First Annual Photo Competition.
Panicked action figures walking out on strike upon learning of outside submissions.
If you only look at the pretty pictures on this website (I couldn’t blame you) well you might have missed some important details in the last post.
What’s all the hub-bub you say? I’ll tell ya! We’ve got ourselves a geniune compy-tition underway!
Now accepting submissions for photos of any vintage figure or figures in the cockpit of any vintage ride (I prefer Star Wars of course but if you’ve got a compelling reason to bust out, be my guest).. I’ll post all worthy items on this site and we’ll put it to a vote. Obviously it has to be your own work to qualify. Deadline is Feb 1 for submissions. Entrants, please use the form below when you have something and I’ll forward along posting instructions.
Note that this is the first call for submissions ever on this blog. Don’t miss out on this chance to take part in history! Plus it’s winter, what the hell else are you gonna do? PLUS there may or may not be a special prize at stake for the winning entry! Holy shit!
Boba Fett, Pt. 2
Boba Fett, Pt. 2 (Vintage Boba Fett, Vintage Slave 1)
It’s been on my mind for a while to capture a dramatic shot of the vintage Boba Fett behind the wheel of his Slave 1. The photo posted earlier this week is exactly that (and it’s one of my recent favorites as well) but it really doesn’t tell the story of how well Boba Fett and his cockpit work together.
Turns out getting that done isn’t so easy.
With the awkward angle of the Boba Fett figure while he’s sitting in the pilot’s seat (and the dark-tinted plastic he’s behind while sitting there) the challenges abound for both composition and lighting. I shot a bunch of different angles but it really came down to this one. It’s not my favorite work but it has something to offer just the same.
Has anyone else seen a good shot of the vintage Fett fully loaded inside his Slave 1 cockpit?
Maybe this should be a submission challenge for anyone inclined to take it on. Lord knows someone out there must have the chops to come up with something better. Hmmm… yes… so it is written:
Now accepting submissions for photos of vintage Fett inside of the vintage Slave 1. Wait, that’s too restricting. Let’s say any vintage figure in the cockpit of any vintage ride (I prefer Star Wars of course but if you’ve got a compelling reason to bust out, be my guest).. I’ll post all worthy items on this site and we’ll put it to a vote. Obviously it has to be your own work to qualify. Deadline is Feb 1 for submissions. Entrants, please use the form below when you have something and I’ll forward along posting instructions.
Note that this is the first call for submissions ever on this blog. Don’t miss out on this chance to take part in history! Plus it’s winter, what the hell else are you gonna do?
Boba Fett, Pt. 1
Boba Fett. (Vintage Boba Fett, Vintage Slave 1)
This struck me as an interesting profile of the vintage Boba Fett action figure. Unusual because his trademark body suit and armor is completely obscured. It’s all about the helmet which, let’s face it – even at 3 3/4″ scale – is completely badass.
Snowspeeder Deconstructed.
Snowspeeder Deconstructed. (Vintage Snowspeeder)
A few weeks back I had some spare time on a Friday morning so I decided to have a go at taking apart my vintage Snowspeeder in order that I might fix the electronics inside. I mean, it’s winter after all. Every self-respecting Snowspeeder owner should be able to shoot laser beams if the occasion calls for it.
As is often the case with taking apart old toys, the exercise turned out to be much more about cleaning than actually fixing. After I finished removing the dust and grime I couldn’t help but notice how beautiful the parts looked. Clean, yes, but more than that the disassembled lot of parts almost seemed to come alive. Decades-old secrets finally revealed.
So it goes without saying: if you collect this stuff and have ever thought about getting under the hood to see what’s inside, I say go for it. It’s a rewarding experience on many levels. And specifically if you want to pull apart your vintage Snowspeeder to fix the lights and sounds, chances are all you need to do is get down to the tiny motor and assist it in turning a few times while you hold down the button. Once it’s freed up a bit you’ll be amazed how quickly it returns to its original action.
Oh, one last thing. After I took this photo I noticed that one part did not make it into the frame. Are you Star Wars geek enough to know which part it is? Be the first to name it in the comments below and you just might win a cool prize. (One guess per person please.)
Darth Vader.
Darth Vader. (Vintage Darth Vader, Vintage Stormtroopers, Vintage Death Squad Commanders)
Leia’s Midnight Ride.
Leia's Midnight Ride.
(Vintage Luke Skywalker in Battle Poncho, Vintage Princess Leia in Combat Poncho, Vintage Han Solo in Trench Coat, Vintage Paploo, Vintage Wicket W. Warrick, Vintage Speeder Bike))
This marks the first time I’ve photographed the vintage Speeder Bike.
As toys go it’s a fairly genius design that features a tension bar for holding the action figure’s legs into place, steering flaps on the rear that articulate in conjunction with the bottom struts, and of course the best – a secret button that explodes the whole shebang.
Those Biker Scouts never see it coming!
Not Easy Being Greedo.
Not Easy Being Greedo. (Vintage Greedo)
It’s too bad Greedo gets extinguished less than one minute into his epic role in Star Wars. I thought he was a pretty rad guy. He didn’t quite have the snappy outfit of, say, Boba Fett, but for entertainment value he was the hands down winner. His dialogue opposite Han Solo revealed without a doubt that he was indeed equal parts scum and villainy; the consummate lackie for El Jabba. It makes one wonder as cool as Boba Fett was looked, how much more so could he have been if he’d actually been given some dialogue beyond the arrid and utilitarian quips he’s known for:
“As you wish”
“He’s no good to me dead”
“What if he doesn’t survive?”
“He’s worth a lot to me”
“Put Captain Solo in the cargo hold”.
In truth Boba Fett comes off as a pretty boring dude. I’ll take my beer with Greedo any day.
Well-Armed for the Rebellion.
Well Armed for the Rebellion. (Vintage FX-7)
It’s a rare case among vintage Star Wars action figures that a character was packaged without a weapon. I believe it came down to Anakin Skywalker, Han Solo in Carbonite, and of course all the droids.
This droid, the venerable FX-7 from the Empire Strikes Back, was no exception. What he lacked in terms of a cool blaster he more than made up for with 8 robo-arms that you could either have fastened to his side or popped out for droid-at-work mode. Also featured was a telescoping head just in case FX needed to get the jump on any creeping-up creeps.
The Rescue Plan, Step 2.
The Rescue Plan, Step 2. (Vintage Bib Fortuna, Vintage Leia in Boushh Disguise, Vintage Chewbacca)
I Want My MTV-7.
I Want My MTV-7. (Vintage MTV-7 Mini Rig, Vintage AT-AT Driver)
I debated long and hard about whether to go with this photo or an alternate photo that includes the MTV-7′s steam-rolling wheels in all their glory. On the one hand, by coming in a little tighter like this, the mini rig’s body details really come through with alarming immediacy. On the other hand, without the awesome wheels the MTV-7 loses a significant part of its charm.
Obviously this one took the cake in the end.
