With an incredibly tight lead time (rights were secured some weeks after Star Wars became a box-office hit), General Mills subsidiary Kenner Toys brings the first Star Wars action figures to market. A dozen characters are sold individually, with a colorful mixture of the film’s heroes (Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia, Ben Kenobi, R2-D2, C-3PO, Chewbacca) and villains (Darth Vader, Stormtrooper, Death Squad Commander, Tusken Raider, Jawa). While Kenner brings the figures to market in both the industry-standard 12-inch scale and a smaller, cheaper 3 3/4″ scale, marketing focuses almost entirely on the smaller toys, which then redefine the industry-standard size of boys’ character toys (and make any future vehicles and playsets much more affordable). Ironically, prior to the movie’s release when no one expected Star Wars to take off, 20th Century Fox surrendered all toy and merchandising rights to George Lucas, meaning that the runaway success of the toy range is key to his fortune. 
These puppies were the beginning of my toy collecting fetish, all those 21 years ago. And now, despite the fact that I am allegedly an adult, they still sit proudly on a display shelf in my home.
By default, they’re also the best-known and researched line of toys in history, with the possible exceptions of Barbie. G.I. Joe and Hot Wheels, so I’m not going to waste space repeating the facts everyone knows so well, but just show off my collection instead.
Obviously, Ben Kenobi, Leia, the Jawas, and the Tusken Raider are missing their colorful vinyl capes in the picture below, and Ben and Luke are missing their extendable lightsabers. Darth Vader, however, still has his cape and his lightsaber blade.
Left to right: Luke Skywalker, Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi, Darth Vader.
Left to right: Han Solo, Chewbacca, Stormtrooper, Tusken Raider.
Left to right: C-3PO, R2-D2, Jawa.
Less well-documented were the 12-inch dolls, of which I only had a couple, R2-D2 (with its “hidden” rear storage compartment for honking huge plastic “data tapes,” seen open below) and Boba Fett (photo forthcoming). Obviously, the R2-D2 toy wasn’t a foot tall, but more like half a foot.
Large scale R2-D2 figure.
ToyBox review and photography by Earl Green