What's so BIG about C3PO? (WorldsGreatestCritic.com REVEALS it all!)

Hey, 3PO... NICE PACKAGE!

I, of course, take this INCREDIBLY seriously!

Some of us really get into Star Wars!
Others of us just got really, really bored with Macromedia Freehand and Adobe Photoshop one day back in 1997!
But scroll down for a Photo Mishap men will envy and women will, well, appreciate!

Call me Pedantic but... I don't know how to end that sentence!
R2 Unit? More like R9 1/2!!!
Who knew the famous Gold Robot could get so... BLUE?
Back in 1978, the Topps Trading Card company printed one of the most sought after trading card sets in history, based upon a then-new phenomenon known as Star Wars! Before Star Wars was even listed as "Episode IV", the "Series IV" from Topps was selling like hotcakes to starving actors.
But there was no Star Wars card so sought after as the original #207, featuring your favorite protocol droid and mine, C3PO: Human Cyborg Relations! It's been called the "Blooper Card", the "Error Card" and "The MOTHER of all Variants" but no matter how you spin your words, it all boils down to this: On this card, we see Threepio's Whacker!

No kissing! It's true, as surprising as this may seem. Urban Legend has it that some "Saucy" airbrush artist was feeling a little randy one day and decided to embellish what the Good Lord gave old Anthony Daniels, in a way that would prove 3PO's worth on any long voyage!
Don't believe me? Take a closer look! Yeah, you know you want to... I'll never tell!

As you, me, yo momma, yo daddy, yo greasy granny and even Anakin all know, Urban Legends are just that... Legends... of... uh... Urbia.
Topps denied this, Lucasfilm denied this... Even Fox, who could only profit from a 3PO with a FOX attitude, denied it!
Anyway, one thing that is true is that outrage (and more than a little admiration) led the reissue of the famous #207 to feature some real airbrushing, effectively removing the boast of "Automatic for the Penis" from the Protocol Droid Resume. Reaction is recognition, that's the first rule of Public Relations (actually, it's the 81st, but that sounded dumb!). Amazingly, in Europe, most everyone never noticed!
The Emasculation of Anthony D.

Gold with Envy!
So, what's the real story? It depends on who you ask, but the most quoted resource is, of course, StarWars.com!
They call this "a bizarre case of coincidence" and "a trick of timing and light"... which isn't quite the "Sexy" explanation we were hoping for (after all a canonical explanation could have something to do with the 3 years that old "Annie" spent away from home fighting in the Clone Wars, with only C3PO to keep Padme company!). But no... Quoth the Official Site: "The current theory is that at the exact instant the photo was snapped, a piece fell off the Threepio costume, and just happened to line up in such a way as to suggest a bawdy image. The original contact sheets from the photo-shoot attests to this. They are not retouched in any way, yet still contain the same image."
But... while we're citing "the original contact sheets", I'm suggesting that this could be a Cover Up, and I'm getting in touch with my inner "Smoking Gun!" Recently uncovered evidence shows a snapshot taken riiiiiiiiiiiiiight around the same time as the naughtius maximus (and very positive) negative above. Could this depict a stunned Han and Luke witnessing our droid sportin' a woody? Could Leia really be glancing downward and saying "WOOF!" We may never know for sure!
But one thing I guarantee... in Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace, when R2D2 and C3PO first meet, you'll never be able to hear the line "My parts are showing?" again without laughing a knowing laugh! "Oh, my goodness, oh!"

R2 Unit? More like R9 1/2!!!
Who knew the famous Gold Robot could get so... *BLUE? Back in 1978, the Topps Trading Card company printed one of the most sought after trading card sets in history, based upon a then-new phenomenon known as Star Wars! Before Star Wars* was even listed as "Episode IV", the "Series IV" from Topps was selling like hotcakes to starving actors. But there was no Star Wars card so sought after as the original #207, featuring your favorite protocol droid and mine, C3PO: Human Cyborg Relations! It's been called the "Blooper Card", the "Error Card" and "The MOTHER of all Variants" but no matter how you spin your words, it all boils down to this: On this card, we see Threepio's Whacker!
	It's true, as surprising as this may seem. Urban Legend has it that some "Saucy" airbrush artist was feeling a little randy one day and decided to embellish what the Good Lord gave old Anthony Daniels, in a way that would prove 3PO's worth on any long voyage! Don't believe me? Take a closer look! Yeah, you know you want to... I'll never tell!
As you, me, yo momma, yo daddy, yo greasy granny and even Anakin all know, Urban Legends are just that... Legends... of... uh... Urbia. Topps denied this, Lucasfilm denied this... Even Fox, who could only profit from a 3PO with a *FOX* attitude, denied it! Anyway, one thing that is true is that outrage (and more than a little admiration) led the reissue of the famous #207 to feature some real airbrushing, effectively removing the boast of "Automatic for the Penis" from the Protocol Droid Resume. Reaction is recognition, that's the first rule of Public Relations (actually, it's the 81st, but that sounded dumb!). Amazingly, in Europe, most everyone never noticed!
	So, what's the real story? It depends on who you ask, but the most quoted resource is, of course, StarWars.com! They call this "a bizarre case of coincidence" and "a trick of timing and light"... which isn't quite the "Sexy" explanation we were hoping for (after all a canonical explanation could have something to do with the 3 years that old "Annie" spent away from home fighting in the Clone Wars, with only C3PO to keep Padme company!). But no... Quoth the Official Site: "The current theory is that at the exact instant the photo was snapped, a piece fell off the Threepio costume, and just happened to line up in such a way as to suggest a bawdy image. The original contact sheets from the photo-shoot attests to this. They are not retouched in any way, yet still contain the same image." But... while we're citing "the original contact sheets", I'm suggesting that this could be a Cover Up, and I'm getting in touch with my inner "Smoking Gun!" Recently uncovered evidence shows a snapshot taken riiiiiiiiiiiiiight around the same time as the naughtius maximus (and very positive) negative above. Could this depict a stunned Han and Luke witnessing our droid sportin' a woody? Could Leia really be glancing downward and saying "WOOF!" We may never know for sure! But one thing I guarantee... in Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace, when R2D2 and C3PO first meet, you'll never be able to hear the line "My parts are showing?" again without laughing a knowing laugh! "Oh, my goodness, oh!"

Man, you go to work, do your best and still run the risk of being harrassed by a droid!
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The TRUE story (or stories) of Topps' Star Wars Series IV card # 207
reported by J.C. Maçek III who is responsible for this site
and for his respectable Seven and a Half Inches!
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