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11-25-2008TargetHasbroThe holiday shopping season is starting to really heat up and Target has some of the hottest items this year. They have a ton of exclusives across three of Hasbro's biggest lines; Star Wars, G.I. Joe and Transformers. Over the last week, Target stores should have added an end cap with their exclusive Clone Wars Battle Packs and Ultimate Battle Packs. The Obi-Wan Kenobi & 212th Attack Battalion and Yoda & Coruscant Guard sets started popping up early last week locally. Both sets have five figures, four Clone Troopers and their respective Jedi, and ring in around $21.99. Sunday seemed to be the day for a lot of the Ultimate Battle Packs to hit. My store had one each of the Battle at the Sarlacc Pit and The Battle of Christophsis. The Battle of Christophsis is the set to beat this year, it includes both an AT-AP and Trade Federation AAT along with six Clone Wars figures. That's about $40 worth of vehicles and $40 worth of figures in a $63 package. The Sarlacc set is a mixed bag. While it's nice to see the skiff out again, and the Sarlacc itself looks nice, the included figures are horrible. Five shaky sculpt choices with bad execution in paint apps on the ones I saw last night. And the base for the Sarlacc is apparently the same blow molded plastic that the Lars Homestead set is made of. LegoAnother good deal at Target will be coming up this Friday when they bring out the Imperial Star Destroyer, set 6211, for only $59.99. The local store has about a half dozen on the shelf now for regular price. Not sure of the quantities but I know when Target unleashed the Millennium Falcon a couple years ago, they had an end cap with at least a dozen here. Gentle GiantIf you are a Premier Guild Member and have a jones on for some Clone action, head over to their website and log into your account, the links are now up for the Forbidden Planet exclusive Galactic Marine as well as the Airborne Trooper. 11-17-2008Republic GunshipWizKids has released two expansions to their Star Wars PocketModel line which contain Republic Gunships. As a promotion to stores that ran tournaments, WizKids has also released several MegaModels as prizes or to pass out to participants. One of those MegaModels is the 127th Gunship Wing Republic Gunship. The MegaModels are made out of foam core with printed graphics and have to be assembled just like their smaller counterparts. The Gunship measures 9-inches tall, 13-inches long with base and has a 14-inch wing span when assembled.
The bottom of the base has a very cool graphic from Revenge of the Sith showing Anakin Skywalker executing Order 66. The bottom also serves as an advertisement for the release of the Order 66 PocketModel expansion set.
11-14-2008
Stormtrooper Commander SideshowThe new 1:6 scale Stormtrooper Commander that was previewed in last week's Sideshow newsletter went up for sale last night. There are two editions with the Sideshow exclusive coming with a stand. Both the exclusive and standard editions have a price of $89.99 and are scheduled for a 2nd quarter 2009 release. Topps)
Trading Card Stickers I don't know how it got by me but I totally missed the release of a new Topps Star Wars: The Clone Wars set of trading cards. To be more specific this is a line of Trading Card Stickers. The 90 sticker set has four chase sets including 10 foil stickers, 10 tattoos, die-cut magnets and die-cut pop-ups. The stickers have images from the Star Wars: The Clone Wars feature film. About half the set are character stickers and the other half are story. There doesn't appear to be separate hobby and retail releases for this set. I found blister carded 2-packs at Target last night and picked a couple up. It looks to be a fun set to chase until the Galaxy 4 set comes out early next year. HasbroHere's an interesting piece of news; a forum member on RebelScum.com reported last night that he found repacked versions of the 2007 Battlefront II Clone and Droid Packs at Toys-R-Us. They're now in the 2008 Legacy Collection packaging, have a TRU exclusive sticker on them and rang in at $39.99. I don't see where any info on this release had been given out in advance so it's a rather interesting find. And very random. On the AT-TE front, it was reported this week that Costco stores in the US have gotten in the window packaged version of the AT-TE which includes eight Clone Wars figures. Their price on it is also better than the regular release, ringing in at $89.99. You can head over to GalacticHunter.com for a photo. 11-13-2008Holiday ItemsJust an update to yesterday's post about the holiday items at Target. The bobbleheads are from Funko and there were two that I found, Yoda and Jawa. Both are Christmas versions of the characters with Yoda wearing a Santa hat and outfit and the Jawa sporting some presents. The back of the boxes have the classic McQuarrie Christmas Card art of Santa Yoda and the Jawas looking at their gifts. These are $5.99 and about 1/3 smaller than the normal line of bobbleheads.
The mugs that I saw yesterday were marked at $6.99 and the Jars, although not stocked, are marked at $12.99. )
Stocking Stuffers When I was browsing the shelf tags yesterday I missed the tag for the Galactic Heroes Stocking Stuffer sets. There are four 3-packs available with Galactic Heroes characters in various holiday decor. Vader, R2 and C-3PO even have nice soft goods Santa hats. The four sets are priced at $9.99 each. The sets break out as follows:
Diamond Select ToysDiamond released a photo yesterday of the next figure in their Ultimate Quarter Scale line and it's Mace Windu.
This announcement comes on the heels of production photos of a boxed Darth Maul figure. I have to admit that I was skeptical of this line by Diamond and Art Asylum when it was first announced. The figures that Diamond had in their booth at Wizard World Philly weren't bad looking but with Sideshow already doing 1:6 scale figures and 1:4 scale statues I didn't really get what this line was looking to capitalize on. I'm still not sure, but I have to admit that these are looking better and better as we get closer to the actual release. I mean, just look at that Sam Jackson head sculpt! Add in the fact that these have full soft goods outfits, articulation and sound chips for under $100 and they may find their niche with collectors. 11-12-2008Holiday ItemsTarget and other stores are starting to set their seasonal areas for the Christmas holiday and, as usual, Star Wars will have a presense this year. My local Target has shelf labels for at least three items that I spotted last night. First up is a repeat from last year; mugs. There were three on the shelf and included Boba Fett, Darth Vader and a Stormtrooper all filled with candy. The shelf tag next to them was labeled as "Star Wars Jars" at a higher price point. I believe the mugs were around $8 or $9 while the jars were just over $10 or so. Mixed in with the various small toys was a shelf tag for a $5.99 Star Wars Bobblehead. Neither the jars nor the bobbleheads were stocked yet but it's still early. )
Bronze Yoda Gentle GiantGentle Giant is teaming up with Lawrence Noble to release scaled replicas of his bronze sculptures. First up is a 7.75" tall Yoda that replicates Noble's piece which stands in a fountain at the Letterman Digital Art Center in San Francisco. The piece is up for guaranteed pre-order now through December 11th and will set you back a cool $1,400. And it looks as if the follow-up piece will be a 7" tall bronze replica of the Obi-Wan Kenobi bust from the Lucasfilm Collection. If you are a fan of the maquettes or the new Clone Wars series than the other new piece up for sale this week is for you; Captain Rex. Right now GG is offering a 10% discount to Premiere Guild members but you can probably find it cheaper than that from the various online retailers.
11-10-2008Star Wars: The Clone WarsTomorrow, November 11th, is the release day for Star Wars: The Clone Wars on DVD and Blu-Ray. There are several versions of the release including the single and 2-disk DVD and Blu-Ray. Target has special packaging featuring Commander Fox on both the 2-disk and Blu-Ray packaging. Target also gets a graphic novella, "The Shipyards of Doom." Best Buy has a metal case for their 2-disk DVD release. Check your other favorite retailers for pricing and exclusives. Robot ChickenRobot Chicken has a new Star Wars special coming up on November 16th and in preparation for that, YodasNews.com has just posted a new interview with Seth Green and Matt Senreich. Head over and check it out, and make sure to watch "Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II" on November 16th. 11-9-2008HasbroA couple more web sites posted their answers to this week's Q&A yesterday and a few more pieces of info were included. First up, from BanthaSkull.com, comes confirmation of the second figure in the Darth Krayt comic set; Sigel Dare. She's a female Imperial Knight. Very cool news as the Imperial Knights have some of the coolest outfits from the Legacy comic, plus, chick with a lightsaber! JediNews in the UK asked about a figure count for 2009 and it looks to break down as follows; 46 figures over 7 waves of TLC, 34 Clone Wars figures and 14 comic packs. 11-8-2008HasbroThe Q&A sessions have moved to a tri-weekly event but that doesn't make any of the answers less fun. RebelScum.com had a couple good questions answered this week including one about the upcoming super-articulated Republic Commando figure coming in early 2009. Per Hasbro, the figure will be Command Fi (RC-8015) of Omega Squad. Very cool info. The second question was about the 2009 Empire Strikes Back Legacy Collection wave of figures. Hasbro confirmed the sixth figure and that the Build-a-Droid will be often requested HK-47. The wave will have the following:
The only down side of the Emperor figure is that it's just the Evolutions version with a new head. Hopefully his HK-47 droid part will also be packed in with a decent army builder. SirStevesGuide asked about the EU wave of figures that are scheduled for 2009. They asked specifically if any novel characters would be in the wave and Hasbro said they would, including two characters from the 2006 Toy Fare poll. SSG listed the following characters as not having been done yet:
Hasbro already confirmed HK-47 as a B-a-D figure for 2009, the Padme figure isn't technically EU, and Exar Kun is already announced for a comic 2-pack. That narrows the list down to a few good choice if Hasbro isn't counting characters that have already been done and, unfortunately, nothing in their answer says definitively that they aren't. Either way, the 2009 EU wave should have some fun figures in it. Fans of the Build-A-Droid promotion will be happy to know that Hasbro has confirmed to MouseDroid.com that they plan on sticking with this model through Spring 2010. That's a lot of droids! GalacticHunter.com asked for updates on some previously mentioned figures for 2009 and gets confirmation for a pack-in droid, 2X-7KPR, ROTJ Leia, Coleman Trebor, maroon Battle Droid Commander and Darth Sidious with Mechno Chair. They also asked about new vehicles for the $20 Starfighter line and Hasbro confirms four brand new vehicles. Two are from the Clone Wars movie and both fly. 11-7-2008Toaster)
Darth Vader Toaster There comes a time when you have to ask, "is this too far?" Because, when it comes to collecting Star Wars toys and memorabilia, a Darth Vader toaster that burns an image of the Sith Lord on bread may just be too far. Or not. ShopStarWars.com is now offering for pre-order just such a toaster. Shipping in January 2009, the Darth Vader Toaster will set you back $54.99. The San Diego Comic-Con Battlestar Galactica toaster was a fun gimmick, limited collectible, and made sense. This just seems as if Lucasfilm is trying too hard. Acme ArchivesDon't forget that today, at 2:00PM EST, the latest Character Key from Acme will go on sale. That key is Darth Vader. He's limited to 1,000 pieces and runs $35.00. The key is scheduled to ship on November 24th. Head over to CharacterKey.com at 2:00 to place your order. SideshowIt's a big week for Sideshow with two new pre-orders and new announcements in the Star Wars lines. )
Han Solo in Carbonite Han SoloFirst up is a pre-order for the Han Solo in Carbonite Figure Environment. This is in the 1:6 scale line and is scheduled for the second quarter of 2009. Not only is this Han in the Carbonite block, the environment also includes a wall to mount him to. The set will set you back $199.99 and is limited to two per person. Padme vs NexuAs a surprise, Sideshow also put up a very limited faux bronze Padme vs Nexu Geonosis Arena diorama piece last night. It's limited to 50 pieces and also runs $199.99. As of this writing the piece is already sold out but jump on the wait list if you're interested in it. It's in-stock so shipping should begin pretty quickly.
Stormtrooper Commander Stormtrooper CommanderThe next 1:6 scale figure debuted last night with a teaser image and it's a Force Unleashed Stormtrooper Commander figure. Going by the past few weeks, this will probably be up for pre-order next Thursday, if not before. Check out the teaser image and keep your eyes on Sideshow's web site for ordering information.
11-4-2008HasbroHasbro released photos of two new Clone Wars figure packs. Both packs include two figures with the first having Anakin Skywalker and R2-D2 and the second having General Grievous and a Battle Droid. )
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The figures appear to be the same as the single carded releases, maybe a slight paint app change here or there. No word if these are exclusive or for alternate markets. Also, no release dates on these yet. If you are on the hunt for new Clone Wars figures then be on the lookout for wave 3. Reports are in that they have been found in California as of today. FanboysOut of all the films that I've looked forward to over the years, Fanboys is the one that has had the roughest treatment by it's production company. In this case it's the Weinstein Company which has called for reshoots, plot changes and generally stomped on the good will of the fans who have been waiting for almost two years for this film. The latest bits of info are a mixed bag; the film finally has a new release date, unfortunately it's February 2009. If you follow the movie industry it's a pretty well known fact that January through March (or so) are the landfill months for movie releases. It's where companies bury films that they have no faith in, movies that have a limited appeal or movies that just plain suck. Personally I don't feel that Fanboys falls into any of those categories with the exception that the Weinstein Company has no faith in it. I don't know why, but they don't. Anyway, on to the other good news; new trailer! The new trailer played in front of Kevin Smith's Zack and Miri Make a Porno over the weekend and it's quite funny. It highlights the boys and their road trip as well as a few of the many guest stars that will appear. Check it out and keep February open just in case this film finally makes it out! DVD)
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Two new DVD sets were released today, one with the Original Trilogy and one for the Prequels. These have the same bonus material that was included with the previous releases but collects the prequels into one package for the first time. They had been spotted early at some Target stores, even locally they have been out since at least Sunday, but today is the official release. They'll set you back about $40 or shop around online or your local retailers for the best deals. And don't forget, next Tuesday is the release date for Star Wars: The Clone Wars to both DVD and Blu-ray. 11-3-200)
Darth Vader Key Acme ArchivesFriday afternoon Acme announced the next Character Key in their growing line, Darth Vader. The key will have an edition size of 1000 pieces and will be offered for pre-order on Friday, November 7th at 2:00PM EST. 11-1-2008Gentle GiantGG sent out an email yesterday with sale dates for the Forbidden Planet exclusive Galactic Marine mini bust and Coruscant Guard maquette. The Marine will go on sale to Premiere Guild members on November 21st while the maquette will be up for sale sometime in December. HasbroIf you're looking for wave 4 of the Legacy Collection figures you may want to check your Target stores. I found the entire wave yesterday afternoon and, with the new lower price, picked them up. Other reports are in from around the country that the wave is being found in other areas, also at Target. Maybe we'll see those wave 5 figures before the end of the year. My local store also had a restock on wave 2 of the Clone Wars figures and wave 4 of the Titanium vehicles. This Titanium wave includes the following:
I believe I saw all of them except for Landing Craft but I may have just missed it. There were two X-Wing fighters on the pegs but I don't know if they were both Red 3 (which ships 2 per case) or if the Red 2 was also there. Either way, they're good looking toys. I bought the Hailfire Droid but the Droid Gunship is also exceptional. I would have bought that also if it weren't for the armful of TLC wave 4 I was already buying. The only down side to this, my store never appears to have stocked wave 3 which I'm desperately looking for because of the two Republic Gunship redecos. The hunt continues. Home | AT-AT Driver | Republic Gunship | Features | Multimedia News Archive | Links | For Sale | About
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