Ackmena

 Ackmena

A "Star Wars Holiday Special" Etsy Custom

It's Christmas Life Day in July!  And everyone's favorite surly bartender is finally here to reign over the festivities...Move over, Wuher, Bea Arthur is in town!

Yes, I finally found an Etsy seller who has that sense of humor about Star Wars that so many lack.  The Holiday Special must be recognized.  Is it stupid?  Yes.  But is it any different than variety show TV specials of it's time?  No.  Is it an appropriate format for Star Wars?  Probably not, but it served it's purpose three-fold:  keep the movie in public consciousness during a time before home video releases, let people know that the Empire Strikes Back is on its way, and sell more toys for the holiday season.  Sadly, none of those toys were directly inspired by the special...

"Animated" Boba Fett has had more than enough time under the twin suns.  Chewie's family was in the prototype stage, but were never released.  And in "the Case of the Multiple Zutmore's" the shorter version appearing in the special made his plastic debut in 2001.  Of all the guest stars, Ackmena was top of my list for action figures, followed by Gormaanda and trader, Saun Dann.

Okay, so it's more of a resin model than a figure, but I'll take what I can get.  The sculpt and 3-d printing is clean and very well done.  Assembly was fairly simple, though you may need to sand or Dremel the peg holes a bit.  Painting may seem like a daunting task...I hate it myself...but what we have here is a simplistic throwback to the original Kenner days.  No photorealistic shading required.  I used four acrylic paints and a spray sealer from Hobby Lobby.  Eyes and eyebrows made me sweat, but I think they came out pretty darn good.

"I'll run a tab for the Empire..."

Ackmena joins my custom Wookie family.

So why wait til November 17th?  It's hot on Tatooine, no matter when you celebrate!  Grab some Wookie Ookies and spin some Jefferson Starship now!  If you're a fan of the Star Wars Holiday Special, or just a fan of retro Star Wars figures, you need Ackmena in your collection.  And, more important, I need you to support this figure with hope it will one day lead to "Grandpa Itchy's Diahann Carroll Sex Fantasy Chair."

"Just six simple words..."

"Come back soon.  I'll be waiting!"

Until then, look back at some other "Holiday Special" goodness!

Yavin Luke Skywalker

https://terribletoyman.blogspot.com/2019/11/yavin-luke-skywalker.html

Holiday Droid Factory and Custom Life Day Ornaments

https://terribletoyman.blogspot.com/2021/12/holiday-droid-factory.html

Yavin Luke Skywalker

Yavin Luke Skywalker

Hasbro - Star Wars Vintage Collection

It’s that special time of year again, lil Wookies.  Put on your red robes, grab your glowing orbs, and head on over to the Tree of Life to celebrate the one true Star Wars Day.  Yes, November 17th is the 41st anniversary of Life Day and the Star Wars Holiday Special!  I’ve got all my Wookiee action figures out to celebrate along with my customs of Chewbacca’s family.  This year, they’re joined by a special guest, Yavin Ceremony Luke Skywalker!

I picked up this "Rebels" Y-Wing Scout Bomber at Burlington Coat Factory for $7.

I’ve always loved Luke’s yellow jacket.  I imagine that kids around for Star Wars in 1977 dreamed up so many adventures for Luke with that look...but were stuck with the farm boy attire for 3 long years!  The jacket never made it to the original Kenner line.  Next to the lack of Grand Moff Tarkin, what a great travesty!  It wasn’t until Hasbro’s Power of the Force 2 series in the late 90’s that we got a Yellow Jacket Luke. (And Tarkin, thank goodness!)  And it wasn’t all that bad looking for the time.

This update is still a welcome one.  The face scan is near perfection, and he sports just the right amount of modern articulation.  He comes with a removable blaster (seen in a lot of promotional stills), Medal of Honor,  and a lightsaber hit that plugs into his hip.  Really, the lack of a fully ignited lightsaber is the only failing of this figure...but I’m sure I’ve got one or thirty to spare from the many other Lukes over the years!

The elusive Jurassic World Brachiosaurus...exclusive to Target.  *grumble grumble*

The sole yellow jacket adventure (no, comics don't count) is featured in the animated segment of the Holiday Special.  As if the debut of Boba Fett wasn’t enough!  Some losers out there believe this is the only watchable part of the show...but they probably suck Rian Johnson’s alien teats.  Who would have thought that forty plus years later, someone would make a more miserable Star Wars viewing experience?

I personally love the Holiday special.  Sure, the 70’s variety format was wildly inappropriate for Star Wars, but looking at it in the context of the time, it’s better than most programs of the same ilk.  Having this back right up seasonally to the Paul Lynde Halloween Special is pure bliss.  I challenge all Star Wars fans to concentrate all their Midichlorians in growing a sense of humor about their fandom, embrace the Lumpy, and give it another shot.  In the immortal words of Bea Arthur’s Ackmena the Bartender, “Come back soon...I’ll be waiting.”

The Holiday Special IS Chewbacca's medal.