Toyguru returned by the .org on Monday evening with a Post Sale Update!
Yup. Prince Adam sold out again! And what is crazy is the second production run was way higher than the first run back in Dec. 2008 and that run took weeks to sell out. I guess the Power of Grayskull rule sall. We totally expected He-Man to stay on sale well into the holidays.Oh well!
We will go into a third run, but not for quite a while, especially since we have ye old Battle Armor He-Man coming up in January and want to give him some time to shine.
Scareglow is still available, but also sold way more in day 1 than we expected. Only a handful are left, I don't expect him to be hanging around at the end of the week. (Editor's Note: Scareglow is now sold out)
So excited for December's figures. Personally I've waited my whole life for a Goddess figure, and boy did the Horsemen do a great job!
2010 will really be a great year. We've only begun to get our feet wet in the awesomeness of MOTU classics. 2009 was really a "will this work"year. 2010 is where we really jump off the deep end! If figures continue to do well, we've got a lot of GREAT surprises in store - just you wait!
TG
You can read the original post here.
It's that time again! Let's begin!
2) What are the chances of Mattel adopting a resalable kind of packaging for the MOTUC line so collectors don't need to ruin the awesome package art to get to their even more awesome figures?
This is something I have looked into, but no, the packaging will not be resealable in the near future.
5) Though it's about a year away, it seems in October both the Big Apple Comic Con and New York Comic Con will be held on the same weekend (October 7 -10). Does Mattel have any plans to attend either convention, because it'll be about 3 months after SDCC? If so, do you know which one, at this time? Any other cons you are planning on attending?
Unfortunately, October is not a month Mattel is available for conventions due to our own Toy Fair. If either of these convention move back to April or February we can look at attending again.
------------------------------------------------------------------
2.) PrfktTear asks: Whenever Evil-Lyn is made for MOTUC, will she have her Classic yellow skin/blue armor? Will she be available as a bonus with the 2002 white skin/purple armor?
It is too early for me to comment on any unannounced figures, but I can tell you our long term plan is to do multiple versions of main characters, especially if they had two distinct looks like Evil-Lyn does.
4.) Thomas B asks: It was expressed by ToyGuru on the He-Man.org board that the bonus figures sales need to “pick up steam”, which seems odd, since a sell-out is a sell-out and this contradicts what has been said previously about Mattel’s desire to have the figures available for 2-3 weeks. So my question is, if future bonus figure sales are the same as Zodak’s, will that be satisfactory?
If future bonus figures sell as well as Zodak we will continue the program.
------------------------------------------------------------------
4. We know that MOTUC takes most of its stylistic cues fromthe classic 80s line, but what about Mantenna? If/when you get aroundto doing him for the line, would his four legs be connected two by twolike the old figure, or all for individual like he has been portrayedin the 200x and She-Ra cartoons?
It’s too early to tell, but likely I’ll try to go for 4 legs sincehe would need new legs anyway to show the “2 combined legs” like thevintage figure had. I might also give him two heads, one with eyes up,one with eyes down.
------------------------------------------------------------------
6) Is there any idea on whether or not we will see a MOTUC 2-Pack or army builder pack this coming year, 2010?
It is too early to make that call. We need to see how other bonus figures and Battlecat perform before announcing anything else beyond basic figures per month.
7) Will future females in the MOTUC suffer from the same fragile neck peg? Swapping heads is a tad scary.
The joint is actually very sturdy. Until we hear of actual breaking, we do not want to use a larger peg as that would limit articulation. If this actually becomes a problem we will make needed changes.
8) Will future female figures in MOTUC have softer or maybe even rubberized clothing/dresses? The lack of waist articulation and inability to sit down is a bit dissapointing for some fans.
Yes, we actually do want a softer plastic used going forward.
9) Will the New Adventures figures have the same build as the current figures, or will they be more of a more realistic build like the original line?
Yes, all the figures in the Classics line will have the same scale and basic look.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Kastor: The 80's Evil Lyn was a repaint of Teela with a new head. With the new line are you looking to give her an original sculpt or will she have the same treatment as her 80's version?
Matty: I can’t comment on unannounced figures, but the long term plan is to do multiple version of Evil Lyn. (Editors note: This was asked before she was announced last night as the April 2010 figure)
------------------------------------------------------------------
1) With the holidays fast approaching, can we look forward to any newproduct reveals on the Masters of the Universe Classics line or will weneed to hold out until Toy Fair?
Evil Lyn will be shown in the next issue of Toy Fare magazine!
2) We recently noticed that Keldor and Count Marzo are both mentionedin King Randor's character bio. Does this mean that we can look forwardto getting both of those figures next year?
I’ve read the speculation online and to put these rumors to rest,there is no connection to figures being mentioned on a bio and themappearing in the line. The bios are based on the figures and maymention other characters that are related to one another (friends,foes, etc…).
3) If the Masters of the Universe Classics line continues with itssuccessful track record, would you consider adapting the Collect andConnect program to it in order to offer fans a chance to add larger andmore originally sculpted characters to their collections?
I’ve looked into this, but really the Collect and Connect program isone that works for a retail line that is released in waves. BecauseMOTU Classics is an online toy line released one per month, it doesn’tlend itself to a Collect and Connect program. I am interested in doingsome of the larger creatures and characters, and they are more likelyto be released as a single toy, not broken up into parts.
4) You have stated in the past that all MOTUC figures you produce willhave the classic look incorporated into their design regardless if theyare original or 200X characters. Would you still however, considermaking Evolutions of MOTUC packs which would consist of the samecharacter in their original and 200X look?
No, I have no plans to do any 200X styled version of figures in theClassics line. I will do 200X characters (like King Grayskull andZodak) but they will all be in the Classics style.
5) The Masters of the Universe cartoon and toys was an unforgettablepart of my childhood but so were the Thundercats. Is obtaining themaster toy license for Thundercats a long-term goal for Mattel?
Sorry, but I can’t discuss the possibilities of acquiring new properties.
Finally He-Man.org has its own fan page on Facebook!
Everyone is invited to join us at www.facebook.com/heman.org.
Help spreading the word, we promise a few awesome surprises in the next weeks!
Huge MOTUC update from Mattycollector.com's Facebook page!
Lots going on in the MOTU world. We got in a new sample of Moss Man.Almost there. His fur is not quite the right color, so we're going tohold off until we have a more finished sample on this guy before posting.
We also got early samples of Battle Cat in package in. Have a bit of an issue that his mask is falling off in package. We're doing everything we can to fix this before the full production is finished. He'll come in a box with a blister back (similar to the original toy) so worst case is the box can be opened without damage to slide the mask back on.But we'll do all we can to avoid this!
As soon as we have a better sample we'll post it for all to see.
And the big news, we've got our April 2010 figure all lined up. You can catch the first images of EVIL LYN in the next issue of Toy Fare magazine! Which version is she? You'll just have to wait until ToyFare's 2010 preview in issue 150 to find out!
Pixel Dan returns with a review of the all-new Masters of the Universe Classics He-Man Reissue, comparing him to the first release of this figure. Is it worth it to drop your money on another He-Man? Check out the video to find out!
Toyguru is back and he needs the help of the New Adventures of He-Man fans!
He-Fans,
As you know, we are looking to bring some of the New Adventures characters into the Classics line over the next few years (and the first one will be in the first half of 2010, but it may not be who you think!).
One of the ways we prep for this line is by getting samples of all the old figures. While we have loose figures, our archive does not have packaged samples of every NA figure.
So we'd like to turn to the fans. It would be very helpful if fans who have carded samples of NA characters can post the bios from the back of all the NA figures in this thread. We won't be repeating them verbatum, but we want to include some elements in the new Classics card backs. We have the first few NA bios complete already, but as we get to more obscure characters in the coming years, access to the orignal bios would be great!
If fans can create a complete NA biosl list in this post, that would be very helpful to our entertainment team!
TG
Welcome all to Episode 3 of the Masters of the Universe Chronicles which is dedicated to the past and present of Masters of the Universe. I'm your host Chris Vint aka Vinto-man on the forums.On the show this month is Jon English aka Master English and he discusses his custom figures and what his next figures will be.
To listen to the show, click here and also available via ITunes.
December's guest will be Masterscast host Jon Kallis aka The Shadow!
Toyguru has once again provided answers to your questions.
Thanks again to him for taking the time to answer these!
Check out his answers to your Round 26 questions!
This round of questions were selected by joseephus,
and proofed against old Q&As by Uncle Montork.
Thanks to them for their help!
1. Grenadaspice: When you produce a MOTUC Man-E-Faces, may we expect to see a "Man-E-Weapons" version of him as well?
That would be a great way to get some of those weapons out there. (and in Wun-dar colors, too). Nothing to confirm, but like we always say, we have a long term plan for this type of stuff…
2. King Tycho: Many fans are unhappy with the way our opinions are tabulated. In particular, the SDCC "voting sessions". Fans at SDCC are not representative of fans as a whole. Wouldn't it be preferable to handle all fan input through polls and feedback online, on sites such as Mattycollector and He-man.org? (A perfect example is the flocking of Panthor, where every poll online reveals that a vast majority of fans want him to be flocked)
We know fans all over the world want to share ideas about the line, and the best way to share is by posting and talking about the line on the web and talking to us at conventions. We do indeed read a lot of threads on various message boards. We aren’t always posting, but we’re always reading!
We will continue to give SDCC fans special votes. This is all part of what makes going to SDCC special. And as for the Panthor, we may indeed release a second flocked version of him in the future, but the initial release will be unflocked as fans at SDCC requested.
3. Lord of Destruction: Why was Green Goddess named Sharella when this was originally the name of an unreleased character, a tribal chieftess who helped train He-Ro? We understand that He-Ro's origin was altered for MOTUC, but Sharella and the Goddess were not originally the same character.
You’ll just have to wait until if we do a Sharella figure to get more information on her background before becoming the Goddess.
4. Kinghsss456: According to the new MOTUC bio, Scareglow is one of the "most evil warriors in the five dimensions." Would you please tell us the names of the five dimensions, and how soon will we see the other evil warriors from the other dimensions? And is there a corresponding heroic warrior from each dimension?
Despondos, Eternia, Infinita, The Nameless Dimension and the Timeless Dimension.
We are not sure how come folks think there are 5 warriors. If you read the Mini Comic “The Search for Keldor” Skeletor clearly only pulls two warriors out when he searches all of the dimensions for evil warriors. Scareglow is one of them, Ninjor is the other.
5. badmouse: Before sculpting any of the figures, do the Four Horsemen design everything on paper? If so, in the near future will you show us that concept art and those design illustrations?
Nope. They go right for the wax and start sculpting.
Check out what fans have to say about the answers to the WTFWTK 2.26, as well as find links to all the previous WTFWTK sessions!
Adora's long awaited bio and in package pictures have been revealed on Mattycollector.com's Facebook page! At long last! The first POP action figure in over 20 years has finally arrived!
Pics speak for themselves. Coming in January. Let the 25th anniversary begin! At long last, Adora, the Princess of Power (or Horde Force Captain if you prefer...) For the honor of Grayskull! Standard Horde Force Captain firearm with removable holster (it unclasps in the back).
Fellow .orger Slayor did the honors of translating this bio!
Adora
Leader in the Great Rebellion
Real Name: Adora of the House of Randor
When Adora and her twin brother Adam were born, the Sorceress recognized they were the twins prophesized to wield the Power of Grayskull. She therefore magically cloned the Sword of He, enhancing it with the Stone of Protection so that each twin could have a key to unlock the Power. But Hordak also learned of the twins and arranged for his Eternian pupil Skeletor to abduct the infants. Man-At-Arms prevented Adam from being taken, but Adora was stolen away to the planet Etheria deep in the dimension of Despondos. There she was raised by Hordak until the day her brother returned, handing her her sword which she held aloft to become She-Ra, the most powerful woman in the universe!
From Mattycollector.com's Facebook Page!
Just got in early packaged samples of the first variant of He-Man in his all new Battle Armor!
He-Man comes with removable chest armor with a pop out chest plate. Just snape in any one of the three chest plates to recreate the look of the spinning armor mechanism from the vintage toy. This toy does not feature a spinning tumble, but does include all three chest plates - standard, one smash, and my personal favorite, two smashes!
He also comes with his heroic Battle Axe just like in the famous painting of Battle Armor He-Man on top of Battle Cat. (anyone have the art book?)
And speaking of Battle Cat. We just got samples of him in package too, but the corners are all bent up. Bleh. We'll try to fix it up and make it photo ready and get that up soon too. The final toy will obvioulsy have a perfect package. (or as close as possible!)
Battle Armor He-Man goes on sale January 15th, only on MattyCollector.com. He is a "bonus" figure and is not included in the2010 Club Eternia subscription. Gets your before he rides away!
MattyPS: Battle Armor He-Man white box. We're finally adding the names! (finally, I know...)
Thanks to He-Man.org forum member Tallstar for providing the bio from the back of the package.
Real Name: Adam of the House of Randor
To adapt to new enemies and situations, Adam has learned to tap further into the great power which his sword unlocks. The combined Power of the Universe and the Knowledge of the Elders is used by Adam to imagine and create new forms of armor and weapons to combat evil. His BATTLE ARMOR was created to protect He-Man during his early battles with Skeletor and his evil warriors. Using the Power of Grayskull, He-Man The Most Powerful Man In The Universe is now shielded by his mighty BATTLE ARMOR.
Here we go!
------------------------------------------------------------------
1) The aesthetic for the MOTUC line seems to be about 80% 1980's design and about 20% 200X but in cases where the 1980's figures were limited by technology or dominated by an action feature are you still going to try and stick close to the classic look? A good example would be Leech. Since there are no action features in this line, would we expect him to look more like his station or would he still have his flat sucker mouth as a nod to the original figure?
There is a good chance we would do two heads on Leech to capture his vintage action feature face and his 2002 redesign look. But he is not planned for release quite yet!
2) What are the chances of Mattel adopting a resalable kind of packaging for the MOTUC line so collectors don't need to ruin the awesome package art to get to their even more awesome figures?
Not at this time. It is something we will continue to explore.
3) Can you give us any info on the weapons packs? It was said that they would be seasonal but when do they start and when can we expect to get an idea of what kinds of things will be in them?
We are still working on this pack and are not ready to reveal details yet. When we do, we’ll make a big announcement.
5) Like you done for 2009: Could you say us how many MOTUC figures in 2010 are never been made before, never released as 200X and how many females could we get?
Not quite yet. We do not yet know how many bonus figures we are doing in 2010, so it is hard to give a count right now. After we see how the first few figures, including Battlecat, perform we’ll have a better idea of what 2010 will look like.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Kastor: The Masters of the Universe figures have great heft to them, but over time the ankles are having trouble keeping the figures standing, and newer figures appear to have even weaker ankles. Would it be possible for the upcoming MOTU stands to include a clear adjustable waist clip so they can be posed without worry of the ankles giving out?
Matty: Flying stands will be available in early 2010 on MattyCollector.com!
Kastor: You stated recently on Facebook that when and if Panthor was made he would not be flocked. The basis for this decision was fan reaction during the Matty panel at SDCC. This seems like a very subjective way to gauge fan reaction is it possible to have a poll on Matty Collector to get a more official vote from the fans?
Matty: We will look at doing polls on MattyCollector.com, but we will also continue to let fans at SDCC vote. It’s what makes SDCC special.
------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Zodak (pics and review) was the first “bonus” figure for the Masters of the Universe Classics line. Based on how he sold, what changes are you considering for bonus figures, if any? Do you have any update on combining bonus orders with Club Eternia subs so subscribers aren’t penalized with double shipping?
If the first few bonus figure do well, we will continue them into 2010. If they do not, figures that were bonus figures will just become standard monthly figures. You won’t be able to combine shipping on subscriptions and standard purchases, but once we gauge how bonus figures do, we will be able to include them in the 2011 subscription.
2. The MOTUC bios are really fun reading material. Who on the team is responsible for writing them, and what’s the process for it? Which bio is your favorite so far? Will we see different bio formats for other themes in the line like Princess of Power or Snakemen?
The bios are written by the marketing, design and packaging teams after hours and hours of research. Scareglow was one of the more fun bios to work on since he did not have that much history and the Horsemen came up with a great accessory which we wanted to work into his story.
------------------------------------------------------------------
1) If MOTUC is an overwhelming success would it be possible, down the line, to produce a Castle Grayskull?
It might take a movie year for that.
3) When Mekaneck comes, will the neck extending action feature still exist?
He will likely get a second head with interchangeable neck pieces.
5) Will we get a MOTUC Disco Skeletor? :)
We would only do this if there was a huge amount of fan demand. We’d rather put our energies into other figure choices since the original was not really a collector figure but more of a kid friendly repaint. Is this really something fans are looking for?
------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Mr. Rant asks: I liked the Goddess figure as shown at SDCC, but was disappointed when we saw the packaged sample was molded in a oddly colored translucent plastic. Are you able to discuss the reasons for this change? And can a normally painted Goddess be kept in mind for future reissues?
The translucent plastic was added to really make the figure pop and to further differentiate her from Teela which uses the same body and head sculpt. I think when you see it in person you’ll really love it!
5. Vault asks: I was recently fortunate enough to view the MOTU art book that a friend of mine purchased. On page 40 of the book, a design for He-Man I had never seen before was shown and I really want to know more about it. Can you or one of the Four Horsemen fill us in on the story behind this Armored He-Man?
As explained in the caption on page 41, these are prototype He-Man concepts from the Four Horsemen for the 2002 line.
------------------------------------------------------------------
5.) Barbecue17 asks: You have a policy of not discussing unannounced product, but you also have mentioned that once a figure has been announced there is little to no time for fan input. Is there any point in the life of a figure that fans have the ability to influence some aspect of a figure?
We listen very carefully to fan suggestions when reviewing new candidates for toy lines. If there is a figure you really want, post about it online or talk to us at conventions. Many times the figures with more online chatter wind up being produced sooner in the line.
------------------------------------------------------------------
1) Are there any other Masters of the Universe Horde members slated for release in 2010?
We’d like to, but cannot comment on any figures beyond Moss Man until we see how the first few bonus figures do.
2) When will the packaging for Batlle Cat be revealed?
Likely by the end of the year.
3) Is there any updated news you can share with us regarding the MOTUC 2-packs? Would you consider releasing alter-ego sets like a Keldor/Skeletor or Prince Adam/He-Man 2-pack?
It is more likely the two packs will be army building figures while alter-egos would be great standard figures since most fans already have He-Man or Skeletor, and we don’t want to force fans to re-buy the same figure they own for a new figure.
Backwards Man, Dice, Ferio, He Man, Skeletortilla, Skullface, brianatarms, davidlogan, ethansuplee, paddavis, rts01, wyldman11