Odds ‘n Ends

August 31, 2009 | Poe

Odds N Ends

Having some trouble getting my ducks in a row this morning, so let’s start with an Odds ‘n Ends.

  • As the entire world knows by now, Disney is buying Marvel Entertainment. Will Disney interfere with its everyday operations or will they leave well enough alone, as they’ve done with Pixar? Time will tell.
  • Personally, though, I think it’s obvious this merger is happening solely so Jesse Falcon can revive Legendary Comic Book Heroes and produce a Rocketeer figure. It’s so obvious.
  • I saw at TRU they’ve released 12″ versions of those crappy Pro-Bots figures. No accounting for taste, I guess.
  • Speaking of TRU, I actually came across a Deadshot and a Guardian at one over the weekend, believe it or not. Deadshot was the only figure I wanted from DCUC9 (review forthcoming). Suffice to say I was surprised and pleased to actually find a new DCUC figure in Massachusetts a mere month after they first showed up.
  • Question of the day: Which MOTU variants–from the original series, New Adventures or 2002–would you actually like to see in MOTUC? Aside from anything that’s already been announced, like BA He-Man and Skeletor. And don’t say Smash Blade He-Man–it’s not funny.

Any questions for Mattel?

August 28, 2009 | Poe

matty

I didn’t solicit any questions from you guys for the September 1st round of Ask Mattel because I had five of my own questions (all Ghostbusters-related). However, I’ve got nothing for the September 15th round, so let ‘er rip!

Interview w/ Customizer “Sabertooth”

August 28, 2009 | Poe

Last week I posted about the custom District 9 “prawn” mech that sold for a whopping $5300 on eBay. I got in touch with the customizer, Chris Hooton (who goes by “Sabertooth” on Figure Realm) to find out more about this amazing piece.

16813-3What parts did you use to make your custom prawn mech?

Ok, well, this is going to sound like a MacGuyver recipe, but I used parts of a Transformer, a Bionicle, one pair of chopsticks, some q-tips, a toy gun, some sheet plastic and some rubber floor mat.

How many hours of work were involved, and how much did it cost you to make?

Well, I did him over a weekend, starting at about 3 a.m. Saturday morning and finishing him about 6:30 p.m. I took a three-hour nap somewhere in there 🙂 He was quite a challenge!

As for costs incurred, I think with paints and parts about $60.

16901-3Have you made, or do you plan on making, any more District 9 customs?

Yes, I recently made a custom of the “Christopher” prawn character and I will be making another mech, and possibly a Wikus/prawn custom with all sorts of neato accesories! I really like the movie, and so far making the toys has been quite fun!

Which toy company would you like to see make a real District 9 toy line, and why?

Hmmmm…well the company that i think would do the best job would be NECA, they do great work and I am a big supporter of theirs.

Do you make other customs, and if so, what kind?

I make all sorts of customs! Most of the time it’s based on impulse on what or who I make. Transformers tend to be labor-intensive but fun; for the most part I like to try to make things that are either have not received the toy treatment yet–or what is out is not all that great looking and I like to see if what I can do could be better. I like to keep trying to improve my skills and hopefully make a fan of what I’m made a very happy camper!

To see more of Chris’s customs, check out his customs section on Figure Realm!

Mattel summons Scareglow

August 27, 2009 | Poe

sg4

Mattel has posted some great photos of Scareglow, complete with his new bio, which doesn’t quite explain that weird, awesome accessory.

It does, however, clear up the whole “is he Skeletor’s ghost or just a guy who works for Skeletor?” issue–he’s an “Evil Ghost Serving Skeletor.” Better than “Evil Ghost Serving #52, Buffalo Chicken on Country Parmesan,” I suppose. (more…)

Joe Amaro’s classic Grayskull makes us all jealous…again

August 27, 2009 | Poe

Everyone

You may remember customizer extraordinaire Joe Amaro making a really badass modern Castle Grayskull for the 2002 Masters of the Universe line (I think I may even have spotted it on Robot Chicken once or twice).

Well, Amaro’s at it again, this time creating a supremely awesome classic Grayskull in scale with MOTU Classics.

Will Mattel grant our fondest wishes and mass produce Joe’s masterpiece? No. But we can admire it anyway! More pics here.

Paul’s Peg > Insight on Insight

August 27, 2009 | Paul

Insight

While the Mattel Masters of the Universe debacle drove the toy collecting community into a frenzied rage, the other toy book this year has been getting a lot of respect if not the same amount of talk. When my buddy was at SDCC this year I gave him a list of stuff to pick up for me and one of the items was the Hasbro related book Insight (as well as the Masters book that I didn’t get). I can say that I managed to get a copy, it’s a sweet arse book.

(more…)

Review > Tri-Klops (Masters of the Universe Classics)

August 26, 2009 | Poe

tri-klops_origIn the 1980s cartoon, Tri-Klops was just another one of Skeletor’s thugs. He was given no background story on the show, although the cartoon series bible claimed he was a scientist by the name of Dr. T. E. Scope on board the future queen Marlena’s spaceship who was later corrupted by Skeletor. TK also received little in the way of character development; Tri-Klops’s only claim to fame was the various abilities of his three eyes, which could shoot laser rays, see through walls and so forth.

On the 2002 series, Tri-Klops was changed into Skeletor’s #1 inventor, creating useful devices such as his iconic Doomseekers (little bird-like robots that secretly observed the good guys). While in the original cartoon, Skeletor had invented both technological and magical devices, in the 2002 series Tri-Klops took on the technology side of things, leaving Skeletor free to investigate the workings of the mystical realm.

While the 2002 portrayal was great, I’ve always been partial to the early mini-comics, produced by DC Comics, as well as the DC mini-series. In his first appearance in any media, “The Terror of Tri-Klops,” TK is just a random swordsman summoned by Skeletor to fight He-Man. When we first see him, he’s just randomly slaying blue demon-looking fellows who may or may not have deserved such treatment. When Skeletor teleports him to Eternia, he’s about ready to give Skullhead a beat-down until Skeletor hires him to fight He-Man. Tri-Klops proceeds to systematically take down Battle-Cat, Ram-Man and Teela before giving He-Man a solid thrashing. Ultimately He-Man triumphs, of course; and interestingly, Tri-Klops seems to accept his defeat gracefully, and there’s no reason to think he’ll go back to working for Skeletor.

While I think Tri-Klops works best in the MOTUniverse as Skeletor’s gadget guy, I’ve always liked the notion that he’s a near-match for He-Man as as a fighter, and may be more morally complicated than he appears. His bio for MOTU Classics is a blend of all his origins, and even includes a take on the old “T. E. Scope” name. (more…)