Q&A With JTA: Our Fifteenth Column!

1. I have been checking out your reviews on figures and other things related to Attack Of The Clones. There is a running theme I have noticed and that is you think that Episode II is the least favorite film of the saga and that the toys are some of the best. How do you come up with this assessment? (Brad)

JTA: If I said it's because Liz Lemon from 30 Rock finds Episode II the least exciting would that be enough to answer your question? Kidding aside (and this is my own two cents here), Episode II jumps around too much between "boredom" and "excitement" and the flow is very bumpy. Not only do I feel this way, but the comments I hear and receive from readers as far as what they feel about the film are similar as well. Interestingly, the film in general got treated like a second class citizen. It didn’t even get its own product line from Hasbro. Both Episode I and Episode III had their own product line and Attack Of The Clones was relegated to a “Saga” collection which spanned product from all of the films up to that time by Hasbro. This may have been dictated by Lucasfilm, Ltd. but then that makes it worse. Episode I is the easiest to bash thanks to Jar Jar Binks, but the “Titanic love story in space” in Episode II killed the pace of the film. (The scene with Anakin and Padmé rolling down the hill giggling was enough to make me gouge out my eyes with a dull pen. And the Zam Wesell Coruscant chase scenes had me biting my fingernails hoping it wasn’t going to be Podrace #2 as it went on way too long also. And don't get me started on the nightclub.) Then again, the film gets extraordinarily exciting when it moves to Kamino and Geonosis. I don’t “hate” any Star Wars film, but I do find Episode II to be the most bumpy.

As far as the figures are concerned, well, that’s a different story altogether and it almost contradicts my feelings towards the film. For reasons unknown, I find the Episode II action figures to be some of Hasbro’s finest work. And I am not even really talking about the incredible wave 4 of The Vintage Collection. (That is the best Episode II themed wave yet for sure.) But even 2009’s The Legacy Collection wave was spectacular. Captain Typho, Owen Lars, (the first issue of Episode II) Obi-Wan Kenobi and Tarados Gon are all excellent, despite not being readily available. And before that, the 30 (77-07) line had some real gems in it, specifically Padmé Amidala in her black leather gown. Maybe saying Hasbro’s Episode II figures are the best may be a stretch, but I love what they do with them and I have little to no complaints with the finished products. I think the Geonosis Arena Showdown sets are amazing and have also made it a lot easier for us to appreciate Episode II a little bit more with all the great Jedi battling the evil Separatist forces. Overall, Episode II is loaded with great action figure and beast possibilities. I think it’s a very fruitful Star Wars film for great action figure concepts and great toys. And besides, there appears to be so many other characters that need to be captured as action figures, including a lot more of Padmé Amidala in her various outfits!

2. I recently bought The Rise of Boba Fett battle pack and am very happy with the new Slave 1 design, however no normal size figures seem to fit in the cockpit. I was wondering if I received one with a factory defect since I have not heard any complaints about this from fellow collectors. The young Boba Fett figure fits and that's it, the clone wars Bossk, Aurra Sing, and the evolutions Jango Fett don't even come close. I hope it is a defect or else it is bad mistake by the design team because it doesn't make sense for young Boba to only have Ugnaughts and pit droids as passengers. (Eric)

JTA: Yeah, you bring up a great point. Unless you choose figures whose legs are naturally very close together (and even then), you're going to have great difficulty getting them in the cockpit. Thankfully, young Boba Fett has no issue at all, but taller and wider figures aren't going to work very well. The great thing about the new and improved Slave I is the play-set features it has. The bay is really the best part of this vehicle and I personally am thrilled that we can stand up figures inside the ship's hull. While I did have a little bit of trouble wiggling some figures in place, overall we have been pleasantly surprised by the spaciousness included elsewhere in the vehicle.

3. As much as I think the Saga Legends figures hurt actual toy sales, at least [we’re] getting new product to the shelves. I am wondering, how many different weapons packs are there? The extra weapons are fantastic for replacing lost weapons and for people wanting to customize there own versions of whatever. I think there are at least 3 different weapons packs. Some photos to show the differences would be cool as well but no big deal if you do not have them. Thanks. (Greg)

JTA: I have not paid too much close attention to the various weapon packs until I received your question and did some research of my own. I buy all the Saga Legends figures each year for my collection and then open any slight changes or paint variations and count them as new figures. As you can imagine, I have more weapons lockers and packs than I know what to do with so I almost consider it a waste. (But nothing is worse than those annoying holograms in The Saga Collection. I hated those things! And here I go again digressing.) Perhaps the most important thing to note is that it is impossible to know before opening the figure which weapons pack you're getting. Hasbro has created an intentional “secret hiding place” where they reside in the packaging and no matter how hard you try to peek, you won't be able to figure it out. There are indeed three (3) weapons packs. We don't have the time or energy to list the names of the included weapons for you, but pictures of each set can be seen by clicking the images below:

    

4. Love your site! I just discovered it while googling reviews on Sideshow’s 12” figure collection. Why are the production numbers so low on the figures any more? I am assuming it has a lot to do with price, but they make some of the best Star Wars figures anyone would ever see, yet there just seems to be apathy towards the line (from the complaints in forums and other places) which I just don’t comprehend. (Arthur)

JTA: Thank you for your energetic words about our site. We do strive to provide a great resource to our readers. Lower production numbers on Sideshow’s 12” line is due to a number of factors. They have become more direct to market than ever before and this is something that completely blows my own mind because I don’t understand why Sideshow wouldn’t want to sell a ton more units of their stunning pieces. They've found a method that works for their needs apparently. Who knows, maybe they do want to see more sales of their figures, but it seems that if their customers don't order from their website or authorized dealers, they aren't interested in persuing other ways to reach collectors' homes. I feel they should investigate how to garner a broader audience. Sideshow has unfortunately alienated most of the original collectors who bought the Order Of The Jedi figures when they first introduced the 12” collection (around 2006) that now have jumped ship. Those early figures retailed between $49.99 and $59.99 (with many groans that the line exceeded $50 back then). Now, a basic Militaries Of Star Wars figure starts at $89.99 and has gone as high as $124.99 if they included some extra armor or accessories like Commander Cody and Captain Rex. So that alone should answer why editions sizes were as high as 10,000 pieces in 2006 and now they hang around less than half that now. But despite the price hike, you also hit the nail on the head, Arthur. And that is these figures are simply stunning. They are some of the best Star Wars collectibles of all time. And Sideshow Collectibles puts a lot of pride into ensuring that these figures are screen accurate and authentically done. The 12” Momaw Nadon (Hammerhead) has left me speechless. (This character was to have a place in Hasbro’s line at some point but that never happened.) It is just a marvelous figure all around. Things that could NEVER be accomplished or captured in the Hasbro 3.75” line (or even Hasbro's 12" line) can now be done in the Sideshow 12” line. (Just look at the rope belt and pouches hanging from Momaw Nadon's waste. And look at his portrait! A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!!) And I don’t understand why collectors, unless unable to because of funds, don’t embrace this collection more. It’s hard to make a judgment call that a collectible is worth the money paid for it unless you’re the person buying it, but I feel that Sideshow’s 12” line is going unnoticed by many and ignored by most collectors and this is a shame. These figures are incredible and I would love to see more people start collecting them. It just seems that if the Big H isn't involved in the manufacturing, there is no interest from collectors. But to those of you who think this way, you are sorely missing out.

5. Do competitor Star Wars fan sites really get along as well as you claim when you say “our friends at….”? It seems that it is inherent in human nature to not really like those that “sell” the same product as you. (Jeff)

JTA: That depends on who you ask! But Jedi Temple Archives strives to maintain healthy relationships with our “friends and colleagues” because we feel first and foremost that Star Wars is fun and is something that binds our galaxy together. You have all seen our “A Digested Look at the Legacy Collection” report where we joined forces with the best Star Wars sites on the web and we are gearing up again to work with them and even more sites to do our supplement on our hugely popular “2011: It’s Down To Seven” special report. So yes, we do get along with the other fan sites and we are proud to be in such good company. We all share the passion and love for this enjoyable pop culture phenomenon and I couldn’t be more proud to be a part of it. There are some people out there who find it enjoyable to argue or complain about anything. And we do our best to smile and keep the positive energy alive and look the other way when we hear people criticizing. Then there are some sites that just want to keep to themselves and we respect that as well. JTA is certainly tighter with some sites than others, but we would welcome any opportunity to further develop the partnerships with those we don't know that well yet if an opportunity arose. Besides, I think every site has its own niche and each of us have something unique to offer our readers. So yes, when we say “our friends at,” it’s genuine.

I have to say it’s especially nice to see everyone at Toy Fair and catch up. That is when you can feel that the walls are truly broken down. I have used the words “healthy competition” to describe site interaction in general. We all want to post the rumor lists first or break a big story. And if you look back over the years, all of us had an opportunity to do this and succeeded in doing so. Besides, it is really a fun club to be part of and I am happy to have gained several great “outside” friendships just by working at Jedi Temple Archives.

Are you new to Q&A With JTA? Click HERE to see our previous installments of this column. Each session is chock full of all the things you ever wanted to know about Star Wars collecting and the hobby in general!