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The Star Wars canon seems to have a rather peculiar relationship with the subjects of race and gender (perhaps with the exception of the third Trilogy and of Rogue One). The first and most striking thing is that the cast of the entire first movie, Episode IV A New Hope, features only one female main character and absolutely no ethnic diversity . 'A New Hope for whom?', one might ask. However, in some ways, the complete distance of this movie from the race and gender politics of 1960s and 70s America serves to enhance its sense of timelessness and as such contributes to its success. Episode IV is in many ways a pared down and minimalist movie which is part of its charm.

Nonetheless, it seems to reflect an awkwardness with these issues in Lucas's movie making which comes into fuller bloom with some of his quasi-ethnic aliens in Episode I. For instance, Jar Jar Binks' patois and his floppy flairs render him only a beat box away from some 70s-style Afro American hipster and the accusation of cringe-worthy stereotyping has now been levelled against Lucas many times for this. And the very Middle Eastern looking Trade Federation characters really quite successfully feed into paranoia over the rise of China as a global and industrial power and the corresponding demise of US supremacy and its democracy. It all feels a little ham-fisted in Episode I, and some of the characters are roughly hewn rather than finely carved and whilst Episode IV stood outside its time in a rather arty way Episodes I to III are firmly of their time and zeitgeist (the anti-smoking message in Episode II springs to mind).

Part of the problem is that we move from the fairly minimalist world of Episodes IV, V and VI to a galaxy which has a richer tapestry. What would have been inaudible background characters in the previous three movies are endowed with personalities and voices which aren't well rounded enough, and wisps of an initially stereotyped blueprint for characters filter through into the films.

Moreover, we've built our entire understanding of the Star Wars world upon the premise that this is 'A long time ago. In a galaxy far, far away...'. For Lucas to suddenly introduce instantly recognisable contemporary social commentary into Episodes I to III jars with our expectations.

Moving from the absence of diversity in A New Hope to its eventual emergence in Return of the Jedi, Episode VI gives us an even greater sense of Lucas's awkwardness, and an idea that Lucas struggles to know what to do with actual (as opposed to alien) diversity. Jabba's Palace gives us our first glimpse of a more diverse Star Wars world, with the presence of multiple women and our one new Afro American main character in the form of Lando Calrissian. And, where do we find them all? The epicentre of this gender and cultural melting pot is in Jabba's vaguely S&M emporium on Tatooine.

It's almost like Lucas can't cope with women collectively unless they're in a dungeon, chained to something or made to dance, prance and sing like marionettes. Feminist's shut their eyes, whilst thirteen year-old boys get a glimpse of something with which to stock up their salacious imaginations. It's not surprising then that the aptly named Salacious Crumb looks on from the side-lines as some sort of heinously freakish adolescent master of ceremonies. If Star Wars characters had genitals he'd be clutching hold of his a little bit too tightly whilst obese businessmen from Chelmsford, dressed as Gamorrean Guards gyrate their pachyderm hips to the tunes of Sy Snootles and Max Rebo, and the tempo raises to the point at which we know there's going to be some seriously depraved alien-on-alien rutting if Luke Skywalker doesn't get his skates on and Jedi Mind Trick us back in to a world of PG viewing.

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All Star Wars action figures, vehicles, collectibles and Star Wars toys shown on this website are the 3.75 inch scale and from my own private Star Wars collection unless otherwise stated. Where possible original vintage accessories have been used but in some instances I have placed Kenner Star Wars figures with either reproduction weapons and accessories or for Hasbro figures close approximations have been used. This is mostly the case for modern Star Wars lightsabers where the correct item can be very difficult to identify on some ocassions. Vintage Star Wars action figures are shown with their original weapon or accessory when I have them. When a vintage Kenner action figure is shown with an accessory which is not original I have tried to point this out where possible.

All of the Star Wars action figures shown were purchased second hand, usually incomplete, and in bulk. They have been reunited with their original weapons and accessories where we could get hold of them.

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