The only things that have been coming to my mind when I see the pile of
inevitable clearance garbage ummmm
**** various items of dubious nature that are coming out this year is how much it reminds me of other "marketable entities."
If you're easily offended, please skip this part of the post now.
Hello Kitty and the Sanrio characters show up on some really odd items in Asia, including condoms and *ahem* "marital aids." And yes, I have (regrettably) seen both of these. But hey, they could do a special campaign with Star Wars I guess: either a special line of "martial aids" with lightsaber hilts as the bases in various colors, or prophilactics with the warning, "Use the Force of Trojan or wind up with younglings you will."
KISS, music aside, but more specifically Gene Simmons, seems to be willing to put their name on anything these days. Just when you think Gene has done it all, you see the KISS casket. Maybe they can make a Star Wars casket that has a camoflage action so when they close it, it disappears so you can become one with the Force. Or they can do special runs where they actually encase your body in a carbonite (yes, I know it's not real; maybe another molten liquid) block. Only 4000 dollars at StarWarsShop.com, although good luck getting ahold of someone to actually order one.
Yeah, those are a little outlandish, but whenever I see Darth Vader water sprinklers or Jar Jar tongue candy, I remind myself that it could be far worse.
Now to actually contribute to the topic, lest we forget the Epic Force fiasco of 1997-1998. As much as I would like to forget those, it was Hasbro's first of many unsuccessful ventures into the "mid-sized" action figure world, and was probably only surpassed in head slapping badness by the three POTJ-era "large action figures" of Obi-Wan, Maul, and the Droideka (there was a name for this line, but I can't recall what it was). Not an ongoing line, but it's still a part of SW toy history (and I am very thankful for that).
