Ask Matty – July 1st Edition
DCClassics.Com: DCUC15’s Jack Knight looks like it’s going to be a standout figure for the wave… from the front. Will the back of his jacket feature his star emblem?
Of course!
DCClassics.Com: In the DCUC line, Katma Tui had great legs that were made of a sturdy warp-resistant plastic and it seemed like the days of warped legs might be over. Instead the legs became even flimsier on the ladies in DCUC12 and DCUC13. What caused Katma to be made so well and can Mattel get back to that ideal?
We are constantly working with our vendor to use new plastic materials. There are logistical details we can not go into to answer your question, but rest assured we will continue to pass this improvement to design and engineering.
MOTUClassics.Com: Chief Carnivus’ shield was an opportunity for the 4H to add a new piece of weaponry into Masters of the Universe and it’s emblem looks very reminiscent of a certain tower in Eternia. What inspired the Four Horsemen to take the shield in that direction and will it have a larger back story besides its look?
It would certainly seem like a connection is implied. We’ll just have to wait and see.
MOTUClassics.Com: For the bios, Toy Guru often cites that the bio writing team draws information and sometimes copy from the bios of the original figures. When it comes to a relatively clean slate, like Chief Carnivus, what approach does the “Bio Team” take for inspiration?
For these types of figures we try to write them in the “style” and the verbiage of the vintage line and licensor kits. We will look at what information is available for the character and then “vintag-ize” it a bit, we may even add a final line that could have been the copy line on the vintage figure’s back!
ItsAllTrue.Net: As DC & MOTU Collectors, we love the mash-up TRU 2pks, but it stings having to buy exact copies of figures we already have on the DC side of things. Since the MOTU/DC 2pks program is continuing, will DC collectors still be asked to buy duplicates while collecting the redecoed MOTU figures?
In the 2011 DCU vs MOTU two-packs, “ideally” at least one figure per pack will be a repaint, sometimes it will be a DC figure, sometimes it will be the MOTU figure. This is due to resource logistics.
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Ideally one will be a repaint…would it really cost more to make them both repaints…I mean seriously.
I’d rather have no repaints. If I ever bought one of those two-packs, it’d be because I need both figures. I usually like the original paintjobs and haven’t cared for most of Mattel’s non-variant repaints in DCU.
In the two-packs, Skeletor was an improvement, but I’d rather have normal He-Man than the comic-based one.
I had been hoping that they’ll wisen up and make them both repaints because I buy both, but now with the prospect of getting a new DCUC and a rehashed MOTUC figure I’m a bit put off. I didn’t mind buying it for a new MOTU figure – it was only $1.30 more than I had to pay anyway not counting tax.
But as a DC Collector, I’d be ticked off if I had to buy a MOTU figure to get my DC set. LOL
It totally changed my perspective. I still would like two new figures for me, but I’d feel for the DC-only guys out there…
Worried about the answer regarding the MOTUC/DCUC 2 packs.
If the answer says what I’m reading it to be.
Are the toys ALWAYS going to be already released figures form both lines (One being as is from their line and the other a repaint.)?
or they’re going to release new figs through the 2 packs?
I hope it’s the first one instead of the second one…
The way I understand it is that one figure in the 2pks will always be something you probably already have. Truthfully, I was expecting that the DC figure would always be the reissue – a basic Wonder Woman paired with a Blonde Teela, etc, but the answer saying that the possibility exists for a straight MOTU reissue with a DC repaint? I don’t know.
MOTU Collectors won’t have any need for it while DC Collectors are screwed if they want that repaint. What if a figure like the much requested Light Blue Superman ends up one of these 2pks with a reissue MOTU figures. Ouch.
I suspect for the time being it’ll always be a DC guy who’s a repack, but the verbage there sure is interesting. Would they really just release a regular ol’ MOTUC to the public without repainting it? Hysteria will ensue.
To me, the “ideally” implied that sometimes neither would be repaints! I think, looking at the long term of a this SKU, they might have made the decision to not make them all different – crazy as that sounds.
Yeah, that’s a pretty gross answer . . .
They say these are in no way meant to “test the market” for MotU at retail, so they’re admitting that they’re selling those 2-packs to existing collectors.
And with so much crossover between MOTUC and DCUC collectors, they really are just sticking it to us by insisting on one “standard” reissue.
I mean, admittedly I wasn’t in love with ALL of the deco choices for He-Man and Skeletor, but I still bought ’em, didn’t I?
That’s not gonna happen if it’s another weird-colored Aquaman with a straight Mer-Man reissue.
Let’s see some creativity, Mattel!!!
Since I buy both, I guess I’m a bit protected, but it does seem like a bad idea.
i have to commend infinite hollywood on their cojones. they straight up asked mattel about the rumors regarding the firing of daniel bryan and that takes a little sack from a relative newcomer to the ask mattys. it always makes me happy to see folks not kneeling before the mighty corporation and kissing the company ring.
I took that question more as confronting and dispelling a silly myth, but Newton is a good guy to have on the Ask Mattys!
LMAO! I can picture Vince McMahon sitting in front of Bryan, “Well, our toy producer says your actions on last night’s RAW were out of line! They refuse to make any toys of you now. You’re fired!”
LOL. It would make for a funny wrestling storyline. 😀
I hate the word “verbiage”. Although, considering that most of the definitions of it imply that it is a “string of useless information” I suppose it is appropriate.
1 : a profusion of words usually of little or obscure content
1.
overabundance or superfluity of words, as in writing or speech; wordiness; verbosity.
1. An excess of words for the purpose; wordiness.
Oh, sure. They might mean the second definition, which usually means something along the lines of, “The way something is worded”, but I prefer these other definitions.
Also, immidiantly. Cuz it’s a word. Yeah.
I wish I had the free time to pick out words to hate… 😀
xD
re: Jack Knight – you should have clarified if the star is going to remain INTACT.
Many agreed they wouldn’t have minded if they altered Mr. Terrific’s back logo location to account for the peg hole for the T-Spheres. oops.
I think it’s safe to assume he won’t have a plughole in his jacket. Superboy didn’t, and Jack has nothing they could possibly want to stab him in the back with.
P.S. Thank you for asking about it, Noisy. My biggest concern was that they’d forget to put the symbol on at all. Short of that, it’s hard to screw up.
Well, they could always put it upside down. Or maybe they won’t put the symbols on it because they don’t want to promote astrology. 😛
It’s Mattel, they’ll think of some crazy way to ruin it lol.
Somebody is getting messed up jackets. Matty’s Law.
You’re right. Where you two weeks ago?? 😀
Hopefully, they’ll follow the Superboy route since, as Snowglare says, they don’t need to stab him with anything.
I think I’m going to go back in time and kick the ass of the guy who came up with the word logistics, I think it’s become like a catch-all mean-anything phrase at Mattel.
“Hey Scott, you going to the game with everybody tonight?”
“Guys, you know I can’t comment on the logistics of my after-work activities! Gosh!”
LOL. I do respect the need for corporate privacy, I mean… Hasbro is just waiting to find out how Mattel keeps collectors hooked with so many issues and delays. 😉
Boy, that He-Man is certainly very TAN in those pics xD
That’s why he’s my favorite. LOL 😀
Interesting…one of the answers on MOTUC Portal says that Adam used the 200X “electronic” sword to artificially replicate the power of Greyskull until he found the two halves of the Sword of He. Combine this with He-Man’s bio, that talked about how he wore a “techno-vest” to protect himself before he gained the power (and if you consider the Battle Armor He-Man to be wearing the techno-vest), one could assume the 200X sword “belongs” to BA He-Man.
Hmm. I also thought of the techno-vest as the regular harness, but that’s probably something I made up. LOL
I’m having trouble understanding Matty’s reissue schedule.
Nothing in July, and Trap Jaw in August? Already?
If lines die when they don’t sell out in a day, then maybe characters die for the same reasons! Teela; Tri-Klops; King Randor and Scareglow may never be seen again…
But, honestly, there’s NOTHING scheduled for July?
I think it’s a… logistic issue. 😀
All MOTUCs have come from the same factory so far (as far I can tell) and while they can certainly handle 2-3 MOTU pieces in a month, they had to slot Mo-Larr and Orko in somewhere and they may not have been able to produce a reissue in the timeframe.
Or, alternately, TG just took pity on us already having to drop $85 that month and didn’t slot any extra MOTU items.
I’ve been reading the Ask Matty posts for a bit now and….
Is it just me or does every answer basically mean ‘shut up and buy, drones’?
I mean, this:
“We are constantly working with our vendor to use new plastic materials. There are logistical details we can not go into to answer your question, but rest assured we will continue to pass this improvement to design and engineering.”
Logistical details? What, you can’t say the factory boned you on the plastic, or you chose the pellets that saved you 25 cents per ton so the line came in on budget after the last increase in the price of oil?
And the DC vs MOTU 2-packs, how can that NOT be test marketing for the MOTUC line? So, OK, the ONE REMAINING NATIONAL TOY STORE CHAIN IN THE USA doesn’t want it? I bet comic shops would take a bite.
(and why doesn’t TRU want it? I bet hard money it’s pricepoint, pricepoint, pricepoint. If they retailed at $9.99 each they’d jump at it)
arrggh. Sorry, everyone. Just makes me crazy when I see what seems to my eyes a company working SO DAMN HARD to NOT make money.
TG’s pitch to Mattel including Mattycollector.com. If MOTU were moved to retail, Mattycollector would be dealt a crushing blow. Toy Guru said that MOTUC aren’t like Beanie Babies because they don’t retire and he’s right, but many of the other Beanie Baby marketing strategies are being employed to make MOTUC what it is. One of them is that they’re only available firsthand at one place, at one time. Keeping MOTU out of retail is an atttempt by Mattel to stengthen the brand amongst the hardcore collectors. Whether it need that or not is a subject for debate. 😀
But…but…
OK, I know I’m a total noob about the ins and outs of this particular thing, but Mattycollector.com is being used so poorly, seems to me.
If the actual desire is to connect the buying public with the company and thus get around the sad fact there’s only one national toy store left in the whole of the USA (I consider Walmart, Kmart and Target more ‘part time’ and ‘event’ toy sellers), they are just so inept.
Take the C&C figures. Be a PERFECT place to sell the parts when each wave is discontinued, huh? Sell complete figures even. With the ‘best of’ waves hitting stores for DCU, if I buy the Mister Miracle I stumbled upon at the local hypermarket chain, how am I supposed to build the C&C for that wave? buy figures I really have no interest (well, less interest. I’m enough of an old school DC fanboy I would want them all eventually) in at inflated scalper prices? *fffft* no.
Will I see Paul Kirk, Manunter Vs. his clones anytime soon? I doubt it but it COULD be something worth selling at Matty. Newsboy Legion and the Whiz Wagon as a set? Pinch me, gimmie, but no.
See? so much potential, so much wasted so they can pimp to the scalpers.
Makes me crazy it does.
I really should go back and get that Mister Miracle.