December 2008 - Every couple of weeks, Hasbro will answer three questions per web site about their Star Wars products. Here are the questions and answers for the latest round:
1. Do the same factories that produce Star Wars produce GI Joes, too? If not, when can they start? :) I ask because soft goods jackets, detail, etc can be applied to Joes and Cobras, and vice versa with articulation, and that would be a nice cross-pollination of toy concepts.
Answer: The GI Joe team may be looking to achieve a certain aesthetic for their figures, and soft goods may or may not play a role in that. That's a better question for their team, as we don't comment on other brands' efforts... just our own. However, the materials selected are due to design, and not any particular factory's expertise.
2. What is the policy on creating figures based on "no-named" characters? Is it possible for us to get an generic "Imperial Commander" or a "Rebel Hoth Trooper" that isn't based directly on a named character? Or does Hasbro feel that the fans need the name? I'm looking forward to getting Lt. Renz, but I'd hate to think that he's going to be the only black-tunic'd officer representative in my Imperial army.
Answer: Our preference is to make generic troopers whenever possible, especially when they are the rank and file troops. The Rebel Hoth Trooper coming next year, for instance, will be generic. It's a little trickier when it comes to commanders (both Rebel and Imperial) since they are individuals, and we prefer to give them names when they have unique personas. Since there are so many "unmade" commanders still, or commanders that need to be upgraded, we prefer to stay in this vein for a while rather than go the "generic" commander route.
3. The decision to make the latest B-Wing with squadron colors from the Rebellion comic series threw many for a loop. At a time where the design team seems to be having some fun with designs, is it possible to see some fun repaints of older vehicles? I for one would love to see Wedge's X-Wing in his Bacta War paint job.
Answer: What can we say - we loved the collaboration with Dark Horse that resulted in the creation of the Dagger Squadron and the very cool "origin" story for the B-Wing. As for Wedge's X-Wing, we would likely do his iconic EpIV X-Wing first.
