OK, so… I'm over here in this little corner for the moment until some site issues are resolved. I'm going to be free and clear to write as I see fit. (It's very empowering and uplifting.)

Oh, but meanwhile… Let's talk toys.

Cool factoid (that I'm not sure I've seen elsewhere) – the new BaR2-D2 features removable cups (that attach to pegs on the "bar" part). That's so much cooler than I ever imagined, and I hope the factory can pull off the sturdier (but not brittle) "bar" piece to make this the best R2-D2 ever. [Hasbro, please consider selling the more "rugged" BaR2-D2 directly to the collector market (via HasbroToyShop.com and other e-tailers.) We'll be gentle. Note that's not a paid/sponsored link.]

Is the new modern/Vintage Collection C-3PO made with the removable face/mask so that a future update (probably exclusive) can feature the face of Anthony Daniels behind the mask? I doubt that we'll see it in time for Comic-Con 2011, but there was a whisper campaign about the very cool idea (especially considering that Anthony Daniels has graciously hosted so much for fans/collectors).

Who isn't getting an exclusive one-of-a-kind figure these days??? I happily welcome Jon Stewart and Mr. Howard Roffman to the club. At Toy Fair 2008 I ramblingly thanked Mr. Roffman for his amazing contribution to the hobby, and his foresight that took a little "space movie" and turned it into the very messy roommate that seems to leave its mark all over my house. (Is it too late to ask LFL to hire someone to archive and organize my collection as a prize?) Bugger…

So… the Droid Factory Galactic Swap Meet was a notable success. Kids LOVED it. Collectors brought parts that I'd never imagine they would part with. I stood by (a lot) watching and getting a kick out of seeing children beam with happiness when they traded a part to finish that one droid that they really needed to finish. (Star Wars kids are sharp and very precocious. I was stunned to see that they have such determination and focus.) It was one of the few things that could be done for FREE at the big show, and Hasbro really stepped up to the plate to make the Droid Factory Galactic Swap Meet a great experience. At the end of the show, I had traded enough that I was just handing out droids to kids.

That said, I'm crossing my fingers and hoping that Hasbro will whip up a Droid Factory/Build-A-Droid playset (which can be mostly cardboard even). I think the Droid Factory Galactic Swap Meet was proof that kids and collectors LOVE building droids. Also, Team Hasbro was asked repeatedly if the Droid Factory Galactic Swap Meet would "open up swap" at future events, and I think we might see the Jawas from Rhode Island haul out their Sandcrawler (and its treasure trove) for future events. Maybe we can convince them to make an exclusive droid (paint job) that is ONLY available by swapping pieces? [Blogger's Note: I like droids, what can I say?]

As always, feel free to comment, and we'll hope that Hasbro will hear our pleas and create a Droid Factory set (but don't call it a playset). I think the p-word is the kiss-of-death.

Spending Warm Summer Days Indoors…

So here’s the breakdown — I live in “Hotlanta” now, but I was born and braised in Florida. My partner and I lived in Orlando (tip — don’t call it “O-Town”) and I’m going to cut through all of the shiny, sunny public relations spiel to give you advice that you’ll need to survive and enjoy Star Wars Celebration V.

Having been to events at the Convention Center, it is problematic (at best) to keep the venue cooled at the peak of summer heat. Being anywhere in Florida, in August, it’s swelteringly hot. It is really up to you to stay cool. If someone doesn’t gauge the HVAC to combat the blistering heat outside, then add in a throng of "unconventional conventionists" (to borrow a phrase) and things can become rather uncomfortable.

#1. Hydration — You know all those studies that have said that caffeinated drinks lead to dehydration? They were paid for by companies that want to sell you bottled water. Even a caffeinated drink can give your body vital fluids. That Coke Zero Cherry (my choice) will give you ample hydration, but, as with every other drink, you'll need to keep a constant supply flowing through your body. A soda loaded with HFCS, though, will put a strain on your body as it processes that mess, and it's not going to do you much good at all.

Top picks to keep your body happily hydrated include Power Ade Zero — avoid the red and blue ones — which has no calories and all the basics that one looks for in a "sports drink", Vitamin Water Zero (which has kept me out of the hospital at least once) and, naturally, WATER. (Gatorade, which was invented at the University of Florida, and its "lower calorie" G2 varieties are are still sweetened with sugar and HFCS. Read your labels!)

I assume that we're all adults here, and if you indulge too much, drink TWICE the "hydrating beverage" and keep it flowing. In the summer heat, a hangover can lead to the hospital very quickly. I'm never one to turn down a cocktail, but my "after-party" is always followed by a heavy flush of liquids that aren't going to make my innards turn against me.

#2. Fans — Those little battery-powered fans (even old-fashioned hand-fans) are great, but they aren't air-conditioners. Some even have little "water misting" devices for that extra bit of cool – and it keeps your "face" on if you're wearing make-up. I still recommend grabbing one (and they're available most anywhere) just for that little waft of breeze that offers that little extra bit of comfort. I don't care if I look like an old church lady, I bust out the little fan, and if I could, I'd have a Jawa with a giant palm-frond fanning me, Jabba The Hutt-style. (Well, not a Jawa, but Jake Gyllenhaal won't even wave his restraining order at me.)

#3. Hygiene — Use a deodorant with antiperspirant. We all want to smell clean and fresh, but a river of sweat is your body forcing water out to cool you down, depriving your inner organs. (See #1.) Unless your dermatologist has diagnosed you with hyper-hydrosis, profuse sweating is a sign that you need to slow your pace and gulp down about two pints of water STAT.

I also recommend Comme des Garçons Incense Avignon Series 3 and No. 88 by Czech and Speake, but I'm a scent snob. (Guys! Ditch that Axe stuff. It's made for teenage boys, not grown men.)

Bonus Tip! Dusting your pits and parts (that sweat) with Gold Bond or even regular baby powder can reduce profuse sweating (and stains). Just be careful not to get white streaks all over your clothes.

#4. Relax — It is practically impossible to see and do everything you want to do at a Star Wars Celebration. When you find that little extra bit of free time, take a break! Sit, hydrate, fan, chill, etc. Your body is a machine, and if you don't pace yourself you'll be in for a world of hurt when you go back to your hotel. Unless you regularly run marathons, you may be able to rush around and do a lot, but you'll suffer the consequences sooner or later.

#5. Health — In any massive hive of scum and villainy, the chance that you'll catch some random bug increases substantially. Take your vitamins. A chewable multi-vitamin will be absorbed by your body better than a lumpy pill that your digestive system won't completely process. Two childrens chewable vitamins will actually give you more vitamins than an adult a-to-zinc pill. (For my fellow vegetarians and vegans, sorry, but the chewables on regular store shelves are likely to have gelatin, so check your veg-friendly or health food store for options.)

If you think you're falling ill… I'm sure you'll know what to do. (That is where my advice ends, and your need to see a doctor begins.)

Please print this friendly bit of opinionated advice out, and when you see your friendly Galactic Blogger nursing a hangover, you can use the print out to fan me whilst calling me a hypocrite. (I did say I used to live in Orlando, but I'm not telling you where the party's at.)*

*I am as pure as driven sludge, but I can promise you that I won't stink. I'll also be doing everything I can to stay cool. (No-hipster.)

insight: Photography and Dioramas by Gianni Lopergolo

Review by Adam May
GalacticHunter.com

A Time For Heroes

First of all, this is a review that is long, long overdue, and its timing—on Father’s Day 2010—couldn’t be more fitting. Gianni Lopergolo has been the go-to photographer since joining the Hasbro family in 2002, and just last year Hasbro and Lopergolo’s friends and co-workers published insight: Photography and Dioramas by Gianni Lopergolo, in part to raise awareness of a terminal disease Lopergolo is living with: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. More commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, ALS causes motor nerves to degenerate over time, eventually paralyzing nearly every muscle in the body. But beyond just awareness, proceeds from the sale of the book will benefit ALS research and a foundation created for Lopergolo’s three sons.

[Editor’s Note: The copy of the book reviewed herein was purchased for review, and not provided as promotional consideration.]

It would be easy to simply say that Gianni Lopergolo’s artwork is stunning, and it is. However, insight shares the artist’s work, philosophy, and even his seemingly unlimited supply of optimism. His body of work at Hasbro seamlessly blends a mixture of Dadaism, Pop Art, and Buddhist “te” philosophy, intentional or not. Lopergolo’s art breathes life directly into the simple playthings that many of us collectors walk past as we set our sites on new and constantly shifting (toy) targets. His art entices us to indulge the inner-child who sees that cluster of our crumpled asphalt world for what it really is: an alien world, a lava planet where good must do battle with greed and corruption to safeguard a better future, a future filled with hope. (The terrain in the Mustafar scene at right was plundered from Hasbro’s parking lot renovations.)

Art, Any Road

Being a “weird” art person, I’ve always enjoyed the experience when an artist, in the fashion of Marcel Duchamp, can point out something right under the viewer’s nose, obvious and overlooked, and convey the artistic value of something that would otherwise be considered worthless or invisible. The materials and the methodology in Gianni Lopergolo’s most basic photos are artistic, but as he says, “anyone can do it.” A collector doesn’t have to be a privileged scion with an overflowing bank account to frame and display these collectibles that have stirred imaginations all across the globe.

Notice the husks of friendly little Astromechs? The Tantive IV must have had some really creative designers when they decked her halls.

(Click the image to supersize. Note – heavy loadtime.)

The virtue of this body of work is its simplicity. Kids, don’t JUST get your parents’ permission to make dioramas, get them INVOLVED. Your faithful reviewer was a latch-key kid whose parents were just too busy to understand what these sci-fi movies and toys were about. That era’s parents were very lucky because the Star Wars universe, as it existed at the time, showed kids principles—good and bad alike—leaving us to choose our own path. (Is that even possible today?) Parents who are reading this (there must be a few), take that precious moment of time that Lopergolo won’t have, and make a diorama, kick up some dust, or simply stare into space together. Lopergolo doesn’t tip-toe around the subject of his own mortality, and that’s something this reader can appreciate. He had a great run, and he has a body of work that most of us couldn’t even imitate if we tried. Don’t let the words of one lowly book reviewer stop you from trying, though.

Browsing HasbroToyShop.com, there are a lot of distractions to spend $29.95 on, but the knowledge contained inside insight is really quite priceless. In this despicable economy, bag some lunches, skip some coffees, and cut whatever corners necessary to get this collection of art into your bookshelves, and more importantly, into your brain. It’s times like these that we, often jaded and bitter collectors, need this kind of inspiration. Assuming that you’re an adult, order the book—that means DON’T DO THIS WITHOUT PARENTAL PERMISSION, KIDS—and take in some of the strength and confidence, that one artist with a fatal disease manages to command, to take on the world.

To Me You Are A Work Of Art

An alien terrain where the head on the Apparition of Darth Vader isn’t the strangest thing you’ll see.
(Click the image to supersize. Note – heavy loadtime.)

The vaunted Jedi Temple ceiling might be on sale right now at your local hardware store. You need to ask at the customer service desk about its vaulted celiing, but they’re probably going on break soon!

(Click the image to supersize. Note – heavy loadtime.)

If you would like to learn more about the disease known as ALS, this Wikipedia article can help.

With special thanks to Gianni Lopergolo, Derryl DePriest, and Hayes McCarthy.

Star Wars is a registered trademark of Lucasfilm Ltd. Any other trademarks used in this text are the property of their respective owners.

Hasbro, as your biggest cheerleader, sometimes I’m forced to point out something that is painfully obvious and hope that someone out there reads it. Out in Los Angeles I caught wind of some information regarding the exalted, beloved Build-A-Droid program. The hope and dream that all of these pieces might be combined to create new droids made my heart leap for joy, but, as I learned, there are unreasonable roadblocks in the way. (Hey readers — sometimes the Hasbro team is just as frustrated by retailers’ fickle tastes as we are!) We live in an alternate universe now where people who don’t make toys (in fact, they don’t even know exactly how toys are made) are the people who decide what toys are made and sold. (Hopefully our friend Mr. Internet will shove these "big box" stores out of the toy business with the same blast of reality that the music business and the movie business have been subjected to.)

OK, so… as far as we (collector types) have heard, the concept of a Build-A-Droid playset fizzled. I know that you (Hasbro as a whole) tried to pull together a set that would appeal to collectors, kids, and parents. For some reason (STUPID RETAIL BUYERS) it just didn’t happen. It has even been whispered into my nearly deaf left-ear (that’s not a joke) that a Build-A-Droid concept was pitched as an "Ultimate Battle Pack" (one as a Jawa-themed set, and one as Jabba The Hutt’s Droid Dungeon). Sadly, Jabba The Hutt’s association (as an exclusive) with another retailer doomed the most promising concept. (It makes no sense to me. I’d piggyback on their promotion with a cool item in a bigger box with more stuff.)

What to do? What to do? Oh yeah… all of those great Build-A-Droid parts can still be boxed up to make a really amazing value-priced gift set in time for the Holiday Gifting Season. Repaint them Astromechs, give the Protocol Droids new shiny deco. Make a new 8D8 out of the new BG-J38 body (since they only have different heads). If you want to go all out and send some love to the dedicated collectors, throw in the prototype "bug head" Death Star Droid. (See mock-up image. Head courtesy of the Star Wars Collectors Archive.) Now wouldn’t that be cool, kids?

Parents LOVE a value-priced set with lots of pieces. Kids love "robots" (droids to us). Collectors (see: Pawlus, Adam) love droids. Hasbro loves using existing tooling to maximize profit (and enhance shareholder value — yes, I read that book). What am I missing? Is it because semi-generic droids lack the push of The Clone Wars TV toon? There are droids everywhere in the Star Wars universe, and we can always use at least a half-dozen more (with options to create even more if we buy multiple sets).

While I’ve got a little rant going, we’ve hosted (on our own bandwidth) two of Hasbro’s super-cool promotional spots (for the AT-TE* and the Turbo Tank, respectively). What’s to stop Team Hasbro from shooting some quick digital video coolness to promote waves of figures, figures with vehicles, mainline vehicles, and (naturally) the amazing monster-sized vehicles. (I can’t wait to see the Big Arsenal Imperial AT-AT Walker super deluxe vehicle promotional spot.)

It’s going to be a very long summer.

*For some reason GooTube removed the AT-TE promotional spot (despite receiving an official copy the commercial). We will relocate it as soon as possible. For the record, I either didn’t know or forgot that it was on GooTube. It was meant to be hosted on our servers. Oy vey!