These Star Wars Toy Photos Are as Special as the Toys Themselves

In the realm of toy collecting, there are few things more iconic than vintage Star Wars toys. The variety. The history. The value. We all have images in our heads when we think of vintage Star Wars toys—but what you maybe don’t know is many of those images are from the same person.

That person is Kim Simmons and he calls himself “The Man Who Shot Luke Skywalker.” Why? Because from 1981 to 2000, Simmons was a toy photographer for Kenner and Hasbro. That means if there’s a photo you see in your mind of a figure or ship, Simmons probably took the photo. (He did most of the photos for The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, Power of the Force, Ewoks, Droids, Power of the Force 2, and The Phantom Menace) And in the years since, he’s continued to do so on his own, offering prints and books for fans who hold his work dear.

You can read more about Simmons here at his website, and buy some of his work at his store. What follows are a few of our favorite images Kim has up on his sites, showing those vintage Star Wars toys in whole new ways.