Sideshow Collectibles 1/6 scale IG-88 Scum & Villainy Figure PREVIEW

Much of the anti-droid sentiment existing in the galaxy is unwarranted bigotry, but even pro-droid activists will find it hard to defend the rights of droids bearing arms. The memory of droid armies is still fresh in many minds, and the legions of mechanized troops used by the Trade Federation and other corporate interests paved the way for legislation that eventually did away with the soulless infantry.

Relics from that era still exist, such as the battered chrome war droid known as IG-88. The tall, cylinder-headed and heavily-armed mechanical bounty hunter responded to Darth Vader's call to capture the Millennium Falcon during the events surrounding the Battle of Hoth.

The Sideshow Collectibles 1/6 scale IG-88 14.5-inch (368.3mm) Robot Figure features: Newly Developed and Fully Articulated IG-88 Assassin Droid with over 20+ points of articulation, Light up eyes feature, Fully functioning extendable legs, Sculpted shoulder bracer, Authentic and hand painted deco application with highly detailed weathering deco, Fabric Bandolier with magnetic attachment capabilities, One (1) Detailed BlasTech DLT-20A Blaster Rifle, One (1) Detailed BlasTech E11 Blaster Rifle, One (1) Sculpted E-11 Blaster bandolier holster, One (1) Sculpted shoulder bracer, Three (3) Mines, Two (2) Instrument pins, Deluxe Illuminated Display Base

Sideshow Collectibles Star Wars 1/6 Infantry Battle Droids PREVIEW

A battle droid (also referred to as war droid or killer droid) was any droid designed for combat. Battle droids were originally made by Trade Federation Viceroy, Nute Gunray, to prevent pirate attacks. When he was contacted by Darth Sidious, he attacked the peaceful planet of Naboo. The droids easily overwhelmed Naboo's military.

This is the Sideshow Collectibles Star Wars Military Series 1:6 scale Infantry Battle Droids 12-inch Figure. This will be a two-pack Battle Droid boxed set which features: Two (2) Newly Developed and Fully Articulated Battle Droid Bodies with over 20+ points of articulation each. Authentic and hand painted deco application with detailed weathering deco. Two (2) Detailed Backpacks with droid identification numbering and extending antennae. Two (2) E-5 Blaster Rifles

B1 battle droids were battle droids that made up the backbone of the Trade Federation Droid Army and the Separatist Droid Army (often called "Clankers" by Galactic Republic clone troopers). B1s were perhaps the most numerous—and expendable—soldiers in galactic history, and, unlike most organic soldiers, they were capable of action in hostile environments like underwater or in space. They were designed, for the most part, to defeat their enemies through sheer numbers, not through their ability to think (they were very vulnerable to tricks) and utilize combat skills (unlike clone troopers).

While critics would be quick to point out a battle droid's mindlessness as a fault, the proponents of the mechanized soldiers would counter that it is instead a virtue. A mindless soldier is a loyal soldier, unquestioning of orders, easily controlled, and absolutely fearless. Battle droids are tall, gaunt humanoids with exposed joints and bone-white metal finishes that gives them an eerie resemblance to animated skeletons. B1 battle droids' heads were designed to imitate the shape of a Neimoidian's skull. In this way, they were intended to strike fear into an enemy's heart. In addition, their bodies vaguely resembled those of the Geonosians.

Battle droid infantry is frightening in its uniformity -- only a numerical marking on the back of a comlink booster pack serves to distinguish one droid from another. Droids with specialized functions have distinct colored markings on their armor. Blue denotes pilot droids. Red denotes security droids. Yellow denotes command droids, which function with increased autonomy compared to the standard infantry. For the Trade Federation, the battle droid infantry piloted STAPs, MTTs, and AATs as well as their colossal battleships. For ease of storage and transportation, battle droids could compress into less than half their size.

Following the Naboo debacle, the Galactic Republic enacted strict legislation that prohibited the use of battle droid armies. The Trade Federation has shown its disrespect for Republic law in the past, and for years, many feared that the numerous foundries scattered throughout the galaxy were still churning out assembly lines of tireless soldiers.

Early battles involving the droids required a control mainframe for the droids to "think" from, but this was mostly removed post-Battle of Naboo after it was easily destroyed.

At the end of the Clone Wars, Sith Lord Darth Vader turned off the Master control signal, deactivating the entire Separatist Droid Army. After this, battle droids were extremely rare. 

Sideshow Collectibles Star Wars 1/6 Commander Gree PREVIEW

Clone Commander Gree, designation 1004, led the Elite Corps stationed on Kashyyyk during the Clone Wars. He served under General Yoda, commanding troops that employed specialized equipment for combat in the jungle environment.

CC-1004 was a senior clone commander in the Grand Army of the Republic. Possessed of a keen interest in alien species and cultures, 1004 was singled out to participate in a special training program by ARC trooper Alpha-17 that encouraged individuality. As a token of his independence, 1004 was rewarded with a name and chose to be known as "Gree," a reference to an obscure alien species.

The Sideshow Collectibles Star Wars Militaries 1/6 scale Commander Gree 12-inch Figure features: Armored Body with Phase II Helmet Portrait, Unmasked Portrait, Blastech DC-15A Blaster Rifle, Blastech DC-17 Pistol, Blastech DC-15S Blaster, Macrobinoculars, Two (2) pairs of switch-out feet (action and standing), Generous assortment of switch-out hands

During the Clone Wars, Gree commanded the 41st Elite Corps, a division out of the 9th Assault Corps, which was led by Jedi General Luminara Unduli. He became an expert on alien cultures, giving his unit a specialization in hostile conditions, counterinsurgency, and long-term deployment on alien worlds in "hearts and minds" operations.

In the last days of the war, Gree accompanied Jedi Grand Master Yoda to Kashyyyk in response to a Separatist attack. After breaking through the enemy lines surrounding the planet, he helped fight back against the droid forces of the Separatists. Though a faithful commander following Yoda's orders, Gree was ultimately loyal to the Republic. When Chancellor Palpatine enacted Order 66, Gree understood it was a worst-case scenario contingency – the Jedi must have betrayed the Republic and were therefore dangerous enemies of the state.

Gree attempted to open fire on Yoda from behind in order to take out the Jedi Master before he had time to react, but he poorly underestimated Yoda's perception. Before he could squeeze the trigger on his rifle, Yoda flipped up and backwards out of the field of fire, decapitating the clone commander with one quick swipe of his lightsaber.

Sideshow Collectibles Star Wars Militaries 1/6 scale Commander Gree 12-inch Figure with unmasked Portrait / head sculpt. Best to keep the helmet on ;p

And here's Clone Commander Gree posing with Yoda just before he gets his head cut off [OUCH]. That shouldn't be too difficult a scenario to enact haha

VW Force is Strong: German Brand Scoops 34 Awards in Cannes

Volkswagen won an amazing 34 “Lions” in the 58th International Festival of Creativity in Cannes. The German automaker, which came away with more awards than ever before (8 Golden, 14 silver and 11 Bronze), also won a “Titanium Lion” for the “Think Blue” campaign.

However, the star of the show was, of course, “The Force”, Volkswagen’s extremely successful TV ad that features a Lilliputian Darth Vader wannabe and the new Passat. This ad alone, which has been watched by over 40 million viewers on Youtube, won three awards, two Gold and one Bronze.

“This is an incredible success and we are very proud of it because the awards acknowledge our work. These 34 ‘Lions’ are the direct result of our commitment to innovation and creativity in all fields,” said Luca de Meo, Head of Group Marketing and Head of Marketing at Volkswagen Passenger Cars.

Greenpeace wants to Turn VW from the Dark Side, Launches Spoof Star Wars

The rebel alliance from…Greenpeace launched a coordinated attack against the Volkswagen Group this morning by airing spoofs of the German firm’s now famous mini Darth Vader commercial, taking over advertising hoardings to install their own banners on billboards located in London and unleashing “eco-storm troopers” to protest on London's Old Street.

Greenpeace went ahead with the attack to draw attention to its concerns over the German company’s ecological record.

The environmental activist group claims that the car giant is “spending millions of Euros every year funding lobby groups who are trying to stop Europe increasing its commitment to greenhouse gas reductions from 20% to 30% by 2020” and calls Volkswagen to turn away from the Dark Side.

In its latest report, the group also says the Volkswagen Group, which includes the VW, Audi, Seat, Skoda, Lamborghini, Bentley and Bugatti brands, puts its most efficient engines in only 6% of its cars and on top of that, it increases their price over their cost.

“For every ‘greener’ vehicle VW sells, there are around 15 others which emit much more C02. Volkswagen adds a huge price mark-up for its greener vehicles - way above the cost of the technology – as it tries to cash in on your green conscience,” Andre Davies said on Greenpeace’s website

“But all is not lost. We feel the good in Volkswagen,” he adds. “They have the engineers and the technology to make some of the most efficient vehicles on Earth. But their bosses have been seduced by the Dark Side and are employing henchmen to lobby against the strong emissions cuts that we need. The time has come when we have no choice but to raise a rebellion to confront them,” Davis concluded.

Greenpeace's guerrilla ad campaign also includes a dedicated site that can be viewed at "vwdarkside".

Star Wars Han Solo and Chewbacca

First - Hasbro's Star Wars Silver Anniversary (1977 - 2002) pair of Han Solo and Chewbacca's "Death Star Escape". 1/6 scale clothed figures are more my thing because I really like the details they can achieve of the uniforms or costumes and accessories, as well as weapons. Articulation is also a big PLUS which is totally non-existent with those exorbitantly priced "Nice to look at and hold but once broken, considered sold" statues. 1/4 is just too big and anything smaller than 1/6 loses details. Having said that, once in a while, some figures do get my attention and this is one of those moments. I didn't collect Luke and Leia's "Swing to Freedom" nor Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader's "Final Duel" but this pair I liked instantly.

Sideshow Star Wars Clone Captain Rex

"The name's Rex. But you'll call me 'captain' or 'sir'..."

Backstory: Grown on Camino from the DNA of Bounty Hunter Jango Fett, Clone Trooper Captain CC-7567, nicknamed Rex, was activated during the Clone Wars, the galaxy-spanning struggle between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Rex was a freethinking, cunning, and tough warrior, yet despite his unusual individualism as a clone, Rex followed orders without question.

Serving as Jedi General Anakin Skywalker's second, Rex commands Torrent Company of the acclaimed 501st Legion of the Grand Army of the Republic. Rex and his men were assigned to patrol the most lawless and dangerous sectors of the galaxy within the feared Outer Rim.

The Captain Rex 12 inch Figure features: Fully articulated male body (armored body) with 30+ points of articulation, Bodysuit, Switch-out portrait, Fully detailed armor set with helmet, Fabric skirt with holsters, Jetpack, Two (2) sets of feet, Six (6) sets of hands, Two (2) Blaster Pistols, Clone Trooper Carbine Blaster, Clone Trooper Long Rifle and 12-inch Figure Display Base with Star Wars Logo

Does Rex look like Jango? After all, he's supposed to be Jango's clone.

Sideshow 501st Legion: Vader's Fist Clone Trooper

An elite unit of clone troopers, and later stormtroopers, that came to symbolize the might of the Galactic Empire, the 501st Legion were the soldiers under the command of Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith. Also known as "Vader's Fist," they continued to enforce order and Imperial rule well after the death of Vader.

The 501st began just as any of the other initial clone units that blazed across the rocky deserts of Geonosis in the first historic battle of the Clone Wars. They seemed identical to the other clones that infiltrated the Separatist stronghold and pushed the Confederacy forces off-planet.

The 501st Legion was split into special mission groups, often to supplement other clone missions. In some cases, they operated independent of the command structure already in place. There were 501st troopers protecting the skies over Coruscant during General Grievous' bold strike against the capital. Others provided support to clone units on worlds such as Felucia, Mygeeto, Utapau and Kashyyyk.

The 501st Legion: Vader's Fist Clone Trooper 12 inch Figure features: Fully articulated male body (armored body) with 30+ points of articulation, Bodysuit, Fully detailed armor set with helmet, Clone Trooper Carbine Blaster, Clone Trooper Long Rifle, 12-inch Figure Display Base with Star Wars Logo

Sideshow Star Wars 12" Momaw Nadon a.k.a. Hammerhead

Momaw Nadon was an Ithorian who served his people for decades as high priest of Tafanda Bay. He was exiled from his homeworld, Ithor, after he revealed secrets of Ithorian agricultural technology to the Galactic Empire. He spent much of his exile on Tatooine, and was seen in Chalmun's Cantina when Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi came searching for passage to Alderaan. [source: wookieepedia]

During production of "Star Wars: A New Hope", Momaw Nadon was known simply as "Hammerhead". His colloquial nickname was then used for the Kenner Star Wars action figure. This was before the Star Wars franchise took off and the expanded universe had to be created to feed the starved fans clamoring for more details of their new found universe in a galaxy far far away.

Sideshow's Comic-Con celebration has kicked off, featuring daily product specials and reveals. Once such reveal is their newest 12-inch Star Wars figure: MOMAW NADON, aka HAMMERHEAD. As usual, two versions of this cool cantina creature are being offered - the standard and exclusive versions. There's even a 12-inch environment: "Mos Eisley Cantina - Nadon's Nook" being offered.

Slated for release first quarter 2011, Hammerhead features: Articulated Pro body, Authentic likeness of Momaw Nadon, Detailed costume including bodysuit, tunic, and scarf, Detailed belt with unique buckle, Rope belt, Herb pouch, Bread bag, Cantina beverage cup, E-11 Stormtrooper Blaster and 12-inch Figure Display Base with Star Wars logo

Close-ups of Sideshow Star Wars ANH (A New Hope) 12" Momaw Nadon a.k.a. Hammerhead

Around the time of the Battle of Yavin, the recently demoted Lieutenant Alima (who had betrayed Nadon and led to his exile) was stationed on Tatooine. Amazingly, Nadon was so driven by veneance that he purchased a blaster rifle and attempted to kill Alima.

The Sideshow Exclusive version comes with bonus Ithorian staff accessory

Also being offered is a new 12-inch environment: Mos Eisley Cantina - Nadon's Nook. From the infamous watering hole of the Tatooine desert, the Mos Eisley Cantina - Nadon's Nook Environment features an LED light-up element and a refreshing beverage accessory to quench the desert thirst. With a table and two chairs, a perfect fit for hammerheaded alien Momaw Nadon.

"Bartender, you forgot my straw again! How am I supposed to have my drink without it?"

Ah, "C'est la vie" (a French phrase meaning "Such is life")