It’s my honour and great pleasure to share with fellow Fantha Trackers, a recent interview with my friend, fellow Star Wars fan, vintage action figure collector and author Javier Ruilopez.
FT: Hola Javi, mi amigo, many thanks for joining us here on Fantha Tracks, how are you?
JR: I am fine thanks! I really appreciate being invited for an interview with Fantha Tracks!
FT: Could you share with us your earliest memories of Star Wars?
JR: Yes, sure! My first memory is when my Grandfather took my brother and me to the toy shop. My brother picked up a Tie-Fighter Pilot, and I picked a nice AT- AT Driver!
FT: Which was your most cherished childhood Star Wars action figure and why?
JR: I love the Boba Fett character, and I am lucky enough to have the figure from my childhood.
FT: Have you managed to hold onto your childhood Star Wars collection?
JR: Yes, although only 15 figures from childhood survived, they are the most valuable items in my collection.
FT: Your recent Star Wars action figure book, PBP/Poch Made In Spain, ‘The Knowledge of a whole life of Spanish collecting, in your hands’ is a fantastic book, a must have reference guide and would complement any vintage action figure enthusiasts library.
Foreword by Star Wars action figure luminary and fellow author Stephen J Sansweet, which calls out the unique PBP/Poch subject matter. What was PBP/Poch?
JR: PBP was the Spanish brand that made the Star Wars action figures for Spain and also for exporting to Europe and the USA.
FT: What inspired you to begin writing your book?
JR: To be honest, it was an attempt to address misinformation, and protect collectors from sellers who were taking advantage in the lack of knowledge of the recently “discovered” Poch line.
FT: A true labour of love, how demanding was it to translate your lifetime of PBP/Poch knowledge into an informative and collectible book?
JR: I spent almost 6 years developing the book, from early investigations through to the final composition. The visual structure alone took me literally 1 ½ years working full-time on it.
FT: The man, the figures, the book, all made in Spain, however you opted to write your book in English, which was good news for me. However, given the subject matter, what formed your decision to publish in English rather than native Spanish?
JR: Most of the variant loose collectors are foreign to Spain collectors, the book was meant to be a guide for loose collectors, so I thought it would be better published as an English edition to reach as many collectors as possible. However, I will be doing a Spanish language edition as soon as I can.
FT: Your book is filled with excellent photography of reference figure images, which share the colouring and look of vintage packaging pictures, were you aiming for this nostalgic feel?
JR: I think my friend and designer Jose M. Arosa did a wonderful job with design, I just wanted a very clear and descriptive layout, although thankfully Jose gave his personal final touch, jejeje!
I couldn’t help but be inspired to eagerly work through my vintage figures to identify if any PBP/Poch figures had found their way into my collection, and I would challenge any collector to not do the same.
FT: While sharing some of Star Wars vintage figure infamous manufacturing variances such as paint tones, PBP/Poch figures also demonstrate some of the finest casting details, but with intricate anomalies such as melt marks, coo scars, burs and paint blemishes. However, when determining a genuine PBP/Poch figure, the presence of one such distinguished feature might prove insufficient, demanding an almost forensic level of investigation. How challenging is the PBP/Poch figure identifying process?
JR: It is very difficult sometimes on some figures actually, however as with any other brand (Lili Ledy, Toptoys, Glasslite etc) the colour palette/paint scheme is key when it comes to identifying any early PBP (the so called Poch) variant.
FT: Was the full run of vintage figures manufactured and released by PBP/Poch?
JR: In the early PBP production (Poch), they made just 37 figures, a selection from the films A New Hope (ANH) and The Empire Strikes Back (ESB). After the production design changes, they made the known 33 PBP figures, some re-released and other new figures from ANH and ESB with one from Return of the Jedi (ROTJ). It seems that in the final stages of the production they made also other ROTJ characters destined to supply European demands.
FT: Have you ‘collected them all’?
JR: Yes of course! I was lucky enough to find all of them a long, long time ago, 99% of the figures featured in the book belong to my collection.
FT: Which is your most cherished PBP/Poch figure and why?
JR: Probably my Scar out CoO Luke Skywalker Original, because it was the first of its kind to be discovered and last “big” discovery when it comes to PBP loose collecting.
FT: Which is the rarest PBP/Poch figure?
JR: There are a few rare figures, Scar CoO IG-88, Scar CoO Luke Farmboy, Red Helmet Cloud Car Pilot and Bossk with pistachio limbs…
FT: Does your vintage figure collection contain any non native PBP/Poch figures such as Kenner, Palitoy or Lili Ledy?
JR: Yes, I do have completed sets of loose figures with variants of Kenner, Glasslite, Toptoys, Meccano, Lili Ledy and a few Uzay bootlegs figures.
FT: Do you collect any of the modern Star Wars figure lines?
JR: Not in a major way, although I do have a few Hot Toys and Lego Star Wars.
FT: Do you have a preference regards carded or loose figures?
JR: I am a loose collector. For me loose figures are the essence of the Star Wars vintage collecting, because we all played with loose figures when we were children.
FT: Did PBP/Poch also manufacture vintage Star Wars vehicles?
JR: Yes, they produced a few small and large vehicles, actually. Among the more common was the Motojet (Speeder Bike) and the AT-ST.
FT: With the Roman numeral one printed on your books spine and combined with some tantalising teaser images, can you confirm if you are continuing the series with a new book based on vintage Star Wars vehicles?
JR: Absolutely! I will be including all the contents I couldn’t fit into the first book, such as: vehicles, playsets, store stands, MoC, general catalogues, vintage adverts, mail away offers, other rare treats and last but not least around 75 new/different PBP/Poch variants (some of them never published before!!!).
FT: How is your new book progressing?
JR: It is progressing slowly to be honest, although a lot of work has already been completed.
FT: We talked a while ago regards how useful it would be to have a similar book cataloguing Lili Ledy figures, is this a subject you might consider as a future project?
JR: You read my mind!! YES! I would love to publish something similar with the other Star Wars licencees described above: Lili Ledy, Meccano, Toptoys, Glasslite, and hopefully a basic Kenner and Popy guide.
FT: Have you seen The Force Awakens, Rogue One, The Last Jedi and what did you think?
JR: I really enjoyed Rogue One, the others, not so much…
FT: Are you looking forward to Solo?
JR: Yes, sure! I will be watching the Solo Film at some point, no rush though.
FT: Do you have any other sci-fi passions?
JR: I really love Alien and Super-Heroes, and have a few collectibles of them.
FT: Do you have any copies of PBP/Poch Made In Spain available for purchase, if so, how can collectors obtain one?
JR: Yes of course! I have a few copies left. The best way to obtain your copy is to either contact me directly on Facebook or by visiting the Book´s Facebook page.
FT: Will pre-orders be available on your new book?
JR: I am not sure when pre-orders will be made available, however I am hoping to have the book completed by Christmas 2018 BTW.
FT: Thanks for joining us here on Fantha Tracks, good luck with your new book and may the Force be with you, always.
JR: Thank you so much Mark, it was a privilege and honour to share my story with Fantha Tracks!!
Best wishes and happy collecting!!!
Muchas Gracias, Javi
