SHOW 149 THOSE OLD FOSSILS 27: THE BOUNTY HUNTER CAPTURE POD PART 4 4-LOM AND ZUCKUSS
This is Episode 149 of Generation Skywalker's vintage Star Wars collecting podcast, covering the final two bounty hunters from The Empire Strikes Back: 4-LOM and Zuckuss. The hosts discuss the history, variants, and collectibility of these figures, concluding with a ranking of all five bounty hunters covered in their series.
Summary
This Generation Skywalker podcast episode celebrates their 150th recording by covering 4-LOM and Zuckuss, the final two bounty hunters from their Empire Strikes Back bounty hunter series. The hosts discuss the naming confusion that occurred when Lucasfilm switched the names of these characters in the 1990s at the urging of West End Games, who felt the names better suited the respective character types. Dan provides background on both characters, explaining that 4-LOM was a protocol droid whose programming became corrupted, leading him to become a bounty hunter motivated by greed, while Zuckuss is a Gand mystic who uses spiritual tracking abilities. The hosts share personal collecting memories, with Jez recalling getting 4-LOM as a childhood comfort after injuring his toe in a swimming pool, creating lasting nostalgic connections. Expert guests Mark Andrews and Ron Salvatore provide detailed information about variants and production details, including the rare PBP red armor variant of 4-LOM and various factory production differences. Ron discusses the cardback rarities, noting that some 4-LOM Empire Strikes Back cards are among the rarest in the line, with a 48A example selling for nearly $19,000. The episode concludes with a mini-committee ranking of all five bounty hunters covered in the series, with IG-88 taking first place, followed by Bossk, Dengar, 4-LOM, and Zuckuss in last place. The hosts also discuss upcoming auctions featuring Star Wars collectibles and preview their final episodes covering Boba Fett.
Key Insights
- Lucasfilm switched the names of 4-LOM and Zuckuss in the 1990s at the urging of West End Games, who felt the original names didn't suit the character types
- 4-LOM's name stands for 'for love of money' which was the real intention behind the character's motivation according to Dan's research
- Zuckuss was originally going to be called 'Tukus' but Lucasfilm realized this was Yiddish slang for 'ass' so they changed it before the movie release
- Cathy Monroe, a woman, portrayed Zuckuss inside the costume, making him one of the few classic trilogy aliens brought to life by a female performer
- The 4-LOM Empire Strikes Back 48A carded figure sold for nearly $19,000 at auction as an AFA 60, making it one of the rarest Empire cards
- 4-LOM was never released on a tri-logo card, making him unavailable for collectors focusing on that card variation
- Mark Andrews describes 4-LOM as 'the flop of all flops' when stripped of accessories, calling the figure beige, bland, and unpainted
- The PBP red armor variant of 4-LOM from Spain is quite rare and expensive, currently selling for around 200 pounds according to Mark Andrews
- Zuckuss has tracking numbers on tracker showing only two Clipper 45B examples sold in 17 years, demonstrating extreme rarity
- Ron Salvatore ranks IG-88 first among bounty hunters because he's 'so weird like a weaponized Tin Man and of course he has two guns'
- The committee vote resulted in IG-88 scoring 34 out of 35 possible points, with only Pete placing him second instead of first
- Jez controversially ranked Dengar last, describing him as looking like he 'needs to go for a run' and has 'bog roll wrapped around his head'
Topics
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