Kenner Products, an American toy manufacturer, was established in 1947 in Cincinnati, Ohio, by Albert, Phillip, and Joseph L. Steiner, who were brothers. This occurred in the time period following World War II. Later, when under the ownership of the General Mills Group, Kenner Products secured a master license from Lucasfilm Ltd. This license allowed them to produce all toys, games, and crafts related to the 1977 film Star Wars.
Kenner, a name derived from the street where the company's initial offices resided, created a diverse array of Star Wars toys. Among these, the 3¾-inch action figures proved to be the most sought-after.
The Star Wars toy line played a significant role in the overall commercial success of the franchise's merchandise, which was planned for early 1978. During the 1977 holiday season, demand for the toys was high. Kenner addressed this by selling "Early Bird Certificate Kits" for $16, which could be redeemed for the toys once they were available. That year, Kenner sold an impressive 42,322,500 units, generating $100 million in revenue, thereby impacting the licensing industry as it exists today. The immense popularity of Star Wars led to a doubling of the company's sales figures since 1975, exceeding $200 million by 1978.
This success was sustained in 1980 with the release of The Empire Strikes Back product line. By 1983, over 300 million Star Wars toys had been sold.
These action figures were meticulously crafted and featured articulated joints. Some even included fabric capes. A total of 96 action figures were launched within the movie-related lines, although the final packaging showcased only 92. This discrepancy arose because Kenner introduced updated versions (each with unique product numbers) of R2-D2 and C-3PO, leading to the discontinuation of the earlier models. Specifically, one version of C-3PO and two of R2-D2 were removed from production. Additionally, the Yak Face figure was never offered in the United States and was absent from the packaging artwork.
By 1985, Kenner had achieved sales of over 250 million action figures. In that same year, Kenner Products merged with Parker Brothers, resulting in the formation of Kenner Parker Toys. Subsequently, in 1987, the Tonka Corporation acquired Kenner Parker Toys.
On February 1, 1991, Hasbro Inc. purchased the Tonka Corporation, which included Kenner. Hasbro allowed the Star Wars license to expire, believing that interest in the franchise had waned. After a significant period of inactivity, Hasbro revived its Star Wars line under the Kenner brand in 1995, introducing a refreshed The Power of the Force collection. These new action figures were designed with a greater appeal to children, featuring more dynamic and aggressive poses, and the capes were made from a higher-quality vinyl material.
The following year, Kenner produced figures for the Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire project, which boosted the Star Wars lines to the second most popular (behind Batman) for that year.
Following The Power of the Force and subsequent releases, the Kenner logo was eventually replaced with Hasbro branding in 1999.
Hasbro made the decision to close Kenner's Cincinnati offices in 2000, integrating Kenner's product lines into Hasbro's existing structure. In later years, the Kenner brand was brought back for products featuring packaging reminiscent of the original toys, including Star Wars: The Vintage Collection and other similar series.
In the 1982 film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Star Wars action figures make an appearance in a scene where the main character, Elliot, introduces the alien "E.T." to various objects from his daily life.
In the 1994 episode "Lisa's Rival" of The Simpsons, Ralph Wiggum exclaims "I bent my Wookiee" after falling on his Chewbacca figure. Ralph also enters a diorama of repackaged Star Wars action figures in a contest. His collection includes Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Chewbacca.
- Star Wars ( 1977 - 1979 )
- Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back ( 1980 - 1982 )
- Star Wars Micro Collection (1982)
- Star Wars: Return of the Jedi ( 1983 - 1984 )
- Wicket the Ewok ( 1984 ) (Kenner Preschool)
- Star Wars: Droids ( 1985 )
- Star Wars: Ewoks (1985)
- Star Wars: The Power of the Force (1985)
- The Epic Continues ( 1986 ) (Unreleased)
- Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire (1996) (Under Hasbro)
- Kenner Products on Wikipedia
- Kenner Star Wars action figures on Wikipedia
- List of Kenner Star Wars action figures on Wikipedia
- Rebelscum.com: The Original Collection 1977-1985 by Kenner Vintage Star Wars Photo Archive on Rebelscum.com (archived from the original on October 7, 2024)