A Q&A sessions was held with Michael Stackpole, Lisa
Stevens, and Vic Wertz . Below is the excerpt.
Fan – So many of the collectors out there do not
have the 25th Anniversary Toy Fair Darth Vader. Will the Fan
Club ever get any more in for the fans?
Lisa – The Toy Fair Vader was produced at a limited
run. After Toy Fair the Star Wars Fan Club did receive what
was left of them. Once the Fan Club sold them they are gone.
It is not economical for the Fan Club to have more produced
due to the number that it takes, we are talking around
25,000 or more. Once again it is not economical for the Fan
Club to have this figure reproduced. Sorry.
Fan –The regular store exclusives (Wal-Mart Trash
Compactor Sets, ect) that are out there have never hit my
area stores. Does the Fan Club plan on helping out the
collector by offering these exclusive items?
Vic – Lucasfilm wants to make it easier to get
exclusives, Hasbro wants to make it easier to get
exclusives, and the Fan Club wants to make it easier to get
exclusives. Hopefully that means that it will happen
one way or another soon.
Fan – Paizo’s takeover of the Star Wars Insider,
What are the plans for merchandise?
Lisa – The Star Wars Fan Club contract went to
Paizo, the commerce contract is at Wizards. Lucas Film is
the decider on such issues. No Final Decision has be made on
merchandise at this point.
Fan - What about the Jawa Trader inside the Star Wars
Insider magazine?
Lisa – Wizards of the Coast is not trying to hard
to make the Jawa Trader happen. (everyone laughs)
Vic – You may have noticed that the last Insider
did not have the Jawa Trader section. 1-800-TRUE-FAN is
still active - it goes
to Wizards, not to Paizo.
Lisa adds- It is too expensive to hire phone
operators. In a survey it was like 80% of the people
purchase on-line and like 20% of the people purchase over
the phone. It is not economical to have the telephone
service. It is more like 90% to 10% now or ever more who
purchase on-line.
Fan – Will there be more Fan Club events like the
breakfasts?
Lisa – There are more to come, the Disney breakfast
was a success! We are planning to do more events in the
future for the fans at conventions, larger cities that do
not have the conventions, ect. We need to break even with
the money involved.
Mary Franklin adds - it is possible that there might
be a breakfast event at GenCon Indy. Keep checking the Paizo
website for more information.
Lisa adds – Let people know you like the event,
spread the word for good turnouts.
Fan – Celebration 3, has it been decided on where
the location is going to be held?
Lisa – It has NOT been decided where Celebration 3
is going to be held. Several “central” locations are
being looked at. No contracts have been signed yet! The Fan
Club expects to be
involved heavily in planning Celebration III. As soon as we know the
location it will be posted. The posting will definitely come
much sooner than it was for C2. Steve Sansweet is dying to
let the Star Wars Fans know about the C3 location. He will
announce the location for C3 as soon as he finds out.
Fan – What are the plans of the Star Wars Fan Club
after 2005?
Lisa – Star Wars is more than a movie to the fans
but not to the public past 2005. I plan on the Fan Club
staying forever or as long as there is interest. There is
always going to be the “spirit” of Star Wars for the
fans. It will continue in books, comics, games, ect.
Fan – What is the number of people in the Fan Club?
Lisa – I can’t give out the number of members.
Paizo is the Fan Club for the whole world, except for the 12
countries covered by the other 5 clubs,
that is a lot of fans. Lets just say that membership
is greater than the attendees at Celebration 2.
Fan – Will there be another Trading Card Game
encyclopedia?
Lisa – The fans have said this is not useful. 20%
liked it and 80% did not care for it. The encyclopedia is
too big to put into the Insider magazine.
Fan – HyperSpace, how will it affect the Insider
magazine?
Lisa – It will not affect the Insider! The Insider
will still have
exclusive photos, Rick’s E3 updates, but the Insider will
have some of what is shown at HyperSpace.
Vic – HyperSpace is HyperSpace and the Insider is
the Insider. It all depends on Lucas Film what is shown.
Fan – There has been a lot of Jar Jar Binks
Smashing in the Insider and more. Is there going to be a
movement to stop such insults since Jar Jar Binks is the one
who really forges the Empire movement?
Lisa – Believe it or not that Ahmed Best (Jar Jar
Binks) is ranked #2 is most liked characters. Ray Park
(Darth Maul) is number #1 (Based on Fan Mail received). So are you going to start the
“Stop the Insults to Jar Jar Binks?” (everyone laughs)
Fan – (Directed to Michael Stackpole) Can you tell
us of any upcoming Star Wars content that you might be
working on?
Mike – To do any Star Wars you have to be asked. I
have only been asked to write for the Insider since 1999
when I did the last New Jedi Order book “Onslaught”. It
is fun to write in someone else’s universe but you have to
be asked.
Fan - (Directed to Michael Stackpole) Are you Corren
Horn?
Mike – I am NOT Corren Horn.
Fan - (Directed to Michael Stackpole) Are there
going to be more Corren Horn type stories?
Mike – If asked, yes. He is a great character. In
the Insider I got to write about his Grandfather.
Origins
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