Star Wars Follies: Snow Blind - Vintage Kenner Hoth ESB Toys

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RetroBlasting's latest installment of Star Wars Follies is a look into the blizzard of vintage Hoth-themed toys from The Empire Strikes Back line from Kenner in 1980-1982!
#RetroBlasting #StarWarsFollies #EmpireStrikesBack #Kenner

[@asphaltmemories4597]

That John Ratzenberger impression put a huge grin on my face, obscure reference to the fact that he WAS in ESB albeit very briefly.

[@univex21]

I got that right off the bat!! Nice Easter egg.

[@imperialbricks1977]

And all his lines were dubbed over 😭😭

[@WCBs]

Well worth the wait!

[@calumryan6328]

Great John Ratzenberger impression

[@AvengerII]

You do realize the irony of this (and the reason MOST people can't identify Ratzenberger in the film despite him having his mustache back then) is that they overdubbed his voice with another actor's? They did that with many of the supporting casts' characters including Rogue Two (who was NOT Wedge in the film; there was a misidentification at one point but it was clearly meant to be another character, Zev Senesca).

[@RansomeStoddard]

His Harrison Ford is pretty good as well.

[@AvengerII]

@Projekt Kobra I honestly don't know. I recognized Ratzenberger in Superman 1 and 2. He was living in England and married to an English wife at the time they made Superman 1, 2, and The Empire Strikes Back. He just happened to get cast. They used his voice for Superman 1 and 2. I think all the ADR for Star Wars was done in the States unless they made arrangements and did work for that in the UK as well. All the major Imperial voices were the voices of those actors as far as I know and not replacements. For the Rebels, you can tell they used American actors if the British actors couldn't do American accents. It's that whole thing of identifying Imperialism with the British. It's a trope of science fiction films in the 1970s and 1980s. Note that the bad guys in the American films of that period speak with British accents. Yeah, I'd get annoyed if my nationality were getting constantly slammed, too, but Hollywood had the money!

[@imperialbricks1977]

@@AvengerII Wedge was Rogue Three. Rogue Two was Zev

[@legoVasa]

Im a 20 year old from Serbia, i have nothong to do with 80-90s toys, but your channel is my favorite. Its a window into a different world. Thank you for everything you do

[@retroblasting]

Thanks for watching!!!

[@timvogel68]

Ah, the memories! There was something special about the toys of the original trilogy. Although I did later fill in my collection with figures that should have been in the original series starting with Tarkin. Another great video! Thanks!

[@cineman73]

growing up a poor kid, I'll disagree with most that say the cardboard AT-AT playset was lame. I'd say I was lucky to have it and wish I still did.

[@retroblasting]

It's just a joke. No need to take it too seriously.

[@cineman73]

RetroBlasting Oh I know it was a joke. I was just remembering back to how glad I was to have it. Believe me it was one of the greatest presents I ever received.

[@DaveMire]

I had the cardboard AT-AT too. The real AT-AT was much too expensive for the time.

[@nickmanzo8459]

cineman73 I was poor as hell too, I never got any cool playsets. I got one Swamp Thing playset from the short lived cartoon series, and I think that was it.

[@KennyRider137]

Poor kid here, too. Hollowed out tree stumps and dollar store action figures completed my one Star Wars gift each year. I loved cardboard art pieces to add to the scene.

[@mikegonsalves3450]

I remember getting the Imperial Base and being bummed because it wasn’t in the movie and I wanted the Probot set..... on the plus side, I remember my grandmother screaming very early one morning after Christmas when she caught a glimpse of my new AT-AT and thought a dog got in the house.... lmao... good times!!!

[@everetth-top4760]

Many were the days when my Hoth Wampa battled my He-Man figure. Being able to lift He-Man over his head and slamming him to the ground led to many victories for the aforementioned Wampa. Good times...good times indeed.

[@trans8010]

I believe Hoth got bigger attention over Bespin because of playability. These toys were introduced in the summer sure, but the big idea was to pump out things for the Christmas holiday and most of the northern states like Ohio see snow in December. They would also know that Kids love playing outside with their toys, I know I did and by taking your probot and attack base outside, in the snow, you now transformed your winter wonderland into the icy planet of Hoth. Designers also probably looked at Bespin as being too cold and sterile to really come up with fun ideas. Or perhaps because the Death Star set couldn't be sold overseas, the cardboard set was the only alternative to creating a new playset as expansive and cheaply as Hoth.

[@DavidT-cz1by]

I am 42 been a starwars fan my whole life found your channel a year and a half a go subscribed then and I have learned so much about starwars toys since then and I had a lot of the original Kenner line great channel brings back a lot of good childhood memories

[@kylecartwright1609]

Thank you RetroBlasting for another wicked addition to the Star Wars Follies series.

[@batangbatugan]

It seems troop transport vehicles always get a bad rap, like the GI Joe APC, now the Rebel Transport. I think the big transition from the sand dunes of Tatooine in the 1st movie to the harsh snowy mountains in Empire was such a refreshing change Kenner couldn't help but focus on it. Bespin must've felt like the Death Star too much, but that's just my theory. Great video, Michael! Your content is always well worth the wait. =)

[@arctrooper999]

That scrambled my memories! I thought I had all the Hoth stuff in 1980, I didnt realize I waited another year for the AT-AT.

[@AhhSwells]

I like watching this video over and over because i like to see what my dad played with when he was my age he had every empire strikes back playset and vechile and figure but we no longer own any off them and I really wish I could have played with these toys

[@lindamizwicki7947]

I bet you I’m the same age as you well you were three years ago that is I have an entire bin of Star Wars figures from Kenner now I’m thinking that when winter comes around, I can just play with all of the Hoth stuff I own 😊

[@lindamizwicki7947]

Just so you know, I did not mean to put the emoji there

[@chrisw6164]

As far as I know, there were no snow-based toys prior to the ESB Hoth toys. There were sleds and hollow snow-brick makers (make your own igloo or fort), but few actual toys that you would play with in the snow. Once these toys came out, any kid could not wait to get outside and try them out in the snow. So maybe that’s one reason why Kenner gambled on so many Hoth based items.

[@daschyt2225]

Thanks RB. #1 channel on YTube showcasing the #1 SW toys of all time!!!

[@warpartyattheoutpost4987]

I grew up in Alaska... all the Hoth sets seemed redundant.

[@retroblasting]

I can imagine!

[@christophergrant3596]

If I actually got snow here in New Mexico I'd be playing with Arctic/Hoth themed toys all the time. Instead all the Tattooine toys look best here.

[@warpartyattheoutpost4987]

RetroBlasting... every spring there was a blaster/Easter egg hunt after the snow melt.

[@warpartyattheoutpost4987]

Christopher Grant, I lived in Vegas until I was 5! It was weird I was in the desert when Star Wars came out (saw it inna drive-in!) in then intha snow when Empire came out... in then in Oregon(Endor) when Jedi came out... I always hadtha natural playsets.

[@deadaccountlol9189]

Same couldn't be said for California.

[@classicalvintagecollector]

3:40-3:55 - you had me laughing hysterically!!! I have this playset as a child and thought exactly the same thing! I totally agree about the ice planet Hoth playset, too. I remember purchasing that with my own money and Yakima, Washington when we were visiting my uncle. It was the only store I had ever seen it in and I was pretty disappointed in the playset because it was almost identical to the Land of the Jawas, which was the first place that that I ever had. Then again, I was 12 years old and starting to see the light and marketing.

[@everythingstarwars1889]

Love the opening of this video! Probably my favorite retroblasting video besides build your armies vid and last 17 vid.

[@mikeplummer5681]

I had the Imperial Attack Base as a kid. I always assumed it was from the scene in Empire where Han gets Leia to the Falcon and she says “this bucket of bolts is never going to get us past that blockade.” As Han says “This baby’s got a few surprises left in her sweetheart” the scene cuts to a few Snow Stormtroopers setting up a big gun while a little gun emerges from underneath the Falcon and takes out the Stormtroopers before they can get the big gun activated. I always thought that this play set was from that scene in the movie and was not meant to be part of the trenches the rebels fought the AT-AT’s from. Just my theory 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@Forest_Giant]

That's how I took it too.

[@BigAL68xyz]

same here.

[@mikeplummer5681]

I had the set and assumed it was from the scene you described.

[@lamondjack4349]

This production was brilliant! Thumbs up x 10 on this one Michael! I loved it.

[@Geek_Chorus]

First an epic crossover with WCB and now a new Follies vid?!? It must be my birthday!!! Thank you!!!!!!!

[@oliwan666]

David T1000 Same here! I am 44 now and I learned so much about the Kenner toys. I even were able to repair some old vehicles from my childhood.

[@No1.OriginalTrilogyStarWarsFan]

Ace video as always Mike. Great to see another Star Wars Follies on my birthday.

[@No1.OriginalTrilogyStarWarsFan]

Thanks Tim

[@thetrap1983]

Always well produced, fun, and entertaining. Love all of the follies series of videos!

[@Shockwave-ob2tx]

Great review, in addition to the slit belly Taun Taun, there was also the solid belly version

[@jamiebraswell5520]

The Hoth playset were great! I had them as a kid. The Imperial Attack Base, well, there were early Ralph McQuarrie production art that showed a ground invasion by Imperial troops. This was before the Imperial Walker attack was written. Those may have influenced the naming of said toy as well.

[@varevulf6523]

Might be your best one yet. Nicely done.

[@camcordernonsense5264]

HOTH - my ultimate childhood stop and influence of Xmas and snow in general

[@madmonkey823]

Intro was perfect. Brought me right back to watching empire. 💟💟

[@Tinytraveler]

I come back to watch some of your older content, just when I want a pick me up. You in your full costume, playing Star Wars always makes me laugh. It's older content, but its great content.

[@PalJorgensen]

Hahaha........Commander Cliff Clavin! Thats priceless❤️ Nice video, as always!

[@caymanshen459]

It wasn't until I went back to collect the figures in the 90s that I realized there even was a Hoth Luke. I thought the generic soldier was Luke my whole childhood. To this day, the real Luke seems wrong.

[@caymanshen459]

Robd collector there WAS a vintage Hoth Luke...I just didn't know it existed when I was little. I used my Hoth Rebel Soldier as my "Luke."

[@Ltschane]

Great video, my dad was an 80’s kid and had all the vintage Star Wars figures and most of the empire and Jedi vehicles and play sets and we love watching your vids. You are my favorite youtube and we love your videos thanks for all the Star Wars videos and keep up the good work. Sometimes I wish I could get a tour of your studio.

[@retroblasting]

Thanks so much!!!

[@flyhyland]

LOL THE CLIFF CLAVIN IMPRESSION.

[@lazerwolfdiecast]

I found this channel because of my obsession of Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors and slowly i have become a Star wars fan lol!

[@davecormier518]

New Star Wars Follies!! My Sunday just got so much better!!!

[@oddeagle1968]

Love the Cliff Clavin voice for Rebel Commander! Ratzenberger!

[@henrydouberly3950]

I used to watch your videos about a year ago. Then I forgot. But thank goodness I refound you

[@chrisbrewer9942]

Sunday Retroblasting content. I’m so down for this. Great as always 👍🏻

[@justinreilly6619]

Great post as always, interesting and plausible thoughts on why there was an Empire Imperial base. I can completely understand why they gravitated to the Hoth battlescene: watching this at the cinema as a ten-year old, just how awesome was the entire Hoth chapter taken as a whole? From the tautans to wampa's to the Rebel base, they were visually and mentally stunning. And when you bring in the Imperial Walkers facing off against a rag-tag underdog, it's not wonder Kenner gravitated to Hoth. I totally agree however with your comments that they should of done more toys for the different scenes: Clould City was criminally underused.

[@davedropd1]

Best toy review video I have ever seen on YT....WELL DONE......

[@theoneandonly6431]

What a wonderful time to be a kid it was back then. Could never get all the figures and playsets, but you couldn't wait to see what was going to come out next and hope your parents would buy it for you.

[@kirbymarchbarcena]

Nice setting in the intro, wish I've done that when I was a kid and collected all the Kenner sets.

[@HGates-hl4eq]

You Sir make me a 45 year old so freaking jealous with your collections and costumes.

[@thedeathreaperofficial8079]

One of my favorite follies yet.

[@SamuraiXGray]

Loved the John Ratzenberger reference lol

[@Transfixed]

If it makes you feel any better, Hoth Rebel Soldier, my Hoth Luke's leg snapped off in the cold when i dropped him. Don't let Major Cliff Claven boss you around.

[@JosephProductions]

Thank you for making another Star Wars follies!

[@KJulian21]

Great content as always from Retroblasting. Also cool Hoth costume.

[@investigator76]

The fact you used a "Norm" voice to characterize the rebel commander is sheer gold! Now, add the rest of the production being well polished, super entertaining, and thoughtfully informative make this another priceless addition to the great Retro blasting library. Thanks for the great vid!

[@retroblasting]

Thanks so much!

[@investigator76]

meant Cliff voice.....forgive the faux pas......literally fell asleep within 5 minutes of writing this, so I could have called him Megatron, or Jack Tripper, and not picked up on it right away.

[@MrMayDX08]

Well of course, the joke is, John Ratzenberger portrayed Major Derlin in TESB, as well as Cliff, so that is why it works.

[@tmacmc2984]

Watched this channel for a couple of years but I must have been sleeping or on Prozac as I've only just twigged how good you are at voices. Brilliant.

[@ivonnecohen1113]

Thank you so much for the amazing content you make!

[@retroblasting]

You're welcome.

[@Valentyne90]

I dropped everything to watch this the second I saw this!

[@DutchZippy]

A new Follies! Yes! Top stuff. And for the record I love the Rebel Transport.

[@sammylane21]

These toys... I WANT THEM!

[@mathijsdijkgraaf8081]

Yes!!!! Finally! Thx retroblasting, your the best!

[@raymondz7152]

I really enjoyed this video. 👍👍 There was some really cool info in it. I'm a subscriber now thanks

[@timh9834]

This was a fun episode (I like your Folly episodes and cartoon mockery episodes the most).

[@pfoxworth7]

You generated some great memories. I felt like a 10 year old again.

[@SINCHIROCA07]

Oh crap! Is this channel my childhood heaven?

[@biggiantcollectibles1158]

*sees retro blasting pop up in my subs* I broke my finger clicking that button.

[@c.a.k.comedy692]

Yay more Star Wars Follies! That intro was awesome btw

[@alexrodriguez9441]

My folks got me a "Land of the Jawas" playset.... the best part of it was the escape pod, which I cherished for years. Then the Hoth playlet came out, and I was amazed by my mother's ingenuity when she went into the basement toy department of the Sears on Santa Monica boulevard, with it's miasma of burnt popcorn, it's yellowed "Ming the Merciless" standee, it's row after row of Mork and Mindy eggships with the dead, eyeless action figures, and produced a razor blade from her purse. She slit the box open on the Hoth playset, ripped out the instruction sheet, and left everything else intact. She meticulously checked off everything on the "Kenner really cares" missing parts checklist, and then shook up a can of Navajo white Krylon spray paint and painted the tattooine firmament from my old LOTJ playset. By the time the paint had had fully dried and cured, our mailman dropped off a large manilla envelope and a small box from Kenner, containing the die cut cardboard backdrop of an underscaled AT-AT, various butterfly footpegs in white, and the parts to build the radar cannon. My mother was a sort of lunatic, and this story of her elaborate fleecing of a toy company is the most wholesome and pleasant anecdote I can recall about her.

[@mrbosh0115]

Rebel Soldier was My Hoth Luke,Even had him stand guard xmas eve . :)

[@novax-ig9yt]

Another great video. Great job!

[@sharkMac]

Got my play set few months ago. I don’t have many Star Wars figures. But my Joes. Especially snow joes. Love it. Talking about the Empire play set. Lol.

[@brinee2473]

Awesome! I loved every minute of it!

[@LoganLifts_09]

You should also do vintage star wars toy reviews

[@rc5989]

Great episode! As a 7 year old, I did not really understand all of the themes in Empire, but I knew and understood the Hoth battle. My guess is that Kenner had focus groups of kids and figured out as much.

[@madhat2k]

See I like how you had an entire themed battle available in this line. I wish Hasbro had done something similar with G.I. Joe.

[@steveganschow9451]

Would you mind loading these backpacks in that large pickle hahaha, great line

[@RightNowMan]

Relentlessly Retroblasting reviews renegade rapscallion rarities ruthlessly! Recommended.

[@retroblasting]

Thanks man

[@clone_trop_ben6445]

I love Kenner Star Wars!!!

[@briansadler5460]

My Apologies. Just found this video, but have been a subscriber for a while. Empire strikes back is my favorite of the original trilogy. This video is amazing. On top of that. One of the best intros to a video I've ever seen. #Mind Blown. Looking forward to the next video, as well as the ones I haven't seen yet.

[@retroblasting]

No worries

[@kurtisneveau2295]

I got the imperial attack base myself. I loved it! I never even realized it wasn’t in the movie. That was the same x mas I got the 12 inch Boba Fett.

[@jpmzo]

Growing up in New England, I could easily re-enact some Hoth scenes. Those "re-enactments" usually consisted of me just throwing my vintage snow speeder through the air, into the snow! One winter, tragedy struck when I lost my Hoth Han Solo in my back yard! That figure was special since it came with Luke's lightsaber, and my father "found" it next spring with the lawn mower. :(

[@maxvideoentertainment8706]

Just in case you didn't realise yet Michael. I discovered that the ROBO-FORCE playset 'Fortress of steele' acts as a fantastic Echo base!

[@sickofitall1253]

That was amazingly informative and entertaining thank you. I learned some new things about some old toys I have

[@soundlemonade]

YES! 8:25 with Cliff! "Everyone in the Swiss Army owns a Swiss Army knife."

[@shengyi1701]

I have the scout and Imperial AT-AT walkers. When I bought the AT AT back in 1981 at a store, some curious on-lookers looked on in glee. One of the few lucky kids in Singapore back then ...

[@mauigio]

How have I not known about this channel? HOLY SHIT AMAZING INTRO!!! AMAZING PROUD 80S KID 🙂

[@ActionRobotPunch]

Really interesting stuff but as a kid I didn't really notice much of the problems. I would play with all my SW guys in the sand. We'd dig trenches and use the plastic ones to supplement or as the main base with the turret nearby. I also had a scout walker and found I never really wanted for a full size AT-AT. And then there was the speeder which was also one of my favorites. Great size and it fit two figures and it came with the cable as you mention. We'd hang troops from that cable for rescues or air assaults. I don't know how many times I plowed that ship into the sand and had luke escape the crash site. Great info and great memories!

[@comandercool22]

That opening skit was adorable.

[@brianomdahl8377]

I always wanted the Rebel Cannon and Probe Droid action set. Oh, and Hoth Rebel Commander with the RIFLE!!!! [I had the generic Rebel Soldier, but he just had a measly pistol. Wanted the true “infantry” feel of the Rebel soldiers as shown in the awesome battle scene.] Great video!!!!

[@TheBeatlesSchool]

Great video! As always! I loved the part about the poor lonely rebel soldier. Not Luke anymore, bro 😞

[@skylx0812]

Read the novelised version of ESB (ordered it from Weekly Reader) before seeing the film. When I got the Imperial base for x-mas I was beside myself with joy. I loved the detail and the boot prints in the snow. I eventualy turned the little blue power boxes into a mini model shuttlecraft like the one from Battlestar Galactica by putting them together and kitbashing. The set had an order form u could use to order free replacement parts and I got extra boxes and another cannon.

[@marcrichardson2814]

One of the best Follies yet!

[@joezapata9084]

Wow, I was wondering when we would get a new Star Wars follies! Thanks for great video

[@edb.1577]

Your Han Solo voice overs sound a lot like Harrison Ford. Great job.. Loved the scene with the Rebel Commander talking like the mail carrier from Cheers. 🍻 hilarious.

[@andrewtaylor940]

Great video. I rather suspect that the shear amount of Hoth toys was related to the fact that Hoth, being the most elaborate and FX laden part of the movie, was the part that had all the production designs locked down first. So Kenner had more final production art to work with, earlier in the process. We see similar things quite a lot in more recent movies. Strange incongruities in toys because they were based on early art. Toy’s from The Hobbit burned a number of vendors very badly because Peter Jackson changed major things just weeks from release, including cutting his 2 movies into three. They ended up with millions of dollars of first wave merchandise like the female elf and giant spiders, that never got introduced in the first movie.

[@theronmitchell3073]

Another excellent video

[@autoneurotic]

Another great video. Thank you!

[@theviking6052]

I have the AT AT and I love it

[@BenjoC8632]

Thank you for properly pronouncing AT-AT! Loved mine as a kid!

[@cjgonzilla7676]

Super cool review, man!! Love you channel! Rock it and keep up the good work!

[@indigoyarkindell968]

Loved that Rebel Transport. it became so many different spaceships

[@mikeplummer5681]

I got Hoth Han, Hoth Leia, Rebel Soldier (who I always assumed was Like), Rebel Commander, the Imperial Attack Base, the Rebel Battle Set (Gun turret with Probe Droid) along with Bespin Han, Bespin Leia, Bespin Luke, Lando and Slave 1 all for Xmas 1980. Best Xmas ever! I never did get a tauntaun which I desperately wanted or a Snowspeeder. I lived in Maryland at the time and snow was everywhere. I moved to Florida in the summer of 1981 and got the AT-AT that Xmas but all of that Hoth swag didn’t play as well in the heat and humidity of Daytona Beach 😆

[@eliotbenitez8362]

Good video. Long live the 80's.

[@josemontano7767]

😆 this episode was so awesome 🤣