By Scott Pearson
Going somewhere Solo?
One of the biggest little things to hit the Star Wars
collecting world this past year was the introduction of Star
Wars Kubricks. The Officially Licensed LFL figures
made by Medicom and only available at retail in Japan and
Hong Kong have been wildly popular around the world.
Starting with the Early
Bird set in January of 2003, the Mini-Fig phenomenon got
things rolling. Sets of these 4 figures routinely go
for over $100 on eBay. Series
1 was released this past Spring and included the Empire
Strikes Back Bounty Hunters: Boba Fett, IG-88, Bossk, 4-LOM,
Zuckuss and Dengar. Series 2 was announced this past summer
and the anticipation for the figures has been high. Included
in this series are Han Solo, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Greedo, Tusken
Raider, Cantina Band Member and Sandtrooper. They were
released in late November in Asia and I just received them,
so read on for some pictures and details!
Han Solo
The smuggler turned General makes his first appearance in
Kubrick land. A perfect representation of Han in ANH is
captured in this figure. He is armed with his trusty Greedo
frying blaster which fits rather nicely in his holster.
Obi-Wan (Ben) Kenobi
The prequel heroic Jedi turned reclusive old hermit is next
up. Styled with his trademark robe and short trimmed
beard, Old Ben is a perfect representation of Sir Alec
Guinness. His trusty Lightsaber is packaged along with
General Kenobi. The color is a bit off as seen in the
pictures but the detailing is perfect.
Greedo
Poor Greedo, hired by Jabba to track down that scruffy
scoundrel in the Cantina, he really never stood a chance.
Greedo was one of my favorite vintage figures growing up and
this Kubrick captures the Green Guy perfectly! His trademark
blaster is included (whether it was fired before Han shot
him is still open for debate). The sculpting of alien heads is one of Medicom's strong
suits and it really shows in Greedo, and the following Band
Member and the Tusken Raider.
Cantina Band Member
"Star Wars, Nothing but Star Wars, Gimme that Star
Wars, Don't let them end!" I cannot think of the
Cantina Band without thinking of Bill Murray's rendition of
the Classic Theme. One of the figures that was never
made in the Vintage Line but probably should have been, the
Cantina Band (all 6 of them) make a great addition to series
2. There are two variations of this figure showing up
on the net. The one released in Japan includes the
instruments shown above, while the version released in Hong
Kong comes with a different set of instruments. Both are
showing up in equal numbers.
Tusken Raider
As a young lad, one of the scariest parts of A New Hope is
when Luke is attacked by the Sandpeople in the Jundland
Wastes. As such, I have always had a creepy fascination with
the Tuskens and I think this figure does them a great
justice. Great detailing and a nice Gaffi Stick, the
representation is spot on which makes for a nice figure.
Sandtrooper
My personal favorite of the six Series 2 figures is the
Sandtrooper. The detailing and likeness on this little
guy is astounding. I love the painted on weathering effects
and sculpting done on the helmet and armor. The backpack is
also very nice.The Sandtrooper is armed with a standard
issue Imperial Blaster. There is also a variation with this
figure, the rarer of the two is the White Shoulder Pauldron
variety. Pictured above is the Orange Should Pauldron
version.
Indiana Jones
The Chase figure of Series 2, Han Solo as
Indiana Jones. Packed in 1 out of every 4 sealed cases
of 12 which means 1 out of every 12 Han Solo figures is that
swashbuckling Archeologist Doctor Jones. He comes with
the idol from the opening scene of Raiders and his whip. Really cool of Medicom to get an oft overlooked franchise
into action figure form! This one is very hot on the
secondary market with prices for this figure alone usually
exceeding $100!
Packaging
The packaging is all very similar. The front shows a picture
of what figure you will be getting (again, you are not sure
what Han Solo, Sandtrooper or Cantina Band Member you will
be getting) and the figures come in a case of 12. The
packout is:
4x Sandtrooper
3x Han Solo
2x Cantina Band Member
1x Obi-Wan Kenobi
1x Greedo
1x Tusken Raider
Chase Ratios are as follows (figures are packed randomly
into sealed boxes)
1:12 Han Solo Figures are Indiana Jones
1:4 Sandtrooper Figures are the White Pauldron version
The back of the box shows the figure again with Greedo's
famous line "Chespo kutata kreestan krenko, nykoska!"
Availability
I purchased my set off of eBay for around $12 per figure
shipped. Prices seem to have risen slightly since then but
eBay again remains a great option. There are some Japanese
Kubrick Stores that sell these on-line as well. JediDefender
sponsor Brian's Toys also sells a set of 6 for $100 shipped,
as well as individual pieces.
http://www.brianstoys.com/acatalog/Kubrick_Figures.html
You can also swing on into our forums where the Kubrick
Discussion has been hot and heavy for some time:
http://www.jedidefender.com/yabbse/index.php?board=12
Stay tuned to JediDefender for all news concerning Star Wars
Kubricks, especially when Series 3 is unveiled in the near
future!
Scott
Pearson
Reporter
Jedidefender.com
Previous
Features
