All posts by Jayson
Amazon Shipping Slave I Sans Shipping Box
It appears that some orders processing out of Amazon warehouses are forgoing shipping boxes and just slapping the labeling right to the TVC packaging. Check out this post at Rebelscum for an image that will shock and amaze. If your order hasn’t processed yet, I strongly suggest you call and request your order be packed out correctly.
Episode VII: The Emperor Strikes Back?
Our friends at JediNews have received some inside information that Ian McDiarmid is rumored to be reprising his role as Darth Sidious/Emperor Palpatine in Episode VII. Exactly how he will be brought back from “the dead” is an interesting plot device to say the least. Could he be a spirit akin to Obi-Wan in TESB and ROTJ, imparting his knowledge of the dark side to some new apprentice? Perhaps he will possess Luke Skywalker some how and the children of our heroes from the original trilogy must redeem him. Could they pull a bit from the Expanded Universe’s Dark Empire storyline where Palpatine created a clone of himself in order to achieve immortality?
The possibilities and speculation are endless but remember, nothing is official unless Disney and Lucasfilm say so.]
Oh, and Happy Birthday today to Ian McDiarmid – a fitting story to be sure.
Toyguide Update: TBS #02 Clone Trooper Sergeant
The Yakface Toyguide updates resume today with our next entry in the The Black Series 3-3/4″ line. Today we take a look at the #02 Clone Trooper Sergeant.
PROS: As the first trooper of the Black Series, there is not a whole heck of a lot new here but the execution is decent. Again, like the VC45 version, articulation is abundant allowing the widest range of posing options possible. Accessories are basic with the standard trooper kit of a blaster, rifle and removable helmet.
CONS: A solid figure all around but if there were any nits to pick they would center around the paint apps. To me, the particular shade of green used for the accent seems a bit too dark and should be a bit more yellow in hue – but it’s very close. Finally, I like my clones weathered to show the effects of war.
Head to the toyguide for the full image gallery and to judge for yourself whether this piece is worth adding to your collection.
You can also weigh in with your impressions on the figures we add to our toyguide on facebook and in our forums.
Galactic Files Series 2 Launches Today
Today marks the official launch of Topps’ Galactic Files Series 2, and once again, Dan Curto has been asked to contribute his talents as a guest sketch card illustrator. As a preview, he has provided us with an exclusive first look at a few of the the cards he has done. Click on through to check them out and be sure to head to JediNews and his Facebook page where he’ll have more on display.
D23 Teases “Orange Harvest”
This weekend kicks off the annual D23 Expo where Disney unveils their upcoming TV, movie and theme park attractions. As a teaser for the event, the convention has on display several Star Wars related crates all sporting the Orange Harvest banner – a play on the iconic Blue Harvest code name for Return of the Jedi. Head on over to ComingSoon.net for a few images from the convention floor and stay tuned this weekend for more official announcements from Disney and D23.
Jabba’s Goons Officially Named

While browsing through my recent Star Wars Insider (143), I noticed that in a feature titled Rogues Gallery: Jabba’s Henchmen, Keeper of the Holocron, Leland Chee, reveals the actual names of the Weequay Skiff Guard and Nikto Guard as “Pagetti Rook” and “Lathe” respectively. With this new information, the TVC Toyguide entries (VC99 & VC107) for these two figures have been updated to reflect this new info.
Not a single Bothan died to bring you this information, but a protocol droid did get a memory wipe.
Sponsor News: Urban Collector
This week we are featuring new pre-orders like Bowen Designs Red Skull statue, Enterbay Michael Jordan 1/6 scale figure and Capcom Megaman statue. Also, check the talking Darth Vader & R2-D2 Banks and the Lightsaber bottle opener after the jump!
Celebration Anaheim Ticket Pricing
It Begins: Black Series Packaging Variants
The official kick off of The Black Series hitting retail starts this week and with it comes news of packaging variants (at least in the US so far) for the first wave of 3-3/4″ figures. It appears that the first runs of these figures have a bubble variant where the embossed “wall pattern” is present on the bubble. Our friends at Star Wars Action News confirm this with the photo above. It shows that the Biker Scout, Clone Pilot and Clone Trooper Sergeant are “missing” this detail while the others in the case do. For those keeping track, the date stamps on those figures without the embossing is 31611 and those figures with it have 31261.
Thanks to Johnathan from Star Wars Action News for the assistance.
For a complete gallery of the variants, head over to StarWarsCollector.com








