SSG's Hasbro Q&A on the Convention Floor

[JediTricks]

Steve and I actually did this Q&A back on Saturday, but I had so much else to cover that I've only been working on it in little starts and stops until today, when I finally had 4 free hours or so to finish it:

http://www.sirstevesguide.com/index...._articleid=870

Hope you enjoy it!

[Kidhuman]

Very interesting read. I liked the info on the GH line. I am surprised you didnt ask how lng until the TF line ends.

The one thing I would really love to know is what is the MSRP on them. If they havent raised the price in three years, it has to be under 4 bucks a figure, so the stores are making a killing on the basic line.

[JediTricks]

Basic figures are $6.99 MSRP, and have been since PostOTC at least, plus POTJ was $6.99 as well.

I don't think SWTF will end any time soon, it has a lot of kid fans and a few collectors.

[AmanaMatt]

Cool read, thanks.

[jedi master sal]

Now THAT was a Q&A session!

Excellent job. Nice to hear they appreciate our loyalty to the line. I'd love to see the cardback idea turn into something. Be that posters or an additional "cherry" cardback. Being a desinger myself, I'm usually more critical than other people of something designed. However, Hasbro has done a great job with these. Yeah they are quite different from previous years, but it shows they put some time into designing these for asthetics than rather plain cardbacks.

[jedibear]

Very good gentlemen! I especially appreciated the question (and hopeful response) about the possibility of getting the excellent looking cardbacks in some other format to enjoy. Collecting the three available at the show was great but it would be cool to get more somehow.

And was it just me or did the Hasbro team seem friendlier, more relaxed and more receptive to fan/collector feedback at this show? I had the pleasure of being involved in a little give n' take on thursday afternoon with them and they really seemed geniune and enthusiastic about our comments & compliments.
(Of course it helped that there wasn't anyone hanging about that just wanted to go on any negative rants)

I think the line is looking real good. I'm just a basic-figure kind of collector of hasbro stuff (with the occasional ship thrown in...and who can resist a Hyperspace Ring? ) but it's good to see the line brimming with such variety of goods that will help insure the interest of both kids and collectors alike.

Thanks for the excellent Q&A...much appreciated.

[Tycho]

JediTricks: excellent job!

Having gone to the conventions since probably '95 or earlier, I've always found Hasbro to be receptive to the fans and very accessable.

Darrel DePriest has to be the best guy there I've ever had the pleasure of dealing with.

Our own Dr.Evezan and I spent time with him at C3 delivering those massive Figures-Most-Wanted Lists that myself and Kidhuman did to figure out where the basic figure line should go in the future.

Now I don't know how much we can take credit for there - the figure choices are kind of logical. All we did was put statistical numbers to supporting them and things like Han Bespin Torture Chair and Biggs Darklighter Academy Figure (from the Lost Scenes). But we're getting to buy these this year (2007 and the lists were delivered in April, 2005).

But yeah, attending conventions is a lot of fun if at the very least to interact with the Star Wars team and attend their panel (always on a Friday for those of you going to Comic Con).

[Mr. JabbaJohnL]

I also asked them a few questions, mainly with Brian (I think it was Brian). I don't have a full transcript, but here's what I managed to find out:

When I asked about reshipping the McQuarrie figures since they've been so hard to find, I was told that it takes a while for information to come back to them on scarcity and whatnot. They were looking at possibly doing a box set of all of them (I suggested they add the coins), perhaps with redecos on them. I was told, however, that the problem was being looked at/taken care of.

As far as not being able to talk about the Tonnika Sisters (as they mentioned in a recent Q&A), he basically confirmed what most of us thought. They didn't get the rights to their likenesses back in 1977, but one of the actresses agreed to let them make a figure a few years ago. When the plans were nearly finalized, the other actress said that she was the one who played that specific character and refused to give the rights to her likeness, so Lucasfilm (not Hasbro) pulled out in order to avoid any legal problems. He said that they will have to wait until she dies in order to make the figures, joking that maybe one of the guys from the 501st could take her out.

I asked about Yarna, and his body language seemed as though he was hiding something . . . He said that he has recently been doing several drawings of her, so I guess things may be looking up.

I asked about newer, larger versions of Jabba the Hutt and General Grievous (this time I was talking to a group of them). They said that they definitely needed to do a new Jabba, but it didn't sound like he was in the works yet. As for Grievous, they confirmed that Lucasfilm decided to increase Grievous's size in the film after Hasbro had already made the sculpts, and they could not enlarge the figures. They confirmed that the next Grievous would be the correct size.

[figrin bran]

JJL, thanks for asking about the McQuarries. i had a feeling they might do a boxed set at some point and that way i don't have to worry about putting together both a loose and carded set of them. it's tough enough just to get one of them!

[Mr. JabbaJohnL]

I forgot to add, but one of the guys mentioned how they were going to show the sixth wave of comic packs but they weren't ready, or something like that. When I asked what will be in the wave, he said Luke and another rebel (who I forgot, but didn't recognize from the films) dressed as Imperial officers, two other rebels dressed as stormtroopers (one human, one Neimoidian - maybe a Duro instead?), and another pack of characters whose names I've already forgotten but weren't from the movies.