MOTUC: Filmation now on the table?

June 13, 2011 | Poe

Huh. So it turns out if you go on an unofficial hiatus and ignore toy news, important toy news slips by you.

Specifically, this. From Worldscreen.com:

NEW YORK: Classic Media is partnering with Mattel to roll out a new consumer-products program for Masters of the Universe to celebrate the brand’s 30th anniversary in 2012.

The new line will encompass apparel (t-shirts, sweatshirts, thermals, track jackets and fashion tops for men, women and kids) and accessories (wristbands, belts and belt buckles, key chains, costume jewelry and more) from Changes, costumes from Disguise and a special 30th Anniversary edition DVD box set from Mill Creek Entertainment. Publishing partners will be announced soon. Plus, the Masters of the Universe Classics toy line from Mattel will continue through 2012.

“Masters of the Universe is an iconic franchise with a legacy that’s deeply rooted in fantastical storytelling which translates naturally to play experiences and products kids of all ages love,” said Michael Riley, VP of franchise development at Mattel. “In 2012 the property celebrates its milestone 30th anniversary allowing us to create a robust synergistic program that offers something for all fans.”

Classic Media is introducing a new Masters of the Universe style guide for the anniversary celebration featuring retro artwork, all-new modern artist renderings, as well as a special 30th Anniversary logo. Classic will also work with Mill Creek Entertainment on the DVD release.

“We’re very excited to be working with the team at Mattel to celebrate this iconic franchise’s 30th anniversary,” said Nicole Blake, executive VP of global marketing and consumer products at Classic Media. “This is the perfect opportunity to re-engage fans with the original series and to introduce Masters of the Universe to the next generation.”

Since the 1982 debut of the Masters of the Universe toy line, there has been a 1983 TV series, a 1987 Warner Bros. film, a 1990 series The New Adventures of He-Man and the 2002 Cartoon Network show He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.

Now, obviously, there is nothing specific in this press release about Filmation characters in MOTUC. But Classic Media owns the Filmation rights, and now that Mattel and CM have a working relationship, it’s conceivable that Filmation-only characters–such as Shadow Weaver, Sea Hawk, and Plun-Dor–are now on the table, not to mention Filmation-style repaints and retools.

Anyway, for now: fingers crossed.

P.S. The 30th Anniversary logo was found here.

PGPoh wait… (Relaunch Delayed)

June 12, 2011 | Poe

Unfortunately, the much-ballyhooed relaunch of PGPoA is postponed indefinitely. That doesn’t mean months, but it does mean at least a week or two.

We want to make sure we get this right. We’re still hard at work reworking Poe’s costume and origin, making him younger and adding awesome jeans and t-shirts and tattoos and all that stuff that the young people like.

Any questions for Mattel?

June 10, 2011 | Poe

Questions due by 11:59pm Monday, June 13.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: sarcastic, snarky, and/or mean comments will not be submitted. I get where the anger comes from, but it’s a waste of your time and mine. I think the general atmosphere of these threads may be discouraging lurkers from asking genuine questions.

Feel free to ask the hard questions, just ask them without the emotion, if you can help it.

Review > Monolith Action Figure (Thinkgeek)

June 10, 2011 | Poe

ThinkGeek is famous for its awesome April Fool’s pranks, which typically feature awesome but non-existent products. (They’re a geek-oriented novelty product store, so it makes sense.) Often, if the fake product proves popular enough, they’ll actually produce it. The best known is probably the Tauntaun Sleeping Bag, but in April 2010 they had a product page for an “action figure” of the iconic black monolith from Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. Given the incredible ease of producing a big block of black plastic, they went ahead and made it anyway.

You can order it off ThinkGeek’s website for $12.99, and it’s also been popping up at pop culture stores like Newbury Comics. (more…)

Toy Aisle Trolls > The Strife Aquatic

June 10, 2011 | Poe

Toy Aisle Trolls is a feature highlighting acts of vandalism to in-store toy items. If you find a ruined package, a stolen figure, a swapped-out figure, or any other such acts, take a photo (cell phone photos are fine if they’re not blurry) and email them to poe AT poeghostal.com.

Submitted by: 3B

The Problem: The Aquaman has been replaced by the Alex Ross’s “Justice”-style Aquaman from the Walmart “Undersea Assault” 2-pack.

What It’s Supposed to Look Like: This.

XXX writes:

I snapped this one at my local TRU yesterday. I’m not too bothered by this one, though. Why? I’ve never seen this version of Aquaman (from the Walmart-exclusive “Undersea Assault” 2-pack) at retail, so you can say it’s pretty rare in my area. This troll obviously just wanted the classic version of Aquaman and swapped in the gold one. Also, the package showed very little evidence of being opened.

Probably worth mentioning that this particular store hasn’t stocked any of the Aquaman/Mer-Man or Hawkman/Stratos packs. In fact, they have a boatload of the Lex/Skeletor packs left. I suspect this troll picked up the set at another store about 7miles to the North, which recently stocked the new sets.

As for payback… I think the fact the “Aquaman” TV series was never made is punishment enough for this troll.

Karmic Payback: Yeah, this is one of those cases where I have mixed feelings about dishing out the karmic payback. On the one hand, yes, many DCUC fans do want the Aquaman. And the guy did engage in criminal behavior by opening the pack, swapping a figure and returning it. It was dishonest.

On the other hand, that Walmart Aquaman was hard to find…anyone who bought this set would either be thrilled to get the Aquaman, or could probably sell the Aquaman on eBay and recoup enough money to buy another one of these sets and get the right Aquaman. And if they didn’t realize they got the wrong Aquaman, then obviously they don’t care enough about the figure for it to matter.

So I’m going to defer to you, faithful readers, to determine the punishment (or reward) of your choice.

Bastard of the Universe > “Stay Thirsty, you Bastards”

June 9, 2011 | googum


For some reason, probably too many Dos Equis, I hear Pornstache with the voice of actor Jonathan Goldsmith, “The Most Interesting Man in the World.” Oddly, Hang ’em High is on as I type this, and he was in that for a scene or two.

The mask is the same one 339/1 was selling back in “Sell Out,” and it’s dumb luck that it fit Pornstache. I think it’s from a House of the Dead Ken figure from Palisades. The shackles? DCUC Mr. Miracle; and again, dumb luck they fit.

Review > US Agent (Captain America: The First Avenger, Hasbro)

June 9, 2011 | Poe

Today’s review is a bit unusual for me, as I haven’t reviewed a Marvel Comics toy in ages. I spent about a year loving Marvel when I was 13-14, then my second Transformers era took hold and I didn’t get interested in Marvel again until the era of Marvel Legends.

However, I did always have a certain fondness for the subject of today’s review, US Agent. I’m not sure why–maybe it was because I found the real Captain America a bit dorky. US Agent, to the young teenage Poe, was the “cool” version of Cap; plus he had a more interesting costume. If I’m being honest, I didn’t really know who US Agent was–I just liked the character concept, and the look. In retrospect, of course, the character was kind of Azrael to Captain American’s Batman–a more brutal, less idealistic, and generally darker replacement (though I should note that the Cap-replacement storyline took place in the late ’80s, years before Knightfall).

Anyway, it was that mild nostalgia that led me to make my first Marvel Universe purchase since my last and heretofore only one, brown costume Wolverine. We never got a Marvel Legends US Agent, so when I saw this one I just couldn’t resist. (more…)