It’s safe to mark this moment as the unofficial beginning of the Star Wars collecting mania. Kids could then send away a certificate from the box to receive four action figures by June 1. In a sign of just how much of a sensation Star Wars was becoming, parents bought the cardboard in droves. Kenner, which was acquired by Hasbro in 1991, actually made a television commercial for what amounted to a piece of cardboard that could be folded into a toy display stand. The solution was selling an empty box marketed as the “Star Wars Early Bird Set,” a sort of IOU from the company that could be redeemed for a real toy later. Kenner scrambled but soon realized there wouldn’t by any Star Wars toys ready in time for Christmas.“It was discussed internally that we should have something that folks could put under the tree, to build that excitement and anticipation,” Boudreaux said. This was almost four decades ago, a simpler time when movies weren’t the carefully orchestrated and licensed consumer bonanzas they are today.
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One of Boudreaux’s first assignments was helping Kenner figure out how to deal with the unexpected box-office smash despite not having any products to sell. That ranked it second all time, after Gone With the Wind, and spawned a fan base like no other. The film was released in late May 1977 and grossed $1.2 billion in today’s dollars.
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When the new movie comes out in December, it will be the seventh episode inthe most lucrative film franchise ever with an estimated $25 billion in box office and merchandise revenue.
The new toys went on sale Friday with a wave of publicity on what the marketers have dubbed Force Friday.
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The latest miniature version of the Millennium Falcon, designed once again by Boudreaux and retailing for $140, is the centerpiece of Hasbro’s new line of toys and games coming out ahead of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” the first new film in the series to be produced by Disney. In fact, Boudreaux is the only person who has been creating Star Wars playthings since the very birth of the merchandizing behemoth unleashed by George Lucas in 1977. The 60-year-old father of two has designed every toy version of Han Solo’s spaceship. When geeks of a certain age ask for his autograph, it’s usually because of his deep connection to the Millennium Falcon. Mark Boudreaux has dined with C-3PO and counts the bounty hunter Boba Fett as a personal friend.
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