2017 Hasbro Star Wars Fan Figure Vote

[Jeff]

Looking over Nick's post, once again it's so easy to determine how old a site's readership/members are by their fan choices.

JediDefender = 2x ROTJ; 2x ANH; 1x Marvel Comics

BREAKING NEWS - we are all old here now.

[CorranHorn]

Looking over Nick's post, once again it's so easy to determine how old a site's readership/members are by their fan choices.

JediDefender = 2x ROTJ; 2x ANH; 1x Marvel Comics

BREAKING NEWS - we are all old here now.

Ahh yes, but tis a quality list of choices.

Aloo is right for yoo!!

[Nicklab]

Here are the results that I've seen published thus far:

Collector's Cantina
1. Ben Skywalker (legends)
2. Lumpy
3. Ahsoka (Rebels)
4. Yakface
5. Pong Krell
6. Jawa (Plastic Cape)
6. Tonnika Sister


FROM 4-LOM TO ZUCKUSS
-Ben Skywalker
-Dr. Aphra
-Pong Krell
-Sim Aloo
-Tonnika Sisters
-Yakface


JEDI BUSINESS
Ben Skywalker
Luke Skywalker (from The Force Awakens)
Dr. Aphra
Tonnika Sisters
Dash Rendar
Pong Krell


JEDI INSIDER
Chirut Imwe
Baze Malbus
Ben Skywalker
K-2SO
Hera Syndulla
Meeta Surik


JTA
Yakface
Jedi Temple Guard
Sim Aloo
Tonnika Sisters
Emporer Palpatine
Admiral Piett


REBELSCUM
1) Yak Face from Return of the Jedi
2) Ben Skywalker from the Expanded Universe
3) Sim Aloo from Return of the Jedi
4) Doctor Aphra from Marvel Comics
5) Tonnika Sisters from A New Hope
6) Pong Krell from the Clone Wars Series


STAR WARS ACTION NEWS
1) TFA Luke Skywalker (with more than 50% more votes than our #2...far and away the most requested)
2) Darth Revan (People must be excited by the current 6-in one)
3) Ahsoka Tano (Rebels Outfit)
4) Grand Admiral Thrawn (With the 6-in figure and the new book, he's having a surge in popularity)
5) General Leia (Ep 7, in fatigues, not in blue dress)
6) Tonika Sisters (A New Hope) (Guess lots of listeners agree with me they are needed!)


STAR WARS COLLECTOR
1) Yakface (ROTJ)
2) Ben Skywalker (Expanded Universe)
3) Tonnika Sisters (ANH)
4) Emperor Palpatine (ROTJ)
5) ARC Trooper Fives (The Clone Wars Series)
6) Pong Krell (The Clone Wars Series)


STAR WARS DAILY
-Starkiller (Galen Marek)
-Darth Revan
-Jedi Temple Guard
-Padme Amidala (AOTC Naboo retreat)
-Captain Rex
-Luke Skywalker (The Force Awakens)


STAR WARS FIGUREN
1. Jaina Solo (Pilot)
2. Yakface
3. Amanaman
4. Pre-Vizla
5. General Merrick
6. Death Squad Commander Gray Uniform


STAR WARS NEWS NET
-Ben Skywalker
-Doctor Aphra
-Pong Krell
-Bendu
-ARC Trooper Fives
-Assaj Ventress
-Satele Shan (The Old Republic)


STAR WARS THE BLACK SERIES
-Cad Bane
-Luke Skywalker (The Force Awakens)
-Two Tubes
-ARC Trooper Fives
-Jedi Temple Guard
-Galen Marek
-Captain Rex


YODA'S NEWS
Ben Skywalker
Tonnika Sisters
Yakface
Lobot
Agent Kallus
Chirrut Imwe

More results:


FLYGUY
"The EU riggers in our fan poll again did not choose wisely & voted for a figure that was clearly coming since Jaina was made : ("
-Ben Skywalker
-Ryo Chuchi
-Tonnika Sister
-ARC Trooper Fives
-Commander Bacara
-Pre Viszla



IMPERIAL SHIPYARDS
-Tonnika Sisters
-Sim Aloo
-Rogue One Rebel SpecForce Commando
-Pong Krell
-Satele Shan
-Dash Rendar

[Nicklab]

Here are your JediDefender Top Five:



1. Sim Aloo
2. Yak Face
3. Tonnika Sister(s)
4. Tzizvvt
5. Jaxxon

Not a bad list.  I still don't get the fascination with Jaxxon, but whatever.

I think that the establishment collecting community is likely to get behind two OT candidates: Sim Aloo and Yakface, provided the two of them make the finals at the Official Site. I think Pong Krell stands a decent chance, and I've been surprised to see ARC Trooper Fives in the mix, too. But if those characters wind up splitting the votes, then there's the possibility that the spamming campaign may succeed.

The Ben Skywalker situation seems very much like some very ardent NJO fans have gamed the polls and spammed the sites taking part in the process. Whether or not Hasbro or StarWars.com does anything about it is up to them.


As for the Tonnika's? I know people want them made into figures. For the longest time the issue of likeness rights was raised by Hasbro regarding the two actresses who played the Tonnikas. About 10 years ago or more, at least one site actually investigated that angle of the story by interviewing one of the Tonnika sisters actresses, Christine Hewitt when she made a convention appearance.  Hewitt said that she would have been on board regarding the release of likeness rights to produce a figure, and that was not an actual issue.  Hewitt has since passed away.  But after that piece was published Hasbro's story changed, and they said that the Tonnika's just were not something they could do, and were not able to explain why.  A little more digging revealed some comments by Derryl DePriest to Rebelscum (circa 2009 or so) that the Tonnikas are on a list of characters that CANNOT be made, and the reasons why CANNOT be disclosed.

I think the answer is actually very clear.  And the problem with the Tonnika's remains the salacious nature of the characters backstory, and their associated nickname amongst the production as "star whores".  There was a piece published on the Official Site about the cantina characters that hinted at that nickname, too.  I've seen people argue how the character stories got retconned into something else, where they were spies or some sort of thieves. Outside of Star Wars fandom nobody is going to care about that.

You think that Lucasfilm Licensing wasn't going to approve Tonnika Sisters action figures during George Lucas's ownership of the franchise? Well, Disney is DEFINITELY not going there. Will they ever publicly acknowledge that? No. Because they do not even want to have that discussion in the open.  And if word got out to the general public that there were going to be action figures of characters that had been described as "star whores", there would be a giant s***storm of bad PR for Hasbro and potentially the entire Star Wars franchise. Whether or not fans can see beyond their own desire for a figure, and how there is significant potential that the backstory of these figures/characters could damage the Star Wars brand is up to them.

[Diddly]

I feel like the Star Wars Action News/Rebel Force Radio list is a good way to measure the "casual" votes, since that podcast is listened to by a lot of people who wouldn't necessarily post on collector sites. Hence every vote going towards figures we've already gotten, or are locks to get.

[SnTrooper]

Here are your JediDefender Top Five:

But Hasbro said to send in top 6?

[Dave]

I think the answer is actually very clear.  And the problem with the Tonnika's remains the salacious nature of the characters backstory, and their associated nickname amongst the production as "star whores".  There was a piece published on the Official Site about the cantina characters that hinted at that nickname, too.  I've seen people argue how the character stories got retconned into something else, where they were spies or some sort of thieves. Outside of Star Wars fandom nobody is going to care about that.

If this is true, then I think its complete crap. 

Cassian is an assassin.  Vader chokes innocent people to death.  Tarkin and The Death Star destroys whole cities and planets.  Leia can be Jabba's slave in a metal bikini and Jabba can have Yarna and other go-go dancers made in to figures.  Yet we can't have a figure of two women smoking cigarettes in a bar that have some obscure, off-camera nickname that 99.9% of the people will never know.

[Rob]

I think the answer is actually very clear.  And the problem with the Tonnika's remains the salacious nature of the characters backstory, and their associated nickname amongst the production as "star whores".  There was a piece published on the Official Site about the cantina characters that hinted at that nickname, too.  I've seen people argue how the character stories got retconned into something else, where they were spies or some sort of thieves. Outside of Star Wars fandom nobody is going to care about that.

Even if that's true, it's absurd.  They're fully dressed women and their backstory is whatever Disney says it is.  If the idea that a character had a nickname 40 years ago is enough to prevent a toy from being made, then scrap the whole line. 

They've made toys of women forced to wear skimpy clothes and be 'slaves' - they've made toys of characters who torture and murder... we even got an action figure of a straight up DRUG DEALER.

The only explanation that doesn't strike me as completely insane is that Hasbro is playing some sort of long-game prank here, if it was that the characters were thought to have a 'salacious backstory' then they could just say that and move on.  All the secrecy sounds like a giant inside joke.

EDIT:  What Dave said.

[P-Siddy]

Don't forget that we have a figure of a drug dealer from Attack of the Clones, with the drugs as a pack-in no less!

[Jayson]

Don't forget that we have a figure of a drug dealer from Attack of the Clones, with the drugs as a pack-in no less!

Elan Sleazebaggano. 

[Nicklab]

I think the answer is actually very clear.  And the problem with the Tonnika's remains the salacious nature of the characters backstory, and their associated nickname amongst the production as "star whores".  There was a piece published on the Official Site about the cantina characters that hinted at that nickname, too.  I've seen people argue how the character stories got retconned into something else, where they were spies or some sort of thieves. Outside of Star Wars fandom nobody is going to care about that.

If this is true, then I think its complete crap. 

Cassian is an assassin.  Vader chokes innocent people to death.  Tarkin and The Death Star destroys whole cities and planets.  Leia can be Jabba's slave in a metal bikini and Jabba can have Yarna and other go-go dancers made in to figures.  Yet we can't have a figure of two women smoking cigarettes in a bar that have some obscure, off-camera nickname that 99.9% of the people will never know.

Hey, I get the absurdity.  Look at the way most of the Twi'lek females are portrayed with the exception of Aayla Secura and Hera. 

But this seems like the whole production crew nickname and the associated backstory  is something that may have been a concern with someone at Lucasfilm.  Because the likeness rights issue was just a distraction.  That much has been established.

And now Lucasfilm is trying to be much more inclusive with female fans, and is putting forth numerous positive female characters:  Ahsoka, Rey, Sabine, Hera, Jyn Erso, etc.  I don't see them taking a step backwards on that issue by offering the Tonnika Sisters, along with the potential baggage they'll bring to the table.

As a result, I don't think the Tonnikas are even going to make it to the finals.  And I think someone at Lucasfilm will see to that.

[Jeff]

I agree with you guys.  It just seems like such an arbitrary place to draw the line on something like the Tonnikas.  Especially considering the fact that Galoob was somehow able to get away with producing a Tonnika figure in one of their action fleet accessory packs. 

Drug dealers, assassins, and sex slave action figures are fine, but bar whores are not?  The Darth Talon, Slave Leia, and Oola figures are practically naked but at least they don't smoke!

Here are your JediDefender Top Five:

But Hasbro said to send in top 6?

There was a four-way tie for sixth place. Rather than arbitrarily elevate one over the others, I opted to just go with a top 5. 

The four characters are well represented on the other fan site lists.  If you were to compile the results that Nick has posted, you'd probably be able to put together an educated guess on who the four were.  Seems like maybe it wasn't just Ben Skywalker who got an orchestrated effort to get some votes to different sites.   

[P-Siddy]

And not enough time for a sudden death round either.

[jedipurge]

what a crappy list
I'm an old timer and I'd buy each of them, but only one.
even if one of them made it'd be such a pegwarmer its not even funny

[Nicklab]

I agree with you guys.  It just seems like such an arbitrary place to draw the line on something like the Tonnikas.  Especially considering the fact that Galoob was somehow able to get away with producing a Tonnika figure in one of their action fleet accessory packs. 

Drug dealers, assassins, and sex slave action figures are fine, but bar whores are not?  The Darth Talon, Slave Leia, and Oola figures are practically naked but at least they don't smoke!

I think it's the "lady of the evening" angle, combined with the characters being called "star whores" on set that just doesn't play, and that's where the line is.

We also heard from George Lucas last week that the movies are intended to play to 12 year olds.  Action/adventure movies have been around for a long time, and it goes with the territory that there's going to be dangerous people along the way in the course of those stories.  Oola and others like her can be explained away as a dancer.  But exposing kids, through a toy line, to something like prostitutes?  Yeah, I can see the line being drawn there.