The 1st Midnight Madness May 3, 1999

 The excitement over a new Star Wars movie dominated my mind since I read in Parade Magazine in 1993 that George Lucas was going to start writing the Prequels. When the Special Editions came in 1997, I knew it was only a matter of time. In fall of 1997 theforce.net showed some behind the scenes photos of Liam Neeson and Ray Park (he was only shown wearing a black cloak, and he wasn't named in the photo). The appetite was there, and then the trailer dropped and Meet Joe Black sold out screens, only to have most of the audience leave after the Episode 1 trailer was shown. I saw it with Enemy of the State, which starred Will Smith and Gene Hackman. A good movie! But, I'm going to talk about the toys, those wonderful toys Hasbro/Kenner was making. POTF2 came back strong in 1995. By the end of 1998, the number of Star Wars characters made far surpassed the 96 Kenner had made. But, a new era would soon begin. 

Now technically, the 1st Prequel figures came out in 1978. Jawas, Tusken Raiders, plus C-3PO ( he's without coverings in Phantom Menace) and R2-D2. But, in fall of 1998, Hasbro released the STAP with Battle Droid, a boxed figure, showing the droid pilot a hovercraft type vehicle. It was available at Toys R Us, and I think I saw a few at Wal-Mart. I didn't have a Target in my town then, but still had K-Mart, but didn't recall seeing it there. The other was a figure you needed to cut 5 proof of purchases (remember those? The scan codes that had a box around it showing you where to cut?) for Mace Windu. Mace came with his main robe on. Sadly, I don't have photos of them handy, but I do have a photo of all the 1999 figures. But those were the first official Phantom Menace figures. 

When May 3, 1999 got closer, Wal-Mart and Toys R Us advertised for a Midnight Madness event. As someone who worked overnight as a stocker for a certain snack company at the time, I saw the lines of people outside Toys R Us at 11 PM May 2nd. I worked a Sam's and a couple of the Wal-Mart's that weren't participating. I also had a slate of classes that day so once I got off work at 6 AM, I went to a Wal-Mart (oddly enough my town at the time only had 1 super center, and I didn't go there. The "normal" Wal-Mart's opened at 6, so I had time to go in. I knew Maul would be the big seller and got him first. Then Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Queen Amidala. I would find a couple Battle Droids too. I went to the register and was in and out in less than 20 minutes. I then had to change, drive an hour to my college courses, which ran from 8 AM until 2 PM. The good news was that night I had no work! But there was more to get!

Once I got back in town, I went to Barnes & Noble and bought the novel of The Phantom Menace, the one with Maul on the cover jacket. And I immediately read it, and finished it 2 days later. I can't recall if the soundtrack came out that day, or after the movie came out but that was a buy. As was the comic book adaptation which I still have, but it's in storage. Same now with those figures I got back on May 3, 1999. I would go to Toys R Us on my next off day a week later to get a couple more figures: Maul and Queen Amidala, the latter to be used as a custom hand maiden. All I knew was after that, I could not wait to see this movie! But, the toll of working nights and going to school took a toll on me physically. I did pass the semester, but I was worn out. Thankfully finals were the week when TPM hit theaters (I had finished finals 2 days before the movie premiered), but that's a post I'll save for the actual 25th Anniversary on May 19, which happens to be a Sunday! 

It's hard to believe it's been 25 years since then, and honestly it was a great time to experience a collecting "event". It wasn't just kids who were into it, so were adults, like I kinda was back then! One thing I wish I could go back and get, besides more Battle Droids (the 1999 versions are still my favorite and fit in well with modern Vintage Collection figures) is the Naboo Royal Spaceship. And, while I enjoyed the Prequel movies, these were the only Prequel era figures I would truly enjoy. The figures for Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith had annoying action features, and honestly I ended up getting rid of most of those. But my 1999 Phantom Menace figures are ones I still have, and while they are in storage, along with my POTF2 figures, they are still special because they remind me of a time when Star Wars ruled the retail world. 

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