“Why are Moss Man’s ears fuzzy,” was the cry of many a teary-eyed MOTU Fan on the .Org and at the Facebook page last week. Me? I don’t really care either way. I know how the industry works in regards to prototypes and my subscription was submitted months ago. Some version of Moss Man is coming no matter what and personally I don’t care if I can see his ears or not. I was surprised at how much flocking Mattel had been able to load him up with. This, as I recall, was what fans wanted when we first heard there would be problems. But instead of being grateful that Mattel was able to deliver an almost completely flocked (and very vintage) Mossy or reasonable that it would be an easy fix, the noisiest among us MOTU fans tore their clothes and gnashed their teeth because his ears had disappeared under a layer of flock. Always a classy bunch.
So, like some sort of personal superhero/whipping boy, Toy Guru showed up to save the day and gave options for a solution and a promise to try to cure their ills.
At this point, I’m not really sure why. It seems to me that no matter what he does, it’s never good enough for some of the fanbase. Yet he keeps showing up anyway. He must be some sort of masochist. Whatever the reason, I want to thank him personally for his efforts. I know I wouldn’t have the patience for dealing with the frustrations of his job. So, I tip my Rant Hat to him, for working as hard as he does to satisfy some of the MOTU fans seemingly insatiable hunger.
I would like to leave things there, but then I wouldn’t be doing my job. Although I admire Toy Guru’s dedication to making things “right” with the MOTU Fans, I’m very disappointed by the unevenness of his actions towards his other brands.
The same day that Moss Man’s covered ears were shown, the same day that fans cried foul, is the exact same day that Toy Guru leapt into action. Within hours, he had devised a possible solution and posted it on Facebook for the fans to decide on. That’s good response time and again I commend him on his dedication, but then I thought a little more about it. See, I’m not just a MOTU Collector getting the benefit of Toy Guru’s attentions. I’m also a DC Collector.
I thought about the months of complaints before the clashing gold and yellow variant Dr. Fate was released in March. He wasn’t changed. Afterwards, we were told a fixed version would be coming. In December, Dr. Fate was released again in a TRU exclusive Best Of case. It still wasn’t fixed. I thought about the promise of changing a blue-faced Harley Quinn to the more accurate (and better looking) white face. I thought about the armored penguin and modern Red Tornado that haven’t reappeared since being cut from DCUC1 two years ago, despite the promise that they would. I thought about the missing neck articulation that’s affected three straight waves of figures (and the last two 2pks) already. These problems bother DC fans almost universally. Not half or four-fifths. Pretty much all of us want the necks fixed and wanted Dr. Fate in the proper colors, yet we’ve seen dozens of figures released with bad necks and we’ve seen Dr. Fate painted incorrectly in three different case assortments.
Yet, after one bad figure, a problem with MOTU Classics is addressed within hours. DC collectors will remember how long it took for Matty to even acknowledge there was a problem with the DC Classics neck articulation. Even now, Wave 13 has a paint error on Superboy’s costume. Yet I haven’t heard anything about if it will be fixed.
Why does the MOTU fanbase get immediate response and their concerns pandered to, when the DC fanbase is larger and can outsell MOTUC enough to stay at retail? Even Toy Guru labeled the DC line as the “granddaddy of our collector lines”. Are the DC fans not worth the same level of consideration as MOTU fans? I know we can all agree that the lines should be treated with equal care and attention, right?
Now, I’m not saying TG should stop addressing the MOTU line’s problems. I think it’s great that he does it and as a MOTU Fan it makes me happy to have such an attentive brand manager. What I am is saying is that equal time and dedication should be given to addressing problems with the DC lines as well.
-Mr. Rant
P.S. – One more kudos for Toy Guru. When I opened my Katma Tui last week, I was surprised to find her legs not warped and that she could stand on her own. Her arms and legs were made of a sturdier plastic this time around and resisted warping. That’s a trend I hope continues from now on.
I know you’re just talking DCUC, but how about all the YEARS that JLU figures have had bad ankles? That’s never getting fixed, it’s grandfathered in.
Or that MOTU presales pictures come from Matty while JLU presales pictures come from eBay?
That’s too funny.
I thought the JLU line was canceled?
In seriousness, that animated line does have its problems. But considering it’s always on the verge of ending, I doubt much will be done.
It’s not cancelled, but at this point they should just keep the bent legs going. It’s like an old Uncle you don’t like, but he still comes over for the holiday. He drives you nuts, but you’d miss him if he died.
NO, they shouldn’t. I waited to hear about the MC exclusive reviews and it was all the same: bad legs on the same limited buck bodies. I passed on these and now they are all gone.
Outside of the SuperFriends and a passed on Blackhawk 3pk in mid-October, I haven’t seen ANY new JLU in six months, and that was the 6pks a few months after the Booster/Parasite wave of singles (I was lucky to find ONE SuperWoman, who is pretty lonely with no one to conspire with!). That’s almost a year of nothing to spend money on a line that I have been pretty hardcore about.
The leg issue has been brought up since the old orange card days, several years ago, and NOTHING has ever been done to correct it. The recent 6pks have shown it to have progressed form bad to worse with Ralph and SuperGirl’s J-shaped legs. I would be embarrassed to say I produced that product. I’d almost be embarrassed to say I *purchase* the product if it didn’t have such a wide roster of characters. That’s the main reason I support this line.
You’re being a little harsh on MOTU fans don’t you think? We’re usually fairminded in our complaints and we’ve gotten results. So what?
Nope.
Sure, there’s a some good apples in the MOTU fanclub. But, we all know it’s the loud and crude bad apples that the public sees the most, and thereby judges that group on.
not to gang up on you here, but sometime, check out the matty facebook feed… it’s like darwin’s waiting room. as rant said, there are some great, noble and wonderful folks who are motuc fans… and there are some complete losers, and the losers have more free time to net rant. and moss man is a great example… even if you don’t like the flocked ears, TG has stated that the flocking doesn’t hold up to movement, hence the partial flock… so just rub the ears clean!! it can’t take but a few moments. there didn’t need to be a word said one way or the other.
You forgot the biggest and most irritatiing disservice done to dcuc collectors. Gleek.
I can’t even conceive how the facebook page would explode if Mattel announced an attendee-only sdcc exclusive for motu classics.
I admit I get frustrated with the motu fans a lot. I hope some of them know how good they have it. They don’t have to constantly hit up stores endlessly searching for the last figure to complete their collect and connect or deal with retailer exclusive waves. They don’t even have variants to deal with. And you’re right, a lot of their complaints get answered. That only makes it suck more. Sure the rsod is annoying, but I’ll be happy if all of dcuc is released on mattycollector going forward.
Oh god yes. Let’s see the MOTU fans deal with an attendee exclusive. I’d get some popcorn out.
C’mon now. We shouldn’t wish a SDCC Incentive on any toy fan. That’s just bad karma.
Something like Gleek should never happen again. Inflatable swords, pamphlets, overpriced artbooks, posters, buttons – those all are okay. But never again should something that’s part of the toyline be offered only to attendees.
Yeah, I hear you, Mr. Rant. It does feel like they can’t fix much in the DC realm when there are a lot of adjustments made to the MOTU figures.
DC fans got a brand new Firestorm head back when, but I think we can chalk that up to the 4H more than anyone at Mattel.
That was all the 4H. I remember that.
DC fans also don’t complain about every little thing.
Was there a massive facebook campaign to put Steppenwolf’s ax on the correct side? Have you heard anyone even complain that it’s on the wrong side?
Didn’t think so.
Not to steal your thunder, but *ahem* I did actually, rather nerdily, point that out to both Mr. Rant and AdventureVault a couple times. 😳
But I wasn’t really complaining. It’s inconsequential to the final, amazing product.
and I thought I was picky.
You are picky. I’m just obsessive.
Not that I agree with it, but the way I see it is that Mattel figures that there are a lot fewer MOTUC fans and that if they too badly anger a decent percentage of them it’ll hurt the line far more than hurting DCUC fans. For all the percentage of DC fans online on sites like this and others they probably figure that even if we get angry it won’t particularly have an impact like it would on MOTUC. Not that I’m happy about it. Small things don’t bother me much at all (like Steppenwolf) but the Dr. Fate is pretty sad.
See, that blows. You have the best explanation here. The DC line is retail and the bigger fanbase is diffused in it’s opinion, so they get squat.
I still think those MOTU fans would buy anything though. $20 for a figure with a new head/armor/weapon. Woo-hoo. And yes, I know that DC Classics is getting there. If they go up again, I’m out on those too.
Why should they make any effort on DCIH and DCUC when the DC fans have already shown that they will fight over and buy many duplicates of badly made, unable to stand, no articulation, poor excuses for vinyl statues that are JLU. Every collector that accepted the JLU line and fought to keep it going at retail has forced low expectations and poor standards onto all the other DC lines at Mattel.
Great rant! I hope my Twitter reply in someway inspired this blog…plus you beat me to it on my own site haha. DC fans really do get left out in the cold.
And Hank, most of us DC fans will only come out to complain when it’s something major or something we’re really passionate about because we know they won’t fix our problems anyway and if they do then we need to pick our battles.
You and I were on the same track I think.
I’m looking forward to seeing your article.
I love Harley’s blue face! It looks great when posed with the Joker’s hands around her throat! That was probably their intent all along. Mattel: “this will make for a great domestic violence diorama. All the DCUC collector’s will dig it. We’ll make millions!” Yeah, I’m certain that was the intent. It doesn’t seem to bother too many people, look her up on eBay. Hell, I bought a second one on there because the first had two right feet. Later, I sold that one for more than what I originally paid for it. And the buyer was aware of the defect! I think you know where I’m going with this…
HA!
For a rant, this is very well thought and reasonable. Good show.
what can i say, you dcu fans are saps… buy a real toy, buck boys!!
jk. 😉
think of it this way… even DCU fans have it GREAT compared to we marvel legends fans… where’s our net friendly and omnipresent brand manager? where’s our facebook page?
That’s an excellent question. Who is the Hasbro Toy Guru?
we don’t get one. marvel is apparently such a rapacious brand that it stands completely alone in a cornfield and ravening to the stars about it’s destiny and it’s fans are allowed to twist in the wind. especially marvel legends, you know, that no account brand from the 90’s that as relevant today as deep blue something… but i’m not bitter.
Jesse Falcon was the ToyBiz liaison with Marvel Legends. Heck, I only knew him as the ML brand manager before I found out he was working on the side with UCB!
When Hasbro took over, we immediately got the impression his hands were tied and limited in how much he could tell us. Now, we have to take what we can get, hoping the MU line doesn’t usurp the line that made careers for many of these toy site owners, much less us customizers!
Think about it. Without 6″ ML, the variety of characters in JLU would have been limited. DCUC would not have existed, except as yet another endless variation of Bat, maybe an occasional Superman thrown in. and you can probably argue the current MOTU revival would not be happening for another few years (if at all) or a new movie came out. I’m sure other lines like SF and Halo would probably not stood a chance without the initial draw of ML.
Butterfly or Domino Effect, call it what you will, but Jesse being the ‘face’ of ML is really at the heart of the current toy industry. If you think about it, you will have to agree.
*(This was NOT a paid endorsement by Jesse, altho I do accept large, unmarked bills. Also, I have an agent in place, should he ever step out of line. She grew up with three older brothers, so she knows how to take a man down hard and fast.)
While it’s hard to defend Mattel and it’s multitude of screw ups,I’ll at least attempt to give a reason for quick turnaround and resolution with MOTU ‘issues.’
Mattel Owns MOTU.
Best I can figure any and all changes put forth upon figure from the DC line likely have to be approved all across the board, so likely they figure ‘screw it’ and let the final, if flawed, APROVED version on through.
MOTU? It’s in-house, less legal BS. But that is only my guess, remmember I’m a disgruntled fan as well.
I thinks that’s possible but unlikely.
Toy Guru or Matty, like it matters, promised to get Dr. Fate fixed. He said something to the effect that he’d try and catch the boat. Clearly he missed the boat. But he didn’t come and tell us that. He just let it ride and we have wrong Fate for the third time.
Hell, that wave he’s in wasn’t even announced. It just showed up and no one knew what it was. The Fans had to figure out the assortment and what was up with it.
I don’t the interaction between the companies, but when the paint errors are incorrect to the comics, you’d think it wouldn’t be a problem with the licensor to have them corrected.
Here’s why: Because Mattel has not made any money on MOTUC until you buy MOTUC. Mattel has already made money (from retailers) by the time DCUC appears. They got their money, they’re done. Go ahead and complain. Now it’s the retailer’s problem, and they don’t seem to have trouble moving DCUC product even if it’s inferior.
I’ve never seen a … See Morevariant Fate on shelves, because people are buying them whether or not they are made right. Mattel may (just may) sell fewer MossMans (MossMen?) if they aren’t up to snuff by the time of ordering.
In reality though, people could complain all day and Mattel could say “jog on” and they’d still sell all the MOTUC figures within minutes.
So essentially, He-Fans are crybabies that are catered to directly because Mattel is afraid to upset them? That’s what I’m reading from your post. You’re correct at the end, Mattel doesn’t need to cater to that Facebook page because they’re going to buy it anyway.
You’re trying to explain a difference. This article’s not asking for your explanation. It’s pointing that Mattel is not treating it’s fans fairly. Two sets of fans ask for a change – one gets in a few hours (and it’s a stupid one at that) and the other gets jerked around for a year and it’s still not fixed.
You summed it up at the end. Both lines are selling regardless of the fan attention. So it’d be nice for the DC side to get a bit more.
don’t forget the Ghostbusters fans! Next to no effort at 30 bucks apiece!
Don’t blame Mattel. Blame the Ghostbusters for all being about the same height. LOL
Fate was released in MARCH???
How come I didn’t find one until the second half of SEPTEMBER??
In fact, I didn’t find ANY of w8 until late summer with w9. (and STILL kicking myself for passing on the first cpl I did find (GG!) because of some insane idea of “If I can’t find them all in one sweep, then forget it!” D’OH!!!!)