Klaatu over-representation

[chipsteak]

The mention, on the VR podcast, of Paploo appearing alongside mainstream characters on some German merchandise got me thinking about over-representation of Klaatu.

Now, I have a theory about the Paploo thing. Kenny Baker's Ewok ( now Paploo ) was supposed to be our leading Ewok character until Warwick Davis's Ewok stepped in at the last minute due to short-term illness. Perhaps some images of the lesser-known Ewok went to licensees due to this switch.

Klaatu, though! He gets not only two figures but appears in oddball alongside main characters in 3D stickers and, most oddly, his own Halloween costume. A kid dressed as Klaatu for Halloween 1983 would spend all evening explaining who he was meant to be. What was with the big Klaatu sell? I'm not aware of any cut scenes that feature him prominently.

Any ideas?

 

[poncho]

klaatu was played by corey williams. billy dee williams (lando) son. maybe something in that?!....maybe

 

[Dannywhiteley]

I clearly remember just prior to Christmas 1983 all my mates and I were desperate for a Klaatu for some reason. Ended up we all got 4 each and that was that. But for a short time, he was in big demand.

I've heard others say the same pre-Christmas 83. Perhaps they overproduced him expecting a major sell and thats why they ended up with loads of unsold stock?

 

[Dannywhiteley]

He also featured prominently on the Collect all 79 display.

 

[edd_jedi]

klaatu was played by corey williams. billy dee williams (lando) son. maybe something in that?!....maybe

I never knew that!

 

[chipsteak]

He also featured prominently on the Collect all 79 display.

I just looked it up. So he does, and so does Prune Face. :lol:

Yeah Williams Jnr played Klaatu in his skiff version in Yuma. There's a different guy playing him in the palace scenes in London as seen in the old 'Making Of' specials.

 

[elcroz]

After a nuclear war the world will be populated by Cockroaches & Klaatu's.

 

[subzero]

Throughout the entire ROTJ film they actually added in subliminal messages every couple of minutes that flashed up for a single frame, with messages such as 'you love Klaatu', and 'buy a Klaatu figure'

True story :lol:

 

[Snaketibe]

So he's not only over-represented generally, he also has the dubious distinction of being one of the figures with the most variants overall! (http://www.starwarsforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=34008). I really do struggle to like him though, and when I first got back into collecting in the early 90's, carded Klaatus seemed to be everywhere. One local collectables shop had a box of them he couldn't shift at £4 each :lol:

 

[spoons]

So he's not only over-represented generally, he also has the dubious distinction of being one of the figures with the most variants overall! (http://www.starwarsforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=34008). I really do struggle to like him though, and when I first got back into collecting in the early 90's, carded Klaatus seemed to be everywhere. One local collectables shop had a box of them he couldn't shift at £4 each :lol:

He's one of my favourites for that very reason. A bin full of them in a Bradford toy shop in the early 90s was a memorable find

 

[Snaketibe]

So he's not only over-represented generally, he also has the dubious distinction of being one of the figures with the most variants overall! (http://www.starwarsforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=34008). I really do struggle to like him though, and when I first got back into collecting in the early 90's, carded Klaatus seemed to be everywhere. One local collectables shop had a box of them he couldn't shift at £4 each :lol:

He's one of my favourites for that very reason. A bin full of them in a Bradford toy shop in the early 90s was a memorable find

Well, I may not care for him that much, but I'd still love to find a bin of MOC ones at £4 each today!

 

[edd_jedi]

He's been the entry level loose and MOC figure for 25 years, that deserves respect although I have noticed recently he's gone up on a trilogo card for some bizarre reason, I guess it only takes a couple of fools to pay £100

 

[ScruffyLookingNH]

Interesting topic! Did Klaatu feature particularly heavily in the early publicity shots at all? I know he features in the heavily used image of Luke on the deck of the mainskiff, with Klaatu in his PJs running towards him with another skiff goon squaring up to Luke, but what about other shots? Is he the 80s equivalent of Zuvvio? And yes, two figures did seem way OTT for him. Never got that. Klaatu in PJs is possibly one of my least favourite figures. Possibly lower than Anakin and even Madine. There, I said it.

 

[chipsteak]

Klaatu in his PJs .......but what about other shots?

There's that shot that appears on the Luke Jedi card. In it's wider form, Klaatu is pulling some sinister shapes behind him. None of which explains why this exists....

..in an ESB box no less suggesting he was some sort of preview character for ROTJ. With the tag-line 'You thought Boba Fett was hardly in The Empire Strikes Back!? Meet Klaatu - coming soon in Revenge Of The Jedi'.

 

[jedisearcher]

I clearly remember just prior to Christmas 1983 all my mates and I were desperate for a Klaatu for some reason. Ended up we all got 4 each and that was that. But for a short time, he was in big demand.

I've heard others say the same pre-Christmas 83. Perhaps they overproduced him expecting a major sell and thats why they ended up with loads of unsold stock?

He was the last ROTJ 65 back figure released in the UK. Every kid in the toy shop had everything else except him, but interest had waned by the time he hit the shelves so shed loads of stock remained unsold. By the time 77 backs hit the shelves who'd have wanted a crappy unseen alien. I'd imagine Palitoy were flooded with the returns.

 

[Snaketibe]

Klaatu in his PJs .......but what about other shots?

There's that shot that appears on the Luke Jedi card. In it's wider form, Klaatu is pulling some sinister shapes behind him. None of which explains why this exists....

..in an ESB box no less suggesting he was some sort of preview character for ROTJ. With the tag-line 'You thought Boba Fett was hardly in The Empire Strikes Back!? Meet Klaatu - coming soon in Revenge Of The Jedi'.

That's insane! An Empire boxed Klaatu mask and costume in what can only be some sort of preview release, as you say. And yet he wasn't a preview figure; that duty fell to the almost as unexciting Admiral Ackbar... Quite bizarre! :?

 

[xbomber]

I remember our local Elf garage getting some figures circa 1984. Obviously distress sales to shift what they had left. It was just a load of Klaatu, Weequay and Ree Yees. I still bought them though.

 

[Section 8]

"He gets not only two figures"

To be pedantic he doesn't get two figures. They are two separate characters in the film.

The Klaatu mask in an ESB box is interesting.

 

[ScruffyLookingNH]

Klaatu in his PJs .......but what about other shots?

There's that shot that appears on the Luke Jedi card. In it's wider form, Klaatu is pulling some sinister shapes behind him. None of which explains why this exists....

..in an ESB box no less suggesting he was some sort of preview character for ROTJ. With the tag-line 'You thought Boba Fett was hardly in The Empire Strikes Back!? Meet Klaatu - coming soon in Revenge Of The Jedi'.

Brilliant! Never seen that before. All this does is deepen mystery as to his prominence. Now there's an interview I'd like to hear.

Section 8, you're quite right: that's pedantic :lol: There may be some character back story to the ugly twins that differentiates between them but when two cards say "Klaatu" and look the same that really doesn't matter to an 8 year old kid.....or me! If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck I'm reaching for the hoisin sauce