Bastards of the Universe: > “Tweeters and Followers”

July 22, 2011 | googum


 

So, I signed up for Twitter; pretty much just to follow Poe and Warren Ellis. Didn’t even get ‘googum,’ either!

I have yet to send a tweet or whatever myself, since mine would be the worst ever: “Now I’m at work!” “Now I’m at home!” “Now I’m at work!” Unless I tweet when I’m walking my dog, that might be about it…Actually, I do intend to start tweeting on the rare occasions when I pick up a new figure in stores; even though that seems few and far between lately.

Meanwhile, Poe has tweeted his goal of getting a thousand followers, which is as good a way to keep up with what’s going on here as any. Follow him now!

Mattel gives us one last fakey list

July 22, 2011 | Poe

Just for laughs/to rub salt in the wound, depending on your perspective:

  • Purchase a membership to Club Eternia for $20 and you’re guaranteed to receive all of the monthly Masters of the Universe Classics figures released during the year. You’ll also receive club-exclusive Fan Choice Create a Character – 100% sculpt (update based on SDCC panel vote: Sorceress, Ram Man, Rokkon) and an all-new bonus map poster of Future Eternia Under the Reign of King He-Man!
  • Starting January 2012, you are automatically shipped the Club Eternia Monthly Figure every month for a total of twelve months (January through December). For 2012, you will also be shipped four beast figures or multi-packs and four character variant figures at various intervals throughout the year. You are billed as figures ship. Figures revealed to date are Eldor(January), Sweet Bee (February) and Stinkor (March). Also in March is the beast/multipack – Classic Movie 3-Pack featuring Julie, Kevin and Det. Lubic ($60.00).

I don’t even understand the joke about the fan create-a-character–wasn’t the original 1980s create-a-character contest all about creating new characters like Fearless Photog? Why the list of established characters? Even their jokes are confusing.

At least we can rest assured there will definitely be no Classic Movie 3-pack. They (almost certainly) don’t have the rights, and that would be the most boring set ever. No one, not a living soul, needs a Kevin figure.

Anyway, again, this mess will all be over by 3pm PT, when the Mattypalooza panel should be over (it starts at 2).

Odds ‘n Ends > SDCC Day 1: Super-deformed MOTU, 6″ Star Wars(!?)

July 21, 2011 | Poe

  • Not quite as much awesome toy stuff revealed today–preview night is always the big one, aside from panels–but apparently Mattel did put the above figs in their display case today. They appear to be super-deformed MOTU toys in the style of the DC Action League (or Galactic Heroes or Superhero Squad or whatever line you prefer). Mattel certainly seems interested in trying some new styles with MOTU–and that can only be a good thing. Anyway, I’m definitely in for these. The above pic was taken by Pixel Dan, who’s covering SDCC for PopCultureNetwork; check out this link for a larger pic of the minifigures.
  • DC Direct had their panel today. I was primarily interested in their Arkham City figures, but they still haven’t revealed anything beyond Harley. I’m speculating this is because the other figures are of characters who haven’t been revealed yet, i.e., Nightwing. They’re also making figures based on the JLA in their Brand New DC looks. I have to say the figures look rather uninspired, and what’s more, you won’t be able to buy the first one for another thirteen months.
  • In Poe-Could-Go-Bankrupt news, ThreeA toys had some 6″ Star Wars prototypes that they’re evidently trying to pitch to Takara. Why Takara? I don’t know. I only know I don’t want these to be made because I want to have a house and kids and so forth someday, and I won’t be able to afford it if I’m buying these. Head over to ActionFigurePics for more info and photos. Poester and Star Wars pedant misterbigbo informs us that apparently the Stormtrooper head sculpt is based on the F/X 501st helmet and is not screen-accurate; I’ll take his word for it.
  • Marvel Legends are back! And…could it be true? Am I finally getting the 6″ Constrictor I’ve wanted since I read a backup story about him in Marvel Comics Presents #74? I find it a bit amusing they’ve got Steve Rogers there in his “Super Soldier” costume–has Marvel really not got him back into the red, white and blue for the movie release? Good for them for sticking with story over marketing, I guess. Anyway, check out ActionFigurePics for pics and info on the ML relaunch.
  • Evidently Mattel’s WWE line is becoming a Mattycollector exclusive for 2012. That’s–kind of weird, right? WWE figures seem to have been perennial sellers for the last decade. Is this a.) due to waning popularity of the WWE and wrestling in general; b.) due to the waning popularity and market oversaturation of wrestling figures in general and the WWE in particular; c.) due to the waning popularity of action figures in general among youngsters, the WWE’s main demographic; or d.) Mattel actually managed to bungle a surefire seller like WWE? Anyway, the good(?) news for wrestling fans is that they get to vote on five of the figures to be released in 2012. UPDATE: Commenters correctly pointed out to me below that it’s only the Legends sub-line that’s going Mattycollector-only. The regular line still sells well.
  • Should I be covering Voltron? Do people care? I never watched the show, and the only toys I had were the old diecast 6″ figure and, believe it or not, the vehicle Voltron.
  • The Mattypalooza panel happens at 2pm PT (5pm ET) Friday, thus bringing this farce to a close (I hope). The DC panel is two hours later–here’s hoping for some more Batman Legacy awesomeness. Apparently Matty himself might stop by! To quote Hudson, “He’s coming in. I feel safer already.”

MOTUC Sub List #4 (+ complete list of figs so far)

July 21, 2011 | Poe

I said I wouldn’t post about this bullcrap anymore, but whatever, right?

Here’s the latest MOTUC sub list:

  • Purchase a membership to Club Eternia for $20 and you’re guaranteed to receive all of the monthly Masters of the Universe Classics figures released during the year. You’ll also receive club-exclusive Fearless Photog and an all-new bonus map poster of The Tri-Solar System!
  • Starting January 2012, you are automatically shipped the Club Eternia Monthly Figure every month for a total of twelve months (January through December). For 2012, you will also be shipped four beast figures or multi-packs and four character variant figures at various intervals throughout the year. You are billed as figures ship. Figures revealed to date are Snake Face (January), Slush Head (February) and Mosquitor(March). Also in March is the largest Beast/Multipack item for the year – the Jaw Bridge of Castle Grayskull! First in an annual series to build-up pieces to the mighty fortress of mystery and power!

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Odds ‘n Ends > SDCC 2011 Preview Night Edition

July 21, 2011 | Poe

  • The Entertainment Earth/TRU exclusives are now on sale on the TRU website–here’s the link. HOWEVER: Rodimus is already sold out, and the Bizarro vs. Faker pack isn’t listed, apparently because it “missed the boat.” That’s what my pal at SDCC was told by the booth operators. Whether that means it will show up later in the ‘con, or not for another three to five weeks, is not something I know.
  • Mattel posted another MOTUC list. This one seems pretty obviously fake–Zombie Randor? Gwildor? Lodar? And Slime Pit He-Man as the exclusive, when we’ve been told the sub exclusive isn’t a He-Man variant?–but the odd thing is that one redacted bit after Sweetbee. Who redacts a fake list? Anyway, I have some limited knowledge of what may or may not be coming down the pike for the rest of 2011, and this doesn’t square with that at all, so I’m calling this fake.
  • There’s a “Project Photog” sticker next to Captain Glenn in the Mattel display case, including the names of the astronauts on the flight. The two that stick out to me are Mason–obviously a reference to Major Matt Mason, who, btw, would be an awesome MOTUC figure–and Bitner, a reference to Nathan Bitner, creator of Fearless Photog (who, until the lists popped up recently, was the frontrunning rumor for the 2012 sub exclusive).
  • NECA had most of its Evil Dead II line on display. There are three Ashes: a one-armed version, a torn-shirt version with a chainsaw, and Deadite Ash, whom I’ve wanted a figure of forever–plus Henrietta. Sixteen-year-old Poe would have LOST. HIS. S*** over this line. I’m a bit removed from that now–and bummed by the lack of leg articulation–but I’ll be buying every single Evil Dead II figure NECA makes.
  • You can also see the NECA Robocop behind that Henrietta–he looks pretty good.
  • I have to wonder, is it awkward shilling products for a failed blockbuster like Green Lantern at SDCC after the movie has come out? Still, Parallax looks awesome.
  • One of the bizarre things I’ve seen was the 1970s’-colors Arkham City Batman. It’s a TRU exclusive you get when you buy the game there, so I assume it’s going to be a skin in the game, too. Is it me, or is that head placed much better on the body than the regular version?
  • Possibly the best thing I’ve seen out of the show so far is the evidence that there will indeed be more Futurama figures. Lrrr! Morbo! Clamps! Joey Mousepad! The Donbot! And yet…NO HEDONISM-BOT. It’s a crime we’re getting the Destructor, whom I barely remember, before Hedonism-Bot. This line cannot end without that figure.
  • He is Vigo! The scourge of Carpathia!
  • Hot Toys is making a 1/6th Jack Nicholson Joker and a 1/6th Burton Batmobile; I can only assume a Keaton Batman is coming. I mention this solely because it irks me we still don’t have some Movie Masters of these in 6″ scale.
  • Speaking of Movie Masters, we’re also getting a figure of the Joker as he looked in the two-second scene in The Dark Knight where he dressed as a cop and shot at the mayor. Yay?
  • Mezco’s making a new Earthworm Jim figure. Weird, but cool. Oh, and it looks like there’s an Uncharted 3 Drake figure next to him. Square Enix is making a figure of Drake, too. Not sure I need one of those, but unless the Mezco one has articulated legs, of the two I’ll take Square’s.
  • Any photos that weren’t links to other sites were taken by Rustin Parr. Thanks Rustin!

SDCC Preview Night Pics

July 20, 2011 | Poe

Here are a few pics from SDCC, courtesy of Rustin Parr. Not as nice as you’ll find on other sites of course, but something to talk about.

First up, it appears Mattel is indeed expanding its Arkham City figures–here’s the Joker and Harley:

I can confirm that Harley, at least, was sculpted by the Four Horsemen. The Joker looks a little off, though–the head looks too small, and the hair looks too short. (more…)