Ask Mattel > July 15

July 15, 2008 | Poe

Another month, another round of Mattel Q&A! Just a few questions this week.

Our astute reader EL noticed, in the press photos for the Movie Masters Batman/Scarecrow two-pack, that the gauntlets on both the regular and demonic Batman appear to have been accidentally reversed (that is, the gauntlets have been placed on the wrong wrists). The “grid” should be on the inside, not the outside, of the gauntlets. Was this just an error with the prototypes or test shots?

Good eagle eye! Yes, this was just a pre production shot and will be fixed when the toys hit shelves.

[Poe’s note: From the photos posted online by collectors, the initial shipments of the second wave of Movie Masters figures appear to have this error. It’s possible it will be corrected as a running change.]

Aside from the Joker’s knife, why weren’t any Batarangs or other in-scale accessories included with the Dark Knight Movie Masters figures?

Including extra accessories might be a great choice for re-releases of these figures!

In the interest of making sure DC Universe Classics has a long healthy lifespan, does it make a difference whether collectors buy the figures at their local Target, Wal-Mart or Toys ‘R Us or order a case from an online retailer?

If you truly want to support the line, buy triples of each figure, one from each retailer! Seriously though, we are proud that so many retailers and online dealers are supporting this line.

Odds ‘n Ends > Per Edition

July 15, 2008 | Poe

ODD: CornerStoreComics gave an update yesterday on shipping for DC Universe Classics and Movie Masters; Mattel “should be shipping” DCUC3 “toward the end of this month.” In my grumpily pessimistic view, that means I’ll receive my figures sometime around August 15. Dwaltrip, it looks like you’re gonna win. I’d be very happy to be wrong, though!

END: Sadly, it seems Random Happenstance will be closing for the time being. Googum has some of the best figuretoons out there, and he will be missed. (more…)

ToyFare’s DC Universe Classics fan poll

July 9, 2008 | Poe

MATTEL’S DC UNIVERSE CLASSIC FAN POLL (click the link to vote)

Mattel has asked ToyFare to run a poll allowing fans to vote for which characters they’d like to see in a future wave of DCUC. The choices are:

I won’t tell you who I voted for, because judging from the boards, fans are as rabid about these characters as their are their political leanings. But I suspect almost all these characters will show up in DCUC eventually, if the line continues to be successful.

Mattel All

July 7, 2008 | Poe

Phew! Lots of Mattel-related news and information this past week.

The big news, of course, is Mattel is finally opening a collector-friendly website (like HasbroToyShop.com). This website will be the exclusive home of the Masters of the Universe Classics (MOTUC) line, with a new figure being available every month. SOTA had plans to attempt something similar with their Street Fighter line a few years back, but that never got off the ground. We’ll have to wait and see whether Mattel can succeed with this sort of business model.

I’m curious as to what is motivating Mattel to try to cater to a smaller market like this. How much of a profit Mattel will clear with MOTUC? I suppose producing and directly selling figures based on an in-house license could maximize profits. While I question how successful MOTUC will turn out, Mattel deserves credit for both attempting the project at all, and for recognizing that there may be value in catering to niche markets instead of the mass market.

(more…)

Mattel SDCC Announcements

July 3, 2008 | Poe

Hey toy fans of all ages,

Well it is that time again. Mattel is gearing up for our really big show down in San Diego at the annual Comic Con July 23-27th 2008.

We’ll be there in full force with the largest booth presence we’ve ever had to meet and greet toy fans of all ages. There will be some fantastic give-aways, fan panels and huge reveals from all your favorite Mattel lines include DCUC, JLU, Infinite Heroes, CARS, Batman the Dark Knight and more. Plus we guarantee a few surprises to help kick off our new Masters of the Universe Classics line- you won’t want to miss out!

And don’t forget some amazing unique exclusives at the show. Details about Lobo, Grayskull, Giganta, McQueen and a few other surprises are below. And be sure to stick around for the biggest news of them all… Starting the Monday after Comic Con, because you demanded it, Mattel will be launching a brand new Collector Website with the latest news, updates, previews and – the big one – EXCLUSIVE action figures from your favorite Mattel toy lines like CARS, DCU and more! Wait – you want more? – this new site will also be the EXCLUSIVE home of Masters of the Universe Classic action figures with a new character available EACH MONTH starting this fall! (more…)

Poe’s Point > A little perspective for DCUC collectors

June 30, 2008 | Poe

Where is everyone? Two new posts since Friday and not a word of comment. I suppose I can’t really complain, since I’ve been sort of in toy hibernation myself, anxiously awaiting the arrival of wave three of DC Universe Classics. The waiting has already driven more than one collector over at Fwoosh and RTM insane.

Much of the complaining among the online community is based around Mattel’s perceived distribution problems. In terms of quantity, I understand where that’s coming from–the second wave of DCUC has been difficult to find, though I think it’s worth pointing out that there’s plenty of the first wave around, and it’s probably only fair to wait and see how easy it is to find waves three, four and beyond before condemning the company. DCUC2 could be a fluke (or, as Mattel has promised, more shipments of the wave may hit, particularly at Wal-Mart).

Now, as for the collectors who, like me, are going crazy with the wait for DCUC3…

I was too young to really be aware of how toys were released back in the 1980s. But a cursory look at the historical release lists for He-Man and G.I. Joe reveals I’m apparently a spoiled brat. The biggest year for new figure releases for the original He-Man line was 1984, when twelve new characters were made. Counting vehicle drivers, the debut year of G.I. Joe: RAH featured fifteen unique figures. There were a mere eight figures in the first year of Kenner’s Super Powers line, followed by fifteen the next year and ten the final year.

Since December, we’ve seen twelve figures in the DCUC line. While the availability of these (particularly DCUC2) is definitely a problem, I think complaints about lateness are a bit unfair. If Mattel manages to get out even four waves this year (rather than the planned six), that will be twenty-four unique figures (not counting variants) in a single year–four of them BAFs. Twenty-five if you count Lobo!

That’s pretty good for a mass market line. It will be interesting to see, at the end of the year, the final counts for original DCUC/Marvel Legends figures in 2008. I’ll revisit the topic then.

The Four Horsemen Interview II (Part 1)

June 18, 2008 | Poe

On May 1, Poe Ghostal’s Points of Articulation hit its six-month anniversary. In anticipation of this event, I asked the Four Horsemen if they would be willing to do another interview as they did for the inaugural month of this blog, and they very kindly agreed. I had hoped to post it on May 1st, but the Horsemen were too busy creating awesome toys to get to it right away. I think we can all agree it’s worth the wait.

This is the first half of the interview, focusing on DC Universe Classics and NECA’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I’ll post the second half tomorrow.

POE: There are some slight stylistic differences between the early DC Superheroes figures and DC Universe Classics–for instance, Superman from DCSH wave 2. Do you feel Superman still fits in well with DC Universe Classics, or would you like a chance to do another straight Supes figures?

ERIC “CORNBOY” MAYSE: Well, as you’ve probably already guessed from the “Regeneration Suit Superman” revealed at Wizard World Philadelphia a few weeks back, we’re definitely moving forward in attempting to create a definitive DC Universe Classics Superman that will have obvious differences from its earlier DC Superheroes counterpart.

JIM PREZIOSI: When and in which wave that definitive Superman will finally make his debut is still up in the air, but it is coming. (more…)

Ask Mattel > June 16 edition

June 16, 2008 | Poe

Get ready for another round of questions with Mattel’s Toy Guru!

Poe Ghostal: Photos have shown both Lobo and Despero with the same big gun. Will they both come with it?

Toy Guru: Yes. Both Lobo and Despero come with the same weapons, although they are painted slightly differently. Lobo actually shares a the same body buck as Despero with a new head, coat, belt, boots, and arms.

Is there any chance of seeing an updated Superman figure in his classic look, with brighter colors and the yellow “S” on his cape?

This is definitely a variant of Superman we will get to in time.

The Joker figure made for the 2003 Batman line is visibly under-scaled and lacks the articulation of DCUC. Collectors have expressed a wish for a new comic-based Joker–is there any chance of that in DCUC’s future?

Much like we re-sculpted Nightwing for Wave 3, The Joker is a character ready for a new updated sculpt. Only time will tell when he will show up. He is a crafty one!

DCUC wave 2 seems noticeably harder to find in stores than the first wave. Is there a reason for that, and will we see any more shipments of DCUC2?

So far we have only shipped out the first half of Wave 2. The second half with Jason as Firestorm will start showing up very soon. This should help make Wave 2 easier to find.

It may be too early to ask this, but is there any chance the Four Horsemen will do any work on WWE for Mattel?

It is indeed to early to comment on WWE toys. Currently the Four Horsemen are busy sculpting our amazing DC Universe Classics and upcoming Master of the Universe Classics toy lines. We keep them well booked!

DCUC wave 2 availability

June 11, 2008 | Poe

Regarding my comment yesterday that DCUC collectors are “in the dead period between waves two and three” yo go re of OAFE writes in:

remember, for most people, this is still the dead period before DC Universe 2 and 3, not between. And the semi-recall isn’t helping that situation any…

If collectors haven’t found DCUC wave 2 in a store by now, they may never. I think it’s possible wave 2 had its production run cut a bit short in order for Mattel to ramp up production on wave 3 and the Wal-Mart wave. However, word from CornerStoreComics is that Mattel is still planning at least one more shipment of wave 2, this time with the Jason Rusch Firestorm. Whether this shipment will hit brick-and-mortar retailers as well as CSC and its brethren remains to be seen.

DCUC2 may end up being a relatively scarce wave. We’ll see–I’ve got a question in to Mattel about it.

However, as I’ve said before, I don’t think action figure collectors can rely on retail distribution for action figures anymore–particularly lower-production, collector-oriented lines like DCUC. Mattel has taken the step of offering six-figure cases to online retailers. When you factor in $4 gas prices for driving around to department stores on a regular basis looking for figures, ordering a case online is probably at least a wash in terms of expense, and you’re guaranteed a full set (though not all the variants). (more…)

Statement from Mattel on the withdrawal

June 10, 2008 | Poe

MEDIA STATEMENT
MATTEL
June 5, 2008

Mattel is withdrawing certain limited products from retailer shelves worldwide. While these products meet with applicable local standards, the products do not meet Mattel internal specifications. Because these toys are safe, it is not necessary for us to “recall” them from the market. To confirm, no U.S. standards have been violated and no recall under federal law is warranted.

So there you go. I’d like to think the collector chatter about this will die down now, but we’re in the dead period between DCUC waves two and three and there’s nothing else to talk about, it seems. Hurry up, wave 3!

Speaking of wave 3, here are some carded pics in case you haven’t seen them. Love that Deathstroke.