JediDefender.com Forums
Collectibles => Past Hasbro 3.75" Lines => Original Trilogy Collection => Topic started by: JediMAC on September 2, 2004, 02:17 PM
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I just noticed over in Dustrho's Chicagoland Expo (http://www.jedidefender.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=5246.0) thread in the Conventions Forum that Christine Hewett ("Tonika Twin") would be making an autograph appearance there! First I've ever heard of either of them hitting the SW autograph circuit, and/or getting involved in the SW universe/saga again.
I think this is potentially a very hopeful sign that maybe they (or at least she) will finally approve their likeness rights over to Hasbro so we can finally get a Tonikka Sister figure or two made! I'm sure she'll be getting hounded with this question by the SW collecting fans in attendance at the show (and future shows, if she continues to sign), so hopefully that will turn up the heat/pressure on her to finally say OK, or at least to realize it's not such a big deal after all...
Whaddaya guys think? Do we have a prayer here? Even if just this Christine lady agrees, but the other lady doesn't, that means we should at least be able to get one Tonikka figure, which in turn could be easily customized into the other.
This is assuming the whole rumored "they won't sign their likenesses over" issue is indeed a true one, of course. Which I still find rather strange/unbelievable. Maybe someone in attendence (Chris?) could actually ask them if that's indeed the true story... ;)
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Boy that would be nice. They would be great figures.
Doesn't the lore go that these two actresses slipped past the in-perpetuity likeness release deal thing?
I may be talking out my ass, but here's my thought:
My concern falls more into the financial reality of doing this figure, still. Even once you get past the mending of fences (if that was ever the case) with the actress, and reach a point where she will discuss likeness use, it won't be for free. I'm sure she's simply financially motivated to start doing conventions, not simply out of love for the fans. When you start discussing an actual product using her image, and she has control over that image, its going to cost. Harrison Ford doesn't even have that luxury with LFL on Star Wars. Of course in the real world her likeness ain't that valuable, but she, I'm sure, doesn't see it that way, and getting this done still seems like a huge challenge considering her unique leverage on the situation, legitimate or not.
When you're talking about a company that won't pony up internal development dollars to make an exclusive sure-to-sell- a-few-if-marginally-good Jedi Council set anything more than a pathetic repaint/kitbash, I don't see them shifting cash for the female equivalent of Bo Shek.
I think it would take an LFL-level buyout for likeness rights associated with the character to make a figure happen. Maybe that's going to come true... it would be a great turn of events.
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Who the hell asked you?! >:(
You go take your pessimistic, defeatist attitude elsewhere, Mr.!
This thread is for the hopeful folks!
Thanks. Now move along... :-*
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Damn that would be sweet! Those two are the kind of figures that would be like the anchors in a good Cantina scene. Someone needs to hound that woman!
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This thread is for the hopeful folks!
Thanks. Now move along... :-*
Oh, you're right. I'm sure we'll see them both in a 2-pack in 2006 with the U-shape end of the bar as an accessory, and each figure will have 16 points of articulation. :-*
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That's more like it Jared. See, now that wasn't so hard, was it...? :)
And yes, 2006 will be the year of the Tonnikas! I'm sensing not only 4" from Hasbro, but also Unleashed, Kubrick, 12", and likely Sideshow maquettes. They're gonna rock the collecting world, I tells ya'! 8)
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And yes, 2006 will be the year of the Tonnikas! I'm sensing not only 4" from Hasbro, but also Unleashed, Kubrick, 12", and likely Sideshow maquettes. They're gonna rock the collecting world, I tells ya'! 8)
Hey, I want some of whatever you've been drinkin' :-*
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16 points of articulation? You aim too low Jared... 18-20's my prediction.
I also think Matt's sweater will set a trend in baggy sweaters for decades to come, known only as "wearin' a Matt", and Matt will somehow benefit financially from it, using his likeness around the country in advertising. :)
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I personally predict the twins will break the 20 POA barrier in addition possessing a non-talking talking feature. ;)
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I have never understood why Hasbro or anyone else claims they need the approval of the actresses to make these figures. What is stopping Hasbro from making the figures in a way that does not resemble the facial likenesses of either actress? Nothing that's what! Look at all the figures hasbro has made and then tell me how many of them actually look like the actor who portrayed the character. You'll find it not to be a high number. So just make the figures, then for a cardback you can just take pictures of other women in the costumes and you're all set. Simple eh?
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Really nothing is, unless there's something within the way it's marketed... Like Marketing them as "who they are" from the Cantina would maybe be a loophole where they can claim it was them and nobody else?
1:6 scale companies get away with REALLY amazing likenesses of characters/actors though and market them as "nobody". There was a "droid Hunter" figure out by a company not long ago that's so blatantly Harrison Ford's Bladerunner character that it's not even funny... There's a Detective John McClane figure too marketed as something else and it's a stunning Bruce Willis headsculpt.
Others have managed, but it's in how they market it. The Tonnika sisters are the Tonnika sisters... I dunno how Hasbro would get around that I guess and the actresses probably have that cornered.
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Others have managed, but it's in how they market it. The Tonnika sisters are the Tonnika sisters... I dunno how Hasbro would get around that I guess and the actresses probably have that cornered.
The Tonnika Sisters are not the Tonnika sisters. Those names did not exist when A New Hope was released, they were created by West End Games. As such the marketing doesn't have to say that the figures created are from the Cantina scene, just background characters from the SW universe. Easy to get around I think, I just don't think Hasbro is really interested in making 2 female characters who were on screen for about 2 seconds, that's what it all comes down to.
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Hmm. Hopefully a fan will ask Christine Hewett and she can shed some light on all of this. I'll agree though that this is probably more of a lack of interest on Hasbro's part than anything else.
I'm sure if the twins were ever made, they'd be a 2-pack Hyperspace exclusive ($20 sound fair?), and Hasbro would give them both huge (yet flimsy) blasters/pistols and super cool action features - maybe even paint a few scars across the face and include a bogus story on the card about how they killed hundreds of stormtroopers and the like.
You know, so the kids would buy them. ::)
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Others have managed, but it's in how they market it. The Tonnika sisters are the Tonnika sisters... I dunno how Hasbro would get around that I guess and the actresses probably have that cornered.
The Tonnika Sisters are not the Tonnika sisters. Those names did not exist when A New Hope was released, they were created by West End Games. As such the marketing doesn't have to say that the figures created are from the Cantina scene, just background characters from the SW universe. Easy to get around I think, I just don't think Hasbro is really interested in making 2 female characters who were on screen for about 2 seconds, that's what it all comes down to.
I think it might have to do with their original "working names" from the movie: Star whores. That would put me off from making toys of them.
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It seems that Sandtroopers talked with Miss Hewett...
http://www.sandtroopers.com/events/collectors_expo2004/christine_hewett.htm
They didn't seem to ask the key question though...why aren't your likeness rights owned by Hasbro?
Too bad too, because that would have been helpful
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The plot thickens...
Spice: Being close to thirty years since the film was released, do you still hope your action figure will someday be immortalized in plastic?
Christine: I am actually mortally offended it has not already! I am looking forward to seeing it.
Boy, it's a good thing Hasbro has paid such close attention to the likeness rights. Really sounds like a lawsuit just waiting to happen. ::)
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It begs the question though...Why didn't he ask her about the likeness rights issue?
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Crap. I even begged Rhoads in our Convention thread here when he mentioned that Chicago show to find out what's up with the "rights" issue, since that's supposedly (according to Hasbro) been the root of the problem for all these years! Would've been nice to hear her either confirm it, or tell us that Habro's full of ****, and has just been talking out of their asses for the past 10 years. :-\
Guess we'll have to ask her at C3 instead...
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If she's free... *cough*snicker*cough*
Seriously, I mean... What else would be going on?
Anyway, yeah I was also a little perplexed after I read the link that nothing on the likeness was really asked, but eh... Whatever I guess.
I've come to rarely expect Q & A sessions that involve anything Star Wars to go all according to plan. Hasbro at SDCC was really kinda snotty to everyone they talked to it seemed... Little interest in the event, or respect for the fans. Lucas gets interviewed and basically flips the entire 20+ something's off with "It's my film and I'll do what I want, and I don't care what you want" kinda attitude... Typical.
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Interesting that she said she is mortified that her character has not been done yet. Hmmmm? That's odd. Maybe the Tonnika Sisters will be the Celebration 3 figure. That would be cool.
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Celebration 3 figure? Ohhh I hope not or they will be very pricey... a fan club exclusive 2-pk like Muftak and Kabe would make me happier though.
:P
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Oh I am sure if most likely be some Darth Vader or Anakin figure for Celebration 3. I was just kind of throwing a thought out there.
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Not that George gives a cr@p about the figures, but I always thought it would be kinda cool for him to have 2 characters that looked amazingly like the Tonnika Sisters in a bar in Episode 2 or 3 (obviously too late for 2 now). That way, Hasbro could market them as the characters in Episode III and sell twice as many to the diorama folk for both movies and not worry about the likeness issue at all.