STAR WARS TOYS BY KENNER WITH CHRIS NICINI

20th Century Popcast is a podcast that tries to understand the present by living in the past.  Each week hosts Bob and Tim take a sociological look at the pop culture of the '80s and '90s.  Its a ruining of their childhood that hopefully explains how they became adults.


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TOYS OF SUMMER: "Action Figrin Dan is Minch on Talon Karrde." (1978-1985)  Who can forget Christmas morning?  Rushing downstairs in character-specific pajamas.  Tearing into some intricately wrapped gifts.  All to reveal the anticipated find of ... General Nadine?  Twin Pod Cloud Car?   Pruneface?    These were the things kids played with thanks to Kenner's original Star Wars collection.  And today Tim welcomes Star Wars collector Chris Nicini to discuss his love of this toy-line and its continued impact on his adult life.  Utini.  

00:00:00  PRESHOW PRATTLE - playing to a packed house
00:00:46  ONCE AGAIN, NO BOB AND, ONCE AGAIN, STILL TIM WITH … - Chris Nicini, Cinematographer and  Star Wars collector
00:05:31  PLAY-DOUGH OR PLAY-DOUGH NOT - earliest introductions to Star Wars  
00:12:21  WERE THESE THE DROIDS YOU WANTED? - the Jawa mentality
00:18:40  POWER OF THE FORCE WAS NOT STRONG WITH THIS ONE - cultivating a collector with the Micro-Collection
00:30:53  PUT CARDED SOLO IN THE CARGO HOLD - unopened packaging
00:33:27  LESS OF A TIME AGO IN A CONVENTION NEARBY … -  the epic engineering of John and Jim Jongsma
00:39:36  PRICE-CHECK CHILDHOOD - and collecting with a co-pilot
00:48:32  LIFE DAY-DREAM BELIEVER - before the Star Wars aesthetics
00:54:05  THE TOYS ARE OUT THERE - how Tim lost the Rebellion
00:59:33  ENOUGH OF THIS SITH - when does the collecting end?
01:08:48  CLOSINGS - Contacts, plugs and no catchphrase
01:10:59  SPECIAL BONUS FEATURES - a quick head count

Check out some stellar action figure photography from today's guest CHRIS NICINI via this Flickr gallery HERE.

Play with a cardboard box during this original 1977 ad for the 1977 Star Wars toy-line HERE.

See how epic childhood memories get turned into rampant modern consumerism with this pair of Star Wars retail promos HERE and HERE.  

Watch a Jawa reverse-fireman's carry the Death Star droid during a run of Star Wars toy ads HERE.

Hear the lack of pronouns in the Tauntaun toy spot during the parade of Star Wars ads HERE.  

Be surprised, surprised by Lando in disguise with another run of Star wars toy ads HERE.

Read about the some unreleased Micro-world play-sets that would have adorned Tim's childhood bookshelf  HERE and HERE. 

Witness the Sandy Frank presentation a three year-old Tim thought was the source material for his first die-cast X-Wing fighter HERE.

Try and get Master Yoda's radio single out of your head with his video performance HERE.

And finally, see an astounding remake of Star Wars by actual kids in their actual backyard with the Jongsman/Baker film spectacular HERE and HERE.  

The use of audio and video clips linked from YOUTUBE are for educational purposes and without the expressed permission of their legal holding companies.  All rights remain with with their original distributor.

This episode of 20TH CENTURY POPCAST was recorded by CAST, an online audio platform that lets you create and record a multi-guest podcast straight from your web-browser.     It was then mastered by AUPHONIC, a web-based post-production service that makes it sound like Bob and Tim are worth listening to.  Check out both sights for trial and subscription information.

MUSIC FEATURED IN TODAY’S EPISODE:

“Super Poupi ” (opening theme) and "Poupi Great Adventures: The Arcade Game" (closing theme) performed by Komiku from the 2018 album POUPI'S INCREDIBLE ADVENTURES available at Freemusicarchives.org.   

Cleared for public domain use through Creative Commons under a CCO 1.0 Universal License

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Contact the show with any questions, suggestions or possible topics at 20popcast@gmail.com, #20popcast on Twitter and the POP TALK section of www.20popcast.com.

Follow ROBERT CANNING @rhcanning on TWITTER. Read his web-comic at  EXAGGERATEDLIFE.wordpress.com and his music blog at superultramegamix.wordpress.com.  

Follow TIM BLEVINS @subcultist on TWITTER and as SUBCULTISTon INSTAGRAM.  

20TH CENTURY POPCAST will return next week with an episode that should have aired two weeks ago.