UZAY SAVAŞÇILARI (Space Warriors) action figures were manufactured by SB Products in Istanbul in 1988 and were available exclusively in Turkey for about three years.
To ensure that the figures were presented at their best, photographer Naci Gündüz was hired to design the packaging.
He was born in Turkey in 1954. Gündüz owned a photography shop in Istanbul's Göztepe district. In addition to photography, he also worked in advertising. One day, one of his clients, SB Products, asked him to create the packaging for the Uzay Savaşçıları (Space Warriors) figures. He then began to create photo scenes using objects found on his studio desk.
One of the most important of these objects was the calculator he used. He added stickers to the calculator to give it the appearance of a control panel. These kinds of creative solutions would later contribute to the popularity of the Uzay figures. For some scenes, he also used sand, vegetables and popcorn.
The exact model of the calculator was CASIO ELECTRONIC CALCULATOR LC-737c.
Naci Gündüz was 90% blind in one eye, having lost his sight during a childhood soccer match. He loved playing soccer so much that he died of a heart attack during a match at the age of 38 in 1992. His biggest dream had been to win the lottery and expand his business. The ticket he purchased just before his death hit the jackpot, but he never knew that his lifelong dream had come true.
Naci Gündüz had two nephews, Bülent and Deha Cennet (known as the "Uzay Brothers" among collectors). They have a special connection to the Uzay Savaşçıları products— their uncle had photographed the figure images featured on the packaging. SB Products provided Naci Gündüz with two of each figure directly from the factory for the photo shoots. Bülent and Deha Cennet, who were in primary school at the time, often spent time in the studio, eagerly waiting for the shoots to finish so they could play with the figures. After the shoots were over, their uncle gave them the figures as a gift.
Bülent Cennet kept the figures and their accessories for many years. He also owned the demo cardboard packaging, photo slides, and the famous calculator. Unfortunately, these additional items were thrown away during a house cleaning. At the time, no one could have predicted that Uzay Savaşçıları would become the iconic collectibles they are today.
Lev Levarek
In the early 1990s, during one of his business trips, toy dealer Lev Levarek from “Toy Tokyo” went to the factory SB Products in Turkey and purchased every figure-related piece they had and brought them to the United States. He sold the carded figures to bootleg collectors. Soon after, UZAY figures gained popularity and became the most sought-after bootleg figures of today.
Steve Sansweet
The chairman and president of the world's largest collection of Star Wars memorabilia, contributes to the popularity of the Uzay figures by presenting the extraordinary packaging in his museum.
Rick Springfield
There are many other collectors, one of them is the famous singer Rick Springfield, who collects the rare figures in their original packaging. He owned the most famous figure, the UZAY “Head Man” which he sold after a while. It is one of only four wrapped “Head Men” in circulation today.
Before Springfield sold the figure, he took a photo of himself with the figure in the garden. He wore a black t-shirt, sunglasses, and a necklace. This set-up become a running gag for owners of a packaged “Head Man”, who all took a picture in the same pose.
