Easily the coolest SF-related non-fiction book I've read in the past several years, The Action Figure Archive's mission is simple - to provide a thoroughly illustrated history of the various lines of Star Wars action figures, both the original Kenner toys that accompanied the release of the first trilogy, and the Hasbro toys that have dominated toy shelves since 1995. Also included are the various 12-inch figures from the 1970s and the more recent versions, along with the playsets, vehicles, and other fun items that sit in the back of the toy box of anyone who was a kid in the 70s and 80s (or, for that matter, now).

The photography in this book is simply incredible, even if the subjects of the photos are made of plastic. Many Lucasfilm reference photos of the characters are included in their entries, often answering long-standing questions of "Where in the world did this character appear?!" (For example, I have been mistakenly putting the Kenner "Prune Face" figure with characters from Jabba's palace for 16 years; Prune Face was, in fact, a background character seen during the Rebel attack briefing in Return of the Jedi. So, for those of you wondering what possible value a book like this could have, just imagine the potential embarassment of putting your own Prune Face in the wrong place.) Among these Lucasfilm photos are shots of General Madine (another Return of the Jedi character) piloting a Rebel cruiser during the Death Star attack, never-before-seen pictures from a scene that wound up on the cutting room floor.

The coolest thing in the entire book? Each figure is also pictured in its original packaging, along with numerous packaging variations (different photos, older characters repackaged with the logos of subsequent movies, foreign blister cards, etc.). Virtually every product in the book includes a photo of its original package. Other highlights include never-released prototypes and ultra-rare variations, and something I had never even seen before, the figures marketed to tie in the Ewoks and Droids animated series. The sheer number of figures shown, packaged, unpackaged, and in different packaging, almost makes me think that Sansweet must own nearly one-tenth of all the Star Wars action figures ever manufactured.

Though the book's size and length, coupled with the color photos on every page, make for a hefty price ($30), it's well worth the price if you, like me, spent a lot of your childhood in a galaxy far, far away. And if you didn't amass the entire Star Wars collection, this book will give you an exhaustive look at what you missed. I can't recommend this one highly enough!

Reviewed by Earl Green
theLogBook.com webmaster

• Year: 1999
• Authors: Stephen J. Sansweet with Josh Ling
• Genre: Non-fiction / collecting
• Length: 184 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books