Star Wars and merchandising go hand in hand ever since the release of the first film all those years ago. Hasbro maintains that legacy with their various lines of toys in the franchise. At this year’s San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC), we spoke with designer, Chris Reiff, and brand manager, Jing Houle about the process of making the products we love.
It can be a difficult process choosing which characters and sets should be built for both the Black Series and the Vintage Collection. Reiff shared his thoughts on that delicate balance to appealing to die hards and more general fans.
He said, “The deep cut and those really hardcore collectors are the foundation of things. We definitely still want to deliver stuff that’s unique for that group. What really keeps the line alive is the broader audience. It’s a constant balance of all that, and we work really close together to make sure that we’re answering a little bit for everybody, but making sure it stays a nice, healthy, balanced line.”
Houle added, “What I think is unique about Star Wars is that it has such rich, steep history, and it has such passionate fandom. There are fans that like what they like and they have the nostalgia around what they like. With new entertainment, we keep getting new fans. Little ones and big ones. There’s so much that we touch, and we’re lucky we have that wealth of entertainment to go by.”
Looking at the year ahead, Houle discussed their approach. “it’s really building stories as much as we can…It’s just creating stories and building content and having something to really lean into as a cohesive story and unit. We want to continue building those worlds.”
“We want to continue building those worlds,” Reiff agreed. “The Blurrg is a continuation of even he Razor Crest that we did before. We’re not walking away from any of the worlds that are out there, but finding the right time and the right pacing to do all that stuff without forgetting or letting anything else go by.”
Speaking of the Blurgg, lets dive into the reveals during SDCC. There were several new figures from the Vintage Collection line including Jetpack Trooper, Grand Admiral Thrawn, Ahsoka Tano (Peridea), and a deluxe Cobb Vanth (Mandalorian Armor).
Then we have the Blurgg & The Mandalorian pack along with The Armorer’s Forge playset. The latter includes Armorer (Lakeside Covert World) and Grogu figures.
Cassian Andor, Dedra Meero, the deluxe IG-12 & Grogu, Imperial Armored Commando, and Ahsoka Tano (Peridea) are arriving this fall from Star Wars: The Black Series.
We also received a closer look at the Vernestra Rwoh figure announced at the Star Wars: Stories from a Galaxy Far, Far Away panel. Finally, Bazil (Jedi Order Tracker) was announced who will launch in Spring 2025.
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