The original 12 Kenner Star Wars action figures hit all of my nostalgia buttons full-force. It was the greatest thing to be a kid when the first Star Wars movie hit theaters and the first action figures started hitting toy shelves. It was a "magical" time.
I'm a vintage toy collector but I'm also an illustrator, as well. I've been working on some sketch cards for Topp's upcoming Empire Strikes Back Widevision card set and it has had me dwelling on that galaxy far, far away a bit more than usual. This has led to some discussions about Star Wars toys with fellow blogger Chunky B at Eclectorama.
We both thought it would be fun to find the best looking and best articulated modern versions of Kenner's original 12 action figures from 1978. I've started a meager collection of counterparts for some of those original 12 figures and a stray figure or two that weren't in the original 12. It's great to have them hanging around on the drawing desk for inspiration. I haven't collected these small figures since the Power the Force line back in the late 90s. So, it will be fun to dig back through the last 10 years of Star Wars action figure evolution and pick out my favorite doppelgangers for the original 12. I know that Chunky B and myself may have differing opinions about the "best" figures but I'm sure we'll probably end up choosing at least a few of the same figure for our modern vintage original 12 collections.
Hopefully, this will end with 12 great little versions of the first 12 Star Wars action figure characters and a detailed run-down of which figures were chosen and why. A custom, vintage-inspired stand to display them on may also be in the works. Stay tuned.
To see my past feature on the original 12 Kenner Star Wars action figures go HERE.
I spy an open Mattel WGSH package in the background!
ReplyDeleteand so it really begins, this is going to be fun-derful!
That's not an open WGSH package. That's my MOC clear-phase Martian Manhunter. You don't have that one yet?
ReplyDeleteHey Brian, wow, I checked your website, that is some serious internet ownage, and your stuff is amazing. Do you use any reference in your work, and where do you find it? By the way who did your website?
ReplyDeleteHi, Jon... Thanks for the kind words. I do use reference. In most cases, I find a friend or family member and force them to act goofy in front of a camera.
ReplyDeleteI designed the look of the site and a friend of mine (Mark Johnson) made it all work, move, and what-not.