Ask Matty – April 2nd Edition
DCClassics.Com Asks: What more can you reveal about DC figures for 2012 considering the recent changes and cancellations? Note: This question was asked before ‘Matty Justice League’ gave us the skinny. We almost didn’t post this question as a result, but the answer is interesting.
For DC Universe, the All Stars have been scrapped. We are only producing one more wave and our plans are to end DC Universe. That doesn’t mean that we are walking away from 6” figures though and you will find something new in 2013 that’s a departure from the past. Hence, you will start to see what you can get a retail and on Matty will be different but should still allow you to complete your collections.
ItsAllTrue.Net Asks: Was the extra gear on the Ghostbuster Rookie’s belt ever intended to be removable or was it always planned to be molded to the belt as one piece?
No, it was always non removable.
DCClassics.Com Asks: Some DC Collectors have expressed concern that figures previously announced for the retail DC All-Stars line, but whose status us currently unknown might end up in the Club IE subscription despite their not being a particularly good fit for subscribers (i.e. Flashpoint Plastic Man) . Is moving a retail figure into the sub a possibility or is Mattel still planning to place those in-limbo figures at retail?
It is possible for 2013 or 2014, but not for 2012 as that line up is set.
MOTUClassics.Com Asks: Between the DC/MOTU 2pks and quarterly variants, Mattel has refreshed seven of the original 8-back figures with at least one second version (Battle Ground Teela, Comic Colors Mer-Man, etc). Does the MOTU team feel that Beast Man simply doesn’t have a compelling “second look” that would warrant a new figure or have you just not gotten around to him?
Beastman just never made it into one of those packs but a repaint or an update would be great for him! Maybe in mini comic colors? Without the DCU vs. 2 packs however we have a limited venue on how to release redeco only skus as most collectors do not want repaints in the sub. The TRU 2 packs was our vehicle for delivering repaint skus and without it we are at a standstill on these type of figures.
DCClassics.Com Asks: Toy Guru, what are you thoughts on the limited success of recent figures that made use of alternative materials? (Stay Puft, Swamp Thing (via Critical Mess) , Snout Spout (via He-Man.Org)). The novelty of the materials is certainly promising in the planning stage, but has the execution of the toys lived up to what you and your team had intended? Are you still interested in using alternative materials for future figures across the lines you oversee?
We are moving away from other materials to maintain consistency and avoid any QC issues. While we are always pushing the limits, recent items have clearly backfired and did not work out as planned.
We need your questions for the next round! Submit your suggestions on the ItsAllTrue.net Forums…
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Whoa…new site design. Trippy.
Anyway, these were some actually good answers this time. So they said they are doing “one more wave”, of I’m guessing DCUC…does that mean they’re doing a wave 21 of DCUC? And will it include a TBA C&C?
Hm…
I was under the impression that “Wave 21” was just going to be DCnU Superman, DCnU Batman, Superboy Prime, & Red Robin (yum!).
color me confused as to what the status of DCUC w21/DCAS w1 is.
What are the figures for DCAS W1?
The last wave of DCUC is the DCnU Batman, DCnU Superman, Red Robin and Superboy Prime.
cool! definitely getting a DCNU Superman (even though I hate the reboot!)
Wow, that is a huge improvement in answers over the set earlier this month!
Some well-thought-out questions as well. Round of applause for everyone!
The answers seem way less “snarky” this time compared to last time. A little bummed to know that I won’t be looking in the toy isles for anything DC for the rest of this year. Oh well. That just frees up extra money to get back in to GI Joe.
By the way my wife wants to punch you in the face for getting me back in to GI Joe. I told her about your guys awesome reviews and how it made me want to collect them again. She now curses your name and wishes bodily harm upon you. So good job and good luck.
I try not to sound too negative, but the whole “departure from the past” thing is, well, worrying.
It’s all very well saying we can still complete our 6″ DC collections, but this is the same group that said “you want female figures for Action League? MOTUC has plenty of female figures!”
I’m looking forward to my sub figures, but I’m hoping the SDCC presentation for what 2013 holds for 6″ DC figures will at least hold the same basic aesthetic and be a bit more varied.
And I don’t mean “of course we’ll have variety! We’re releasing both Superman AND Batman figures!”
Jo
Waiting for the Raven…
just as an FYI, cornboy’s facebook was updated a couple weeks ago that the DC offerings they are currently working on fit in scale and style w/ DCU… so it’s really a rebranding that mattel is up to, not like “we’re doing megos now!” or anything.
they’re probably altering the packaging to read “New 52!” w/ the pringles logo in front of every fig and they’ll be sold essentially blind boxed. cuz you know “we know fans like surprises” *insert GIANT eye roll*
Yeah, no problems with rebranding, not really any issues with DCnU figures (though there are a few others I’d prefer to see). I just don’t want to see a completely different style from the one we have.
I have faith in the Horsemen, certainly, so as long as they are involved then the figures will look good. I’m just hoping they’ll look good standing next to what is already on my shelf.
Jo
well, DC Direct/whatever is already offering a box set of the DCnU52 7pc Justice League, which most of the sculpts were done, except they apparently reworked Brightest Day Aquaman, adding in his necklace or something?
that said, the only DCnU figure I halfway like is DCD’s Parademon. I might just get a couple of those.
Well, that’d be one way to save these guys’ wallets. You have no idea how much bile has been spewed over the Venture Bros being made as megos (Vault) or how much Noisy simply doesn’t care that the Ghostbusters Megos are sitting at TRU on clearance.
Cripes, I always thought the softer material on Snout Spout would degrade quicker than the rest of him, but that photo of his trunk near shorn in twain so soon after his release is an eye-opener! I think that’ll put an end to me ever agreeing that a softer plastic material would be a preferable option on things like body parts and clothing. Here’s hoping Mattel decides to do an “Extra / Altenative Heads Pak” sometime in the future, and include a Snout Spout with a segmented trunk done in sturdier plastic, with ball-joints or something.
Are the MOTU Classics people not sending in many questions? It seems to be mostly DC stuff in the Q&As these days. Still, it looks like the “Good, Professional” Answer Team was assigned to do the rounds this week, as opposed the the “Petulant Teenagers” Answer Team.