G.I. Joe: Retraction

May 24, 2012 | Poe

...body massage? Anyone?

In what has to be one of the strangest movie-related moves I can remember, Paramount has decided to push back G.I. Joe: Retaliation nearly a full year, to March 2013. The press release claims the delay is because Paramount suddenly, at nearly the literal last frigging minute, decided to redo the movie in 3D.

As Rob notes at TR, 3D does really well in foreign countries, so it’s just possible Paramount and/or Hasbro decided they could make even more money with the much-maligned post-production 3D conversion. (And for what it’s worth, the Rock’s claiming new scenes will be “designed” to take advantage of 3D.)

One thing’s for certain: very few people are buying the argument that this is being done solely to turn the movie into 3D. The studio had plenty of opportunities to make that decision and evidently passed every time – at least until Battleship sank (which anyone could have seen coming a mile away).* (more…)

Mattel Offers Refunds for Yellowed Stay-Puft Marshmallow Men (Updated)

May 21, 2012 | Poe

UPDATE: OK, I finally had time to think it through and figured out a legitimate reason for requesting all figures be sent back in, rather than simply refunding any orders made on Mattycollector upon request.

Let’s say a retailer ordered 100 Stay-Pufts off Mattycollector (by having their staff members each order 10 or whatever, I can’t remember if there was a limit). They could re-sell all 100 of those Stay-Pufts, then get 100 refunds for those orders. Then, each customer who bought a Stay-Puft also requests refunds, and so Mattel ends up refunding for 200 figures instead of 100.

So, I admit I missed something on this one. But I still wish they could make the process of returning the figures easier. (When I had to return my Wind Raider, they requested someone be there when they come to get the package. So you have to have someone home, or take it to work and have it picked up there, or risk leaving it out on your doorstep unattended.) /END UPDATE

Mattel is offering refunds for anyone who bought last year’s SDCC Stay-Puft, which has a QC problem in which the toys are turning yellow. (more…)

Pics of MasterEnglish’s MOTUC Batman Custom

May 18, 2012 | Poe

I realized I never really gave you all some good pics of the custom MOTUC-style Dark Knight Returns Batman customizer MasterEnglish made for me.

As you can see, I also created a bio for him.

Happy Stinkor Day!

May 15, 2012 | Poe

Image from He-Man.org

Link to the all-in-one page

It’s Stinkor Day! Whether you think the reversed forearms were a deliberate action by Mattel or an accident they tried to cover up…you’re getting one if you’re a subscriber.

It’s also Slush Head Day (congrats Mike Bock!), Mighty Spector Day, and Snake Mountain Stands Day. For you DC Universe Classics fans, it’s also Golden Age Flash Day.

Tamashii Nations Unveils “Comic-Con Explosion Godzilla” S.H.MonsterArts Exclusive

May 11, 2012 | Poe

Tamashii Nations has released information and pics about their S.H.MonsterArts exclusive, “Comic-Con Explosion Godzilla”!

Tamashii Nations’s Facebook page will also have a S.H. Monster Arts survey, starting today and running for one week, to help determine future releases and the direction to take the Monster Arts line.  There will be some Western monsters on the list including more obscure choices like Pokemon.

Box art by Yasushi Torisawa

TN will post more information concerning this year’s SDCC plans, including a number of un-announced prototypes for the various Tamashii Nations lines, on their Facebook and Twitter accounts.

More info on the exclusive after the jump!

(more…)

MOTUC to Have “Dramatic” Price Hike in 2013

May 11, 2012 | Poe

Mattel is laying the groundwork for an announcement (presumably at SDCC) of a major price increase on Masters of the Universe Classics (including for subscribers) in 2013. In answer to a question about the diminished paint applications on the Horde Prime production figure compared to the prototype, Mattel’s Scott “ToyGuru” Neitlich wrote:

The Horsemen tend to “overdeco” figures. Every figure in 2012 is delivering $22.00 worth of paint apps. In 2013 we are dramatically raising prices so we can afford more paint and accessories. If we wanted to deliver all the figures exactly as the 4HM painted the protos we would need to charge more and we already sold in the sub for 2012, so that is not an option. Legally we can’t raise prices on the sub after it is sold in. This is why we will start 2013 at higher prices.

While some fans have taken issue with the “overdeco” comment, I suspect the Four Horsemen tend to put more detail into the prototypes with the expectation that some of it will be removed/downgraded for the production figure. (Basically, Mattel will look to cut corners on whatever they provide, so the more detailed the Horsemen go – in sculpt and paint – the more detail there is on the final figure – in theory, anyway.) (more…)

Avengers: Hulk vs. Hulk

May 7, 2012 | Poe

So, like most of you I saw The Avengers this weekend. It was a very entertaining film, and a lesson for Michael Bay on how to make a blockbuster movie that’s fun and not a three-hour cinematic waterboarding.

Anyway, I came away loving the film’s take on the Hulk, which made me wonder which action figure to get. Since I don’t collect the 3.75″  or 12″ scales, I have two options: the Marvel Select Hulk, and the upcoming Walmart-exclusive 6″ Hasbro Hulk.

Marvel Select HulkHasbro Hulk

They both have their merits. The Marvel Select figure is larger, has more detail, and will doubtless be easier to obtain. On the other hand, the Hasbro Hulk (which is in 6″ scale, so I believe it stands around 7″-8″) is more articulated and cheaper – if I can find it.

How popular is the Marvel Select stuff among you Marvel collectors? Articulation-wise they’ve been moving closer and closer to Hasbro, but they still put greater emphasis on the sculpting.

Which Hulk will you get?

Poe’s Point > Vykron Thoughts

May 1, 2012 | Poe

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gu1Ujp72TCM&h=284&w=500]

Mattel has posted a new video with Scott Neitlich explaining the Vykron SDCC exclusive and showing off the packaging.

One thing I didn’t initially realize about these figures – the boots and cuffs are half-parts that clip on, rather than full parts that encompass the limb and snap on a la the original Toy Biz Iron Man. I understand it as a cost-saving measure, but it makes the figures significantly more like “Cosplay He-Man.”

To be fair, I think this is a great exclusive, and this post by “Prince Adam’s Dad” explains it as well as I could:

Personally, I’m unlikely to pick it up. It’s a neat concept and a cool part of the line’s history, but it just doesn’t fit into what I’m doing with my collection. However, there are plenty of people who will be interested in him. More to the point, there are plenty of people who will be interested in three or four of him to display in each of his forms and MOC.

So it’s a non-essential figure that some people will buy multiples of – sounds like the perfect convention exclusive to me. (more…)