Kenner released TONS of Star Wars playsets back in the day.
The glory days of the Star Wars toyline was 1978 to 1984. The secret to the line’s success was simple: The scale. Unlike G.I.Joe or Kenner’s own Six Million Dollar Man toys, the company’s designers decided upon a 1/18th scale series of figures with limited articulation. That way Kenner could sell the “stars” of the movie: The vehicles, at an price-point that was affordable to families and kids.
Thus Kenner struck a goldmine.
The vehicles and playsets weren’t 100% accurate but they were “toyetic”: Which means, lots of play features and opportunities for kids to make up their own adventures in a Galaxy Far Far Away.
They did lots of vehicles, and lots of playsets, too. They did a Death Star, the “Land of the Jawas”, Hoth, the Millennium Falcon vehicle/playset and even a “droid factory” environment that let kids build their own droids.
But Kenner never a Bespin playset. No city in the clouds, for your figures to play in. Bespin, a seminal location in the best Star Wars film (come at me, Bro) The Empire Strikes Back.
Well… They kinda did make that Bespin playset. Eventually. But not for the 1/18th scale 3 3/4″ figures.
In 1981 Kenner decided to expand the Star Wars toyline. They had success with small-scale die-cast vehicles before, so they dipped their toe into an even smaller scale. Thus, the Star Wars Micro Collection was born.
These were much smaller – 1/64th scale compared to 1/18th. They came with small 1″ die-cast figures that had no poseability. They were, effectively, role playing game miniatures.
In the Micro Collection they redid some of their larger playsets (like the Death Star) and finally looked at Bespin as something to design and sell. They did the Carbon Freeze Chamber, the Control Room, and the Gantry that Luke and Darth ended their duel in. All three could connect into “Bespin World” (which they also sold as a complete set).
Eventually Kenner was bought by Hasbro, and since then Hasbro made millions off the Star Wars toy license. Last year Hasbro FINALLY released a “freeze chamber” playset. Well… Kinda. It was half a playset. It was, to be kind, pathetic. Michael French (the man who got me started on this no longer secret project) had a great and righteous YouTube rant about it. Here it is:
I finally met Michael French in person in July at the JoeFest toy show in Augusta, Georgia. There I shared some pics of some of my 3D models and projects and he was like, “You know, for over a year, I’ve been looking for someone to do…”
The Bespin World Micro Collection playsets. Resized UP, for the vintage figures. Michael had been looking for a “maker” with the ability and the technology to make his vision a reality.
I nodded, we finished our conversation and then went back to my hotel room with a recently purchased item. There, I then remembered something… I still owned my original Freeze Chamber micro collection toy. It was in a storage box in the room behind my office.
So I started sketching. I realized this was doable, but would be a LOT of work. So I went back to the show floor, found Michael again, showed him my sketches, and said, “I can do this.”
So I did.
BEHOLD: The first piece of the Star Wars MACRO collection. The Freeze Chamber.
It’s designed, fully. Printed, and delivered to Michael French (some of his great photos are in the gallery above).
I’ve scaled it to 3.75 times the original. Appropriate, since the original Star Wars figs are 3 3/4″ tall. I also designed a version of the original toy’s “propeller” that allows you to switch Han Solo with Han Solo in Carbonite. Though Michael and I both had issues getting it to work properly (I’ve had to adjust three different pieces, and am delivering these updated parts to Michael soon).
Michael often says ,”Fans are doing the best work.” That is a very flattering statement. One I have tried to live up to. I think I have.
This has been the most challenging modeling project I have ever done. Over 100 hours of design work. The full model takes 18 TOTAL DAYS to print (if I only had one printer, of course. I have five.)
This beast is available on eBay RIGHT NOW. In multiple configurations. The Ultimate “Cloud City Freeze Chamber Playset” (No Star Wars terms used, since it’s “inspired by” and not official) is $499.
(The same price as Jabba’s Sail Barge from Haslabs, by the way. And unlike a multi-billion dollar corporation, I’m just a guy with some skills, focus and lots of passion. They had to do a Kickstarter to fund this. I didn’t. Again, I’m just a guy who does this in his spare time. It’s NOT my day job.)
Now obviously, this is not a mass-produced item. I print “on demand” based on orders. And I will always aspire to tune and improve the design based on feedback. Michael has been great in that regard. He has been a Mensch through this whole process, and I likened myself to Steve Wozniack to his Steve Jobs.
Michael French shared the script for his “reveal video” which I embed below. Here is his ending:
I’m proud that, from everything I can tell, my obsession with this playset and my refusal to not give up by finding Joe, makes this the first credible option of a Cloud City playset that will be available to fans.
Before you conspiracy theory wackos cry foul – No, I’m not earning any money from this project. I commissioned it like any other customer. If the design is popular, it will be Joe as the maker that sells these from his online shop. I’m not a partner with any kind of financial percentage. My reward isn’t monetary. My reward is the pure satisfaction of knowing that 40 years of toy industry refusal to bring this to life didn’t. Beat. Me.
And the journey isn’t over yet by a long shot. Don’t think for a minute that I’d go to all this effort and not have the Control Room and Gantry as part of this ultimate Bespin Playset as well. Believe me when I tell you, the Freeze Chamber is just the beginning. There are a lot of lights at the end of this tunnel…
Michael French
Yup. He’s right. The original “Bespin World” had more than just the freeze chamber.
So I’ve designed the rest.
A Control Room and a Gantry. Accurate to the movie, but still reflecting the “toyetic” nature of the original Micro Collection Toys. I’m working on printing out and tuning these models right now, and once they are done Michael will get his complete Bespin World playset. He’s already identified where in his house he is putting it. I’m honored to be able to create something he can add to his very impressive collection.
I fully expect some “Hasbros” to come at me in the comments of his reveal video, criticizing little details and or the quality of my work. And to them I say… Whatevs. Life is too short to worry about that. It’s the same way when someone tells me my design work is “nice.” That is not actionable feedback. Tell me how to make what I have done better in a kind, polite way and I will listen. And tune. And tweak. Otherwise you are shouting into the darkness.
Now that I’ve done this, I am emboldened. I’m looking at some other playsets and other toys that were never produced by Kenner and will be happily focus on producing the best quality work possible. I have high standards, and Michael was quite funny as I pointed out some of the printing errors and flaws to him during the delivery of the playset. “Dude, you are being WAY too hard on yourself.”
I know. But as the saying goes, “Pride goeth before the fall.” I’m happy with the work but I always want to be, and do, better.
To quote Hamilton… Just you wait. Just. You. Wait.
More to come…