LEon over at Open The Toy has thrown down the challenge for all die hard collectors, fanatics, and lovers of the Dark Lord of the Sith, the one and only Darth Vader, to show and detail how Darth Vader Invaded your collection! What a great idea!
So to quote Leon
"One thing to remember, the topic is Darth Vader which mean when he is in the dark suit serving the Emperor and not when he was still known as Anakin Skywalker. So anything related to Darth Vader period with Darth Vader is acceptable such as his lightsaber, Tie fighter but not the stormtroopers. :)"
My wife is going to be so excited that I'm unpacking Darth Vader toys to shoot pictures this weekend! I hope she doesn't think I'm ebay'n all my Darth Vader treasures. Ha ha, the jokes on you! I'm a geek!
LEon, I'm in! I am actually so excited about this I'm dropping up a pre-Invasion post here of stuff I already covered on my blog about Darth Vader, but then you'll have to tune back in next week to be mesmerized by my Darth Vader Collection!
So join us (LEon and I) and together we will rule the galaxy!
Here goes, I'm going to try and keep things in a sort of loose release date order. Having said that I'm breaking this rule by posting my Darth Vader Don Post Mask first.
No. 1: Darth Vader Don Post Mask
I actually have two of these in my collection, both the same, both purchased around the same time, one for my son and one for me. He "out grew" his and said I was welcome to have it. I couldn't bear getting rid of it, so it now looks over my desk at work, serving as a reminder to all who enter my office are doomed!
Why first you ask? One of my first memories of wanting something so bad it hurts is tied to a Don Post Darth Vader mask. I would see the ads in the back of the Sci-Fi and Monster mags of the time and would drool over them. I imagined taking over the Galaxy in one. It would be until I was much older that I would get my hands on one, oh well better late than never. Also, LEon started with a mask in his post, so why not.
We purchased my mask on a trip to Disney world in 1994. I had planned on buying one from a shop in Florida while visiting, but when we exited the Star Tours ride into a gift shop I discovered I didn't have to go far for my Darth Vader Fix. My Son's mask came a year or so later when his Grandmother returned to Disney World and he asked her to pick him one up. I'm saving it, who knows when he gets older he might want to have it back. Mine, I will be cremated in it, on top of a funeral pyre ala Return of the Jedi.
No. 2: Disney World Darth Vader Figurine
Since we are at Disney world might as well show off this goodie I picked up at the same time. This was 1994, no action figures had been re-released yet , so this was the next best thing. Sort of, not really. More like a little statue. Produced for Disney World, Vader here is about the size of a 3.75 inch action figure, but is non articulated. I picked up a set of these little guys you can read about here. My son and I played with this guys off and on during the trip. Good times!
No. 3: Darth Vadar Button
My first piece of Star Wars merchandise with Darth Vadar on it. That's right it's spelled Darth Vadar here. They were in such a hurry to produce these that they didn't bother with the spell check. Sort of like most of my posts, I apologize to all who read my butchery of the English language.
I have a fun post about this jewel from 1977 here, man I feel old now.
No. 4: Darth Vader 8x10 Autographed Glossy
Okay it's not autographed by the actor who played Darth Vader, but some guy in a costume they hired for mall appearances. I absolutely love this piece of memorabilia from 1977, the whole story is here.
The short of it was my Father took me to the mall to see Darth Vader and get this and I will never forget the time we had fighting off all the people to get the whole picture! These were the days before I realized they hired people to play characters in movies. I mean I figured Darth Vader and the rest of them were real. It took me a few years to realize Chewbacca, C3-P0, and R2-D2 were all actors as well. Sort of ruins it for me now.
No. 5: Star Wars Story Book, with Darth Vader on the Back Cover
LEon, I hope this falls within the rules for participation. Because this picture on the back cover is the reason I love this Story Book. Believe me, if this is not countable, it will not hurt my overall score, LOL.
Published in 1978, the Star Wars Story Book, more here, was one of my all time sick day reads, next to the large format Marvel Comics (reminder: I need to post those sometime). The best part of this book besides the "missing" scenes is this beautiful picture of Darth Vader on the back cover. You had me and "tear this ship apart" Mr. Vader.
I think I'm off to a good start, it might take me a few days to get the pictures and few more to show them all, thanks again to LEon for dreaming this up, make sure to check out his blog for updates and all the others that participate, and come back here for some more Darth Vader Invasion as well! Don't make me destroy you!
2 comments:
No prob. poster will do also. Thanks for joining in. :D
It is an interesting read I must add as I get to know more about you. The mask of vader had to come 1st as it is one MUST get for all vader's fan. It seems vader had invaded your childhood and some of your family memories. So it is safe to say, the force is indeed strong in the family.
Keep us posted of your continuation of the vader in your collection. I'm sure we will discover more of how vader meant to you to us. :D
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