Ask Matty - An Open Call For Questions Due May 1st

Have a question for Mattel then look no further.


On every 1st and 15th of the month, Matty opens himself up to questions from his fans.

Next round of questions are due May 1st with answers on May 15th.

5 random questions will be selected bi-monthly and submitted to Matty, for him to answer.

Just enter your question into the comments section at the end of this post.

PLEASE NOTE: Mattel can not answer questions about unannounced figures (i.e. "will you do a figure of Psycho Pirate in 6" scale), production runs, acquiring new properties or logistics in production.

Pendragon's Post has the right to edit and remove any and all comments, as deemed necessary.

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TOY NEWS: Mattel SDCC Exclusives To Be Announced On Attack Of Show

Mattel announced that the San Diego Comic Con exclusives will be announced on Attack Of Show.




Toy Fans,

Okay, everyone, we just got official confirmation that our SDCC product reveals are going to air on Attack of the Show on the G4 network April 12th and April 15th!

Why two nights? Because the stuff we’re revealing is so good, it couldn’t be done in a single show! Attack of the Show will sneak peek four products each night. We’ll finally put to rest some of the rumors about what we’ll have at SDCC and there are exclusives from some of our most popular collector lines. No, we’re not telling you anything beforehand — you’ll just have to tune in to find out what they all are!

You can check your local listings for channels/times, but there’s one thing to keep in mind. Although we’ve been given these dates, it’s not a guarantee our segments will be aired. If another big story comes along, Attack of the Show has every right to bump us (which they’ve done in the past), just like any news show. It’s not likely, but if this does happen, we’ll let you know the minute we hear.

If you don’t get G4, never fear. Just visit this very spot on Friday, April 16th and we’ll have the complete list of SDCC products with images PLUS a couple more reveals!

—Matty

P.S. You know, now that I think about it, maybe I can give you a couple of hints… 1) a DCU item will have a ton of accessories, and 2) we have an Avatar™ item that, for the first time, combines a 3-3/4" figure and a 6" figure in one package. Read more...

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ASK MATTY: MATTY ANSWERS 4/1/10

Matty took time out of his busy schedule to answer some questions.


1. Toyguru and Matty confirmed several times that the hyper-stylized, so called ‘anime” look of the 200X figures, should be retired for good. And also that POP/NA/200X figures that didn’t have an action figure in the ‘80s MOTU line would be introduced in MOTUC, sculpted in the same way as if the figure was going to be made in the ‘80s but with added detail and improved articulation. However She-Ra and Count Marzo were sculpted with static body parts that are entirely reminiscent of the 200X line and NECA statues (windblown hair for both and windblown cape for Marzo). This is a very modern approach to action figure sculpting that didn’t even exist in the ‘80s. Although it might make head movement easier it actually limits pose-ability in the sense that the figures can only be posed in display settings that allow for blowing wind (it’s impossible to place them in settings like the indoors of Castle Grayskull or Royal Palace where there is supposed to be no wind). Online polls done on the Mattycollector forums show that collectors would prefer “vintage style” neutrally positioned hair and capes. Why have Mattel and/or the Four Horsemen opted for such a modern approach for these two figures, in a line that is supposed to be strictly classic?

This was actually noted by upper management and we will be toning down the amount of wind blown hair, etc. on figures for a more unified Classic look. The direction for the current line is to avoid the "anime" interpretation of the 2002 line as that look is retired.


2. We know you can’t comment on specific characters that haven’t been announced, but are “civilian” “historical” DC characters like Sgt. Rock or Jonah Hex being considered for a DCU treatment?

Absolutely!

3. On Mattycollector.com, you explained what the status descriptions meant, but you forgot one. Can you explain when it says “Currently Unavailable”?

This description means we are sold out but more may come in one day when we go into another run - like what we did for Stratos.

4. With all the constant problem there are every month with Digital River, are you looking into change to another provider?

We are committed to delivering the best service possible but we can not comment specifically on our relationship with Digital River.

5. Back to the Walmart issue, you keep saying Mattycollector is listening to the fans. But doing another wave exclusive to a store that has proven time & time again that they don’t care about the DCU line, doesn’t seem like you are listening to the fans. The fans are frustrated & just about had it with Walmart Waves. We do not want another exclusive wave. We want all waves available everywhere.

While we do listen to fans on our lines we also listen to retailers. Doing an exclusive wave for Wal-Mart is part of an overall strategy to bring DCUC to Wal-Mart stores and while we do take fan comments, this is not a particular issue we can let the fans vote on. Read more...

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ASK MATTY: MATTY ANSWERS 4/1/10

Well, it's April Fool's Day & Mattel decided to have some fun the Q&A this time around.

We at Pendragon's Post are not amused at all.


1. Toyguru and Matty confirmed several times that the hyper-stylized, so called 'anime" look of the 200X figures, should be retired for good. And also that POP/NA/200X figures that didn't have an action figure in the '80s MOTU line would be introduced in MOTUC, sculpted in the same way as if the figure was going to be made in the '80s but with added detail and improved articulation. However She-Ra and Count Marzo were sculpted with static body parts that are entirely reminiscent of the 200X line and NECA statues (windblown hair for both and windblown cape for Marzo). This is a very modern approach to action figure sculpting that didn't even exist in the '80s. Although it might make head movement easier it actually limits pose-ability in the sense that the figures can only be posed in display settings that allow for blowing wind (it's impossible to place them in settings like the indoors of Castle Grayskull or Royal Palace where there is supposed to be no wind). Online polls done on the Mattycollector forums show that collectors would prefer "vintage style" neutrally positioned hair and capes. Why have Mattel and/or the Four Horsemen opted for such a modern approach for these two figures, in a line that is supposed to be strictly classic?

As I see it yes.

2. We know you can't comment on specific characters that haven't been announced, but are "civilian" "historical" DC characters like Sgt. Rock or Jonah Hex being considered for a DCU treatment?

My sources say no.

3. On Mattycollector.com, you explained what the status descriptions meant, but you forgot one. Can you explain when it says "Currently Unavailable"?

Reply hazy try again.

4. With all the constant problem there are every month with Digital River, are you looking into change to another provider?

Cannot predict now.

5. Back to the Walmart issue, you keep saying Mattycollector is listening to the fans. But doing another wave exclusive to a store that has proven time & time again that they don't care about the DCU line, doesn't seem like you are listening to the fans. The fans are frustrated & just about had it with Walmart Waves. We do not want another exclusive wave. We want all waves available everywhere.

Yes.

We'll keep trying to get some real answers for these questions.
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THE ETERNIAN OBSERVER: Hyper-Detailed Edition

For those of us following Mattel's great but frustrating Masters of the Universe Classics line, there has been tension from the beginning over how much influence the 2002 cartoon and toy series would and should have on this new "Classics" line.


MOTUC obviously takes its visual cues from the classic 1980's action figure line, with its chunky aesthetic, and is deeply nostalgia-based. But at the same time, the inaugural figure was a MYP character, King Grayskull. Other 2002-exclusive characters have been released or are scheduled to release such as Zodak, Keldor and Count Marzo. There have been lots of other nods to the 2002 series in the form of accessories, deco, or bonus heads. This is not to mention the fact that the bios are largely straight from the 200X series and its associated comics. While we understood that this was a "Classics" line we were also told that it would draw from the entire spectrum of Masters of the Universe, including 200X, Princess of Power and New Adventures. Surely, there must be a happy medium?

Since the reveal of Keldor and his infamous swords, there has been controversy and a regular back and forth between Toyguru and the fans. Keldor and Skeletor in the MYP pilot, was depicted as using a pair of ornate short swords that connected together to make a double sword. In some early versions of the 2002 show, these were meant to be analogous to the old mini comic half-swords but this idea was later discarded (as were the swords themselves). The bottom line, toyetically speaking, was that the swords were very cool-looking. Cut to MOTUC Keldor, who will be released with a pair of purple half powerswords. You know, those same half-swords that have been released with every other character in the line. The ones that don't fit together.

When he has been asked about this, Toyguru invariably goes into a tortured explanation about how the 2002 Keldor swords were originally meant to the powerswords so the half swords are actually the "classics" versions of the Keldor swords. And that the anime "hyper-detailed look of 200x has been retired. That's all very interesting but whatever the design lineage, the half-powerswords just do not look good. Keldor looks kind of silly dual-wielding a pair of half-broadswords.
Now, I think Keldor is an amazing entry into the series and that he comes with a good deal of new tooling for a bonus MOTUC figure. I appreciate that the reality might have been that there was not tooling for a pair of new swords, so it became necessary to plug in the half-swords, but why close the door on the possibility of simplified 200X-inspired swords in the future? Why stubbornly insist that the half-swords are "correct" because they happen to be based on a discarded idea from the 2002 show, which technically is not even "canon" in MOTUC anyway. If you are talking about continuity in MOTUC, what is Keldor doing with two halves of the powersword anyway?

Recently, the increasingly snippy Toyguru replied to a post on He-Man.org with a long message about the Classics design versus the "anime" design of the 2002 figures, specifically regarding the possibility of of a MOTUC He-Man inspired by his 200x appearance. Personally, I think this is a weak case because, apart from the leaner proportions, 2002 He-Man is not that different from classic He-Man. A He-Man with a 2002 style harness and a new head-even just longer hair-would do the trick, because according to Toyguru having a pouch on the loincloth constitutes "hyper-detail." Apparently, when you walk around in cargo pants, you are super ultra hyper detailed, and you should not expect to be made into a MOTUC figure.

When fans say that they want more 2002 influence in MOTUC, that doesn't mean that we want to go back to the exaggerated style of that line. I'm not talking about Man-At-Arms with a huge and ridiculous Metroid ball on his shoulder, or a Battle Lion that is a foot tall, or Trap-Jaw with a weapon arm that is longer than the figure is tall, I'm talking about touches that are integrated into the Classics style that would look good with the figures that we already have like we've already come to expect based on figures like Webstor, Tri-Klops and Whiplash. I'm talking about a Skeletor that doesn't look like he is wearing a rain bonnet. I'm talking about a Trap Jaw that does not have a cup holder as one of his arm attachments. I'm talking about a He-Man that doesn't look like he's trying to pass a stone.

Putting aside the idea of the style in which they were presented, some design elements were better in vintage and some were better in 2002. I just want the ones that make for better looking action figures. So, Mattel, please start looking for a character to package the 2002 Keldor swords with. I think 200x decoed Evil-Lyn would be a great choice.

Patrick Garone
Creative Director Read more...

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TOY REVIEW: MOTUC Moss Man

A sighting of the elusive Moss Man, last seen briefly on March 15th.

Who would have thought that poor mellow Moss Man would be involved in so much drama? From the very beginning there were problems. We were first shown a knockout fully-flocked prototype of the character. Then we were told the flocking would present problems and we were given the option of several levels of flocking, and even shown a fairly hideous non-flocked version of the character. Once the decision was made, we were informed that Moss Man would be only partially flocked. When we were next shown the character, he was almost entirely flocked but he was a dingy brownish green and his ears were flocked over. We were told he was too far into production to make changes. Mattel then told us they were, in fact, making the change and that there would be two versions of the character sold, with and without the flocked ears. When Moss Man finally went on sale, both versions of the character sold out in under five minutes, which is a record even for Masters of the Universe Classics, especially considering that Moss Man is hardly an A-list character. Sadly, many fans did not get their figure, which is sad because so far Moss Man is easily my favorite figure released in the line this year.

Use Moss Man in the stinkiest parts of your house.

Like his vintage counterpart, Moss Man is largely a flocked and repainted Beast Man. Being that he is based on Beast Man, he lacks the lateral calf articulation of the booted figures and has his right hand sculpted open. Unlike his MOTUC body double, Moss Man has the longer preternian loin cloth first introduced on King Grayskull.

Moss Man says, "Go flock yourself."

The flocking is done quite well on the figure and covers most of Moss Man, with the exception of the areas around his joints. Luckily, he avoids the diseased mangy look he could have had. The only place that is noticeably bald are the shoulders but the exposed darker shoulders give his skin a bark-like appearance which actually works for the character.

The Moss Man Redemption.

Oddly, Mattel chose not to fully flock the figure because they were afraid the flocking would come off the joints...leaving the character looking like the version which they released. Maybe it would have been better to have flocked the joints for people who don't open their figures or handle them a lot. I'm just sayin'.

Looks like Moss Man needs a bit of a pedicure.

Although not as vivid a green as was first shown, the flocking is actually quite nice and has a few different shades of green and brown in it. Even with the limited flocking on the figure, it still manages to hide some of the joints quite nicely. When Moss Man is posed with his ab crunch bent down, the joint pretty much disappears into the flocking. Like the original toy, the flocking gives the character a different tactile element and he is literally fun and pleasing to handle. I find myself taking him down from the shelf to touch.

Amazing what a shave and little blue eyeshadow will do, no?

Moss Man includes an alternate head. The second head is said to be inspired by the 2002 cartoon but really doesn't look much like that version of the character. He is packaged using his Beast Man head, with its screaming Klingon expression. The alternate head is much nicer, with its stern simian gaze and pupil-less metallic green eyes. Moss Man's new headsculpt is really one of the nicest headsculpts of the line so far, he really has tons of character.

"Get off my lawn!"

The figure is packed with an updated version of his classic mace and Matty really went the extra mile with the detail on this weapon. The could have just given us a flat brown mace but instead it is sculpted with all kinds of really nice woody details as well as a curling vine painted in a different shade of brown. Moss Man also comes with an over the shoulder satchel with a built in knife holder.

How much do you want to bet that there is weed in that bag?

The satchel has lots of nice botanical details. The knife is a simple obsidian-looking blade with a stone handle which does not quite fit in Moss Man's weapon hand, although it fits snugly in its sheath next to the pouch.

Why isn't this mace flocked?

As a throwback to the 1980's figure Moss Man is pine scented, although it is apparently not the exact same scent that you remember from the original. Some people online have been saying that it is overpowering or that it smells like Pinesol but I don't think so. It's strong but not overpowering, and certainly not unpleasant. There is a somewhat spicy quality like eucalyptus but to me it smells a lot like walking past a Christmas tree lot.

On the quality control front, my Moss Man has some loose joints. This is a collector line that has been around for over a year now, so I have to wonder why these figures are still shipping with loose joints. Are they shipped to a preschool between their production and the time in which they are packaged? Mattel, the only thing you have going for you in this line is the quality of your product, everything else has been screwed up at every opportunity. Please fix this, it is inexcusable.

Moss Man asks you to give him a little privacy.

Although I would have preferred a less articulated, fully-flocked, figure, I am happy to say that Moss Man ended up being a standout figure in Masters of the Universe Classics, and well worth all of the drama that surrounded his development and release. Due to his cool flocking, his excellent alternate headsculpt and accessories, and his enjoyable pine scent Moss Man has quickly become one of my favorite MOTUC figures. Sadly, due to his shockingly fast sellout, a lot of collectors were not able to pick him up on the 15th but Matty assures us that he will be re released early in 2011.

Patrick Garone
Creative Director Read more...

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MINI TOY REVIEW: MOTUC SKELETOR (MOTUC VS. DCU 2 PACK)

Finally, Masters of the Universe makes its return to retail. This month, exclusively at Toys R' Us, a pair of special two packs featuring DC Universe and Masters of the Universe Classics figures were released. Each pack features a reprint of a classic 1980's crossover comic. I'm going to be taking a look at the Skeletor figure from the Skeletor vs. Lex Luthor 2 pack.



This is a simple repaint of the re-released Skeletor figure with the tighter left hand, with an eye towards capturing his bolder comic appearance. While the paint on the head is less detailed than the other versions, the paint on the armor features a richer purple color and new metallic highlights. The crossbones are painted in a metallic purple, similar to the paint scheme on the Faker armor. This is a great detail that should have been implemented on the very first release of the character. Another difference in this figure is that there seems to be a pronounced gap in the area around the ab joint near the waist whereas this is much tighter in my original Skeletor.


The hood is also painted the same richer purple as the armor and the loincloth. Instead of the yellow and green face deco on the original, this new Skeletor features a uniform yellow face and unpainted eye sockets that give him a more Filmation look. The teeth are also outlined in black paint which is a little sloppy on my figure. The two pack Skeletor also includes an exclusive yellow and gold version of the powersword, previously seen at the recent art exposition.


I highly recommend this new Skeletor. It represents major improvements over the two previously versions of the character. I particularly like the new purple color used throughout and the great metallic paint on the bones. This is my definitive version of the character until Keldor comes out and I can kitbash a new, more cartoon-based version of the character.

Patrick Garone
Creative Director Read more...

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ASK MATTY: MATTY ANSWERS 3/15/10

Matty took time out of his busy schedule to answer some questions.


1. Can you please address the "modern" Cheetah deco change? The original photos fans were given had a full body cheetah deco, but now fans are seeing a version with black clothing. Can you clarify which is the official deco and the availability of each? Since we're already getting a superpowers and modern variation, I don't expect we'd be lucky enough to get all three unless one was some sort of Mattycollector or convention exclusive.

The version released in Wave 13 will have the black deco added. We do have plans for the more “nude” version in the not too distant future.

2. There have been conflicting reports about whether the double joints on Blue Beetle III will be the new standard for DCUC going forward or whether it will only be used as needed. Can you address this?

This is a feature we will add when a particular figure calls for it. In the case of Blue Beetle, he wears full armor and this made it easier to add in extra articulation. Since the Horsemen do such amazing sculpts we don’t like to break them up with too many articulation points.

3. On the Maters of the Universe/DC Universe classics 2 packs, is this a way for Mattel to test the market to see how Masters of the Universe would sell in retail? Also, any thoughts as to producing more of the 2 packs?

Not as much as test, but rather a cool way to get more MOTUC and DCU figures to market and offer something unique for TRU stores.

4. Last round of questions, we asked about lowering the qty of per item from 10 to something lower. You answered: “Actually, very few customers are buying more than two figures. We want to keep the ten options for those international customers who requested this to help with shipping.” If few customers are buying more than 2, why keep it that high? One would assume, the few customers include international customers. While the logic is there about lowering shipping costs, it still doesn’t answer the question about keeping a single item with a qty of 10.

We are keeping the limit at 10 to help international fans who wish to order in bulk to save on shipping. As we said before, very few customers are ordering more then two or three figures per order. The number of fans who order 10 is extremely small so we’d like to keep this option open for now.

5. You have announced that DCUC Wave 14 that will be another Walmart exclusive. Fans are sick and tired of this nonsense with trying find them at Walmart, especially seeing Walmart is not willing to put the stock out. Why continue offering exclusive waves to Walmart when people obviously have a hard time finding them? (Calling the company/store doesn't work.) Can you give us a promise they will be available on either Walmart’s website or Mattycollector.com?

We won’t be selling Wave 14 on MattyCollector.com as it is a Wal-Mart exclusive item, and it is up to Wal-Mart whether or not they want to offer it online. Mattel cannot control this. Read more...

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ASK MATTY: MATTY ANSWERS 3/1/10

Matty took time out of his busy schedule to answer some questions.


1. Battle Cat & Trap Jaw both sold out in a record amount of time and due to multiple technical issues many MOTUC fans are feeling left out in the cold because they couldn’t get their figures. After 14 months of operation, something needs to be done. One popular idea is to limit the number of figures people can buy at a time, for example making the limit two instead of ten. Is this at all possible or are fans out of luck until the re-release?

Actually, very few customers are buying more than two figures. We want to keep the ten options for those international customers who requested this to help with shipping.

2. What went into choosing a character like Mo-Larr, who debuted on Robot Chicken, as one of two SDCC MOTUC items?

Mo-Larr came about from a meeting Toy Guru had with Matt and Seth at SDCC a few years back. Doing Mo-Larr is a great way to bring some attention to the line and offer a figure just for pure fun!

3. Since you cannot comment officially on licenses you do not have, in a scenario where you already own the rights to, manufacture, and distribute figures for an intellectual property that you obtained the rights to from a company, can you provide a general list of barriers and obstacles that make it difficult or perhaps impossible to acquire the rights to other unique intellectual properties owned by the same company?

Sorry, this is not something we can share with the public.

4. Will the coupons issued out to subscribers for Battle Cat carry over to other items in the future as many couldn't use them to order?

If you did not redeem your coupon this time you may do so when he goes back on sale in the fall.

5. Is She-Ra's cape removable?

Yes. If you pop her head off, the cape slips off. Read more...

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Eternian Observer: Of Beasts and Men, or, Keep Your Damn Dirty Apes Out of My MOTUC Subscription

I have tried to stay away from the drama in the always-controversial world of Masters of the Universe Classics. It seems that every week or two there is some huge point of contention in the MOTUC collectors community: Hordak's half armor, Teela's waist, Battle Armor He-Man's plates, Moss Man's ears, Mo-Larr, inclusion of POP characters, etc. For the amount of passion and intensity generated, you would think we were talking about something actually important like civil rights or health care reform. That being said, there are some very legitimate issues with the line, although none of them are artistic. There have been serious problems with delivery, customer service, and the website from the beginning. All of these have to do with Matty's fulfillment service, Digital River, but now there is a very important decision being mulled over regarding the 2011 subscriptions: whether or not to include "beasts" in the subscription plan. Based on what I have seen so far, I really hope that they don't.

Note to Mattel: If you are looking to sell a new subset of a popular toyline, don't show off your most ridiculous looking character as an example of what that line is going to be.

I bought a 2010 subscription despite the fact that the bonus figures were not included and the shipping was not combined. This is where the problems begin, as Digital River is not able to walk and chew gum at the same time and do a simple thing such as combine shipping for items ordered by the same person and mailed to the same address. Rightfully, people complained about this and Matty and Toy Guru said that they would re-evaluate including the now-scaled back bonus figure program in the 2011 subscription. They then introduced a line of beasts, of which Battle Cat was the first and was incredibly popular and well-received. Additional beasts were revealed at Toy Fair, Tytus and Gygor, and now it looks as though Matty will not only be including quarterly bonus figures in the 2011 subscription but quarterly beast figures at anywhere from $30-$60 each all in one subscription.


Now, the reasonable way to do this would be to offer two or three subscription plans but Toy Guru has been clear that there will be only one subscription option. They are not entertaining the idea of tiers or bolts or anything like that. Are you just interested in only monthly figures? Tough. Are you just interested in only monthly figures and quarterly figures? Tough. You either get everything, or you take the chance of getting nothing. If you want the only way to guarantee your figures, you have to get the beasts.

Despite the greatness that is Battle Cat, I'm not feeling the other beasts we've seen, two obscure z-list characters. At their expensive price point ($30-$60), these are figures I am going to want to cherry pick. While Tytus is a cool addition to the line, I will be saving my money (and shelf space) for something else. Gygor is...a yellow gorilla in a cape. Somehow he manages to look silly even in the context of MOTU.

I find it odd that Mattel was extremely cautious about the bonus figure line and their possible inclusion in the subscription. For a long time, it was, "Let's see how Zodak does," and then, "Let's see how Goddess does," and then, "Let's see how Battle Armor He-Man does." Now they've adjusted the bonus figure program and are seemingly ready to include it in the2011 subscription after several months of trial and error. Regarding the beasts, they seem to have all but made up their minds to include them in the plan, having sold only one beast character so far. And one can hardly use Battle Cat as a gauge of the beasts as a whole, as he is a beloved core character. Even the next most popular beast, Panthor, will not do as well.

If Mattel wasn't happy with the sales of the Goddess, imagine if she had been $30 or $40 and had never appeared in any media at all. Perhaps before sticking these expensive, large-scale figures in the subscription, it would be wise to give it a year and see how they sell. By February next year, there will have been four or five beast figures released and there will be a better gauge of their popularity. Unless, of course, it Matty thinks the only way that they will be able to have the sales they want on these kinds of figures is to compel people to buy them in a subscription...

Again, the only reasonable solution is to offer multiple subscription options. Perhaps because of a lack of trust in Digital River, they will not do this. It is unfortunate that they have a dysfunctional relationship with their fulfillment company but, as a costumer, it is not something that I should have to worry about. If Matty is opposed to a reasonable option, then the only truly fair way to go is to include only monthly figures and the quarterly figures that have proven their popularity. It seems that Mattel is orienting itself to the unfortunate position of "The subscriptions are for those people who want everything," which denies the basic fact that these figures are produced in very small numbers and have become even more difficult to get off-subscription than they were last year. It has become that the subscription is almost the only way to get the figures from Mattycollector.com, and, sadly, even then the subscription is not always a reliable way to purchase these figures. Mattel should not be putting people in the position of having to buy expensive extra products several times a year just to get the monthly subscription.

Please check out this poll on the matty forums and make your opinions known:



Patrick Garone
Senior Reviewer Read more...

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TOY REVIEW MOTUC BATTLE CAT

The first "beast" figure in the line, Battle Cat is likely the ultimate version of this character. He is far superior to any previous incarnation of He-Man's fighting tiger and he has far more detail and articulation than I think anyone was expecting. He is a heavy bulky figure who is well worth the $30 plus shipping that Matty was asking for him.




The first thing you are likely to notice about him in his really nice window box packaging, is just how big this new Battle Cat is. He is scaled to the figures, which are a good deal larger than any of the previous lines, so Battle Cat actually comes out to be about the size of a small house cat.


He is also directly modeled on the vintage figure, there is little to no 200X influence on the design, which is a very good thing in this case as the classic design is far more distinctive and interesting, with its large, beaked helmet and vacant eyes.



BC comes complete with his helmet and a large harness both of which are colored a dark red. The Horsemen have brought out lots of great detail on this classic design, such as a finely-lined, leathery look to the saddle as well as numerous bronzy highlights on the various bolts, buckles and rivets. The saddle area features indentations for He-Man's fuzzy shorts, allowing you to fit characters in there reasonably tightly.

Mmmm...corn.

There are also two straps on either side, ostensibly to hold the Power Sword, although these are a rather silly place to store something as precious as the Sword of He. It would have been nice if there had been somewhere closer to the saddle to store weapons. I would have also liked to have seen some sort of t-bar on the saddle for He-Man to grab on to. Also, there should be a more secure way to keep the helmet on, as it tends to shift and come off too easily.



As I said above, Battle Cat has an amazing amount of articulation for an animal figure like this and I am very relieved that all of his joints are reasonably tight. The head seems to be on a ball joint, although the sculpt prevents a lot of movement, which is a shame. You can completely rotate the head and there is some lateral play but turning the head or looking up is restricted. The jaw is on a hinge joint and opens and closes fully. The neck slides up and down and can bring BC's nose to the ground or at about chest height on the MOTUC figures, again with no lateral motion.




Unfortunately, Battle Cat cannot really look up. The legs are fully articulated at each joint, as they would be on a real cat and the paws are even on a ball joint and can be rotated. There is even a little play on the shoulders allowing BC to move his front limbs in and out a bit. The figure even features "mid torso" articulation, allowing him to arch his back somewhat or event twist at the waist (take that Teela!). The tail is made of a flexible plastic (but does not hold a shape if you bend it) and is on a combo ball and hinge joint allowing it to be posed numerous ways.



Sadly, Battle Cat sold out before many people could get him but Matty seems to be rushing him into re-release for the fall, so fans will have another shot to get this iconic Masters of the Universe character. Mattel and the Horsemen really went all out with this figure, and it most have cost them a lot to make a brand new figure, this big with this much articulation and still sell it at the relatively reasonable price of $30. Make sure you are ready to go when he is re-released or pick him up on the secondary market because no MOTUC collection is complete without the fighting tiger of Eternia.

Patrick Garone
Senior Reviewer Read more...

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TOY REVIEW: Masters of the Universe Classics Trap Jaw

As a kid, my all time favorite Masters of the Universe toy was Trap Jaw. Not only did he have a funky color scheme, a cool spring-loaded jaw, and a helmet loop through which you could have him rappel down a line of string, but a mechanical arm with interchangeable weapons. Trap Jaw was the ultimate Masters of the Universe character and best represents the dizzying collage of styles and genres that is MOTU: he's a cyborg, so there's a sci-fi element to the characters but his mechanical parts are very low-tech and what we would now call steampunk; he has lost his arm and jaw so there is an implicit horror to the character and he remains one of the scarier MOTU villains; his hook arm and crossbones belt gives him a piratey appearance. When the 2002 line came out, I was not into the show but Trap Jaw was the only figure from that line that I bought. The new classics Trap Jaw was released this month and sold out in under a half hour.

Trap Jaw, giving a Power Point presentation at Digital River.

As with many of the villains in this line, his bio heavily draws on his MYP comic appearance and the 200X continuity. In Icons of Evil: Trap Jaw we are introduced to the warrior Kronis (briefly seen in the 2002 cartoon as well). Kronis challenges Skeletor and is banished from Snake Mountain only to raise an army in an attempt to finally overthrow the Overlord of Evil. The two battle atop Snake Mountain and Skeletor defeats Kronis, destroying his arm and jaw in the fight. Tri-Klops is given the job of rebuilding Kronis into the new villain, Trap Jaw. This is pretty cool stuff and miles away from his bumbling portrayal in both cartoon series.

As with previous versions, the unused attachments hook onto the belt.

My first impression out of the package, is how much Trap Jaw resembles his vintage figure. There is really very little 200X in his design, which is unfortunate. For although I'm not a fan of the exaggerated proportions of that line, the 2002 version of the character was a very scary-looking dude and a good representation of the character. MOTUC Trap Jaw carries over the cartoony and non-threatening aesthetic of the old line.



Sculptwise, Trap Jaw is loaded with new parts. His arms, legs, and heads are all brand new sculpts. The legs in particular, are impressively sculpted with lots of mechanical details. There is lots of great detail on the two "organic" arms, each one with lots of mechanical parts. The Trap Jaw head leaves a lot to be desired as it replicates the googly-eyed stare of the original toy instead of the more menacing look of the modern version.

I'm crazy gun arm man! Gimme some candy!

One strangely hardcore detail, is behind the mechanical jaw (not spring-loaded, by the way). When you open the jaw you can see some bloody mass behind it. This is presumably what is left of Kronis' original jaw. The alternate Kronis head is a little goofy looking with its Oompa-Loomp features and Billy Idol-esque sneer. The mechanical arm is well-articulated, with almost full mobility (the ball-joint at the shoulder is obstructed by some of the upper arm detail). Again, the arm is more of an update of the original figure with little of detail of the 200x figure (a good thing in this instance as the modern Trap Jaw's arm was ridiculously out of proportion with the figure).

Oy! Bugger off!

The paint is mostly excellent on MOTUC Trap Jaw, although I think the colors are a little too cartoony. The figure is loaded with paint accents and details, mostly in the fantastic metallic blue color that is used for the Kronis arms. These are located all over TJ and really make the figure pop. There are also some very nice (although uneven) metallic green detailing on the crossbones on his belt and the surrounding rivets.

His trademark pirate league wrestling belt.

Trap Jaw's main accessories are his three arm attachments: a gun, a hook, and a claw, in order of coolness. These are the biggest disappointment with the figure. While the gun is actually pretty cool, the hook and the claw look very puny. The claw in particular looks about as threatening as a cupholder. I would have preferred a "classicsized" version of the big scissor claw that came with 200x Trap Jaw. Sadly, none of the attatchments from previous figures are compatible with the Classics version. The figure also includes not only a bonus head but a bonus arm so that you can make Kronis, which is a pretty cool addition. All in all Trap Jaw comes with a great amount of accessories and earns his $20 plus shipping.

Trap Jaw, doing shadow puppets.

On the quality control front, I'm sad to say that my Trap Jaw has loose joints in his legs and ankles. As one of the bonus items for subscribers, Matty should send out a quarterly bottle of Krazy Glue. There was also some scuffing on the bonus arm. While my first subscription figure was shipped without a hitch, my subscription was not "entered correctly" and I am still waiting on my actual subscription figures which are MIA. Luckily, I have friends in high places (or at least places near Toy Fair).



Trap Jaw is long overdue in Masters of the Universe Classics and I'm glad to finally have him in my collection. He's a great figure who looses some points for a slavishly retro sculpt and accessories but makes up for it with a stunning paint job and extra accessories to make his alter ego, Kronis. Although he is among the line's fastest sellers, Matty promises to have him out again in the summer.

Patrick Garone
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ASK MATTY: MATTY ANSWERS 2/16/10

Matty took time out of his busy schedule to answer some questions.

1) Part of the charm of MOTUC’s reusing parts and painting them differently is to make them look unique while they STILL look vintage, and from photos circulating the ‘net, replacing the baby blue with the new silvery paint on Evil Lyn and her staffs seems to make her appear more “Anti-Teela”, and less distinctive as vintage Evil Lyn. Secondly, her new eye paint aps changes her facial expression completely, losing the thick black and tight angles for her eyelashes/eyeline and the heavy black around the eyeball for a thinner, wider, and more rounded eyeline, now making her look “surprised” rather than a “sultry stare”. Lastly, the change in point of separation for her removable crystal ball (now the entire top half of her small wand vs only the first ring) sadly alters and ruins the entire retro-style design of the longer 200X-influenced staff as the 4 Horsemen originally designed. After Moss Man’s, Evil Lyn’s drastic and obvious changes and is a new trend that’s unsettling to many fans of the Four Horsemen’s original work. Can you comment on why these changes to the 4 Horsemen’s awesome designs were made in Evil Lyn, both in color and weapon design?

The Crystal Ball was completely designed by the Horsemen - removable headpiece and all. So what you are seeing is the Horsemen’s design - we didn’t change anything about it!

2) For Mattel’s toy engineers: it has to be asked again. Recent DCUC toys can’t look up or down. For MOTUC, there is RECENT talk of undoing Teela’s fine neck articulation to a neck swivel as there are somehow ONLY two options to fix her thin neck barbell problem for popping heads. Outside of a Barbie doll, why is a ball neck executed using a barbell system in the first place? Countless Star Wars, Marvel, GI Joe, and Japanese toys half the size and scale of Mattel’s toys and with even thinner necks than Teela or any other female figure released to date have a fully-molded (immovable) ball at the top of the neck where a head with a wider opening pops on and off effortlessly and moves in every direction very well. Can such a simple solution already used by various toy companies please be considered?

You will see improved neck articulation on DCUC starting with Wave 12.

3) With DCUC we’ve seen the teenage boy body type. With Wonder Girl being announced in Wave 14, will we finally be seeing a teenage female body type or will she be the standard female size?

She will be the first teen female with a new buck!

4) From internet reviews, the MOTUC stands appear both excellently crafted AND give us a level of customizability for various standing positions, so first, thank you! The biggest issue I find with these toys is that the ankle joint become weak due to their weight. Can we expect to get additional stand parts down the line for further customization, like taller Grayskull walls, weapon racks or clear waist clips coming up from the base to hold them in place? You’ve created an incredible stand system with holes placed to achieve these easy additions, creating potential dioramas if interconnected properly!

Yes, we do have plans for other stands and set pieces for MOTUC figures down the line! It’ll likely be about one a year with the stands being first.

5) Speaking to toy engineers at Comic Con about the hardness of the plastics on some of the long capes or long hair on wrestling figures and superheroes toys, it is my understanding that a factory can fit several smaller parts of a toy (head, arms, hands, feet and/or weapons) in one mold so as not to waste space in a given mold. The same plastic is then used for all pieces in that particular mold. Either for budgetary reasons or shortcuts by the factory unbeknownst to the company, sometimes factories will include a cape or hair piece in with the same mold as parts needing tougher plastics like the heads or limbs or accessories. I currently buy and love the MOTUC, DCUC, and your new WWE toys, and I see a similar possibility issue across the board for this reason. Can there please be a new Mattel edict that ALL capes, long hair, tunics, robes, loincloths, skirts, or any other articulation-inhibiting draping be cast with the plastic used for DCUC Mantis’ cape, one that the factories have to adhere to?

The material used for Mantis’ cape is actually a lot more expensive to produce compared to the thicker capes. Mantis required this additional cost to maintain articulation due to the unique nature of his cape attaching at the wrists. We will look at using the thin material when possible, but it is simply not something we can afford to include universally in order to keep figures at a low retail price. Read more...

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GIANTS, GORILLAS, DENTISTS, AND LOTS AND LOTS OF LONG FLOWING HAIR: MOTUC AT TOY FAIR

This past weekend was a big one for Masters of the Universe Classics as several new figures were revealed for 2010 and there were lots of surprises for this very successful collector line that started only a couple of years ago. Pendragon's Post was there at the event to give you the rundown. Let's take a look at what the middle of 2010 holds for us!




STANDARD FIGURES

We got some glimpses of figures that we already knew about, such as Moss Man, now with de-flocked ears. Moss Man looks better every time we see him and I'm convinced that he's going to be a solid figure when he is released next month. Optikk was revealed last month and he was also present showing off his alternate eye/head. We knew She-Ra was coming out but Toy Fair was our first look at her and the results are somewhat underwhelming. There is a certain lack of crispness to the details in the sculpt, especially in the face and on the tiara. She-Ra will come with an alternate head that recreates her classic masked toy look, a golden Sword of Protection, the previously-seen shield, and a comb/axe, which is a nice homage to the comb accessories released in the POP line. She-Ra is scheduled to be released in June and that gives Matty plenty of time to get her right. Remember, Adora looked a little jacked-up in her first public appearance but she turned out quite nice so there is no need for hysterics.

Scheduled as June's bonus (or "Quarterly" figure) is Keldor, straight out of the 200X series and seemingly sporting Faker's skin tone and a wicked new head sculpt that puts the orginal 200X figure to shame. He will be released with booted feet and the He-Man forearms. His armor will be repainted Skeletor armor with the crossbones painted a metallic color. Keldor also sports a new cape. I cannot wait to get this figure in hand so that I can make my own 200X-style Skeletor. Keldor will also come with a small acid vial and a pair of purple half power swords which is somewhat disappointing. With all the new tooling going into this bonus figure, I understand the decision not to create a pair of new swords for Keldor but these power swords are overused in the line and I'm not sure if it makes sense for Keldor to have two purple halves of the Sword of He anyway.



July's figure will be the much anticipated Count Marzo, who has roots in the classic continuity but is better remembered for his role in the 200X series, and the new figure takes its visual cues from the latter. This is the characters first action figure appearance. Marzo comes with his amulet and a sword. No word yet if he has a bitch-slapping action feature.

Also shown was what will presumably be August's figure of the month, Whiplash. At first glance Whiplash strongly resembles his classic counterpart but he actually has a really amazing amount of detail up close, such as a pebbled skin texture and scales that fade down his shoulders. His goofy vintage head has been given a surprisingly good makeover (although he still looks like Abe Vigoda). Thankfully, he also comes with an alternate "tough guy" head that is straight out of the MYP cartoon as well as a triple-bladed melee weapon and a spear. He looks to lack the ab-crunch of the other male figures but his tail is articulated in at least one place.



BEASTS

The new beast assortment that is making its debut this month with Battlecat will continue with a quarterly entries and at Toy Fair Mattel showed us a couple of surprise entries from obscure corners of MOTU. Tytus is a giant character originally created from the same Preternian spinoff world as He-Ro. His MOTUC action figure will stand 12" tall and features some really nice detail on his face and deco. I'm wondering if Mattel is trying to set the stage for a 12" MOTU series, as Tytus essentially creates a super-muscular 12" buck. Tytus will be released in May and will set you back $40.




The other beast is Gygor, a caped and armored yellow and green gorilla. He is a good deal larger and bulkier than a standard MOTUC figure and, although no price has been officially annouced, I would expect him to sell in the same $30 price point as Battle Cat. As far as I can tell, Gygor was a concept that was created for the original line but never actually produced. He's really pretty out there and this will likely be the first MOTUC figure that I do not buy. I just have to draw the line somewhere and a yellow gorilla is as good a place as any.




TWO PACKS

Also shown were a few special two packs. Slightly redecorated versions of He-Man and Skeletor will be paired with Superman and Lex Luthor respectively as a nod to the 1980's crossover comics (which will also be included). These will by Toys R' Us exclusives and mark MOTUC's first retail appearances. The included He-Man and Skeletor figures fall under the "just different enough to be annoying" catagory. Skeletor looks to have a less detailed face paint, no red dots for eyes and his armor is painted similar to the Keldor armor. he also includes a yellow power sword. He-Man also features a less-detailed, more comicy paint scheme, an axe and the repainted shield we saw at the art show last month.

Finally there is the controversial "Robot Chicken" two-pack featuring Mo-Larr, The Eternian Dentist and Skeletor featuring an ailing, tooth-missing head. I give Matty props for taking a chance to do something this funny and different. That being said, I sure don't want it. This will be a SDCC exclusive.



WEAPONS PAK

Finally we come to the long-awaited MOTUC weapons pak, which features a staggering amount of items. Some are really good and some are...strange. There is a blue set of He-man weapons (for Faker, maybe) and a yellowish armor set for Beast Man, a red Statos jetpack, a silver Tri-Klops sword, a metallic Hordak crossbow, and many other items. Under strange would be a set of purple Cosmic Enorcer armor and weapons (both the Zodac gun and the Zodak staff). It's not even a nice shade of purple, its a sort of pinkish purple that even Samuel L. Jackson would hate. I was really hoping for the classic black for these, like in the original weapons pack. Hopefully Matty will come to their senses because I don't know what anyone will do with purple Zodak armor. The release date and price for the weapons pack has not been officially announced on the mattycollector.com site.

Patrick Garone
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