Hey, Hey, Ho, Ho, The BAD Astromech Has Got To Go.

This article was actually planned for last week, but as I was starting it, I realized that the comment section would be dominated by people saying, "we actually need a new C-3PO first". Being a nimble content provider, I quickly pivoted to THIS ARTICLE. Calling myself a "nimble" content provider is a complete lie. Once I start something, I turn about as easily as the Titanic. So, because of you nitpicking jerks in the comments, I sat there with gnashed teeth for a solid hour, and then wrote the 3PO article. Thanks a lot, jerks. I was going to watch According to Jim reruns that night.

I feel like I'm getting a little off track, so please allow me to consult my notes for a moment:

Call the commenters "jerks" twice

Okay, actually looks like I'm right on track. Good for me. Now we can get onto the subject of astro droids. It seems that Hasbro is hellbent on forcing dated and/or flawed astromech sculpts on the TVC community. VC25 was an ambitious figure in 2010, but in trying to be too many things at once, it managed to fail at them all. It was never a popular sculpt even from day one, but it seemed to be Hasbro's goto astromech sculpt. It was frustratingly used for this hugely frustrating Entertainment Earth exclusive. One of the biggest problems was that the panel concealing the utility arm refused to stay closed. Collectors bemoaned the fact that the BAD sculpt wasn't used. Of course, charging $80 for 6 BADs would be outrageous today. Charging it in 2016 would have caused more pandemonium than even "Mean" Gene Okerlund could describe at the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland. That probably explains the use of VC25.

For both The Last Jedi R2 and VC149, Hasbro returned the R2 units to the BAD sculpt, and fans thought the VC25 experiment was over. But then, for some reason, VC25 came roaring back. It was used for the Droids R2-D2, VC234 - R2-D2, and VC260 - R2-SHW. VC25 is the Wayne Fontes of action figure sculpts. Like every slasher in a horror movie, it seems like VC25 needs to be killed multiple times. The first death never takes. With this year's Escape from Order 66 set, it appears that the BAD mold has come back in vogue for astromechs. So we can celebrate, right? This is what we wanted. We're happy now, right?

I was happy. Then someone pointed out something that I can't unsee. There is an aspect of the BAD mold that is is annoyingly inaccurate, and now I want the BAD sculpt relegated to the dustbin of history:


Those bump outs at the shoulders are wholly inaccurate. They are there to facilitate removing the legs of the BAD mold (you know, for kids!). It causes the legs to appear to float out in space, when in reality, they are supposed to be nearly flush to the drum of the astromech:


Now, whenever I look at the BAD sculpt, I feel like the droid is performing the "most muscular" bodybuilding pose:


I was blissfully unaware of this inaccuracy until Randy (if I recall correctly) pointed it out to me. It was also noted by Tannith in that 3PO article:


Tannith is also right that too many of you jerks (ooh, a third time) probaly think this is being too nitpicky and the BAD sculpt is the dreaded "good enough.” But is it too much to expect a new sculpt on par with what the Black Series recently got with their latest astromcech releases? The gigantism scale has gotten two 100% newly tooled astro droid sculpts since the last 3.75" one. It's frustrating. I'm getting tired of TVC being the "compromise" scale. Like the proposed protocol droid upgrade, repaints of a new astromech sculpt could be cranked out ad nauseam. As a compromise, can the drum of the BAD sculpted at least be retooled to get rid of those bump outs?

Second to lastly, if you think that the inclusion of the scantily clad muscle man above is too off-brand for Bantha Skull, I can assure you that it's testing through the roof:


Lastly, someone always takes it seriously when I tease the comment section. IT'S A JOKE. I absolutely love the community here, and it's what keeps me going. I call Bret a jerk all the time, and I kinda like the big jerk.

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