In the wake of the Moss-Man flocking debate, a new discussion has cropped up over on He-Man.org regarding that hairy Horde henchman, Grizzlor.

(photo courtesy He-Man.org)

The 1980s Grizzlor had rooted hair from head to crotch. I always found him to be one of the goofiest MOTU figures ever made–and that’s saying something. The hair doesn’t conform to his body shape, it just sticks out in all directions. He doesn’t look like a sasquatch or a Wookie. He’s not a “furry man”–he’s a furball. Like a muscled-up guinea pig with a crossbow.

Moreover, I hate “real fur” on my action figures. Fur, like fabric clothing, always seems so perishable to me. Plastic and rubber can be cleaned and, if necessary, repainted. If your five-year-old sticks her wad of gum in Grizzlor’s hair, it’s time to grit your teeth and get out the scissors.

But Mattel seems to be very aware that some MOTU features really aren’t negotiable with fans–such as flocking on Moss-Man. Judging from the responses on the He-Man.org thread, fans seem to feel the same way about Grizzlor’s furriness.

The NECA staction was something of an improvement:

(photo courtesy OAFE.net)

While I’m willing to accept the idea a MOTUC Grizzlor is going to have to have some fur, I’m skeptical about him having this much. My solution would be to work in the hair in just a few places, similar to how McFarlane did with their Viking Age figures. Sculpt him with a good amount of armor, such as shoulder pauldrons and an armored loincloth a la He-Ro, then have the fur sticking out from beneath the armor and behind the head.

My preferences be damned, I suspect the MOTUC figure will end up looking a lot like the NECA version. But how would you do it, given the chance?