5806
The Clone Wars '08-'13 / Re: Clone Wars Wave 30 (2013 Wave 1)
« on: February 9, 2013, 02:59 PM »
Well, no CW shown at Toy Fair. It appears that this wave truly is the last gasp of the animated Clone Wars line.
Bringing Balance to the Force
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5807
The Black Series 3.75" / Re: The Black Series 3.75" Cardback - Yea or Nay?
« on: February 9, 2013, 01:54 PM »
It looks like they're specifically trying to evoke the setting of the Carbon Freeze Chamber in TESB. Darkness combined with that orange lighting.
Honestly...it looks pretty drab from that single photo. I'd like to see some more imagery.
Honestly...it looks pretty drab from that single photo. I'd like to see some more imagery.
5808
The Black Series 3.75" / Re: Toy Fair 2013
« on: February 9, 2013, 12:57 PM »
The presentation is going to begin shortly. Twitter & Facebook look like they're going to be our look at the presentation while it happens.
***OMFG. They're starting the presenation with My Little Pony? Ugh.
***OMFG. They're starting the presenation with My Little Pony? Ugh.
5809
Saga Legends / Re: Saga Legends "Mission Series" Figure 2-Packs
« on: February 8, 2013, 07:37 PM »
Interesting. I definitely like the droid. It actually reminds me a bit more of the search droids on Utapau in ROTS more than anything else.
5810
Collector's Tips / Re: Overhead Lighting
« on: February 8, 2013, 06:28 PM »
Nice score! I think that if you're going to have shelving on three walls, the U shaped configuration is probably the best way to go. And a dimmer circuit is probably going to be your best bet in terms of a wall switch. And if you go with that U config and you're ambitious, three seperate dimmer circuits might be a nice way to tailor the lighting.
I've heard some people express concerns about how lighting might lead to yellowing on lighter colored figures (Stormtroopers, Clones, etc) as well as cardbacks, posters, etc. A dimmer might seem like a luxury, but if you can minimize the intensity of the light to prevent that possible yellowing or fading, why not do it?
As for any additional lighting? It sounds like your room is medium sized. But those halogen track lights will definitely throw a lot of light. I've got a track light with only 4 mini halogens (similar to the ones on your track) in my kitchen, and it's slightly smaller than your space. And those 4 track lights plus a hi-hat light provide plenty of light for that room.
I've heard some people express concerns about how lighting might lead to yellowing on lighter colored figures (Stormtroopers, Clones, etc) as well as cardbacks, posters, etc. A dimmer might seem like a luxury, but if you can minimize the intensity of the light to prevent that possible yellowing or fading, why not do it?
As for any additional lighting? It sounds like your room is medium sized. But those halogen track lights will definitely throw a lot of light. I've got a track light with only 4 mini halogens (similar to the ones on your track) in my kitchen, and it's slightly smaller than your space. And those 4 track lights plus a hi-hat light provide plenty of light for that room.
5811
The Black Series 3.75" / Re: Your Hopes/Fears for The Black Series 3.75" Figures?
« on: February 8, 2013, 01:26 PM »
My hopes? That Hasbro can find a balance in the 3.75" figure system to keep it both viable AND profitable. So what does that mean?
Distribution that works.
Working closer with the retailers to get figures, etc to stores in a timely and even fashion on a regular schedule.
Balanced Character Selection / Case Packs
We've seen what happens when some fan oriented figures come to market in too high of a quantity. The fact is that I can STILL find a Yarna as well as a Willrow Hood on the pegs of a TRU store if I really wanted to. Those figures are now going on 4 - 5 years old. And this is clearly a case where short-packing is appropriate. That 15th cantina alien probably needs to be put in this category, and probably needs to be short packed.
There's also a major fact that collectors need to get over: core characters NEED to stay in the line with a higher degree of regularity than might suit our own sensibilities. Sure, collectors may have some 30+ renditions of Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, Yoda or Obi-Wan Kenobi. But these are the characters that sell to parents & kids. If we want the line to remain viable & profitable, these characters need to be readily available to the much larger market segment that is parents & their kids.
Aside from that, what am I hoping to see?
Continuing on with realistic versions of Clone Wars characters. The rumblings are that the Clone Wars animated line is coming to a close. So why not continue the trend of making realist versions of Clone Wars characters? We already have three of those in Anakin, Obi-Wan and Ahsoka, plus another two scheduled in Mace Windu and Rex. There are definitely some prime candidates for figures from seasons 4 and 5 that might sell reasonably well. Darth Maul? Death Watch? Savage Opress? Darth Sidious?
From the OT, there's still plenty of fertile ground. I can think of a number of renditions of core characters that would be most welcome. Throw in some of Jabba's goons, Imperials and Rebels and you've got some good 2nd & 3rd tier characters. And with the PT? TPM and it's characters need some time off after the TPM 3-D fiasco. AOTC and ROTS still have some options in terms of character selection, but Hasbro needs to be incredibly selective.
Also, how about working in some more video game characters? Figures from KOTOR and SWTOR have been pretty well received. Again, they need to be done very selectively, but if Hasbro is going to keep up with the broadening Star Wars fan market which is very much about video games, they need to approach this market segment seriously.
Distribution that works.
Working closer with the retailers to get figures, etc to stores in a timely and even fashion on a regular schedule.
Balanced Character Selection / Case Packs
We've seen what happens when some fan oriented figures come to market in too high of a quantity. The fact is that I can STILL find a Yarna as well as a Willrow Hood on the pegs of a TRU store if I really wanted to. Those figures are now going on 4 - 5 years old. And this is clearly a case where short-packing is appropriate. That 15th cantina alien probably needs to be put in this category, and probably needs to be short packed.
There's also a major fact that collectors need to get over: core characters NEED to stay in the line with a higher degree of regularity than might suit our own sensibilities. Sure, collectors may have some 30+ renditions of Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, Yoda or Obi-Wan Kenobi. But these are the characters that sell to parents & kids. If we want the line to remain viable & profitable, these characters need to be readily available to the much larger market segment that is parents & their kids.
Aside from that, what am I hoping to see?
Continuing on with realistic versions of Clone Wars characters. The rumblings are that the Clone Wars animated line is coming to a close. So why not continue the trend of making realist versions of Clone Wars characters? We already have three of those in Anakin, Obi-Wan and Ahsoka, plus another two scheduled in Mace Windu and Rex. There are definitely some prime candidates for figures from seasons 4 and 5 that might sell reasonably well. Darth Maul? Death Watch? Savage Opress? Darth Sidious?
From the OT, there's still plenty of fertile ground. I can think of a number of renditions of core characters that would be most welcome. Throw in some of Jabba's goons, Imperials and Rebels and you've got some good 2nd & 3rd tier characters. And with the PT? TPM and it's characters need some time off after the TPM 3-D fiasco. AOTC and ROTS still have some options in terms of character selection, but Hasbro needs to be incredibly selective.
Also, how about working in some more video game characters? Figures from KOTOR and SWTOR have been pretty well received. Again, they need to be done very selectively, but if Hasbro is going to keep up with the broadening Star Wars fan market which is very much about video games, they need to approach this market segment seriously.
5812
The Black Series 6" Figures / Re: A 6" Exclusive for SDCC 2013?
« on: February 7, 2013, 11:49 AM »If it happens, it's going to be a very, VERY popular 6" figure... or should I say figure set?Per RS...Quotea 6-inch scale Black Series Boba Fett will be part of Hasbro's 2013 San Diego Comic-Con exclusive offerings.
Well, Fett would be a very, VERY popular 6" figure, wouldn't he?
But I wonder if there might be something more than just Fett... hmmm.
Really? To me, that sounds like it might be Fett with Han Solo in carbonite. But what do I know?
5813
The Black Series 3.75" / Re: Toy Fair 2013
« on: February 7, 2013, 11:45 AM »Good luck and safe travels to all the guys heading to NYC for the show this weekend. Hopefully the weather doesn't cause a cancellation of the fan media event.
Hopefully it isn't cancelled, but there aren't any excuses if JDs rep can't make it
The Hasbro investor presentation is scheduled for 8 AM tomorrow morning. That's scheduled to be streaming on the web. I don't know if it's a different presentation from the one for the collector media, however.
Given the timing of that particular presentation, things should be okay regarding the weather.
5814
Star Wars Universe / Re: Star Wars Movie Spin-Offs?
« on: February 7, 2013, 09:20 AM »
The trouble with a Han Solo movie is definitely the casting. How do you do that and do justice to the character that Harrison Ford established? An animated feature makes sense if you absolutely want Harrison Ford involved with the project. And Lucasfilm DOES have an animation group.
A live action Han Solo movie would be more challenging on the casting front. Do you cast an established star or an unknown? Or do you try to de-age Harrison Ford via special effects?
As for a Boba Fett project, the boundaries seems far more open. I think since establishing Temuera Morrison as Jango Fett and the older clones in Attack Of The Clones and Revenge Of The Sith (and voicing Boba Fett in the DVD version of TESB), it would make sense to have him play Boba Fett. And considering the previous rumors of Zach Snyder being involved in a Star Wars project, I could really see him doing something great with a Boba Fett film.
A live action Han Solo movie would be more challenging on the casting front. Do you cast an established star or an unknown? Or do you try to de-age Harrison Ford via special effects?
As for a Boba Fett project, the boundaries seems far more open. I think since establishing Temuera Morrison as Jango Fett and the older clones in Attack Of The Clones and Revenge Of The Sith (and voicing Boba Fett in the DVD version of TESB), it would make sense to have him play Boba Fett. And considering the previous rumors of Zach Snyder being involved in a Star Wars project, I could really see him doing something great with a Boba Fett film.
5815
Watto's Junk Yard / Re: Last CD You Bought
« on: February 7, 2013, 08:55 AM »
Blak and Blu by Gary Clark Jr.
5816
Star Wars Universe / Re: Star Wars Movie Spin-Offs?
« on: February 6, 2013, 06:54 PM »
A Han Solo focused movie? As well as a Boba Fett movie? It seems like Disney/LFL is looking to really capitalize on a pair of the most popular OT characters.
The Han Solo idea has potential. But how faithful will the film be to some of Han's established backstory? Do they continue on with his defection from the Empire? What about the freeing of Chewbacca? And then there's the relationship between Han Solo and Lando, as well as the origins of the Millenium Falcon.
As for the Boba Fett movie? That's likely to be a pure free for all. I'd like to see Jabba in that story, and perhaps some of the other bounty hunters. Aside from that? This looks like a calculated move to draw in the fanboys.
The Han Solo idea has potential. But how faithful will the film be to some of Han's established backstory? Do they continue on with his defection from the Empire? What about the freeing of Chewbacca? And then there's the relationship between Han Solo and Lando, as well as the origins of the Millenium Falcon.
As for the Boba Fett movie? That's likely to be a pure free for all. I'd like to see Jabba in that story, and perhaps some of the other bounty hunters. Aside from that? This looks like a calculated move to draw in the fanboys.
5817
Star Wars Universe / Star Wars Movie Spin-Offs?
« on: February 5, 2013, 08:25 AM »
In related news...
What's the first stand alone STAR WARS film to be made?
It looks like it could be a Yoda story. Given the fact that Yoda was 900 years old, there seems to be plenty of ground that could be covered in exploring the diminutive Jedi Master.
What's the first stand alone STAR WARS film to be made?
It looks like it could be a Yoda story. Given the fact that Yoda was 900 years old, there seems to be plenty of ground that could be covered in exploring the diminutive Jedi Master.
5818
TV-9D9 / Re: The Clone Wars - Season Five Discussion Thread
« on: February 4, 2013, 09:16 PM »
Looks like there are at least another 4 episodes in the pipeline for this season. The Clone Wars Hangout that took place over the weekend teased a little bit about the next story arc, which spans four episodes.
5819
The Clone Wars '08-'13 / Re: Clone Wars Wave 30 (2013 Wave 1)
« on: February 4, 2013, 05:46 PM »
VolkerC is one of the more well regarded collectors on the European scene. And he's been a fairly reliable source of info. The report supposedly came out of the German Toy Fair.
I can't say that I would be surprised by Hasbro announcing the cancellation of the Clone Wars animated figure line. It's been diminishing in popularity over the past 2 years. And when Hasbro started offering real-world renditions of Anakin, Obi-Wan and Ahsoka you had to expect that this would eventually happen. Plus, it seems that the series might be wrapping up in the next year. I just re-watched the season 5 trailer, and saw some key indicators that we're headed much closer to Revenge Of The Sith territory. The ROTS era Jedi Interceptors are featured in that clip, most noticeably. If the series is coming closer to an end, you've got to expect the same with the toy line.
I can't say that I would be surprised by Hasbro announcing the cancellation of the Clone Wars animated figure line. It's been diminishing in popularity over the past 2 years. And when Hasbro started offering real-world renditions of Anakin, Obi-Wan and Ahsoka you had to expect that this would eventually happen. Plus, it seems that the series might be wrapping up in the next year. I just re-watched the season 5 trailer, and saw some key indicators that we're headed much closer to Revenge Of The Sith territory. The ROTS era Jedi Interceptors are featured in that clip, most noticeably. If the series is coming closer to an end, you've got to expect the same with the toy line.
5820
Revenge of the Sith / Re: What Shock Trooper is this?
« on: February 4, 2013, 06:04 AM »
Gotta say it's a custom. The paint work on some of the edges is a bit soft. And thus far the ONLY Shock Trooper we've gotten with a removable helmet is the TVC version from the Lost Line Look wave. This doesn't look like that figure.