Mark Boudreaux (born February 22, 1955; died May 14, 2023) began his career as a Star Wars toy designer in 1978. He initially worked within the Preliminary Design Department at Kenner Products, located in Cincinnati, Ohio. Following Hasbro's acquisition of Kenner in the 1990s, he relocated with Hasbro to Pawtucket, Rhode Island in 2001.
Having graduated from the University of Cincinnati, Boudreaux became a key designer for Kenner's original Millennium Falcon toy in 1978, collaborating with fellow toy designers Jim Swearingen and Jack Farrah. During the 1980s, Boudreaux also contributed to the development of Kenner's Star Wars Micro World product line, as well as the mini-rig vehicles.
After Hasbro, Inc. acquired Kenner during the 1990s, Boudreaux, along with several of his original colleagues, continued their work designing Star Wars toys at Hasbro. His creative output resulted in a vast array of action figures and vehicles across the Star Wars, Batman, Marvel, Transformers, and Jurassic Park franchises.
Boudreaux revealed that Lucasfilm Ltd. permitted designers' likenesses to be incorporated into "background characters." This led to his own face appearing on an Endor soldier figure, a Rebel Blockade Runner Trooper figure, and an exclusive AT-ST pilot figure. Furthermore, Boudreaux designed numerous Jedi Starfighter toy ships, in addition to both classic and contemporary versions of the Millennium Falcon. His more recent projects included the "Big Millennium Falcon" and the "Galactic Heroes" line, which catered to younger children.
Boudreaux was slated to design toys for Lucasfilm's then-upcoming Episode VII, standalone films, and the animated series Rebels.
After suffering complications from COVID-19, Boudreaux spent over a year on a ventilator, resulting in severe lung damage that necessitated a lung transplant. He passed away on Sunday, May 14, 2023.