Webstor pops up on eBay

July 10, 2009 | Poe

Those wacky Hong Kong thieves have struck again, this time posting an auction for Webstor (who I’m thinking has to be September’s figure, despite the recent confusion, right?).

The auction’s already over, but we did get a look at his bio:

Webstor
Evil Master of Escape
Real Name: Araneus son of Raknus

One of the last remaining members of an ancient Eternian race of Spider Warriors called the Arachna, Webstor was awoken from hibernation beeneath Snake Mountain and occasionally allies himself with Skeletor. In ancient times, the Arachna were an advanced dominant race until driven underground by the Snake Men. Araneus retains much of the knowleedge of his people and while seemingly savage, is an expert mathematician and strategist as well as an accomplished escape artist. He often arms himself with a grappling hook Fast Pack and uses his climbing power to escape capture!

He-Man Goes Bollywood

June 30, 2009 | Poe

I always like to start the day with a little surrealism, so please enjoy “Chahiye He-Man He-Man,” a song from the Indian film Nafrat Ki Aandhi, apparently.

Try not to ask yourself whether the main woman is supposed to be Teela or Evil-lyn, or why Orko is wearing a shiny red muumuu, or why this is still 37% better than the 1987 American movie. These are things man was not meant to know.

Thanks to MisterBigBo for the tip.

Review > Hordak (Masters of the Universe Classics)

June 26, 2009 | Poe

By 1985, the original Masters of the Universe line was three years old–a pretty long time for a boys’ action figure brand, if not that impressive next to its big sister Barbie. The He-Man cartoon was at its peak and She-Ra was just about to hit. While He-Man and his arch-nemesis Skeletor had already become cultural icons, Mattel decided the skull-headed necromancer might be getting a little long in the tooth. It was time to up the ante against He-Man and his allies–it was time for the Evil Horde.

While Skeletor and his minions were all based on the same two or three body types, Hordak and his Evil Horde benefited heavily from MOTU’s success: all five of the original 1985 Evil Horde figures received brand-new tooling (and except for Hordak, they were all entirely new sculpts). What’s more, the ancillary fiction (the mini-comics and, later, the She-Ra cartoon) established Hordak not only as being more powerful than Skeletor, but as having been Skeletor’s master (or at least mentor) at one point.

Masters of the Universe Classics Hordak arrives as one of the most anticipated figures in the line yet. While he received an impressive “staction” from the Four Horsemen and NECA, this represents the first new Hordak action figure in twenty-four years.

(more…)

Mattel SDCC news

June 25, 2009 | Poe

Over on Mattycollector, Mattel has announced its panels for SDCC:

Comic-Con is coming!

For us toy collectors, the granddaddy of events has to be San Diego Comic-Con. The 2009 show starts July 23rd (preview night July 22nd) and runs through July 26th, and this year I’m bringing more cool stuff than ever before!

FAN PANELS
First off, we’ll have not one, but TWO fan panels at the show:

Mattel & DC Comics, a Powerful Partnership
Friday, JULY 24
11:00 AM – 12:00 NOON
ROOM 2

MattyPalooza
Friday, JULY 24
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
ROOM 2

NEW PRODUCTS
Then, visit me at Booth #2845, and you’ll find tons of new toys either just coming on the market or soon to come. We’ll have Ghostbustersâ„¢, DC Universe, DC Universe Classics, Infinite Heroes, Justice League Unlimited, Masters of the Universe Classics, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Disney/Pixar CARS, Toy Story, Hot Wheels, Scene It? The DVD Game, and the insane new Mindflex game — plus a few surprises!

PRODUCTS AVAILABLE AT COMIC-CON
Products will be sold starting preview night. Customer service and safety is our number one priority, so we’ll have a separate booth run by our Toy Club to handle sales. Lines will only be allowed to get as long as the designated roped-off area, but “fast-pass” tickets will be handed out to reserve your spot later that day. Limits on all exclusives will be six per person, per visit to the Mattel booth.

If you choose to wait in line a second time, you’ll be eligible to buy another 6 figures (there will also be a limit of six figures for online purchases after the show). It should all go very smoothly for the best buying experience yet!

We’re going to have plenty of gotta-get products available for sale, including (click each for all the scoop):

PRODUCTS AVAILABLE AT MATTYCOLLECTOR.COM
Can’t make it to Comic-Con? Fear not, fair comic fan! You’ll be able to get everything listed above on MattyCollector.com starting at 12:00 Noon on Monday, August 3rd, except these items:

  • SDCC variant He-Ro
  • SDCC variant Buzz Lightyear (with “Andy” on his foot)
  • SDCC Gleek (but the onder Twins without Gleek will be available)

Whew! That’s it for now, but stay tuned to MattyCollector.com, because I’ll have more news as Comic-Con gets closer.

—Matty

MOTUC Orko confirmed for 2010

June 15, 2009 | Poe

orko

Tucked away in Action Figure Pics’s Q&A was the revelation that Orko will be a part of MOTUC in 2010.

I know that won’t excite all of you, but since there seem to be a good number of He-Fans around here I thought I’d mention it.

The question is, how will he be available? As his own figure? As an accessory to a figure or Battle Cat? In a two-pack with Kowl? As a special incentive for subscribers?

Ask Mattel > June 15 Edition

June 15, 2009 | Poe

ask_mattel

1.) Kevin asks: The 2008 DCUC Wal-Mart wave had no variants. Will there be any variants in this year’s Wal-Mart wave?

No, the Wal-Mart Wave will not have variants.

2.) Frogster asks: Given the popularity of MOTUC, is there any chance of a promotion for the fans (preferably available on Mattycollector.com, not just at conventions) such as posters or mini-comics?

This is something we are looking into and will have more to announce at SDCC.

3.) Reverend Ender asks: Will DCUC see any new Male body types, or will the same standard “thick” and “slender” types (Superman and Nightwing) continue to dominate the line?

Yes, we are working on a few other standard “buck” bodies for the DCUC males, such as a super skinny body and others.

4.) How will DCUC Green Arrow’s bow & arrows work on the production figure? Will one arrow be attached to the bow, and can the arrow be knocked? Will there be separate arrows?

For safety reasons one arrow will be permanently attached to the bow (like with Artemis) with other arrows included as well. This was a legal requirement, not an artistic choice

5.) When DCUC figures are packaged with their weapons in their hands, it often causes the figure’s grip to be too loose, so the figure to be unable to hold the weapon securely once out of the package. Could Mattel please look into this issue?

Yes, this is something we are looking into.