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How I became a real action figure. Like the story of Pinocchio, only in reverse. I had met artist Jan Duursema at Wizard World Chicago in 2005. Her contributions to the art of Star Wars had impressed me a great deal. I was delighted to meet her in person. As we hung out that day, she snapped a portrait image of me saying that she was always on the look out for new faces for use in her art. It came as a non sequitur when Jan sent me an e-mail the next year asking if I would mind being the model for a character for a new series she was illustrating. The character would appear in a series she was working on for Dark Horse Comics. At the tyme she was sworn to secrecy and could not reveal the nature of the character to me. I was thrilled by the opportunity and agreed on the spot. In 2007 at the 501st Legion Mixer at Celebration IV, Hasbro Marketing Team member Derryl D. DePriest, approached Doug Wangler (Jan's model for Quinlan Vos and Imperial Knight Antares Draco) and I. Derryl was excited to let us know that plans to make action figures based on "our" Imperial Knights were underway at Hasbro. It was almost painful to be asked to keep the news secret. In Feburary of 2008, I received the above product sample image from Derryl. With the public announcement of Hasbro's Imperial Knight Comic Pack action figure set at the 2008 New York Toyfare, I can finally share this news. While not the final product, I think the Hasbro Team has done a remarkable job.
"I am Ganner Krieg—Knight of the Empire! You have betrayed my Emperor, sullied the Empire, killed my friends, and struck down she I have sworn on my life to protect! I will leave your bones for the beasts to crack." |
