1985 figs

poncho · Jan 19, 2013

when lfl or kenner decided to release a further 15 figs in 1985 why 14 from jedi and only a luke storm trooper from the other two films. if they did all 15 from jedi fair enough jedi was released in 1983 i guess. but why only luke stormie? and no other figs from sw or esb i mean garandin, tarkin, uncle owen, sand trooper etc would of been good choices......its always struck me as odd...they could of selected much better figs that imp dignitary and anakin if they were straying away from jedi figs

JuniorChubb · Jan 19, 2013

I always wondered why a Han Stormie was never released...

Pomse2001 · Jan 19, 2013

I don't know. I also don't understand it, there was so many other great figures they could have made

Tarkin was a figure I hoped they would made.

olisuds · Jan 19, 2013

There was a Han Stormtrooper moc up I believe. But they both probably looked to similar and it was Luke who rescued the princess I guess

chazb73 · Jan 19, 2013

Some of their releases were very odd - anakin and imp dignitary were **** - why did they think kids would want them?? ID looked like the pope or something. (I actually quite like him now) (anakin looks like our elderly neighbour!! :lol: )

I probably think that they thought Han stormtrooper would look too much like Luke stormie - and they wanted variations.

But I agree lots of other characters would have been better, Tarkin would have been brill - Peter Cushing would have made a brill vintage fig

good post :wink:

mumbo · Jan 19, 2013

Yeah far too many rotj extras who had very little screen time for you to really want them.... could it be that the obvious ones mentioned would have meant paying out bigger royalties to the actors who were bigger names :?:

CRAZYHAZY · Jan 19, 2013

Alec guiness would have demanded the highest fee i would imagine and that did not stop bens production, also a big one for me was why the hell did they not produce a rebel soldier , the opening battle scene in a new hope was class.

palitoyjunky · Jan 19, 2013

I heard Cushing didn't want his likeness used?! Have no idea how true that is but just something I heard a fair while back :?: it is a good explanation why Grand Moff Tarkin was not in the first 12 and we had the Death Squad Comm instead :roll:

chazb73 · Jan 19, 2013

I wonder if they got any royalties? mmmm not sure about that - would be interesting if anyone knows for sure.
Yep - rebel soldier was a mystery to me when I was a kid.

Djbighair · Jan 19, 2013

Good question.

It can't have been a licensing issue, many there should have been I agree and the alderan / rebel solider is a mystery.

I wonder who got the call on what was made, Lucas or Kenner?

But whatever you say most of that 15 could have been better, maybe another weequay or ree yees, or mrs prune face.... Maybe a mon mothma so you could do old age special scenes with anakin... Just me then!

escapist · Jan 19, 2013

Djbighair said:
Good question.

It can't have been a licensing issue, many there should have been I agree and the alderan / rebel solider is a mystery.

I wonder who got the call on what was made, Lucas or Kenner?

But whatever you say most of that 15 could have been better, maybe another weequay or ree yees, or mrs prune face.... Maybe a mon mothma so you could do old age special scenes with anakin... Just me then!

Lucasfilm would always have the final say I think. That said, I certainly think that the actor has to agree to their likeness being used, which is probably why we didn't see a Tarkin until after Peter Cushing's death.

On a similar note, Hasbro has said that it would not be able to make modern figures of the Tonika Sisters but refuses to give a reason aside from 'legal reasons'. But its often speculated that this is because one of the sisters refused. Theres more here: http://www.jeditemplearchives.com/content/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=6929

and a picture to brighten our day...

chazb73 · Jan 19, 2013

escapist said:
Djbighair said:

Good question.

It can't have been a licensing issue, many there should have been I agree and the alderan / rebel solider is a mystery.

I wonder who got the call on what was made, Lucas or Kenner?

But whatever you say most of that 15 could have been better, maybe another weequay or ree yees, or mrs prune face.... Maybe a mon mothma so you could do old age special scenes with anakin... Just me then!

Click to expand...

Lucasfilm would always have the final say I think. That said, I certainly think that the actor has to agree to their likeness being used, which is probably why we didn't see a Tarkin until after Peter Cushing's death.

On a similar note, Hasbro has said that it would not be able to make modern figures of the Tonika Sisters but refuses to give a reason aside from 'legal reasons'. But its often speculated that this is because one of the sisters refused. Theres more here: http://www.jeditemplearchives.com/content/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=6929

and a picture to brighten our day...

Thats an interesting point :wink:

mumbo · Jan 19, 2013

chazb73 said:
I wonder if they got any royalties? mmmm not sure about that - would be interesting if anyone knows for sure.
Yep - rebel soldier was a mystery to me when I was a kid.

Harrison was on royalties, but whether that streched to all merchandise im not sure, Guinness took royalties. Royalties typically relate to the takings and video/dvd release, but any actors agent could request it to cover all merchandise. Lets face it the toys will have produced the biggest revenue but did anyone get a slice :?:

On the other hand if an actor refuses then that is that, thinking Cushing here.

Likewise i will echo the thoughts of many, why not a new hope rebel soldier :?:

Pomse2001 · Jan 20, 2013

Yes why not the rebel soldier from the tantive IV :?:

I also missed admiral ozzel, I loved the scene when vader killed him and I played that scene a lot when I was a kid :lol: but it could have been more fun if I had admiral ozzel as a figure.

General Carlist Rieekan was also a figure I was missing, not that we see him that much in the movie. But I missed a rebel general to command my rebel soldiers when I was a kid.

Cronker · Jan 18, 2017

Royalties, or as they are more correctly termed, residuals, were not brought into overall rights for any actor until 1980 - they were always individually negotiated per contract, and many still are.
Likeness rights are almost always built into contracts nowadays- if you look at the business model for WWE, almost all of their talent work under a character name that has been made up for them. This is so that merchandise can be sold under a trademark, just like a Star Wars character. Without this kind of contract, Kenner may have had to sell their figures as "Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill)".
When you look at likeness rights, the water can become murkier. Many actors don't really care, since it's another revenue stream for them.
But (since I'm a Doctor Who fan) I can tell you that Billie Piper, Elizabeth Sladen and Catherine Tate all vetoed versions of their character figures.

chipsteak · Jan 18, 2017

I actually liked the Anakin figure. I saw him as a glimpse into the prequels; Anakin in his robes in a non-ghostly form. We'll be seeing this guy circa 1986 when Episode One comes out, right?

I was such a n optimistic child.

poncho · Jan 18, 2017

ha ha old thread reboot love it 4 years wowsers

good points cronker and welcome to the forum buddy

regards

chris

Cronker · Jan 18, 2017

Haha, thanks for the welcome, poncho.
Yes, I've only reached page 77 so far, but I always make a point of educating myself about any forum I join before jumping in. You won't see me on RS (where I started looking) for reasons that may be obvious. The first red flag on there for me, as I read, was "why are there so so many of these people banned?"

peekaygee73 · Jan 18, 2017

Cronker said:
Royalties, or as they are more correctly termed, residuals, were not brought into overall rights for any actor until 1980 - they were always individually negotiated per contract, and many still are.
Likeness rights are almost always built into contracts nowadays- if you look at the business model for WWE, almost all of their talent work under a character name that has been made up for them. This is so that merchandise can be sold under a trademark, just like a Star Wars character. Without this kind of contract, Kenner may have had to sell their figures as "Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill)".
When you look at likeness rights, the water can become murkier. Many actors don't really care, since it's another revenue stream for them.
But (since I'm a Doctor Who fan) I can tell you that Billie Piper, Elizabeth Sladen and Catherine Tate all vetoed versions of their character figures.

All good points, and since we're talking about 'Who'... Karen Gillan did the same with her Big Chief collectible figure, and Janet Fielding blocked use of photos of herself for Cornerstone's trading cards in the '90s (no surprises there!)

Oh, and welcome to the forum!

Cronker · Jan 18, 2017

Thanks everyone for the nice welcome.

As far as Karen and the Big Chief dolly, I don't blame her - they're ****ing terrible even for the few of us who can appreciate Mego.
Janet Fielding is "a card" :wink:

1985 figs

Grand Master

Sith Lord

Grand Master

Sith Lord

Sith Lord

Sith Lord

Jedi Master

Sith Lord

Sith Lord

Jedi Master

Jedi Knight

Sith Lord

Sith Lord

Grand Master

Padawan

Jedi Master

Grand Master

Padawan

Sith Lord

Padawan

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