Star Wars Action News - Audio Podcast Feed

2014's San Diego Comic-Con International is in the books, but there was so much at the convention it is impossible to absorb it all in 5 days--both for those at the convention as well as fans watching from home. But now that the chaos is over take time to absorb all the news about new and upcoming releases from Hasbro, Sideshow Collectibles, eFX Collectibles, Gentle Giant, and Kotobukiya! If you missed their panels on Friday you can relive them on Star Wars Action News' first part of their SDCC coverage. Watch these presentations and find out about all the upcoming new items. Then join us later for the second part of San Diego Comic-Con coverage with exclusive interviews, product reviews, and news about all the exclusives at the convention!

It's just 9 days until San Diego Comic-Con International 2014! While there are sure to be surprises and last-minute reveals every day up to the convention, most of the news is out and for Star Wars fans there's tons of programming...and shopping. Friday is Star Wars Day, starting with the Star Wars Fan Breakfast and then followed by an entire day of Star Wars panels. On this episode of the Star Wars Action News podcast Marjorie and Arnie run down all the Comic-Con programming and exclusives. Be sure to follow them on Facebook and @swactionnews on Twitter for all the updates leading up to and during the convention! Also on this week's show Sideshow has been taking aim at collectors' wallets. Listen to find out about all their new pre-orders including the life-sized Darth Vader statue. Plus watch an in-depth review of Sideshow's Exclusive Snowtrooper Premium Format Figure!

Mara Jade was instantly a fan favorite character. When she first graced the pages of the Star Wars expanded universe in Timothy Zahn's 1991 book Heir to the Empire she was embraced by Star Wars fans. It wasn't long before the figure also appeared in video games, action figures, the Return of the Jedi Radio Drama and more. But now with the Star Wars Expanded Universe being rebranded "Legends" Mara Jade's canonical status is uncertain and fans who've followed the character for over twenty years cannot look forward to new Mara Jade adventures. However fans can own a statue of Mara Jade, perhaps for the last time! Announced before the Expanded Universe reboot, Kotobukiya's Mara Jade Bishoujo has recently been released as a companion to their previous (also EU) statue of Jaina Solo. On this Star Wars Action News podcast listen to find out if this statue is a gem you should own! Also on this podcast, hosts Marjorie and Arnie went Star Wars shoe shopping at Journeys. With Vans new Star Wars line of footwear, plus two exclusive statues from Funko, tune in to find out how they got both and which are better--the shoes or the statues! With details on the 4th Annual Star Wars Fan Breakfast at San Diego Comic-Con, reviews of J.W. Rinzler's Star Wars Storyboards books, San Diego Comic-Con exclusive sell-outs and more, it's all in this jam-packed episode of Star Wars Action News!

Star Wars collectors have braved the Hasbro booth year after year to get the latest, hottest exclusive toys. While the lines have been long and brutal and the toys expensive it was, at least for the past several years, the only line for exclusive, hard-to-get Star Wars toys. Until 2014. Now, as Disney's corporate partnerships bring new Star Wars toys around the globe, Hasbro toy competitor Mattel has a licence for Hot Wheels from a Galaxy Far, Far Away! The line has been previewed and the first opportunity to get an exclusive Darth Vader car is at SDCC this summer! On this week's Star Wars Action News podcast Marjorie and Arnie discuss the released photos and share why collectors shouldn't need to race as hard to the Mattel booth on Preview Night! And as San Diego Comic-Con International draws near it is also time to announce details for the 4th annual Star Wars Fan Breakfast at SDCC. This year Star Wars Action News has partnered with Steve Sansweet to raise funds for Rancho Obi-Wan and make the fan breakfast the best yet! Watch this episode of the podcast for the details. With Jerry returning to put his stamp on a new Vintage Viewpoint, looking back at the original Kenner toys, Johnathan telling you what is On the Pegs, and Marjorie and Arnie reviewing the newest Mission Series figure packs, it's all in this episode of Star Wars Action News!

With Hasbro having difficulty getting new figures to store pegs in any scale, collectors are forced to find their excitement places other than Wal-Mart, Target, and Toys R Us. Most specifically The Disney Stores where a new 13-inch line of talking, articulated Star Wars figures have started to appear. The X-Wing Luke Skywalker and Stormtrooper are on store shelves now, and in this episode of Star Wars Action News you can see a hands-on review of the Stormtrooper to find out if you need to add this to your collection. But while Hasbro is in a late spring lull, news leaked last week of new Black Series releases on the horizon. In this show you can find out about three possible new Toys R Us exclusive multi-packs that have strong Original Trilogy ties. With news on how YOU can be in Star Wars Episode VII, a discussion of the upcoming Disney Star Wars marathon, reports from Disney Star Wars Weekends and the UK Collectormania 21, and more, it's all in this week's Star Wars Action News!

Star Wars Action News is back and with May the 4th behind us there is tons of collecting news to talk about. Sideshow Collectibles has released more than half a dozen new products in one-sixth, one-quarter, and full scales; Disney Stores have stocked up on exclusive figures, plushies, and statues, and Hasbro has revealed their San Diego Comic-Con Exclusive Jabba the Hutt! Listen as Marjorie and Arnie discuss all the latest news in this podcast. Also on this show, Steve the Gingerprince hasn't had much time to collect lately but he made up for it over May the 4th weekend at Star Wars Fun Days. Listen as he reports in on all the finds across the pond. And joining in also is Jerry with a look at pseudo-Vintage Star Wars items. With a stand-ing report by Scott From Tulsa, a look at last weekend's Toy Man Toy Show, collecting news from Star Wars Celebration Anaheim and reactions to the Episode VII casting news, it's all in the latest Star Wars Action News podcast!

This past weekend saw the largest comic convention in Chicago -- Reed Pop's C2E2! Saturday night Marjorie, Arnie, and several members of the Star Wars Action News family got together to talk about the convention, their Star Wars celebrity encounters, and their collectible finds! But the past two weeks have been full of news for Star Wars fans and collectors alike. Listen in to hear about the announcements of new toys and collectibles exclusive to the Disney Stores. From new scales of action figures to vehicles, plushes, mugs, and more, the gang rates their interest in the new collectible lines. Also on this show, the news came down while everyone was at C2E2 that Star Wars canon has rebooted. The books, games, comics, and stories that formerly made up the "Star Wars Expanded Universe" have been rebranded "Star Wars Legends"--alternate, non-canonical, tales of the galaxy far, far away. But coming now is a new status quo, a new canon, and four new novels that fit into it. Hear the group reaction on this week's show. With a discussion on if Star Wars is a kid's movie, a very special coin, and much more, it's all in this week's Star Wars Action News convention coverage!

To buy, or not to buy--that is the question. Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to sufferThe slings and arrows of outrageous interestOr to leave empty a spot in the collectionand risk the price on the secondary market. Yes, Sideshow Collectibles has put up for pre-order its newest life-sized Star Wars figure -- The Han Solo in Carbonite. And it has Arnie waxing philosophical about collecting, and how much is too much to spend on one item. On this episode of the Star Wars Action News podcast he and Marjorie review all the information released about this new high-end item. Join them for this discussion! Also on this week's show, Hasbro's new 6-inch Star Wars line has reinvigorated action figure collectors, but with a new scale come old problems--like figure balance. NECA makes a line of figure stands for 6 to 8-inch figures, but do they work for the Black Series? Watch to see how this round peg fits in that foot hole! Also in this episode are reviews of the Hasbro's Mission Series figures Wave 2, including Han Solo, Chewbacca, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Maul, R2-D2, and C-3PO! With a Savage new Premium Format figure, a report from Wizard World St. Louis, an interview with Star Wars sketch card artist Chris Hamer, and so much more, it's all in this episode of Star Wars Action News!

From coast to coast the third wave of Hasbro's 6-inch Star Wars Black Series has started to appear in stores. This wave has three new figures, a Stormtrooper, Bespin Luke Skywalker, and Episode III Obi-Wan, plus a carry-forward Han Solo. With this wave we finally have more than 10 Star Wars icons in this new scale. Is now the perfect time to jump into the line? Listen to this episode of Star Wars Action News for Marjorie and Arnie's reviews of all four of these figures! With more Rancho Obi-Wan extra auctions, a Millennium Falcon model that may not look like much until you assemble all 100 pieces, and a look at the latest Episode VII news, it's all in this issue of the Star Wars Action News podcast!

Planet Comicon was held in Kansas City this past weekend, and Marjorie and Arnie were there and on the hunt for toys and autographs! This show saw a rare signing by John Ratzenberger who is mostly known for being a Pixar and Cheers star, but Star Wars fans know he was also Major Bren Derlin on Hoth. With the con having its first three-day convention, listen to find out what you missed and if you should make it a destination in 2015! Also in this week's show, a lot of new Star Wars toys and collectibles have been announced recently. From Potato Heads to replica skate boards to LEGO and more, find out about it all in this week's podcast! With a report from last week's Toy Man Toy Show, a visit to Duncan Jenkins' Sithsonian, and a close-up look at the breakdown of vintage plastic, it's all in episode 420 of the Star Wars Action News podcast!

Few first time Star Wars novelists get the promotional push that Joe Schreiber received in 2009 for Deathtroopers. The first unabashed horror story set in the Star Wars universe the combination of zombies and the galaxy far, far away inspired cosplay even before the book hit shelves. While somewhat controversial for its more R rated gore and violence, the book became a fan favorite and just one year later the sequel Red Harvest was released. Now after a four year absence from Star Wars fiction Schreiber is back in bookstores with the new novel Darth Maul: Lockdown. This prequel era tale follows the Sith apprentice on a mission for his master before the events of The Phantom Menace. Lockdown is a departure from the author's previous horror stories but the hard action and flare for visuals remain--as does the promotion. From the graphics flaunting Darth Maul fighting a Yuuzhan Vong to the news that this new story ties in closely with James Luceno's 2012 book Darth Plagueis fan expectations couldn't be higher. In this bonus episode of Star Wars Action News Arnie talks with the author about what he's been working on since 2010, what stories influenced this prison story, and what continuity landmines he had to avoid when setting a story in this era. Listen to get all the behind-the-scenes details of this new book. With Johnathan back hitting the bricks for a special LEGO focused "On the Pegs" segment, this is one podcast you won't want to miss!

With Lucasfilm, and all things Star Wars, now owned by The Walt Disney Corporation it should be no surprise that Disney is the place to look for Star Wars collectibles! The 2014 Star Wars Weekends have been announced and there are tons of new exclusives, including Vinylmations Series 4, a lanyard replicating the Medal of Yavin, and much more! Marjorie and Arnie run down the cool new items available only at the Disney World theme park this summer! For Hasbro figure collectors Disney is the place to be as well--the Disney Store in your local mall. The newest Black Series Star Wars figures have been spotted at this retail chain, along with new Star Wars shirts and other merchandise. With a review of James S.A. Corey's new Star Wars novel Honor Among Thieves, a look back at Star Wars musical soundtracks on CD, and a look at the new auctions straight from Steve Sansweet's Rancho Obi-Wan, it's all in this week's Star Wars Action News!

Star Wars fans have a reason to be excited after last week's New York Toy Fair International. Watch this week's podcast to see all the new toys and collectibles! From LEGO to Uncle Milton, Kotobukiya, Underground Toys, and so many more, they're all in this week's continuing Toy Fair coverage! Note: Star Wars Action News' enhanced podcasts are now full HD video podcasts! Read all about it in Arnie's blog post.

The next Star Wars film may be over a year away, but the new Star Wars figures are on the horizon! From Black Series figures, in both the 6 and 4-inch scales, plus figures tying into Disney's new REBELS animated series, all was revealed at Hasbro's Toy Fair International presentation! Join Marjorie and Arnie in this episode of Star Wars Action News to find out what Hasbro revealed for its 2014 product line! Note: Star Wars Action News' enhanced podcasts are now full HD video podcasts! Read all about it in Arnie's blog post.

Star Wars Valentines--they're not just for the playground anymore! For decades there have been packages of Star Wars Valentines Day cards, the type that school children give in the classroom, but as Star Wars fans have grown up so have the gifts you can give to your loved one. From light-up heart-shaped boxes of candy to stuffed Stormtroopers with edible hearts, fans of the original trilogy, the prequels, and even the comics will find items that will make them be yours! On this week's Star Wars Action News, Marjorie and Arnie run down this year's cool, new offerings, and say which are great gifts, which should be collected, and what can be skipped. Also on this week's show, Brock returns with his review of Maul - Lockdown, the newest Star Wars novel from Deathtroopers author Joe Schreiber. This pre-Episode I story focuses on the Sith Apprentice infiltrating a prison to find a secret crime lord. Is this a book worthy of Maul's fighting skill? Listen to find out! With The Gingerprince reviewing the Amazon Exclusive Droid Factory wave of figures, Arnie and Marjorie on a vintage figure hunt at the Toy Man Toy Show, and more, it's all in this week's Star Wars Action News video podcast! Note: Star Wars Action News' enhanced podcasts are now full HD video podcasts! Read all about it in Arnie's blog post.