The Internet has been abuzz with news of the Blu-ray edition of the original Star Wars trilogy which hit stores world wide recently, so I thought I'd stick with another vintage Star Wars action figure this post. Of course, I use the term “original” trilogy with some caution - as is well known, George Lucas has continued to mess with tweak the movies with every re-release to the exasperation of many fans. Probably the most controversial change occurred in the 1997 Star Wars Trilogy Special … [Read more...]
Star Wars Variations: Emperor’s Royal Guard
Whilst thinking about today's post I noticed that this blog has been rather light on vintage Star Wars action figures for a couple of months, so lets correct that situation right away with a look back at an absolute gem – the Emperor's Royal Guard. First appearing in 1983 on 65-back cards in conjunction with the release of Return of the Jedi, the Emperor's Royal Guard illustrates the attention to detail Kenner dedicated to each and every character in their 3 ¾ inch Star Wars series and is as … [Read more...]
Star Wars Variations: C-3PO (Removable Limbs)
I mentioned in an earlier post that I have recently been re-watching the original Star Wars Trilogy again on DVD. The Empire Strikes Back inspired me to dig out one of Kenner's major Star Wars 3 ¾ inch action figure variations, the C-3PO (or See-Threepio) Removable Limbs version, and display him just as he appears in the movie – disassembled and slung into a harness carried on Chewbacca's back. Remember the scene when Chewie is trying to fix 3PO?Oh, my! What have you done? I'm BACKWARDS. … [Read more...]
Star Wars Variations: Black Bespin Security Guard
By the time that this classic 3 ¾-inch Star Wars action figure variation came out – first on a tie-in card for The Empire Strikes Back and then repackaged for The Return of the Jedi – it was already clear that toy manufacturers Kenner were happily set on helping kids re-enact all three movies using the entire cast, down to the smallest walk-on role! I actually watched The Empire Strikes Back again a few weeks ago on DVD and must have blinked at the wrong moment, because I could barely remember … [Read more...]
Hammerhead: The Eyes Have It!
When Kenner launched its 3 ¾ inch Star Wars movie tie-in action figures in 1977 it soon emerged that kids wanted not only the major players – Han, Luke, Leia, Chewbacca et al, who appeared in a first wave of 12 carded figures, known ever after as 12 back figures – but that there was also a clear market for practically the entire cast! No matter how few the seconds of screen time, there was a place for every weird and wonderful being that had populated any of the movies in the original … [Read more...]
Star Wars Variations: Lando Calrissian in Skiff Guard Disguise
Billy Dee Williams, who played Lando Calrissian in The Empire Strikes Back and The Return of the Jedi in the original Star Wars Trilogy, came away with something which none of the other cast members managed to obtain – a series of action figures that actually looked rather like him! Of all of the Lando figures, this stunner which shows our redeemed hero in his Skiff Guard Disguise, is not only my absolute favourite Lando, but also one of my favourite vintage Kenner Star Wars action figures from … [Read more...]
Princess Leia Organa on Bespin – Star Wars most fashionable!
Almost all vintage Kenner Star Wars figures seem to have slight variations that set the hearts of adult collectors a flutter, but the 1980 Leia Organa is found with three major variations – crew neck, turtle neck or the rare gold neck. Identified as the “Bespin Gown” figure thanks to a spectacular decorated vinyl cape that does an excellent job of representing the cloak that Carrie Fisher wore on Bespin in The Empire Strikes Back, my crew neck version is possibly the easiest to track down, but … [Read more...]
Luke Skywalker: Legally Blonde!
In many ways, vintage action figure collectors have toy giants Kenner to thank for first nurturing the collecting bug in kids when they launched the hugely popular 3 ¾ inch Star Wars action figures and thus set-off a chain reaction of film tie-in merchandising which is thriving even to this day. They also threw in a enough variations in paint work and molds on certain figures, that over thirty years later adult collectors are still kept extremely busy tracking them all down.Back in 1977, … [Read more...]