When I began Monday Mons-Day, I said I wanted to use this space to talk about collecting things in the real world in addition to bits of data. The main thing I can be considered to be actively collecting at the moment is Star Wars Vintage action figures.
Quick recap for those not in the know: The Vintage series is a line of (mostly) super-articulated and (mostly) superbly sculpted Star Wars figures released on cardbacks in the style of the classic Kenner figures from the original releases of IV-VI. Those characters from that era get the exact same cardbacks as their previous incarnations, while new variations and characters from I-III get a mock-up of how it would look if they came out 30 years ago.
Now, notice I said "Mostly" up there. There are a few misses in each department, though they are rare. Off the top of my head, I snatched up an AotC Padmé that had articulated arms and that was it. On the other side, I saw an Anakin Skywalker in the store that was supposed to be a realistic take on his outfit from the Clone Wars animated series, but he didn't look like Hayden Christiansen as much as a balding Matthew McConaughey. Also, I've yet to see a Yoda that looks anything near the character since my 1995 Power of the Force one.
Nevertheless, I've been slowly and surely replacing key characters and expanding my collection to characters I missed. This year especially has been a good one in that we had a dearth of new TPM characters in time for the 3-d rerelease, plus some others I had been waiting for.
However, I'm worried about Jar Jar.
I had been waiting for a Vintage Jar Jar for a while, and they debuted him at this year's Toy Fair several months back. While a differently-painted and somewhat less-articulated version of the same basic sculpt got released with the regular wave of figures, the Vintage version was supposed to be released in the summer, not too long from now.
Yet I don't see any pre-order info, any specific release date. All searches I do come up with the same Toy Fair reveals.
Not that the figures usually arrive with much fanfare. Another highly-anticipated figure of mine, Grand Moff Tarkin (hence the EP IV tag), just became available on Amazon and I wouldn't have known it if I hadn't been looking for Jar Jar.
Still, with the "treatment" Binks usually gets, I can't help but be paranoid. I want this figure so bad, and I really hope Hasbro doesn't chicken out.
No need to worry, he's most definitely coming out--the regular carded vintage figure has already turned up in Singapore, where Hasbro stuff is often first found at retail:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ebay.com.sg/itm/110910554771?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1558.l2649
That's the first pic I've seen of the standard vintage card---I like the photo they chose of him on the Kaadu.
Also, the version on the "chase card" will be out this Friday at SDCC, here's an early review:
http://www.jeditemplearchives.com/content/modules.php?name=JReviews&rop=showcontent&id=1142
I held my "Movie Heroes" Jar Jar up to the screen while I was looking at those pics, and it seems to me like the only part they share is the head--everything else seems new (the arms, neck, lower legs) or severely modified (the torso). While it's too bad that they didn't bother to color the knee joints properly, overall, he's a vast improvement on the Movie Heroes version...can't wait to get him!
Hey Adam, here's even more reason not to worry...a pre-order on Amazon!:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.amazon.com/Episode-Vintage-Collection-Action-preOrder/dp/B0089QJBCA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341895188&sr=8-1&keywords=Star+Wars+Vintage+Jar+Jar
...though I really hope he's down to the Amazon norm $12.99 price point when he's released--that's where I've resorted to buying vintage figures, since the only thing I've found in stores other than the TPM figures that have been hanging around for months is the McConaughey Clone Wars Anakin. From last Friday to Sunday, I hit 7 Walmarts, 7 Targets, 2 Kmarts, and 2 Toys R Uses...and nothing.
*SQUEEEE!* Wish-Listed!
Delete