Willrow Hood

[Scott]

I know a lot of you here will but spread the word...vote early, vote often, vote Willrow

For those that don't know, yours truly started the whole Ice Cream Maker Guy push almost 4 years ago

I collected signatures at Comic Con (through the San Diego SW Club) for two straight years,  I set up a website (which Brad and LandotheScoundrel helped me with) and the petition to get this guy made

Here's a little history as to why:

That summer the BHC (nee Rebelscum's teenage wasteland) was rife with newbie after newbie whining and crying about Attack of the Clones.  I come to find out that Jedi Master Plo Koon through the good graces of the wonderful world of EU could project Ice



Being the sarcastic sonofagun I am, I started crafting the back story of one Ice Cream Maker Guy.  Who had been dubbed "Willrow Hood" by Decipher.



Also at the time one Adam Pawlus of at the time Yakface was getting lots and lots of questions about Petitions.  He said if he could get a petition with 100 signatures he'd post it on the front page of Yakface.  So...The petition, site and thread were born

And I quickly got like 500 signatures

Petition: Bespin Ice Cream Maker Guy
June 20, 2002 | 2:04 AM EST | Adam

NOTE: Many of your emails seem to show that you believe we created this petition-- we didn't. Reader Scott set up the whole deal, the post below is just our announcing what he's created. Back to your regularly scheduled news.

When it comes to petitions, it's our policy to give a shout-out to those who manage to get at least 100 signatures. As we're true to our word, here's what reader Scott Pearson put together:

"Ice Cream Maker Guy

Bespin's frozen novelty specialist in all his glory...

Here is my Website giving some background on ICMG

http://www.geocities.com/ocb75/

And here is the petition which I started yesterday...

http://www.petitiononline.com/icmg/petition.html

Thanks!!! And lets all hope someday soon Ice Cream
Maker Guy will be hanging on the pegs!"

Yakface.com is now working on revising its petition policy.

The whole thing was to say, lets get behind something as a community, lets get behind something funny and lets prove to Adam Pawlus that he's not the only one who can get something made.  If you notice towards the end of the thread there, JediPadawan and the Coleman Kids start their own petition for Coleman Trebor

ANyway...its been 4 years, the petition is still active, there are like 1700 people who have signed.  I see the fact that Willrow made the top 25 as a tip of the cap to the legacy I created. So I beg of you, vote for Willrow, make my dream come true

Don't waste it on some non canon piece of crap EU figure (no offense to those that want those )  I myself probably want Hermi and Yarna over Willrow too but in the end, it comes down to following my heart.  And my heart really wants an Ice Cream Maker Guy, to prove Adam Pawlus wrong, to prove SirSteve wrong (who basically told me to buzz off at the time and Hasbro will never make this figure)

We are the world, we are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let’s start giving



Please vote, Willrow Hood when the Top 25 comes out, do it for me, do it for my family, do it for anyone you know who had a dream and was this close to having it come true.

Thank You!

[Morgbug]

Should pop the link for toyfare into here Scott.  I've no idea when I signed that petitition, but I know I did.  I'd dearly love to see this figure made.  That's not to say I don't want other figures made from the top 25, but it would be awesome to see that something like this, that you started, could make it to a figure. 

I think it's one hell of an accomplishment that it's already made the top 25, but damn, a figure.  That'd be sweet.

[Dan]

Well, I was wavering on this, but I will back it, and here is why:

Every year there are a 3-6 figures that are total losers. They are either characters done in too many poses with too many gadget features, or simply utterly lame characters that maybe shouldn't have been in the movie much less made in to plastic. I have bought many of these, thinking I would always be a completist.
Well I'm not a completist anymore, and here is why:

Bib Fortuna.

 It may be a little more complicated than that, but when I saw him in January, at seven dollars, I knew Hasbro had gone too far.
Sure a 12.00 Greedo is about as welcome as a cold-sore, but the 3rd poor version of a gland challenged lackey to a slug had me saying enough is enough.

I know that I will happily buy Willrow Hood over Bib # 4. Short pack him, keep him in only 1 or 2 waves, and he won't be hanging around like some of the sludge to be put behind a bubble on cardboard. Heck, throw in an Ugnaught and this think risks being popular.

Plus I like the effort that has gone in to the process.

But I won't back it to snub AP. I've been reading his take on Star Wars collecting since I picked up this bad habit again in 1995. I know sometimes people who seem to be in the spotlight of the collecting community take a beating, but I appreciate his efforts and enthusiasm over the years. 16bit.com is a pretty cool site too, and I've started adding that to my weekly web wanderings.

I will buy Willrow, and I will hope they get the price under 6.00 again before the end of the year. And if Willrow can prevent just one Bib Fortuna in the future, it will have done good.

[Reid]

I'm voting for Bastila from the KOTOR game, but if Willrow is made, I'd gladly buy him. 

[DoctorPadawan]

Well Scott, you've (or Willrow's) got my vote.  After seeing that list of predominantly EU (pronounced "EWWWWWWWWWWW") stuff of the least interesting degree, ICMG will be at the top of my list. 

The only other choice I would have made would honestly have been for Darth Malak from KOTOR (which I haven't played yet) just to shut Pawlus up about how KOTOR figures won't sell. 

[CHEWIE]

Ha Ha... Ice Cream Maker Guy really would be a nice figure (for the hardcore fans) but talk about pegwarmer city most likely.  Not that I don't buy pegwarmers though.

Personally, this is not and probably never will be a figure I am dying to get.  Of course I'd buy him if they made him, and probably 3-4 extra for some custom fodder.  But I would much rather see a figure made of something that I would have a harder time customizing on my own, like Nom Anor, or the Fireside Padme figure.  Or even a Dorme, who at least had a few lines in AOTC.

Although I do agree if they threw in a new Ugnaught then it wouldn't be so bad and would probably be popular. 

And I do think that KOTOR figures would be very popular.

 

[Scott]

How is any EU figure not Pegwarm city...50% of the market could care less

[McCusto]

I am sorry, but a person who was in the movie for 1 second, holding what looks like a mini airplane engine, made as a figure would just plain suck. The votes needs to go to someone useful, like a decent ROTJ Luke, or a Galactic Marine. I respect your opinion to vote for this, but not a lot of people would be dying to get him.

[CHEWIE]

How is any EU figure not Pegwarm city...50% of the market could care less

Hmmm... I understand that you are saying that 50% of the market might not care about EU figures.  But I think even less would be interested in this character.

For example, here are some EU characters that I think would outsell that figure any day -

- McQuarrie Stormtrooper
- Scorch (or any other Commando)
- Commander Faie
- Space Trooper (retooled, or not)
- Dark Trooper (retooled, or not)
- Mara Jade (retooled, or not)
- Noghri Warrior
- Vong Warrior

Heck, lots of EU material I think is more popular that Ice Cream Maker guy.  And especially army-builders of some sort of Clones that are considered EU or Concept material that didn't make it to the film.  I know there is a "purist" feel that some people have, but as a fan of EU and fan-fiction stuff I like to expand the Star Wars universe out, which I'm sure you already know though.  Maybe it's because I'm a customizer, I don't know.  Maybe we can try a group project in the customs section on this character for you to get a feel of how much interest is there for it.  We've had a lot more participation in the EU and fan-fiction stuff though based on past experience, buty maybe I'm underestimating the popularity of this character.  If it were to be a regular figure made though by Hasbro, I'm much more hoping for prequel Lars family and remakes of the ANH Owen and Beru.

 

[CHEWIE]

One other thing I'd like to say though, is that I think the whole "Fan Choice" thing is a joke.  It's stupid.  Just make the figures Hasbro, there's no need to waste resources on your polls.  Remember the Dodonna/Antilles poll?  Why did they even need to do that, just make the figures and forget the polls.  True both figures did get made, but who came in 3rd, 4th, 5th place?  Does that mean they don't get made?  The whole process is just lame, so I'm not participating in something that I view as a complete joke.

I do feel for you in wanting the figure made though Scott.  Maybe they'll make him someday or at least in some sort of "Bespin Escape" Cinema Scene.  Or you could commission www.owenscustoms.com to make a good one for you.

 

[Scott]

How would he make the top 25 if there wasn't interest for the figure

Ever since the poll opened I don't get where the EU sentiment is coming from.  It must be the influx of Prequel fans who have little to no attachment to the OT.  I think this group came in around the time of AOTC and has been growing since then

I sound like an old curmuddgeon but it is mind boggling that the OT did so poorly in this whole thing.  4 figures out of 25?  I call shenanigans, personally. 

No need to do a commission, I'm happy with my own custom



Still not better than the real thing, though

[CHEWIE]

That's a good custom Scott.  The only thing that might improve it woudl be articuated knees to reinact his famous sprint down the Bespin corridors.   

 

[Matt]

Or you could commission www.owenscustoms.com to make a good one for you.

Yeah, Owen's ICMG really rocks the house.



 

[evenflow]

I am sorry man, if that top 25 is accurate then my vot goes to Yarna Da'l Gargan. I too have been waiting and petitioning for years for her. I hope the win goes to her.

[Morgbug]

I am sorry, but a person who was in the movie for 1 second, holding what looks like a mini airplane engine, made as a figure would just plain suck. The votes needs to go to someone useful, like a decent ROTJ Luke, or a Galactic Marine. I respect your opinion to vote for this, but not a lot of people would be dying to get him.

So you'd rather waste a vote on a figure that has about a 90% chance of being made anyway, than something more obscure?  I certainly understand why you might not want ICMG, but to throw the vote to something that's nearly guaranteed anyway?