Star Wars - or 'the franchise' as it's known among the aficionado - is one heck of a machine, even for those of us who think we know a thing or two about tie-ins, merchandising and gadgetry. It's a full thirty years since the childhood-defining movie went into hyperspace (you may count the years if you wish, but I wouldn't recommend it) and, let me tell you, we're still amazed by the ingenuity and quality of the industry that's grown up alongside it. Take these Chubbies, for instance. No. Nothing to do with Teletubbies. One can forget that straight away.

They're a half-Russian-Doll-half-Star-Wars-Doll hybrid made from robust PVC, in which one doll sits inside another in the usual fashion. What makes these unique, not to mention highly collectible, is that as you travel inside the doll, it reveals the character in an earlier stage of development. It's as though we are seeing it travelling back in time to its very origins. Clever. The Sith set offers an amalgam of three of the nastiest, most evil Sith for the price of one. And that's just the way one likes it. Deep inside the Chubby is Darth Maul, most noted for his ominous, two-tone appearance. In the middle lies Darth Tyranus, who as Count Dooku was seduced by the dark side.

The outermost character is the most menacing of all; Darth Sidious himself - who would never be complete without his trademark expression of pure evil (and removable hood). Terrifying.