Not only is he one of the most enjoyable folks to follow on Twitter, always ready to chat the Wars (as well as his lifelong love of Baseball) but like so many of us, author Jason Fry fell in love with Star Wars while playing with those original and much-loved 3 3/4″ action figures. Writing over at StarWars.com, he delves into that very tactile and creative relationship he has with the saga that began decades ago.
This was 1978, and Kenner had only made 12 figures — Luke, Leia, Han, Chewie, Obi-Wan, C-3PO, R2-D2, Darth Vader, Stormtrooper, Death Squad Commander, Tusken Raider, and Jawa. That decision was how I learned about sales tax (the price tag at the toy store said $1.99 but you needed $2.13 at the register) and to budget. It also super-charged my impulse to not only collect but also be a completist: These days I collect not just action figures but also baseball cards, music, and books.
But collecting figures also super-charged my interest in Star Wars and storytelling. I’d fallen in love with George Lucas’ movie the previous summer, but back then the saga only consisted of one film and a monthly Marvel comic book. I turned to my action figures to invent the new stories I craved, but I had to start small: I only had enough allowance money to buy two.
So which two should I buy?
The obvious answer was Luke and Vader, but some precocious instinct told me that those two characters meeting was the climax of a good story, not its beginning. So I followed Lucas’ lead and bought C-3PO and R2-D2, who spent a few weeks wandering and bickering until I’d saved up enough money to get Luke.
Luke’s arrival opened up new possibilities, but I didn’t have any villains. So my new trio spent lots of time exploring planets made of LEGO and couch cushions in search of Jedi secrets. Next I got a stormtrooper, finally giving my stories an antagonist. And on I went from there, until there were three Star Wars movies and I had amassed an army of figures, vehicles, playsets, and accessories.
- Hardcover Book
- Davisson, Zack (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 192 Pages - 11/08/2022 (Publication Date) - Dark Horse Books (Publisher)
