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Dragon gets a Star Wars License it seems.


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Hey all,

I was just over at the "Keeper Of The Force" Star Wars modeling site http://www.keeperoftheforce.com/ and a fellow member posted that Dragon has been granted a license to produce Star Wars kits (actual post):

http://www.keeperoftheforce.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1496

It seems legitimate to me and if it is indeed so then this could be pretty exciting for us Star Wars modeling fans! Imagine a large scale AT-AT...a NEW STAR DESTROYER :pray: !!!! A lot of possibilities if they don't just produce the same usual subjects (not that there's necessarily anything wrong with that but you get what I mean ;) ).

Anyway, with Bandai's new kits and potentially Dragon jumping into the mix its a good time to be a Star Wars modeler.

Cheers all :cheers: !

Don.

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Considering the parts fit and other issues of older and current Dragon kits, I am not that enthusiastic about that news.

Cheers

Thorsten

Sorry to hear that. Personally I enjoy their armor, especially their fairly recent subjects. Their older stuff was indeed hit and miss. I also tend to like their figures in 1/35. Oh well, options are good in my opinion and if Dragon indeed jumps on the Star Wars bandwagon I will give them a try...especially if they affordable and can be bought here in USA hobby stores. If worst comes to worst we always have Bandai ;) .

Cheers!

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Yep that's definitely an AT-AT. If its indeed 1/35 then that opens up a truckload of possible 1/35 Star Wars subjects... should Dragon stick to one scale. I mean size wise, an AT-AT in 1/35 would be huge and dwarf something like a 1/35 Snow Speeder, AT-ST etc. It would also open the door for all sorts of 1/35 figures.

Interesting stuff. I guess time will tell.

Regards,

Don...who really would like to see a new mainstream Star Destroyer...please..

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There's an AT-AT panel tease floating around somewhere....

It's two posts below their SW announcement on FB.

My first thought was that it'd probably be a license for figure models, like their Marvel license, since Bandai and Revell hold licenses for model kits. And Bandai is a gargantuan company (think: Japanese Hasbro or Mattel), so have a ton of money and clout, and I'd imagine their licenses would be pretty iron clad, if region specific... so how much room is there for another license holder.

And yet...

12241429_1246617242031426_2139283190875775322_n_zps6wfipw7t.jpg

REALLY looks like

ATAT-SWFB.jpg

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It's two posts below their SW announcement on FB.

My first thought was that it'd probably be a license for figure models, like their Marvel license, since Bandai and Revell hold licenses for model kits. And Bandai is a gargantuan company (think: Japanese Hasbro or Mattel), so have a ton of money and clout, and I'd imagine their licenses would be pretty iron clad, if region specific... so how much room is there for another license holder.

And yet...

12241429_1246617242031426_2139283190875775322_n_zps6wfipw7t.jpg

REALLY looks like

ATAT-SWFB.jpg

:yahoo::pray:

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Any chance Dragon would be releasing re-boxed Bandai kits or kits made by Bandai but able to be sold in the U.S and Europe under the Dragon label to circumvent the Revell/Bandai license issues?

Bandai was supposed to be working on an AT-AT of their own but there's been nothing of substance since this video appeared over a year ago:

Could the AT-AT shot off of Dragons FB page be the AT-AT above, perhaps without the movable features? I mean there's no doubt that Dragon FB picture is an AT-AT.

I am merely guessing here and thinking out loud so don't shoot the messenger... :D...

Again, this is interesting stuff.

Cheers!

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Any chance Dragon would be releasing re-boxed Bandai kits or kits made by Bandai but able to be sold in the U.S and Europe under the Dragon label to circumvent the Revell/Bandai license issues?

No.

The way that would pan out is that DML would release Bandai's kits; Revell would lean on Disney, who would lean on Bandai to find out how DML got the kits, then Revell would launch a massive lawsuit against Bandai when it turns out they colluded with DML to violate their Disney contract. They'd also get sued by Disney, who would likely terminate Bandai's license agreement. Because it would be immediately obvious that they came from Bandai's tooling.

Not to mention, Bandai's AT-AT display model was 1/48, not 1/35. And both it, and the Star Destroyer, were basically just props for their booth. The official word was they, yeah, theoretically they *could* release them as kits at some point in the future, but they were mostly done just to generate excitement for the product line. Kind of like the 1/6 TIE Fighter Sideshow made for the SDCC (or the 1/6 Falcon they did for the HKCC)

IMO, there's two likely explanations: One is that they'll be selling pre-finished miniatures (like their pre-finished Marvel statues, or the Dragon Wings line). The other is, if they *are* kits, it's a Chinese-exclusive license. IIRC, the Bandai license is for Japan, not Asia, which would leave China wide open for someone like DML.

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So if these are not going to be kits like what Bandai, FM, and Revell produced/are producing and they are going to be Chinese exclusives then this really isn't a big deal for us modeling wise? This would be more for the figure/toy collectors out there and not so much the model builders. Too bad I guess. Oh well...we still have Bandai :)

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Don't get me wrong: I have *no* idea what they're doing. I'm just speculating based on what seems likely to me. Either it's going to be something like this: http://www.hlj.com/product/DRAH38147/Sci or it's going to be scale model kits for China, the way that Bandai does kits for Japan. If it's the latter, it's probably good news, since it *should* be relatively easy to get hold of them (*lots* of HK-based on-line shops and eBay sellers).

That being said, you'll notice that the AT-AT teaser says "Teaser for the newest 1/35 armor from Dragon Models." It doesn't say "Teaser for the newest 1/35 armor KIT from Dragon Models." Could be a language issue, could be unintentional, or it could be a hint at their plans... who knows?

BTW, at 1/35, it should be about 22" long x 25" tall. The Kenner toy was 22" long x 17" tall. The newer Hasbro version is 24 x 28"

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While that is rather large, I wouldn't think it would have to be a huge box per se. I mean the body itself wouldn't be much longer than a large scale ship model and all of the leg parts are relatively short as well. I would think if packed well like Bandai does it would be a manageable size box. I just hope the innuendo is true and hope I won't have sell a lung to get one.

Bill

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While that is rather large, I wouldn't think it would have to be a huge box per se.

Yup. It's a big subject when built, but the 'body' is just a hollow box and below that is mostly air with four spindly legs. Unless they add an interior to it.

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There has been some nice discussion about the AT-AT and its size over at RPF.

http://www.therpf.com/showthread.php?t=251476&p=3833912&viewfull=1#post3833912

Size wise it will be big but doable. Aside from its height it shouldn't take up a truckload of space. The kicker will be the cost. I mean I love the AT-AT, probably my favorite Star Wars vehicle (hence my signature picture here). But I also love the Millennium Falcon too and I skipped the FM kit and will likely be sitting out Revell's reissue of it as I just personally cannot swing $185+ dollars for a model. Odds are if this AT-AT is indeed 1/35 it will fetch a pretty penny. I will probably have to be content with my stash of AMT/Ertl AT-AT's :D.

Still a very cool move by Dragon though.

:cheers:

Edited by Don
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While it is NOT the Dragon model being discussed, I found this model of a 1/35 AT-AT that will give people perhaps a better roundabout idea of size (check out the picture in the link of the modeler holding the AT-AT's head):

http://www.modelermagic.com/?p=61062

Impressive model and the Dragon kit will be a head turner indeed.

Cheers!

Don

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Speculation abounds at various Sci-Fi modeling sites. Some are saying pre-painted vinyl (with legs and head needing to be popped on to make shipping easier), others surmise pre-painted heavy toy-like plastic that will also require minor assembly, and still others suggest an unpainted traditional plastic modeling kit. Right now its anyone guess. But the more I read elsewhere and the more I learn about Dragons other sci-fi type items the more it's not looking like an unpainted traditional plastic model kit like what we have with Bandai, FM, and certain Revell kits. Too bad really. But hey...who knows?

Release date...again...anyone's guess right now.

Cheers!

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Speculation abounds at various Sci-Fi modeling sites. Some are saying pre-painted vinyl (with legs and head needing to be popped on to make shipping easier), others surmise pre-painted heavy toy-like plastic that will also require minor assembly, and still others suggest an unpainted traditional plastic modeling kit. Right now its anyone guess. But the more I read elsewhere and the more I learn about Dragons other sci-fi type items the more it's not looking like an unpainted traditional plastic model kit like what we have with Bandai, FM, and certain Revell kits. Too bad really. But hey...who knows?

Release date...again...anyone's guess right now.

Cheers!

Thanks Don. I figured that much, it would be too good to be true if it was going to be a traditional kit like item. Hardcore modelers are definitely not feeling any love when it comes to Star Wars subjects.

A real shame.

Edited by B.Sin
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