| Imperial Gunner-Gold (Carded) | |
The Polish variety of bootleg figures are some of my favorite unlicensed Star Wars items. The figures themselves have standardized limbs: usually they have Biker Scout limbs (as is the case with this Imperial Gunner), but I've seen examples bearing the arms and legs of the AT-AT Driver figure as well. Apart from the limb thing, they're just incredibly cheesy-looking. The gold paint of this example is laid on so thick that it obscures what little detail the clunky rubber material allowed for in the first place. But, in my opinion, their blisters cards are what make these Polish pieces really stand out. They're pretty simple, being printed only on one side, with a rudimentary image of a Y-Wing inset in a lopsided starburst; but their graphics have a striking aspect to them, which reminds me somewhat of old communist propaganda posters. As you can see, the cards do not provide a place for the name of the figure, although they do bear some lines of text that, I assume, are the Polish translations of Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. As is the case with the Hungarian line of bootleg figures, the bubbles of these things are not glued, but are merely attached to the backer cards with a few staples. Many different figures appear to have been released in this "line," Boba Fett being the example that seems to hit the market with the most frequency. Additionally, the colors used on the blister cards is known to have varied; I've seen versions boasting backgrounds in both red and a darker shade of blue. |
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| Description by: | Ron Salvatore |
| Photo: | Ron Salvatore |
| From the collection of: | Ron Salvatore |
| Country: | Poland |
| Film: | Return of the Jedi |
| Licensee: | Elektrospoldzielnia |
| Year: | 1983 |
| Category: | Toys / Action Figure Related / Small Action Figures (Bootleg) |