My first Star Wars figure, the 40th anniversary edition

Star Wars may have turned 40 last but it took another whole year before Kenner cranked out the first 12 figures. For reasons I don’t remember I chose a bad guy. As my brother and I accumulated more alongside Fisher Price’s Adventure People, this figure usually had two roles in my numerous space operas: some tech on the good guys’ Battlestar or an officer of the Stormtroopers fighting the good guys.

It’s amazing how much technology has improved the likeness and accuracy of this background character the heroes gun down rescuing Princess Leia or blew up with Luke’s lucky shot to destroy the Death Star. Below is what I was thrilled beyond belief to get it 40 years ago at Ayr-Way in Champaign-Urbana, IL…

The Kenner people did a good job compromising on what they could re-capture with the technology of the late Seventies, the helmet isn’t even close. I’m guessing they made the outfit gray because the little details wouldn’t show up in black. They did keep the belt. This guy received a promotion too thanks to the red and blue stripes on his uniform. The 10/11-year-old me didn’t care. The above version was close enough. Besides, the movie wasn’t available on easily-accessible technologies (the Internet, VCRs) for the general public to accurately nitpick with one exception, the trading cards

I wasn’t alone in thinking about getting extra Death Squad Commanders to repaint into Rebel troopers. The Adventure People fireman were what I had to use. Back then I would just need white paint to change the helmets, blue for the shirt, a tad of black to make the vests and brown for the pants. Somebody went further by attaching the head of the DSC to a repainted General Madine figure. Impressive!

Before I close, I will answer one burning question. Yes, I will take the figure out of the “box,” since all toys are meant to be enjoyed, not hoarded. Much like comics, the only way you’ll make a profit collecting things is by finding someone dumber than you, usually.

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