• Home
  • TV & Movies
    • Star Wars
    • Battlestar Galactica (1978)
    • Indiana Jones
    • Star Trek
    • Planet of the Apes
    • The Real Ghostbusters
    • The Six Million Dollar Man
    • Universal Monsters
    • Doctor Who
  • Comic Book Heroes
    • Kenner Super Powers
    • Mattel Secret Wars
    • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
    • The Uncanny X-Men
    • Spider-Man
    • Batman
    • Superman
    • The Incredible Hulk
  • Mego
  • MOTU
  • G.I. Joe
  • Transformers
  • Wrestling

Vintage Action Figures

Reviews of collectible action figures inspired by comic books, TV shows and movies from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Weequay aka Queequeg – Skiff Guard from ‘Return of the Jedi’

May 29, 2013

Weequay

One of the most well-loved of the minor characters in Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick is surely that of the cannibal Queequeg, the archetypal “noble savage”, and dab hand with a harpoon. It’s no surprise, therefore, that during pre-production of Return of the Jedi the crew nicknamed this Weequay skiff guard “Queequeg”. After all, he brandishes a harpoon-like pike weapon, swaggers up the deck of a Desert Skiff like a pirate on a sloop upon the high seas, and even forces Luke Skywalker to walk the plank during the Sarlacc Pit Battle scene!

Unlike many of Kenner’s 3 ¾ inch Star Wars action figures, this minor character actually gets enough screen time to make him memorable. In fact, Luke dramatically jumps right over him, in a nifty diving board flip, when he reaches the end of the plank, thus saving himself from a nasty plunge into the Great Pit of Carkoon. We never seen Queequeg’s on-screen defeat – one minute he’s there, the next he’s gone – although kids back in the day could act that out for themselves with this Kenner figure!

Weequay - a great movie likeness

Weequay – a great movie likeness

In 1983 when Kenner first released him on a Return Of The Jedi 65 back card, he was still known by the generic species name of “Weequay”. Whatever you prefer to call him, however, he is still a fine example of the attention to detail lavished on even minor players in this action figure line. His wrinkled, leathery face and bald head, and matted dreadlocks / plaits (molded in softer, bendy plastic), are beautifully detailed, as are the folds and straps on his costume. My Weequay is in great condition with zero paint wear, stiff limbs, and is complete with his original weapon. The country of origin is stamped very faintly as “H.K.” (Hong Kong) running downwards on the back of his right leg, whilst the copyright information and date – © LFL83 – runs downwards on one line on the back of the left thigh.

His pose is also unusual amongst the Star Wars figures in as much as he is actually positioned with a slightly bent left arm (to better balance the Skiff Guard Vibro Axe accessory presumably), and his knees give the impression of being ever-so slightly bent, as if poised to spring into action. The overall effect is that this vintage, admittedly limited figure with only five points of articulation, appears dynamic. He’s a fantastic vintage Star Wars action figure find to add to your collection!

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

Filed Under: Vintage Star Wars (1977–1989) Tagged With: Kenner, Return of the Jedi, Weequay

Action figure search

Recent Posts

  • Ghostbusters Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man …signed by Sigourney Weaver!
  • It’s Clobberin’ Time with The Thing by Mego!
  • Up, up and away! Comic version 12-inch Superman by Mego
  • Remembering Princess Leia Organa
  • Indiana Jones, the daring archaeologist and world adventurer of the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark!
  • Stunning C-3PO sixth scale figure by Sideshow Collectibles
  • It’s Alive! The Monster Frankenstein from Mego’s Mad Monster Series
  • Wonder Woman the Amazing Amazon – Kenner Super Powers
  • Grrr…it’s Grizzlor! The Hairy Henchman of the Evil Horde
  • Ming the Merciless – The evil emperor of Mongo by Mego

Archives

Copyright © 2009-2023 · VintageActionFigures.net · All trademarks and copyrights on this page are owned by their respective owners. Comments are owned by the Poster and opinions expressed are those of the Poster and do not necessarily represent the views of VintageActionFigures.net · Please read our Privacy Policy, GDPR Compliance Statement, Affiliate Disclosure and Cookies Policy - We know...Zzzz!!