SSG's Bi-Weekly Hasbro Q&A - December 7th

[JediTricks]

The first Q&A after Thanksgiving, it's Hasbro's answers to SSG questions for December 7, 2007. Thanks again to Hasbro for the answers, to all the folks who sent in questions and especially those who voted on them.

Hasbro Q&A for the week of December 7th

Q: Does Hasbro have something against Wedge Antilles? Biggs gets 2 figures this year while our boy Wedge - who survives the OT and beyond - only gets his head plopped on an already existing body as an exclusive or pack-in every now and then. What are the chances of seeing a new Wedge single carded in the main line anytime soon?
A: Good point - Wedge is a very important character in the OT and the EU. While we don't have any plans for a carded basic Wedge figure, there will be at least one cool new Wedge figure in the line next year if our schedule holds. We will have info available around Comic Con on what that may be.

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Q: Why doesn't the Baron Fel comic-pack figure have his signature Van Dyck facial hair? It's in the art in the comic, and it's even on the packaging art side panel, but the figure is without paint or sculpted facial hair.
A: Great question. In the specific issue included (#4), Fel does have a well-developed Van Dyck and that is the starting point for the package artwork. However, we were directed to actually deco him more like the first issue in the story arc, where he is initially clean shaven, then gradually develops more and more scrub and then finally the full-on facial hair as the story ensues. Right now we don't have plans to do any facial hair variants, but if we do release another Fel it would be good to get the facial hair in there.

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Q: Considering that the body for CZ-4 was also used in A New Hope in the Sandcrawler (CZ-1) and in Mos Eisley (CZ-3), will we ever see a repaint of the CZ-4 figure to be these new characters? They could be done as a running change or put into Battlepacks.
A: There is a good bet that at some point we will see these variations, but it may take a while to find the spot for them in the lineup.

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And the questions at ActionFigs.com:

• Why are the fans' choice figures so often hard to find? One would think that as a poll winner determined by the fans, it should be packed more than one per case and in multiple waves - especially an army-builder like the current Saga Legends winner, the Darktrooper. Darth Revan, the Darktrooper, the original Saga McQuarrie Stormtrooper, the OTC Imperial Scanning Crew Trooper, and of course Ephant Mon have all been overly difficult to find. So why isn't more done to get the fans' choice figures into the hands of the fans?
• Several recent multipacks featuring EU figures - such as the Rebel Commando, Battlefront, and Mandalorian sets - seem rather popular with collectors. Has there been any consideration given for using the multipack format for characters that have only appeared in novels? Perhaps the Myrkr strike team of Jedi from Star by Star, or maybe members of Rogue and Wraith Squadrons in box sets, something like that?
• In this day and age, more and more people are becoming aware of the need to recycle. As collectors, we generate a lot of trash with all the packaging and would feel better about it if we knew it weren't just sitting in a landfill for the next thousand years. What is the recyclability of the materials uses in the packaging, especially the plastic bubbles and trays for the action figures? Has Hasbro ever considered marking the components of their packaging (not just SW but all Hasbro packaging) with recycling symbols?

[Adam]

Hey two of my questions were answered.. a personal best!

Hmm so no single card for Wedge, but he is maybe coming next year. Battlepack perhaps? Or perhaps a comic pack? Although I'm severely cutting back on my toy spending, I'll have to get this Wedge if he does come out, I'm long overdue for one.

Glad to hear they think Wraith Squadron would be interesting.

[mtriv73]

I read it as us getting Wedge packed in with something else (like his X-wing.) Since they're saying comic-con, that means it's probably an exclusive (most regular toys debut at toy fair) and since it's probably an exclusive, it's probably another vehicle with a figure. We'll know in July.

[dindae]

Given the answers about Rogue Squadron I would assume a Comic 2 pack with another Rogue member.

The answer about the Fan's Choice short packs irks me.

"The reasons for 1/case pack is not due to percieved demand, but, as we have answered many times over in the Q&As, due to how many can be manufactured in a given amount of time."

The fact that this answer makes no sense is the reason we keep asking the question. Sure for a character like Ephant Mon I undertand cost of the figure is higher than usual so doing him 2 per case is a strain on profitability but for a figure like Revan why not do two per case. I'm sure he couldn't much harder to produce than 90% of the figures put out at two per case this year.

[El Chuxter]

I'd be interested in some follow-up on the Baron Fel question. Who told them to shave him?

[JediTricks]

Has to be Lucasfilm/Lucas Licensing, they're the only ones who can give edicts to Hasbro on the Star Wars line.

[Tycho]

I'd be interested in some follow-up on the Baron Fel question. Who told them to shave him?

Hasbro's answer is bull. Lucasfilm should care less whether Fel has a goatee or not, especially when they approved that look for him in countless Rogue Squadron comic books.

I think Hasbro is hiding behind Lucasfilm for their excuse. They have to realize that we'd see right through that. Frankly, I'm surprised they chose to even answer that question.

I'll have to re-check my comic books, but I don't think Fel appeared much at all without a goatee. All I can pinpoint is that one cover art piece.

I also have to wonder if Hasbro will ever make another Fel? He is a great figure (minus the goatee thing) and worthy of the collection because of who his character is. But to people less into the EU lore than I, he is an obscure random with popular awareness of him just a little higher than Ackmena.

If they re-visited him, the only way I can see it is if Hasbro started single-packing the 2-pack figures in some future run for less cost to reduce their general expenditures (like Saga Legends and the re-paint TAC Wave 7.5).

Then I could see Quinlan, Villie, Alpha, A'Sharad, Mara, Luke, Jabiim Assasin Droid, Hobbie (probably ESB repaint), Fel (with goatee this time?) Baltar Swan, and Koffi (for the ones already issued now) being re-released on single cards.

It might be cool for some who want to army-build the assassin droids or get custom-fodder, but seriously, they did good with these and should move on to new characters. Other EU would sell much better single-packed. I bet characters like The Dark Woman might seriously pegwarm if released by herself though.

As to Wedge, I could see him being made in several alternate outfits:

civilian clothing - similar to a cross between Luke Yavin Ceremony and Han Solo Bespin looks - probably something Hasbro could kit-bash. That's how I made the custom anyway.

Alliance dress uniform - could be kit-bashed from Luke Tatooine parts amongst others. That's also what I did for a custom. A new sculpt would work a bit better though.

ESB snowspeeder pilot

These variants on Wedge could be put in a comic 2-pack with:

Ysanne Isard - Lt Shan repaint with new head
Loka Hosk - might be very interesting figure
Baron Fel - redeaux - unlikely for another 2-pack though
Tycho - x-wing version, dress uniform, Han Solo clothes
Wes Janson - x-wing version or snowspeeder pilot
Corran Horn - possible, finally


And there are other possibilities, but the above might be the best.

[Devo]

I interpret their answer about Wedge to mean he's being repacked as is in 2008 - probably not a new sculpt. Or they'll stick the old head on the Zev body for a snowspeeder version. Crap either way.

[Mad Slanted Powers]

"The reasons for 1/case pack is not due to percieved demand, but, as we have answered many times over in the Q&As, due to how many can be manufactured in a given amount of time."

The fact that this answer makes no sense is the reason we keep asking the question. Sure for a character like Ephant Mon I undertand cost of the figure is higher than usual so doing him 2 per case is a strain on profitability but for a figure like Revan why not do two per case. I'm sure he couldn't much harder to produce than 90% of the figures put out at two per case this year.

I agree a better explanation is necessary. There are new figures produced every year, and some end up being two to a case.

I interpret their answer about Wedge to mean he's being repacked as is in 2008 - probably not a new sculpt. Or they'll stick the old head on the Zev body for a snowspeeder version. Crap either way.

They did say "cool new figure", so I don't think he'll be a repack. He'll at least be a kit-bashed figure, but I get the impression that they will do a bit more than that. My guess is in a comic pack.

[JediTricks]

After a few minutes of research, I bet Lucasfilm or Dark Horse wanted it to represent this:
http://timelineuniverse.net/images/Xwing21.jpg
Part 1 of the 4-part series that ends with this cover:
http://timelineuniverse.net/images/Xwing24.jpg
(that's the issue the figure comes with, the 4th part that Hasbro referred to, as you might recognize from the aforementioned Hasbro Comics 2-pack)

And that 4-part series is also represented in a graphic novel with this cover:
http://timelineuniverse.net/images/InEmpiresService.jpg

So what do you know, Hasbro knows what the hell they're talking about here after all.


In the issue after that by the way, you get another look at Fel here:
http://timelineuniverse.net/images/Xwing25.jpg

You'll notice that, besides the lack of facial hair in the photo, the gloveless gauntlets are the same as the figure has.