- "It certainly has been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be involved with the "Star Wars" line for the last 30 years, not to mention working with all the folks over the years — Swearingen, Farrah, Tom Osborne and Tim Effler being the first. Not a bad group for a 21-year-old to start out with. I couldn't imagine doing anything else."
- ―Mark Boudreaux
Mark Boudreaux (February 22, 1955 – May 14, 2023)[1] has been a designer of Star Wars toys since 1978; working in the Preliminary Design Department at Kenner Products in Cincinnati, Ohio; eventually moving with Hasbro to Pawtucket, Rhode Island in 2001, after Hasbro bought Kenner in the 1990's.
Biography[]
Boudreaux is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati and became one of the lead designers of Kenner's original Millennium Falcon toy in 1978, along with toy designers Jim Swearingen and Jack Farrah. Boudreaux also helped develop the Kenner Star Wars Micro World line and the mini-rig ships during the 1980's.[3]
When Hasbro, Inc. purchased Kenner in the 1990's, Boudreaux and several of the original designers went on to continue designing Star Wars toys at Hasbro. His work has led to countless action figures and ships throughout the Star Wars, Batman, Marvel, Transformers, and Jurassic Park lines.
Boudreaux has said that Lucasfilm Ltd. allowed the likenesses of toy designers to make their way onto "background characters", which led to his face appearing on an Endor-soldier figure, a Rebel Blockade Runner Trooper figure, and an exclusive AT-ST pilot figure. Boudreaux has also designed several of the Jedi Starfighter toy ships along with both the vintage and modern incarnations of the Millennium Falcon. His most recent work includes the "Big Millennium Falcon" and the "Galactic Heroes" line of child-oriented figures.
Boudreaux will be designing toys for Lucasfilm's upcoming Episode VII, stand alone films, and animated series, Rebels.
Boudreaux was striken with complications of COVID-19, being on a ventilator for over a year which destroyed his lungs and required him to receive a lung transplant.[4] He passed away on Sunday, May 14, 2023.[1]
Sources[]
- "Around the Galaxy" — Star Wars Galaxy Collector 1
- "Special" — Star Wars Galaxy Collector 6
- "Around the Galaxy: At Long Last, TOYS!" — Star Wars Galaxy Collector 6
- "A Celebration For The Ages" — Star Wars Galaxy Collector 7
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Obituary | Mark D. Boudreaux of Sharonville, Ohio on Mihovk-Rosenacker Funeral Home (archived from the original on May 17, 2023)
- ↑ UC alumni make careers designing 'Star Wars' toys on University of Cincinnati Magazine (archived from the original on May 30, 2008)
- ↑ Mark Boudreaux's Star Wars toy creations by Johnny Diaz on Boston.com (August 18, 2008) (content now obsolete; archived from the original on March 23, 2015)
- ↑ Sending our best wishes to Mark Boudreaux by Mark Newbold on Fantha Tracks (December 15, 2002) (archived from the original on December 19, 2022)