Disney announced its quarterly earnings today.

Disney “beat The Street” with higher than expected EPS (earnings per share) of $1.50 vs. $1.41.  Unfortunately, its overall revenue was slightly lower than expected, coming in at $13.34B vs $13.45B. 

Many observers were concerned about recent issues with ESPN, one of the largest drivers of Disney’s business.  Nevermind all that Star Wars/Marvel/Pixar nonsense, it’s all about sports!  We’ll see how investors feel as they absorb the news and prepare for tomorrow morning’s opening bell.  After-hours trading shows Disney shares dropping almost 2%.

Some background to the announcement can be found in this interesting article, which essentially lays out how Disney’s media networks division (led by ESPN) is responsible for 3 times the revenue generated by its film division (which includes Star Wars, Marvel, and Pixar).  So despite an insane run at the box office (particularly the $1B worldwide gross by Beauty and the Beast), ESPN’s high operating costs (case in point: nearly $2B per year for their Monday Night Football package) weigh mightily on Disney’s bottom line.

Most Impressive.  My colleague Chris is a Darth Vader connoisseur, and will be reviewing this as soon as it arrives on his doorstep.  I’ll be in a world of hurt if they ever decide to do a 501st.

We are all excited that TVC is coming back next year.  We should be satisfied with this news, and should simply be patient and hope for the best.  But we’re obnoxious collectors, so we’re also looking for a suitable line of vehicles to compliment the new line.  Just look at the awesomeness of this thumbnail below!  No, we’re not looking for a battle-damaged repaint of the misrepresented and oft-maligned Rogue One AT-ACT.  Or…are we?

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The Force Friday toy list, which has been making the rounds lately, might be tipping the plot for The Last Jedi.  Do not click through if you’re trying to stay spoiler free.  However, if you want get a possible glimpse into the Episode 8 broad strokes, hit the read more link below.

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Coming soon from Sideshow.  Check out the preview image here.

This was an issue first raised by our friends at Jedi Temple Archives.  The 40th Anniversary Titanium collector figures have terrible paint applications.  While the one I saw today is not quite as anatomically hilarious as the one JTA posted, it did strike me funny that it looks like Solo is rolling his eyes.  I’m rolling my eyes too, Han ole buddy.  Hasbro please fire this factory before spring 2018.

We’re not fans of the 6 inch line by any stretch, but we know there are some of you out there who are.  Click the link to check out Entertainment Earth’s offering of Wave 2 of the second wave of the 40th Anniversary figures.

And send me that Jawa while you’re at it.  I like Jawas.  I don’t discriminate on scale.

It’s official.  The winner of the 2017 Vintage Collection Fan’s Choice poll is Doctor Aphra.

No surprises here.  Happy?  Disappointed?  Ambivalent? 

The poll results don’t make much sense to us, but it seems what is done is done.  We only hope that the vote was legitimate, and all those that selected Doctor Aphra will put their money where their mouse-click is, and buy it at retail.  May The Vintage Collection survive this early challenge!

From all of us at Bantha Skull, especially knowing that we will see the return of The Vintage Collection!

Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.  Hasbro has been conducting the Fans’ Choice poll since the POTJ days, and the sales of those figures has been hit or miss.  The recently completed Vintage Collection Fans’ Choice poll highlights why.  Fans interested in the line are not the ones voting.  Hit the read more link for more on this.

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Time’s running out!  Get your vote in bef- ....eh, don’t bother.  Looks like a landslide in favor of someone named Doctor Aphra.  I’m not sure if she is a medical practitioner or a holder of an accredited academic degree.  Old Man Palps is the OT leader, tying for a distant third place.  The votes of the three OT characters combined are still crushed by this newcomer. 

Why is this?  Are we old school collectors not the powerful voice we think we are?  Are we no longer representative of the collecting community?  Do those that currently and regularly patrol the various collecting fan sites prefer new characters from the television cartoons?  Has the 40 year history of our beloved franchise divided fans into two irreconcilable twenty-year eras?

Need a way to display your Star Wars book collection?  Got an extra $1600 that’s burning a hole in your pocket?  This AT-AT Bookcase from Pottery Barn solves both problems at once.  Honestly if I had a place to put this, I would consider it.

Here at the firm of Nomad and Other Guy, we have been discussing what the Spring 2018 launch wave of The Vintage Collection 2.0 should look like.  What’s important to note is that we’re not focusing on the ultimate collector case filled with obscure characters like Glee-Glop and the Floopty-Doos. That would be retail death.  We’re trying to brainstorm the ideal launch wave for retail success.  And as usual, Bret and I don’t agree on what that case would look like.  We also argued about whether or not anyone would want to read this.  I said no, and I put my money where my mouth is.  For every comment above 1000 this article gets, I will buy him 10 AT-ACTs. Hit the read more link to join the debate.

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Hasbro’s Vintage Collection Fans’ Choice Poll is live.  Click through to cast your vote (as long as you’re voting for either Yakface, Sim Aloo or Emperor Palpatine).