Movies - TV
Futurama Snuck In A Clever Reference To An Ultra-Rare Star Wars Toy
By BILL BRIA
While Lucasfilm now has people dedicated to the universe’s lore, many fans had to guess who a background character was in the early days of the “Star Wars” franchise.
One of these characters who appears briefly in “Return of the Jedi” is Yak Face, later known as Saelt-Marae. Despite being a minor character, Saelt later appears in “Futurama.”
In the Season 1 episode “Fry and the Slurm Factory,” actor John DiMaggio, writer Lew Morton, and co-creator David X. Cohen reveal a gag hidden inside the Slurm ad.
The ad features some fine print in the show’s faux language, later dubbed Alienese. The written message makes a reference to “the elusive Yak Face.”
In the show’s DVD commentary, Morton explains what the “elusive Yak Face” is, saying, “It’s a very rare Star Wars figure only released in, like, Korea or something.”
According to “Star Wars Insider,” Yak Face was made into a Kenner figure in 1985 that was never released in the United States, making it a rare collectible.