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| Part I |
In the Star Wars collecting
community there’s a lot of reverence for the first 12 action figures Kenner
released. Initially on cards known as ’12 backs’ due to the card art showing
illustrations of these original dozen figures, this selection of characters is
at the core of any Star Wars collection, and with good reason – Luke, Han
and Leia, Chewie and the Droids and Old Ben Kenobi give you all the good
guys; Darth Vader, a Stormtrooper and, bizarrely, an Imperial Death Squad
Commander round out the bad guys, whilst a Jawa and Tusken Raider give you all
the indigenous life you need. Of course, the Star Wars toy line is now well
known for quite how wide and deep it goes; but with these 12 figures you’re one
Grand Moff Tarkin short of A New Hope prison break.
When I was starting out with the
modern line I latched on to the 12 back figures as a collecting focus, and
aimed to get the best present day iterations of each. Earlier this year I more or less completed that goal, and
now it’s time to finally give these guys (and gal) a stage…
Tusken Raider
Though they may be easily
startled, the Tusken Raiders would still be pretty terrifying to encounter when
out in the sticks alone. This figure, from 2012’s Discover the Force line is a solid representation of the Sand
People as they appeared in A New Hope,
resplendent with flowing robes and a gaffi stick. This one also came with a
rifle, but that’s more for shooting at Pod Racers than knocking out errant
moisture farmers…
With 14 points of articulation
this Tusken Raider, originally released in 2006 as part of the VTSC line, is
the finest sample you’re going to find – just as long as you don’t want his
swivel hips to straddle a Bantha, that is…
C-3PO
Human-Cyborg relations have
rarely looked finer than they do here, with 2006’s Saga Collection C-3PO. Whilst this figure is based on Threepio from
Return of the Jedi, coming with an
Ewok throne, he’s not a character that changes appearance, save for gaining dust or dirt, through the Original Trilogy.
With eight points of articulation this Threepio does all that you need him to
do, and the shiny gold finish (with silver lower right leg) bring the character
fully to 3.75” life.
I was really interested in
getting the Vintage Collection matte gold C-3PO, but the lack of availability and
exorbitant secondary market price put me off. It doesn't matter though, as this Threepio
is a fantastic release, and fits in with the modern 12 perfectly.
Imperial Navy Commander
The Imperial Navy Commander was a
slightly confusing release for the start of the line, coming out ahead of
Greedo and Walrus Man, and nearly two decades before Grand Moff Tarkin saw the
plastic light of day. However he makes good cannon fodder for the Rebel heroes,
or as an officer for Darth Vader to boss around. Every Empire needs its
underlings, right?
This version is from 2012, and The Vintage Collection. With 14 points
of articulation, a removable helmet and a gun with working holster this guy has
some serious build quality for a nameless background character. It commands a
fair price on the secondary market, so I think I was lucky to get it when I
did.
Han Solo
Captain, scoundrel and coolest
guy in the galaxy, Han Solo was a lock for the very first wave of Star Wars
figures. The pinhead/big head variations of Han Solo were amongst the first
variations to happen in the line, starting a long tradition of collectors
searching for every running change/factory screw up they could find.
Considering you’re here you probably know all about Han Solo, so there’s not
much else to say – except for maybe that he shot first.
This Yavin Ceremony Han Solo is
from The Vintage Collection in 2011,
and comes with the medal he received at the end of the film. Whilst some
collectors prefer earlier versions of the character, this is the definitive Han
figure to me. With 14 points of articulation (including some very tidy wrists),
a blaster with working holster and an absolutely dead-on appearance, you will
not find a better A New Hope Han Solo.
Parts II and III to follow!
Parts II and III to follow!
