A Jedi Temple Archives Special Report
by Paul Harrison & Chuck Paskovics
Design by Chuck Paskovics & Paul Harrison
June 8, 2010
Ah, the Legacy Collection. It was a collection of figures that literally blew collectors away. But it was plagued with the worst distribution woes of any Hasbro basic figure line to date. With a lot of finger-pointing from Hasbro directed at a significant loss of collectors, many of us quickly pointed back because we couldn't find the figures to purchase (and we definitely wanted them). Once the blue phase of The Legacy Collection finished up in June of 2009, collectors were chomping at the bit to see what Hasbro had in store for us for the following fall of the same year. When we saw all of the beautiful products previewed in July at Comic Con, we waited, and waited, and waited some more for the stuff to reach retail. And it disappointingly came a lot later than any of us expected (and also later than what Hasbro even forecasted). All that most collectors could find was The Clone Wars and the now-dreaded repeat Saga Legends figures. (Ugh, remember the days when Saga Legends used to be exciting? But we digress.) Depending upon your area, you may have seen The Phantom Menace wave in dribs and drabs, but it wasn’t until the tail end of October 2009 that the floodgates started opening for the new Legacy Collection product. But even then, distribution was extremely spotty and some collectors started seeing the Blockbuster Value sets even before the individual waves of figures. It was a frustrating time for all, but eventually there was ample opportunity to grab most of the figures. And many figures were purchased at a discounted price (and many of those purchases were the first time those figures were found at retail). However, the aggravation and difficulty finding them was well worth the wait. The red phase of Legacy Collection is quite an impressive collection indeed!
Some of the best Star Wars action figures of all time were included in the red phase of the Legacy Collection. From phenomenal sculpts to super articulation, the collection provided a vast array of cool characters. There was something in it for everyone. What’s more, each of the figures came with a bonus droid part (just like the blue phase of TLC) that enabled collectors to get more astromech and protocol droids into their collections at no extra charge (depending upon your point of view). Clearly the best pack-in to date, the "Build A Droid" program will be sorely missed and we hope it will resurface soon whether in Battle Packs, exclusives or basic figures. Almost a year ago, Jedi Temple Archives did a Special Report entitled A Digested Look At The Legacy Collection (in November of 2009) where we ranked our own ultimate 10 favorite action figures from the blue phase. We basically asked ourselves what figures we would absolutely need if we were stranded on a deserted island. It was a huge success, so we decided to do it again for the red phase. However, we have stepped it up into Super-Deluxe status and have asked our friends and colleagues from around the web to join in the ranking with us to create, for lack of a better term, an "All-Star" critics poll of our collective favorites. The panel includes your most favorite Star Wars sites on the web!
Please welcome warmly (in alphabetical order by site name):
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We are so proud and honored to have join us a seasoned team of journalists and colleagues (and probably the most eager Star Wars fans you will ever meet) for this unprecedented event. While so many sites have their specialties and niches, we wanted to do something special to break down the four corners of each of our sites (and the healthy competition that comes along with it) and do something together to share our love and passion for Star Wars and Star Wars collecting. Most of the sites were eager to hop along for this ride and we couldn't be happier to work with them. (And please, if you are from an another Star Wars focused fan site and would be interested in participating in something like this again, e-mail us of your interest. We believe we have reached out to everyone but if you weren't included, we will be sure to grab you next time!)
Now on to the ranking and how we did it! Just like last time, the rules were simple. Each candidate had to be from the red phase of the Legacy Collection and had to come with a droid part. Because 10 of these figures were just released in the blue phase of The Legacy Collection, they became ineligible this time around. These figures include:
Luke Skywalker [Stormtrooper Disguise] (BD01), Han Solo [Stormtrooper Disguise] (BD02), Spacetrooper (BD03), Jawa & Treadwell Droid (BD04), Obi-Wan Kenobi [EII] (BD13), Anakin Skywalker [EII] (BD14), Jango Fett (BD15), Saleucami Trooper (BD25), ARC Trooper (BD26) and Clone SCUBA Trooper (BD27).
And even the cancelled General Grievous (BD24) would not be a viable candidate if it saw release since it was to be a straight repack of TLC (BD 25). While all of these figures are incredible, we just didn't want them double dipping in this ranking. This left the final tally totalling 51 action figure candidates. This remaining pool included new repaints (like Darth Maul and Boba Fett) as well as running changes like the Cloud City Wing Guard in addition to all the "new" figures in the line obviously. Unfortunately, "Build A Droid" figures were excluded much to our chagrin for the simple fact that they didn’t come on a basic card with a BD number. We may just one day do a separate ranking on all those figures alone. Also, if a candidate came in a two-pack, the two-pack was ranked as one. (This rule would apply to the Ewoks (BD18) set for example.)
Of the 51 total possible candidates in this “competition”, 43 topped the "favorites" lists of the websites that participated, which left only 8 figures with no votes. (Can you guess which ones?) If you’re a statistics fan, you may find some of these points fascinating: the number 1 and number 2 spots were separated by only seven (7) points. (One vote could have changed this.) All figures in the Top 10 received at least 50% of the votes of the winning figure. Of the top 20 winners (all of which are included in this report in one fashion or another), 25% were from The Empires Strikes Back, 25% were from the Expanded Universe (including Concept Art), 20% were from Return Of The Jedi, 15% were from The Phantom Menace, 10% were from Revenge Of The Sith and 5% were from A New Hope. Also, for ease of reference, we are calling The Phantom Menace wave, "Wave 1" and the Expanded Universe wave, "Wave 6". We know many of you refer to these as Wave 8 and Wave 13 respectively and this is techinically correct. But we just want to make things simple and more organized here. (The Phantom Menace wave was the first wave in the red phase, the Return Of The Jedi wave was the second wave in the red phase, et. al.)
In addition to the ranking (10 all the way down to the number 1 absolute most favorite figure), we have provided links to the Research Droids Reviews and Visual Guides for each figure for your easy reference. We hope you will take some time to check out these features, exclusive to Jedi Temple Archives, too. If you're not already familiar with them, we believe you will be in for a real treat. And at the end of the Top 10 ranking, we also listed another ten, but this time they are the top 10 runner-ups that were just narrowly edged out of the Top 10 winning spots. Surely they deserve some sort of recognition too!
Extra special thanks to our colleagues and friends who participated with us! It was a great collaborative effort and we thank them all for their time to contribute to this Special Report. We just felt that having a broader range of voting this time around would give our top 10 a stronger meaning, and the community was exceedingly glad to assist us with this! We all have an undying love for everything Star Wars and to work together cohesively on something while still putting in your own two cents was something that was fun and enjoyable. We look forward to providing you with our summarized opinions again of other topics in the near future. And be sure to let us know if you have appreciated this post via e-mail or in the forums. And thank you, our readers, for allowing us to serve you in this capacity as well! We hope you enjoy our Special Report, A Digested Look at the Legacy Collection (Super-Deluxe Edition)!
The Top 10 Countdown
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Background
aliens will undoubtedly always be a mainstay in the 3.75" Star Wars
line. But within the last five years, we have received more "blink
and you'll miss it" Star Wars characters as action figures than
ever before. Rum Sleg, another surprise figure of the Legacy Collection wowed
collectors to unbelievable levels. A bright red space suit coupled with
cool weaponry and other accessories is always a guarantee that it will
be popular with collectors....and he was. Despite his striking resemblance
to Jason Voorhees (which many hardcore collectors are sick of hearing),
Rum Sleg is definitely one of the coolest aliens in The Phantom Menace and
definitely one of the best action figures in the Legacy Collection.
He may not have ankle joints, but he is complete in every other way and
has it where it really counts. We hope that Hasbro looks again soon to
Mos Espa for some more bizarre inhabitants to make their way into the
basic figure line. 
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K’Kruhk
was a figure than many fans and collectors wanted for years. We clamored
year after year for Hasbro to give this character the action figure
treatment he deserved. It finally happened, but he was relegated to
a "last minute" Toys R Us exclusive wave of figures which most collectors
never even saw in the stores. This is quite a terrible shame because
K’Kruhk
is perhaps one of the best designed action figures our collections
have witnessed in a long time. While he appeared in countless Expanded
Universe stories with a magic hat (or something like that), most
fans will probably remember him fondly for his rather brief appearance
in Tartakovsky’s
original Clone
Wars micro-series.
Tall and mysterious, powerful and cocky, K’Kruhk is one
Jedi that we love knowing has a bad and/or cranky attitude. Do what
you can to get this figure into your collections!
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What
else can be said for a flawless action figure interpretation of one
of Jabba’s henchmen? Nikto Gunner (formally known as Nysad) was
a breathtaking action figure in every way. While the prototype that
was presented at Comic Con was a little bit better painted, Nikto Gunner
was confirmation that Hasbro was intent on making the collectors the
priority with their collector-focused figures. They practiced
what they preached here and created a Nikto species action figure with
the greatest of detail and some really cool functionality. The large
cannon he came with attaches to the Tatooine Skiff (if you own one)
and even started up all new rumors that a sail barge would be coming
one day. It is certainly nice to dream. But the reality is here
now with this completely unbelievable action figure. This is one action
figure to thoroughly enjoy. 
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Many
of us were changed people with the release of all the McQuarrie concept
action figures of 2007. And as with anything we like a lot, we wanted
more and more of them. Hasbro didn’t give us too many McQuarrie
based designs since, but IG-88 from the Legacy Collection was
certainly enough to whet the appetites of most for a character that
absolutely needed to be included in the group. To have another concept
bounty hunter (and one that fought against the notorious Boba Fett
no less), Concept Art IG-88 is such a joy to add to any Star Wars collection.
With a stunning paint job, loads of articulation and an impressive
rendering of 2D into 3D by the sculptors who made it, IG-88 scores
high marks in ever category for collectors. All that we need now is
an Episode V Concept Leia and an Episode V Concept Lando (both from
The Illustrated Star Wars Universe book) to help round
out the concept art from The Empire Strikes Back. 
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Ralph
McQuarrie wasn’t the only artist to give his two cents to George
Lucas. Joe Johnston also provided his awesome sketches to many things
including the Snowtrooper which has now been captured in action figure
glory forever for collectors. Slightly reminiscent of a regular Stormtrooper,
the concept Snowtrooper has many unique elements of his own on the
armor as well. The action figure is loaded with articulation, has very
cool spiked snow boots and came with a soft-goods skirt, just to name
a few of his standout traits. Flashed with blue color on the chest
and helmet, this is one figure that elated fans and became a solid
favorite simply because of how cool it is. Apparently art isn’t
dead and we hope that the concept figures remain in the basic figure
line. And now it seems that collectors are hankering for more concept
figures based on the work of Joe Johnston. 
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Clearly
the best alien action figure in all of the Legacy
Collection,
Giran is one marvelous action figure. He even topped the lists of
many who participated in this Special Report and the top three of many
others. With a face sculpt that leaves most speechless, Giran has unparalleled
authenticity and accuracy to the character we saw in Return
Of The Jedi.
He nicely complemented another wave mate, Malakili, and they both were
just in time for the earlier released TARGET exclusive Jabba’s
Rancor with Luke Skywalker. Their release together in the same
case assortment only helped to solidify their friendship in Jabba's
palace. Giran is proof that Hasbro “can
do it” and we will expect them to maintain this high level of
quality in their action figures going forward, especially with alien
races like the Nikto. We have a lot to look forward to with Giran’s
distant cousin Wooof coming very soon in The
Vintage Collection!
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Are
you surprised that she isn’t number one? We are! Princess Leia
in her scantily clad Jabba’s slave outfit will probably be the
most desired female action figure of all time. Thankfully, Hasbro saved
the best for last (well, we suppose she
could be revisited again) with the release of an all-new version in
the Legacy Collection. But instead of just giving us a super-articulated
figure, Hasbro went all out and created a separate molded lower half
of her body for display purposes on Jabba’s throne (once that
gets released), something unprecedented until now. While
skeptics balked at the inclusion of a solid hunk of plastic serving
as the lower half of her body, the final results were so amazing that
it even impressed them. Princess Leia is quite a sight to behold (especially
in sitting mode) and with an incredible sculpt, pretty likeness and
tons of accessories, no fan boy can go wrong with her at all. How many
do you have in your collection? 
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Honorable Mentions
Many of our favorite figure were ever so slightly edged out of the Top 10 ranking. What follows below is a list of the next 10 most favorite figures of the entire panel. And because their comments were so good, we just had to include more of them here for you also. These runner-ups are listed in alphabetical order.
In
2006, collectors were treated to an all-new sculpt of the AT-AT Driver
in The Saga Collection. We weren't articulation snobs back then
and it really stood the test of time....for about three years. Hasbro
must have thought that the figure needed a little bit more work and
decided to attack the AT-AT Driver from the ground
up and made a definitive version both with ball-joints in the arms
and legs (among other places) as well as a removable helmet. There
were cries that the helmet was too big, but we take exception to that.
Just by looking at any reference materials should prove to
you that the scale is correct and it should sit a little bit bigger
on the shoulders. A figure that fans started army-building early for
the upcoming big/super-deluxe AT-AT in August 2010, it truly is the
best AT-AT Driver to date and we hope that Hasbro makes the different
helmet variations utilizing this exact mold.
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Hasbro
really didn't deliver a great "first version" Clone Commander
Cody in 2006's The
Saga Collection. It was decent and it sold like hotcakes and even
got shipped in many remix cases to meet demand, but it didn't have
any articulation in the legs save for the hips. All of this changed
in the Legacy
Collection.
Hasbro borrowed some of the parts from the 2006 figure but essentially
reinvented it to near "new figure" proportions. There were
some problems, as the upside down belt issue got overlooked....again!
And the dirt patterns that were shown at Comic Con were dropped to
save a few more pennies. (Boo! Hiss!) But the figure is a marked improvement
from 2006. The accessories alone make this figure an extreme value
and a worthwhile purchase. It is rare when we get a figure with ball-jointed
hips so count that as gravy here. Clone Commander Cody is absolutely
the definitive version for now, but we believe a little more tweaking
will render him flawless.
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The
Concept Art Ki-Adi-Mundi action figure was really a surprise figure
for a few reasons. Depending upon your location, he peg warmed shelves
more than most other figures. And ironically he ended up being one
of the best concept art figures we have ever received. Perhaps he
didn't sell as well because he looks nothing like the prototype that
was shown at Comic Con. Hasbro dropped the final wash on this figure
to disappointing results. But despite not getting the attention he
deserved, this figure remains one of our favorites and he complements
the Plo Koon figure (also released in the Legacy Collection)
very well. Clothed in a very cool Jedi uniform that we totally wished
would have been used in the film, Concept Art Ki-Adi-Mundi looks
totally bad with his eye patch and ammunition belt draped across
his chest. We hope that Hasbro can retain final washes on figures
somehow. This is one figure that absolutely needed it.
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Many
people criticized this "figure" almost immediately as being an accessory
and not an action figure. We scratch our heads over this. Darth Sidious
Hologram is exactly what we want to see from Hasbro every once in
a while. Would collectors rather see another piece of 3.75" blue
plastic instead? The Mechno-chair was incredibly awesome and it looked
better than Sideshow Collectibles' 12 inch scale version of it. We
probably would have preferred to get the Sidious figure cast in more
blue than purple, but we honestly don't care. This much needed figure/accessory
has been done in style by Hasbro and we think it is one of the best
basic figures they could have ever given us. From the spot-on bronze
color and the six points of articulation of the Mechno-chair to the
quite evil posture of the Sidious figure, this set has it all. And
how can you possibly complete any Naboo diorama without it?
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Oh
man were we thrilled when we found out that an updated Paploo was
on the way to us! Paploo got the short end of the stick when he was
released in the Toys R Us exclusive AT-ST and Speeder Bike set. But
Hasbro made right by this transgression and released this excellent
action figure in the Legacy Collection. We grow wary of hearing
all the "Ewok haters" say how this species ruined Return
Of The Jedi. We know you are buying these figures so just admit
that you love them already! Ewoks in general don't hang on the pegs
for long and it is evident that the love for them is getting
bigger and bigger. And we hope that a lot more are on the way. And
let's not forget about the heartwarming back story of Nho'Apakk.
Reports from Hasbro have already confirmed that various two-packs
and multipacks have already been put on hold (NO!!!) so we hope that
Hasbro really cranks them out in the basic figure line as an acceptable
alternative. While we wait and see, Paploo & Nho'Apakk
are two Ewoks that will absolutely make you a very happy collector.
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The
Imperial Scanning Crew was another figure that fans wanted updated
for a long time. First released as a pack-in to a collectors' carrying
case in The Power Of The Force line, the figure clearly wasn't
the best quality. Hasbro repainted the figure (who also happened
to be the Fans' Choice winner for the "38th" spot in the
line) for 2004's
The Original Trilogy Collection. And while the newly revised
paint job was spectacular, the figure needed help in many other ways
(like an all-new sculpt and better articulation). All that came to
pass in 2009 when a new take on him was released in the Legacy
Collection.
In fact, we were also promised a running change on this figure too.
The running change unfortunately was cancelled and has yet to be
slotted for release. But until it does, the Imperial Scanning Crew
is nonetheless a brilliant action figure that is definitely needed
if you own the big Millennium
Falcon. And if you don't own that awesome vehicle, you should
still get this figure for any Death Star diorama you have set up.
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| Jeremoch Colton (BD42) Revenge Of The Sith – Wave 4 – November 2009 |
 Episode
III was full of Original Trilogy cameos. Probably the one fans
looked most forward to was that of Jeremy Bulloch, Mr. Boba Fett
himself. While we are a bit surprised that this figure struck a chord
with so many collectors (and our panel), this is a figure that must
have received high marks for homage sake and not necessarily because
he was a well-made action figure. Utilizing the (quite poor) body
sculpt of the 2005 Revenge Of The Sith Bail Organa, we believe
that Hasbro could have chosen a better body to place Jeremy Bulloch's
head to make this figure a lot better than it turned out. Still,
it is a great figure to have and we are very happy that it has seen
release. Likely to never be revisited again, this may be the only
chance to get Captain Colton as this was more of a novelty figure
than one desired by the masses.
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David Syczylo (Sandtroopers.com): First of all it is Jeremy Bulloch the guy who played Boba Fett in the original Star Wars movies and it is an obscure character. I like the obscure characters along with any alien character and this one has hit a homerun. He can sit and pilot a ship or he can take you down with his blaster, a nice human character to populate your displays Arnie Carvalho (SWActionNews): I found all the unmasked OT cameos in the prequels quite entertaining, and this will be another great item to get signed at Star Wars Celebration 5! Adam Lamping (JediNews.co.uk): If for no other reason than the fact that it meant that we finally got to see Jeremy Bulloch's face immortalised in plastic, this one gets my vote, plus it allows for custom Fetts like the one produced by VolkerC. There should be little reason now for Hasbro not to produce a Lieutenant Sheckil figure at some stage in the future. Chris Spice (Sandtroopers.com): Once again an obscure character makes my list! In this case I have to attribute my friendship that I’ve developed over the years with Mr. Bulloch that makes this figure rank so high on my list. When we caught up to him at Chicago Comic-Con last year and showed him the figure was coming, you could tell he was pretty happy that it wasn’t just another Boba Fett. As kind as he’s been to fans over the years, it’s great to see him get a figure with his own head on it. I also would rather see more obscure characters released vs. another Darth Vader, Chewbacca or R2-D2. We have plenty of those characters don’t we? Check this out! |
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Surprised
to see a "repack" make it into the Honorable Mentions section
before an all-new figure? Believe it or not, the Snowtrooper got
a very high score in this ranking from our panel and it makes complete
sense why. Hasbro took the 2007 VTSC Imperial Stormtrooper (Hoth
Battle Gear) figure and made it better. Repainted in exact screen
accurate colors, Hasbro tweaked the Snowtrooper when they technically
didn't have to in order to satisfy hardcore collectors. Super-articulated
and painted beautifully, many collectors bought multiples of this
version of him because it was the best one to army-build. The area
below the eyes was darkened (or yellowed) as it should be and the
scuff marks and dirt on the uniform was newly applied in a new pattern.
To be honest, the Snowtrooper should see release every year. You
could probably never get enough for your collections and it is a
figure that impresses year after year with a sculpt that has seemed
to become timeless.
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Who
says that there is no power in the people? Part of a "collection"
of figures Hasbro said that they will never make, Willrow Hood got
his day in the sun in The Empire Strikes Back wave of the Legacy
Collection. Thanks to a petition started at JediDefender.com,
Willrow Hood was "years in the making" and has delivered
satisfaction to many beyond expectations. With a great likeness and
a totally awesome accessory, Willrow Hood will make your Bespin diormas
complete. His widow's peak was little bit extreme and his pot belly
in comparison to the rest of his body was a little bit exaggerated,
but Willrow Hood was very well made and clearly one of the best figures
of 2009. We hope you purchased him because he represents what it
means to be a Star Wars collector. And we also hope that Hasbro
will take more risks like this in the future because it
proves that collectors really do put their money where their mouths
are. Our voice does matter. It looks like we should
start joining forces now to get Jocasta Nu created next, huh? Hasbro,
please continue to listen to us!
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Just
bumped out of our Top 10 by a hair, Zuckuss was a clear favorite
by our panel. And he should be. Hasbro really perfomed well when
it came to this figure and it was extremely nice to get the final
bounty hunter updated from The Power Of The Force line done
in style. With an awesome sculpt and clever use of soft-goods, the
mixed media of this figure was a feat by Hasbro that deserves glorious
praise by all. Accurately colored, spectacularly sculpted and accessorized
perfectly, Zuckuss is one of the sharpest figures for our collections.
Likely a figure that won't need a resculpt any time soon, it is nice
to know that Hasbro has raised the bar and is truly making the best
figures they can for us. As a bonus, Zuckuss has been finished in
a wash that breathes realism into him that is utterly amazing. Hasbro,
please keep these washes in the paint operations. They make perfection
even better.
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About The Peanut Gallery
We thought you would also be interested in learning briefly about all the great minds that participated in this Special Report. Be sure to check out their informative fan sites too and read the plethora of information they provide for Star Wars collectors like yourselves.
Chris Bortz (Jedi-Business.com): Jedi-Business has been on the map for some time now, but has attained a whole new viewing audience when Chris Bortz joined the Hasbro Q & A session recently. Jed-Business is a haven for great reviews and detailed information about all the figures reviewed. It is a distinct pleasure to have him join all of us in this event compiling the list of the best Star Wars figures in the Legacy Collection.
Arnie Carvalho (SWActionNews.com): With two names that really need no introduction, there is probably not a more entertaining medium of Star Wars collecting than the humorous banter between Arnie and Marjorie Carvalho. One of the first podcasts that engaged listeners on a whole new level, this is podcasting at its best. Thoughtful, insightful and relevant, Star Wars Action News should be your weekly does of Star Wars. You won’t be the same! Arnie has been featured in many multimedia events and has been featured in quite a few clips on television showing off his Star Wars collection.
Marjorie Carvalho (SWActionNews.com): Marjorie is the much better half of the amazing SWAN duo and was the first to create a show based on the girly side of Star Wars. Breaking down barriers and stereotypes that Star Wars is just another boys hobby, Marjorie co-hosted an amazing show with Scott from Tulsa’s better half Deanna and proved that girl power is just as relevant. Quick-witted and possessing a laugh that is incredibly infectious, Marjorie gives SWAN a whole new voice and the show wouldn’t be the same without her.
Justin Cook (Yakface.com): Justin Cook, longtime staff member at Yakface.com, has been responsible for creating and coordinating one of the hobby’s most impressive and ultimately cool photo novel series on the web entitled The Enloe Chonicles. A customs expert, Justin has brought new and exciting Star Wars characters to the forefront of collectors’ consciousness and you just have to check out some of his creations to understand just what we mean. We are ecstatic to have Justin join us for this Special Report as he offers a truly unique perspective of his favorite characters in the Legacy Collection as both a fan of the original films as well as through the eyes of a customizer.
Chad Cobain (JediTempleArchives.com): Chad Cobain is the freshest face at JediTempleArchives.com and is lending his design expertise to assist us in the creation of our very popular Visual Guides. Chad is a long time collector despite being new to a fan site and it is such a pleasure to have him along for this ride.
Dan Curto (Rebelscum.com): If you only browsed the web once looking a fan collecting site, then the chances are pretty high than you ran across the name Dan Curto. Dan Curto is the main news gatherer, photo archives specialist and many other things at the web biggest Star Wars site, Rebelscum.com. And what makes Dan extra cool is that he is down to earth, extremely friendly and ready to talk Star Wars with about anyone who will listen. JTA just hosted an interview with him entitled Dan Curto: Sketch Card Artist and it is very exciting to collaborate with him again so soon as he picked his favorite figures in the Legacy Collection.
John Fagan (DewbackPatrol.com): The newest kids on the block, DewbackPatrol.com is quickly establishing itself as one of the friendliest Star Wars collecting sites on the web while providing collectors with a great source for their collecting needs. Their original and very cool Defining Definitive Figures column is gaining brisk momentum in the forum community while focusing their format as a Hasbro-only product site. John Fagan who also provides the site’s reviews and other features joins us for this groundbreaking gathering of sites. It is a pleasure to have him in this critique offering their opinions to the best figures in the Legacy Collection.
Jeff Gouse (Yodas News): Jeff Gouse, long time staff member at Yoda’s News, gives his two cents on the best figures in the Legacy Collection. Known for his in-depth product reviews, Jeff offers a unique layout and format for readers to learn about the various collectibles in the Star Wars universe.
Shawn Groves (ImperialShipyards.net): As a site that focuses strictly on the customizing talent of the masses, ImperialShipyards.net is full of ways to make Hasbro’s impressive line of action figures look even better. But that’s only if you’re willing to repaint and cobble them together with different parts. As s site full with unparalleled artistic talent and a great group of guys leading the way, ImperialShipyards.net is the site to visit if you’re looking for some very new and cool custom ideas.
Paul Harrison (JediTempleArchives.com): A collector who has been in this hobby since the re-launch in 1995 (not counting the vintage era), Paul Harrison didn’t make his presence known on the web until he replied to a “help wanted” ad at JediTempleArchives.com (but did leak store report and other info from time to time to the various sites he loves). Since joining JTA, Paul has brought a new energy to the site. He is pretty much entirely responsible for all the daily Research Droids Reviews you read and they have become quite a staple at JTA. And he is also the brainchild behind spearheading this collective Special Report and has wanted the various websites to come together for a while now. That has all come to pass and he looks very forward to the next collaboration which he hopes won't be very long away.
Jayson Krebsbach (Yakface.com): Known for his stunningly thorough Toyguide at Yakface.com, Jayson Krebsbach quickly established himself as the main news gatherer at one of the longest running fan sites in the Star Wars universe. Witty, artistic and always willing to help out, Jayson’s respect for his readers and friends is truly unique and much appreciated by all in the hobby. We are extremely honored to have such an esteemed colleague as he partakes in this Special Report with us.
Nick LaBate (JediTempleWarRoom.com): Nick LaBate is someone with a wealth of knowledge of Star Wars information. Able to recall the finest details of some background character in the Expanded Universe to the “blink or you’ll miss them” characters in the Star Wars films, Nick is responsible for maintaining and distilling all of the rumors at JediTempleWarRoom.com. Intellectual, precise and possessing an unbelievable amount of passion for Star Wars, Nick gives his awesome insight on his favorite figures in the Legacy Collection.
Adam Lamping (JediNews.co.uk): We were very eager to get some opinions from across the pond about what figures were the very best in the Legacy Collection. Adam Lamping from JediNews.co.uk stepped up to the plate and joined this all-star cast of Star Wars fan site writers for this project. Adam hones his great writing skills on what figures tickled his fancy the most and we are so excited to have him join in on the banter. His site was the first to release four new images of figures from The Vintage Collection coming out this August! We’re not worthy! We’re not worthy!
Adam May (GalacticHunter.com): Inflammatory, eccentric and an extremely talented writer, Adam May offers his expertise on what figures should be worthy of Top 10 status. Responsible for breaking (probably) the biggest Hasbro Star Wars story ever on the big Millennium Falcon at GalacticHunter.com, it is an honor to have him join us in our presentation of the Legacy Collection’s cream of the crop. If you don’t already, you should make it a point to check out his frequent Galactic Blogger posts whenever possible. They are very well written and definitely have the ability to make you laugh quite hard.
Pat Newell (ImperialShipyards.net): Pat is the other main guy at ImperialShipyards.net and we are extremely pleased to have him join us in this Special Report. He too works for a great site that really steps up the quality of the Hasbro line thanks to the great artists out there. As a site laden with unparalleled artistic talent and a great group of guys leading the way, ImperialShipyards.net is the site to visit if you’re looking for some very new and cool custom ideas.
Chuck Paskovics (JediTempleArchives.com): Mr. Numero Uno himself at JTA, Chuck offers his perspective on what figures just wowed the pants off of him. His trademark Visual Guides have become one of the most relied upon collector references in the industry. With an unprecedented amount of detail and clarity, the Visual Guides definitely provide a unique tool for collectors. It is great to have him join this parade of the best figures in the Legacy Collection.
Adam Pawlus (GalacticHunter.com): If you are old or new to Star Wars collecting fan sites, you know the name Adam Pawlus. Who doesn’t wake up first thing Monday morning and run to Galactic Hunter to read Adam’s very entertaining and informative Q & A? Adam has been a mainstay in the collecting site universe and many have stuck like glue to him through his many travels. Possessing a widespread knowledge of the most detailed Star Wars things that few others can claim to know or recall, his Figure Of The Day segment has evolved into an amazing feat and huge fan favorite column. And with Figure Of The Day exceeding over 1000 entries, his work is clearly unprecedented. Moonlighting at Entertainment Earth during the day (which he claims is his real gig) Adam is also a contributor to his own website 16bit.com and a few other websites as well. We are thrilled to have him join us in this Special Report.
Chris Spice (Sandtroopers.com): Could there be a better name for Chris Spice? If variety is the spice of life, then our lives are filled with lots of variety at Sandtrooper.com! What a character Chris Spice is indeed! From his humorous visual reviews online to his quirky news and forum posts, Chris Spice is one memorable person and an extremely vocal and passionate fan. Sandtroopers.com has the longevity of few other sites and he has kept it going strong for years now. If you want to be entertained while loving your favorite passion, Sandtroopers.com is the place for you.
David Syczylo (Sandtroopers.com): More commonly known as Boba Binks at Sandtroopers.com, David serves the site well by being very quick at posting the latest Star Wars releases via his very cool and artful Sandwatch Guides. A hardcore collector to the bone, David is also a prop specialist as well as having a knack for making some pretty cool customs. Attending conventions whenever possible, David also brings the latest news to the forefront of Star Wars consciousness. David gives us his expertise in this special report and even though he is the world's only Jar Jar Binks fan we are just as thrilled to have him on board!
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Addendum
If you liked our A Digested Look at the Legacy Collection (Super-Deluxe Edition) Special Report, we bet that you will like many of our other Special Reports including:
Dan
Curto: Sketch Card Artist (We Interview the Man Himself About His Gig With Topps)
2010:
The Year We Make The Rest (A Vintage to Modern Comparison)
A
Digested Look At The Legacy Collection (JTA Ranks the Best Figures
in the Blue Phase of The Legacy Collection)
Bantha
Tracks Archives (We Have Almost All the Original Bantha Tracks
Archived Here)
A
Timeline and Guide to Collecting Hardback Novels
A
Timeline and Guide to Collecting Trade Paperbacks
All Other JTA Special Reports Can Be Found HERE.
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And if you liked what you saw here, keep up to date with us by joining our Facebook page and be sure to visit our other main features including our extremely popular Visual Guides and Research Droid Reviews. And we would be thrilled if you joined our forums at Jedi Temple War Room.
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