Expanded Universe Again

**Phantom-like Menace** · 06-03-2005

First, I wanted to say thank you, Hasbro, for giving so many offerings from beyond the movies in the past year or two. I've loyally purchased Clone Wars figures in hopes my small contribution combined with those of other collectors could help convince you of the viability of Expanded Universe figures. I couldn't get them all, because I didn't see them all, but I hope that merely helps our cause.

Before I continue, I know there are those collectors who hate the concept of creating any figures that were not in the movies. I would direct them to this EU Haters-friendly page: http://www.angelfire.com/hero/fmkconlang/no. I hope that helps get it out of your system.

Please build on this Hasbro. I've seen suggestions in the past that you could hide EU figures in the packages with regular movie figures (please, no short packing--wow a pox on all short packing!!!), so stores don't have to decide whether or not to risk buying a bunch of figures kids have never heard of. That seems awesome. In the middle of Luke, Leia, Han, and Darth Vader, we get Rukh, a Noghri body guard from Heir to the Empire. In the middle of Chewbacca, C-3PO, and Obi-Wan, we get Corran Horn, the ex-Corsec fighter pilot/Jedi from the X-wing novels.

At some point in the future, you guys are going to be scratching your heads as to which figures to build, and much of the best ideas would be left to Expanded Universe figures. If you start now, Expanded Universe figures can help extend the line.

Also, have you guys seen some of the awesome stuff fans are doing with wax casting? They spend a few days carving a figure from wax while drawing upon a lifetime of fandom, cast that sucker, pour in some plastic, paint, and some of their work can compete with yours. It might be tempting not to buy the Hasbro version for a person who has just spent a relatively large sum of money on a brilliant EU offering from a fan.

Thank you again for what you have done, but please consider what you can do. I do after all like thanking you guys more than criticizing you.

**DarkArtist** · 06-03-2005

I agree. Plus since much of the Star Wars is now in comics, games and novels, expanded universe is just the thing needed to bring about a new line of toys. Look at the movies for instance, Lucas is using characters that appeared in EU, Quilon Vos, Aurra Sing, Aayla Secura.
Hasbro has a great opportunity to develop characters from Republic Commando, Dark Forces, Star Wars Infinities, Heir to the Empire, Knights of the Old Republic.

**El Chuxter** · 06-03-2005

Hasbro, after December 26 of this year, the kids will officially be gone. You won't be able to use that excuse anymore. It's time to get into the EU for us grownup nerds.

**acave** · 06-03-2005

How cool would it be to have a set of Republic Commandos or have a up to date figure of Kyle Katarn. I would even like to see Darth Raven

**jedi master sal** · 06-04-2005

Originally Posted by El Chuxter

Hasbro, after December 26 of this year, the kids will officially be gone. You won't be able to use that excuse anymore. It's time to get into the EU for us grownup nerds.

Boy you said it right there, Chux. SW is either going to have to be a collector line after this Christmas, or die. There's no way kids are going to carry this line. As of ROTS, I thankfully have seen kids buying the toys, but that's not going to last. Sure there will be the exceptions to the rule, but the average kid, IMHO, lacks the attention span to continue to collect what many would consider to be a defunct movie franchise. Sure we can point to the comics, proposed tv show and video games. But to the average kid, I don't think that would be enough to entice them to continue to collect.

Nope, Christmas is the do or die time for the SW line. Let's just hope that LFL gets the TV show into production by then, so Hasbro will continue to make SW toys. Either that or Hasbro finally reliqushes the thought that this is a kids line and truly caters to the collecting community.

**shammykenobi** · 06-04-2005

Originally Posted by DarkArtist

I agree. Plus since much of the Star Wars is now in comics, games and novels, expanded universe is just the thing needed to bring about a new line of toys. Look at the movies for instance, Lucas is using characters that appeared in EU, Quilon Vos, Aurra Sing, Aayla Secura.
Hasbro has a great opportunity to develop characters from Republic Commando, Dark Forces, Star Wars Infinities, Heir to the Empire, Knights of the Old Republic.

I'm not sure if everyone knows this or not, but aurra sing is not an expanded universe character. She was created by Doug Chiang when George Lucas realized that Episode 1 needed a bounty hunter. Lucas told Chiang to create a female bounty hunter that they dubbed, "babe fett" during the process of creating her. After the final charcter design had been approved, George gave her the name Aurra Sing. I found all this information in the book that came with the twelve-inch Aurra action figure. Other character like Quinlan Vos and Aayla Secura were created by the people that writes the comics.

**DarkArtist** · 06-06-2005

While you are right Shammykenobi, the fact the Aurra Sing only got like 2 seconds of screen time and more coverage in the comic book world then in the actual saga it might quailfy her as more of an expanded universe character than a saga character. Either way, expanded universe is just that the ability to take a character or characters and expand upon them. Hasbro already did this with the creation of the ultimate bounty hunters pack and aurra's swoop bike.

**Kyle Katarn** · 06-06-2005

I would like Hasbro to make a complete line of Expanded Universe, there are many collectors right now, and they would sell a lot with this line. If not a comlete line, some figures, like they did with POTF2.

**darko666** · 06-06-2005

it seems to me that Hasbro likes to re-hash old figures with new molds. after hearing that they are going to re-release the VOTC figures, i doubt we will see any EU figures for a while. and thats only if Hasbro even decides to go in that direction. i'd rather see EU figures on the pegs rather than another luke or vader figure. the EU and SOTE waves that were released a while back are some of my fav waves to come out in the series. but since Hasbro will go back to the OT, i'm hoping for at least new characters to be made. The Sisters are being made, so thats hope that we will being see some new figures.

**sith_killer_99** · 06-06-2005

I've seen suggestions in the past that you could hide EU figures in the packages with regular movie figures (please, no short packing--wow a pox on all short packing!!!), so stores don't have to decide whether or not to risk buying a bunch of figures kids have never heard of.

Hasbro already did this with the POTJ line and it worked out well.

but since Hasbro will go back to the OT, i'm hoping for at least new characters to be made. The Sisters are being made, so thats hope that we will being see some new figures.

It is believed that Hasbro will go back to the OTC style packaging after ROTS #56. However, this does not mean that they will only be producing OT characters. I predict that we will see something more akin to the POTC line that contained figures from all the films. Hasbro could easily incorporate EU figures into that line.

Personally, I would love to see some really good EU figures, though I suggest that they add them into the regular line, or...for all the EU haters out there, a compromise. Ship EU figures with the regular line, but give them a seperate numbering system or a different insert, something to distinguish them from the "Movie" figures.

BTW, many of the EU fans consider the "Jedi Training Gear Gui-Gon" as a thinly veiled Talon Karde.