My Early Bloggerly Years
If it weren’t for The Star Wars Holiday Special, I might not have an obsessive love of showtunes and Bea Arthur. Of course, I also wouldn’t have that old jingle from Alcoa stuck in my head for the rest of my life – it’s been there since I was a little kid. I wouldn’t have LP records by Jobriath and rare vinyl 45′s from Wayne County and the Electric Chairs. Oh, and I wouldn’t have a cultural touchstone that lets people know that I’m older than I say I am. Curse you The Star Wars Holiday Special, curse you to Mustafar!
Top Ten Figures From The Star Wars Holiday Special & Slightly Beyond
2. The thing from the Cantina that was supposed to be in A New Hope, but ended up in the commercial for C-3PO’s Cereal! (Can we be any more obscure? Absolutely!) Yes, it looks like a plumber’s butt with legs, but it was in a commercial with C-3PO. Screw Willie Hood (Ice Cream Maker Guy), this monster deserves a figure more! [With apologies to the guys at JediDefender. I know they're mourning the April Fool's joke as much as I am.]
3. Luke Skwalker (Cover Girl Mascara Model/Emo Boy Hair)
4. Attichitcuk (aka Itchy, Chewbacca’s Father)
5. Lumpawarrump (Lumpy, Chewbacca’s Son)
6. Mallatobuck (Malla, Chewbacca’s Babymomma)
7. Lion Man – from the Cantina
8. Ket Maliss – from the Cantina
July 26th, 2006 at 7:39 am
I must say, if nothing else this list is interesting! Though haven`t I heard a rumor of the Holiday Special Boba Fett? That would be way cool.
July 26th, 2006 at 7:54 am
There\’s no rumor about a Holiday Special Fett… yet.Of course, the lists are made up completely off the top of my head, and, although I pray for my Bea Arthur action figure, I know they\’ll never make it.Note for Hasbro: The Cereal Monster does seem to make use of the same furry body that was used for several Jabba\’s Palace aliens during the ROTJ era. (Similar to Tanus Spijek.) Hint!
July 26th, 2006 at 8:52 am
Bea Arthur would probably never give permission to use her likeness from that show. Would you?? And someone speak up for me…I know I read somewhere a HS Boba was in the plans……someone….anyone….hello (echo)!!!!
July 26th, 2006 at 9:17 am
You did read it, and I forgot. Rebelscum posted the 2007 release sheet preliminary, and it’s listed for Wave 3. I’m suggesting a completely new figure in the animated style, though, not a repaint of existing models, that’s all.
July 26th, 2006 at 9:17 am
Holiday (animated) Boba Fett is rumored for the third or fourth wave next year as an "EU" figure. The same list nailed Lava Miner, Galactic Marine and McQuarrie Trooper in Wave 1 (before Hasbro unveiled the cards), so there is reason to believe.
On the subject of Bea Arthur, there was a very very disturbing episode of Robot Chicken combining Golden Girls with Sex and the City. Only check it out if you want to go blind.
July 26th, 2006 at 9:43 am
Ohhhhhhh, I just got it. My Early Bloggerly Years, Half a Blogger, Paint a Vulgar Blogger…what’s next, November Spawned a Monster Blog? First of the Blogs to Die? This Charming Blog? Oops, I’m stealing your titles. ; )
Uh, yeah, animated Fett. If he comes with his tuning fork and brontosaurus that would be awesome!
July 26th, 2006 at 10:14 am
Bea Arthur and Harvey Korman!!!!! What more could a fan desire. And in Star Wars Getup. That would indeed be very nice, will Hasbro Bite…not very bloody likely!
July 26th, 2006 at 10:36 am
wow… i ve never seen it. Dont think it was ever screened back home in 78…..I recalled the 1st time I even heard of SW, it was ESB, and I was too young and too poor to go to movies. My dad took me to ROTJ a few years later….wow….
July 26th, 2006 at 4:15 pm
Jefferson Starship Band set! Or were they Jefferson Airplane at the time?
July 26th, 2006 at 4:36 pm
When did the canon establish that it was a wookie who owned the Cantina bar? The first time I read that, I was disappointed — Ackmena should’ve been put into the canon as owner (even if the rest of the holiday special is ignored completely — ok Boba Fett cartoon aside). If Ackmena were officially recognized as owner (and Wuhrer’s lover!), we’d someday get that Bea Arthur figure I’d bet
July 26th, 2006 at 7:47 pm
Didn’t we already get that Luke in the POTJ line? Mark Hamill looks more like Sandy Duncan in Peter Pan. Gah, that’s scary!youtube.com has segments of the Holiday Special for your viewing enjoyment. I think as a kid, anything Star Wars was pretty awesome. Even the Holiday Special.
July 26th, 2006 at 9:12 pm
As a youngling when it actually came out I can honestly say that I quickly became much more excited about seeing any Star Wars toy commercials between segments than I was the actual show once it got under way. It was pretty painful. And the musical interludes, holy crap! I kept thinking "When are they gonna get out of this treehouse!!??" The only really redeeming thing, from a kid perspective, were the brief cameos by the main characters, and of course, the now famous cartoon segment. But yeah, nowadays, pretty fun stuff. In a slightly related topic: In an all out, no-holds brawl, who’d ya think would win? Bea Arthur or Gargan? I think Bea seems a little more "with it" and "focused" than Gargan, and heaven forbid any leg kicking music starts to play when Gargan’s in the room, would put her crazy "i’ll dance to anything wearing anything" spirit at a severe disadvantage. Hmmm, maybe they should decide the next fan choice poll this way?
July 26th, 2006 at 9:40 pm
Bea Arthur can kick anyone’s butt. She was a Marine. I think that’s the problem. The folks in Rhode Island must tremble in fear at the thought of getting her likeness approved. No offense to those guys and gals, but compared to Bea Arthur, we’re all a little soft.
I only have the vaguest memories of The Star Wars Holiday Special, and I do pray that one day it comes out on DVD. I remember my folks watching it with me. (This is back in the day of one-TV-per-house.) I remember this look of terror on their faces throughout the whole thing. My Dad kept asking, "When is this bleep going to be over?" I was just excited to see C-3PO (because I had some strange affinity for the character).
That ALCOA jingle will never leave me. "I can’t wait! I can’t wait! I can’t wait for tomorrooooow! No, I can’t wait!" I have no idea what they do, but that jingle and "Always Look For The Union Label" haunt my memories.
July 31st, 2006 at 5:12 am
I loved it, too. I was a six year old, and home video was basically non-existant. To be able to see anything with Star Wars footage and original content was great for me. Not only is watching the Special an annual Holiday tradition for me (so is listeing to Christmas in the Stars), but I seem to have found quite a few virgins lately that are willing to subject themselves to the wonder (yeah, I know the acrobats and Jefferson Starship are tough to sit through) that is the Holiday Special, so I’ve seen it another 3 times this year.