Rest In Peace, Mark Boudreaux, Legendary Toy Designer

On Sunday, a friend of Mark Boudreaux posted the sad news of his passing:



As many of you know, Mr. Boudreaux's impact on the Star Wars line cannot be understated. He literally designed every single Millennium Falcon produced by both Kenner and Hasbro. This includes everything from the beloved vintage Kenner Falcon to the legendary "Big Millennium Falcon", but his contributions hardly stop there. He also created the "double pointed" prototype for the vintage Kenner Troop Transport, which was refined to the blunt nosed production version that ultimately became canonized in The Mandalorian. More recently, Mark was the design lead for both the Sail Barge and the Imperial Combat Assault Tank.

Beyond Mark's prodigious contributions to the toy industry, he made a lasting impression on anyone who was lucky enough to spend some time talking with him about our beloved hobby. He eagerly and generously engaged with fans at conventions. I was mesmerized listening to him recount how he initially scoffed as the slick and clean design of the Naboo N1 Starfigter, but after Doug Chiang explained to him that it was supposed to represent a parade vehicle from a mostly ceremonial military, he embraced the design. Another thing Mark liked to talk about was how much he enjoyed "filling in the blanks" of the vehicles, like the cockpit of the aforementioned Assault Tank and the kitchen and detention cell in the Sail Barge. All the while, his passion and love for toy design would be on full display. Talking with him was a delight.

[Note from Bret:]
I had an opportunity to speak with Mark one on one at New York Toy Fair when the HasLab Sail Barge was first revealed. He was standing by the Barge prototype on the showroom floor. He happened to be alone for a moment, and I wandered up and asked him about the Barge. He was so obviously both proud and excited about the chance to discuss the features and how the ship was developed. He demonstrated to me how all the features worked, and discussed all the details that he sculpted into the product. He was 100% genuine, and I remember thinking how disappointed HE would be if the campaign wasn’t successful. It was one of my favorite moments of the many conventions I have attended over the years.

Rest in peace, Mr. Boudreaux. Our thoughts are with your family.

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