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The Durge Report will be the home of Reviews of Mini-Busts, Master Replicas, Action Figures and more all done by Forum Member and Moderator Durge!

Welcome to another issue of The Durge Report! This week saw the announcement of a third wave of Star Wars Kubricks, so I thought that it would only be appropriate to cover the previous sets and waves in The Durge Report. This week feature the first Star Wars Kubrick collectable, the Early Bird set. In future issues, we will feature waves 1 and 2 as well as a few other goodies along the way! So without further ado…

The Star Wars Early Bird Kubrick set is based on the vintage early bird set which was put out by Kenner in 1977. It includes the same figures as the vintage set did, as well as a display to put your new Kubricks on. While Kenner did not have the figures ready for shipment at the time of the release of their early bird set, Medicom did. The set is simply a nod at the good ol’ days and the early bird certificate does not actually have much use.

The figures included with the set are Chewbacca, Leia, Luke and R2-D2. All have good detailing as well as some removable pieces. For example, Leia’s hair can be removed. Kubricks are in many ways similar to Lego, but they are bigger, taller, and more detailed.

The Chewbacca figure, my favorite of the set, is a few centimeters taller than the other human Kubricks. He features very good detailing and his “fur” has a good convincing texture. The likeness is pretty good too. Chewbacca comes with his bowcaster.

The Leia figure is somewhat bland, in the writers’ opinion. The skin tone is too light and the “dress” is beginning to curl up. She does not come with any weapons either. This figure is the weakest of the set.

Luke Skywalker is presented in his classic “farm boy” outfit. He comes with his father’s lightsaber as well as a brown hair piece. Medicom released a carded version of Luke with blond hair which seems to be another nod at the classic vintage line. Overall, this figure has been done extremely well.

Last in the set, but certainly not least, is our favorite little malfunctioning droid, R2-D2. The figure features moveable side legs and dome. The body is decorated with a high quality sticker and well as some paint. This figure is probably a fan favorite since it was done extremely well. Later this year we will be seeing some other R2 units, based off of R2-D2.

All in all, this is a great set to purchase if you like the nostalgic look or if you collect Kubricks. I would recommend that the consumer purchase a set from a friend as eBay prices tend to be quite high these days.

New Report 6-11-04, Issue #5 - Master Replicas Obi-Wan AOTC Mini Lightsaber

Welcome to the fifth Durge Report! This week, I review the "just released" Obi-Wan mini lightsaber. For those of you not familiar with the line, Master Replicas decided to make a few scale replicas for the fans who love lightsabers, but cannot afford them. The idea was to cut down the price and scale, while keeping true to their full size predecessors. Did they succeed? Read on!

The mini lightsaber is second in the line of mini's from MR [Master Replicas]. It comes in a presentation box which includes information about the lightsaber, a certificate of authenticity [NOTE: The certificate is not numbered - nor is the prop], a stand, and the lightsaber. The lightsaber can be displayed inside the box, while still maintaining the lightsabers beautiful looks.

The lightsaber itself has been done perfectly. Every small detail has been perfectly copied from the real prop. Even the belt clip has been reproduced in .45 scale! It even has a good weight in spite of it's small size. It's quite amazing to behold what MR is capable of even when limits are imposed.

The stand is sturdy, but once you insert the clear "holder" tabs, don't expect to be able to pull them out without possible breaking at least one. It's not too noticeable in the photos, but I have not inserted my tabs in all the way. I am saving that for when I want to display these in the MR "step" display coming later this year.

The stand is customized for every mini prop that MR releases. Each stand states whose lightsaber is being displayed in case someone who looks at them does not know. These are perfect for displaying at work and the fact that it is pretty inexpensive will give you a peace of mind. People will be impressed with it. The "size matters not" when MR is responsible.

To give the reader a good idea of the size, a photo of the lightsaber next to an Obi-Wan mini-bust has been included. I have also taken photos of the lightsaber near the Luke ROTJ mini prop which was released earlier this year, and can still be purchased at MasterReplicas.com.

All in all, this is another fantastic piece from MR. If you can't afford the full sized props, or if you're like me and want the minis in addition to your full sized props, get the mini props! I give the piece a score of 9 out of 10 for it's accuracy and impressive displayability. The only thing that prevents a ten is the poor display stand tabs.

New Report 5-17-04, Issue #4 - Review of Luke Skywalker - Dagobah Training

Sculpt - The sculpt is really good. The first set of arms are sculpted in a way that
they can't really do much else besides hold the backpack straps. They are detailed
with some brown paint, which really looks like mud. The first head is pretty good
also. It looks pretty much like Luke, and the hair was done really well. It's messy
just like in the movie. The second set of arms are sculpted in a way that they can't
do much besides be placed in the handstand pose. The second head is really funny
looking, and I kind of like it. The body sculpt is great. The pants have a
convincing amound of wrinkles and the shirt is sculpted well also.

Articulation - There are six points of articulation of this figure. It's a pretty
good amount for an average figure, but I expected this figure to be more articulated
since Luke did alot of flexing during his training.

Paint - The paint job on this figure is great. Surprisingly, there is no paint
bleeding on my sample. The "mud" paint apps look good, even though they are just
simple paint strokes.

Accessories - Luke comes with a base and backpack straps. That's right folks, the
geniouses at Hasbro devised a way for kids to want the Yoda figure (which is great
looking either way) by putting only straps in with the Luke figure and the backpack
part with the Yoda figure.

Overall - This is the best Luke Dagobah ever. We haven't really had much of a
Dagobah selection in the past, so I'm not sure how much that means. I really like
the two sets of arms and heads included in one box. Hasbro could've milked us by
making two different versions, but they were really nice to give us both for the
price of one. Overall, I will grade this an 9/10. It has some bad parts, but I
really can't complain about such a fun toy!

Thus concludes this weeks Durge Report. I wish to thank everyone who emailed me
about my last few reports. Questions and comments are always welcomed! If you would
like me to review a specific item, or would just like to drop a line, email me at
DurgesPlace@Yahoo.com.

Hello once again, and welcome to "The Durge Report". A few weeks ago we saw the release of the exciting Clone Wars card set by Topps. The basic set consists of 90 cards. Stickers and battle motion cards are randomly inserted. In the hobby boxes, however, they included a special series of Clone Wars Sketch cards by various artists. The sketch cards are randomly inserted into 1 in every 36 packs. By purchasing a case, you are basically guaranteed to get a sketch card.

The basic card set comes with 9 character cards, tons of regular cards, and several Comic Book Cover cards. The basic set is a great one. Each card has a dynamic image printed on it, with brilliant color. The cards are also very glossy which makes them look even better. You can get a complete basic set in every box and still have many extras left over for trading (hence the name "trading cards"). The set covers every episode in the first season of the cartoon. The back of the cards gives a great detailed description of some interesting facts and behind the scenes views.

Randomly inserted into the packs are sticker cards and battle motion cards. The sticker cards are cute for the kids. There are ten to collect and if you buy a box, you are basically guaranteed a set of those as well. The stickers include images of the main characters seen in the first season of the cartoon. They've even included an Arc Trooper! The battle motion cards use a very old, but creative effect. I'm sure most readers have seen the plastic they use to make these at some point. The plastic splits two images and makes it seem as if the cartoon is moving when you move it up and down. It's somewhat complicated to explain, so just go out and buy some! The battle motion card set is more difficult to complete. I purchased two boxes and still required help from friends to complete the set. An interesting note on the battle motion cards is that there is a battle motion Padme card. This is interesting because Padme is not seen in season 1.

Now to the sketch cards. These are pretty damn cool. Each is unique in the sense that an artist took the time to draw every image individually. Some artists sketch cards are more difficult to find than others. The more difficult to find include ones by Genndy Tartakovsky, Paul Rudish, and Dave Dorman. One is very likely to get a Joe Corroney card since he contributed the most cards to the sketch card series. I recieved a Joe Corroney cards featuring Anakin Skywalker in my first box. In my second box I was lucky enough to recieve a Yoda Sketch by Paul Rudish! All of the sketches are great, but since Paul actually drew the show, it makes it all the better. Overall, the set is great. What more can I say? If you like the show, or if you just want a cool sketch, buy yourself a box. They sell for about 65-70 dollars. I give the set a perfect score (10/10) for it's brilliant sketch series, and beautiful basic card set.

This week I received my new pin set from Star Wars Shop. I am a fan of the cartoon and thought these might be a cool addition to my collection, so I decided to buy them with my 50 dollar gift certificate. Was it worth it?

The pin set came in an out white box which is used to protect the black box inside of it. The black box has a Clone Wars logo on it, and it makes the set look much more attractive. As I was opening my set, I noticed a clanging noise. Did the pins come loose?

I opened the box to find that the noise was coming from Durge's chain. I would have preferred it come pinned down, but fortunetely mine did not sustain any damage.

The pins themselves are really nice. Each one has a glossy look to it. They also are a perfect reproduction of their cartoon counterparts. I would have preferred neutral poses, but the action poses are pretty good. Anakin and Yoda have neutral poses, and Obi-Wan seems to be doing a force push. Both of the "bad guys" are in fighting positions. Perhaps it was done intentionally. The Star Wars logo pin has got to be my favorite. The color is great and it's a really nice pin. I really like all of the pins, especially Durge since he has the chain attached.

I personally would not wear these because I would not want them to get ruined or scratched. They don't even look like they should be removed from their carboard backing!

My final thoughts on this set are as follows. Even if you don't collect pins (like me) you should try this small set. I really am impressed by it, and I am looking into some other additional Star Wars pin sets. I didn't like the loose Durge chain, but other than that the packaging was good. I would prefer a frame, but it seems only the high end pin sets come in frames. I give the set an 8.5 out of 10. I really like how the pins look, but then again the set as a whole has some minor issues.

The Biker Scout mini bust is one of Gentle Giant's best pieces to date. The sculpt, the paint, and the pose are all done very well. Gentle Giant has done it again!

Sculpt Gentle Giant scanned the original costume, so this is the closest you'll get to the real thing. It's excellent. The details on the bust are unmatched. The only bust that I think is better in terms of details is the Boba Fett bust, but not by much. The Biker Scout is just perfect.

Paint The paint is perfect on my sample. Nothing is crooked or out of the lines. The color matches the real thing perfectly. The best part is the slight yellow/brown tint Gentle Giant put in to the white armor. It makes it much more convincing, and shows wear.

The Pose I generally am not a fan of busts with arms. After all, they are BUSTS! I am beginning to get used to them though. With the Biker Scoult, having arms is a great thing since he comes with a gun. The gun looks great. They've captured the pose very well also.

Overall I am giving this bust a ten out of ten. It has perfect paint, pose and of course, sculpt. He is only second to Boba Fett in my book. If the Stormtrooper bust is anything like this, sign me up for two!