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.
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.
A lot of collectors may not be happy with the Droid Factory line being an Amazon exclusive, but there’s no denying this is some of Hasbro’s finest work in terms of packaging, and it’s a true shame that this line was replaced by The Black Series. Check out a full gallery of pics courtesy of volkerc here and also share your thoughts in our forums.
Reports have been coming in left and right regarding new figures at places like Toys”R”us and Target, and now Yakface reader Bryan P. sends in details of new Hasbro figures hitting Walmart too. Head on over to the forums for more details!
The new 31″ tall Darth Vader from Jakks Pacific has been found at retail – thanks to reader Evicerous for the heads up! Head on over to the forums for a closer look!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!