]? I know you've obliquely
referenced back-door factory sources for toys before, but I'm eager to
talk frankly. I'm not interested in tossing around accusations or
anything, I just think there may be a lot of conversation worthy
information implied by these auctions. I kinda feel like this guy is
getting some sort of unofficial factory output - most likely "off hours"
production runs.

Might it be possible to guess mold usage from such a seller's available
stock?
--John

At one point it seemed pretty telling that these individuals were picking up items from current production runs, but over the years it has been all over the place. They have sold G.I. Joes which never saw an official release, Star Wars figures from several years ago, and even upcoming items. There's no obvious pattern to the items being sold versus what will or won't come out, as these sellers have even sold kitbashed figures of their own designs which were never produced by Hasbro proper.

I honestly don't know what the deal is with them, but I'm wagering a guess that they're done in the off-hours from real Hasbro molds. That, or surplus product made for any of a variety of purposes, such as safety tests or items which were never completed. (For example, there have been cases of toy companies making too much product and not enough boxes, and those toys will end up going somewhere or being ordered destroyed-- and it's possible employees take them rather than have them ground up.)

I know Hasbro's official stance is "it's stolen property" most of the time when prototypes or anything that looks like it came from a factory is concerned, but that simply can't be true. Employees do get this stuff and sometimes sell it off. And if a factory sends Hasbro every piece it ordered and cranks out a few hundred extra for one reason or another, there's definitely some intellectual property rights issues here, but there's no guarantee it's genuinely "stolen" product. It's hard to get information out of these sellers for a variety of reasons, especially given there's often a bit of a language barrier in many cases.

Right now, I'd look at them as merely being interesting to watch for potential new unannounced products or shots at items I've missed-- seeing older molds show up for auction doesn't necessarily mean anything, for all I know someone bought a huge wholesale lot of figures, opened them, and is now selling them at a premium price as an army. (I've seen people pay more per-figure for a lot of unpackaged clones than they would for just one single packaged figure on a regular basis.) I wish I could say that there's something you can read into from the figures they sell beyond the obvious, but right now, I would be unable to see any consistent patterns out of these sellers' inventories.

FIN

Last week was pretty miserable-- thanks for all the kind words, by the way-- but I did manage to stumble on the Ewoks and Droids cartoon DVDs as a mall in Phoenix. It really is a shame these are essentially out of circulation, even though they are oddly edited together with stock footage from other episodes appearing in strange places. No sign yet of the live-action Ewok DVDs any more... but I'm still looking.

You may have seen my post earlier in the week regarding my initial impressions of the Toys "R" Us exclusive Lars Homestead set. My opinions on the topic of its value haven't changed much, but it is fun to mess with it. It's just ridiculously overpriced and has a much lower production quality than I've come to expect from Hasbro which, I suppose, may be my own fault. These little figures aren't all perfect, but I've never seen plastic this flimsy used on any of what I considered to be a collector-grade toy line. Having bought the cardboard sets, which I thought were fine, I found this to be more than a little disappointing. However, I have kept it within arm's reach while at home for a while and have been messing with it here and there. So don't not buy it just because I think it's potentially the worst value of the year outside the $13-$15 individually carded exclusive figures-- you might have fun with it. Just be careful, it's fragile.

I'd also like to add that I can't put down the Tobbi Dala and Fenn Shysa figures. These things are pretty amazingly great for repaints with new heads. That, and they also beg for their own vehicle(s), so here's hoping Hasbro cranks out some fun, angular, 1980s-style space ships with two seats in them. Or three. (And also, I'd like to see a Boba Fett based on the art from those particular issues...)

Got questions? I bet you do. Email me with "Q&A" somewhere in the subject line and hopefully I'll get to yours in the next column!

Star Wars Legacy Comic Packs Wave 2 Impressions

Adam16bit — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 17:22:00 -0700

They'll all be in Figure of the Day soon, but I just got the rest of Wave 2 of the new comic packs. It seems Hasbro is putting more effort into this sub-line than the basic figures in 2008, as it's loaded with clever repaints, excellent retools, and brand new figures on par with your average basic action figure.

Star Wars #68 with Fenn Shysa and Dengar
Not one to rest on their molds, Hasbro took the 2008 Evolutions Jango Fett and gave him a new head. The 2003 Dengar was redecorated as well. As a fairly shameless fanboy for Marvel's Star Wars, I like this set a lot. The weirdly colored Dengar looks like a bootleg, and Fenn... well, I wish I liked Fenn more as a toy. Jango's oddly hanging holsters don't look good here, and Fenn's head feels small. His armor looks great though, very much a product of the 1980s. There are no real surprises in accessories or articulation.

Star Wars #69 with Tobbi Dala and Princess Leia
We have a winner! Princess Leia isn't the winner, but she's good-- it's a 1998 mold with a newly sculpted belt and improved paint. She fits right in witht he comic art, being almost entirely white. The holster isn't very good in that it's squished under her vest, which will also squish her blaster if it is held inside. Also, her right hand is warped and if you remove the rubber band, she may drop the gun. Tobbi Dala is a pile of awesome. Great metallic coloring, wonderful pose, and it's based on the 2008 Evolutions Boba Fett. The figure's poses remind me of the various hip-hop Mandalorians at comic conventions and the bright coloring is very retro. You simply must buy this set.

Star Wars Legacy #2 with Darth Talon and Cade Skywalker
Both are all-new molds. Cade doesn't include a lightsaber (no matter what the art or insert tray may say), but Talon does. Cade is super articulated, has his belt packaged on him backwards, and includes his trademark customized special rifle. His head is also a little funky, but the costume is great. Talon is almost super-articulated (no elbows), but is otherwise wonderful. Her lightsaber is a little rubbery, but she's unique enough to warrant a purchase. The set is a must-buy for fans of the Legacy comics.

Star Wars Legacy #6 with Antares Draco and Ganner Krieg
Both share a body, but it's an all-new body. Pros: wonderful paint, great soft goods, super articulation, good poses. Cons: hoods don't stay up well, lightsabers can't be pegged to belts, clearish white blades look goofy. Ganner's head is pretty good, but Antares is quite striking-- it almost looks like it can come to life and speak to you. Again, this is a must-buy for fans of the series. Draco won't let you down.

As a Star Wars comic fan, I'd rate the entire wave a must-buy... but you likely are not a fan of both comics from 1981 and 2008. As such, you might be put off by the oddly colored Marvel characters, or the distant future generations of Legacy. It's hard to identify a true favorite, but out of this wave I'd say the true highlights are Tobbi Dala and Cade Skywalker. If either character appeals to you on some level, buy the figures.

Q&A: Unleash Your Questions!

Adam16bit — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 18:08:00 -0700

This week, we look at stuff surrounding The Force Unleashed, Indiana Jones, and more Clone Wars stuff. Oh, and there's more-- read on, won't you? (It's not like it's any less fun than working!)

1. Is the Darth Vader with the 2 part helmet a totally new sculpt or just the head portion? Also will the build a droid astromech dome part that he comes with be included with any other figures later on?
--Steve

Basically, it's just a new helmet. The head is molded in the fleshy color rather than painted, and the helmet is now a two-piece sculpted helmet. He comes with the head and foot of R7-Z0, and according to Hasbro's comments on the line will not likely see release elsewhere. So if you want a complete R7-Z0, and you do, choke it up and buy.

2. Don't you think it's about time that Hasbro (or the retailer responsible) announces where we can get that long overdue Force Unleashed Stormtrooper exclusive figure? The game is due to be released in just under a month from now. You'd think that whoever wants us to spend our money in their stores to get the game and exclusive figure would want to make it that much easier on us?
--GalacticHunter

You'd think so, but Hasbro (for some reason or another) keeps a lot of exclusives under wraps until after their release, or never really promotes them at all. This seems to be one of them. It's a GameStop pre-order bonus, but there has yet to be any official announcement despite people actually being given the figure in Canada already. (On that note, does anyone in Canada want to make a very lopsided trade in your favor if you have one or two or three of these?) Generally the delay has to do with the retailer announcing the exclusive on their own, but they rarely do this-- so in this case, it just didn't happen. Like the entire Hasbro Star Tours line.

I did some asking around, but didn't ask if the source would mind me divulging it. So I do have a confirmation from an official source that it will indeed be a GameStop exclusive in the USA, but with an asterisk-- the source didn't say or know how GameStop will distribute it. So I called GameStop to ask, and they answer my questions like I'm insane. So you may wish to pre-order the game, or if you have a friend who works there, ask them and tell me what they tell you. I'm a little shocked they don't know about it if it's a pre-order bonus-- for all I know they'll put it in the stores for $15 because shmucks like me will probably buy it.

It really is obnoxious. As a person who loves toys and video games, you'd think they'd want to attract my business, but no. (Say, does anyone have access to these from Canada and want to get a bunch of Legacy/Clone Wars stuff in a trade wildly unfair in your favor? Email me.)

3. So now that we have an awesome Lancer Droid and an equally awesome Obi-Wan in Clone Armor complete with nifty lances, do you think we might see a battle pack of those two and maybe Durge as well with their swoops?
--Ted

Yes. As in, yes, I think so. I can't say when, of course, but it's a pretty safe bet that this is going to happen at some point in the future. Durge on his Swoop is already out there, and I doubt Hasbro would do more than reissue it. As such, you might want to go ahead and track it down as it is essentially super-articulated (or close enough) and a nice little toy for the money. Although it too has some stability problems... which seems to be a trend these days.

4. Seeing as how we might get a "medical frigate" Luke, it made me think of question I wanted answered since the first time I saw Empire. Vader obviously cuts Luke's hand off at the wrist, so why on the medical frigate does 2-1B replace his forearm as well? Not a toy question, but I thought you might know.
--Chris

Because it looks cooler. I think it's purely so, visually, it was more striking. Subtlety doesn't usually pay off as special effects are concerned, so a lot of things-- like the Carbonite block, for example-- are exaggerated to give it a little more emotion and a little more zing. And, as you can see, it worked.

From the perspective of the story? Well, it's possible they had to goof with his arm a little to get it to function, I suppose. Like if you want a tire on something, you can't just slap a tire on it-- you need to put an axle in there too, and other bits and pieces to allow it to spin properly. Perhaps the assembly needed to be implanted in his arm to make the hand work. But I think mostly it was just the effects department wanting something that, visually, said it all.

5. I usually don't worry about finding non-exclusive figures at retail because I know they will show up eventually but I am starting to get a bad feeling about the Indiana Jones line. All of the stores near me have tons and tons of waves 1 & 2 and seem to be getting more and more of those waves in with no sign of The Last Crusade figures.

How is this line selling (to me it seems very poorly)? I know they have a few more waves lined up but I am beginning to wonder if we're ever going to see those. :(
--Keith

As far as I can tell, Indiana Jones is doing acceptably. It's not doing fantastic business, but people are somewhat interested and the bulk of the interest has certainly faded with the release of the new film. If anything, the line might have done better had it started before the new flick. From where I sit, it seems so much of the stuff is clogging up shelves that it's next to impossible to see anything new, and I found Sean Connery weeks after the rest of the world seemed to. (Well, the wave as a whole-- none of it seems to be making it to shelves.)

It seems that the figures are far enough along that it'll go for a little while longer. The Indiana Jones selling season should last until, at the very least, December or January as people are going to get the DVD and then watch the DVD and then go "man, I'd like a figure of that." So I'd be shocked to not see the line widely available during 2008. But 2009? That's harder to say-- it doesn't seem like the line has a lot of figures that are worth making, and to expect it to have more than 2-3 years worth of life seems... unlikely. But you never know, here we are with Star Wars roughly 1,500 figures later.

FIN

Ah, the post-movie season. The big event has come and gone, and apparently nobody cared-- yet all the figures seem to be selling just fine, which is... uh... kinda freaky. Who knew? I'd be curious to see if Hasbro or LucasFilm made a bigger profit in August 2008.

Now we're moving in to Fall, which I think means this may be one of the most unpleasant years in history for our collective wallets. First, we've got a huge July launch. Then, we've got exclusives and the stuff we missed from the July launch in August, plus another wave of basic figures. And in September, it's going to be a parade of exclusives plus a new video game, with more exclusives pretty much every month from here on out. So instead of giving up something for Lent, I think I'm going to have to give up Transformers and Joes for Q4. And probably beyond if this keeps up, it's just too nutty.

Oh, and did you all check out the Force Unleashed demo? Maybe it's been too long since I played a Star Wars game on a modern-gen console that I genuinely liked, but this seems to be really fantastic. It's weird to be in a position where I've had a dozen figures from a game for almost a half of a year and now I'm eager to see just what their deal is. The graphics are great, the voice acting is OK, and the story seems to be... I'm not sure. Darth Vader's errand boy goes on a fan service parade and kills things? Sounds good to me! I like the fact that the demo is almost exclusively original trilogy stuff, or at least I can appreciate it. (Odds are that's where the money is.) It'll be fun to see how the final product turns out, and here's to there not being another maddening level like Gall from Shadows of the Empire. Speaking of which, I wonder if and/or when we're going to see that ported to the downloadable game services on modern generation consoles. Ah well.

Got questions? I bet you do. Email me with "Q&A" somewhere in the subject line and hopefully I'll get to yours in the next column!

Toys "R" Us Star Wars Galactic Heroes Exclusives Hitting

Adam16bit — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 15:47:00 -0700

Are you looking for the latest Galactic Heroes sets? We spotted one of the two at a Los Angeles Toys "R" Us today, meaning we can vouch for the Kashyyyk set (with Tarfful, Yoda, and some clones with an AT-RT) being out now. The Rancor Pit is also very likely out, we just can't vouch for it. Each set is $24.99.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Xbox Achievements Revealed

Adam16bit — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 10:56:00 -0700

Game site Xbox360Achievements.Org posted a full list of achievements for the Xbox 360 version of the game. Curious what they may be? Click through!

Star Wars Trilogies DVD Sets Coming?

Adam16bit — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 03:02:00 -0700

Repackaged DVDs are apparently going to join repackaged action figures on the shelves, if the post at T-bone's Star Wars Universe is right. The site has an illustration for two new trilogy boxed sets featuring the prequel trilogy and the original trilogy. At this time there is no indication that any new content will be made available, and given all six movies can be purchased today, one wonders why yet another repackaging will happen without new content. Granted, it's nice to not want to rebuy the movies again.

Infinities Surprise: White Darth Vader Figure has New Neck

Adam16bit — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 17:23:00 -0700

For the first time ever, Hasbro created an armored Darth Vader figure with a ball joint. UPDATE 8/26/08: It turns out the original 2004 figure had this joint too-- it was just never showcased in any photo galleries or, as far as I can tell, discussed by anybody. So I guess the real subject of this post is White Darth Vader is White. Also, he has a new cape with modifications around his neck, as there's no "chain" on my sample. So there you have it.

This mold has been used for the 2004 Vintage Original Trilogy Collection Darth Vader, the 2006-2007 Return of the Jedi Tin Darth Vader, the 2006 Imperial Shuttle Pack-In Vader, the 2008 Assault on Kashyyyk Battle Pack Darth Vader... I could go on.

Open Letter to LucasArts

Adam16bit — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 17:00:00 -0700

Dear LucasArts,

I have recently downloaded and played through your demo for Star Wars: The Force Unleashed and am somewhat upset. Over the past decade, we had a deal: you make bad games tied in to the Star Wars saga, and I won't buy them. It worked out really well, and saved me hundreds of dollars which went toward other fun purchases. And now, you make something decent.

Don't get me wrong, we had some good times. The LEGO games? Sure. X-Wing? Absolutely. I even bought all of the games from the 8- and 16-bit generations, quality be damned, and played through Rebel Assault II on the PlayStation back when that sort of thing was considered to be largely impressive. And now you go and release something with polish that's fun to look at and to play? Seriously, what gives, LucasArts?

I've got toys to write about. I simply can't be bothered to spend tens of hours with high-quality software like this. Please do something about it, as it's going to be much harder to make fun of the average licensed Star Wars title if resources and talent go into them and make them good from here on out.

Your pal,

Adam Pawlus

Star Wars LEGO 2009

Adam16bit — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 15:52:00 -0700

Want to see some 2009 previews? Of course you do. Flickr user Corran101 added several shots, as did a generous soul at Brickshelf. Check out the return of pirates (!), a Clone Shuttle (!!), and some classic 1930s cars in a new Temple of Doom set (!!!).

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Demo Available Now

Adam16bit — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 15:51:00 -0700

Good news, everyone! LucasArts' demo for Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is up and ready to download on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. (Heck, I'm downloading it now.) It's about 900 megabytes, so prepare for a bit of a wait, but I hear it's excellent.

Star Wars Action Figures. Collect all 92!

Adam16bit — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 16:59:00 -0700

File under "Bad Ideas."

The slogan was updated constantly and emblazoned on nearly every Kenner Star Wars product for the better part of a decade. Understanding fans before they knew what was going on, the Ohio-based toy giant encouraged fans to collect them all, and as they grew up and got jobs, a lot of them did exactly that. After all, 92 figures on the final figure cardbacks in 1985, plus a few others which weren't shown, wasn't going to be cheap.

Flash forward to 2008 and Hasbro, after buying Kenner, has done a pretty good job updating the entire line. There's a mix of figure which haven't been made yet, and were made a little inaccurately in the original line. Now that we're almost done updating the figures in name, how about accurately representing them as their 1978-1985 plastic selves-- correct or otherwise?

Make way for a real Vintage collection of modern figures! After the McQuarrie Concept line, I can't think of a better line-within-a-line to appeal to old-school original trilogy fans!

Yak Face
The 1998 figure, while arguably an improvement over the supremely rare original, wears a distinctive and different costume. The original Kenner release didn't have the long duster, and the costume coloring was a little different. Since there hasn't been a Yak Face for sale since 1998, why not go retro next time?

R2-D2 (plain, with Sensorscope, with Pop-up Lightsaber)
The original had a body which was created with a big sticker, a wildly inaccurate head, and a height deficiency. The label wouldn't really look good with the rest of the line, but it might be fun to see Hasbro engineers retool a 21st-century take on the original R2-D2 head on a modern body. The giant saucer eye may have been the stuff a good Hungarian bootleg would be based on, but it's also an iconic part of how an entire generation of kids played with the droid. It's also an excuse to do another R2-D2 without lava reflection paint or ash stains or some other minor deco variant.

Han Solo (Carbonite)
While there have indeed been multiple Han Solo figures with the big metal ice block, none have been made in clear brown plastic. None have been molded with his hands at his sides, either. Since a new mold would be needed to make a Kenner-style block (plus it's quite inaccurate), it seems unlikely Hasbro would want to attempt this design-- but hey, why not? Han sells, and the Carbonite has been out of circulation since 2006. This would be a supremely fun Vintage figure!

Warok (Ewok)
To date, this figure has not been done in any modern capacity.

Imperial Dignitary (Sim Aloo)
Again, the figure has not been done in any modern toy line.

Barada (Kithaba)
Supposedly on the short list from Hasbro, the vintage 1984 figure named "Barada" has been since renamed "Kithaba." He's distinctive from the modern Barada figures because he has a slightly different torso and red pants-- this one could be an easy redeco of Barada, although it might be preferable to see a post-Kenner design of the character as a figure.

Lumat (Ewok)
Initially planned to be released in 2007, apparently Hasbro got cold feet and repainted (and renamed) the figure to "Graak." As such, a satisfactory vintage-style Lumat figure is as simple as repainting an existing mold.

Bib Fortuna
After a few tries, Hasbro nailed the movie version of this character-- but the odd looking Kenner original (and the prototype) haven't been done yet. While the movie character had a black robe, the original had a brown robe, and a prototype had a dark red robe. What's more he was armed with a staff which, to date, seems to have originated with Kenner's designers. (Sideshow remade it for their 12-inch figure recently.) As such, there's another opportunity to do another figure to look more like the Kenner original, but even I doubt they'd consider this one.

Emperor's Royal Guard
While there have been three figures of the movie guard in the modern line, none replicated the elegance of the original. The figure could stand guard, hold a large force pike, and sported a cloth robe. It's so simple, and yet we're not quite there yet-- but we came close in 2005 with the Revenge of the Sith figure. Were Hasbro to retool the arms and give him a new weapon, they could make an update of the Kenner orignal (with accessory) and a movie-perfect version with a shorter pike in one easy release.

Nikto
The modern-era figure from 1999 doesn't match the 1983 original at all. An entirely new sculpt may not be required, but really all that's potentially salvageable is the head. They may as well go for broke and start from scratch here.

Luke Skywalker (Hoth Gear)
Even though there hasn't been an ultimate super-articulated version of the movie version of the costume, the suprisingly different Kenner figure from 1982 hasn't been touched in the modern line yet. The perfect companion to your blue costume Hoth Han Solo figures, a new Kenner version would have dark goggles, dark brown boots, and a red scarf around his hat and neck. Retro-tastic!

Bespin Security Guard (Black, Arguably Asian)
While an acceptable Bespin Guard was released in 2001, it didn't look a thing like the original. It didn't have a moustache, and it wasn't black. It also didn't have his jacket closed. For this reason, there's not one but two opportunities to do old-fashioned versions of this guard, both of which could be made from a single mold except for the head. Two for one here, Hasbro!

Darth Vader (and the same comments apply to Obi-Wan Kenobi)
While seemingly every possible variation on Darth Vader has been done, there's one action feature which has never been touched on-- the telescoping lightsaber built in to the arm. All that would be required here for a "Kenner" style release would be a new arm with a lightsaber inside and, if they were feeling saucy, the strange over-the-shoulders cape. Which is really closer to being a floor-length vest with something resembling a hood. Either way, it's another way to sell Darth Vader and cash in on that oh-so-delicious 1978 Kenner nostalgia all at once.

TIE Fighter Pilot
Not only has Hasbro still not yet delivered a super-articulated version of the pilot, the 1982 Kenner orignal really doesn't look anything like the movie aside from the fact that it was black. It features a misshapen helmet design, black gloves, little bits and pieces on his costume, and he was pretty stocky. When every possible version of the TIE Pilot from the movies has been exhausted-- which, I should add, it hasn't yet been-- here's another way to redo the classic.

Greedo
While sales of the Vintage figure in 2006 may have squashed any hope for a new version, the 1979 release had a strange green jumpsuit with big green boots. The head could be reused, as could the hands and maybe bits of the limbs. A whole new torso might be worth a shot in an attempt to create the Kenner original.

Snaggletooth
Like Greedo, it seems Kenner designed much of the costume on their own. His red costume seems only to share the color and the belt with an on-screen counterpart, and his head qualified as close enough. It's time for Kenner to go back to the well and recreate the barefoot, gloveless, grey-furred shorty from the bar.

Boba Fett
The no-brainer of the year! With different colored right and left gauntlets, a unique jetpack, no cape, and a blue body suit, this might be the best possible candidate for Kenner-ization. The original figure was fairly off-model from the final film figure, and the 12-inch Kenner figure from the same time was also pretty unique. Heck, there's two versions right here.

Imperial Officer
Despite there being dozens of Imperial Officer figures, none of them replicated the look of the 1980s original with its pressed uniform, gloves, and hat. Hasbro could easily recolor Moff Jerjerrod to make a figure that's close enough, and that's what they're doing in late 2008. But will it be enough? (Probably.)

Hoth Rebel Solier
Simply put, none of the modern ones have been great. Six points of articulation, tops, and height problems are part of a large list of grievances. After the perfect movie-authentic version of the figure comes to be, Hasbro might want to do a version with a brown parka like the original. The fans would appreciate it.

Rebel Commander
To go with the soldiers, a new commander might be nice. Essentially Major Derlin with a dark moustache and a one-color costume, this should be an easy figure to recreate as a repaint of Major Derlin. Heck, the 2007 Target exclusive rerelease is quite close as it is.

Death Squad Commander/Star Destroyer Commander
Despite being one of the original 12 figures, he's always getting the short end of the figure stick. A good version was released in 2007, but it had a black jumpsuit-- Kenner's figure was clearly grey. This could be either a simple recolor, or something a little more creative. The 2007 figure's hat fits perfectly on Officer Cass, which could mean Hasbro could crank this one out with little to no effort.

FX-7
The 1980s version and the 2001 version are so different it really isn't funny. While some of the original Kenner figures are unique due to misinformation or conscious choices in style, this one seems to be chalked up to the technology of 1980s toys not being up to snuff. Were Hasbro so inclined, they certainly could make one with fewer arms and a slightly different head like this original release. "Could" being the key word-- it's a big step back, so it probably would never happen.

Walrus Man
While we've received several Ponda Baba figures since 1997, all were based on the same basic mold, and none of them were as weird as the original from 1979. Green skin, swim fins, a blue rubber diver suit, and some sort of an orange garment make this another twisted parody of the real deal. Were this sold in eastern Europe today, it would probably be viewed as an outrageously goofy bootleg, but because it was a Kenner original, it actually has a limited amount of respect from fans. By reusing some G.I. Joe parts, Hasbro could easily crank out the brightly colored version for the 21st century collector.

Hammerhead
Much like Walrus Man and their Cantina pals, ol' Hammerhead looks very little like his movie cousin outside his head and skin color. While the Kenner original was much thinner than the modern figures, Hasbro could easily make the version in the blue garment without too much trouble-- just take and modify the 1997 mold by giving him a new body and new coloring. Presto-- classic Kenner Hammerhead!

Jawa
Two words: cloth robes. The original figure was pretty cool, but covered by a single cloth garment which rendered all the work of the sculptors invisible. Hasbro could go for a double-dip here, including the original plastic cape as well, appealing to figure fans in a whole new (and goofy) way. However, the 2007 version has a brown jacket/vest that may be close enough to the plastic cape to count for even the most critical Kenner fans.

Yoda
The 2004 Vintage release was close, but no cigar. Where's the big goofy grin, the knobby belt, and the neon orange snake? Some new cloth pieces and revised accessories could make this one a reality lickety-split. And I can't imagine Kenner turning down another Yoda variation.

Power Droid
While similar to the 1997 version, the 1979 release had a blue body and a lot more color. There's no reason Hasbro couldn't replicate the original Power Droid just by using the original mold and some paint. It's so easy, it's almost frightening that it didn't come out with a Jawa four years ago.

BONUS ROUND: Kenner Accessories!

A lot of figures have been released, but lack the unique, original, and/or wacky accessories of the originals. While some have found their way in other figure releases (like the grey Biker Scout pistol), others have never seen a modern update. Here's a quick list of what would still be fun to see.

Paploo's staff
Imperial Gunner's gun (also A-Wing Pilot, Endor Leia, etc.)
Bib Fortuna's staff
Emperor's Royal Guard's staff
Boushh's rifle (with handle)
Squid Head's grey blaster
Nien Nunb's block black blaster
Ree-Yees' gold rifle
2-1B's sharp grey probe
Bossk's gun
Admiral Ackbar's staff
Luke Skywalker's yellow lighsabers

So there you have it! Appealing to old toy collectors has never been easier-- just market the mistakes from the old days. I'm only partially kidding here-- I really do think there's a market for several of these figures, and if there was a burst on the packaging boasting "ORIGINAL KENNER-STYLE WEAPONS!" I'd be excited enough to pay up for some new versions of old figures.

...if any of these happen, well, please accept my apologies or a sarcastic "You're welcome!" in advance. As you can see, there really is no end to the ways Hasbro can go back to the well just for the original trilogy. And if they go back to the well to update barely adequate modern figures like Paploo, Nien Nunb, and so forth, this could go on forever.

The Force Unleashed Demo Coming This Week

Adam16bit — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 17:05:00 -0700

Hey, here's some good news! Even though the full title won't be out until September, Lucasarts is going to give fans a playable demo of its Star Wars: The Force Unleashed game this week. So far, they have confirmed demos for the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3, both of which should be available Thursday, August 21.

Q&A: We Came, We Saw, We Cloned

Adam16bit — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 17:00:00 -0700

Like a someone waking up after a long unpleasant blackout, it's time for Q&A! The Clone Wars' box office take was lower than that of Star Trek: Nemesis. What the heck happened? Just how good are the previously released Star Wars Playsets from 1999-2005? And what's going on with the build-a-droids and how they're paired with various figures? All of this and a chance to match the stars in this week's Q&A '76!

1. In anticipating of the [recent] Clone Wars release, I do not see much marketing geared towards informing general audiences (i.e. non-SW fans) of Lucas' latest efforts-what gives? Granted I do not watch much television, but I would have expected to see more hype with the movie less than two weeks away. Am I a victim of my own aversion to non-interactive mass media or am I on to something here?
--Steve

I think they're doing exactly what they want to do... from a certain point of view. The marketing machine has been cranked up to fairly under-the-radar levels, but the question is what exactly are we promoting here? That, I'm not so sure of. The film managed to boost the living daylights out of toy sales, so that was a decent success. I assume. It could just as easily have been that the market was starved for so long.

A couple of weeks ago I was thinking about the lack of posters and billboards, and I'd say there's two possibilities. One, that Lucasfilm has indeed dropped the ball and underpromoted this film. (Especially in light of this weekend's box office numbers.) Remember that this "movie" is actually just a glorified television pilot-- the original plan was to air a Clone Wars TV series, and the movie was crafted as a way to kick it off. So what I think may be going on here is that they're probably using the film to promote the television series, and the film itself doesn't necessarily need to make a splash (but anything it does make is gravy) and if it promotes the toys and awareness of the TV show and licensed merchandise, all the better. Lucas' camp seemed less concerned about their DVD trilogy releases, for example, than they were about their Lucasarts game sales. It's also possible it was a huge flop. As I do not sit in the Lucasfilm marketing meetings, it's tough to say-- if the movie really did only cost $10 million to make, the limited marketing and $15 box office gross is probably a good place to be.

If anything it seems like all the "movie without a movie" campaigns we've seen like Clone Wars (2003), Shadows of the Empire (1996), and the aborted Jedi Quest have proven is that you can make a big splash in sales, but you need a movie to make a huge splash. If I'm right, that means The Clone Wars doesn't need marketing, it is the marketing for the entire Star Wars brand in 2008 and 2009.

As far as the actual marketing-for-the-movie goes, I've seen a fair amount of PR-- which is marketing, but free, and that you get someone else to do for you-- surrounding the toy launch. Which generally gets the news to talk up the movie, but that doesn't seem to be the case this time. I've also seen a few TV spots and a very limited poster campaign here in Los Angeles. (Like, I've seen one poster in one mall.)

It's strange to see a Star Wars movie greeted by such total indifference. If you want an idea how little people care, take this into consideration-- Star Trek Nemesis had an $18.5 million opening. That's right-- there's more Trek fans out there who will support their favorite franchise than there are Star Wars fans. This is further driven home by the fact that Nemesis' box office was in 2002 dollars.

2. My question, briefly; have you discovered any way to reliably make either of the animated Grievous figures stand? Sure, Hasbro has given us other wobbly people in the past, but at least all of them can use a base -- not an option here. I'm getting tired of picking one -- or the other, the holo is no better -- up. Any hints?
--Oshram

Basically, you (and by you, I mean all of you, and me) are currently out of luck. It's always possible Hasbro will retool him with foot holes (it happened before with other figures) but who wants to re-buy Grievous? It seems to me your best bet is to prop him up or lean him against something. It isn't a solution so much as it is acceptance of a poor design, or at least a design that doesn't work too well as a figure which can stand up.

3. Hi. This might be a little odd, but I was going through RebelScum's archives to see what kind of holes there were in my collection, and I was wondering if I could get your opinion on a few older items:
-The Theed playsets; How much do they suck? Is there a price so low that they're worth it? Even a little?
-Episode I R2-D2 Carrying Case; Was that Destroyer Droid released in anything else?
-Episode I Flash Cannon; As far as I know, this is not seen in the movie. Is there something you know that I don't?
-Episode I Battle Bags; I was looking at these, and some of them are smaller creatures (pikobis, nunas, the fish), and I thought they were kinda neat. But I can't find anything on how big they are to judge if they're anywhere near figure-scale. Do you know how big they are?
-Mustafar Playset; Kinda the same question as the Theed ones. Suck/not suck?
--Brian

Oy. Well, a good rule of thumb I tend to tell people is that if you don't feel an absence in your collection, there's no need to fill it-- there are thousands of dollars worth of goodies coming in the next 18 months, so unless you're itching to buy something you can save yourself some real money by not looking back.

The Theed Playsets aren't especially good-- they're somewhat flimsy, and the exclusive figures aren't so great. I actually put off getting the larger of the two for years. The smaller one is pretty neat as a way to display a Maul, Qui-Gon, and Obi-Wan, but they aren't really all that fun. I certainly wouldn't miss them if I never purchased them, but if I had to pick I'd buy only the smaller one.

The R2-D2 Carry Case is one of Hasbro's finer items. I'd actually say it's the absolutely best carry case created for the modern line that wasn't a vintage reissue, too. The little adjustable compartments act like a tackle box for storing figures, and the environment is pretty cool. Figure or no, I'd still suggest getting it. A slightly different ball Destroyer Droid was issued in a Clone Wars set with a "launcher." It's almost a shame Hasbro never reissued it, it's so good I'd like to suggest more fans get one.

The Flash Cannon... yeah, you can skip that. This is a big gun with a red light in it, and Hasbro thought it was worth $10. Is there any doubt as to why the accessory packs all tanked? There's a Gungan Catapult as well, and it's not so great either. Save yourself some money and pass on it. If you can get it for a buck or two, it's amusing enough, but I'd suggest you pick up a Flash Speeder instead. Unless you want to write a column where you examine and/or make fun of toys, it really doesn't serve much of a purpose.

Battle Bags may be neat, depending on what floats your boat. They're tiny, about the size of the 2006 bonus holographic figures. Because I'm enamored with fish and dinosaur toys, I saw these and picked them up on extreme clearance in 2000. There's no articulation and they're about as fun as those little figures you can use as cake decorations. I'd suggest getting them if you can enjoy a nice collectible figure that isn't a 3 3/4-inch scale item... although the fish come pretty close.

Hasbro's 2005 Mustafar Playset kind of sucks-- probably mostly due to safety restrictions and the kind of plastic Hasbro uses these days. One of the things playsets usually have going for them is play value, and this one is built around a single duel and a bunch of armored guys with buckets. You can connect some Battle Arenas and the Deluxe Darth Vader with Medical Table to it, but by itself it's just an OK toy. It's an OK toy, but I would be lying if I said I had a lot of fun with it. The giant pylons that stick out of it tend to fall off thanks to heat and gravity, so I can say you're probably better off without it unless you want to rig up some fishing wire to prop up two of its larger pieces. I personally think it's inexcusable to design a toy that, if left alone on a shelf, will actually fall apart over the course of a week or two. And that's exactly what this set does.

4. Did you get these new vehicles and put them together yet? I was very disappointed, for the cost, that these were not sturdier than they are. I had a heck of a time to get the legs/feet of the AT-TE to stay on the vehicle..everytime I move it one just falls off. Then I got to putting together the Millennium Falcon and one of the landing struts wont stay on. I tried it in different locations without success. All the others stay in the slots I put them in. Do you know if Hasbro would consider sending me a new strut to replace the one that wont stay in?
--Orbles

I did indeed get both, and with both, in the first day, I did suffer some issues of pieces falling off. However, after that, it really hasn't been a problem. If you do have a damaged piece, the good news is that Hasbro tends to be pretty great about replacement parts if requested through their customer service web site at Hasbro.com.

With my AT-TE, I found the middle legs falling off pretty constantly the day I got it. I pick it up, it falls off. I walk up the stairs, it falls off. However since then, I've taken it down the stairs, outside, shot a bunch of video of it, took it back in, put it on a shelf, moved it around some more, and had no problems. The legs are designed to come off so they won't snap (basically, we're seeing fallout of the infamous "drop test" that toys go through) and it seems like some units are more sturdy than others. Also, to employ an old joke, "Doctor, my leg falls off when I do this." "So don't do that." In the past few years we've seen Hasbro try to do more ambitious pieces, but the result is our having to be more careful. Two-piece lightsabers are prone to breakage. Additional articulation means small pegs which can cause arms to fall off. Big toys mean some pieces will have to fall off if certain levels of pressure are applied. It isn't 1983 anymore, and the things you can and can't do with a toy are largely dictated by those horrible parents and their congressfolk who deny us awesome toys because their stupid kid choked on a missile. (IT'S CALLED SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST, PEOPLE!)

Oh wait, where was I?

5. Is there a rhyme or reason to which figures go together to form the [build-a-droid] figures? For instance, when I look at the ROTJ wave, it seems that maybe Hasbro has a pattern. Luke, Han, Chewie, and the Ewoks go together. Those four from the wave seem to be kid-friendly (not that there aren't collector friendly as well). The other four, Bane, Yarna, Ak-Rev, and the Removable Helmet Vader seemed to be geared towards collectors (although Vader is a kid favourite, collectors have been asking for such a Vader for a while now). Is this a possible pattern for upcoming astromech waves or am I just reading into this too much.

Also, could you speculate on where Hasbro seems to be going with the 2009 Battle Packs. Are we (hopefully) going to see more "Mini-Rigs" with three figure Packs?
--Damian

The entire build-a-figure concept is done largely to encourage fans to buy deep into the line, and to keep collectors buying them all. As such, I'm sure much of the distribution of who gets what is done to maximize purchasing. I don't necessarily see a pattern-- Luke, Han, Chewie, and the Ewoks are more an example of "one of these things is not like the other." I'm not sure kids are really interested in Ewoks any more than they would be in Bane, as he's a weird looking guy and the others are angry little teddy bears. If anything, I'd say Hasbro may be doing this somewhat randomly, or in such a way that it might get fans to buy one figure that they wouldn't otherwise just to complete the droid. (Or would give them a piece of droid so that they would be likely to seek out the rest.)

With the Battle Packs, it seems Hasbro has decided that this is a great avenue for bigger pieces-- scenery, Deluxe figure reissues, and so forth. The new footprint certainly allows for it, and at Comic-Con they made it known that they feel this is the best way to pack out smaller vehicles. (I can see that. I'd rather have 2 bikes with pilots for $20 than 1 for $13-$15.) I don't know how many mini-rigs we'll see, but we're certainly going to see more in the way of movie vehicles and probably cartoon vehicles too. Here's hoping for some of the Rebel speeders from Marvel's Star Wars #55 and any of those vehicles we saw on the Droids show.

Currently, the plan calls for one of the Rebel transportation units from Yavin IV in the original Star Wars and a lot of Speeder Bikes. Beyond that, nobody's quite sure yet. Market forces tell us that Hasbro can package a Clone Trooper with pretty much anything and see decent sales, so I'd be surprised if Hasbro doesn't crank out new, small clone vehicles as time goes on.

FIN

What the heck happened to Star Wars? Did everybody have plans this weekend? Was the non-marketing machine too weak? Was it the typically slow August box office? By now, you've no doubt heard that not only did The Clone Wars not do too well this weekend, it came in at #3. Apparently more secrecy, very little hype, and no billboards aren't a good way to market a movie that the critics decided was worse than The Phantom Menace, which is something I have a hard time agreeing with. With a $15 million take, that means you can probably estimate that between 1.5 and 3 million people paid for admission to the film. (I'm part of the problem, someone gave me a free ticket to see it last Tuesday.)

The previous three prequels had massive hype surrounding their trailers, giant conventions surrounding their launches, and a pretty decent marketing campaign-- nothing huge, but something. This time around, it seems the only thing we got was another inane midnight toy launch. (Have you guessed I'm sick of those?) It really is amazing what a difference a decade makes. Ten years ago this month, we were all just starting to see leaked, unpainted test shots of Darth Maul. About seven years ago, some people leaked several storyboards for Attack of the Clones to some FTP site and I went through them like a crazy person. For Revenge of the Sith, even though we knew of the climax since 1983's Return of the Jedi novelization, we still looked for tidbits and hints before the film's release. I think that the leaked trailer from Poland was the only non-sanctioned leaked information we saw from this project, and that was greeted by nearly deafening silence.

The reaction to The Clone Wars, minus the midnight stuff, seems to be about on par with the 1985 cartoons and the first Ewok flick. Some of the hardcore are interested but ultimately it seems nobody really cares. I wonder what this means to Hasbro, given almost all their licensed movie toys have flicks which do $100 million or more at the box office, and I'll be amazed-- like, I'm almost willing to make a bet-level of amazed-- if this movie can pass $30 million at the domestic box office. I'm even seeing a lot of fans on the forums say stuff like "eh, I'll wait for the DVD." Wha? I'll wait for the DVD? This is the same fanbase that gave the Star Wars: Special Edition $100 million back in January 1997. This is the fanbase that made huge deals about seeing movies at the theaters and what an important even it is to go see it with your fellow fans. This is the same fanbase that, for reasons I didn't get then and still don't get now, camped out in front of movie theaters for crying out loud. I've often said Star Wars fans are somewhat unpredictable, and I have to say in a way it's good to be reminded of that from time to time.

Got questions? I bet you do. Email me with "Q&A" somewhere in the subject line and hopefully I'll get to yours in the next column!

Free The Clone Wars Backpack at Toys "R" Us

Adam16bit — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 11:19:00 -0700

If you spend $30 on Star Wars toys this week, the fine folks at Toys "R" Us will give you a free The Clone Wars backpack. Not a bad deal! Check your local store for availability.

Star Wars Wal-Mart DVD Deal

Adam16bit — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 11:18:00 -0700

If you're one of the two people out there who don't yet have them, many Wal-Mart stores have all six theatrical Star Wars films on widescreen DVD for $13 even, each. As Episodes I and II were out of print for a little while, this might be an ideal time to complete your collection.

The Clone Wars Box Office

Adam16bit — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 11:18:00 -0700

If the Force is with anyone this weekend, it's certainly lacking with The Clone Wars. Maybe because the DVD is already expected in the Fall, but the CG-animated picture came in third this weekend with a somewhat pathetic estimated gross of $15 million. Click through to read all about it at Box Office Mojo.

Review: Star Wars The Clone Wars (Theatrical Pilot)

Adam16bit — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 03:16:00 -0700

Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Episode: Pilot/Feature
Airdate: August 15, 2008

While my reaction to this film is positive-- as it generally is with any new form of Star Wars fiction, as my expectations are pretty low-- other people I know and read are all over the place. If the reports are true, this film is a $10 million afterthought built on the inertia provided by the as-of-yet unaired television show. As such, the movie isn't so much a movie but the pilot for the 2008-2010 Star Wars marketing engine, a way to put out a reminder that Star Wars is indeed very much alive and available at a toy store and on a TV screen near you.

It's a little unfair to compare this to the 2003-2005 Clone Wars series because the creative limitations imposed on the show turned out to be a creative boon like no other. Reduced to 3 minutes, Star Wars is always good. Don't believe me? Think back to 1998, when you first saw the Episode I teaser. Pretty awesome, wasn't it? Cartoon Network's series was jam-packed full of goodness simply because there was no other option. In three minutes, you don't have time for a lot of dialogue and you certainly aren't going to squander it on words like "trade route negotiations" or a character introduction that lasts longer than 14 seconds. Oh, and in 2003? A lot of people hated the show. It's amazing what time can do.

As far as the new film is concerned, the format really does dictate the plot, and word has it that the movie was 3 or 4 episodes of the show rejiggered to make a 95-minute movie. That can screw things up when the directors intended for the story to be told in 22-minute chunks with commercial breaks, and the resulting picture does very much feel like a series which has been edited for the big screen. Asking someone to sit between Ahsoka and Anakin bickering this frequently for the full length of the movie may be a bit much, but on a half-hour series it's something you have to bring back to remind people of their relationship from week to week. So, like so many things, a little more editing would have changed the feel of the film quite a bit. For example, Padme wasn't introduced until about the final 30 minutes. On television, this would make sense-- having her appear to say "hi!" for a scene early on wouldn't make a whole lot of sense when her action would appear two episodes later. The directors would have been well-served to edit her in earlier on, bringing her into the story so her abrupt appearance at the end would have at least been a little less jarring. Even in Attack of the Clones, George Lucas was smart enough to at least refer to Count Dooku a few times prior to his introduction at the end of the film.

While the plot has seen much abuse, I have a hard time bagging on it. Not because I'm simple, but because I've digested a lot of the Star Wars stories beyond the movies. I've read the entire Marvel and Dark Horse Comics run. I've seen every episode of Droids and Ewoks and even the holiday special. I've even read a few novels and played a few games. I'm not saying this to brag, but to bring home the point: most of this stuff is OK at best. On top of that, this new movie takes place between two movies, more specifically, between the first and second halves of Episode 21 of the orignial Clone Wars series, which means the entire CG opus has to take place in a 9-month time frame in which most major characters cannot be killed or altered in any significant way. It's not like Obi-Wan is going to fall to the dark side, or Anakin is going to hook up with some other girl.

Much like the prequels, The Clone Wars is for a more limited audience. The movie's story brings little new to the table, but it's fun to watch and there's a few neat things to see if you're a Star Wars fan. The movie isn't going to advance animation as an art form and is unlikely to be anyone's favorite Star Wars film, but I certainly enjoyed it more than Episode I and its brisk pacing made for a fun night at the movies. I'm sure I'll be watching the weekly series alone when it airs, but I also watched all of Transformers Animated and can appreciate a decent, if silly at times, cartoon like The Clone Wars.

INTRODUCTIONS
New characters include Ahsoka Tano, Ziro the Hutt, Rotta the Hutt, a bunch of unnamed dead bounty hunters, Clones Rex and Fox, General Loathsom (no really), a few new droids, and surprisingly little else. Most new Star Wars movies have many more new characters, in part (I assume) to sell a few more toys.

HIGH POINTS
- The star cruiser Twighlight that Anakin, Ahsoka, and Rotta used to go back to Tatooine was a great little boxy design, the likes of which I would prefer to see more of.
- The voice acting was largely great, especially Matt Manter's Anakin Skywalker.
- R2-KT, a pink redecorated R2-D2, had her first appearance. The character has some significance to fans, but I'll let you research that on your own.

QUESTIONABLE POINTS
- Ziro the Hutt seems to simultaneously be the camp/cult hit from the film and the next Jar Jar Binks. I have just as many people asking when they can buy a talking one as I do people demanding his head on a platter.
- Obi-Wan and General Loathsom's negotiations of surrender could have come out of an argument between Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, and Buggs Bunny. Granted, with the Warner characters, it may have been funnier.

LOW POINTS
- C-3PO's line of something to the effect of "This is not my kind of neighborhood!", meant as a gay joke or not, was surprising.
- R2-D2's beeps and whistles seem to be entirely taken from the existing films. Since that's his speech, making a few new sound effects (or perhaps going into the archives for unused stuff) would have made sense.
- The Battle Droid army's wacky one-liners grew tiring as they were a little close together. Much of Star Wars' humor pre-1999 is subtle, this is not.

MERCHANDISING POINTS
- The Clone Troopers having increasingly specialized hair, scars, armor, and other features must be a dream come true for Hasbro, the action figure manufacturer. It's going to be incredibly cheap to make dozens if not hundreds of "new" figures from the movie and subsequent series.
- Surprisingly few new vehicles were introduced, and the toy line focuses largely on existing items trotted back out for this new movie.
- Despite being a Wave 1 action figure, General Grievous does not appear in this movie.
- Like a TV show, few new characters seem to be introduced here compared to any given prequel or sequel.

Q&A: Guns, Fromms, AT-TEs

Adam16bit — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 17:11:00 -0700

It's time for Q&A! You wanted to know how the Clone Wars line turned out. You wanted to know what kind of guns you aren't seeing in Saga Legends. And you wanted to know a lot of other stuff-- and I decided I wanted to talk about the Droids animated series, too. (I love old cartoons.) Surely you'll want to read all about it! Read on!

1. I just bought the new SAGA Legends Plo Koon. I love the way Hasbro has answered collector's requests to provide extra Clone Weapons! My CLONE GEAR locker included a Repeater Pistol, DC-15 Blaster, DC-17 Blaster Rifle, EMP Launcher & Droid Blaster(Battlefront II Multipack), and a Blaster Rifle(ROTS Jet Pack Trooper Deluxe Figure). I remember reading in a Hasbro Q & A that weapons from Battlefront II were going to be packed in with SAGA LEGENDS. Do you know what other Battlefront II specific blasters are supposed to be included? I would love to get an extra Chaingun or Merr-Sonn PLX Rocket Launcher. Are all CLONE GEAR Lockers going to have the same assortment of weapons with every figure or will different ones be packed randomly?
--Jason

As of today, every single one includes the same assortment of weapons-- no changes. What you see is exactly what you're going to get in every pack. It's entirely possible they will refresh which weapons are included as molds wear out or as they need to increase sales somehow, but for now, that's it.

2. Any chance we will see a re-release of the plain white clone trooper animated with a long rifle?
I'm kind of shocked that it wasn't packed as an extra in the first place! I feel a little cheated since the figure had all three weapons when it was first pictured at Toy Fair. If there is anything you can do to convince them that this is a big mistake on the companies part, considering the image on the card is holding the longer rifle. The rifle is at very least the most recognizable gun that they carry. Maybe even a special offer to buy a pack of the animated version of this rifles online or something?
--Chad

It's possible-- the basic white Clone is a little dirty, so as the line goes forward (assuming the animated style sticks) it's likely we'll see exactly that in the long run. Hasbro frequently changes the product from early images and the packaging images, so really, there's not much you can do here. I wouldn't expect extras unless they eventually find their way into a refreshed weapons locker, or are packed with another clone figure in the future. Which, I'd say, is probably the most likely thing.

3. What are your impressions of the new figures? I have found the Clone Wars series to be somewhat disappointing excepting that awesome R2 and pretty much any of the clones. Grevious is well-named for grevious error. I can't keep mine standing for more than 5 minutes at a time. The Jedi figures are all better than I expected, but the cream of the crop for me are the "realistic" Clone Wars figures. Clone armor Obi-Wan is my favorite, but all of them are great. I personally feel that Hasbro hit it out of the park on that 2nd wave of Legacy. So, what are your general thoughts?
--Paul

I'd say you pretty much nailed it. Those "realistic" Clone Wars figure in The Legacy Collection are so good, it's almost like a point where they should just call the line quits and go out on a high note. (And looking at waves 3 and 4 this year... yeah.) They're all pretty excellent, and any faults I find in them are minor quibbles. The SCUBA Trooper turned out amazingly well, and Obi-Wan is wonderful. I don't think I could ask for much more out of that wave, except maybe knees on the Quarren and Mon Calamari figures.

The animated line is all over the place. Hasbro said they tried to merge the CG style with realistic proportions, and I think the end result looks pretty good. I'll write them all up in Figure of the Day soon (probably sooner than later), but here's the short version.
Clone Trooper: great sculpt, good design, longer than needed legs, but lots of fun.
Captain Rex: see above.
R2-D2: possibly one of the best figures Hasbro has ever made with the Star Wars license. By not owning it, you are part of the problem. Buy two, they're so good you'll want one to play with at school or work too.
General Grievous: Can't stand well, has no foot holes. Legs aren't positioned well. Great weapons, love the swappable arms.
Battle Droid: looks like it's wooden. Head's too small. Can't stand very well.
Yoda: good enough, I guess. More a statue than a toy, not groundbreaking, but cute enough. Should be a great seller.
Anakin Skywalker: Good sculpt, the knee joints are notably absent. Love the rappel line accessory and extras. The head sculpt is pretty great.
Obi-Wan Kenobi: see above, only more so. Why not just reuse the clone legs? The fact that it's an alternate head instead of a removable helmet is pretty slick. Not sure I like the head sculpt all that much.

Overall, for a new line, I give it a B. Which is good, really, as Grievous is actually pretty iffy. I wish Hasbro stuck with the realistic style just because the ones they just put out are so incredibly awesome and fun that I can't put them down. Hasbro says they have big plans for the line in this style, but it seems very slow out the gate and I gotta say I'd almost rather see 2-3 waves of "toon" figures per year with the lion's share of them being in realistic style in the Legacy line. There's really no reason they couldn't do an R2-D2 as good as this in the realistic style, and yet another armored Obi-Wan figure would probably sell well. Heck, I'm a little antsy that I don't have a "Season 3"-style realistic Anakin with his robes and armor yet. Right now I'm viewing the line in animated form as a great curiosity, like another Droids or Ewoks, as I don't think I can maintain the enthusiasm for it after several waves, or for that matter, years.

4. Do you think that Hasbro and, by extension, Lucasfilm, gets irritated that when they spend all this time & money putting together their booth & presentation for ComicCon 2008, they, not only not show us no more then 10% new product, but most of what was there was confirmed up to 2 months prior to the date via their Q & A's? Is it just a matter if time before they stop going to ComicCon 2008 and other conventions and just release all new products via their websites as they see fit? Hasbro must be a big enough company where Wal-Mart/Target/other vendors can go to THEM, vs. they have to showcase for the retailers?
--Jeremiah

Ultimately, I think whatever causes buzz and sales makes both Hasbro and Lucasfilm very happy. Comic-Con showed us a lot of new stuff, like scores of Battle Packs, lots of new figures (many of which would have been debuted had it not been for Celebration Japan), and of course, those giant $50 Battle Packs.

Lucasfilm and Hasbro exploit all of their channels to capture interest in various places. For example, in New York Toy Fair, Hasbro wants the media to come by and get people talking about their stuff on the news and, of course, online. (It used to be a retailer show for them, today, not so much.) Comic-Con exists as a major public showcase, and most people who walk through Hasbro's booth in San Diego aren't the die-hard collectors that read Q&A columns like this one (and to a lesser extent, so says the traffic, Hasbro's.) 100,000 people buy tickets to the show, and that's nothing to sneeze at-- based on sales figures I've managed to finagle through various channels (thanks, Target!) I can tell you there aren't that many collectors buying the line. That booth, with G.I. Joe, Transformers, My Little Pony, Marvel, Indiana Jones, and everything else, is one of the biggest advertisements they have. People can walk up and see new toys they would never hear of otherwise, because very few buyers are actively interested in the goings-on of the fan community. Were it not for that show, a lot of people wouldn't know what to ask for when their birthdays roll around, and a lot of magazines wouldn't have anything to talk about that month. It's a very unique kind of specialty marketing.

Even if Hasbro revealed 100% of the line prior to Comic-Con, it's an important (and increasingly necessary) avenue of promotion and a way to distribute warm fuzzies via free posters and exclusive products. It serves a function, and that's to get fans excited and talking. If every collector was hardcore-- and if you read this column and the questions it gets, I can assure you, they're not-- this would be a different matter. There are maybe a few thousand fans who would fit the "hardcore" bill (as in, knowing what's coming out and keeping tabs on everything) at best-- so Comic-Con is a great way to make sure fans (and yes, even some retail buyers like myself) can see what's new. (This may surprise you, but a lot of business gets done on the Comic-Con show floor.)

As to how Hasbro actually showcases its wares to vendors... I'll save that for a chapter or two in the coffee table book that nobody wants me to write just yet.

5. I purchased an AT-TE at midnight madness. I waited a few days before I opened it. Tonight I opened it and to my dismay discovered that the legs are unable to support the weight of the body and simply pop off. I have yet to get the thing to even stand on all six legs. Once the first leg pops off, three or four more follow. It is completely useless. I spent half an hour trying to get all six legs on at the same time. I went on the web and found that there are numerous other complaints of exactly the same thing happening. Some people have said that they have contacted Hasbro customer service and been told that their product is defective. How many reports of this have you been hearing? For a 100 dollar toy to not even be able to stand and support its own weight goes beyond the pale. I am going to return the [freaking] thing and never buy another vehicle again.
--David

If you're actually going to return it and never buy another one again, why are you asking me? Your mind's already made up.

I get very few positive reports of any kind. People only write me to complain. Because of this I'd say it's hard to tell what the real defect rate is. Easily a few fans are upset, but in the grand scheme of things, that's not many. I've had some problems with the center legs coming off, but I have to say after the first week it hasn't happened again, and I can't even be sure why.

As to why these things break apart, you can thank your legislators. The toy industry is held to a number of standards, some of which are great for everybody (no lead paint) and others are just annoying (minimum projectile lengths, "the drop test.") What we're seeing here is most likely due to "the drop test," which I've just recently had the pleasure of praising after an earthquake. The idea of the "drop test" is that, when dropped, a toy has pieces pop off rather than shatter or break other parts of the toy. This prevents jagged pieces of plastic from coming into being, thus helping little Billy from experiencing shrapnel at too young an age. A few toys, notably the giant Transformers release Brave Maximus, were denied sales in the USA because of this test. I had a Unicron toy fly off a shelf a couple of weeks back, and when I came home, just a couple of bits fell off-- the toy itself was intact and not permanently damaged. If the AT-TE's legs were too securely fastened, it is possible (or so I'm told) it could tear off a chunk of the hull, which would be bad.

Of course, this isn't to say there isn't another mechanism for fastening the legs which would have been better, but I think you can thank the designers at ILM for giving us a fantastic design which probably wouldn't hold up too well during a real battle.

My advice to you would be to just return it, and hold off for one later on. If you thought it was good enough. (I'm still not convinced it was, it's neat enough, but it's not as much fun as the Royal Starship from 1999.) Hasbro sometimes tweaks the molds as the line goes on, so here's hoping it gets better.

FIN

Last week, some wonderful soul posted what appears to be the entire run of Droids to YouTube. While I'm not a big advocate of piracy, I'm a huge advocate of watching things I want to see. (And Lucasfilm, I've got money if you've got DVDs with the Fromms in them.) I haven't seen the Trigon episodes in years, and I stayed up late watching a couple of them with a big dumb grin on my face. I'm not sure what this says about me, but based on how much people seem to trash 1980s Star Wars television projects, these still seem about as good as I remember them. I should also point out I own a complete collection of the original Transformers season box sets, so maybe I'm not the pickiest person when it comes to reliving my childhood through television.

I will say, though, that it irks me these episodes aren't available on home video, and none of the episodes are available with the original music in the half-hour episode format. There's probably a decent audience out there, especially if an exclusive figure can be packaged with the discs. (Hey, I'd buy it.)

If you have the time, I suggest you check these out before they're all pulled and it's another 20 years before you can see them again. It isn't brilliant TV, but it is what it is-- Star Wars for kids who not 30 minutes earlier were probably watching episodes of The Snorks and The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo. If you can appreciate these old shows for what they are, rather than trash them for what they aren't, you may be in for a wonderful time. Especially the first four-- you'll see Boba Fett's protocol droid, a lightsaber, gangsters, Imperial Shuttles, and a bunch of other goodies.

Got questions? I bet you do. Email me with "Q&A" somewhere in the subject line and hopefully I'll get to yours in the next column!

First Impressions: Millennium Falcon 2008 (BMF)

Adam16bit — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 16:32:00 -0700

As of today, I got my hands on Hasbro's new $150-$200 Millennium Falcon and some time to assemble it. I must say, it's huge-- the front mandibles snap-on and a few bits and pieces fit into place. I'll do a full review later, but here are some quick notes on it:

PROS:
- The size and heft are impressive
- The scout ship/escape pod seems to be designed to fit tall and wide figures
- While small, the seats work well
- Loads of sound effects and lights
- Removable floorboards hide a great way to store weapons
- Opening doors reveal a storage bay or brig, you decide

CONS
- Is not so great that it couldn't be done even bigger and better
- Costs the same as 3 of the 1995 release
- Storage doors don't close snuggly
- Labels don't seem particularly sticky (may be unique to my sample)
- Does not seem to have gone above and beyond what could be done for 40-50% of the price

In short, it's the victim of its own hype-- but it's still something you're going to want. I'll post a heck of a lot more pictures, impressions, feature breakdowns, and a video as time permits over the coming week(s).

Star Wars: Is there anything Hasbro won't do?

Adam16bit — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 15:40:00 -0700

Over the years, there have been quite a few figures produced by Kenner and Hasbro that didn't quite sell according to expectations. At the same time, a few figures were deemed too obscure or questionable to make, yet a lot of them have happened. One of the slower sellers of the 1990s was Malakili, the Rancor Keeper. Flash forward to August 2008, and Hasbro confirmed a new version of the formerly terrible selling figure was actually in the works for an upcoming assortment. Kenner also said that poor sales of Han Solo (Hoth) and Luke Skywalker (Dagobah) meant new versions were pretty much off the table, yet here we are, with two more Dagobah Lukes and probably close to a half dozen Hoth Hans.

We've also seen Hasbro relax their stance on non-movie and concept-based figures, large vehicles, and environments. Just like a man with focus hitting on the hot receptionist at work, fans have managed to wear Hasbro down. That's why we have Imperial Shuttles, Wuher, and, for some reason or another, BoShek. Just two or three years ago, Hasbro said they didn't want to make a figure of Yarna d'al' Gargan as the character amounted to little more than a space prostitute-- yet here we are, and we've all seen her in stores now. So, after nearly 13 years, what kind of things won't Hasbro do?

5. Klaatu (1983 Kenner costume)
While called Klaatu in 1983, the character now known as Wooof is one of very few figures which have not been made in the 1995-present figure line. (Others include the 1984 Imperial Dignitary Sim Aloo, the 1984 Ewok named Warok, the 1983 Ewok named Lumat, and the original deco of the Power Droid.) For one reason or another, Hasbro has been pretty dodgy about making this one, giving the standard "no plans at this time" response. I hate to be a conspiracy theorist, but at this point it seems the only reason to not remake the figure is to always make sure there's a few figures on the modern to-do list, or for spite. Could be either way, actually... but it's been so long that it seems unlikely we're going to get one in the short term.

4. Ackmena (Bea Arthur)
The 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special is a touchy subject. Some aspects of the CBS television program have wormed their way into the Expanded Universe, like Boba Fett's original design returning in 1985 for the Droids animated series, or Chewbacca's family appearing in the Wookiee Storybook and an issue of Marvel's Star Wars comic series. Other aspects were immediately chucked down the sewer, like all of the musical and comedy talent who appeared on the show. Bea Arthur played Ackmena, the night bartender at the Mos Eisley watering hole from the original film. She sang, she looked like she could kick some butt, but she was one of the goofier aspects of the show. Today, fans have started lobbying for an action figure of her, which Hasbro seems to be laughing off as something of a joke. As such, it could be some time if the company ever decides to do it, but as we've seen "never" generally means "not right now."

3. Owen and Beru Lars (corpses)
Despite dead bodies having some great costumes, Hasbro has been pretty good at maintaining that an inactive body doesn't make for a great figure. With three characters seeing release as Jedi Spirits (Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker) it seems that the term "dead" is relative-- these three are pretty lively for the recently departed. There have also been decapitated figures like a Tusken Raider and Jango Fett as well as the bisectable Darth Maul. The charred remains of Luke Skywalker's guardians have been requested by fans for years, but Hasbro keeps skipping out on them. With the recently released Attack on the Lars Homestead gift set, it seems increasingly unlikely that these will ever appear in plastic. Really, there was no better opportunity to do it.

2. Jar Jar Binks (Episode III costume or Super-Articulated Episode I costume)
Fun fact: Hasbro has not released a new Jar Jar Binks action figure since 2002. Even more surprising, no Jar Jar action figures of any kind have been made by Hasbro since 2002. Aside from a Galactic Heroes figure, the character is pretty much completely off the radar of merchandisers, although who knows if this will change with The Clone Wars. Aside from an oddly statue-ish figure, Hasbro hasn't bothered to make any action figures for this space klutz after Episode I's merchandising juggernaut ended. He hasn't even appeared in Battle Packs or exclusive sets. As such, it would almost seem like the perfect time to release a new one, but since 2002, Hasbro has only released a tiny handful of new products from the first prequel. A new sculpt of Jar Jar seems almost unthinkable, but as mentioned above, we're getting a new Rancor Keeper, so it has to be just a matter of time.

1. Brea and Senni Tonnika (or the Tonnika Sisters)
In the original Star Wars, there are two girls with green spandex costumes and beehive hairdos. In the 1990s, Galoob Toys actually made one of them as a miniature figure in their Action Fleet line, but the figure was removed as the line progressed and Kenner (and later Hasbro) never made a full-size action figure. Having been told "the official story" from actual official sources numerous times, I will say that the stories aren't too consistent, but it seems the big deal is one of the actresses simply won't allow it to happen. It might be a financial block, or just a personal decision to not want a figure made, but apparently it has to do with a likeness rights issue. (An issue, I should add, that has been resolved for all subsequent films.) It's unfortunate, as these characters have actually been highly requested by fans for over a decade now and were frequently made as custom figures back when the line first started. Maybe some day things will work out, as having a figure made means you can sign it, meaning you can get free vacations to sci-fi conventions and fees to sign at said conventions. It's an opportunity in the making!

Based on Hasbro's various denials and about-faces on items, I'm going to say it's a safe bet one or more of these will be in collector hands by the year 2010. Any predictions for the collectors of tomorrow? Leave a comment!

Book Review: Chunklet's The Rock Bible

Adam16bit — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 16:50:00 -0800

WHAT: Collection of jokes and anecdotes to challenge your taste in music
GOOD IF YOU LIKED: Les Savy Fav, the greater works of Steve Albini, and rock in general
WHERE TO FIND IT: Better record stores, online book stores, Chunklet's web store
BY: Henry Owings, Patton Oswalt, Brian Teasley, Andrew Earles, many others

It's often been said the musicians want to be comedians, and comedians want to be musicians. The Rock Bible bridges this gap with an excellent piece of work aimed at a very specific kind of person who may not be you. This collection of jokes and essays takes the form of the Bible in its structure, with the required amount of sneering and accuracy that hits the nail on the head. Truly, it is funny because it's true... and born from Chunklet, arguably the finest publication on paper today.

"If you want to die while in a famous rock band, there are four options. 1. Suicide. 2. Car or plane crash. 3. Drug overdose. 4. Murdered by a crazy relative. Just pick one and stick with it."

The one problem about the book is that it seems to be a very funny collection written mostly with people that are cooler than you/me in mind. If you see a lot of shows or play in a band yourself, there's a good chance that this book may mirror experiences in your own life. For the squares, there's a lot of great advice as to how not be a putz at a rock show-- which may seem obvious, and it really should be. There's also a bunch of stories, in-jokes, and lists of things which are or are not acceptable in rock today. This may sound like a snobby pursuit, and it probably is, but it's damned funny.

If you like music a lot-- specifically forms of rock from its roots to today-- odds are you'll enjoy this a great deal. If you're in college and have this on a table during a party, it's going to get stolen. That's how good it is. If you've got a music fan in your life, or you are one, get it. Read it. You'll love it. It's virtually the ideal bathroom book.

Weekly Comedy: It's A Shit, Shit, Shit, Shit Week

Zac Bertschy — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 14:48:00 -0800

Holy hell, what did we do to deserve this?

So the feature-packed edition of one of the best comedy-nerd movies ever made comes out earlier than expected, and because the universe hates us all, there is also a mountain of unbelievable shit released in the same week.

This is the price we pay.

DVD

Funny People – A complex, surprisingly compelling and really unique drama-that-happened-to-also-be-really-funny about comedians that was misunderstood by a lot of people (and was, admittedly, flawed when it came to pacing). Absolutely the must-buy release of the week, if only for the ridiculous wealth of supplemental material included here.

It is also the lone bright spot this week. Fuck. FUCK.
COMEDY TOXIC WASTE

Old Dogs – I’m not sure if this is a sequel to the bullshit that was Wild Hogs but they’re sorta-kinda marketing it that way. Seth Green is in it for some reason. Seems to be geared toward the same middle-aged white guys who chortle their way through Two and a Half Men every week and beat off to The Real Housewives of Orange County.

Four Christmases – One of the most criminally unfunny holiday comedies ever. After this abortion and Couples Retreat, someone needs to go slap Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau and Peter Billingsley and tell them to please stop just making lame-ass easy comedies designed to appeal to the Sunday night Olive Garden crowd. These people were responsible for Swingers and Made, they can do a lot better than this safe, trite garbage.

Bill Engvall: Aged and Confused – Hey look it’s a new Bill Engvall special. Perhaps he will make jokes about his wife being a nag or his kids being a pain in the ass or how he just wants to crack a beer and watch some football. WHO KNOWS WHAT UNPREDICTABLE COMEDY GOLD HE HAS IN STORE

Larry the Cable Guy’s Hula-Palooza Christmas Luau

Larry the Cable Guy’s Hula-Palooza Christmas Luau

Larry the Cable Guy’s Hula-Palooza Christmas Luau

LARRY THE FUCKING CABLE GUY'S HULA-PALOOZA CHRISTMAS FUCKING LUAU

FFFFUUUUUUUCCCCKKKKKKKK

Road Trip Album Picks: Mike Birbiglia's "Two Drink Mike"

Adam16bit — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:02:00 -0800

WHAT: The second album from the comedian and This American Life contributor
LABEL: Comedy Central Records, 2006
GOOD IF YOU LIKE: Likeable, awkward funny dudes
WHERE TO FIND IT: iTunes, Amazon, some record shops
LENGTH: 60 minutes

You may know Mike Birbiglia from his many comedy specials or from his numerous appearances on PRI's This American Life, often discussing his terrifying bout with sleepwalking. Which involves window-jumping and bleeding unintentionally. This resulted in a one-man show called "Sleepwalk With Me", where he relates his horrifying medical condition for your amusement. This is a man who truly knows how to make art out of misery and do a great job.

Birbiglia's persona on Two Drink Mike is that of a likeable, somewhat troubled guy. His comedy is mostly completely clean, going so far as to bleep a couple of curses on his albums over the years. (This is a stark contrast to, say, the entire recorded comedy album industry.)

Most of the stuff we review here is comedy for generally die-hard comedy fans, and Birbiglia is comedy for die-hard comedy fans and their parents. It's not easy to make a totally clean album with both jokes about rape and how much fun you become after a lot of drinks, but this is it.

It almost sounds like a slam to call the album nice or good-natured, but it really is both funny and very inoffensive. There's a routine on the phrase "No, But I Heard About It" that tells you everything you need to know about this comic, which is that he's funny and wants to be liked. You can totally hand this to mom and/or dad as the anti-Jeff Dunham and odds are they'll really enjoy it, and you don't have to hang your head in shame if you're not into comedians with acts that come on sticks. (No offense if you're a Dunham fan. Well, maybe a little offense.)

The album provides an ideal driving companion, as Birbiglia's voice carries despite not exactly being the highest-energy guy. You'll laugh a lot, most likely, so give this one a whirl over the coming Thanksgiving holiday. It should make the travel go down slightly easier.

A note if you're looking to buy this: it's on CD, and on multiple digital formats. Amazon sells an "Audible" version for $12 and a standard MP3 version for $10. It's the same thing, so buyer be aware!

Review: Bear Down Podcast

Shaun — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 04:26:00 -0800

Do you like Chicago Bears football and UCB Theater? Well, not surprisingly, the podcast world has you covered.

The podcast runs weekly and features Matt Walsh of Upright Citizen's Brigade fame, screenwriter Scot Armstrong (he wrote Old School and a variety of other films) talking about the Chicago Bears football team, along with some friends of theirs who are Chicago bears fans.

This podcast is about 75% football, occasionally diverting into football-related topics, which is entertaining for the rest of us who don't follow football at all.

One example of these discussions would be which football team mascot would win in a fight were they to be real; for instance, could a bear actually fight a jet travelling 200 miles an hour? One theory - the bear could gnaw on the wheels during takeoff.

Also, stories about Evel Knievel punching out a golfer, only to be restrained by Joe Namath? Done.

I should point out that the football discussion is genuine, with Walsh and the rest really discussing the minutia of the game, from plays, to players to coaches, and a bunch of other things I do not understand because I do not follow football.

They still make it interesting for the non-fan, though, which counts. For the comedy/Chicago Bears fan, this will probably be ideal, and perhaps group therapy for this season for how badly the Bears seem to be doing right now.

website: http://www.beardownpodcast.com/

Weekly Comedy: Equal Parts Crap to Good

Zac Bertschy — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 12:25:00 -0800

Whoa, sorry we missed Weekly Comedy last week! Luckily nothing of interest came out. This week there’s a ton of stuff out and like half of it is total garbage! Hooray!

DVD

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: A Very Sunny Christmas – The straight-to-DVD Sunny Christmas special is out this week, and if you’re a fan, it’s a must-get. This will likely air on FX at some point, probably uncensored, but there are plenty of extras on this disc.

Galaxy Quest (bluray) – This movie was surprisingly funny when it came out and it’s held up pretty well over the years (and has somehow escaped the curse of geeks over-quoting and referencing it, thereby ruining it for everyone). It’ll also probably hit bargain prices pretty soon so holding out for a sale might be a good idea.

Bruno – Sacha Baron Cohen’s disappointing follow-up to Borat is out on DVD, just in time to let down your comedy-loving friends for Christmas! The disc is pretty loaded with extra content, and it’s probably worth a rent for the curious, but it’s hard not to remember how underwhelming this thing was.

The Kevin Smith Collection: Clerks, Chasing Amy, Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back – Everyone generally outgrows Kevin Smith movies once they graduate college, but if you’re one of the few left who can still honestly laugh at any of the dialogue in Clerks (or can sit through even a half hour of the odious Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back), this box set is for you!

Don’t get me wrong – Kevin Smith is still a funny guy, his podcast is great and it’s nice to see him moving on to direct films he didn’t write – but his “Askewniverse” comedies really haven’t aged well. Rent ‘em on Bluray and see if you agree.

COMEDY TOXIC WASTE

Oh man there sure is a lot of horrible crap out this week!

Dane Cook: Isolated Incident – It’s the comedian everyone loves to hate, with a new awful special that won’t change anyone’s mind! It’s the DVD destined to be stained with bongwater and buried under a pile of old Xbox games in the corner of some shitty dorm room!

Scrubs: Season 8 – FUCK YOU SCRUBS

Drawn Together: The Complete Series – Every single unfunny episode of this unfunny show in one big unfunny box set. The perfect gift for your friends who like bad comedy or someone you hate.

Road Trip Album Picks: "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Primary Phase"

Adam16bit — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:43:00 -0800

WHAT: The first-ever anything in the popular Douglas Adams franchise
LABEL: BBC, 1978
GOOD IF YOU LIKE: Monty Python, science fiction, non-standup comedy albums
WHERE TO FIND IT: iTunes, BBC, better book stores
LENGTH: 4 hours, give or take

Depending on how much research you've done, you may be surprised that The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy started as a BBC radio program, and not as a novel or a TV miniseries. A generation of kids has been handed these by their dads, and a bunch of people have discovered it on their own-- but the radio show is where it all got started, and it's one of very few comedy/sci-fi radio shows out there to be made with any real significance.

If you're on the internet, odds are you've heard some dork come at you with the number 42. This is where that came from. The six-episode series is very similar to the book and TV show as far as plot is concerned, and many of the actors on this radio drama would go on to be stars of the television series. (Peter Jones, Simon Jones, Mark Wing-Davey, for example.) But enough of that-- is this thing worth listening to?

Ultimately, yes. This is a pop cultural milestone well worth searching out, mostly because the author Douglas Adams hung out with the boys from Monty Python and this feels like something of a spiritual successor to that form of humor. The episodes are extremely frantic, jumping between the main story and whatever strange tangents the author comes up with, be it the ins and outs of designer planets, the banality of the "B Ark," or even the notion of infinite improbability.

It's possible you're already sick of Marvin the Paranoid Android or jokes concerning the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything... but if these are new to you, you positively need to check out this show. (And be sure to get the BBC Radio Drama, and not the audiobook. The extra actors make for great entertainment.)

Additional phases of the radio series were produced after this one, coinciding with the first five books of the series. (To date, they haven't done one for And Another Thing. The first two were made in 1978 and 1979, with the others coming in 2004 and 2005.

This series should be some sort of standard issue for young nerds of all sorts-- comedy nerds, sci-fi nerds, and so on. It's clever, fun, and goes by far too quickly. (It does get a little less fun by the fourth phase, where they adapt So Long and Thanks for All The Fish.)

Album Announcement: Paul F. Tompkins' "Freak Wharf"

Adam16bit — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:59:00 -0800

AST Records confirmed the new PFT album will be out December 1, 2009. AST's releases are widely available online via their own record label or via digital distribution, but finding them at retail is, of course, somewhat difficult.

The label has a news post on this new release, which we expect to be nothing short of awesome. (After all, the man can do no wrong.) Pre-orders to start soonish. We cannot wait.

Weekly Comedy: Wasteland Edition

Zac Bertschy — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 06:35:00 -0800

There’s pretty much nothing out this week, comedy-wise; it’s pretty bleak out there. Rather than focus on the comedy wasteland that is traditional media, we’re also offering a guide to the best comedy web series that you probably either haven’t heard of or keep putting off. Handy!

IN THEATERS

The Men Who Stare At Goats – World’s most beloved man George Clooney and world’s saddest Star Wars Career Syndrome sufferer Ewan McGregor star in this “war comedy” about a field reporter who discovers a military program in Iraq that centers around psychic soldiers. Trailer looks decent; maybe a little reminiscent, tone-wise, of Three Kings. Probably worth checking out.

DVD

Eddie Izzard: Live From Wembley – Eddie Izzard’s new special. You should know by now

whether or not you’re interested in seeing this.

WEB SERIES YOU MAY HAVE MISSED

Since there’s so little out this week, here’s a quick guide to some of the better web comedy series out there. Something's gotta fill that void.

Childrens’ Hospital – This is probably the strongest web series out there; Rob Corddry’s very funny and sometimes shocking satire of medical dramas, set in a childrens’ hospital for maximum inappropriate comedy potential. If you haven’t seen this – or heard of it but never got around to it – be sure to check it out. Hopefully one day they’ll release a DVD.

Clark and Michael – Hyper-awkward buddy comedy featuring everyone’s favorite nervous nerd Michael Cera and Clark Duke, who is probably best known these days for playing lapsed conservative Christian Dale on Greek. The show is a little too mannered, but there’s plenty of good stuff in here.

Back on Topps – More than a little sports-centric but still pretty funny, this series – written by and starring the Sklar Brothers – follows the “new owners” of the Topps trading card company. Matt Besser shows up, too.

Review: The Simpsons: An Uncensored, Unauthorized History

Zac Bertschy — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:00:00 -0700

WHAT: An unofficial oral history of The Simpsons, with interviews from ex-staff, by journalist John Ortved.
GOOD IF YOU LIKED: ‘Live from New York’, which is the same basic thing for SNL.
WHERE TO FIND IT: Major bookstores, Amazon
The Simpsons: An Uncensored, Unauthorized History is basically a series of interviews with ex-staff who were willing to dish about the show’s 21-year history, without the first-hand participation from any of the series’ major players. Sure, there are excerpts from interviews other people did with Matt Groening, James L. Brooks, Sam Simon and Mike Scully, but none were conducted for this book specifically, which of course is immediately suspect.
Then again, in the (vastly superior) Live from New York, there were no direct interviews with Lorne Michaels, either, so it’s easy to just forget all that and dig in. This book is, firstly, really fascinating stuff. Although a little too much time is spent in the show’s early days (probably due to the fact that the author’s stated thesis is that The Simpsons did not “spring forth whole from Groening’s brain” but instead was a massive collaboration and was probably built more by raging eccentric Sam Simon and his writing staff than Groening himself) but the interviews with the staff members they could get to talk are excellent. For the first two-thirds or so of this thing, it’s an engrossing look at what is probably the most influential sitcom of the last 30 years or so, and there are plenty of revelations to be had, including:
Matt Groening was always way more interested in approving licensed Simpsons merchandise than working on the show itself
Conan O’Brien had to fight Groening to get the Leonard Nimoy ‘beam out’ gag at the end of Marge Vs. The Monorail because Groening was still completely opposed to any gags that felt “too cartoony”
Sam Simon is likely directly responsible for the show being what it is
Pretty much everyone except Al Jean will admit the show has sucked pretty hard for the last 10 years and bears little resemblance to the show’s golden years
The Simpsons has generated over 3 billion dollars for News Corp.
However, in the last third, the author basically throws out any attempt at objectivity and starts injecting his often surprisingly blunt personal opinions into the non-interview bits. The endless comparisons to South Park and Family Guy are particularly pointed and it’s like he’s trying to compose a theory that one of them is the successor to The Simpsons but never really comes to a conclusion. He also spends a weird amount of time bashing The Simpsons Movie, which most fans (and critics) who grew up on the show in the 1990s felt was close enough to a long and generally good episode of the series. But it wasn’t good enough for John Ortved, I guess. Basically the last few chapters feel like someone’s disorganized blog post rather than a proper oral history, but it’s still amusing and interesting enough to keep going. Worth picking up if you find it cheap.

Road Trip Halloween Party Album Picks: "Eban Schletter's Witching Hour"

Adam16bit — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 01:37:00 -0700

WHAT: Spooky music from the guy who did a lot of Mr. Show's score with some funny lyrics, but largely instrumental
NOTABLE GUESTS: Jill Sobule, Dave Allen, Paul F. Tompkins, Dave Foley, Scott Aukerman, Tom Kenny, Samm Levine
LABEL: Oglio Records, 2008
GOOD IF YOU LIKE: Mr. Show's soundtrack and/or Halloween CDs
WHERE TO FIND IT: Some record stores, Best Buy has it for $7.99
LENGTH: 1 hour, 32 seconds

If you listen to the Comedy Death Ray Radio show/podcast, you no doubt recently heard a spot promoting Eban Schletter's Witching Hour with Paul F. Tompkins. As I'm a sucker for PFT and anything he touches, I had to go track this one down. So who is this guy? It turns out that Eban Schletter is not some spooky character like the Cryptkeeper or Colonel Sanders, but is in fact an actual person responsible for composing numerous soundtracks.

This is something to throw on at parties or, if you were a bit of a dork for this sort of thing, a decent enough listen. Most of the songs fade into the background nicely and seem to borrow from cartoon soundtracks and surf music, which is where you want to be. It's not like the Cryptkeeper Christmas CD in the sense that this isn't likely to ever make it on any torture tape mixes-- it's just decent and for the most part, pleasant enough to add some noise to an otherwise quiet evening. A spooky story by Dave Foley is indeed delightfully spooky, and the songs range from mostly somber to a more upbeat number with Scott Aukerman. In short, nothing to be ashamed of.

If you're looking for a collection of goofy novelty songs this isn't it. If you keep the Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack or Haunted House sound CDs on a loop this time of year at get-togethers, this is probably a better alternative.

...so to answer your question, no, this isn't good for road trips.

Sitcom Report Card: Fall 2009

Zac Bertschy — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:49:00 -0700

Sitcoms are often called the lowest form of comedy, simplistic repetitive garbage designed to amuse the drooling plebs among us while the world melts into a steaming heap of shit outside.

Okay, so maybe they haven't been called that, but some of them certainly are. There are a boatload of sitcoms on the air this season, and since we have a terrifying television addiction and the urgent need to cast judgment on everything we see, here's a report on what's worth your precious DVR space and what you can brutally mock others for openly enjoying.

Note: calling HBO series like Curb Your Enthusiasm and Bored to Death "sitcoms" seems kind of wrong, so they're not included here, but you should be watching them, as they are excellent and completely worth your time.

THE HIGHS

Community – Easily the best new series this season, Community is really refreshing after a mountain of Office-alikes that directly copied the single-camera documentary-style, relying way too heavily on cringing awkwardness rather than just being funny. Community, on the other hand, is sharp, sarcastic, mean-spirited, biting and meta (without being too cute about it). It takes the best elements of the single-camera style (meaning no laugh track) and has a pretty great cast lead by Joel McHale. Hard to say if this will still be as good as it is now 2 or 3 seasons in, but for now, it’s great stuff.

GRADE: A

30 Rock – Nobody needs to be told that 30 Rock is the best sitcom on the air and one of the best shows on TV period. Perhaps the mountain of Emmys will convince anyone who isn’t already watching this.

GRADE: A+

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia– Several years after this modern-era "Three Stooges"/"Marx Brothers" started airing on FX, it remains funny. Sunny's manic energy has spilled out and is slowly eroding at the fourth wall in episodes like "The World Series Defense," in which the cast invents horrifying revelations under a hotel to keep the audience and judge interested in a story which basically goes nowhere. Most of the episodes can be watched in any order, which is rare in TV these days, so if you haven't started watching yet this is as good of a place as any. Also: Riot Punch, Box of Hornets.
GRADE: A-

Parks & Recreation – This started out as “Hey, you kids like The Office, here’s The Government Office!” and has slowly become a solid, funny show in its own right. It’s all in the characters – the cast is diverse enough to where all comparisons to The Office are purely surface-level. Aziz Ansari is particularly good, and the lead character isn’t grating or annoyingly stupid and awkward. It really has developed into its own thing, and it only seems to be getting better in the second season; there hasn’t been a bad episode yet.

Also Louis CK has a recurring role. Which really would elevate pretty much anything to "great" status.

Well, except for that Jenna Elfman shit on CBS.

GRADE: A-

THE LOWS

Almost Everything on CBS – CBS continues to be the Old People Network, as is evidenced by their sitcom lineup (with two exceptions). Look at this shit – Gary Unmarried, Two and a Half Men and The New Adventures of Old Christine all on the same channel. Most of these shows seem to have been designed specifically to be inoffensive enough so your parents can fall asleep during them without being rudely awoken by something funny happening. They are painfully generic and patently unfunny to their very core.

To add insult to injury, CBS actually cast professional comedy repellant Jenna Elfman in Accidentally on Purpose, which is literally just Knocked Up: The Sitcom. It’s fucking terrible. All this shit gets an F, avoid it.

Modern Family – It’s hard to put this in this category because it’s so completely unremarkable, but ultimately, this show falls short. It’s yet another documentary-style sitcom, this time about an extended family split into three chunks – divorcee grampa with young latina wife, standard family with standard kids, and then gay couple with adopted baby. It’s trying to be sort of an unflinching look at family life, but it’s just too safe and isn’t particularly funny or clever or really anything.

GRADE: D

THE CREAMY MIDDLES

The Big Bang Theory – Odds are every generic self-proclaimed “nerd” you know goes on and on about how funny this show is, and it does have plenty of moments and some good characters, but this is as standard as sitcom fare gets. Oddballs living across the hall from stereotypical “normal” hot girl, who’da thunk their worlds would collide? It’s chock full of dork-pandering jokes (comic book references, science jokes, you name it, it’s in here) and the laugh track is hyperactive, but it has gotten better over the years and in its’ third season it’s still genuinely amusing often enough to warrant renting the DVDs when you’re bored or hung over.

GRADE: B-

How I Met Your Mother – Now in its fifth season, How I Met Your Mother is basically Friends with a better cast and much better writing. It is unabashedly a show about generic white people for generic white people, but it has its own absurdist sense of humor and some seriously good running gags. While on its surface the show looks and feels like it belongs lumped in with the Two and a Half Mens of the world, the writing elevates it beyond that. If you do decide to pick this one up, rent the first season and shotgun it in a marathon session; otherwise you’ll be turned off by the first few bland episodes and will never really get why the show has a small but dedicated comedy nerd following.

GRADE: B

The Office – This show is still on and is now more than a hundred episodes longer than the original series, and it’s still funny from time to time but it’s also getting pretty tired. The “wedding” episode was old-school sitcom smarm at its smarmiest, and the whole “Jim and Michael are both the boss now!” thing doesn’t seem like it’s going anywhere. Still, the show has Kevin. Which is enough for a mild, continued recommendation.

That said it's time for them to own up to the show's premise and let us know which season they're finally going to stop filming and release the documentary, which is really the only big plot point left that seems like it has any juice in it.

GRADE: C+

Weekly Comedy: Leslie Nielsen Rises from the Grave

Zac Bertschy — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 09:42:00 -0700

Not a whole lot out this week, unless you’re really excited about yet another Ice Age movie. Which you really shouldn’t be. At all.

DVD

Monty Python: Almost The Truth – Easily the highlight this week, IFC’s 6-part in-depth and surprisingly candid documentary featuring all of the remaining Pythons (although it is a little strange to continue referring to them as “the remaining Pythons” considering only one of them is dead and according to this doc, it’s a shock he lived as long as he did). Interviews with a huge range of comics and comic actors are included; everyone from Simon Pegg to Russell Brand to Ricky Gervais to… OK so it’s mostly British comics but still, pretty fascinating stuff. Definitely worth a rental, or catch it in reruns on IFC.

Whatever Works – Woody Allen’s latest attempt to wring comedy out of a creepy May – December romance, featuring Larry David doing his best Larry David impression. Sounds like fun, right? This thing got pretty mixed reviews, but many said it was the best thing Allen’s done since Match Point, so who knows. Oh, and for the record, the poster for this is awful.

Adult Swim in a Box – This is a pretty odd box set; kind of a “best of” Adult Swim seasons (ironically missing Venture Bros., the best show on the network). You get: Aqua Teen Hunger Force season 2, Space Ghost Coast to Coast season 3, Moral Orel season 1, Robot Chicken season 2, Metalocalypse season 1, and Sealab season 2. It’s kind of a motley collection of episodes, but I suppose someone at Williams Street just cherry-picked what they thought were the best seasons they had. Probably makes a good gift for.. uh… someone who loves absurdist humor but somehow doesn’t own or hasn’t seen any of these.

Stan Helsing – Someone exhumed the corpse of Leslie Nielsen for this tired, sad-looking horror spoof about a video clerk who does battle with parody versions of famous movie monsters (Freddy, Chucky, maybe some Critters or Ghoulies show up, who gives a shit). This thing went straight to video, so yeah, now you know.

Road Trip Album Picks: "NPR Funniest Driveway Moments"

Adam16bit — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 04:13:00 -0700

WHAT: Collection of interviews with comedians and amusing interviews from NPR
LABEL: HighBridge Company, 2008
GOOD IF YOU LIKE: NPR, but don't listen to it much, and comedy new or old
WHERE TO FIND IT: Your library, book stores, online
LENGTH: 2 hours, 10 minutes

Depending on your entertainment affiliations, you may listen to either a massive amount of NPR or none at all. As I listen to a lot, much of NPR Funniest Driveway Moments had already graced my iPod through podcasts of shows like Wait Wait Don't Tell Me and others. If you permanently have your tuner set to your local NPR affiliate, odds are you've heard many of these, and the bulk of the collection is pretty timely. Some of these segments were older, some are newer, and there's a really good mix of the new generation of comedians with some of the older ones, plus a segment with Richard Pryor that sort of sticks out because he's not really involved as such. Also sticking out is a bit with Justice Stephen Breyer, who is not a comedian so much as a member of the judiciary. It's not so much a comedy thing, it certainly qualifies as amusing but it also doesn't fit here particularly well.

Since this is a collection of radio broadcasts with new segments introducing them, what you have here is essentially a perfect driving companion for fans of comedy. It isn't always funny so much as it is informative, but there's quite a bit to enjoy here if you're already a fan of the personalities on the discs, like Demetri Martin or Phyllis Diller or Sarah Silverman. Or Dame Edna. (Which we are not.) If you already have it in for these people, clearly, skip that segment-- but the whole collection is great. It's a delight to hear Steve Martin's early stories about making two cents at Disneyland, or how Mel Brooks used to play music with comedians before getting involved with Your Show of Shows.

Unlike most things I post here, this is one of very few family-friendly collections in the sense that if you're reading this, odds are you could pass it along to your parents and they probably wouldn't have a problem with it unless Lily Tomlin really pissed them off for some reason. Besides, they're going to need an introduction to Larry David, and this collection has all that and more. Heck, it's worth hearing just to hear another interview with LD, so be sure to track this one down for your next road trip. Just do it soon as it's starting to feel a little dated as some comedians go on to new things or, in some cases, retire from the business.

Pip pip cheerio bob's your uncle Weekly Comedy!

Zac Bertschy — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:48:00 -0700

Hey, there’s actually a lot of stuff out this week! Glory be! Depending on your taste!

DVD

It’s Garry Shandling’s Show: The Complete Series – Garry Shandling’s beloved fourth-wall-breaking surrealist sitcom on Showtime is now finally available as a single box set containing the entire series from Shout! Factory, the fine people who are apparently responsible for bringing everything that was ever awesome to DVD. If you’ve never seen it, now’s your chance, and it’s also your chance to start pestering them to pick up the Larry Sanders series.

Fawlty Towers: The Complete Collection Remastered – One of the only classic Britcoms most people seem to appreciate, now remastered and available in one cheap boxset. Considering all previous releases of Fawlty Towers have looked like they were “remastered” by someone’s anus thanks to the BBC’s firm policy of not taking care of their television archives, this set promises to look decent. Here’s hoping.

Black Adder: The Complete Collection Remastered – It must be British comedy week! Either that or we’re getting close to Christmas, and what better gift for your PBS-loving dad than 895 minutes of Rowan Atkinson. Perhaps next week we’ll get a complete remastered collection of Are You Being Served!

Smothers Brothers: Best of Season 2 – There must be no market for complete season releases of the Smothers Brothers, so here’s the “good stuff”. Not sure how well this act has aged, but again, this is “Christmas presents for your parents” week, it seems.

SNL: Best of Amy Poehler – Hope you like Hillary Clinton impressions! Actually, I'm a fan of Poehler, but if you're not creeped out a little by that hellaciously over-photoshopped pic of her on the cover of this DVD, something's wrong with you.

Greg Giraldo: Midlife Vices – Greg Giraldo’s sorta-OK Comedy Central special. Worth a rent if you’re a fan but it isn’t really Giraldo’s greatest material ever.

This happened on Sunday, but don't forget The Venture Bros. is back on, and it is glorious. You can watch the Season 4 premiere right here.

Comedy Challenge: Secret Girlfriend

Shaun — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 17:01:00 -0700

Now and then, I will be challenged to view something that our world puts out that is presented as funny, but is most likely horrifically unfunny, and live to write about it.

Secret Girlfriend

now playing on Comedy Central

Here now is a show that you won't like even if it is the sort of thing you like.

Secret Girlfriend on Comedy Central has a concept of this: you, the viewer, are presented as a character in the show in which your two loser friends (Sam and Phil) help you try to get away from your current girlfriend and on to a girlfriend on the side.

This was originally a show on the Internet (from Atomic Wedgie TV) and it certainly shows it, with the episodes consisting of two 15-minute episodes within and probably the lowest production value of any show on Comedy Central.

So, where does the humor in this show come in? It makes attempts with your loser friends being dumb and doing dumb things but they aren't "funny" dumb, just "dumb" dumb. For instance, in one episode, Sam, never having a wet dream in his life but wanting to have one, decides the best course of action would be not to masturbate or Interact with women so he can have a wet dream. He eventually has a wet dream, and of course, it's at a party, which everyone films with their phones. Fat guy having a wet dream. There's your comedy.

For women, certainly this is not a show for you. Even if you are a lesbian. The women are portrayed as all hot and dumb as a lukewarm glass of tap water. Women are shown as easily wooed by men with cute dogs or strip naked to signs that say "Nude Beach" hastily tacked up to public pools and so on and so forth. If you have a boyfriend and see him watching this, watch it with him, and see how quickly you start hitting him.

For men, I don't know if this is a show for you. Clearly it's aiming for someone who liked The Man Show, but that show had at slightly more nuance and much greater production values. This doesn't have anything appealing for such types except half-naked women. In this day in age, when you can go on the Internet and the other half of the naked women, putting things here and there, why watch something that is not the full experience? This show features no nipples and even the swearing is bleeped out, so why bother?

Overall, it's a show that is insulting to women, not satisfying to women who might like a show that is insulting to women, and perhaps an ominous portent for future comedy program in a recession, where the cheapest is appealing, even if it isn't funny.

HBO: Wanda Sykes' "I'ma Be Me"

Adam16bit — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 15:33:00 -0700

The Special: Wanda Sykes' "I'ma Be Me"
Runtime: 90 minutes
As seen on: HBO October 10, 2009 (and repeated until the start of the zombie apocalypse)

She's been a sitcom actress, a famous stand-up comic, a maker of prank phone calls. Tonight, she's the star of I'ma Be Me, a rather large collection of jokes and other material. Watching the special, it's clear that what you're seeing is a mix of monologue-style jokes on recent events like Obama and other political happenings with a series of personal stories about the goings-on for her life.

Most HBO specials, particularly George Carlin's, were about an hour long. This length was about perfect because it didn't ever feel like it had been going on for too long, plus it had the added bonus of being the appropriate length for a cassette or CD. In the MP3 era, time has no meaning, and should this ever see release on an audio format, well, length isn't an issue. The material is enjoyable, Wanda's clearly having a good time, and seems to have a great rapport with her Washington D.C. crowd.

Other topics covered include: waxing, babies, aging, and what appears to be the female equivalent of being kicked in the balls. At 90 minutes the show is about 30 minutes too long-- none of the material is bad, it's just that our MTV-addled brains are used to shorter bursts of comedy. She had enough material to do two specials here, so this is more of a king-sized mega-performance that her fans will no doubt love and fans of comedy in general will likely enjoy.

Worth seeing! Just budget some time or watch it in pieces.

Also notable: She reveals her age during the performance. I personally would not have guessed this one. Also, she's getting her own talk show on Fox shortly, if what she's done here carries over to broadcast TV she's probably going to have a great run.

Weekly Comedy: Now We're Into the Dregs

Zac Bertschy — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 09:34:00 -0700

It’s yet another light week. You could call it ‘WEAKLY COMEDY’. Get it? Eh?

Eh?

DVD

Land of the Lost – This spectacular failure probably belongs in Comedy Skippables, but it’s such a weird-ass, completely unhinged flaming trainwreck that it’s hard not to recommend it only as an oddity and to experience just how unfunny two normally funny people (Ferrell and McBride) can be when they’re clearly improvising more than 2/3rds of the film and nobody’s telling them that what they’re doing isn’t funny.

Mighty Boosh Special Edition – All three seasons of The Mighty Boosh in limited edition packaging. A must-have for those seeking to define ‘acquired taste’.

Married… With Children Season 11 – This is still coming out.

South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (Bluray) – The movie that has absolutely no need to be seen in high definition, in high definition. Although this film has held up pretty well over the years and is still pretty good – certainly much funnier than most recent episodes of the series.

Futurama: Complete Collection – Every single piece of Futurama, in a plastic Bender head. You get all four seasons and all four “movies”, a collection rendered incomplete the second the new episodes hit next year.

COMEDY SKIPPABLES

The Proposal – Although I have not seen this film, I can tell based just on the DVD cover that at least one (1) wedding cake gets destroyed and perhaps we then see a dog reaction shot wherein the dog either (A) covers one eye with its paw and whimpers or (B) cocks its brow and gives a quizzical grunt.

Comedy Death Ray This Week: All Singing, All Dancing

Adam16bit — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 16:48:00 -0700

It seems music is increasingly the order of the day at Comedy Death Ray here in Los Angeles, as tonight's packed show was hosted by The Devil's Purse, or "a band with Charlyne Yi and Paul Rust." Dial up the quirk to 9, and you pretty much get the band's sound.

Kicking off the show is Donald Glover, who you may have seen on NBC's Community as one of the students in the core study group. While not given a ton to do on the show's episodes which have aired so far, tonight's set shows that he's a fountain of material and should be absolutely handed some more screen time. This was the first of a three-week residency, meaning if you're in the neighborhood you can see him again next week. And you probably should.
From Australia and/or the UK, Brendon Burns had a strong set with his new catchphrase "it's not racist where I'm from," which basically set the tone of the set nicely. Offering insight on the wonderful differences between the English-speaking nations of the world, the set was enjoyed by the audience and this is probably someone to see if you also enjoyed the works of Jim Jeffries.
Maria Bamford held up the middle of the show with a ton of new stuff and a couple of classics, which, it turn out, have a strong visual component. If you've only heard her albums, you may be unaware that she does a great deal with her hands. (You've only been getting like half the show as a result, you poor schmuck.) The rapid-fire set was firing like crazy, with so many jokes you might have missed a few. Given Bamford just released a new album earlier this year, it looks like she's well on her way to having enough material for another one in the not-too-distant-future, and we're totally game if she decides to crank one out. Good stuff.
Reginald D. Hunter-- a comic orignally from the south and then from the U.K.-- managed to slay the audience, repeatedly, and while we'd like to reprint the jokes here decorum (and the desire to not ruin his act) prevent us from doing so. If you have not previously seen him, make sure you do so. It's rare to see a set open with "I'm from the South" and "I have a very British sense of humor," particularly when the comic manages to destroy the audience. Well done, sir.
Special surprise unannounced guest Aziz Ansari came in to do some material, most of which-- while excellent-- was performed at a recent show which we covered a few weeks ago, with a couple of new bits at the end. Very funny stuff, including an exchange/fight with someone online regarding the quality and price of the popular Gmail service. He does not disappoint, but he did allude to lengthening his set to make time for Nick Kroll, who did not end up showing. More on that in a jiffy.
Ending the evening was Garfunkel and Oates, who played three songs in a very brief concert-let. As many of their songs are regularly featured on Comedy Death Ray Radio, a great podcast/streaming program, you may recognize a tune or two. The set included "Fuck You," "One Night Stand," and a third song, the name of which we didn't quite get. Ah well. The audience loved it, and they seemed to totally dig the entire show tonight.

So, about Nick Kroll-- he and comedy partner dude Jon Daly posted a new video to Funny or Die earlier in the morning and I assume the plan was for to have them come to the show and play it for the audience. Since I'm making a guess here, I have no way to know for sure, but I can embed it here for your amusement either way. Behold, The Ed Hardy Boyz!

The Ed Hardy Boyz: The Case of the Missing Sick Belt Buckle from Jon Daly

Weekly Comedy: Kind of a Crappy Week, Really

Zac Bertschy — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:04:00 -0700

Wow. Not a whole hell of a lot this week. There's a ton of great stuff in theaters, though, so go to the movies instead.

IN THEATERS

Good Hair – Not entirely certain how funny this is (or is supposed to be) but Chris Rock has a new documentary out about how black people do their hair like this and white people do their hair like that (content assumed based on trailer and Chris Rock’s entire career). Might be worth checking out once it hits cable.

DVD

Year One – Spectacularly unfunny “historical” comedy starring Michael Cera and Jack Black, directed by Harold Ramis. Even though there’s a ton of great talent in this – David Cross, Paul Rudd, all those folks – it’s a pretty awful movie. Ramis was aiming for a movie that questions the tenets of faith while farting and pointing to its weiner, which I guess is what this is supposed to be, but it isn’t funny.

Red Dwarf: Back to Earth – I don’t watch Red Dwarf but people who get all excited about Monty Python re-releases and new Rowan Atkinson projects seem to love it (Johnny English 2, anyone?). This is apparently the final final final end end end of the series, which is fine with me.

Eugene Mirman: God is a 12-Year Old Boy with Asperger’s – New Mirman CD. The only must-have release of the week. So go get it.

This Week in Late Night: Post-Post-Letterman Edition

Adam16bit — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 05:59:00 -0700

Everybody's on TV this week, making the rounds throughout the late night suit-and-tie circuit. This week's big winner is clearly Jimmy Fallon, although the battle between Regis Philbin and Larry David on Live! might be well worth seeing tomorrow. Set your DVRs, productive and employed people!

THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH CONAN O'BRIEN
10.5 Kevin Nealon
10.7 Jason Bateman

LATE NIGHT WITH JIMMY FALLON
10.5 Kristen Wiig
10.6 Lewis Black, They Might Be Giants
10.7 Chevy Chase
10.9 Martin Short

LAST CALL WITH CARSON DALY
10.5 Seth Green
10.9 Glenn Howerton

THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN
10.5 Steve Martin
10.9 Jon Hamm, Andy Kindler

JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE
10.5 David Alan Grier
10.7 Joel McHale

THE JAY LENO SHOW
10.7 Wanda Sykes
10.8 Jack Black

THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART
10.5 Sarah Vowell

TELEVISION FOR THE UNEMPLOYED

THE VIEW
10.6 Steve Martin, David Alan Grier
10.7 Chris Rock

LIVE WITH REGIS AND KELLY
10.6 Larry David
10.7 Chevy Chase

THE ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW
10.5 Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jason Schwartzman
10.7 Kevin Nealon
10.9 Jason Bateman

Road Trip Album Picks: Neil Hamburger's "Hot February Night"

Adam16bit — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 19:26:00 -0700

WHAT: Live comedy concert recorded before a Tenacious D show
LABEL: Off-Price Value Center, 2007
GOOD IF YOU LIKE: Neil Hamburger, audience baiting
WHERE TO FIND IT: Heck if we know, it's a rare promotional album
LENGTH: 33 minutes

While we do not advocate media piracy, we are huge advocates of artists making money off of things. And if you can't buy it, well, borrow it or something. Neil Hamburger's Hot February Night is pretty much impossible to get, it's a crying shame that this recording is something of a rarity. Eschewing the usual quasi-sad sack comic motif in favor of full-blown confrontation, we see moments of delighted anger that rarely come across in a comic performer's albums, much less in one of the biggest shows he may ever play.

Tenacious D fans, apparently, to not have a sense of humor. The album kicks off with some of the most vicious jabs at the audience I've ever heard on an album this side of a live show from The Stooges in the 1970s, railing against uninterested observers calling them pigs, cocksuckers, and other terrible things. It's hysterical.

This too-short live recording includes other versions of things like "Cranberry Sauce" and "The Jackson Five," plus some of the best jokes about Santa Claus you will ever hope to hear. Assuming, of course, you enjoy Mr. Hamburger's style, otherwise you'll likely consider this the worst thing you've ever heard. It's just so astoundingly venomous that you can really taste the hatred the audience has for its opener, who may have recorded one of the finest live recordings we're likely to hear. He even tailored some bits to the music audience with knocks against Pink Floyd and the Beatles, which will likely slay you if you aren't a boomer. (And maybe if you're a boomer.)

Clearly, Neil Hamburger knows this is not his audience, and he fires back to chants for "D! D!" with something to the effect of what their grades in school were. Oh, and numerous references to additional opening acts to follow, including the then-timely and much disliked Kevin Federline.

"Hot February Nights" is too good to save for a road trip or journey somewhere. If you can find it, get it, pay whatever you have to pay, borrow whatever you have to borrow. Other albums like "Raw Hamburger" and "America's Funnyman" are funny and enjoyable, but odds are you've never heard anything like "Hot February Nights." Hopefully Neil will perform other shows like this one in the future. We positively do not suggest this album to all of you, but if you already like this amazing artist, this will likely be a holy grail recording that we hope to see released to iTunes some day.

Comedy Death Ray This Week: All The Ham

Adam16bit — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 16:54:00 -0700

If you were one of the billions of people not in attendance at the Los Angeles UCB Theatre this week, you missed one of the finest nights of comedy to grace any stage, anywhere, ever. Hot damn. It was also a night of Doug Benson's I Love Movies, which makes it even more awesome.

I Love Movies
Doug Benson's [Twitter] guests were Paul F. Tompkins [Twitter] and Brett Gelman [Twitter]. Games were played. Lottery commercials were discussed. Tom Lennon was mentioned as having canceled due to some movie project. This should be on his iTunes feed in a few days, most likely, so do be sure to check it out.

Comedy Death Ray
Kyle Kinane was not the host, as advertised, but rather Chris Fairbanks [Web]. Very funny. Most of his opening was seemingly him winging it, hysterical stuff, and he also let drop that he's recording a comedy album in San Francisco this week which we fully intend on picking up when the chance comes up. The comedy bounced around from all sorts of styles, so it's pretty much right up our alley. Because it was funny, which is what we go for.

First up: Paul F. Tompkins [Twitter]. When your opener is PFT, the show has to be awesome, and it was. Paul told tales of drunk, rude, and annoying Canadians while sharing road stories from the recent comedy festival in Vancouver. It's hard to tell how much of this was material or just sharing genuinely funny life experiences, but it sounds like he had a terrible audience that he screwed with the entire time. This is why Paul, formerly of Best Week Ever and numerous other projects, is one of the finest comics working today. We're big fans, and as I like to say, make sure you see him if the chance ever arrives. Seriously, if it's $40 a whack to see him, go do it.
Next up was Susan Burke [MySpace], who brought a number of great jokes focusing on things that, were we to describe them, we would crush the punchlines. So we won't. But do see her if you get the chance.
Jon Daly [Twitter] came out next doing another character bit, of which he is something of a genius. Why this man does not have a TV deal, I do not know. If you've heard of the rule of threes, he managed to take a Bill Cosby persona infomercial gag to the rule of 14s. I would describe it at length, but I don't know if you'll have the chance to see it and I'd hate to ruin it for you. It may be the single funniest thing of the evening, as it certainly seemed that the audience was laughing harder and longer than at any other bit we've seen in quite a while. To say he killed may be an understatement-- if the night was a competition, this man was the clear winner. All hail Jon Daly.
The great Patton Oswalt [MySpace]-- who from here on out must be referred to as great-- pulled out tons of new material in the wake of his recent CD release, which we reviewed here a while back. As one of the funniest (and therefore best) standups working today, Oswalt and Tompkins made this a real winning evening for their fans, and anyone that wandered in from off the streets. Topics included Halloween decorations (specifically, a tree), ham, a new baby, and more. Let us know if you hear these bits in rotation, all were really strong and it's a shame Patton doesn't release albums every few months so you can hear all of this material.
The audience was surprised to see another comic follow Oswalt, the unannounced Reggie Watts [Twitter]. It's difficult to describe-- sort of music, definitely comic, and the performer feels like the fusion of George Clinton and Bobby McFerrin. It's difficult to describe, but it was a brief, funny mix of voices, strangeness, singing, sound effects, and... well, maybe that wasn't so difficult. It was absolutely a treat to see and a nice way to end the show.

In short, or long, another great week without any real lagging.

The Cleveland Show - first episode review

Shaun — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 13:00:00 -0700

The Cleveland Show, a spin-off of Family Guy takes Cleveland Brown and makes him the star. I know, it's as exciting as the previous sentence makes it out to be.

The story goes like this - Cleveland loses his house to Loretta in the divorce. He takes custody of Cleveland Jr. (now a fat teenager) and heads to California. On the way, he stops by his former hometown in Virginia, stops by his old High-School, and wouldn't ya know it, runs into his old high-school crush, Donna.

He stays for a while at her house, and gets her little child Rallo back into school and gets her daughter Roberta home on time from her date. So, of course Roberta gets back with her loser husband, Robert, until Cleveland stands up for himself. Cleveland and Donna get married and stay in Virginia. Thus the set-up for a series that will last either half a season or fifteen. You never know with television.

Oh, did I mention there was a family of anthropomorphic bears next door? HILARITY ENSUES!

I do have to wonder why this show was made. Perhaps it was a half-hearted attempt to aim at a black demographic? Could it be that they just wanted to see what else Family Guy fans would watch? Is it that Fox is looking for a suitable benign replacement for King of the Hill?

I half-think that Seth McFarlane did this on a dare, where someone said "I dare you to make a show based on your least-interesting Family Guy character!" and he said "You're on!"

Perhaps it's just that this show is like all spin-off sitcoms - something being sold to you based on the success of a previous product, changed slightly but is not something you need. It's like when you go to the store and get a big bag of chips and the clerk tells you "Would you like to get a bag of those chips in Jabanero Lime? It's free with your purchase." You consider it for a moment, but then realize, why the hell would I want that?

Weekly Comedy: A Bunch of Stuff You Might Not Like

Zac Bertschy — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 07:33:00 -0700

It’s another early Weekly Comedy! Ye Gods!

The big release this week is The Invention of Lying, which based on the trailers, looks pretty damn fantastic. Other than that, thanks to the overwhelming amount of decent comedy on TV right now (Curb Your Enthusiasm seems to be back to its usual quality and I was particularly impressed with Bored to Death and Community), even if the DVD + CD releases are light, there’s plenty out there to keep you busy. And by busy I mean sitting on your ass in front of the TV crassly judging performers and writers vastly more talented than you.

IN THEATERS

The Invention of Lying – Ricky Gervais’ hypothetical situation involves a world where it never occurred to anyone to speak anything other than the blunt, horrible truth about everything. So he starts lying and basically becomes a king among men, as is my understanding. Also starring Louis CK, so yeah, you pretty much have to go see this.

DVD

How I Met Your Mother Season 4 – This show isn’t particularly popular among comedy nerds – it is sometimes very cloying and overly sincere and is effectively a more clever and sarcastic version of Friends, but it does have a consistently funny internal sense of humor and some of the episodes are pretty great. It’s worth Netflixing for a boring Sunday if you’ve never seen it.

Away We Go – All of the marketing materials for this movie feature the title in a shaking, hand-drawn font and the film stars John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph, so expect there to be many hoodies worn and many Regina Spektor songs on the soundtrack. It got mixed-leaning-positive reviews when it came out, so again, maybe it’s boring Sunday material.

NEW ON TV

Titan Maximum – The latest from Robot Chicken creators Seth Green and Matt Senreich (with considerable input from Robot Chicken writer Tom Root), this new series is essentially an extended parody of Voltron and other series like it. It’s been said in interviews that the goal was to portray “what would actually happen if a bunch of whiny, emotionally broken teenagers controlled a giant godlike weapon of interstellar war”, which sounds pretty funny but based on the first two minutes it seems like an episode of Voltron where everyone swears. But hey, that’s just the first two minutes. Give the full pilot a look-see for yourself tonight at 11:30pm on Adult Swim.

The Cleveland Show – A Family Guy spinoff wherein Cleveland, the slow-talking black guy, moves out of Quahog to Virginia, meets his high school sweetheart with two kids of her own and gets married. Their neighbors are a family of bears. Sounds zany! This seems like either a mild disaster or just another version of Family Guy with the characters swapped around. It’s on tonight after The Simpsons.

COMEDY SKIPPABLES THIS WEEK

Monsters Vs. Aliens - Dreamworks tried to sell this as an all-audiences comedy, but it's really just by-the-numbers, feels long even though it's pretty short, doesn't really have any laughs in it and isn't particularly clever or worthwhile. It's trying to be an out-and-out comedy but ultimately winds up being a generic kids' movie. Avoid it.

This Is Funny, Watch It

Zac Bertschy — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 08:02:00 -0700

Featuring Todd Glass and Jimmy Dore.

Toy Runs Are Great

Adam16bit — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:11:00 -0800

So Pete and I hit a bunch of stores Friday and I/we went to some other places too. Due to leaks of things that shouldn't be out and me not wanting to piss on anyone's parade, here's some of what I got.

CDs
Tom Waits "Glitter & Doom Live"
Melt Banana "Cell-Scape"
Les Savy Fav "Go Forth"

Movies
Fifth Element (Blu-Ray, $13, woo)

Books
TMNT Collected Year 1

Toys
DC Universe Green Lantern, Green Arrow, Black Canary set ($5.00)

Games
Xbox 360 LEGO Batman and LEGO Star Wars Complete Saga ($17 for the pair, not each)

Soda
Ruby Red Squirt (Fry's Marketplace)
...Pop Soda was all out of Jolt. Again. Tons of diet, of course, none of the regular stuff. WHY DO YOU MOCK ME SO.

Pete was looking for "Kill City" from Iggy Pop/James Williamson and we could not find a copy on CD. A pity. It's a pretty good album.

...in terms of "catch and release" finds, there were tons of Dewbacks, AT-ST, Geonosis Assault (Gun Pod) Battle Packs, Jurassic Park TRU toys (in short supply in my usual haunts), Masterpiece Skywarps, Legacy Wave 9, and other goodies in great numbers. As usual, Phoenix does not disappoint.

This Root Beer Is Totally Real

Adam16bit — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:57:00 -0800

Found this at Pop Soda in Tempe, AZ while I'm on assignment. (Otherwise I'd post this to 16bit.com first.)

It's Judge Wapner Root Beer. The label reads "I sentence you to drink my Root Beer." I haven't tried it yet, but it's from the same people that did Leninade and that was pretty good stuff. I'll be keeping an empty of this on my desk at work, too.

Bands That Piss Me Off With Their Hiatus

Adam16bit — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 17:20:00 -0800

Hey bands-- if you've ended your career, let us know, rather than making us wonder if you're still around or not. Not updating your web site? Bad form. Post that you're done or over or something. In particular:

Man or Astro-Man (no real updates since 2005, no releases since 2001)
Pilot Scott Tracy (last update ???, last album 2006)
Spoozys (last US release 2000, last release 2003, last website update 2003)
Tiki Tones (last update 2007, last album 2000)
Tyro (last update, album 2000)

Seriously, I'd totally love to give you people some money. I can't be alone here.

Also for a dishonorable mention, Supernova released a 7-inch in 2008 and let their web site lapse into expiration. Good job. Nerf Herder did not make the cut because, apparently, Nerf Herder IV was released in 2008. Which means that this has been the longest freaking year ever. Bah.

And while I have your attention, does anyone know if Jonny and the Shamen released a third album? I've got Adventures in Espionage and Operation: Twang!, but I remember seeing a third one, if memory serves, as some early digital-distro exclusive. I can't find any evidence of this. It may have been MP3.com or eMusic or something, but nothing seems to remain. Little help? There's basically no useful record of the band existing-- no official site, no Wikipedia page, nada.

Soda Marketing, 2009: Cats

Adam16bit — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 07:33:00 -0800

We went to Target to peruse the graveyard of Halloween items, as I was hoping to get a deal on the LEGO Power Miners sets in the polybags. No dice, but we did find this amusing artifact.

Each bottle has a different label, but one side of the packaging (and one bottle) seems to have grafted on to the internet craze that refuses to die (or stop being entertaining), LOLcats. Or people that dress up cats. Either way, there you go-- clearance Monster Mojitos, with a pirate cat.

I am a Narcissistic Snot

Adam16bit — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 18:05:00 -0700

I had something about bargain CDs I was gonna post then I proved myself wrong after overpaying for something by about two or three bucks, so blargh. Instead, here's my top 25 most played songs in iTunes. I don't think there's anything in here I'm particularly ashamed of, which is good.

So that's what iTunes tells me I love. It's pretty close to the mark, but I guess some stuff gets played more by virtue of the fact it got on this list early on. There really should be some Mummies on here at some point, but the highest played track of theirs is "Jezebel" at 22. Hunh. Also, "Make it Rain" is a lot higher than I'd have guessed, particularly as it isn't my favorite Tom Waits song by a long shot.

The takeaway from this:
- Andrew Jackson Jihad is awesome, and you should listen to them
- Inches is a pretty sweet album, and you should probably get that too
- Songs About Fucking? Also awesome.
- Blast Off Country Style? Also yes. (The band, not the album. I've never actually heard the record they took their name from. I should probably change that.)

I (think I) Miss Radio Dramas

Adam16bit — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 18:27:00 -0700

Not that I was really around to enjoy them when they were finally dying, but I actually very much dig the Star Wars and Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy radio shows. I'd like more stuff like this, even though I am not what you would call a typical sci-fi fan in the sense that I'm not really receptive to most space things unless toys are somehow involved. The TV HHG2G was something my dad taped when I was like three or four to show me when I was 10, so that kinda stuck. I listened to the Guide before bed last year and am going for a second run-through nowish.

The whole format is really nifty because, well, it's cheap. It's like someone made a cartoon without the drawings. I hear there's a lot of Doctor Who stuff like this out there but I can't say I honestly consider myself a big fan of the franchise. And sure, there's a lot of audiobooks, but it doesn't seem like there's a lot of stuff out there quite like these shows, produced after the late 1970s, that I've seen yet.

If you've never heard these, they're pretty great. The downside of the Star Wars ones is that it's an incredibly long series. Star Wars is a hair over 6 hours, Empire Strikes Back clocks in at 4:22, and Return of the Jedi is the short one at 3:12. Keep in mind, these are based on films which run about 2 hours... so there's a lot of expanded background goofiness here. I hear there's a Dark Empire one but I have yet to find it. Maybe I should do that.

This is going nowhere, other than me getting at "I like this sort of thing." I'm a little surprised NPR or the BBC or someone isn't doing more of this kind of thing for podcasts, just for kicks, but maybe it's too expensive given the audience is probably old-time radio fans and about twelve nerds. There's gotta be more of a market for this kind of stuff. On that note, are they doing the sixth Adams-free And Another Thing for radio? I hear they're reading it over the air but I mean like some fancy-pants production with more than three voices.

...not that I could tell you what I'd be particularly interested in hearing in this format. If I had more time I'd research to see if podcasters were dong anything like this of interest, but if by chance you've heard of something good do let me know. Otherwise it's back to the 1970s for my ears.

Life Magazine

Adam16bit — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 19:21:00 -0700

My friend Zac made a crack about a picture I posted on Twitter. So here's what it'd look like.

BEHOLD YOUR FUTURE (six months ago)

Fishing

Adam16bit — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 11:15:00 -0700

One of the many duties in toy collecting is to remember to store your figures so they won't get broken. One of my regular runs is to Kmart, as Wal-Mart and pretty much every other store stopped carrying the appropriately sized tackle boxes my figures crave. For the record, the model today was the Plano 3700.

I cleaned them out. I pretty much always buy what they have-- generally, 5 units or so-- but today they had 15, so... well, you know how it goes. Star Wars toys don't store themselves.

The guy in sporting goods-- there usually isn't one-- took a big interest when I started looking at the boxes and stacking them all. "So, you're a fisherman?" "Nope." He kept asking a lot of questions, which leads me to believe that he might have noticed that about once a month someone comes in and buys all of the tackle boxes.

The checker lady also seemed incredibly amused. Next time it's "THEY'RE FOR SEVERED HUMAN FINGERS, DO YOU MIND?"

Really, Music Press?

Adam16bit — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 17:01:00 -0700

There are few things you can be sure of when the name They Might Be Giants have news that hits the music press. One, it's a safe bet the word "quirky" will be employed. This was a law up until about 2000, now it seems to just happen on occasion.

The new new law is that if it's a kid's album, it's going to say something like this, which we just happened to take from Pop Matters review of Here Comes Science:

This is the kind of record that parents won’t get sick of their kids playing nonstop.

In the off chance a parent is reading this, I'd like to invite you to comment on that sentence-- variations of which appear in most if not all reviews of the TMBG kids' albums over the past few years.

Other People's Music

Adam16bit — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 17:28:00 -0700

I am rarely asked to DJ anything, ever. Generally doing this is basically begging for me to make your life increasingly miserable as you complain about the music being played. As such, I was surprised to be asked to handle music duties for the Michael Metzger-Andrea Elberly wedding, and they picked the phat beats.

Playlist part 1
Playlist part 2

On the whole the entire shindig was great-- interestingly, as the night went on, a lot of people seemed to get a little too interested in the music. Sticking exclusively to the happy couple's playlist, it's interesting to see just how diverse a reaction you can get to the perception that you, as the DJ, may be going against the couple's wishes.

It was a lot of fun. If someone asks you to hold the mic and play songs, I suggest you give it a try. Being a wedding, audience-baiting was off the menu but I hope that there's a chance to do something like this again. And next time I'll bring my iPod so when someone who's had a few too many requests to hear something about Uranus, I and Man or Astro-Man will be prepared.

Michael, you're my oldest friend and I wish you and your special lady all the very best. Clearly, you've picked a good one. Andrea, take good care of my old buddy. I know you two are going to have a great life together, take care of him, walk him regularly, and turn him toward the light and water him daily.

Random Albums I May Never Get Sick Of

Adam16bit — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 16:28:00 -0700

I find most music is like fruit. After a while it'll eventually spoil. Good music is like a Twinkie-- it lasts a good long time, and may someday spoil, but not likely to be soon. Here are some albums that, for me, have pretty much always worked as great late-night companions to be played through in their entirety. And yes I'm under 30, I just like the older stuff. If I'm up working late, this is what I end up listening to a lot.

Talking Heads' "More Songs About Buildings & Food"
I got this on LP many moons ago-- well, maybe like 2001 or something-- and played the heck out of it. Your trash is my treasure, and this is a really good album that wasn't represented by a collection I had. "I'm Not In Love" is getting a lot of play lately, but the whole thing is great to play all the way through.

Pulsars' "Pulsars"
Surprisingly good. If you kinda like They Might Be Giants but would stab someone in the eye before listening to "Flood" again, you might like this. I found this in a ten cent CD bin, and saw it in numerous discount and cut-out bins since. Basically it's a couple of guys singing about tunnels-- like actual tunnels, not a metaphor-- and really old Macs being turned into fish bowls. (This also makes the packaging.) I ripped nearly every CD I owned at my first job for my work PC and this one was far and away the most played. It's good, but apparently it's VERY good when played at the office.

Alice Cooper's "Billion Dollar Babies"
People will tell you this is not the group's best album. These people are wrong. It's not that it's astonishingly clever, it's just very enjoyable. Pretty much everything I thought about the band is nicely encapsulated by this disc, and it's nice and noisy in places too. Can you name a lot of albums with a dentist's drill? I can't.

Wall of Voodoo's "Dark Continent"
Or, "good luck finding this, sucker." I bought it on vinyl because the CD was a limited-release in the 1990s and was worth $120+. Then I got the CD... a CDR bootleg sold at a Ridgway concert. It's their first LP and it's actually fantastic if you like their other stuff. "Back in Flesh" is a great ode to not working, and while I'm not sure what "Crack the Bell" is about I do love it. If by some reason you stumble on this, you're 18-22, and you enjoyed the likes of They Might Be Giants at some point in your life, do yourself a favor and get this.

Weezer's "Pinkerton"
You can probably blame the rise of emo on this one but dang it's good. Since it didn't get much play, and sales are less-than-stellar by Weezer standards, it's one of those things that seems to get both less and more respect than it deserves. Anyone that didn't enjoy "El Scorcho" is a damned liar.

Spoozys' "Astro 99" EP
I enjoy the music of Spoozys. I love this EP. 5 songs, formerly Japan-only, I think it's on iTunes and a few other places now. "Surf Devolution" is one of the best instrumentals I've heard in a while, and "It's Only a Droid" may be the only surf-oriented song that features C-3PO's whines as lyrics. I daresay if you're also under 30 and can still be bowled over by music, this is worth picking up.

Andrew Jackson Jihad's "Candy Cigarettes and Cap Guns"
Angry, angry folk. Half of it can be downloaded from the band's site for free. It's essentially folk punk, which sounds crappy, but it isn't. There's a manic energy here that you find in early Polysics, minus the bleeps and Japanese-ness of it. According to iTunes I really, really love this album. I don't disagree. See also: "Issue Problems" album.

Blast Off Country Style, "In My Arms" EP, "Rainbow Mayonnaise Deluxe" album, "White Devil" 7-inch, "C'mon and Blast Off Country Style" compilation
I found them while digging for cheap Japanese imports in a bargain bin. Turns out they were a bunch of kids from Virginia. Very engaging, I daresay almost too cute for their own good. But it's one of those bands where I seek out side projects and the members' other work, so yeah, it's good.