Author Topic: Tonnika Sisters coming?  (Read 42162 times)

Offline Nicklab

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Re: Tonnika Sisters coming?
« Reply #90 on: January 30, 2012, 11:53 PM »
I have always been of a mind that the likeness rights issue has been a cover story.  Especially after hearing Christine Hewitt talk about it at Star Wars Celebration.  I think I may even have been nearby when Colman was asking her about it, too.  Be that as it may, I think the likeness rights issue is a sham, and that the real issue regarding the Tonnika's stems from what they were known as during filming:  Star Whores. 

From a PR standpoint, making Star Wars figures of characters that the filmmakers clearly acknowledged as prostitutes could potentially be disastrous to Hasbro's brand as well as Star Wars.  If somehow the figures got made, you never know what could happen.  Lucas has clearly thumbed his nose at a number of Hollywood institutions and other political elements in this country.  He's not as universally beloved as we might think.  If some of his enemies found out that Lucas Licensing had approved figures of (fictitious) prostitutes, they could have a field day in the press over the matter.  The EU explanation that they were spies or whatever wouldn't matter to anyone other than the hardcore fans.  It wouldn't erase headlines of STAR WARS PROSTITUTE ACTION FIGURES that would run in papers all over the country.  How this could read in the mainstream seems to be the guiding principle here. 

Star Wars is a multi-billion dollar brand.  I don't think that the higher ups at Lucasfilm or Hasbro want to upset that apple cart by doing something that could turn into a public relations fiasco.  And when you look at the climate in corporate America today, so many things are predicated on what comes out of legal departments, human resources and the like.  These companies have become extremely risk averse because of how something negative in the press can affect the public standing of a company.  And in the age of social media a story like this can span the world with greater speed than ever before.  Basically:  I think the lawyers have ****** this up for us.
« Last Edit: January 30, 2012, 11:59 PM by Nicklab »
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Offline Matt_Fury

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Re: Tonnika Sisters coming?
« Reply #91 on: January 31, 2012, 12:12 AM »
I have to admit, the prostitute backstory is weak at best.  They could have any backstory at all.  Like, their smugglers who work for the empire and are actually helping the rebels.
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Offline Nicklab

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Re: Tonnika Sisters coming?
« Reply #92 on: January 31, 2012, 12:27 AM »
IIRC, there was a panel session with Hasbro at either Star Wars Celebration III where Colman or someone else who had spoken with Christine Hewett (at that very convention) basically told the assembled Hasbro panel that Hewett had no issue with signing on for a Tonnika figure.  Obviously, there's still the matter of the rights with the other actress to be dealt with in order to make something happen. 

But when the reasoning that's been passed along to fans has been examined and Hasbro has been directly challenged on the matter, they had no real response other than "We will not be taking questions about the Tonnika sisters".  That stonewalling on the issue makes me think that the likeness rights issue has never really been the real obstacle to these figures being made.
« Last Edit: January 31, 2012, 08:23 AM by Nicklab »
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Offline darth broem 2

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Re: Tonnika Sisters coming?
« Reply #93 on: January 31, 2012, 08:17 AM »
For awhile I bought into the idea that Hasbro just didn't want to make them because of potentially low sales.  But not after they made Yarna and ICMG and others.  No offense to those characters as I wanted them.  There have been many pegwarmers over the years and the line has still thrived with them.  They know we want them or at least there is a core group that does and they have a myriad of ways to get them to us if they got the green light.

It must be something do legalities or the whore thing.  However, Lucas could always state "No, no.  They were never meant to be whores.  Just chicks at a bar getting a drink."  I mean he went all PC with Han shooting Greedo first.  They can come up with a non-whore angle with no problem.  Heck they can even come up with a novel turning them into beloved charity founders of some kind if they are really worried about it.  They could them into Girl Scout den leaders trying to sell Wuher their cookies and such.  They can get around it with no problem. 

I think it really does come down to money and being sued.  I don't really get what the issue is.  Even if they did not sign anything it's Lucas' film.  I don't know what power an actor would have over that?  But it must be legit enough for them not to make money from it.  The bottom line.  If there is money to be had this property would get in on it ASAP.  They have not for years now.  So, that's why I think there is something to the whole legal issue.  I do find it odd that they would stick those 2 characters in a TV spot with all of the characters that could have been used from that scene they pick them fi they are worried about the whore angle?  Weird, but there it is. 

Offline Mister Skeezler

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Re: Tonnika Sisters coming?
« Reply #94 on: January 31, 2012, 08:24 AM »
...if we ever see them, I bet it's an exclusive at SDCC or something of that nature.

I think they'd be perfect figures for a show exclusive.  If Hasbro really wanted to create demand for them, give SDCC one Sister and NYCC the other.  You can't have one without the other right?  Of course, I'd rather they just did it as a 2-pack, but it might help them ensure there was enough buzz.

Nothing personal, but can we delete this comment? It would absolutely suck if that happened.
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Offline Phrubruh

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Re: Tonnika Sisters coming?
« Reply #95 on: January 31, 2012, 09:16 AM »
The whore thing doesn't make sense since they made Yarna. She is a six breasted whore! I think the initial lie has been circulated enough by the fans to make it the truth to everyone include Hasbro. No one has ever though to actually research it and debunk it.
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Offline Rob

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Re: Tonnika Sisters coming?
« Reply #96 on: January 31, 2012, 09:40 AM »
The whore thing doesn't make sense since they made Yarna. She is a six breasted whore! I think the initial lie has been circulated enough by the fans to make it the truth to everyone include Hasbro. No one has ever though to actually research it and debunk it.

Don't forget Oola, she was more or less a stripper, and practically topless.

Offline P-Siddy

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Re: Tonnika Sisters coming?
« Reply #97 on: January 31, 2012, 10:08 AM »
Hell, I think the Elan Sleazebaggano was worse. They made a drug dealer into a figure along with said drug to be sold as an accessory.

Offline Jayson

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Re: Tonnika Sisters coming?
« Reply #98 on: January 31, 2012, 10:10 AM »
And there was Dexter, he was to come with a pipe but that was nixed in production.
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Offline Scott

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Re: Tonnika Sisters coming?
« Reply #99 on: January 31, 2012, 10:33 AM »
We were having this same arguement with the same people 7 years ago...

And Nick, Colman's stuff is at the front of this thread, he went ape**** on Hasbro for like 3 or 4 cons in a row and did this site and the community a lot of favors...I miss him :'( :'( :'(

Offline Jeff

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Re: Tonnika Sisters coming?
« Reply #100 on: January 31, 2012, 11:40 AM »
Colman's stuff is at the front of this thread, he went ape**** on Hasbro for like 3 or 4 cons in a row and did this site and the community a lot of favors...I miss him :'( :'( :'(

I miss him too. Man we had fun at Celebration III.   :(

It's funny looking back at this.  At CIII, the Hasbro crew was all smiley and pretty much unofficially officially confirmed to Matt that at least one Tonnika would be coming very soon.  Then... no distillery, no Tonnikas.  I still wonder what happened to torpedo all that...

It's been interesting to watch the various responses in Q&As over the years. Through the early years (and definitely at CIII in 2005), it was all sunshine and lollipops - of course they'd get to them eventually someday!  But somewhere around mid-to-late 2006 it went from "Hopefully, but there's no timeline." to "We cannot comment on the Tonnika sisters, period."  To the point that Hasbro came out and said voting for them in fan polls is a wasted vote since they will never get made. 

I really wonder what happened in the LFL food chain to kill them outright?  I'm assuming it was LFL because seven years ago Hasbro was ready to make them.  And 15 years ago Galoob was able to make a Tonnika Sister figure.  Either Galoob was able to slip one past LFL or there wasn't a "likeness" issue because of the scale and the fact that it was basically just a small blob of a plastic.
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Offline Phrubruh

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Re: Tonnika Sisters coming?
« Reply #101 on: January 31, 2012, 12:51 PM »
I miss Matt too but its not like he died or anything. What is he up to? Is he just working too hard in the valley? Too much Magic Mountain?
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Offline iFett

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Re: Tonnika Sisters coming?
« Reply #102 on: January 31, 2012, 01:06 PM »
I think he went into the pink sweater making business full time.
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Offline Brian

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Re: Tonnika Sisters coming?
« Reply #103 on: January 31, 2012, 02:06 PM »
I was wondering what Matt was up to as well, enjoyed talking to him via message every so often, as well as his contributions here.  As far as the Tonnika Sisters thing, it does seem strange.  It won't kill me if we never get them, but it would be nice to get them too.

Offline Scott

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Re: Tonnika Sisters coming?
« Reply #104 on: January 31, 2012, 02:39 PM »
I miss Matt too but its not like he died or anything. What is he up to? Is he just working too hard in the valley? Too much Magic Mountain?
He needed a mental break from the toy board drama...he popped in 2 years ago and that was the last we saw of him.  I've talked to him a few times via the phone...maybe you SoCal guys can coax him out of retirement