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Star Wars Boba Fett Mail Away Commercial
OK, what Kenner does to make me cringe in this commercial (kid cutting out the POP on a vintage card), they make up for in the proof cards they show at the end. In any case…the nostalgia factor is on ‘eleven’ for me on this one. (That background music is slammin’ too.)
Figure #8 of Collect All 21 revealed: Princess Leia Organa (Yavin Medal Ceremony)
A strong-willed warrior who fought the Rebel cause with great courage, Princess Leia Organa was a natural born leader of the Rebel Alliance. The princess always carried herself with a regal air, whether she was taking part in the fiercest of battles or participating in state ceremonies of the highest level. Although she was adopted at a young age into the Royal House of Alderaan, Leia was in fact a true princess, as her birth mother was Queen Amidala of Naboo.
- from the modern Hasbro/Kenner card back ©1998
We’re a 3rd of the way there! Figure #7 of Collect All 21 revealed: Blue Snaggletooth!
Now, I know this doesn’t follow the example of using a modern figure on a vintage cardback, but I felt he needed his rightful place within the original vintage cardback genre.
Also, I had a little help on this one from my friends at Beggar’s Canyon Toys. If you haven’t seen their vintage Star Wars restoration services yet, they are TOP NOTCH. You can check them out here.
Me & Richard LeParmentier (Admiral Conan Antonio Motti from Episode IV) with a little treat I created for him. Gave him one. Got mine signed.
He opted for the ‘non-choking’ version I made, and I kept the choking version for myself. (which I was hoping for)…
The best part of our conversation - in addition to the photo - was the story he told me about where the first and middle names for his characters came from…
… apparently, there is a bit of ‘harem’ of ladies who reside in the greater San Francisco area who have a strong admiration for Imperial Officers. For years, they practically knocked down the doors of Lucasfilm to get first names assigned to all the Imperial Officers from the original trilogy. Admiral Motti’s first name, Conan, was taken directly from Conan O’Brien.
Here’s the whole story from Wookieepedia:
Motti was one of the last Imperial characters from the original trilogy to receive a full name. Michael Reaves and Steve Perry intended to finally give the character a first name with their 2007 novel Death Star, and had already chosen the name “Zi”—used in the as-yet unpublished novel—when George Lucas created his own name for the character while being interviewed on Late Night with Conan O’Brien. Following this, the writers were forced to change the name before printing, although one instance of “Zi” remains in the novel. Motti’s full name was given by Lucas on the May 1, 2007 episode of Late Night with Conan O’Brien, during which Lucas was challenged to a trivia question by a fan—O’Brien Associate Producer Jordan Schlanski—as to the name of the Imperial officer who Darth Vader Force-chokes in A New Hope. Lucas jokingly replied “Conan Antonio Motti,” after O’Brien’s full name. Although the character had previously been known only as “Motti,” Lucas’s statement finally gave a full name to this character. On the day after the episode aired, Late Night posted a blog entry on the NBC website about their surprise at the quick response of Wookieepedia, a fan-made online Star Wars Encyclopedia, in adopting the new name for the character, as well as their appreciation for Lucas in naming a Star Wars character after O’Brien.
When asked at Celebration IV to confirm the canon status of Motti’s first name, Leland Chee said that “It’ll be revealed eventually.” The name was finally confirmed when Sue Rostoni, executive editor of Lucas Licensing, posted the dramatis personae for Death Star on the StarWars.com message boards.
Figure #5 of 21 revealed - Han Solo (in TK-422 Stormtrooper Armor)*
*TK422 also happens to be the license plate on my car…
Figure #4 of 21 - Tedn Dahai (Cantina Band Member)
Tedn Dahai was a Bith musician and professional fanfar player for the popular Jizz band known as Figrin D’an and the Modal Nodes. Along with his band mates, Tech was a registered member of the Intergalactic Federation of Musicians (IFM) in good standing. Like many Bith, Tech possessed a highly evolved brain, which allowed him a special acuity when it came to analyzing and relating to music. As such, his talents helped to greatly enhance the quality and popularity of the Modal Nodes’ music.
from Wookieepedia
BONUS POST: Restoring a vintage 12” Jawa (that was found in a wall 10 years ago…)
Over a decade ago, my Dad (who is my toy finder partner in crime) was trolling the yard sales of the greater Tampa area, and came across this little gem: a vintage 12” Jawa action figure made by Kenner in 1978.
The plastic figure under the clock and bandolier were in both decent shape, but the rest of it wasn’t (with a missing gun and torn cloak), but there was a good reason for it.
Turns out, the owner of the house where the yard sale was taking place was doing some remodeling, and actually found the Jawa trapped inside a WALL! (How it got there was anyone’s guess.)
I recently had the opportunity to bid on a loose cloak and gun from a local toy shop here in Phoenix on eBay, and was fortunate enough to win both items, which allowed me to fully restore the figure. So, I thought it’d be cool to document the restoration for CollectAll21.com
- KG
