SPEAKING
JAPANESE
No, its
not Ewokese, Tuskenese, or Huttese.
Review by Pablo Hidalgo
Star Wars: The
Action Figure Archive
by Eimei Takeda and Seiji Takahashi
Published by Neko Publishing Co., Ltd.
There's a nebulous quality called "must have" that publishers put on books geared towards science fiction fans. I'll be honest and tell you that Eimei Takeda's Star Wars: The Action Figure Archive is not a "must have." At least, not for everyone.
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The Archive is the latest in a series of truly amazing Star Wars books first published in Japan. It follows such impressive works as From Star Wars to Indiana Jones — The Best of the Lucasfilm Archives and the mighty Star Wars Chronicles. What is it about the Japanese fan-base that creates the demand for such prestigious books, while us North Americans have to wait patiently for the translated versions to be published?
Well, if you can't wait, and end up tracking down a Japanese copy of this book, you're in for a treat. As I said before, it's not a "must read." In fact, it's not even a "read" since I suspect most of you are not familiar with Japanese. But this book is proof that pictures really are worth a thousand words.
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PICTURES
NEED NO SUBTITLES...
The 170-page softcover trade paperback-sized
book is full-color throughout, and packed cover-to-cover
with some of the rarest Star Wars images ever
published. While the book is ostensibly a guide to the
Kenner action figures new and old, it's the rare
behind-the-scenes and reference photos that stand out.
Never before have we seen detailed photos of the Imperial advisors, or the gleaming black Imperial astromech droids. Never before have you seen Prune Face, the probot, Romba, Lumat, Weequay and more spotlighted in such detail in these rare background photos. Fans of minutiae will love the weird pics of Moff Jerjerrod getting zapped by an Imperial Royal Guard, or the strange first-draft Wampa Ice Creatures cut from the final film.
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The book is a treat for collectors who insist on keeping all their figures trapped on card. Front-and-back larger-than-life photos showcase the exacting work of Kenner sculptors. Every new figure up to Luke Skywalker (in Ceremonial Outfit) is covered, as are the promotional figures like the Spirit of Obi-Wan and deluxe figures like Smuggler Pack Han Solo. Full color pictures of all known figure and packaging variations accompany each action figure entry The larger 12-inch figures are also featured, as are all the playsets, vehicles and accessories.
While the book seems geared more to POTF2 collectors, the old school Kenner stuff gets impressive coverage. All the old Kenner stuff — figures, playsets and accessories — are featured in glorious, crisp full color images. Included are the Droids and Ewoks figures as well, and rarities such as the Gargan figure, the unprinted Power of the Force cards, and foreign packaging variations.
A PRICE ON ITS HEAD SO LARGE...
The biggest strike against this book is that it
is hard to find, and therefore pricey. I paid $75
Canadian to get a signed copy, but I couch this by
confessing I'm the kind of fan that didn't blink at
shelling $200 Canadian for Star Wars Chronicles.
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You do get a lot of astounding images and reference photos for your money, though the book could've have used a better stock for printing. The paper seems very flimsy and tends to show off flaws, nicks, and thumbprints rather easily.
And just to be picky, another problem with a book of this kind is that it's immediately out of date as soon as it sees print. At the rate Kenner is producing figures, expect up to 25% new material by the time the American edition comes out (which of course means if you're going to buy the Japanese edition, then you'll have to buy it again when it's translated.)
So this book is really for completists. If you can live without seeing stunning photos of the B'omarr monk puppet, rare Snaggletooth photos and humorous shots of Harrison Ford, Peter Mayhew and Carrie Fisher half-heartedly posing for action figure reference photos, then you can skip it. Or wait for the American version to come out and see for yourself what you've been missing.
(Pablo Hidalgo is a freelance writer and illustrator living in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He is a frequent contributor to West End Games' Star Wars and Men In Black roleplaying products. This is his first article for ECHO STATION.)