Galactic Blogger » Gossip

Here we go! Here we go! Here we go!

Adam_May — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 20:54:10 +0000

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.

Memo To Hasbro — Break It Down 05/24/2010

Adam_May — Mon, 24 May 2010 21:12:24 +0000

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!

Best Of… Most Of… Satiate The Need…

Adam_May — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 21:03:14 +0000

Behold… (a still at least) of Han Solo in "unique attire"! (Notice the welding accessory, which we’ve seen a time or two.) Will this be the Han Solo for 2010?

Click To Enlarge — Thanks To Shabby Blue

Dégueulasse, Tes Jours Sont Comptés!

Adam_May — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 22:42:51 +0000

Merci, Mssr Truffaut, éternellement…

Tying up some of 2009′s loose ends, I think we’ve seen the last of Q&A until Toy Fair 2010. (Save the date — all the sites — will be working hard for you on/around/through St. Valentine’s Day.) I bit my tongue holding back (and hoping) that Imperial Scanning Crewman #2 would miraculously appear, but eventually Hasbro relayed the bad news. Sometimes in passing one of those non-Q&A questions will be answered.

While not part of the Q&A itself, because, frankly, it would be a waste of a perfectly good question, I asked about the extra ports/holes on the Build-A-Droid Astromech body (rumors had flown through about a Battle Pack that would come with add-on pieces and/or a Droid Factory Playset that would do much the same). So what were those ports/holes for?

What are the extra side holes/ports for on the Legacy/Build-A-Droid Astromech body? I’ve been puzzling over it for a year.

The answer — as obvious as snow, as if we didn’t know —

"On the Astro body, the side holes were sort of inspired by the other (non-R2) parts in the original [Blogger's Note: Vintage-Era] Droid Factory – extra places you could put additional appendages, if you wish. So you could have your Astro walk like a puppy, for example…put legs in the rear slot, or in upright mode move the legs down and add arms."

So there you have it. If you’ve wondered… go forth and be creative. Feel free to send in photos (adam@galacticblogger.com) to show your support for the BEST pack-in we’ve had in the entire run of Star Wars toys. [By sending in photography, you permit GalacticBlogger.com to use photographs in the capacity of this Internet blog/column. You retain your ownership and copyright.] Extremely creative Astro-modders may be picked for nifty prize-like things that are cluttering up the GalacticBlogger.com toybox/home-office. [Kids get your parents' permission before doing ANYTHING.]

Shirtlifters of the World Unite

Adam_May — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 18:44:38 +0000

First off, who in the world thought I would ever be sharing press pages with the supremely fabulous Donatella Versace? Well, I am, and here’s why…

Taken from the October 2009 issue of Out magazine (with love to Michael and Lawrence) as written by Mark Simpson:

Adam May is not attending Comic-Con this year. “I’ve only been to Comic-Con once,” he tells me on the line from his home in Atlanta. “I have a panic attack just looking at photos! It’s sensory overload for me.”

Adam May who describes himself as “Atlanta’s answer to the wrong question” has the distinction of being the first openly gay Star Wars action figure. Many are called; few are chosen.

Adam’s plastic obsession began the first time he saw Princess Leia. “Carrie Fisher with those buns on her head – she really was my first gay experience.” Star Wars helped Adam grow up, in a manner of speaking: he had a speech impediment as a child, and by repeating Luke Skywalker’s lines over and over he helped himself “talk it out.”

[Redacted overlaying segment of copy directly unrelated to subject, see OUT Magazine, October 2009 — Featuring the Fabulous Donatella Versace Cover. Page 51 is the best place to start.]

Other gays mostly recoil in horror though when they discover Adam’s plastic habit. “They typically assume I’m some strange man-child. I joke that the ’80s jingle—‘I don’t want to grow up, I’m a Toys R Us kid!’—wasn’t just a jingle. It was an oath!.”

“I’ve reached the point where I don’t care what anyone thinks about my toy [obsession]. That said, I do try to keep my gay friends away from the Three Story Toy Box. I have a collection of about 10,000 action figures* — with all of the accoutrements that go with them (space ships, play sets, lightsabres). The stairwell in my house has a wall that is 2 1/2 stories of shelving, acrylic risers and every Star Wars figure that Hasbro has made.”

Including the one they made of Adam himself after he won a competition to have a Star Wars action figure based on him. He chose the name Stormy Sevenspire–an anagram for Steven P Morrissey. “I had hired a make-up artist to paint me up as I wanted to be in action figure likeness. I made sure the hair was just the right kind of quiff.”

*The 10,000 number is a rough number, and it does include myriad toy lines, but hundreds of Stormtroopers can’t be wrong. I’m a toy junkie.

…and he wants my inflatable one. Ah!

Adam_May — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 21:24:47 +0000

…Continuing our little look at Hasbro‘s late-year line up, I’m back with lots of opinion, no measurements or, well… let’s just look at the purty pictures and try to discern which ones are the purtiest.

When I was a very, very, very young 20-something, we had a Space Trooper that was the same size as everything else, it looked like it was made from hair gel, and we liked it that way! Now the kids won’t even glance at a figure with less articulation than the average human being has.

So here comes this new la-di-da Space Trooper that actually looks like something that might be worth spending $5 on, except now he’s $8! What?!? Does he have a cool diorama backdrop? No? Someone get the smelling salts. At least it’s very likely that his helmet comes off and he’s sporting a cool backpack, and that warms me up to about $6, so I’d better get some of them-there Clone Cash Coupons and save some money up.

This next part I am presenting as a hostile witness situation because I would just post pictures of the figures and blink at them. Yes, it’s an Expanded Universe wave, but that doesn’t mean two boring, white kids have to be….

Here’s Shabby Blue for the defense:

After years of hoping for two of the most significant Expanded Universe characters to be immortalized in plastic, we finally have the Solo Twins, Jacen and Jaina. [Blogger's Note: Where's Gleek?] Just as Hasbro promised, they produced this pair as depicted on the popular Japanese cover art of the New Jedi Order novels. My only minor complaint is that Jacen’s likeness isn’t sculpted to more closely resemble the late actor River Phoenix, who was clearly the model for the character’s likeness on several of the New Jedi Order novel covers. I guess I’ll have to make use of the Young Indiana Jones headsculpt instead, with his hair repainted to match his doppelganger.

I didn’t expect these two figures to come with anything more than their lightsabers, so the Yuuzhan Vong amphistaff wrapped around Jacen is an added bonus for fans of the New Jedi Order, and it shows meaningful attention to details from the novel. I only hope this isn’t the last of the Solo Twins in figure form. Jacen’s Sith Lord persona Darth Caedus is much desired by fans of the Expanded Universe, as well as young Anakin Solo to finish the Solo kids trifecta. Teenage versions of the kids from the Young Jedi Knights novels would be personally welcome as well, though that may be pushing our luck.

This is an auspicious start to a very new year. (That just sounded like a good way to end this.)

“…with my head on the bar”

Adam_May — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 21:28:42 +0000

Who? What? (Definitely not a GG product.)

Does anyone have any good theories?
(Click image for cool spinning action!)

Thanks to Elan Armada for sending it in.

***Please note that "Image Presented By…" does not imply
ownership of the photo, only the bandwidth that people use.***

Phill writes in with the winning ticket! "The Hammerhead is the work of the uber-talented Trevor Grove… He’s also responsible for a number of Sideshow products including the recent Premium Format KotCS Indiana Jones." (Sadly, that means it’s not in 3¾" scale.)

I’m Looking Forward To Going Back

Adam_May — Fri, 22 May 2009 15:55:47 +0000

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.

Because Of My Poor Education…

Adam_May — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 17:05:18 +0000

Here’s a quick breakdown of questions that have popped up around the Internet:

•The Turbo Tank measures at roughly 24" long and 12" tall (I brought a tape measure, but I forgot to get the width).

•Ratts Tyrell will be released later on with some of his little ones or something (per Hasbro).

•No dais will be released in 2009 (that doesn’t mean one won’t be shown at Comic-Con). There simply will be no dais in 2009.

•Gun Ship Gunnery Pod Battle Pack will have two Clone Pilots and ONE, UNO, UN, EIN, ένας; одно… Republic Gunship Gunner Pod.

•Qui-Gon Jinn on Eopie will have his Tatooine desert poncho, and the Eopie will have updated deco. (Qui-Gon Jinn is the Evolutions figure.)

•The cardback seen here and on many other sites is just a mock-up. The shirtless Darth Maul is in the Wal*Mart Build-A-Droid range.

•Initial shipments of the Hoth Rebel Soldier will not have the soft-goods skirt, and that is simply an error. (Hasbro customer service CANNOT correct this.) Besides, it will be "rare-er", so you might want to not open it up. (I will, but I’m not right in the head.)

•Does the Clone Wars Jabba The Hutt Battle Pack come with the Weequay? Definitive NO. (Direct from Hasbro!)

•Medical Frigate Luke Skywalker is officially nicknamed "Bath Robe Luke" by Hasbro.

•Yes, I did sneak "him" into the showroom for that one photo in front of the Turbo Tank (just for scale, of course).

Any other questions? I’ll try to answer them.

He travels more comfortably than I do.
(This is the "Rock-A-Billy" version of the figure, which a very skilled
proto painter made. It’s on a modified Order 66 Mace Windu body.)

Few plugs: Thanks to DELTA AIRLINES, the official airline of Galactic Blogger (or whatever); the Molly Wee Pub, the official pub of…; Mr. Black NYC, the official club/event of…; and Hasbro (DDP and BP) for generally tolerating the geek media (even though security kicked me out before I could photograph Littlest Pet Shop).

Finally, if you’re wondering what some of us do on our night(s) off…

A real doll (Amanda LePore) meets an action figure (Stormy Sevenspire) @ Mr. Black NYC.
(Sorry, I had to edit out her nip-slip.)

Tremendous thanks to Mr. Black NYC (Google or check MySpace) along with Amanda Lepore,
Jonny McGovern, and whoever needs thanking for all the bar comps. (It was a fun Thursday night.)

While I’m here… Poster Contest Winners!!! Do not despair! They did not get lost in the mail or anything like that. The mailing tubes were shoved under a bed in the guestroom (when a guest was coming to visit) and they have since been discovered. This can be blamed on Galactic Blogger‘s Partner (who would be Mr. Galactic Blogger, but there’s that whole marriage thing that spares him from such misery).

Also, the Show Us Your BMF contest has been narrowed down to TWO finalists. (In all honesty, I had hoped to be able to leak the Turbo Tank earlier, but that’s the prize.) [Blogger's Note: Good job Hasbro on keeping the piece relatively "under wraps" for so long!] A winner will be announced very shortly… I have AD/HD, so choosing a winner is like… let’s ride bikes.

A Plastic Doll With A Fresh Coat of Paint…

Adam_May — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 15:55:37 +0000

If you click it twice, it embiggens! Woo hoo!

Surreal… never in my life did I think I’d see that. The caterpillar eyebrows that arch up on the sides. The weird pout and sneer from being raised on Elvis and Bowie as cradlesongs. I’m not sure if they made my eyes green or not, but they change colors on me at the weirdest times. (In a lot of pictures they’re Sith Red, which I do not color correct.)

The next phase is to pick a body and weapon. I’ve asked for the Darth Nihilus body with a lavender-bladed double saber (like Asajj Ventress or Mariss Brood). We’ll see how that works out. I’ve also requested a specific name and a job (er… profession). Who knows? I could meet Indiana Jones out there in the astral plane if I play my cards just right? (Well, and keep hiding from the Empire enforcing Order 66.)

I think, although they’ve continually surprised me, that it’s all finished soon. I offered to fly up to Rhode Island to guarantee his secure passage, but I’d have to be bound up and wheeled around like Hannibal Lecter. The last time I was up there I saw the 1¼-up Ephant Mon sculpt and a real-scan image of Ewan McGregror, and I think I blacked out for a bit. I think I also tried to scale one of the many Mr. Potato Head statues, but it’s all hazy after they handed me a goodie bag.

All things considered, I’d say they’ve done a bang-up job. I know a lot of the forum critters give him endless lip and grief, but I have to thank one Mssr Derryl D. DePriest who has been a champ through all of this. When I call him screaming about my dimples and my pronounced ergotrid (that’s the weird bit between the nose and the lip) he would ask me how I got his home number, why I’m calling at 4:30am, and hang up promptly. (That’s just a joke since I know some of you take things way too literally.) However, that bit is called the ergotrid, so sayeth Google.

Now, I’m supposed to remind you all again that despite my obvious star quality and boss sideburns, no matter how much you write to Hasbro’s customer service I’ll never be released as an Imperial Technician, a Galactic Bounty Hunter, a Jedi Archaeologist, or even as generic character #36b. (See, if I were actually desperate, I’d write out Hasbro‘s address in Rhode Island here, but I’m not desperate. I think you just have to write to Hasbro, Rhode Island. They take up half the place anyway.)

So you readers have a look, and tell me how fug I am despite Hasbro‘s miracle-working sculpt. Send me e-mails telling me that I’m worse than that Hilton lad who is on all the bad cable channels. Just remember… I haven’t picked any prize winner this week, and, well… more flies… honey… vinegar… Southern sayings.

Oh yeah, and remember… products and colors may vary. Don’t be hater!