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4-30-2010
Captain Rex SideshowSideshow announced their next 1:6 figure and it's Captain Rex from his Clone Wars appearance. By the looks of the teaser image, he should go well with the CW Anakin Skywalker. Rex will go up for pre-order on Friday, May 7, 2010 at 1:00PM EST. There will be a full preview in the May 5th production blog on Sideshow's website. 4-29-2010G.I. Joe ConventionStarting today we're headed to Rhode Island to attend the 2010 G.I. Joe Convention. We'll be bringing you updates and photos from the event beginning this evening. Highlights for the convention include a tour of Hasbro, a presentation by Alan Hassenfeld and Q&A sessions with Hasbro and the G.I. Joe Club. Keep your eyes here and check out our 2010 G.I. Joe Convention coverage page. 4-28-2010Hasbro Q&AThis week's Q&A kind of snuck up on us but Hasbro had some interesting answers to the questions posed, a couple new toys were confirmed and a few nixed. ASMzine.com asked two interesting questions, one about kid testing of toys and the second for details on the removable blades of the upcoming FX Lightsabers. The new lightsabers will have a collar that will lock the blade to the hilt. When the blade is removed, the cap screws back on and makes a complete hilt. The electronics have been configure so that the lightsaber will emit a short circuit noise if the blade is not attached. Make sure to stop by ASMzine.com to read up on both questions. Bantha Skull asked about the possibility of a Nomi Sunrider figure in the future. Unfortunately for EU fans, Hasbro responded that it's "doubtful" they would do a Nomi figure unless the comic packs managed to make a return at some point. To twist the knife, Hasbro also mentioned that they had picked Nomi for a possible 2010 comic pack but was dropped when the line was. Dewback Patrol brought up a question that several people had pondered on the forums since Hasbro put an end to all future running changes in the action figure line; how about multiple heads packed in with an action figure? Hasbro stuck with the policy they've mentioned before, each character should be unique and a head change would only be made on a subsequent release. They did make an exception for alternate helmets (e.g. Clone Wars Obi-Wan) or portraits when they make sense. While Hasbro didn't confirm a new Slave I, Echo Base asked them what color scheme a possible release may come in. Hasbro replied that the paint scheme would be based on the Clone Wars appearance. Something that we've posited previously. Han's Hideout has some new details on the ROTS wave of Vintage Collection figures including news that the Anakin will have Sith eyes with a new head and arms while the Magnaguard is mostly new with upgraded articulation and a cloth cape. Jedi Defender asked for an update on the future of the Geonosis Arena 2-packs from Target. As of now, Hasbro has plans on a second series but it's not a done deal yet. They also let us know that they have one new and some upgraded figures scheduled should the packs go forward. Unfortunately, they ruled out an updated Pablo Jill. Interesting news out of Jedi Insider; they asked if we would see a release of the Big Millennium Falcon with ESB "love" (we think they meant deco and/or sound clips) to commemorate the anniversary of that film. Hasbro won't be updating the ship but will release it again in its original blue and white packaging to e-tailers this Fall. Hasbro says the release will be "in limited quantities," but that's still good news for those that may have passed on this previously. Jedi Temple Archives asked Hasbro if they could confirm a Boba Fett figure based on his new appearance in the Clone Wars cartoon as well as a Slave I to go with him. Hasbro confirmed that we would see Boba Fett but wouldn't confirm the Slave I. In Hasbro Q&A-speak that means we're getting a Slave I. Add that to Jedi Insider's answer and we're getting a Slave I with Clone wars deco. Now we just need another backhanded question to find out if that Slave I will be brand new, retooled or just a repaint of either the Saga or OTC version. Jedi Temple War Room asked Hasbro for the odds on several Jedi characters in the new vintage collection line. Hasbro confirmed that they are working on Barriss Offee for Spring 2011 and that Cin Drallig was originally slated for a 2011 release but has been bumped till at least 2012. Hasbro also mentioned that the 2012 line has not been finalized yet. Hasbro has said in the past that the Ultimate Battle Packs, as we knew them at Target, are probably done. However, in response to a question by lichtgeschwindigkeit.de, Hasbro stated that the Hoth battle packs coming later this year will be larger than standard BPs, but not quite as large as previous UBPs. In the second answer, Hasbro confirms that the previously unreleased Hoth Rebel Soldier will be included in one of the Hoth packs they speak about in their first answer. Raving Toy Maniac drew what seems like a rather harsh answer in response to a question about a Clone Wars version of Duchess Satine from the Mandalore story arc in the cartoon. Hasbro not only said that they would not do her as a figure, but "Clone Wars is a line that is consumed overwhelmingly by kids, and she is not a figure that they want or care about." We would disagree with that but apparently Hasbro has made up their mind on the subject. Gentle GiantGentle Giant sent out a reminder last night that April 30, 2010 is the last date to join the Premier Guild and guarantee your gift. This year you have the choice between Commander Fox and Faie when you sign up. Star Wars: The Clone WarsFriday night at 9:00PM EST is the season finale for The Clone Wars on Cartoon Network. This week's episode is an hour long and continues from last week's show with Boba Fett. Make sure to check it out! 4-27-2010HasbroYakFace.com posted a list of some upcoming product and there were a couple new pieces of information sprinkled in with previously announced Battle Packs. Hasbro announced the following at Toy Fair: Anti-Hailfire Squad, Droids and Clones, Holocron Heist and Battle of Hoth. Also listed was Jabba's Throne Room which has been announced as an exclusive for this Fall. New items that Yak Face posted:
Of the two new Battle packs, the Mandalorian Troopers set should be from the Clone Wars episodes where Duchess Satine and Mandalore were featured. The ARC Troopers pack could go either way, Saga or Clone Wars. The Legacy sets are interesting as the Evolutions sets had several packs that were listed the "legacy" subtitle. Could these be a return of the Evo sets or something new and, possibly, Clone Wars based as well? Cad Bane and IG-86 will be Clone Wars based and there's a possibility that the Senate Commando Captain will be also, from the CW episode where Bane invaded the Senate and took hostages. We'll keep you updated as more information comes in. 4-26-2010Toys-R-UsIf you're on the hunt for the Force Unleashed multipacks or the Expanded Universe wave of Legacy figures, make sure to stop in TRU this week. TRU is having a sale, buy one get one 50% off on all, or at least most, of their Star Wars toys. This includes not only Hasbro action figures but also Lego. 4-23-2010Gentle GiantGentle Giant put up several new pre-orders last night, including another Premier Guild variant that may be of interest to some collectors.
Mini BustFirst up is a new mini bust of Darth Vader from his Force Unleashed appearance. Which, if you aren't familiar with the source, means a really battle ravaged appearance. Vader was first shown off back in 2009 at San Diego Comic-Con but is just now going up for order. Gentle Giant is offering him for $59.99 but you can save up to $10 by going to another online seller like Razor's Edge. Vader is estimated for a December release, as are all three items that went up last night, but GG has been really behind lately so don't be surprised if this slips into 2011. MaquetteUp next is a new Clone Wars maquette of Kit Fisto. Kit was also first shown off at SDCC 2009. Yesterday was his first official pre-order from Gentle Giant but he was actually offered by some e-tailer sites on Wednesday. No edition size yet but the maquette runs $95.00 directly from Gentle Giant. We'd recommend going to your favorite e-tailer because some sites are offering him for $20 less, around $74.99. BookendsThe final item we're spotlighting today is Jabba's Palace bookends. There are two versions of this with one being a regular release and the second a Premier Guild Exclusive. Both editions feature one side with Boba Fett and a Gamorrean Guard while the other has Han in Carbonite and Leia as Boushh. The PGM version includes an extra Jawa that can be added to the display and an alternate portrait for Boushh, Leia with the helmet off. Gentle Giant is listing this for $249.99 but Razor's, and I'm sure other sites, have it for $50 less at $199.99. As we mentioned, this is also currently slated for a December release. SideshowLast night Sideshow put up the pre-order for Senate Duel - Yoda vs Darth Sidious and, as of this writing, it's still available if you are interested. Celebration VStarWars.com is showing off four more t-shirt designs that will be available at the convention in August. A few of these shirts were previewed at C2E2. 4-21-2010Sideshow
Yoda vs Darth Sidious Yoda vs Darth SidiousSideshow's newest diorama, The Senate Duel: Yoda vs Darth Sidious, will go on sale Thursday night with the launch of this week's newsletter. The diorama is $249.99 and there will be a FLEXPay option available. Sideshow has not listed an edition size or release date yet but it will probably be third quarter 2010 at the earliest. To see more photos of this diorama, head to Sideshow's website for a sneak preview image gallery. San Diego Comic-ConMonday, Sideshow released ordering details for their San Diego Comic-Con exclusives. The Clone Lieutenant will go on sale on June 24, 2010 at 1:00PM EST for convention attendees. If you will not be attending, the order date is June 25, 2010, also at 1:00PM EST. This year's San Diego Comic-Con runs from July 22-25. Attendees can pick up their exclusives beginning on Wednesday, July 21 at 6:00PM during the SDCC preview night. Celebration V)
If you have already purchased your tickets to Celebration V then you can now order the first of many convention items to come; t-shirts. There are three designs currently being offered including a Boba Fett Celebration V logo shirt, which is only available on-line, and his and hers Boba Fett Jet Ski shirts. All three shirts are $25. As we mentioned, the Boba Fett CV logo shirt is only available on-line and will not be sold in the convention store, it will be mailed to you. The Jet Ski shirts can be ordered for pickup at the show. StarWars.com has additional information, photos and links on their website. 4-20-2010The Empire Gives Back
Lucasfilm Ltd. announced yesterday that they are kicking off a year-long charity campaign to raise money that will benefit Make-A-Wish, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, and Education Outreach at Chicago's Field Museum. Two of the events listed will be charity screenings of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back in LA and Chicago. The other two events listed will be auctions for items from two charity art projects. The first is the 501st Legion's TK Project which is similar to the Vader Project at Celebration IV. The other is The Empire Skates Back where artists will decorate skateboard decks. Both projects will culminate with auctions at Celebration V in August. HasbroJust last week we posted to let you know that the Expanded Universe wave of Legacy Collection figures was hitting Toys-R-Us and now we have reports that the exclusive Force Unleashed boxed sets are also showing up. The best part is that the sets are only $29.99 each and there are five figures per set. Much better than the $45 tag for last year's McQuarrie packs, even though they had six figures in set 1 and seven in set 2. Those were 100% re-packed figures minus some accessories while the TFU sets have some new sculpts in them. Potentially better news is that YakFace.com is reporting the Legacy Collection wave has a sticker on the case mentioning a 5/1/10 "Boys Collector Endcap" which could mean we'll see both the Force Unleashed and EU wave of figures hitting en masse in just under two weeks. Happy hunting. 4-17-2010)
PGM Shadow Guard Gentle GiantGG sent out an email yesterday with pre-order information on a new bust, a Shadow Guard. The Shadow Guard is a Premier Guild exclusive and available for order now, but you have to be logged into your Gentle Giant account to see the ordering details. No edition size has been set for this yet. 4-15-2010Gentle GiantGentle Giant put out a new release schedule for some upcoming items. The list included editions sizes and some other lines besides Star Wars, but only the SW items are listed below:
The Wicket Maquette is actually shipping today according to GG. 4-14-2010HasbroThe final wave of Legacy Collection figures, the Toys-R-Us exclusive Expanded Universe wave, is now showing up at retail. The first sightings have been on the West Coast. They should be moving this way, though, so keep your eyes on your local store if you plan on picking these up at retail. 4-10-2010Gentle GiantGentle Giant announced a new mini bust on their Facebook page last night and, no surprise, it's a Clone Trooper. And exclusive. Specifically it's a Clone Wars animated style Commander Bly and it will be released by Action Figure Express. AFX will be at C2E2 next weekend and you will be able to see this bust in person at their booth (#767).
The bust will have a removable visor so you can display it on, off or raised. 4-9-2010Hasbro Q&A - Update16bit.com posted their answers to this week's Q&A and one of them has some promising information. They asked Hasbro if the Nom Anor figure we saw in a ToyFare magazine article was cancelled now that the comic packs are heading for a break. Surprisingly, Hasbro says that this figure will be coming out in late 2011, after the Bastila Shan figure is released. Hasbro Q&AASM asked about what specific upgrades Hasbro has planned for the new astromech sculpt they have on tap for later this year. Per Hasbro, they're looking at making the dome and body details more screen accurate which includes dome panels that are flush and not recessed. They also mention "fun play" features in the new sculpt. In their second question, ASM asked about the potential for a ROTJ version of Luke's lightsaber in the FX line. Good news, Hasbro announced that we can look forward to that version in 2011. Collection Station didn't receive their previous Q&A answers till this week so they had four answers posted yesterday. One asked if there was an updated version of Hoth Luke Skywalker in the works, there isn't, but more importantly, Hasbro announced while addressing possible running changes with a damaged portrait that they would not be doing any running changes in the line again. That's bad news as it has worked well in the past, it's just been within the last year and a half that they were unable to manage this type of production. We've seen three possible attempts fail, the most famous of which is the Hoth Rebel Trooper which seems to have been nixed not by Hasbro but by the factory. A separate question from CS asked about The Vintage Collection availability of cards that originally were released on Power of the Force cards with coins. Apparently Hasbro has said that they would not do coins for a release of any of those characters but there is hope; their answer is that if they revisit any of the POTF characters they will be released on a cardback specific to the film they appeared in. Dewback Patrol was able to get confirmation from Hasbro of a new Endor Rebel Soldier slated for later this year. Echo Base Forums asked if we would see any Clone Wars characters from the Dark Horse comic series. They specifically asked about Kit Fisto and Plo Koon from their appearance in winter gear. Hasbro said that they would consider the Dark Horse comics when picking characters and outfits and mention that one of the two characters EBF asked about will be in a future Clone Wars wave. Our money is on Plo Koon since he's apparently Dave Filoni's favorite. Han's Hideout asked whether or not the new Bespin Han Solo figure for 2011 will be all new or an upgrade. Good news, the figure will be brand new. The guys over at Jedi Defender asked Hasbro for some details (and a photo, those crafty characters!) about the upcoming Senate Duel Palpatine. While Hasbro didn't drop a photo on them, they did let JD know that Palpatine will have soft goods robes but, while they mention that will allow him to "accommodate" the dueling poses, they stop short of giving any type of articulation count. Jedi Temple War Room asked Hasbro if they were still going to bring out an updated Y-Wing based on the Original Trilogy appearance. Unfortunately, Hasbro has had to cancel that for 2010 as the market for exclusives has shrunk. There is hope, however, as they mention trying again for 2011 or 2012. Yak Face has confirmation that the pack-in figure for the Jabba release later this year will be Oola. They mention that she will be "nicely articulated" but also mention that no additional accessories could be included. Within the context of the question, this may not mean anything, but it has us wondering if "accessories" could include the dais, Jabba's pipe or other piece of scenery. Saga LegendsA couple of websites, including Jedi Temple Archives and Rebel Scum asked for updated information on the Saga Legends line that will be re-launched this Fall on the new cardback. Hasbro provided a listing of 23 figures and their numbering which represents two waves. You can check the respective sites listed or our Saga Legends checklist for the full list. There are some updates, especially wave 1, which will be heavy on bounty hunters, including Bossk, IG-88 and Zuckuss from Empire Strikes Back. The second wave will feature similar characters to what we're seeing now, such as the Shock and 501st Clone Troopers, Yoda and Chewbacca. New to the assortment will be a Hoth Han Solo, Snowtrooper and a Battle Droid 2-pack among others. It's great that Hasbro is getting more army builders out there, especially the Battle Droids and Snowtroopers, but the Legends line will also contain several characters that will probably be running in parallel in the Vintage Collection line such as Darth Maul, Grievous, Hoth Han Solo and even Zuckuss (which is a Celebration V exclusive). Hasbro has done this in the past but it still seems like an odd decision. 4-8-2010SideshowSideshow unveiled the sneak preview image of their 2010 San Diego Comic-Con exclusives today and it looks like the Clone Trooper variant we'll be getting is a Lieutenant from Attack of the Clones. Also available will be a Skrull version of the Spider-Woman bust, and two other items that I'm not familiar with. Click the thumbnail below for a closer look and stay tuned to SideshowToy.com for all their upcoming announcements.
4-7-2010CreatureCantina.comCreatureCantina.com Celebrates Ninth Anniversary with BIG Changes and AWESOME Prizes!! This week marks the ninth anniversary of CreatureCantina.com. It also marks the end of two long-running features on the site. Bill Cable has posted his final "Cable Original" drawing and the last episode of his "The Cantina" comic strip. Why did he end these two beloved staples of the site? He did this so he could focus his full efforts on his brand new web comic: Collector-Z. Collector-Z promises to delve into this obsession we all share for acquiring toys. It's a unique look at the hobby from someone whose seen it from many different perspectives. Collector-Z will be published every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Also featured in the anniversary update are articles and videos from the dedicated CreatureCantina.com writing team. Check them out. Be amused. And finally, to thank their loyal readers CreatureCantina.com is giving away tons of prizes!! So be sure to enter the contest for your chance to win some great stuff! 4-6-2010New Cartoon?StarWars.com reported yesterday that Lucasfilm Animation is looking to develop a new animated series with a lighter storyline that that covered in the current Star Wars: The Clone Wars series on Cartoon Network. The new animated series will have input from "Robot Chicken" creators Seth Green and Matt Senreich. This is the second rumored animation series after a story earlier this year speculated that a new kids show could be in development, possibly in conjunction with Hasbro's new entertainment network, which would involve the Galactic Heroes line of toys in some manner. If this story had been published four days earlier, I'd swear it was an April Fools' Day prank but it was put up yesterday. DisneyDisney is famous for their exclusive pins and this year they're releasing a whole slew of them to help celebrate the 30th anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back. StarWars.com has photos and an article about the pins which will debut in May with Star Wars Weekends.
If you're a fan of Disney pins or Empire then you're going to want to add these excellent pins to your collection. Nahdar VebbIf you sent in your order for the mail-away Nahdar Vebb early in the promotion, start checking your mailboxes. Reports are dropping that the doomed Jedi is starting to land on doorsteps around the country. 4-1-2010Sideshow501st Legion Clone Trooper
501st Clone Trooper Tomorrow at 1:00PM EST, Sideshow will have the pre-order up for their 501st Legion Clone Trooper. Both the exclusive and regular editions will run $89.99 and the exclusive will be a Display Base similar to bases we've seen with the other Troopers. Sideshow posted a gallery of photos last night so you can get a look at this figure before you order. Looks like he'll come with both the DC-15A rifle and DC-15S blaster. San Diego Comic-ConA teaser image of Sideshow's SDCC exclusives was posted yesterday and it appears that the Star Wars exclusive will be a Clone Trooper either from the AOTC or Clone Wars era. Will this be a variant AOTC Clone like a Commander or Captain or will we see the first animated version of a Trooper to go along with the upcoming Anakin Skywalker? We'll know next Thursday, April 8th, when Sideshow will reveal the full image. Star Wars Crafts)
Star Wars Craft Book Bonnie Burton, who writes the Official Star Wars Blog and contributes articles to StarWars.com among other things, is writing a new book; the "Star Wars Craft Book." Due out in September, the book will contain how to articles on crafts that have appeared on StarWars.com as well as new items. Look for articles on puppets, scarves, journals and house wares among other things. The book is listed for 192 pages with a list price of $24.00 on Amazon.com but you can pre-order it now for only $16.32. Check out the First Look article on StarWars.com and clear a space in your Star Wars library. |
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