Toy Aisle Trolls is a feature highlighting acts of vandalism to in-store toy items. If you find a ruined package, a stolen figure, a swapped-out figure, or any other such acts, take a photo (cell phone photos are fine if they’re not blurry) and email them to poe AT poeghostal.com.
Mr. G submits this for your disapproval:
Here’s an interesting tidbit. DeviantArt artist Noxious1 has posted this Masters of the Universe Classics art, evidently commissioned by Mattel for use in an internal presentation. Later in the comments, he writes:
It was for internal presentation uses. I was basically commissioned to take the characters and their designs from the newly released “Classics” line and make them (and I quote) “BADASS” so I tried and I think it turned out pretty swell. If it were up to me I would redesign most everyone but for these costumes I got to do what I wanted with them. Very pleased with the outcome 🙂
So here’s my question…why did Mattel want to make MOTUC “badass”…? Please begin speculating wildly…NOW.
Edit: Lemonjuice McGee makes a good point–this may have been part of a pitch to a potential licensing partner. Perhaps they’re trying to interest THQ (or the brand managers and THQ are trying to interest Mattel higher-ups) in a MOTUC videogame?
Inspired by He-Man.org’s Roast Gooble Dinner podcast, welcome to PGPoA’s latest MOTUC Bio Discussion!
Buzz-Off Bio
Real Name: Tzzzzt zzz zzTTTzz
Heroic King of the Andreenidsâ„¢, a bee-like species closely related to both the Kexâ„¢ insect people and the Arachna Spider-Warriorsâ„¢, Tzzzzt’s race evolved into fierce warriors, guarding their home and their ambrosia honeycombs with stubborn dignity. Although he initially preferred to keep his people’s neutrality, a sky war initiated by Skeletor gave Tzzzzt more than enough reason to ally himself with King Randor’s Masters of the Universe. He often partners with Mekanek using his wings for airborne spying missions.
Portrait Art Source: Original card back
I think the most painful thing about this bio is that it repeatedly refers to Buzz-Off as “Tzzzzt.” They actually managed to make one of the goofiest MOTU names even goofier, and then they doubled down on it. (more…)
“Know, O Prince, that between the years when the oceans drank the Valley of Gnarl and the founding of Eternos, there was an Age undreamed of, when shining kingdoms lay spread across the world like blue mantles beneath the stars. Hither came Vikor, the He-Man of the North, black-haired, sullen-eyed, axe in hand, a thief, a reaver, a slayer, with gigantic melancholies and gigantic mirth, to tread the jeweled thrones of Eternia beneath his booted feet…”
–Tu-Tor, Royal Scholar
“Stop filling my little boy’s head with all that nonsense, Tu-Tor. He-Man’s just a myth.”
–King Randor
There’s a persistent, but untrue, legend that Masters of the Universe (MOTU) was originally developed as a toyline for the movie Conan the Barbarian starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, which came out in May 1982. This much is true: Mattel entered a licensing agreement with Conan Properties, Inc. (CPI) in July 1981 to produce toys based on the film, and in January 1982, Mattel backed out of the deal.* A month later, Mattel debuted their company-owned Masters of the Universe toyline at Toy Fair. CPI then sued Mattel for copyright infringement and, for reasons I’ll discuss in a later post, lost the case. (more…)
Mattel has revealed Sy-Klone is all his packaged, be-bio’ed glory. (Via Facebook)
Sy-Klone’s Bio:
SY-KLONE
Heroic Fist-Flinging Tornado
Real Name: Sy-Klone Son of Dy-LexProtector of the Legacy Stones and the Last Defender of Anwat Gar, Sy-Klone joined the Masters of the Universe after the Stones were destroyed and his mission completed. He wears the last remaining TECH vest Armor created by his Gar ancestors to terrorize Eternia after the Great Wars. Its built-in wind rockets allow the user to create powerful vortexes of spinning energy as a defensive weapon or to fly through the air. Sy-Klone has upgraded his armor to also include cosmic radar which lets him sense the physical presence of evil long before others. Sy-Klone’s wind Powers and radar chest make him combat ready!
“Terrorize Eternia”? Were the Gars bad guys in 200X?
Anyway, it’s awesome we got the lenticular chest emblem and an ab crunch.
Vikor protects the Valley of Gnarrl by Kwehttamm
We’re having an unofficial Review Week here at PGPoA (I don’t know why it has to be unofficial since it’s my own website…look, never mind), so let’s move on to the next one: Retro Action Real Ghostbusters (RARG) Winston Zeddemore!
I’m not going to go into my spiel about my general feelings on Mego-style figures–you can read that in my Flash/Captain Cold review from yesterday.
Instead, let’s talk about Mattel’s handling of the Ghostbusters line. Mattel recently stated they would not be making any 6″ Real Ghostbusters figures in their Ghostbusters Classics line, so for RGB fans, the Retro Action line is the only game in town (well, not really). (more…)
Buzz-Off by Kwehttamm
I’ve often mentioned I don’t like action figures with soft goods–fabric capes, clothes, anything. Such figures could never be my “definitive” figure of a character. However, there’s something to be said for what you could call simply “fun” figures–odd, unusual, or just plain goofy figures who have a certain charm, despite not being at all what one would consider a “definitive” version of a character.
Take Mego-style figures. While Mego arguably represented the most state-of-the-art versions of characters as action figures in the 1970s, they’ve been long surpassed by the works of Kenner, Mattel, Hasbro, and DC Direct. But while your “definitive” Batman action figure might be DC Direct’s Hush version or Mattel’s Crime Stopper Batman, there’s something to be said for the appeal of more cartoonish lines like Mattel’s Retro Action DC Super Heroes–or, for that matter, Funko’s POP Heroes, any of the myriad Hasbro Heroes-style lines. I view these nuveau-Mego figures (Megeau?) more like stylized collectibles than action figures. (more…)