A Certain Point of View: Writing, Film and Stuff

© John Atkinson Wrong Hands Recently, Harry Turtledove - the author of such alternative history novels as Guns of the South and Ruled Britannia - posted his #70sChristmasList on Twitter: #70sChristmasList Harvest gold refrigerator Avocado stove Betamax Quadraphonic sound system English Leather, or maybe Brut Cargo pants for the guys Hot pants for the women Platform shoes A leisure suit A case of Miller Lite Or of US-brewed (aka ruined) Löwenbräu Inspired by Mr. Turtledove's whimsical wish list for the Christmas/Hannukah holiday season, I've decided to share my own wishlists as they would have appeared over the past 40 or so years . Note: The lists reflect my particular tastes and circumstances at the time, and include items that I ended up receiving for Christmas and/or birthdays, was surprised with on occasion or ended up purchasing myself. (In the case of the 1970s, which reflect the Christmas season of 1978, I earned an allowance of $5-per-week by doing chor

Han Solo (from Solo: A Star Wars Story ). Photo Credit: Hasbro, Inc. and Lucasfilm Ltd. (LFL) In April of 2018 , a month before Lucasfilm's Solo: A Star Wars Story premiered in theaters, Hasbro officially released Star Wars Black Series: Han Solo as part of one of its "waves" of action figure assortments. This figure represents the first sculpt of the young Han Solo as portrayed on film by Alden Ehrenreich; Hasbro has made at least one more variant ( Han Solo - Mimban ) in his Imperial infantry gear, but this one depicts everyone's favorite Corellian orphan-turned-scoundrel as he appears in the latter half of Solo: A Star Wars Story.   Han Solo reinvents himself after leaving behind his old life. Now, Solo is growing increasingly comfortable traveling with law-benders and scoundrels. - Hasbro character description Although Solo: A Star Wars Story was not successful at the box office, it's still part of the overall Star Wars canon. and Han - no matter if h

Photo Credit: Hasbro, Inc. Packaging design ©2018 Hasbro, Inc. and Lucasfilm Ltd. (LFL) When I began to collect Star Wars action figures in 1978, I decided that I would not try to be a "completist" and stick to the small 3.75-inch scale figures that were all the rage when Kenner introduced them early that year. Even at the age of 15, I suspected that I'd never be able to afford every collectible Kenner produced, let alone every collectible made by all of the other licensees that belatedly jumped on board the Star Wars bandwagon in the late 1970s and early '80s. I couldn't afford it all, and even if I could, where would I store it? Over the years, my collection grew from two action figures (R2-D2 and C-3PO) and one vehicle (Luke's Landspeeder) to several hundred figures and at least 15 vehicles, most of them in the aforementioned 3.75-inch scale collections made by Kenner Toys and its eventual parent company and successor, Hasbro. And as toymaking tec

Photo Credit: Gofigureactionfigures.com. (C) 2008 Hasbro, Inc. and Lucasfilm Ltd. (LFL)  In 2008, three years after the premiere of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Hasbro released a series of multi-figure sets called Battle Packs. Similar in concept to the Cinema Scenes from Kenner/Hasbro’s The Power of the Force 2 and Star Wars: Episode I lines and the later Star Wars Saga collection’s Screen Scenes, the Battle Packs in the Star Wars Legacy line blended multiple figures and a photorealistic backdrop to recreate scenes from the Star Wars movie series, The   major difference between the Star Wars Legacy sets and their precursors from older product lines is that they featured more than three action figures per set.   The average number of figures per set was four, although some, including Clone Attack on Coruscant, came with five action figures and their accessories. Hasbro produced 16 “wide release” Battle Packs and two “exclusive” sets between 2008 and 2009.

Photo Credit: Rebelscum.com. (C) 2003 Hasbro Inc. and Lucasfilm Ltd. (LFL)  The Jedi High Council is the main interface between the Jedi and the government of the Republic. The twelve High Council members are chosen from the ranks of the Jedi Masters and represent a gathering of great minds who have proven themselves and their abilities in the service of peace and justice. – Package blurb, Jedi High Council 2, Star Wars Saga Collection Screen Scene Pack During the first quarter of 2003, Hasbro released the second wave of its revamped Star Wars collection of action figures, vehicles, creatures, and other toys and collectibles based on the popular franchise created by George Lucas. The Star Wars line – which was dubbed the Star Wars Saga collection by various collectors even though Hasbro never officially used the moniker on the new logo – featured many products based on Star Wars – Episode II: Attack of the Clones, but it offered toys and collectibles from the other films as w

Photo Credit: Rebelscum.com. (C) 2003 Hasbro, Inc. and Lucasfilm Ltd. (LFL) The Jedi High Council is the main interface between the Jedi and the government of the Republic. The twelve High Council members are chosen from the ranks of the Jedi Masters and represent a gathering of great minds who have proven themselves and their abilities in the service of peace and justice. – Package blurb, Jedi High Council 1, Star Wars Saga Collection Screen Scene Pack One of the exciting things about the Star Wars prequel trilogy and the Star Wars: The Clone Wars television series was learning some of the lore of   how the Jedi Order operated in the waning years of the Old Republic. We saw some of the prominent Jedi Masters and their Padawan apprentices in action, learned about the Jedi Code, and witnessed how the Jedi High Council was outmaneuvered and eventually destroyed by Darth Sidious and his minions. . Hasbro's Star Wars Saga Screen Scene Pack: Jedi Council 1 features three

(C) 2004 Hasbro, Inc. and Lucasfilm Ltd. (LFL)  The bone-chilling cold is not the only danger that awaits a traveler on the Hoth plains. Despite standing over two meters in height, the Wampa ice creature is nonetheless a stealthy predator. Camouflaged by its white fur and the howling Hoth winds, a Wampa surprised Luke Skywalker while he was on patrol and dragged him to its cave as his next meal. When the Jedi freed himself, the Wampa fought him - and lost an arm in the struggle. – Product blurb, Wampa (Hoth Attack) I've been collecting Star Wars figures for 40 years, and even though my collection is far from being even close to complete, I own enough of the small action figures to know that the quality of the figures has improved over the past two and a half decades. Not only are the 21st Century Hasbro figures more detailed than their 1978-1985 Kenner Toys counterparts, but they also now include little "extras" that make them more attractive to adult collectors

(C) 2004 Hasbro, Inc. and Lucasfilm Ltd. (LFL)  Luke Skywalker (Hoth Attack) Action Figure While patrolling on Hoth, Luke was savagely attacked by a Wampa and dragged by the ice creature to its cave, where he was suspended from the ceiling in anticipation of becoming the Wampa's next meal. Luke used the Force to retrieve his lightsaber from the floor of the cave and freed himself from the ice entrapping his leg. The Wampa attacked again, and Luke fought the vicious creature, escaping only after severing one of the Wampa's arms. – Product blurb: Luke Skywalker (Hoth Attack) Action Figure Luke Skywalker has had a very bad day on Hoth. While on a routine mounted patrol on the surface of the ice world Hoth, the young Rebel Commander had spotted what looked like a meteor falling from the sky. Before he could investigate, the huge clawed paw of a hungry Wampa Ice Creature slammed him off his tauntaun and knocked him out. When Luke regained consciousness some time

"The walls are moving!" Photo Credit: www.toyark.com  (C) 2002 Hasbro Inc. and Lucasfilm Ltd. (LFL) Luke, Han, and Chewie infiltrate the Death Star to free Princess Leia. While making their escape, they dive down a garbage chute and become trapped in a trash compactor with a hungry dianoga. Then the walls begin to close in on them, and our heroes are caught in a tight squeeze! - Manufacturer's blurb, Death Star Trash Compactor 1 & 2 In December of 2002, Hasbro Inc. released Death Star Trash Compactor 1 & 2, two separate multi-figure sets that, when put together, form a single diorama that recreates the iconic sequence in Star Wars - Episode IV: A New Hope that pits Han Solo, Chewbacca the Wookiee, Luke Skywalker, and the recently rescued Princess Leia Organa against the double threat of a hungry dianoga and the converging walls of the Death Star's trash compactor.  Originally introduced as a Walmart exclusive in Hasbro's December 200