 The Superhero Celebration will be held this weekend February 4-6th in Hillside, IL just outside of Chicago. As a Special Door prize for the attendee's they will be giving away one of these Limited Edition Busts of Christopher Reeves each day of the convention 1 entry per admission. Prize Donated By Dullam/Causey the creators of our Exclusive Christopher Reeve Tribute Statue. These will be Limited to a Total of 5 with each one signed and numbered by the Sculptors. Perhaps if any of you are in the area you may want to check out the show. Thanks to Sandtrooper Dean for the info. |
 “Hey Troops, Donna from So Cal. The preview figs have hit early at both Target and Wal-mart. Wal-mart only had Grievous and Wookie but Target had all four of the wave. I was also able to pick up all four of the Titanium die cast vehicles at Wal-mart. Lastly, a couple of weeks ago, I posted finding the Target Leia cups for $2.48. Well, they are now going for the final price of $1.24. Happy Hunting to all!”Theloneswlady@aol.com |
- click above to enter - Stunning new artwork for the upcoming video game Republic Commando was recently unveiled on the Official Site. Read how concept artist Greg Knight put together some of the fascinating artwork for this squad-based first-person shooter, and see some of the wonderful artwork he has come up with here. |
 Attending Celebration III requires you to be wearing a badge at all times, but that really isn't so bad with the new style of Celebration III badges. There will be a total of five badges with the following characters on them: Darth Vader, Padme Amidala, Mace Windu, Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi. If you are an adult you will have a badge with a realistic photo of one the five characters just mentioned (depending on what day you will be attending the show), but if you're a child you'll be wearing a badge with the Clone Wars Cartoon version of those characters. Not only will wearing a badge let staff know you've paid admission to the event, but it will also be used for hole-punching for exclusive items like the talking Darth Vader figure. And if you think these are cool enough to collect you can purchase the entire set at the Celebration Store. For more information go to the Star Wars Celebration III site and read the full article here. |
 The Official Site has announced the worldwide release dates for the upcoming Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. The movie will be released on May 19th in the United States and Canada, but some of the countries will be releasing the movie on a different day. Something that personally bothered me is that the movie will be released on May 18th in France, Switzerland and Uruguay. Don't you think it would be released earlier in the US and Canada? See the entire list here. |
 The highly successful cartoon mini-series from Cartoon Network, Star Wars Clone Wars, will be coming out on DVD on March 22nd. The Official Site has released the cover art for this highly anticipated DVD, which is just as stunning in detail as the cartoon itself. Even the DVD itself is has the stunning artwork of two major one-on-one battles... Anakin Skywalker verus Asajj Ventress and Obi-Wan Kenobi versus Durge. Read the full news release and see more detailed images of this DVD cover art here, and share your opinions about it in our forums. |
 Coming this Spring will be nine new PEZ dispensers to collect, all packaged in the same ROTS theme with Darth Vader and lava lurking in the background. The nine that will be produced are Boba Fett, C-3PO, Chewbacca, Darth Vader, the Death Star, Emperor Palpatine, General Grievous, R2-D2 and Yoda. There will also be a special edition Emperor Palpatine dispenser, which will have a glow in the dark face and will be limited to 50,000 pieces. That piece will also be a Wal-Mart exclusive. Read more about this here, and be sure to talk about these in our forums. |
 The mastermind behind the artificial intelligence of the Republic Commando squad, John A. Hancock (Senior Engineer), has written up the third diary entry for the game that is scheduled to be released March 1st. His primary objective was to make sure it wasn't too difficult to control or manage your squad of commandos, but at the same time to make the leadership role that you'll play as close to real combat strategy as possible. Read the full journal entry here. |
 Is the Force strong with you? Are you ready to fly to another galaxy far, far away? Ready to make the jump to hyperspace? Well, if you said yes to any of those questions then you're ready to check out the new Jedi Force visual guide, brought to you by fellow staff member Boba Binks. Hope you enjoy! |
 “Here's a quick report for today from Lake County, IL:Wal-Mart (Gurnee, IL) “has the new Clone Wars Anakin, Grievous, & ARC Troopers. The Clone Troopers were sold out. KB Toys (Gurnee, IL) “also has the Clone Wars Anakin, Grievous, & ARC Troopers. They too were sold out of Clone Troopers. That's all for now. Later Troopers.” wrightcombo@juno.com |
 Hasbro has recently announced another new toy lineup called the Micro Vehicles series. The packaging is incredibly detailed, with a picture of Darth Vader looming in the background, holding the toys in his hands, and molten lava is launching in the background. The packaging is very similar to the Revenge of the Sith action figure packaging, except this isn't in the same "bullet" shaped blister. Each package will come with two micro figures and two micro vehicles. These will be a Target exclusive, and are expected to be released in April. Read more about this here, and be sure to talk about these in our forums. |
![[Click to Enter Action-HQ]](http://www.action-hq.com/action-hq/images/newsletter/graphic/270105_new_4.gif) Action-HQ is bringing the best to you first with RotS and RAH Medicom 12-inch Luke Skywalker. New this week is Anakin's Jedi Fighter for $29! Shipping out tomorrow are collection 1 of Revenge of the Sith and on Monday 31st is super-realistic 1/6 scale Luke w/accessories. Also shipping tomorrow is Transformers Alternator ShockWave, Energon Deluxe Barricade, Road-block & Redeco Starscream, and Universe Deluxe LongHorn, Cheetor & FrostBite. Other new items this week: Godzilla, Microman, Saint Seiya, Evangelion and much more! |
 Well just when I open my mouth and let my fingers do the typing...I was able to score a full set of the ROTS Preview figures this morning at one of my local Wal-Mart stores. They broke the street date and put out 2 cases of figures. I picked up a full set and then an extra Grevious and Wookie. Not much else to report. No one else has added anything new since my report 2 days ago. But now I am just waiting on the Preview Ship and the ROTS stuff. Still have a few OTC needs: Cantina #2 and Darth TIE Fighter. Drop me an email. Hunt'em Down Troops.”swfan_bcs@hotmail.com |
| The Official Site has revealed on their website the opening crawl to the most anticipated movie of all time, Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. If you would like to read it you're more than welcome to by clicking here. This could be SPOILER material, so click at your own risk! To read the full article click here. |
 “Troopers, I took to the streets once again in my determination to find all four Episode III Sneak Preview figures. My persistence served me well as I not only found the four figures, but multiples of the R4-G9 droid and an Animated Yellow Clone Trooper. While it took me stopping at several Wal-Marts and Toys R Us stores, I did prevail! No luck on spotting any Anakin Starfighters yet though. Looking for some Gentle Giant busts if anyone's got some to sell/trade. Sandtrooper Jetfire out!”jetfire_99@yahoo.com |
| Hey there Troops. The anticipation is growing. I have read some reports of fellow troopers finding the ROTS Preview wave at retail. No such luck here in Central TX yet. But today as I was leaving my local TRU, the store manager pulled me aside. She wanted to show me some new Star Wars items she had in her office. Well of course it was the ROTS Preview wave. Nice looking stuff. The packaging is not as unpleasant as I was expecting. It?s actually OK. The figures looked pretty nice too. Excitement! Anyway she told me that she could not put them out until Feb 1st. So it seems TRU (mine at least) is holding to the Street Date. It seems that some Wal-Mart stores are not. But I think these guys will be pretty easy to get once they hit. So it begins... Now for the rest of the lot. TRU - Other than my sneek peak, not much. A few of the POTC Cantina wave. Also a few VOTC and OTC 12-inch left among the stock. Lots of Jedi Council scenes. Falcons, TIE and X-Wings still there also. Target - Remnants of POTC Canitna and Naboo. A few Unleashed. Lots of peg space. New Tatooine Galactic Heroes waves. Wal-Mart #1 - POTC Canitna Wave. New Animated wave. A few stragglers from the clearance of OTC & SAGA figs. Galactic Heroes Tatooine wave. Unleashed Rehash Mace, Dooku & Vader. Wal-Mart #2 - No basic figures. Some Animated Wave. Some Unleashed. Mainly empty peg space. They have lots of the Titanium Die Cast here.(those are a lot smaller than I thought.) So that about sums it up Troops. The tension is growing for all of the new ROTS toys. I am still in need of a few items if any can help out. Cantina Set 2, OTC DV TIE Fighter.I have some things for trade. Drop me a email. Hunt'em Down Troops.” swfan_bcs@hotmail.com |
 Hey Troops, Sandwatch Action Figure Reviews have been updated. Well we have TWO, YES TWO brand new, never before made figures kicking off the new Star Wars year. Yarua is the second surprise in 2005. I feel like there should have been a Luke, Han or Darth Vader somewhere. I realize it's almost a Chewie but it's not. See if this walking carpet passes your inspection. Did it pass mine? Feel free to offer your own feedback about the POTC collection. Until then enter if you dare! |
 “Hey Troops, I still have 2 Vintage Original Trilogy Boba Fett figures available, and 1 Vintage Original Trilogy Yoda available for cost plus shipping. There HAS to be someone out there who needs these! They are C 8.5 to C-9 I'd say. Email me and we can work something out.”sithryan@msn.com |
 Visit the Republic Commando's official website and explore new sections dedicated to Enemies, Weapons, Vehicles and the elite Delta Squad! You can also grab desktops, buddy icons and a screensaver in the Downloads section. Members Exclusive: Visit the site on Friday and be among the first to download original music from the game! Five of the fifteen tracks include English lyric translations that expose the cryptic, Ancient Mandalorian text.Text taken from the LucasArts Newsletter, Issue #52. |
| New Titanium Die Cast Metal Vehicles: Slave I TIE Fighter X-Wing Fighter Millennium Falcon New 2005 figures: Sandtrooper #12 Scout Trooper #13 Stormtrooper # 11 Feltipern Trevagg Cantina Encounter #6 Myo Cantina Encounter #7 Dannik Jerriko Cantina Encounter #8 Luke Skywalker Dagobah Training #9 Darth Vader - Death Star Hanger #10 Han Solo Mos Eisley Escape #14 Yoda Dagobah Training #16 | New Clone Wars Season III: General Grievous ARC Trooper Durge Asajj Ventress Anakin Skywalker Mace Windu Obi-Wan Kenobi Pre-Order Revenge of the Sith Preview Figures: General Grevious Tion Medon Wookiee Warrior R4-G9 50% Off Freeze Frame Figures |
- click above to enter - Fellow Staff Member Boba Binks has added another wonderful image to the Gentle Giants Busts guide, and the new addition is the United Kingdom Exclusive Edition Chrome Stormtrooper. Feel free to view all the other busts here, and talk about them in our forums. |
| “Troopers, after digging myself out of 12" of white powder, I braved the winter weather to make a toy run to some local stores in search of the new EIII Preview figs. After hitting a few Targets, Wal-Marts, and Meijers, I came up empty. Only things new out there were the new LEGO sets at my Toys R Us. Speaking of LEGOs, I did find the minatures AT-AT and gunship sets, which I had passed on when they first came out. That's it, but be assured I'll continue hitting the stores daily until I find those preview figs. On a side note, I'm looking for some Gentle Giant busts to trade for. Sandtrooper Jetfire out!” jetfire_99@yahoo.com |
 Today I made a stop in at Toys-R-Us and saw two new Lego sets. Set 7263 which is the OTC TIE Fighter with Darth Vader for $19.99. When you push down on Darth Vader's head his lightsaber glows red. The other is set 7256 which is the Episode III Jedi Starfighter and Vulture Droid for $19.99. Also besides the Legos Toys-R-Us did stock the OTC Cantina wave of figures and The Clone Wars Animated figures. Keep your eyes open and Happy Hunting.david@sandtroopers.com |
 Lucasfilm and Hasbro finally let the cat out of the bag and announced the identity of the Celebration III exclusive action figure. It should be no surprise that with the creation of Darth Vader in the Revenge of the Sith movie, that we would get an exclusive Vader figure. Lucasfilm and Hasbro take it to a whole new level by adding a special feature with a new dimension. Not only will Vader's physical appearance cast a shadow, but so will his voice. James Earl Jones takes to the mic again as the legendary voice of Darth Vader to record new phrases exclusively for this special CIII figure. Read more about this here. |
| The Boston-based town known as City Year was one of ten cities selected to host a special charity screening of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. The movie will be shown on May 12th, which is exactly one week from the release date of ROTS. It has yet to be determined as to which theater will host the event, and ticket prices have also not yet been determined. Read more about this here. |
 "The One-Man Star Wars Trilogy has returned to Chicago, where last year his show was sold out throughout its duration. The man behind the show, 30-year-old Charles Ross (a Canadian actor), does a performance in which he squeezes George Lucas' original trilogy movies into 55 minutes, and the show comes complete with character impressions, key dialogue, sound effects and battle re-enactments. He is performing at Chicago's Apollo Theater through February 14 (Fridays at 10:30pm and Sundays at 6pm). For more information call (773) 935-6100 or go to his website.Yours truly, dustrho, will be covering the show this Sunday night at 6pm, and I am hoping to bring back some great material to share with everyone here. I've been told picture-taking is not allowed, so I am not anticipating having any pictures of the event to share with people here. So, stay tuned for more on this event. |
| Gentle Giant Items In Stock: Dewback and Sandtrooper Statue ?179 Luke on Tauntaun Statue ?TBC Chewbacca Statue ?139 Darth Vader Statue ?139 C-3PO gold-plated Statue ?139 Sandtrooper Chrome Mini Bust Han as Stormtrooper Mini Bust Stormtrooper Chrome Mini Bust IG-88 Mini Bust ?35 C-3PO gold-plated Mini Bust ?35 Princess Leia Boushh Mini Bust ?35 Padme Amidala Clone Wars Maquette ?69 Yoda clear Bust-Ups exclusive ?3 each Coming Soon: Unleashed wave with Aurra Sing, Stormtrooper and IG-88 ?19 Tomy mini statues series 3 Sneak Preview figures Ep3 Animated figures wave 3 | New & Recent Arrivals: Yoda Lifesize Bust by Rubies ?159 Kubrick wave 3 ?59 set of 6 Holiday Jawas ?15 Galacic Heroes Stormtrooper 2-pack ?8 each Galactic Heroes wave 4 ?7 each Galactic Heroes Padme/Anakin ?3 Luke Stormtrooper bust ?89 Count Dooku bust Gentle Giant ?39 Action Fleet wave 3 ?10 each Kotobuliya Boba Fett ?59 Kotobukiya Han Solo ?59 Sale Items: 50% off all Saga items OTC Jedi High Council Scene 1&2 as a set for ?25 VOTC Figures (set of 12) ?109 12-inch VOTC 3-pack ?79 Battlefront Scout Trooper ?11 |
 For fans looking to display a bit of Force fashion, StarWarsShop.com is excited to offer the new jade and silver Darth Vader lightsaber pendant from Noble Wealth. Hewn from solid jade, the pendant features a silver lightsaber hilt plated with platinum Electroplate, sturdily suspended from a 24-inch necklace. The saber is fashioned distinctly after that carried by Darth Vader, and measures 60mm. Lending a measure of distinction worthy of Darth Vader's force-wielding skill, the pendant adds a pair of beautiful ruby gemstones to the hilt. The price on these are $199 each, and they will start shipping in March of this year. Also available are Mace Windu, Yoda, Luke Skywalker. To order yourself one click StarWarsShop.com. |
 The man behind it all, George Lucas, is supposedly afraid that the upcoming Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith won't do as well as previous Star Wars movies, because ROTS will be so much darker and much more evil. Rick McCallum told the British movie magazine Empire, "When it comes to predicting grosses, George is absolutely mad. That's probably his way of dealing with the anticipation that any film can fail. But I think, really, truly, this film won't." Read the full article here. |
 Dateline: Scalper's heads are flying faster than Ronald serves two all beef patties with a sesame seed bun. “Went by the local TRU on Friday and saw that a truck came in. I ran inside and let out a sigh of pity, as the Marvel Legends rack was bare. I go to the customer service area and find out that the boxes will be put out Saturday. I call at 10:15 Saturday morning and inquire about ML 8. Yes we have them is the reply...but only 1 Captain America and 1 Storm. I got them both but the fact that ONE case came in and was either scooped or scalped in 15 minutes is frightening and frustrating. At least there are only 3 months until Episode III figs occupy my time. Not much in the Omaha area to report. Post-OTC wave sprinkled here and there, remnants of Clone Wars (the same figs from last year no ARCs, or Greivous and #$%^ where's my Obi Wan in Clone Armor). I have two favors to ask. I am looking for a VOTC 12-inch Boba Fett and the Transformer Energon Dinobot 2-pack. Any help would be appreciated cost plus shipping, trade, etc. If someone could hook me up I really appreciate it. Take care troops! On the Highlander tip cuz there can only be one; and scalper's heads are flying faster than Ronald serves two all beef patties with a sesame seed bun. Lin Que out.washingtonss@cox.net |
 I found out some more about the Lego Star Wars game. As you may know, the game takes place in Episode one all the way to Revenge of the Sith. In the game you take the roles of roughly thirty characters and you can switch characters in the middle of the game. Each character has special abilties too. Like Amidala, for instance, has a grappling hook to get to otherwise unreachable places and R2-D2 can hack into computers. Bad part though, there is no talking, only strong facial features and body language. This looks like a really fun game.snipe@sandtroopers.com |
 Hey Troopers, we have word on a non-Star Wars related show in the upcoming months. The Superhero Celebration will be held February 4-6th in Hillside, IL just outside of Chicago. As a Special Door prize for the attendee's they will be giving away one of these Limited Edition Busts of Christopher Reeves each day of the convention 1 entry per admission. Prize Donated By Dullam/Causey the creators of our Exclusive Christopher Reeve Tribute Statue. These will be Limited to a Total of 5 with each one signed and numbered by the Sculptors. Perhaps if any of you are in the area you may want to check out the show. Thanks to Sandtrooper Dean for the info. |
 Hey Troops, Sandwatch Action Figure Reviews have been updated. It is a brand new year and we have the wonderful surprise of a brand new figure to add to our collections. Pablo Jill is the first figure released in 2005 and Hasbro didn't drop the ball this year. With something like this it may be possible to look forward to what is to come. Revenge of the Sith will also help fight rehashing. Feel free to offer your own feedback about the OTC collection. Until then enter if you dare! |
 The Official Site has just released the cover art for the upcoming movie, Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. The image is so incredibly detailed, and seeing Darth Vader standing there is very powerful. The book is scheduled to be released on April 2nd, and there will be three other books released at the same time (The Making of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, The Art of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, and Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith Graphic Novel Adaptation). To read the full article click here, and be sure to express your thoughts in our forums . |
| New Titanium Die Cast Metal Vehicles: Slave I TIE Fighter X-Wing Fighter Millennium Falcon New 2005 figures: Sandtrooper #12 Scout Trooper #13 Stormtrooper # 11 Feltipern Trevagg Cantina Encounter #6 Myo Cantina Encounter #7 Dannik Jerriko Cantina Encounter #8 Luke Skywalker Dagobah Training #9 Darth Vader - Death Star Hanger #10 Han Solo Mos Eisley Escape #14 Yoda Dagobah Training #16 Unleashed Re-stock: Darth Vader | New Clone Wars Season III: General Grievous ARC Trooper Durge Asajj Ventress Anakin Skywalker Mace Windu Obi-Wan Kenobi OTC Figures: Imperial Trooper #38 Darth Vader #29 Gamorrean Guard #30 Bib Fortuna #31 Lando Calrissian #32 Princess Leia #33 Darth Vader #34 Lando Calrissian #37 50% Off Freeze Frame Figures |
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 It was an interesting search around Lake County, IL the last couple days. Target in Waukegan, IL had the Post-OTC wave one and the re-hashed Cartoon figures. I didn?t see the Darth Vader Sprinklers anywhere, although were there on my last trip through. The scalpers are way too thick around here, no $12 dollar Falcons as reported in Wausau, WI earlier in the week. In fact there were no Star Wars items left on the clearance racks. Toys R Us also had Post OTC, both waves minus the three new Cantina Aliens. Toys R Us in Gurnee did a good job of pushing their inventory out the door as well. I?m really looking forward to the onslaught of new product seeing it?s been kind of slow since just before the Holidays. Hopefully some of you are running into some new items and having better luck than I! Good luck to you all, United We Find. |
| “Greetings troops! Can anyone hook me up with 2 Animated General Grievous? I need one for myself to keep carded, and one opener. Can anyone help? Also- Kmart has up 12 pegs labeled episode 3 preview figs, so be watching those Kmart stores!” sithryan@msn.com |
| “Troopers, after a long drought of empty pegs and VOTC Kenobi's, I finally have something worth reporting. The Holland Meijers filled 10 pegs with the new Animated Figures today! There were more than enough ARC Troopers and Clone Troopers to go around. They also had the Playskool Luke/Speederbike and the Galactic Heroes X-wing on the shelves. That's about it from my area as stores have been very slow since the holidays. Looking for some Gentle Giant busts or army builders to trade for if anyone's got some to spare. Thanks to those working on hooking me up with some of the POTJ vehicles. Sandtrooper Jetfire out!” jetfire_99@yahoo.com |
 Have you ever dreamed of filming your own Star Wars related movies, pretending that perhaps someone out there will discover your talents, and offer you a job producing films in Hollywood? If you think you have what it takes, then you should enter the 4th Annual Star Wars Fan Film Awards, which will be hosted by AtomFilms and Lucasfilm Ltd here.Here's the timeline for this event: People who enter this year?s Fan Film Awards will compete for the George Lucas Selects Award, which comes with a cash prize of $2,000 and the recognition of George Lucas, who selects the competition?s best film. Feel free to talk about this event in our forums. |
 Some people have asked, "What is the best special effect in cinema history?" With so many movies using digital technology to make special effects, it would be hard to narrow it down to one, as being the best special effect in cinema history. SFX Magazine recently ran a poll asking this question, and the winner of that poll was the opening scene from the very first Star Wars movie, Star Wars: A New Hope. The scene had the Imperial Star Destroyer racing to capture the Rebellion's Tantive IV. Read the full article here and share your comments in our forums. |
| Gamespot has recently written up a preview for the upcoming video game Star Wars: Republic Commando, which is due to be released on March 1st. In this preview, Gamespot talks about Factor H, armor paint, and the variety of personalities amongst the different Commandos. Basically all clones are suppose to have the same personalities, but the Commandos started to show their own individual characteristics. Where the Kaminoans happy about this? Not at all. In fact, they were going to recondition the entire batch, but Jango Fett wouldn't allow the reconditioning of these "different" Commandos. If you want to learn more about Jango Fett's decision, read the full preview here and talk about this in our forums. |
 The man behind the popular and successful animated series Star Wars: Clone Wars, Genndy Tartakovsky, has been doing some exclusive interviewing with Now Playing Magazine. Of course Tartakovsky can only reveal so much about the next season without upsetting the folks at Lucasfilm, but he was able to reveal just enough to whet our appetites. If you're interested feel free to read part 1 and part 2 of the interview, and then you can express your feelings in our forums. |
 In May of this year the final installment into the Star Wars saga, Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, will be shown in theaters across the country. Of course the wait in these lines will be long, just like it was for the previous prequel films, but one Star Wars fan is determined to be the first in line for ROTS. Jeff Twieden has setup camp out in front of the Cinerama Theater in downtown Seattle, and he isn't afraid of the freezing cold weather. He made the news back in 1999 when he and another fan camped out for months in the very same spot to see Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. Read more about this here. |