I’m Looking Forward To Going Back

OK, so, let’s break this down.

The official word from Hasbro is: "No comment."

The unofficial word is that this concept has been passed around "the table" for some time now.

The image was taken in September 2008 by some over-enthusiastic Star Wars collectors. (Remember kids —— don’t do anything that can land you in jail.)

Image by Ashley "Delaton", Used According to Fair Use Law

So that brings us to another playset piece that seemed to get further along, only to get shoved aside. Dagobah! A swamp planet with one obscured sentient being, Yoda, the Jedi Master in exile. Dagobah —— in its playset form —— was a kid favorite in the 1980′s. It featured prominently in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. It is almost mind-boggling that Hasbro (especially in its then-new role as steward of the line) didn’t jump at the chance to wow us – the fomenting collector community – in the fading years of the 1990′s.

Click to Enlarge —— Thanks to BH

The piece above is made from metal-work, polymer clay, resin and plastic. This set certainly got further along in concept than a foamcore model. Key points that stand out are the see-saw that would have been cast in clear plastic (seen at right) to levitate R2-D2; floating  supply tubs; and the stump that would provide the centerpiece for Yoda’s hut (and you can see the outline where that hut would land).

More ominous is what would happen on the other side of that metal-formed tree? We can only imagine. (One can guess the date of this piece based on the still-prototype paintjob "buff" Dagobah Luke Skywalker.) Its expansive focus, and potential to break up into themed-out pieces that could accommodate and center around R2-D2 and other figures, it offers a tempting look at what might have been. The set, as I know it, rests safely in the hands of an anonymous collector.

Now, a side rant here, is that, or is that not the same snake (seen left) that we only first received with the Vintage Original Trilogy Collection version of Yoda? If so, shouldn’t we have about 14 of those stockpiled from all the Yoda figures released in the interim? Another side rant, I want those crates!

For the record, my dream Death Star actually would require multiple releases. I want an expansive (and expensive) area to fight from the Emperor’s Throne Room and plenty of space to make that happen. I also want all the basics from Star Wars: A New Hope. They don’t meld well together. And where do I park my BMF???

My head swirls, and, as today is Morrissey’s 50th birthday, I wish a happy bidet (thanks Mel) to ‘some old queen or other”. As my own tribute, I encourage you to eat without cruelty this Memorial Day weekend.

This entry was posted on Friday, May 22nd, 2009 at 8:55 am and is filed under Daily Blog, Gossip, Prototypes, Toys, unreleased. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

3 Responses to “I’m Looking Forward To Going Back”

1. MisterPL Says:
   May 22nd, 2009 at 3:30 pm

   That doesn’t look like a foam care Death Star to me. It looks like a corrugate prototype for an exclusive Galactic Heroes package.

   Hasbro has been using their Galactic Heroes packages as playsets/dioramas for some time now. This looks like the next step in that evolutionary process to me. Chances are it was shelved due to cost or space issues at retail.

   Just a thought.

2. Adam_May Says:
   May 22nd, 2009 at 5:55 pm

   That was my initial thought, too, but once the guys at JediDefender.com identified the box next to it as "Transformers Cybertron DLX Figure", which measures at 7.5" tall (approximately). The best calculation we have is that it is 24" tall x 36" around.

   I’d really like something like this for my Galactic Heroes. I’d like something like this for my standard figures. I’d just like something…
   

3. MisterPL Says:
   May 23rd, 2009 at 6:39 am

   Like I said, those proportions are probably why it’s sitting on a shelf at Hasbro (I presume) than at a retailer. Although TRU has been known to go for some big-box exclusives in the past. That and the only corrugate prototypes I’ve seen in my professional experience is for packaging and point-of-purchase displays, not products. My money’s still on it being developed for Galactic Heroes. (A LOT of them.)

   Here’s another interesting measurement: The Galactic Heroes Millennium Falcon measures 12″W x 12″L x 8″H (at the top of the dish). It’s possible that this prototype was designed to accommodate that ship.

   One more thing to consider: Hasbro’s got a suspiciously OT-themed collection of Galactic Heroes figures hitting in August, featuring Chewbacca, the Mouse Droid, and the Death Star Droid. They’re also offering an “Assault of the Death Star” set including Porkins and Dodonna. (Not to mention the Endor Celebration and an Ackbar & Nien Nunb 2-pack.) Coincidence?