ESB@30: 30 Collectibles, day 25

On 16 May 1990, 20 years ago today, the world lost Jim Henson to cancer. One of his greatest legacies is The Muppet Show, and The Muppet Show featured the cast of The Empire Strikes Back way back in it's fourth season. That season has not been released on DVD, but the episode was released on the discontinued Best of The Muppet Show. Pictured is the 25th Anniversary DVD which also includes bonus material such as "screen tests" where Muppets vie for the role of Yoda.

The Empire episode features Mark Hamill as both Luke Skywalker and himself, Peter Mayhew as Chewbacca, Anthony Daniels as C-3PO, and R2-D2. Amid the regular Muppets madness they join the Pigs in Space on The Swinetrek and perform in a finale medley featuring "When You Wish Upon a Star." 

ESB@30: 30 Collectibles, day 24

SW in C

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ESB@30: 30 Collectibles, day 18

Happy Mother's Day!  Star Wars isn't known for happy mothers. Think Anakin leaving his Mom: "Will I ever see you again? Shmi basically says, "Well, what do you think?"

So I'm skipping ahead to an Empire Strikes Back-related Father's Day collectible. In 2007, Hasbro released this, "I Am Your Father's Day" 2-pack that included Darth Vader and a fairly ugly Bespin Luke Skywalker. Included inside is a card that proclaims "You're the greatest Dad in the galaxy!" While I didn't open his, I did make sure my old man had one of these. 

ESB@30: 30 Collectibles, day 17

Leia, Luke, and Vader and 3po spinning figures.

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Sixth-scale Hantaun.

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30 Topps ESB Photo Cards

ESB@30: 30 Collectibles, Day 14

ESB NES video game

ESB@30: 30 Collectibles, day 13

In the Empire Strikes Back, the phrase, "May the Force Be With You" is said only once, at the end of the movie by Luke to a departing Lando and Chewbacca. We waited 30 years, but we finally got an action figure of the suave Calrissian the one and only time that he borrowed Han Solo's wardrobe.

May the Fourth Be With You!

Over the last few years fans have made May the 4th the unofficial Star Wars Day. This being May, may I say to you, too, May the Fourth Be with You!

ESB@30: 30 Collectibles, day 12

Vinyl albums have largely been forgotten in the last couple of decades, but in 1980 they were very much a part of the collection of many Star Wars fans. The Empire Strikes Back soundtrack, like the Star Wars soundtrack before it, was a double-album.

ESB@30: 30 Collectibles, day 11

Star Wars Weekends merchandise has included over a dozen Star Wars "Big Figs," resin statues that stand over a foot tall, since 1996. This Donald Duck in Carbonite was released in 2009 and is one of only two directly referencing The Empire Strikes Back. The other features Mickey in Dagobah fatigues with Yoda in his backpack. Except for the initial Jedi Mickey which is now an open edition, each are limited to 600 pieces and retailed for about $150.



At this year's Star Wars Weekends, there will be an action figure of "Don in Carbonite."

ESB@30: 30 Collectibles, day 10

Hoth. The ice planet where the first pivotal events in The Empire Strikes Back unfold has been the source of countless collectibles. A good number of the characters and machines that appear on Hoth have been represented in the plastic miniatures line from Wizards of the Coast. Starting in 2004, and ended in April 2010, Wizards has well over 800 miniatures spanning every era of Star Wars, and that doesn't even include the offshoot "Starship Battles" miniatures spaceships.

Later series included "huge" miniatures allowing some small war machines such as the Rebel Troop Cart and the Anti-Infantry Battery to be produced.

The largest of all these was the Colossal Imperial Walker pack. The AT-AT stands 13 inches tall, retailed for $49.99, and has much of the detail of pieces twenty times more expensive.