Grizzlor: Furry or furrowed?

September 9, 2009 | Poe

In the wake of the Moss-Man flocking debate, a new discussion has cropped up over on He-Man.org regarding that hairy Horde henchman, Grizzlor.

grizzlor_a
(photo courtesy He-Man.org)

The 1980s Grizzlor had rooted hair from head to crotch. I always found him to be one of the goofiest MOTU figures ever made–and that’s saying something. The hair doesn’t conform to his body shape, it just sticks out in all directions. He doesn’t look like a sasquatch or a Wookie. He’s not a “furry man”–he’s a furball. Like a muscled-up guinea pig with a crossbow. (more…)

Announcing the “Make your MasterPOEce” Contest!

September 8, 2009 | Poe

For untold eons, few (if any) have wondered what the mysterious scribe known as Poe Ghostal looks like. But now, thanks to PoeGhostal.com in conjunction with PassionDesignsInc.com, with the help of He-Man.org, not only will Poe’s form be revealed, but you can win a MOTU-themed prize–including a Masters of the Universe Classics Mer-Man, a 2002 He-Man figure signed by the Four Horsemen, and a custom figure based on your own design, created by Passion Designs customizer Thomas Pitts himself, whose works includes Zombie He-Man as featured in ToyFare magazine.

Here’s what you need to do to enter: just make a piece of art showing what you think Poe Ghostal would look like as a MOTU character. You can use Poe’s logo on his website or the winning bio from the recent “You Need a He-Ro” contest as inspiration, but you don’t have to–your only limit is your imagination!

It can be a sketch, a drawing, a computer-generated 3D model, a painting, a Photoshopped image–any format is acceptable, so long as it’s an original piece and in the spirit of the Masters of the Universe Classics style.

You can submit your entry by emailing it to artcontest@poeghostal.com or by posting it on the He-Man.org forums in this thread: http://www.he-man.org/forums/boards/showthread.php?t=176139

One grand prize winner will receive:

  • A MOTUC-style custom figure of Poe Ghostal based on the winner’s design, created by Passion Designs himself!
  • A 2002 He-Man figure, with the card signed by the Four Horsemen!

One runner-up will receive:

  • A Masters of the Universe Classics Mer-Man figure

The rules:

  • Entry period ends at noon Eastern time on Wednesday, September 30, 2009.
  • The top three entries will be chosen by Poe Ghostal and Passion Designs, Inc. and then put to a reader vote on PoeGhostal.com for one week. The winner and runner-up will have the first- and second-most votes, respectively. In the event of a tie, the winner(s) will be chosen randomly.
  • You may enter once per email address.
  • Only residents of the United States and Canada are eligible.
  • You must be over 18 to enter. (If you are younger, please ask a parent to enter for you.)

“You Need a He-Ro!” Contest Winner

September 4, 2009 | Poe

Swords together!

First off, a big thank-you to everyone who entered. I had a great time reading these, although the recurring elements of Poe being “punished for his crimes” and “doomed to haunt something-or-other” was a tad disturbing. What did I ever do to you people? But I digress.

First off, the runners-up! (more…)

Top Five Variants I’d Like to See in MOTUC

September 2, 2009 | Poe

motuiahm1

Look, I won’t pretend that these are necessarily the five variants you, or even most collectors, would like to see in MOTUC. They’re my five top picks, and if you disagree, then feel free to show me the error of my ways in the comments.

To clarify, by “variants” I mean alternate versions of characters, not factory errors. I’m also excluding figures that are somewhat different characters, like Prince Adam and Keldor–we all want those.

While I almost always prefer to own just the one, iconic version of a character, Masters of the Universe has an unusual preponderance of pretty cool variants alongside the really bad ones.

Here are my five top picks for variants I think would make good MOTUC bonus figures. (more…)

Ask Mattel Roundup for Sept. 1

September 2, 2009 | Poe

My favorite bit of news is from AFP’s round:

10. It looks like Mattel has likeness rights from Sigourney Weaver – at least for the Avatar line of toys. Do those rights also apply to the Ghostbusters line?

We have the rights to create figures based on Sigourney Weaver’s characters in Avatar and Ghostbusters. They are completely separate agreements that happen to involve the same actress.

So–a Dana Barrett figure is undoubtedly coming. In fact, I bet it’s the July 2010 figure–or maybe the SDCC exclusive as a two-pack with a Terror Dog.

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.

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…)

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…)

Contest > You need a He-Ro!

August 25, 2009 | Poe

he-ro_2

I’ve got an extra He-Ro figure, minty fresh in his white mailer box and waiting for some loving collector to take him into his home.

So here’s the deal. I thought about saying you just had to post a comment below to enter the contest, but that’s boring. So instead, what I’d like you to do is imagine “Poe Ghostal” was a MOTU character, and then write a mini-bio for him in the style of the MOTU Classics packaging.

The bio should be between 50-75 words. It can be as serious, funny, or mocking as you want. I’ve posted a few sample bios below, so you can get a feel for the style. Feel free to make up a goofy “real name” too.

The contest will start now and end at 12pm on September 1st. I’ll pick a winner based solely on my own judgment. The winning entry will be Photoshopped into an actual MOTUC-style bio, and some runners-up will be posted as well.

I’ll open this up to international Poesters too, with one condition: I’ll pay for shipping up to $20, but you’ll have to pay the difference for anything over that. Sorry to be a jerk, but int’l shipping can get crazy.

As usual, the Power Pals and friends and family are excluded from the contest (“friends” in this case means people I’ve hung out with in person–online acquaintances are free to participate). But if they’d like to write a bio just for fun, feel free!

Click “Read the rest” to see the sample bios! (more…)