I had the pleasure this afternoon at SDCC, to sit down and interview Tom Gilliland, the VP of Product Development and Creative Director of Side Show Collectibles. Mr. Gilliland was probably the friendliest, most knowledgeable, and most willing to talk (and talk about future plans, no less) Star Wars licensee at the entire show. It was a true pleasure to sit down and chat with him, and learn of the direction this line will likely take over the next three years, beginning in early 2005. Tom seemed to have a definite feel for the pulse of the hobby, and about "collectors" and Star Wars in general. I think that should assure you potential Sideshow collectors that you'll indeed be in excellent hands with this particular Star Wars line. So without further ado, here's some juicy information as to what we can expect to see out of the future of this line...
First 5 figures:
Luke (seen at SDCC, in prototype form)
Han (seen at SDCC, in prototype form)
ANH Vader (dueling pose w/ saber up)
Obi-Wan (dueling pose probably, which can interact with Vader to a degree, moveable hood)
ANH Leia
There will probably be some exclusives for their website later on, which will offer a slight twist to some of the above figures, such as probably having the same Han, but with a Stormtrooper belt and blaster included. They weren't quite sure what the Luke "variation" would be yet though.
Highly probable figures after that: Boba Fett, Yoda/Dagobah Luke 2-pack, R2-D2/C-3PO 2-pack, Darth Maul, Qui-Gonn Jinn, X-Wing Luke
Other tidbits:
Production runs will likely be approximately 1,500 to 2,500, depending on how "main" the character is. Once the edition size is set, that's it - no more! Sideshow is considering doing some minor characters in the future as well (such as Bib Fortuna), which would likely have a lower production number.
Price Point: $225 and up (higher for the more intricate maquettes, and 2-packs)
They're experimenting with adding electronics right now, like to things such as the lightsabers.
Finally, and this is the best part, these guys have an attention to detail like I've never seen or heard of before. Tom commented to me that they just recently noticed that a portion of Han's "real" belt had 3 notches, as opposed to the 2 notches that they originally thought, so they're fixing that right away. Expect these pieces to be HIGHLY detailed and damned near PERFECTLY accurate in every single way.
JediDefender thanks Tom for his time, as do our readers, I'm sure. Tom did add a disclaimer to all of the aforementioned news, in that it's all subject to final approval, so nothing is set in stone just yet. You know the deal: "Products and colors may vary..." But at least this should give you an excellent idea as to the direction they plan to take with this line. Sounds like the Side Show line will be one of Star Wars' finest. Can't wait!
Don't forget to check out our pictures of the Luke and Han maquettes from the Side Show booth down at SDCC too!
