"Brown Snake" Yoda with RotJ Cardback plus GW Acrylic Case!

                                                        

So a twofold post for today - a new figure and a review of the case I picked up for it. The figure is straightforward of course, just a variant of the familiar ESB Yoda. The main difference is the accessory, and it gives its name to the variant - "Brown Snake Yoda". This example is a very nice one, correct figure, correct accessories, complete, and with the original cardback. Score!                                            

                                                  

The cardback is actually quite nice, unpunched, intact POP, and not too badly damaged around where the bubble was torn off.

This is a 77-back RotJ card, of course. Near the end of the vintage run.

Let's have a closer look at the case, it's from GW Acrylic. This is a really cool way to display a figure with cardback. 

There's an internal "platform" that positions the loose figure right where it would be if this was a sealed MOC, and a small indentation in the stand to fit a one-inch base. It all fits together quite seamlessly and is really a great display solution. Cost is about $30USD.

Now let's look at the figures! This of course is the "usual" orange snake variant. Note the lighter green skin and light brown cane.

The brown snake variant is most often found with darker green skin and a dark brown cane, and has distinctive "pac-man eyes". According to jeditemplearchives.com these are correct for the brown snake variant, which has been found on all but ESB-32B and -41A, B, and -D cardbacks.

Here are the two together. Quite different looking aren't they! And the snakes are different in ways other than colour. The orange one is pretty stiff while the brown snake is much more rubbery and flexible.

The orange-snake Yoda is from my own childhood collection, but nowadays genuine brown-snake Yodas command a significantly higher market value than orange-snake examples. Accessories for both are also super-expensive, I've seen people asking $60USD or more for just a cane. Best to buy one complete and if you can get a cardback with it like I did, so much the better!

YPS Snowtrooper "Der Stormtrooper des Imperiums"

I didn't start off my collecting life playing the "variant game" but after completing a loose figure run, it's kind of inevitable that interest would increase in production variants like brown-haired Lukes, grey-haired Obi Wans, and turtlenecked Leia Bespins :-)

But one of the coolest variants around has to be the YPS Snowtrooper. This little fellow's story begins with "YPS", a German kid's magazine that included "gimmicks" (giveaways) poly-bagged with the book. Issue #510 from 1985 featured the "Stormtrooper des Imperiums" as the gimmick, with a comic story featuring him in the magazine itself.

Notice anything different? That's right... many of the SdIs came with a different weapon, from Palitoy's "Action Force", although the regular blue Snowtrooper rifle was packed with some instead.

Another difference was the cape. Note round holes as opposed to slits in the Kenner version.

Here's a clearer pic of the Action Force weapon.

COO on the YPS figure was scarred.

The Snowtrooper is already one of the awesomest Imperial figures in the range and the weapon found with the YPS variant makes it that much cooler. Very common in Germany but rarer elsewhere, they're still available on eBay but you can expect to pay a premium... but worth it!

Image credit: Comic Vine - Game Spot

Turret/Probot Playset

You may not have guessed this, but there is an aspect of the Turret/Probot playset that is the subject of some controversy. The debate apparently centres around whether the "Probot" is really an action figure and should be included in a "loose figure run". Personally, I think that figures that are part of a playset, like Jabba the Hutt or the Dianoga, shouldn't be included as part of a loose run. Perhaps there's a clue from Kenner...

AHA! "Action Figures Sold Separately"! I guess we can definitively say that the Probot isn't an "action figure" then... although I doubt this will convince the die hards on the other side of the debate. Like student politics, "people are so passionate about the issue because the stakes are so low."

In any case, on to the playset... one of the earliest in the ESB line with a copyright date of 1979, the T/P Playset consists of four main parts - the base, turret bottom, turret top, and Probot figure.

There was even some "action" in this playset too - as shown above, kids could move a lever to shake the rod precariously supporting the Probot, tipping it off. "I didn't hit it that hard, musta had a self-destruct."

Some great play features shown here.

Plus a movie still on the end flaps!

Here we go with the live tableau! As I've noted before, the farther we get into the range, the more extravagant the box-art play scenarios get in terms of toys. Here we've got Han Hoth, four Rebel Soldiers, Darth Vader, and five Snowtroopers!

Here are some close-up looks at the box side images. Probot vanguards the Imperial assault.

Rebel Soldier sneaks into the turret.

Peeking out the turret hatch.

I hadn't noticed this before, but the box art shows Han with a "Bespin blaster" rather than his traditional smuggler piece. The main box art picture has him with this different gun as well.

Copyright notice is the most detailed one I've blogged yet: "(C) CPG PRODUCTS CORP / BY ITS DIVISION KENNER / PRODUCTS / CINCINNATI OHIO 45202 / CAT. NO. 38830 / CAV. NO. ONE 722001 / (C) LUCAS FILM / LTD. L.F.L. 1979 / REV. 11"

Lots to unpack there... notably the "REV. 11" notation (revision number 11?). Presumably this is the only revision to make it into production but I'd be curious to see if any readers have a T/P playset with a different revision. Also, "LUCAS FILM" as two words!

To sum this one up, I really like the playset. Mine has a remnant price sticker on it of "$10.97" and I reckon that the value was there for kids. Whether re-enacting the first encounter with the Probot, the all-out Imperial assault on Echo Base, or some other Hoth scenario that took place off-screen (a remote Rebel outpost attacked by a rogue Probot maybe?) this playset brings the goods. You can even use the Probot independent of the rest of the playset. Maybe Probot has landed on some other non-Ice Planet??

Make sure, though, that if you buy one, your Probot has the full complement of legs! They are detachable from the body and can be tough to find loose.

Till next time on the Ice Planet!