Daniel Pickett returns for another C506 interview, from his top toy news site, ActionFigureInsider.com. I recorded our discussion for my DC Collecticast podcast, and then did some crossover content for Update: Nerd Style. The latter podcast is where we talk about today’s franchise at hand, Star Wars collecting. But, if you’re also interested in DC collecting and other content, check out our Comic Book Intl pod network for a list of our shows.
Between Mandalorian and Rise of Skywalker, we’ve had a lot of new Star Wars recently, so I wanted to see what Mr. Pickett had to say on the two newest additions to the franchise. Naturally, toys came up as part of his response, so here’s the action figure inside take on the newest of Wars in the Stars.
From my Update: Nerd Style interview with ActionFigureInsider.com:
AFI: The two main topics of Star Wars that I think most people are talking about is the fact that there’s no budget 3.75″ line for the first time in 40 years.
BD: Wait, so Walmart’s not doing a 3 3/4 Hasbro?
AFI: So, there are some of the Vintage Collection, there’s kind of a smattering of those. They had been doing those 5 point of articulation figures for 40 years. Walmart’s got those ridiculous gold painted ones right now. I think there are 12 different ones now, they’re 2 packs; where they’ve just taken old figures and painted them gold.
AFI (continued): And, within the Vintage line currently, there are no Mandalorian figures. There has been a Mandalorian and a Cara Dune announced that will be coming spring of next year. But, as far as Rise of Skywalker for 3.75″ figures, there’s less than 10, I think. Which is super weird for a Star Wars movie. We’re getting more in the 6″ scale, but we’re still missing–there’s no Finn, there’s no Poe, we’re missing some key folks in the line. And, it’s a very strange time for Star Wars collectors.
AFI (continued): I was in a Disney Store the other day, and their Star Wars section–it’s not just a movie here, but the movie’s in theaters now–there’s just not a lot of product out there for it. And, I think they just got sort of burned by the 1-2 punch of Last Jedi and then Solo…My beef with the Disney trilogy of Force Awakens, then LJ, and to some extent ROS, is that it’s just humans wearing brown and black clothes. There’s no color and pizzazz. I want to see aliens, I want to see droids. I want it to be more Star Warsy, and we’re not seeing it in the design of it, so it’s not translating great into a toy line.
AFI (continued): Now, Mandalorian is a blast! And, I know some people have a problem with the pacing and whatever. Mandalorian, for me, is everything I’ve ever wanted in Star Wars.
BD: Me too, I keep saying that!
AFI: There’s enough new and enough of the familiar. With each of these new movies, they have to create all these new races. I’m the guy that’s like, well, what about that guy? For us to find out more about the Jawas, I was so excited by that.
As I said to AFI, I couldn’t agree more on the Mandalorian. Star Wars nerds have been living in the same imaginary place for over 40 years. Why reinvent the wheel and come up with all these new races and creatures, when you have a whole universe with which we’re intimately familiar? Pickett mentioned his excitement for seeing the Jawas again. Just call back to the guys we know, stop feeling the need to create all these new aliens that we don’t know or care about.
Hopefully, our enthusiasm for Mandalorian, and the clear enthusiasm among viewers in general, will reinvigorate the classic 3 3/4 line we’ve been missing. As Daniel and I discussed, there are plenty of creatures and droids from Mando to fill out a fun, old school collection of 70s Star Wars figs again.
Again, stay tuned to both DC Collecticast and Update: Nerd Style for the full audio interview with AFI, including today’s talk above. And, follow ActionFigureInsider.com for ALL the toy news action one could desire! Also, much more writing will come out of my talks with Daniel, so stay tuned for more here at C506.
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