Pop culture is filled with a plethora of rabbits. The Easter Bunny, Bugs Bunny, Brer Rabbit, Roger Rabbit, Thumper, and even Arthur’s Buster Baxter.
However, if you say “famous rabbit” from a Star Wars comic book, only the most dedicated fans will recall Star Wars very own humanoid Rabbit: Jaxxon T. Tumperakki.
Particularly obsessive fans may point out to you that Jaxxon is actually a Lepi (who just happen to look like six foot tall green rabbits) and that the character made his debut in 1978’s Star Wars #8 from Marvel Comics. The introduction of Jaxxon (by creators Roy Thomas, Howard Chaykin, and Tom Palmer) was certainly an attempt to further capture the interests of the younger comic readers of the day, but a serious-looking, double-barreled Jaxxon standing next to Han Solo and Chewbacca on the cover must have made some older fans do a double take back in 1978.
Believe it or not, the character remained a part of Solo’s crew (actually called The Star-Hoppers of Aduba-3) for a number of issues, and became an odd footnote in Star Wars lore right next to Chewbacca’s son Lumpy from The Star Wars Holiday Special.
However, in recent years, Jaxxon has experienced an unlikely Renaissance due to the fans that remembered the character from their youth. John Tyler Christopher’s variant cover for Marvel Comics Star Wars #1 in 2015 brought the tall green guy back as an inside-joke for fans of the 1970s series, and the fuse was lit for the return of the jumpsuit-wearing Lepi.
Since the one-off joke, Jaxxon has become a special guest star in IDW’s kid-friendly series Star Wars Adventures, appearing in three annuals in 2018, 2019, and 2020 (with his first re-appearance coming courtesy of John Jackson Miller, Cavan Scott, and Jon Sommariva). And Jaxxon doesn’t just appear in these issues, he is the star of them, with story titles such as “The Lost Eggs of Livorno”, “Hare-Brained Heist”, and “Rabbit Hunt”. The green-furred smuggler even made a ‘blink-and-you-will-miss it” animated appearance in Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge last year. And if all of the current comics published through Marvel (or IDW’s Star Wars license) are cannon, Jaxxon has just been welcomed into the fold.
And to complete Jaxxon’s second act, Hasbro recently announced a pre-order for an official Black Series action figure (available in July 2021). In the listing, Jaxxon is described as “…a 6-foot tall, green-furred, Lepi and captain of the Rabbit’s Foot. Known for his wisecracks and karate kicks, Jaxxon has helped Han Solo and Chewbacca out on more than one occasion.”
What’s next for the once-maligned rabbit-man? Only time will tell, but with a never-ending pursuit for steaming viewers, can a Disney+ series be far behind? Perhaps that last statement is a bit of a far-fetched notion, but did you ever think you’d be able to buy a premium likeness of the furry odd-ball? Here’s to Jaxxon’s continued ascent up the pop culture rabbit rungs!
