You’re The One For Me, Fatty
I (briefly) spoke about this with Star Wars line-runner Brian Wilke at Toy Fair in New York City, but I want to firmly stand for the re-release of the Empire Strikes Back era Rebel Troop Transport (which is technically seen in all three films of the Holy Trilogy). I am aware that this ship lacks the firepower or the panache of even the Bespin Cloud Car (or a Vespa Scooter) but it holds a lot of figures, and it could be used for some really cool playset-ish opportunities.
The Great Space Tuna may not pack the firepower of General Grievous’ Starfighter, and it may not be as grunge-glam as Luke Skywalker’s X-Wing (Dagobah), but it is a great, classic piece that was never given it’s due respect. Kenner had to add backpacks and gas masks to make this big mother sell, but my suggestion to Hasbro is to include a handful of cool Hoth goodies (like running lights, tools, and maybe a Droid) and see what happens. I mean, it’s not like there isn’t a mold already made for the damn thing. It’s like minting money. Chuck in an exclusive figure (that is hard for scumbags to steal) and fob it off as a retail exclusive.
You can always add guns. Just don’t use Mon Mothma as the pack-in figure. She seems to suck at retail. (It would be a great setting for more Mon Calamari figures, and we know ya’ll dig them!) Why not, I say? Why not! It can’t possibly do worse than the currently-at-retail and sucktackular Attack on Kashyyyk Battle Pack. That really, really just… well, it bites. Only two Stormtroopers in a $25 set? Words fail me, and you know that’s a first.
Make the Rebel Troop Transport, or I’ll come kidnap your Chihuahua dogs. Do it sooner than immediately.
*Please note that comments do require approval only due to blog-spamming. Only non-PG/PG-13 words are redacted. Sorry that spam exists, both the Internet kind and the consumable kind. In a perfect world there would be no spam and lots of Great Space Tunas.
April 8th, 2008 at 5:50 am
Love the idea. I have the vintage one that I got at a garage sale years ago…or traded from a neighbourhood friend…damn I’m getting old and can’t remember. But I would love another and some of your pack-in ideas could really help it sell. I mean as an exclusive how could it not work? I wonder though if they could retool the way it attached, the black screw in handle thing. I seem to recall it can stress the plastic if I’m not mistaken. When you say it was in all 3 of the holy trilogy, you mean the special eds right?
April 8th, 2008 at 6:00 am
Yes, sadly, the Special Ed versions (but they did add some good stuff like the illegally parked Transport, although I think the ASP-7 Droid was a clunky test run for the prequels.). I’d buy it in both the Hoth white and the Tatooine rust color schemes, too. I just think of it as a big, hollow shell that can be filled with the opportunity for so much wow-factor.
April 8th, 2008 at 9:47 am
The Rebel Transport is my favorite vehicle from the entire vintage line, no doubt. When I was a kid I would pack in all my figures and take it outside to play with friends or bring it over to a friends place. It was the ultimate Carry Case without a stupid big handle at the top. (This is the appealing part to me, it doesn’t look like a carry case, and there is no hadle that gets in the way when playing with it, instead it has this kick a.. gun!) Even though I don’t collect vintage stuff, I might have to get me a nice boxed one, one of these days
April 8th, 2008 at 2:18 pm
Thank you thank you thank you Adam for showing some love for the Rebel Transport! Hasbro if you are reading, this is seriously a great toy: you can carry your figures in it, carry small vehicles in it, it has guns and it’s a space ship! What’s not to love. Give it a grimy paint op and include a rebel soldier and/or a new sculpt snowspeeder Wedge plus a new astromech droid and it’s a pure gold. It’s a heck of a lot more exciting than the AOTC Obi-Wan Jedi Star Fighter with Hyperspace Ring and it fills a vintage hole.
April 10th, 2008 at 3:42 pm
I have a mint and a played with one. I have found that several vehicles fit inside if you take the fig tray out. I use my imperial transport with it’s new improved gun(I customize) and a clone squad.-pretty cool toy-actually that do-dad that hangs out on top is the bridge-take a look real close