Recommended music: John Williams – Enter Darth Maul
One more #StarWarsSaturday post from the archives today, from The Phantom Menace line, it’s Darth Maul!
This Darth Maul (Tatooine) figure was the first Maul figure from The Phantom Menace line (or any Star Wars line for that matter). This Maul is definitely looking like he’s ready to take out some random kid in pursuit of a Jedi.
I “figure” there’ll be a new Episode I figure to share here for the rest of the year. Happy 25 years of The Phantom Menace!
Also on this #StarWarsSaturday from the archives, from the Star Wars The Legacy Collection, we’ve got Rum Sleg!
This is a pretty forgotten background character from The Phantom Menace. Rum Sleg can be seen walking around Mos Espa and then watching the pod race. He looks like a horror villain with his helmet off, and always comes packing heat when attending a race.😄
I “figure” there’ll be a new Episode I figure to share here for the rest of the year. Happy 25 years of The Phantom Menace!
For this #StarWarsSaturday, we’re still in Echo Base during The Empire Strikes Back. From The Vintage Collection, it’s NOT Hoth Rebel Trooper, it’s Cal Alder!
After Han sets back out on tauntaun to search for Luke, there are no signs of life outside the base reported by either man or droid, when this unnamed Rebel Lieutenant reports in to his Major:
“Sir, all the patrols are in. Still no…still no contact from Skywalker or Solo.”
So, the reason I’m calling this figure “Cal Alder”, and not the one that others have labeled as Cal from the 2022 Hoth Echo Base Soldier Troop Builder 4-Pack, is because actor Jack McKenzie’s face is actually shown on the cardback of this 2011 release.
The figure is labeled as “Hoth Rebel Trooper (Echo Base Battle Gear)” for two reasons. First, the vintage figure in the outfit was labeled the same way. To confuse matters further, the vintage ESB cardback incorrectly shows a different character in different gear. Secondly, the character was credited only as “Deck Lieutenant” in the film, and didn’t receive the name “Cal Alder” until being included in an expansion set of the Star Wars Customizable Card Game in 1996.
This Cal is a pretty simple figure with good paint applications, a blaster, and removable goggles. Hasbro later used this figure as a base for their army builder 4-pack. While those figures feature removable hats, the hats look oversized compared to Cal’s sculpted head. Also, even with 11 years to correct their mistake, they still copied over the gray on the gloves (these should be all white, even the vintage figure got it right), and the black on the boots (these should be gray with white straps)😛…
“Your Highness, there’s nothing more we can do tonight. The shield doors must be closed.” – Bren Derlin [Leia nods] “Close the doors.” – Derlin “Yes, sir.” – Cal Alder
Also on this #StarWarsSaturday from the archives, from The Phantom Menace line, it’s Jar Jar Binks!
This was the first of many eventual action figure releases for the character. This was an extra post last May to kick off the month celebrating 25 years of this fun-loving Gungan!
I “figure” there’ll be a new Episode I figure to share here for the rest of the year. Happy 25 years of The Phantom Menace!
On this #StarWarsSaturday, we’re still in the Echo Base command center during The Empire Strikes Back. From The Vintage Collection, it’s Tigran Jamiro!
I know you were expecting Cal Alder, but he’s gonna have to wait until next week. After Han sends out the unnamed deck officer (Tamizander Rey) ordering him to go find out where else Luke may have checked in, this is the result of that scene:
“Sir, Commander Skywalker hasn’t come in the south entrance. He might have forgotten to check in.” – Tigran Jamiro “Not likely. Are the speeders ready?” – Han Solo “Uh, not yet. We’re having some trouble adapting them to the cold.” – Tigran
[and shortly after]
“Your tauntaun’ll freeze before you reach the first marker!“- Tigran “Then I’ll see you in hell!“- Han
Hasbro released Tigran as a party of their Hoth Echo Base Soldier Troop Builder 4-Pack) and while he was not labeled by name, he’s clearly the trooper who looks like Freddy Mercury.😛
Next up this #StarWarsSaturday from the archives, from The Power of the Jedi line, it’s the Security Battle Droid!
I know you’re thinking, “Dale, didn’t you just cover that OOM-9 Battle Droid!?!”, but that yellow-headed droid was a commander droid, and this red color scheme (which I’ve always liked) is for security droids. So, there ya go.
I “figure” they’ll be a new Episode I figure to share here for the rest of the year. Happy 25 years of The Phantom Menace!
For this #StarWarsSaturday, we’re in the command center in Echo Base during The Empire Strikes Back. From The Vintage Collection, it’s Hoth Rebel Trooper!
After Han discovers that Luke has not checked in following their recent scouting mission, he takes his frustrations out on an unnamed deck officer and (while continuing to point) orders him to go find out where else Luke may have checked in.
While that deck officer character received an Expanded Universe name of “Tamizander Rey,” no Hoth troopers ever get name-checked on the figure cardback, so I’m having him stand in for Rey here. This TVC Hoth Rebel Trooper, released in 2011, is also not based on the 1980 THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK Rebel Soldier (Hoth Battle Gear) figure either. Instead, his cardback shows another Rebel Trooper, also only named offscreen as Cal Alder. For Cal’s story, you’re gonna have to tune in next week.😄
“Has Commander Skywalker reported in yet?” – Han Solo “I haven’t seen him. It’s possible he came in through the south entrance.” – Tamizander Rey “It’s possible? Why don’t you go find out? It’s getting dark out there.”―Han
Recommended music: John Williams – The Droid Invasion
Also on this #StarWarsSaturday from the archives, we’ve got the OOM-9 Battle Droid!
This droid from The Phantom Menace line has a unique deco which stands out amongst the mostly uniform droid army. The droid is nice and tall but lacks knees and any fold up action. Also, it has softer plastic on the legs, which can make it trickier to stand up after 25 years.
I “figure” they’ll be a new Episode I figure to share here for the rest of the year. Happy 25 years of The Phantom Menace!
On this #StarWarsSaturday, we’re in the command center in Echo Base during The Empire Strikes Back. From the Star Wars Saga Series, it’s General Rieekan!
When (Commander) Han checks in with his commanding officer, it’s a guy who likes to flip some switches and has a rank badge that looks like the Purina logo.
This General Rieekan (Hoth Evacuation) from the 2004 “Ultra” assortment of the Saga Series marked the first time the character was made into an action figure. The highlight of this release for me was the inclusion of the Hoth Tactical Screen. Army building the General through this release provides an easy way to get some set pieces for your Echo Base dioramas. I just wish future Rebel officers included some of the other computers and machines seen in the film. The pointing finger on the right-hand looks fine if he’s giving instruction, but looks a bit silly when you have several of these standing with other figures in your Hoth diorama posed to not be pointing for the group.😉
“A death mark’s not an easy thing to live with. You’re a good fighter, Solo. I hate to lose you.” – General Rieekan
For this #StarWarsSaturday, we’re entering the command center in Echo Base during The Empire Strikes Back. From Star Wars: The Legacy Collection, it’s K-3PO!
Right after the scene when Han tells Chewie he will help him out with the Millennium Falcon, he enters the command center to announce his upcoming departure and *IS THAT C-3PO WITH A WHITE PAINT JOB?!?* 😄 No, this was an all-new protocol droid, similar to the one you see at the beginning of A New Hope who never returns to the screen.
K-3PO was included in the Hoth Recon Patrol 5-Pack and was a repaint of the 2006 Saga Collection C-3PO. This may seem like an upgrade to the previous K-3PO that was released in 2000 for the Power of the Jedi line, as this C-3PO was the first one (after 28 years of droid figures) to have articulated knees (for sitting on the Ewok Throne). Unfortunately, despite its nice bright, glossy paint job, it retained Phillips screw heads on the thighs, and both the hips and knees were painted yellow for some reason. He’s fine in your Hoth diorama, but maybe move him towards the back of the display.😉
Well, it’s #WhateverWednesday, so here is something different from the archives. It’s the Hasbro Fortnite Victory Royale Series Mancake!
I still don’t know much about #Fortnite, but this figure was too fun to pass up. In addition to a butter bandolier and a stack of syrup-covered flapjacks for a head, among other pancake-related accessories, Mancake comes with a cool cannon accessory that was instantly used for a different toy display that I’ll get to someday…
Recommended music: Jimmy Cliff – I Can See Clearly Now
On this #StarWarsSaturday, we’re in Echo Base during The Empire Strikes Back. From Star Wars: The Legacy Collection, it’s R3-A2!
This Build-A-Droid is a nice upgrade compared to Hasbro’s 2003 Toys’R’Us exclusive version, with improved paint apps and sculpt. The unique thing about R3 is a clear dome that reveals cables and other mechanical parts sculpted inside. The toy dome does not click when turned or control the middle leg.
In the film, the droid can be seen just a few frames after R5-M2, when Han passes by an X-Wing. There is technically another orange and white clear-domed astromech that is seen earlier in a zoomed out shot when Han is riding his tauntaun into Echo Base, but that one has a slightly different deco, and has not yet been made in action figure form (though it would be an easy custom using this R3-A2 as your base figure).
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