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3-25-2009)
A Galaxy Divided Star Wars: The Clone Wars - A Galaxy DividedTuesday is DVD release day and yesterday Star Wars: The Clone Wars - A Galaxy Divided dropped into stores. This DVD release As we announced back in January, this DVD contains four episodes of the animated Clone Wars series including "Ambush" and the three-part Malevolence story, "Rising Malevolence," "Shadow of Malevolence" and "Destroy Malevolence." The DVD is selling for about $12.99 at Target stores and will probably be in that ball park at other retailers, at least for this week. There will be a second DVD released this summer that will contain another four episodes of The Clone Wars as well. And although a hard date hasn't been set yet, we do know that the full first season of The Clone Wars will be coming later in the year, probably around the time that season two debuts. Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II)
Robot Chicken If you need something else to hold you over till the full season of The Clone Wars is released, then look no further than July 21st. That's when Robot Chicken will release their second Star Wars special, Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II on DVD. The DVD release will include 15 minutes of new footage and have a running time of about 60 minutes. There will also be an additional hour and a half of bonus material. Look for this to run about $19.99 but, as always, should be on sale the week it's released. 3-23-2009HasbroHasbro held their most recent Q&A session on Friday and the most interesting piece of news to come out of it is that 2009 will see the end of the Titanium line. They answered questions on two different sites about it but it's unclear if they'll end the line when they switch to the new packaging color scheme in the Fall or if they'll cancel it before then, shipping only the waves that have been confirmed so far for the year. On the Mighty Muggs front, we already knew that the line would be exclusive to Toys-R-Us come this fall, but in answer to a RebelScum.com question, it looks like we may be seeing an end for this line as well. They answered the RS.com question by stating that the Muggs that have been shown to this point are all that are scheduled. Previously Hasbro has mentioned looking for a way to release the cantina drink dispenser but in answer to a BanthaSkull.com question, we now know that Hasbro had to abandon this. They mention that it was too complex an item to do in the basic line. While they don't completely close the door, it's about as definitive of a no as Hasbro usually gives. GalacticHunter.com has two cool pieces of news, first is that they have a photo of the new Nikto Skiff Guard that will be coming in the ROTJ wave later in the year. Their second tidbit concerns the new Mini Rig line. Hasbro is looking to 2010 for new designs for the line. They mention that they prefer to align the toys with the Clone Wars cartoon but will transition to new vehicles. In what may clear up some questions about the Qui-Gon & Eopie mail-away program, HansHideOut.com asked what figures we can expect to see the Darth Maul stickers on. Hasbro responded that initially they'll only be on the TLC figures (beginning with the TPM wave). However, they mention that "all basic figures will be eligible for the mail-in promotion." To me that means that the promo will use UPC codes like they did with the Captain Rex promo in 2008 rather than stickers like the Indiana Jones figures from 2008 or the Vintage figures in previous years. JediNews asked about the Galactic Heroes AT-AT that was shown off at the UK Toy Fair. According to Hasbro, that has been put on hold for now but may be out in 2010. Gentle GiantGentleGiantCollectors.com has posted a new Q&A feature with GG. Will the PGM Rex have 2 heads? Will there be an AT-AT Driver chase piece? Is the Pirates Maquette line officially done? Head over to their site to see the answers to those questions and others. (Note - You'll need to register to their forums) 3-18-2009HasbroYesterday may have been St. Patrick's day but today Hasbro is pulling some shenanigans. The wave numbering and corresponding movie information has been out for a while now with Hasbro firming up, at Toy Fair, the next three waves. Those waves were supposed to be ESB, AOTC, and TPM respectively. They were scheduled for May, June and September. Yesterday Hasbro released some loose and carded pictures of the AOTC wave which firmed up the waves numbering scheme within the Legacy Collection. However, today they release photos of four figures that had previously only shown up on some case listings from Entertainment Earth and their numbering slots them into the TLC collection as part of the AOTC wave. The four previously unannounced figures are:
They're also showing BD-42 Hoth Rebel Soldier and BD-32 Spacetrooper with HK-47 parts. With two figures carried forward, that makes this a 12 figure wave with all figures making the HK-47 droid. If these four newly announced figures had been released in the TLC line previously then I'd say they were just being carried forward, but the numbering shows them as, basically, a repaint wave for this year when, according to Hasbro, we wouldn't get one. I'm more interested to find out what this means for the final figure count for the year (placed at 54 figures during Toy Fair) and what wave(s), if any, will be getting pushed into 2010? It just seems odd to push a wave up to 12 figures rather than 6 new with carry forward figures mixed in as they've been doing up till now. The only other wave that has had this type of "bonus" was the 2008 ROTS wave which added the 327th Star Corps figure on as BD-29. Not sure what Hasbro is thinking on this but head over to the TLC Checklist where, hopefully, I've laid things out a little better to show how the waves are breaking down this year. 3-17-2009Target)
Clone Wars Puzzles This will probably be the last update I do on the Target holiday items since I think I've found everything at this point. To add to last week's post I found two Milton Bradley puzzles which include Galactic Heroes figures. They had Yoda and Obi-Wan, each puzzle has 100 pieces and they retail for $6.99. The art and figures are based on their Clone Wars appearances. Target also is carrying a set of three treat boxes in the shape of Clone Trooper helmets with a red deco similar to the Clone helmet bucket I posted the other day. They're $1.99 for a sleeve of three. )
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Lego Mini Sets The last new piece is a stuffed Darth Vader, about 6-inches tall, with a bag of jelly beans. He was $4.99. And an update, I have photos of the bagged Lego sets. The V-19 Starfighter and General Grievous' Starfighter. Both are $3.99. All of the items are being sold in the seasonal section with the Easter candy and decorations. Gentle GiantGentle Giant has posted a new Star Wars - Behind the Scenes video on YouTube.com. This video features sculptor Joe Jung as well as showcases the new Boba Fett with Han Solo in carbonite diorama and Stormtrooper statue.
3-13-2009
Admiral Ackbar SideshowAdmiral AckbarLast night Sideshow put the new Admiral Ackbar bust up for pre-order with their newsletter. He'll set you back $499.99 and is shipping in the 3rd quarter. No edition size set for him yet but I'll stick with my 500 piece guess. Don't forget that Sideshow offers Flex Pay on a lot of their more expensive items and Ackbar is no exception. John Connor)
John Connor Normally I don't highlight properties other than Star Wars but I have to point out this new John Connor figure from Hot Toys that went up for pre-order from Sideshow last night. It's absolutely fantastic. This is Christian Bale as John Connor from the upcoming Terminator: Salvation film and it's a home run. Now, Hot Toys is as famous for their dead-on face sculpting as they are for their 1:6 bodies and accessories, but this may be their best ever sculpt. The detail and realism on the skin texture is unlike anything I think I've seen. Granted, the photos are using favorable paint apps, lighting and camera angles but even if this figure only looks half as good in person it still puts many of Sideshow's own items to shame. Best deal? It's only $139.99 to pick this figure up. If you're a Terminator fan, put this on your list. 3-8-2009SideshowScout Trooper)
Scout Trooper With the release of the newsletter on Thursday night, Sideshow put their new Scout Trooper Premium Format statue on sale. There are regular and exclusive editions with the exclusive only having 300 pieces. The exclusive will include a E-11S Sniper Rifle. The exclusive version will set you back $299.99 while the regular edition is only $279.99. They are estimating a 4th Quarter shipping date for these. Currently the exclusive edition is sold out but you can hop on the wait list if you are interested. Admiral Ackbar
Admiral Ackbar Announced with the current newsletter is the next Life-Size bust and it's Admiral Ackbar. The newsletter only says to keep an eye on upcoming newsletters for ordering information so, based on history, this could either go up with next weeks newsletter or be a surprise pre-order during the week. No price or edition size mentioned yet. Based on previous busts, look for it to be in the $500 range and I wouldn't be surprised if it was around 500 pieces for the edition. 3-7-2009TargetTarget has their holiday section set up for the Easter holiday and there are some cool Star Wars items starting to show up. )
Easter Basket As with the last several years, there are egg decorating kits again this year. There are actually two, one each for the Clone Wars and the Saga. The Saga set includes panels to turn an egg into a TIE Fighter. These were $2.99 each. In the Easter basket section look for a cloth covered Clone helmet basket. It has a plastic insert and the top of the helmet opens for access. To really deck out the basket, look for the Star Wars themed "grass". The basket is $9.99 and the grass is $1.99. For Lego fans there are two mini sets this year, General Greivous' Starfighter and a V-19 Torrent. The General's set is number 8033 and has 44 pieces while the Torrent is number 8031 and has 66 pieces. They both are $3.99. 3-5-2009HasbroSaga Legends)
Saga Legends W5 Photos and a case listing have shown up for a wave 5 of Saga Legends figures, due around July of this year. The case pack is mostly more of the same, but does seem to include both a Mynock Hunt Chewbacca and Han Solo. The photos from EntertainmentEarth.com and ShopStarWars.com seem to show a POTJ version of Han Solo. One discrepancy between the two listings, or at least in the photos, is that SSW.com seems to show a TLC Clone Trooper with Quad Cannon for the wave while the EE.com listing shows a generic white Clone Trooper from AOTC. Both listings have "Clone Trooper." Since the Clone with Quad Cannon is showing up in a couple newer TLC cases, I think the photo from SSW.com is probably incorrect. DisneyJedi Training Academy
Jedi Training Academy Disney and Hasbro have teamed up again to bring an exclusive action figure set to the theme parks; the Jedi Training Academy 5 Pack will make it's debut with Star Wars Weekends in May. The pack includes a Jedi, three Padawan learners and Darth Vader, recreating the Jedi Training Academy attraction that takes place at the Star Tours ride at Hollywood Studios. The Jedi and Padawans use previously released bodies but have new, generic heads. Vader appears to be a straight repack. The set will retail for $39.95 and should be out sometime in May. For more info and pictures, head over to EndorExpress.net. Star Wars Disney Action FiguresIf you like your action figures to have more of a Disney feel to them then you're also in luck as Disney is also releasing Series 3 of their Star Wars Disney Action Figures. )
Disney Action Figures S3 The new wave will include the following:
The figures sell for $9.95 and look for them to be released around June. BanksFinally, both Hollywood Studios in Orlando and Disneyland in California will offer exclusive banks. The first is a Stormtrooper helmet that's approximately 8.5" tall and rings in at $18.95.
The second is a figural bank with Mickey and Minnie in the same pose as the classic movie poster. This bank is about 11.5" tall and will only set you back $11.95. Acme ArchivesHaven't had much news to report on Acme recently but this week they showed off two new pieces of art by William Silvers. )
Anticipation of Hope The first is titled "Anticipation of Hope" and shows Luke and Yoda on Dagobah. The second, titled "Hunter Prevails," depicts Slave I leaving Bespin. )
Hunter Prevails Both are available as Giclee prints on paper or canvas. For the base price they come rolled but you can also upgrade to stretched, gallery wrapped and framed for an additional cost. All of the prints are hand numbered while the canvas versions are also hand signed by Silvers. "Anticipation of Hope" is $175 for the paper version and measures 12"x24." It's limited to 200 pieces. The canvas edition is limited to 95 pieces and runs $350. It measures 15.5"x30." "Hunter Prevails" is also $175 for paper, measures 12.5"x22.5," and is limited to 200 pieces. Canvas edition is $350 and measures 14.5"x30" with an edition size of 95 pieces. Both pieces are available for order from the Acme website. 3-3-2009Sideshow
Scout Trooper Scout TrooperIn last Thursday's newsletter, Sideshow announced a new 1:4 Premium Format statue: Scout Trooper. No word on edition size or price yet but the newsletter mentions that he will go up for sale "through an upcoming" newsletter release. I'd look for it to come up this Thursday night but they could always hold it for a couple of weeks. Ambush on HothAlso announced on Thursday, and now sold out, is a faux bronze version of their Ambush on Hoth diorama. The dio is limited to just 35 pieces and priced at $349.99. If you're interested in it, hop on the wait list now for your shot at picking this up. ThermosIf you like your lunch hot and your drinks cold, Thermos has some new items you might be interested in. Recently spotted at Target by fellow PSWCS member Joe K. are two new Thermos containers sporting Clone Wars graphics. The Clone Wars Funtainer Bottle is a 12oz Stainless Steel container for drinks or other liquids. It runs $15.99 at Target. The Clone Wars Funtainer Food Jar, also $15.99, is a 10oz container for soups or fruit or what have you.
And if you need something to carry them in, check out the new Dual Lunchkit available for $9.99. As mentioned, these were all found at Target but will probably be available at other retailers or online. Topps Galaxy Series 4Just an update on this set from the other day. It looks like not all the information on the chase cards is out yet, at least not on the major sites, and that even includes the Topps site. Here's a breakdown of the chase cards from what I've gathered reading the boxes and some forums. First, there are two releases, hobby and retail. The hobby and retail sets share some chase cards but there are some differences. The retail info below is for boxes released to Target stores. Hobby
Target Retail
The base card set, silver, bronze, gold and etched foil chase sets are the same in both the hobby and Target retail boxes. The sketch cards in the Target boxes are red and differ from the sketch cards in the hobby set. The Galaxy Evolution Cards are only in the retail boxes. Now, here's the question; are their retail boxes that aren't Target exclusives, meaning they don't have the Target sketches, and if there are, do they have the Galaxy Evolution cards or some other chase cards? I'm hearing that Target is the only retail store with Series 4 cards but if that changes I'll update. |
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