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Doctor Evazan

SWIV: A New Hope
by yo go re

If he's as much of "a wanted man" as he claims, why is this figure so readily available at deep discount closeout stores?

A grubby, scarred smuggler from Alsakan, Cornelius Evazan was once a promising surgeon, but became notorious for conducting cruel medical experiments.

In the original script for Star Wars, the two aliens who accost Luke in the Mos Eisley cantina had no names - they were just "Human" and "Creature." The film's novelization described them physically, but still had no names for them. The NPR radio dramatization in 1981 finally called the human one "Roofoo," but it wasn't until eight years later that a roleplaying game supplement came up with "Evazan" (presumably not realizing a different name had already been assigned to him). Finally, "Cornelius" appeared in 1995's Tales of the Mos Eisley Cantina, which was made canon in 2002. And since he never had a vintage action figure, he never even got an unofficial nickname like his buddy Ponda "Walrusman" Baba had!

Originally a normal-looking human, Evazan's messed-up face is a result of getting grazed by a blaster shot from a bounty hunter (originally Jodo Kast, aka "the guy who posed as Boba Fett," but I don't think he's in continuity anymore). The toy's face is honestly not messed-up enough: the nose is bulbous, but it should also be flatter, and his injured eye should be halfway up onto his forehead instead of level with the other one.

You really have to wonder how the Star Wars writers decided this guy, who dresses like Shrek and looks like he steals (space) hubcaps for a living, should be a doctor. Galaxy Guide 1: A New Hope (the supplement that introduced the idea) made it clear that this was more of a nickname or self-bestowed title: he was just a violent weirdo who liked cutting people up and seeing if he could put them back together. The toy's shirt is a sculpted part of the torso, as you'd expect, but his vest is a separate piece. Don't expect to take it off, though, because the belt he wears over it is part of the mold, and that rests below his stomach.

Doc Corny moves at the ankles, knees, thighs, hips, chest, ankles, elbows, shoulders, neck, and head. This figure originally came out in 2022, but it was a re-release of one from a Hasbro Pulse exclusive three-pack the year before. (We're only reviewing it now because paying $9.99 at Ollie's is much more appropriate for what you're getting than the $22.99 Hasbro wanted regular stores to charge.) Anyway, that means the articulation is a bit old-fashioned already, such as having swivel/hinge elbows that barely even reach 90°, and the full lack of pec hinges. Of course, all he does is stand mostly still and then threaten Duke Dirtfarmer, so it's not like this is less than the character needs, just less than we'd want. Another reason why getting it cheap worked out nicely.

Dr. Evazan includes a pistol, the same sort of gun the 2012 Vintage Collection figure carried, so presumably it's what he had in the film? It's hard to see what sort of blaster he unholsters unless you're going frame by frame, but this is certainly similar. He can hold it in his right hand, or stow it in the holster hanging from his belt.

If Evazan had had a toy back in the '70s or '80s, what do you think his insulting name would have been? Who would have been getting buried in yards alongside Walrusman, Hammerhead, and Snaggletooth? I'm guessing "Mushface." Mushface didn't get his first action figure until 1997 though, so he's always had a "real" name to put on the packaging. This wouldn't be much of a toy at more than 20 bucks, but for half that? Yeah, he's not bad!

-- 04/06/24


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